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People's President laid to rest
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VOL 44. ISSUE 14
University closes door due to lack of international students UK universities in the past have had glorious time, attracting hundreds of international students, even when it failed to appeal to the local ones. This government's immigration policies, that are aimed to cut down foreigners coming to this country, have finally resulted to what an economically recovering country must fear. It has raised concerns amongst university towns, now dreading similar consequences. The University of South Wales (USW) opened-up its London doors in the Docklands in east London last year, relying on international students to fill its desks. But the university has now cited the government's recent toughening of visa regulations as being part of the reason they have had to shut their doors, after just one year - because it failed to attract any students. The university is now being criticised for wasting money that could have been used to same some of the jobs of the 90 staff set to lose their jobs in Wales. The university employed four staff at the docklands and had rented the space instead of buying it. In a statement to the South Wales Argus, the university said: “The university explored a 'proof of concept' exercise that involved a Continued on page 15
Let noble thoughts come to us from every side
80p
8th August to 14th August 2015
Modi signs an end to Naga insurgency
Signing ceremony of the historic peace accord between Government of India & NSCN in New Delhi
India has signed a peace agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, a leading tribal separatist group in the northeast, that has been waging guerrilla attacks against central rule for the past six decades. Officials from Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
India's 'Missile Man' APJ Abdul Kalam was laid to rest in a massive public ceremony, at Pei Karumbu burial ground near his hometown Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu. The former president was buried with state honours; a 21 gun salute. Flown in from New Delhi, his mortal remains were taken from his ancestral house to the local mosque, prior to the funeral. More than one lakh people from all over the country had gathered to pay their last respects. Mourners kept coming through the night and several even slept on the roads, to participate in his final journey. Shops, businesses and hotels remained shut as the entire state marked respect to the leader all fondly called 'People's President.'
Slogans of “Bharat Mata ki Jay” and “Vande Mataram” echoed as all those assembled, choked on the national loss. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his final salute and later met with his 99 year old elder brother Mohammad Muthu Labha Maraicker. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister Manohar Parriker and Parliament affairs minister Venkaiha Naidu were amongst the government officials who attended the funeral. Kalam passed away in Shillong after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture in the Indian Institute of Management. One of his noteworthy traits is his ability to click with people regardless of their age group. Millions of Indian
youths have been inspired by him to dream big, and his speeches and interactive sessions have propelled the young to turn those dreams into reality. “No other democratic nation has 600 million youth. The ignited mind of the youth is the most powerful resource -- on the earth, above the earth, under the earth -- and we have that,” were his words. N Bhaskara Rao, founder-chairperson of New Delhi's Centre for Media Studies fondly remembers him, “Kalam never 'talked over' with the youth, he 'talked with' them,” said Rao. “He went down to the level understandable by the person he was speaking to, whether school children or IIM students. That's why young Continued on page 26
Narendra Modi's government signed the accord with NSCN-IM, which has been active in the remote and underdeveloped northeastern region bordering on China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Continued on page 26
Freedom at Midnight: enclaves swapped in Border deal
Enclave dwellers assembled on both sides of India and Bangladesh border to celebrate
India and Bangladesh swapped land along their border, ending decades long dispute that had left more than 50,000 people virtually stateless. At
midnight the stranded, landlocked islets known as enclaves; 111 Indian plots in Bangladesh and Continued on page 26
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Mr Parsottam Bhaliya
Mr Bhaliya, the son of a small farmer, is post graduate in Agriculture. He did his M.Sc. (Agri.) from Gujarat Agricultural University, Junagadh, India, in 1981. He was University first and gold medallist in Agricultural Economics. He is also professionally CAIIB. He worked as Assistant Professor in Agriculture University at Junagadh till December 1983 and published more than 25 articles in the area of Agriculture. In December 1983, he joined Bank of Baroda as Agriculture officer and worked in number of Bank of Baroda branches across India, serving on different posts such as Branch Head, Staff Training Faculty, Deputy Regional Manager and Regional Manager. Since last one year he is working as Deputy Chief Executive in Bank of Baroda, London. 1) What is your current position? At present I am working as Deputy Chief Executive in Bank of Baroda, UK Territory. Bank of Baroda is having 10 Branches in UK. 2) What are your proudest achievements? I was awarded with 5 silver medals during my high school study, ranking first in the standards and One Gold medal in Gujarat Agricultural University being first in Gujarat Agricultural University in Agricultural Economic. I was one of the youngest Agricultural Scientist in Gujarat. While working with
My spiritual Guru H H Pramukh Swamiji.
Bank of Baroda, I got promotion from Scale I to Scale IV in first attempt. All above can be considered as my few proudest achievements. 3) What inspires you? My illiterate parents, who were small farmers, but had great objective in their life to make me a top level officer. They worked extremely hard and saved money for my studies. I am immensely inspired by their hard work, honesty and have inculcated those virtues in my life as well. 4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? As with everyone else, I too
had challenges in my career, however I have taken them as opportunities to make best use of my abilities. 5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
6) What is the best a s p e c t about your current role? On getting deputed to London, I got chance to interact and serve overseas customers, increase our customer base by reaching out to m o r e NRIs, coordinate with our branches in India to help them serve better. 7) And the worst? I always try to keep the stake holders delighted.
Bin Laden's family on crash plane
Family members of Osama Bin Laden were killed in a private jet crash along with the pilot, near Blackbushe Airport near Surrey border, as per reports from the Saudi Arabian embassy in the UK. In a statement, Saudi ambassador to the UK, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, offered condolences to the Bin Laden family saying, “His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud... has paid his condolences to the family and relatives of Mohammed bin Laden at Blackbushe airport in Britain for the great loss they have suffered as a result of the crash of the plane that was carrying the family.” The embassy added that it was working with the British authorities to ensure the speedy handover of the bodies for funerals and
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation has confirmed that the plane was a Saudi registered private aircraft, and said it would support the UK's AAIB in its investigation.
burials in Saudi Arabia. The plane which was arriving from Milan, Italy, crashed into a British Car Auctions site at the airfield, exploding on impact. It is reported to belong to an aviation firm owned by the Saudi-based family of the former al-Qaeda leader.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? I would like to design and implement a strategy to make more citizens having very strong moral, ethical and spiritual values. Such citizens would be an asset of our society and the country. Once united, they would have an ability to take human life to next step. 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? I would like to spend time with Sir Sayajirao Gaikwad, for he was a great visionary to start a small bank with capital of INR 1 million with a mission to strengthen trading and enterprising in India in the year 1908. The bank is now established as one of the leading international banks.
Illegal immigrants to face abrupt eviction
Illegal immigrants will face abrupt evictions without a court order
Under new immigration laws, illegal immigrants living in rented accommodation in Britain will face abrupt eviction. The new laws will also allow landlords to evict illegal immigrants without a court order. However, under a new criminal offence to be included in a new immigration bill, landlords who fail to check the immigration status of the tenants
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8) What are your long term goals?
Do the best for my mother institution - Bank of Baroda and for my customers. My post retirement from Bank of Baroda, I want to dedicate rest of my life as a volunteer for social, humanitarian and spiritual activities undertaken by the socio-spiritual organisation – BAPS.
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could be fined or jailed for up to five years. The Right to Rent Scheme is currently being piloted in the West Midlands and will be extended across the country. Under this scheme, landlords will be made to check evidence of the tenant's right to remain in the UK by examining their passport or biometric residence permit.
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
COMMENT
Punjab terror attack wake-up call
The recent jihadi terror attack in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab, a mere 10 miles from the Pakistan border, and directly accessible from neighbouring Jammu and Kashmir, were the presumed entry points into Punjab. The analysis of the Global Positioning System on the persons of the dead men should help reveal the truth. This, however, is a technicality in the general scheme of things. More important by far the shadow the event casts on India-Pakistan relations. The Indian government’s earlier brouhaha on renewed talks between the two countries at the national security advisors’ level followed by a Modi-Sharif summit was clearly a case of unseemly haste flowed by repentance at leisure. The proposal was not thought through well, otherwise there would have been greater cogitation over the fiascos of earlier summits on the watch of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh, both honourable men desirous of going down in history as wise and generous peacemakers. Alas, it takes two to tango; such ill-starred exercises in summitry have been derailed in the past because Pakistan is not a normal state, nor a genuine democracy; neither is it a conventional military dictatorship. It is a jihadi entity controlled by a military-intelligence nexus, with client politicians and a political class in tow, each driven by the inebriating, messianic vision of a global or regional caliphate built on the ruins of ‘Hindu’ India. A respected American academic’s meticulously researched work on the subject, to which specific reference was made in an earlier issue in this column, will repay the reader for his/her time. Indian politicians as a species have no time for serious reading nor, it would appear, to their advisers in the bureaucracy. A cursory perusal of Christine Fair’s admirable work on the Pakistan army would have put them on guard, but long accustomed to the comforts of clichés and shibboleths, they were caught badly off guard by the Gurdaspur incident. Any Pakistan summit requires careful calibration, with each step choreographed minutely. There has to be a Plan A, B and C plus room for failure If these plans go awry Hopefully, realization will take hold in the corri-
dors of power in New Delhi. The Punjab anti-terrorist commandos, benefited from their training with Israel’s famed intelligence service, Mossad, according to a Times of India report. On standby were Indian Army special services units and kindred elements from the National Investigation Agency. The Punjab police, however, performed admirably on their own. Only a prize lotus-eater can believe the peace has been, or will be, secured in our time. There are likely to be more serious challenges now and in the future. The legendary KPS Gill, who masterminded the successful counter-insurgency operation against Khalistani terrorism (Pakistanibased, and allied to jihadi groups there)in Punjab in the 1990s, has issued a public warning to the powers that be: stop thinking only of the Pakistan’s ISI, the greater looming threat is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) operating out of Syria and Iraq and its spreading tentacles across South Asia. The American Media Institute and America Today newspaper last week reported that a 32-page Urdu document recovered from a Pakistani citizen member of the Tehreek-i-Taliban – focused on building a new terrorist army in Afghanistan and Pakistan with an eye to launching operations in India. The Urdu document, translated by the Pakistani Harvard University researcher, Mustafa Samdani, tells of intended targeted attacks in India itself. American Media Institute’s Sara Carter told the Hindu newspaper that an assault against India was “imminent,” that recruitment for the venture was under way. To this must be added news of Afghan Taliban leader, the fearsome Mullah Omar’s death in a Karachi hospital two years ago. Like his close friend Osama bin Laden, he had enjoyed the protection of the Pakistan authorities. Without his charisma, sections of the Afghan Taliban might veer off to ISIS, giving it a more formidable reach. The Afghan Taliban, tribally and ethically rooted among the Pashtuns, might be reluctant to cast their lot with Arab jihadis working to an Arab Islamist agenda. Meanwhile, drugs smuggled in from Pakistan are leading to a pandemic of drug abuse in Punjab, a jihadi war by other means.
West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, had long been enamoured of London from afar. The sights and sounds of Britain’s great capital city held her in thrall during her recent visit to the UK. She went on walkabouts with members of her staff, soaking in its ambience; only the Thames, it appears, failed to impress. Be that as it may, the purpose of her visit was to attract British investment to her investment-starved State. Bengal suffers from an image problem. Three decades and more of Communist-led Left Front rule had throttled industry, led to the flight of capital and to the slow demise of the economy. Strikes and demonstrations were endemic, labour indiscipline was chronic and management had become a life-threatening occupation. Calcutta, the State metropolis, hovered on the brink of the 20th century’s greatest urban disaster. The 2011 State Assembly elections, against all the odds, and defying every pollster, won Ms Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress a landslide victory and reduced the Communists to an ungainly rump. Ms Banerjee, once the feisty street fighter, she confesses, has been slow in learning the ropes of economic restoration. Her message in London
was that Bengal was ready for business. Urban renewal is work in process, and there has been considerable rural uplift; however, only manufacturing can guarantee a significant reduction in the high unemployment that blights West Bengal’s future advance. The reputable businessmen from Bengal who were part of her delegation made an eloquent pitch for her government and their message will have been surely heard with interest by their British peers. The German Consul Rainer Schmedchen gave high marks to the State Government for its restorative efforts, singling out Finance Minister Amit Mitra for special praise in his handling of State finances and the overall economy. In London, Ms Banerjee was accorded a warm welcome by Prince Andrew, Patricia Hewitt, former Trade and Investment supremo, present Minister Priti Patel and Labour peer and industrialist Lord Swraj Paul, whose family has deep roots in Kolkata as does he himself. Prime Minister David Cameron was in Singapore recently pitching for British business in South East Asia. Perhaps Bengal’s time has come at last. Better late than never.
Dr Samuel Johnson, the eighteenth century Panjandrum of English letters, pronounced that “patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” The profession of the super patriot, the false one, that is, has long been discredited, yet it stubbornly resists its internment in Madame Tussauds waxworks of horrors. India, it would appear, has more its fair share of the species. The popinjay, Shashi Tharoor, went on a binge of Raj bashing at the Oxford Union in the manner of the famed Pied Piper of Hamelin. One doesn’t have to romanticize the Raj, but neither was their need of such indecent exposure of chronic intellectual indigestion at this ancient seat of learning. Modern India’s greatest minds – Rammohun Roy, Swami Vivekenanda, Bankim Chatterjee. M.G. Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo, well understood that, following the breakdown of the Mughal Empire and the murderous internecine strife and foreign invasions, had so debilitated and
traumatized the people that, only a foreign agency would have the strength and energy to put the Indian Humpty Dumpty together again. They preferred the Pax Britannica to, say, an Ottoman or Persian peace, or that of a similar caliphate to be the instrument of India’s revival explored by the magisterial histories of Jadunath Sarkar and Ramesh Majumdar, to go no further. The present Constitution of India owes much to the Government of India Act of 1935. The present Indian judicial system has as its core the principle that a man or woman is innocent until proven guilty beyond all reasonable doubt. Were this not so, and had the Mughal sharia prevailed, Mr Tharoor’s career as a public entertainer and politician might have ended before its time. PS. Witnessing the rise of Singapore as a global centre of excellence, one cannot but meditate on its origins as an offshoot of the Raj, that its founder, Stamford Raffles, set on his venture to South East from Bengal.
Mamata dazzled by London
Popinjay Tharoor’s Raj bashing
3 The intuitive mind is a gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift. - Albert Einstein
Seema Malhotra MP For Feltham and Heston
Yvette’s plans for BAME Equality are the boldest the Labour Party has seen Last week I attended the excellent hustings organised by Patchwork with Operation Black Vote. The event brought together a 200-strong young BAME audience to debate with the Labour Leadership candidates. The event was one of the best debates about race and politics I have attended in the last few years. We have seen a lot of recent debate about the BAME vote but much less about BAME equality. Politics has to be about reality, not just about rhetoric. Last year the FTSE 100 lost nearly 40 of its 480 non-white leaders at board level – and the number of BAME CEOs has fallen from six to four. Ethnic minorities are more likely to be unemployed, be on the national minimum wage and more likely to be in prison. It is disappointing that the Government removed the BAME targets for new public appointees and that we have seen a drop in representation on public boards. We need a stronger and more robust response to race inequality, led from the top. One reason I am convinced that Yvette Cooper is the right choice for Labour Leader has been her history on the issue of equality and also her BAME manifesto announced last month. She has set a very radical goal of doubling the number of Labour BAME MPs to ensure representation of all communities in our politics. Parliament overall in 2015 has seen an increase in BAME representation but only to 6.6% - Labour has 23 BAME MPs compared
to the Tories’ 10 MPs. But this won’t happen by itself. I’m pleased that Yvette has said she will personally oversee a task force to boost support for BAME candidates and activists – with a development programme and bursary schemes. In addition the police, armed forces and civil service need to look more like the whole of Britain. Her plans for a legal requirement on police forces to increase diversity and a Race Equality Minister are bold and will make a huge difference on the ground. I have worked with Yvette as her Parliamentary Private Secretary and now as a Shadow Home Office Minister. I have seen her show the blend of tough leadership, strong sense of purpose and compassion driven from firm Labour values in her work as Shadow Home Secretary. She also has experience of Government in driving forward the Minimum Wage, Sure Start Centres and equality measures. She understands the votes we lost and is the most credible candidate for Prime Minister. As Labour goes into the final few weeks of the Leadership election campaign, the question will increasingly focus on the candidate who has the most likelihood of winning in 2020, and therefore of having the chance to make a change. Seema Malhotra is the Labour and Cooperative Member of Parliament for Feltham and Heston and the Shadow Minister for Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls.
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MIDLANDS VOICE
Sant Nirankari Mission recognised with Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2015
A voluntary group from Wednesbury with centres across the Country who works in the community to make a difference through its social and charitable work has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. The Sant Nirankari Mission encourages all its members to participate in community life by undertaking a range of activities including Tree Planting initiatives, supporting Blood Donation Campaigns, Keeping the Local environment clean and tidy, organising large scale festivals to bring a sense of Oneness to the Community. The International headquarters of the Mission are in New Delhi, India and the Head of the Mission Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj is the driving force behind all their Community activities. Gurpreet Bhatia from Sant Nirankari Mission attended a garden party at Buckingham Palace on the 20th May 2015 where he met the Queen and other winners of this year’s award. The Sant Nirankari Mission is one of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards handed out to groups have increased by over 60% from 2014, due to an increase in high quality applications, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communi-
ties. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation. Award winners this year range from Ablaze, a charity helping to raise academic achievement amongst disadvantaged young people in Bristol to a volunteer rescue boat service on Loch Lomond. The Sant Nirankari Mission will receive the award from the Deputy Lord Lieutenant’s Mr. Simon Topman MBE and Dr Satya Sharma MBE later this summer. The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said: “I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the best of democracy in action.” Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The hard work and commitment that goes into the work of these organisations is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer. I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive
impact so that we can continue to build a bigger, stronger society.” Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of West Midlands, Mr Paul Sabapathy CBE said,’ I am delighted that 11 Queens Awards for Voluntary Service have been awarded to groups in West Midlands this year and I congratulate the winners. It reflects the wonderful voluntary work done by so many in all parts of this County. As I am personally aware of the amazing voluntary work done by the volunteers of Sant Nirankari Mission I would like to add my personal hearty congratulations to the inspiring and dynamic leader of the Missions, Harmohinder Singh Bhatia (Upashakji) and his team of dedicated volunteers striving to make the world a better place for all” Harmohinder Singh Bhatia General Secretary of the Mission said, “This is a wonderful achievement for the Mission and it’s a result of the tireless efforts of all the Volunteers without whom the work of the Mission in the community would just not be possible. We have numerous ongoing projects and would encourage the local community to participate.” He further added, “There are so many exceptional projects we see undertaken in local communities and I would encourage all voluntary organisations to seek nomination for the Queens Award for Voluntary Services.” The Formal Presentation of the Award by the Deputy Lord Lieutenant shall take place on the 5th August 2015 at 7pm at the Sant Nirankari Bhawan.
Inspiring art project to celebrate Leicester’s Indian heritage
The University of Leicester has received a grant for its involvement in a new project to promote cultural exchange between visual artists in India and England through a programme of artist residencies. The University of Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre, in partnership with seven visual arts venues across Leicester, has been awarded an Arts Council grant of £25,700, as part of the ‘Re:Imagine India’ programme. The project will bring cutting-edge Indian contemporary artists to the UK to create new art celebrating Leicester’s Indian heritage while inspiring young people, challenging stereotypes and fostering inter-cultural awareness across Leicester’s diverse communities. The residencies, and work produced, will strengthen the city’s visual art sector and will open up the art to new audiences. Michaela Butter MBE, Director of the Attenborough Arts Centre, said: “With our new galleries opening to the public this autumn, this funding provides us with an exciting opportu-
nity to develop international links and foster discussion and debate between our partners in Leicester and India. “The Attenborough Arts Centre wants to be a dynamic, creative hub
brokering opportunities for inter-cultural dialogue between artists and local communities. This money will help us to identify exciting talent both here and in India with whom we can work to build longer term partnerships and projects.” ‘Re:Imagine India’ runs in partnership with the British Council, encouraging English artists to work with artists in India in order to exchange ideas, develop partnerships abroad, and export their work. The first part of the
project involves a research trip to India in spring 2016, where artists will be selected to take part in the programme of residencies in Leicester. At a second stage, the project will showcase new
work in 2017, marking the 70th anniversary of Indian independence. Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England said: “Britain’s arts and creativity are a vital part of our influence across the world, and are an increasingly important export. These awards will help organisations of all sizes, and from across the country, to collaborate with artists from abroad, develop new performances, take on global influences and attract new audiences, especially from south Asian com-
munities.” The project partners the University of Leicester’s Attenborough Arts Centre with seven Leicester visual arts venues, including Leicester Print Workshop, Phoenix, Leicester Arts and Museum Service, Two Queens, Soft Touch, De M o n t f o r t University and Peepul Centre. Attenborough Arts Centre’s new gallery, due to open in autumn this year, will look to exhibit work produced during the ‘Re:Imagine India’ project. The £1.5 million new gallery, funded by Arts Council England and over 1,000 individual donations raised by the University of Leicester, is still accepting donations through its Breaking Barriers Appeal. The public is invited to support the award-winning work of the Centre by contributing to The Breaking Barriers Appeal, which will ensure ongoing opportunities for even more people and help fulfil Richard Attenborough’s original vision to improve access to the arts for all.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Asian Today celebrates milestone
Asian Today, a Midlandbased national newspaper, held a lavish party to mark its 200th issue. Ifraz Ahmed and Anita Chumber, the publication’s Managing Director and Editor, respectively, cut a cake to mark the occasion. The food, drink and dance event last Thursday was held at a new shisha lounge in Birmingham. The around 75 guests included Birmingham’s tallest photographer Jas Sansi, Birmingham Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Mike Hopkins, Principal at South & City College Birmingham, Ninder Johal from the Black
Anita Chumber
Country Asian Business Association, Waheed Saleem, Chairman of Birmingham Lunar Society, representatives from the Institute of Asian Businesses and Indian toast master Raaj Shamji.
Man found guilty of murdering mother-in-law in Pakistan Tariq Rana (31), has been found guilty of murdering his mother-in-law, Ghulam Asia, on her doorstep of her home in Lahore, Pakistan, as a revenge after his wife, Ayesha Riaz left him. Rana travelled from his home in Wolverhampton to Pakistan, to murder his wife's relatives. Although the crime took place in Pakistan, Rana was prosecuted in Britain under the Offences against the Person Act 1861. This gives authority for a UK national to stand trial for a murder committed abroad. Detective Chief Inspector Tim Duffield of the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command, described Rana as a “violent and controlling man” who murdered Ghulam Asia “in the most callous and brutal way.” Time Duffield said, “This was not a sponta-
neous event, but rather a revenge-driven premeditated attack aimed at causing the maximum distress and suffering to his estranged wife and her family. It is also important to recognise the considerable assistance we received from the Pakistani authorities, without which justice for Mrs Asia’s family would not have been possible. My deepest sympathies go out to Mrs Asia’s family who have shown great dignity and courage throughout.”
Jahanzeb Ismail (44), a convicted killer has been sentenced to nine years imprisonment for threatening a family with a loaded Uzi sub-machine gun. Bradford Crown Court was told that Ismail had gone to the home of Aftab Hussain as a revenge mission, after believing threats were made by Hussain to his family. Prosecutor, Gurdial Singh, informed the court that Ismail was heard shouting that he was going to kill Aftab Hussain. He also caused damage to a Volkswagen Golf car parked outside the house. Jahanzeb Ismail, pictured, pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The court was also informed that he had previous been jailed in 1999, for seven years for the manslaughter of Nighat Afzal (26), who he shot dead with a Beretta handgun, as well as in November 2011, for five-
and-a-half years, for attempted robbery, after threatening a petrol station cashier with a part of a vacuum cleaner, pretending it was a gun. While sentencing, Judge Roger Thomas QC told Ismail, “The people who were in the house you went to must have been absolutely and utterly terrified by what was going on. You had some sort of grievance against Aftab Hussain, it was not clear what it was. It put you in such a state of mind. It put you in an agitated mood. But Mr Hussain was not present, he was abroad.” He further stated, “This is as bad a case of its type that one can come across. It was a terrible weapon capable of repeated firing. When the gun was recovered it was loaded.”
Tariq Rana travelled to Pakistan to murder his mother-in-law after his wife left him
Man jailed for threatening family with sub-machine gun
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Terrorists win unlawful solitary confinement judgement
Kamel Bourgass
Tanvir Hussain
Two convicted terrorists, Kamel Bourgass (41), and Tanvir Hussain (34), have won a ruling that they should not have been kept in solitary confinement for over 72 hours. They had argued that their human rights were breached when they were kept away from other prisoners. Kamel Bourgass, an Algerian national, had murdered Detective Constable Stephen Oake (40), with a kitchen knife in 2003. He also plotted to spread the highly toxic ricin on the streets of Britain. Bourgass was jailed for life. Tanvir Hussain had planned a liquid bomb attack on transatlantic airliners in 2006. Along with two other men, Hussain had planned to launch suicide attacks on flights from London Heathrow airport to America and Canada with liquid bombs made of hydrogen peroxide, hidden in soft drink bottles. He was also jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 32 years. They were segregated
from fellow inmates due to concerns that they were bullying other Muslim prisoners and were allegedly planning further terror activities while being in prison. The Court of Appeal had rejected their complaints three years ago. However, on 29th July 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that while their human rights had not been breached, their treatment had been unlawful. The judges unanimously ruled that prisoners should only be segregated for maximum three days without the approval of the current Justice Secretary, Michael Gove. A Prison Service spokesperson said, “We are currently considering the Supreme Court judgement but are pleased it found no fault with the majority of the procedures around the segregation of prisoners. All prisoners who are segregated are already subject to a careful assessment so their physical and mental wellbeing is safeguarded.”
Police name Sir Edward Heath as suspected paedophile
UK
3-month-old baby circumcised without mother's consent
Dr Balvinder Mehat faces a police inquiry as it is said that he performed a circumcision on a three-month-old baby in Nottingham, without the consent of the mother. Dr Mehat was allegedly asked by the baby's paternal family to perform the private circumcision procedure, in accordance with their Islamic faith. The 26-year-old mother was horrified when she found out. She said, “I knew this was something my baby's father wanted, but I didn't agree with it at all. I spoke to my health worker and GP about it, and they said if it was only my name on the birth certificate there was no way it could happen.” The parents were in a casual relationship when the baby was conceive. Since the birth of their son, the father has been
Dr Balvinder Mehat
visiting him every week. When their son was three months old, the father had asked if their son could stay with him for the night to mark Eid. The mother had agreed. “I agreed because it seemed fair.” She further recalls, “The next day I was woken up by a phone call from his grandmother asking me for his GP's details for the circumcision appointment. I didn't know what she was on
Public sector workers must speak fluent English The government has said that from September 2015, people who are not able to speak English fluently will be barred from public sector jobs which involve working directly with the public. NHS staff and council workers will also be required to have English language skills, equivalent to GCSE grade C or above. It will also include social workers, police officers, teaching staff and assistants. Managers will be required to test whether the employees can “communicate effectively with the public.” The government wants the policy to be implemented across England, Scotland and Wales, and
they would start working with Scottish and Welsh governments on the details of the plans. Cabinet Minister, Matt Hancock said, “We are controlling immigration for the benefit of all hardworking people. We have already introduced tough new language requirements for migrants, now we will introduce new legislation in the forthcoming immigration bill to deliver the commitment made by the prime minister to go further.”
5-year-old boy dies from meningitis after poor emergency response Sir Edward Heath
The police have named the former Prime Minister, Sir Edward Heath, in a child sex abuse investigation. He has been named as a suspected paedophile in allegations of child abuse. Wiltshire Police have appealed for potential victims of Sir Heath, who passed away at the age of 89, in 2005, to come forward. The police are said to now be working with the NSPCC to support those affected; however, they
have refused to divulge further information on the nature of allegations against the former leader. A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said, “Sir Edward Heath has been named in relation to offences concerning children. He lived in Salisbury for many years and we would like to hear from anyone who has any relevant information that may assist us in our enquiries or anyone who believes they may have been a victim.”
A five-year-old boy, Yusuf Abdismad died from meningitis. The confusion between ambulance operators and the NHS 111 service caused delays to his treatment. The boy's mother, Sofia Mohammed, had called 999 and following an assessment was told by the London ambulance service dispatcher to contact the non-emergency number 111 instead. By the time an ambulance was dispatched and arrived, Yusuf was in cardiac arrest. A senior coroner at St Pancras coroner's court in London, Mary Hassell,
warned there was “a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken”. She had also stated that the emergency services had failed to recognise the important signs of meningitis. During the phone call to 111, Sofia Mohammed had mentioned that her son was not breathing. Instead of sending paramedics to attend the boy immediately, the call handler continued to ask questions. London ambulance service's emergency medical dispatcher (EMD) was also criticised for asking the mother a list of confusing questions.
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Bakersfield Medical Centre in Nottingham, where the circumcision procedure was carried out
about and gave them to her to avoid a row. I then started ringing and texting them to say that no way should they do anything to my son. I got no response. Then a couple of hours later I got a text saying, 'It's done.' I couldn't believe it.” When she went to collect her child, she was horrified by the sight of the wound. The 'Plastibell circumcision', a ten-minute surgical procedure was
carried out at the Bakersfield Medical Centre in Nottingham. Dr Mehat had issued a statement through the Medical Protection Society, saying, “I am sorry to hear of the concerns that have been raised, but it would be inappropriate for me to comment further due to patient confidentiality. I would like to reassure my patients that I always strive to provide the best possible care.”
Is it fair to 'demonise' the Calais-Dover migrants?
Some politicians, citizens and councils are raising concerns over migrants or asylum seekers who have smuggled themselves into Dover from Calais and being driven in private taxis, to new homes up in London, allegedly at taxpayer's expense. It is believed these taxi drivers are being paid upto £150 to drive them to temporary accommodations. While the country is geared up to demonise these poor asylum seekers seeking refuge, what we are witnessing is perhaps history repeating itself. In 1970s several East African Asians with British passports had arrived in Britain through side doors (ie shuttlecocking)- something that was met with subtle hostility, even from some political leaders. But today many of these Asians, who left their homes and migrated to Britain under dire situations, are doyen of the business community and society, and stand as inspirations for many. If Britain had closed its doors to these immigrants 45 years back, today we would have been part of a completely different demography. The Archbishop of Canterbury, has also echoed the same feelings. He warned the politicians not to 'corner' immigrants, after a Cabinet minister had suggested some parts of the country felt “swamped” by foreign arrivals. At a press gallery lunch, the archbishop – who said he was not criti-
cising any individual – appealed for moderation. He told the journalists, “We can’t overburden communities, we have to be realistic about that. But at the heart of Christian teaching about the human being is that all human beings are of absolutely equal and infinite value and the language we use must reflect the value of the human being and not treat immigration as a deep menace that is somehow going to overwhelm a country that has coped with many waves of immigrations and has usually done so with enormous success... “What we are seeing is an upsurge of minor racist, antisemitic, antiIslamic, anti-foreigner xenophobia – not major things – just comments being made, things being said which are for the people who grew up in those backgrounds seriously uncomfortable, really quite frightening.” An asylum seeker does not leave his country only to seek economic benefits abroad. They are also forced to leave their home country as they have suffered (or feared) persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, or political opinion; also because they are a member of a persecuted social category of persons, or because they are fleeing a war. They do not want to settle in a foreign country willingly, but are unfortunately left with no better choice than fleeing from their home country.
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Gujarat Samachar - Asian Voice and Jain Samaj Manchester honour Octogenarians
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Cllr David Perry
Leader of Harrow Council
Finding ways to protect the valued services
L to R: Kamal Rao, Jyotsnaben Patel, Bharti Buston, Vijay Patel, Ramsinghji Kumpavat, Piyush Mehta, CB Patel, Dep. Lord Mayor, Stockport, Ms. June Somekh, Kokilaben Patel, Narendra Vora, Mahesh Shah
Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have always believed in bringing the community together through our events- that cater to every age group. Often elderly people, especially the Octogenarians feel left out, as children and family grow up and move away. AV and GS believe every elderly man or woman is a hero, an ideal that generations should look upto and fondly remember. We con-
sider it's our privilege to honour these stalwarts who have contributed so much to this community's and our progress in their small or big way. Keeping that mind, we have organised several honouring ceremonies since 2011 in the UK, across many cities, under News Editor Kamal Rao's initiative and have successfully honoured 250 people. After the success in
Leicester, we organised an event in Manchester to honour the elderlies over 80 years with co-operation of Jain Samaj Manchester on Saturday, 18th July 2015 at 12 PM to 4.30 PM in the Jain Community Centre, Manchester. The event will include Bhakti Sangeet by Bhartiya Vidhya Bhavan artists and other groups followed by a pure vegetarian meal. Full story in coming issue of Asian Voice.
Versace Fashion-Branded Residences in London Redefine Luxury Living The 50-Storey AYKON Nine Elms Tower has Italian Styling to Create the Ultimate Home
Luxurious private apartments in the heart of London, overlooking the River Thames, have been released, with interior designs and styling by the Italian fashion house, Versace. The first fashionbranded real estate project in the capital has caught the eye of investors looking for the latest in high-end living in one of the most desirable cities on earth. The 50-storey, 360unit, AYKON Nine Elms tower is being developed by DICO UK Property Holdings Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of DAMAC International Limited. The lobby, amenities and interiors for each property will be expertly designed and fitted out by Versace Home. “We have seen an overwhelming response to the early launch of these stunning apartments,” said Ziad El Chaar, Managing Director, DAMAC. “There is a real desire for the most stylish and well-appointed experiences in London and the Versace-styled interiors and AYKON Nine Elms has taken premium living
to a whole new level.” “We have seen high interest levels from right across the UK, including those in the Asian community, who recognize the intrinsic value of a limited edition collection of branded homes,” he added. Amenities will include a state of the art gymnasium, indoor swimming pool and spa, an owners lounge, children’s play area, roof garden and cinema, all designed by Versace Home. In response to the early interest in the apartments, events are taking place in London on the 5th and 6th of August 2015 for buyers looking to get in early and reserve the best units. Representatives from agents JLL and Hamptons will be at the Park Tower, Knightsbridge, Jumeriah Carlton Tower and The Dorchester, Park Lane from 11am-7pm on both days. AYKON Nine Elms is located at the heart of the UK capital’s Nine Elms regeneration area adjacent to Battersea, overlooking the River Thames.
The tower is due for completion in 2020. AYKON Nine Elms will be the first private residence project of scale in London to be fully designed and conceptualized by a luxury fashion house, with Versace involved in all aspects of interior design. AYKON Nine Elms combines a mix of premium penthouses, three-, two-, one-bedroom and Manhattan Studio units with City and River views along the Thames to the Palace of Westminster and the London Eye. London continues to be one of the most sustainable real estate markets in the world, with solid year-on-year price growth circa 8% according to real estate advisory firm, JLL. Analysts expect house price inflation in the region of 5-7% in the coming years. A host of internationally recognised companies are working on the project including one of the world’s preeminent architecture firms, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), Turner & Townsend (TT) and consultants including JLL and WSP.
Now that the new Conservative Government has got their feet under the table we’re starting to see the true extent of their planned cuts – and it doesn’t look good for Harrow. I am extremely concerned that the welcome rise in the minimum wage will be more than wiped out by the cuts to tax credits and a freeze on all working age benefits; for families already struggling to get by or in danger of falling into debt every penny counts and these changes will push some families and residents in Harrow over the edge. Whether you agree with the £12bn of welfare cuts or not what is undeniable is the additional pressure it will put on Councils. The cuts to Housing Benefits, amongst other changes, may mean we have to house even more families in Bed & Breakfast’s and will make rents more unaffordable for even more residents. It’s a worrying time for both the Council and our residents.
Despite these cuts we will be getting on with business. We are starting a major campaign to be the best Council in London for rates of recycling. As a part of making the Borough cleaner we have also introduced on the spot fines for spitting and littering, with officers on the street issuing fines to people who make our streets dirtier. We have also rolled out a licensing scheme for landlords in the Borough, a part of which is aimed at ensuring that the area outside their properties are kept clean and tidy. All of this means we will have to roll up our sleeves and get on with the job of looking to find any and every way possible to make back office savings and run services more efficiently to protect our residents from these cuts. Whether its sharing services with other Councils or cutting management we will try to find ways to protect the services our residents value.
Man convicted for the murder of a father in Southall
A man has been convicted of the murder of a fatherof-three in Southall in a revenge attack. Harinder Rattan, 41, died of multiple stab wounds after he was attacked near his home in Clarence Street, Southall, on Sunday, 4 January. At the Old Bailey today, Friday 31 July, Sanjay Salhotra, 26 Clarence Street, Southall, was convicted of murder. Inderjit Bhachu, 28 of Clarence Street, Southall, had previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice. The court heard that the origins of the murder originated from an incident which took place on 20 December 2014. In this incident Harinder Rattan was sat in his car when the door was opened by a man in a hooded top who struck him in the face and demanded he get out. Rattan retaliated by hitting him over the head with a crowbar until he ran off. That man was Sanjay Salhotra and his blood and DNA was found on the crowbar when it was forensically analysed following Mr Rattan's murder. On the night of his death, Harinder Rattan left his home at about 21:30hrs on 4 January to go to a local shop. It is believed Mr Rattan was attacked sometime later by Salhotra. The victim was left lying in the road, with Sanjay Salhotra initially hiding in a nearby alleyway and then going to the home of a friend, who let him in after he lied and said that he was chased by some youths. Bhachu and Salhotra
Sanjay Salhotra
then drove to Staines where they set fire to Salhotra's clothing. Bhachu changed out of the clothing he was wearing and when detectives found those items, it was clear that they had been washed. Police searching the alleyway and found the knife - which had been cleaned and a pair of latex gloves with the DNA of Harinder Rattan on them. Sanjay was arrested on Monday, 5 January. Bhachu was arrested the following day. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Ashwin, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC), said: "Harinder Rattan was subjected to a brutal attack for nothing other than for Sanjay Salhotra to save face. Bhachu assisted in the dis-
Inderjit Bhachu
posing of evidence". "I am pleased that the jury has found the two men guilty today, and they now face considerable prison sentences. I hope that this brings some sense of justice to Harinder Rattan's family." Sanjay's brother, Shamaun Salhotra, 29 also of Clarence Street was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice. Bhachu was found not guilty of conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm with intent. Inderjit Bhachu and Sanjay Salhotra will be sentenced on Thursday 6 August. A 20-year-old man who was arrested on Monday, 5 January in connection with the investigation has been released without charge.
Queen become Britain's longestserving monarch Queen Elizabeth II will spend her 23,226th day on the throne as the reigning Queen on 9th September 2015. However, Her Majesty has refused to celebrate her impending entry into the record books for becoming Britain's longest-serving monarch. It is said that Queen Victoria, served between 1837 and 1901 as the monarch for 23,226 days. She was also the first monarch to have travelled by train.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
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Man found guilty for trying A memorandum for Prime to buy deadly poison Minister Narendra Modi
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
As I See It
The Indian PM Narendra Modi is likely to come to Britain in the middle of November for his much awaited tete-atetewith the British PM and meet and greet the huge Indian diaspora residing in this country. 1.5mn people of Indian origin have made Great Britain their home. They choose to be British. They feel proud to be British. Such a large and resourceful community is making enormous impact in education, professions, entrepreneurship and participating peacefully in all walks of life, excelling wherever they could. They are building a strong and multi-purpose bridge between the country of their origin and that of their adoption. After almost 10 years an Indian Prime Minister is coming to Britain. PM David Cameron, his government and other political personalities as well as the champions of business and commerce along with the British Indians are excited about the manifold advantages of growing Indo-British partnership, which has indescribable opportunities for both the countries. PM Modi has travelled to many countries, established rapport with leaders he met and raised the profile of India along with energising the Indians settled in different lands. Surely PM Modi would like to know how the British Indians expect his government to deliver on various subjects affecting them. If you have any thoughts or suggestion on the under mentioned subjects, please write immediately to Rupanjana Dutta at rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com at the earliest to help us to make the Memorandum more comprehensive, reflecting your expectations and views. Let us make a point very clear. All of us who live in this country would not expect any help from the Indian Prime Minister vis-a-vis any concerns or complaints within this country. If we have any local problem, we know how to go about it. It is also improper and out of protocol to expect a visiting PM to be involved in our 'internal matters'. 1. What are your views about the visa and OCI regime for travel to India? 2. How you perceive your connectivity with the Indian legations in London, Birmingham, Manchester or anywhere else in the UK? 3. Do you have any problems about security and safety of investments in India: bank deposits, property, land, equity and other investments in India? 4. How would you be a willing partner for a better India in tomorrow's world? Any offers and suggestions welcome. 5. Need for a direct flight between Ahmedabad and London. Any other suggestions to help make India Great again. The memorandum will be given final shape and to be forwarded to PM Modi by 5 September 2015. You are invited to send your response (if any) by 5pm on Monday 29th August 2015.
Festivals for life According to Hindu calendar, Vikram Samvat 2071 will end on Diwali day which falls on 11 November 2015. For Indic religions (Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism) the last 4 months of the year, are called 'Chaturmas' and are very auspicious with so many festivities. Hindus have the month of Shravan, Raksha bandhan, Durga puja, Navrati, Paryushan for Jains, Sikhs have Gurunanak Jayanti. Buddhism also have several auspicious occasions. Diwali
itself is a festival for all Indic religions. The followers of above four religions are some 2 million, who have made Britain their home. Indian students are performing better inspite of several challenges. In the professions and entrepreneurship, arts and culture, British Indians are as good as others. The most important positive achievement of Indians are that they are peace loving and their loyalty is beyond doubt. How come such a unique distinction has been realised? Last week the former Chief Rabbi wrote a very thought provoking article in The Times. He has argued very cogently that it is not the religion that divides or it creates horrible situations. Perhaps for people of different background to coexist in peace and harmony, faith itself is of paramount advantage. Indian faith traditions have got so many variations. The abiding principle is there is one God, human beings call it by different names. EKAM SAT VIPRAAH BAHUDHAA VADANTI एकं सत् विप्राः बहुधा वदन्ति Truth is one, the wise explain it in many ways. God is one, the wise define him in various ways. The other message from our scriptures is that world is one family. VASUDHAIVA KUTUMBAKAM वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् The world is but one family So many Temples, Gurdwaras, Derasars and Monastries, have been spreading their message to young and old and for all races. I can mention few important celebrations in the month of August alone: 1. The Neasden Swaminarayan Hindu temple was called the 8th wonder of the world in the Readers Digest when it opened 20 years ago. BAPS is the leading Hindu mission in UK and overseas. There are several events planned to celebrate such a historic landmark. It is beautiful and the largest Hindu temple in Europe, constructed on the basis of Indian architecture. 2. In Preston with a Hindu community of 600 or so families, they are celebrating 40 years on 23 August when Radha Krishna Pran Pratishta was performed. 3. Oshwal Association with 25,000 members is celebrating 10th anniversary of the first Shikharbandh Jain temple in Europe at Potters Bar on 27 August. 4. Anoopam Mission, the first Shikharbandh temple at Denham, near Uxbridge, will be opened on 13 Aug. I consider that the teachings of these faiths through such eminent organisations have helped to sustain our culture and traditions which have helped us to be valuable members of British society. Long may it last. - CB
Software programmer, Mohammed Ali (31) has been found guilty of trying to buy a deadly ricin poison from the Dark Web, after being inspired by the popular US television series, Breaking Bad. It is said that Ali, under the username “Weirdos 0000” had allegedly managed to strike a deal with a supplier on the internet black market to purchase 500mg of powder for £320, which is enough to kill approximately 1,400 people. Ali's source Psychochem was actually an FBI agent who informed the police in England. They had also exchanged the distribution of ricin for harmless powder. The police arrested Mohammed Ali from his residence in Liverpool. Ali told jurors in court that he was just “curious” and was unaware that ricin was illegal. He said,
“I was interested in the Dark Net and ricin. I just wanted to know what the fuss was about. I wanted to know can you actually get anything from these sites. So I go on one of these websites – Evolution. I found lots of different items ranging from drugs, guns, other illegal items, and because I had been watching Breaking Bad TV show I just had ricin in my mind." Sentencing has been adjourned to 18th
21-year-old Miss Redbridge, Krishna Solanki, will battle 51 other contestants for the Miss England title, to be held at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, on 14th & 15th August. She was chosen from more than 20,000 entrants. Krishna Solanki is the only Asian contestant in the final of the competition. She said, “I am really nervous because I have never got this far before. Everyone was so pleased because they know how much hard work I have put into it.” Solanki would like to use this platform to challenge discrimination against dark-skinned
Asian girls. She explained, “One of my main aims for participating in the Miss England contest is to raise awareness of our old deep rooted Asian traditional beliefs based on skin colour, that of dark being ugly and fair as beautiful. I have been subjected to discrimination since childhood as a darkskinned girl in various family gatherings, weddings and cultural events. I have spoken to a lot of girls who are darkskinned and they are told they are not pretty simply because they are darkskinned.” If you would like to
Merseyside Police officers after an anti-terror raid on Mohammed Ali's home
September 2015. Mr Justice Saunders said, “There is no evidence that he was planning any sort of terrorist attack. There is also no evidence that he had in mind any specific victims for ricin. I do not accept he was going to dispose of it. I'm satisfied it would have remained in his possession in some way and that is the basis on which I propose to sentence." The judge also ordered for a psychiatric report.
Krishna Solanki: only Asian finalist for Miss England
Krishna Solanki
vote for Krishna Solanki at the Miss England pageant, text 'MISS ENGLAND51' to 63333. Texts cost 50p plus the standard network rate.
Homeless Period campaign receives over 100,000 signatures Homeless women struggle accessing sanitary products which encouraged the Homeless Period campaign to be formed. The petition for homeless women to receive free tampons and sanitary towels garnered more than 100,000 signatures. The Homeless Period campaign in the UK also led to two 24-year-old friends, Sanya Masood, and Sophie Harrold, from Hertfordshire to get involve. They have been collecting donations of tampons and sanitary towels from through Facebook, as well as by word of mouth over the last month. They will be sending the donations to a homeless shelter in Liverpool.
Sophie Harrold and Sanya Masood with the sanitary products they have collected
Danya Masood said, “We see sanitary products as a necessity so the government should provide shelters with an allowance to buy them. Condoms are funded for homeless people, but a lot of charities are relying on donations when it comes to things like tampons." Sophie Harrold added,
“It's a hygiene issue and a matter of dignity that homeless women are given these by the government. "I have read stories of these women keeping their tampons in for too long to save money, and with Toxic Shock Syndrome, that is a concern."
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor
Pranay Gupte, The Most Prolific Media Man On The Planet Pranay Gupte is a veteran international journalist, editor, author, and media consultant. He has had 14 books published. One of his previous works, Global Emirates: An Anthology of Tolerance and Enterprise, was published by Motivate in Dubai, and Rupa & Co. in India. Mr. Gupte writes for The National, Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Portfolio, Institutional Investor, and other publications such as YaleGlobal - the online magazine of the Yale University Center for the Study of Globalization and PostGlobal, the Web site of The Washington Post. He is one of the most prolific writers and journalists I know. He gave me advice when I wrote a political biography five years ago. He will always make time for people and for mentoring. His contact book is extensive and it seems there are few people he cannot reach; from Hillary Clinton to top Indian politicians.
He cites alpha males he knows as “Prathap Chandra Reddy, founder of Apollo Hospitals (I've written his biography for Penguin,) Capt C P Krishnan Nair, founder of The Leela Group, Shashi Tharoor, Kamal Nath, David Davidar, Siddharth Varadarajan, Udayan
Mitra, and N Ram.” He co-authors books with major world figures and CEOs, like “Power and Influence: The Rules Have Changed," written with Robert L. Dilenschneider, published by McGraw-Hill. Trying to interview Pranay or even to speak to
him is a tall order as he travels between India, the Middle East and the rest of the world. He is kept busy as Director of Special Media Projects for Brand Dubai. Mr. Gupte's daily column "Lunch at The Four Seasons," was a popular feature of The New York Sun for two years. It profiled leaders from all fields. Mr. Gupte continues writing opinion articles on the Middle East, India, trade and business, and multilateral diplomacy. An economics and political-science graduate of Brandeis University in the United States, he also attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Mr. Gupte was a staff reporter and a foreign correspondent at The New York Times for 15 years, covering Africa, the Middle East and Asia. He was subsequently a global-affairs columnist at Newsweek International for 18 years, and a contributing editor at Forbes and Asian Finance magazines. Pranay said that due to his many years as a foreign correspondent working in different time zones, he has the ability to fall asleep anywhere at any time. He founded and edited The Earth Times, a newspaper focusing on economic development and environmental security,
and published the paper from 1991 to 2003. He was Business Editor of The New York Sun, Business Editor of The Daily Star in Beirut, and Global-Affairs Columnist at The Straits Times, Singapore. He has produced 50 documentaries for public television. Mr. Gupte also founded and led a publishing company, Earth Times Books. He has designed and run web sites for publications such as The Earth Times, Present Tense Magazine, and for the Festival of Thinkers.
“Be kind, be gracious, be generous. And live in the present.” Pranay Gupte Mr. Gupte served as a media consultant the United Nations, the World Bank, and the Brundtland Commission on Environment and Sustainable Development. He was the force behind the establishment of a private foundation in support of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. He has moderated and appeared in panels at the World Economic Forum's Davos, Columbia University and the Asia Society. Mr. Gupte has written for many widely known maga-
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zines, including The Atlantic, Forbes, People, Reader's Digest, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, and the Harvard International Review. One of Mr. Gupte's earlier books, "Mother India: A Political Biography of Indira Gandhi," was the basis of a major television documentary on Lifetime Network, and received front-page reviews in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Another book, "The Crowded Earth: People and the Politics of Population," was the source for a 13-part TV series on public television, "Profiles in Progress." Mr. Gupte is an elected life member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York; and a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House, London), and The Asia Society (New York). He is also a member of Gulf2000, the by-invitation-only specialist community of diplomats, scholars and writers established by Columbia University. He said that he was “Flattered and honoured to be profiled by The Asian Voice.” Mr Gupte’s favourite motto? "Be kind, be gracious, be generous. And live in the present."
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Caste discrimination
Death of Dr. Abdul Kalam
APJ Abdul Kalam
Mr Mehta says that I was put in the House of Lords by the Conservative Party which I have now abandoned. I think he will find that no-one in the Conservative Party feels that I have abandoned them. I chose to leave the party so that I could speak on the sort of issues which Mr Mehta disapproves of. He further says that I believe that if there is no discrimination there is no need to oppose the law on caste discrimination. This is not about passing laws to please certain groups. Caste discrimination clause was passed by both Houses of Parliament because they had received sufficient information which suggests that there may be caste discrimination. The Equalities Act is all about dealing with any form of discrimination. Mr Mehta says that I have abandoned my sponsors. I didn't know I had any sponsors. Not a single Hindu organisation or any particular individual has ever come forward to support me in anything. The House of Lords is not elected but please remember that this clause was passed by the elected House as well. The only way now to remove the clause would be to pass another Act of Parliament which would have to go through both Houses which is what Lord Popat asked for. It may also interest Mr Mehta to know that the Muslim Council of Great Britain has called me a bigot, perhaps he feels the same way about me!
It was very sad the former President of India Dr Abdul Kalam died suddenly at the age of 83 at Shillong and his death was totally ignored by Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party. Sonia Gandhi did not like him because he took independent decisions when he was the President of India. Dr. Kalam was born in Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu in a poor Muslim family. Even though he was a Muslim he was fascinated by Hindu religion and Hindu scripts. He was more of a Hindu than a Muslim. He was a pure vegetarian and liked only South Indian food. He did not smoke or drink. He used go to temple close to his residence regularly in the evening to discuss about Hindu philosophy with temple priests. He also learnt veena and played rudra veena, a special type of veena. He had been to Swami Narayan temple in Britain to give lectures. He had a Nataraja statue at his front room. Since he was more secular and his way of life tended to be towards South Indian Hindu , he was not respected in the North. It is sad no proper coverage was given to his funeral in Indian T.V channels . He was more popular than Mother Teressa. There are several institutions are named after Rajiv Gandhi but not even one is named after Dr. Kalam. He did not get proper recognition Probably because he came from the South and did not identify himself with the congress party or with fundamental Muslims. His loss was very much felt only in the South and not in Delhi.
Man is born to die. But the death of Abdul Kalam, former President of India, is not only a great loss to India it is a huge loss to mankind. Born in a simple Muslim family he was a bachelor, lifelong vegetarian and an adherent to teachings of Bhagavad Gita. His interaction with Pramukh Swami ji and frequent visits to BAPS (AV Aug 1) clearly indicate his spiritual inclination. Along with historians and academics namely Dr. David Frawley (Vamadev Shastri), Profs Subash Kak, George Feuerstein, S.R. Rao, James Shaffer, Bhagawan Singh, Navaratna Rajaram and some others I was involved in a campaign to abrogate the fake Aryan invasion theory of Frederick Max Muller & Co, rewriting of Indian history and reform of Indian education. There was vehement opposition from so-called leftist intellectuals – Romila Thapar, Vidula Jaiswal, R.S. Sharma and B.N. Mukherjee. As a strong supporter of the campaign President Abdul Kalam wrote personal letters to them asking for explanation of their opposition with appropriate evidence. There was no response from any of them. This campaign enabled me to know him through a personal meeting with him in Rashtrapati Bhawan discussing Indian education reform. His brilliant inventive engineering mind and practical vision had led to successful missile technology, space programme and security of India. I believe history will judge him to be the greatest President since independence.
Shreela Flather By email
‘Looting India’ by British Raj
With reference to the speech made by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on how the British looted India and deprived of the country of its riches. (Asian Voice 1st August 15) it seems Mr Shashi is living in the past by giving wrong excuses instead of blaming India’s Maharajas who sold out India’s riches to the foreign rulers. Mr Shashi should concentrate on how to eradicate corruption in India which is real issue how our own people disloyal to the country. British have given India best British constitution to govern India. The corrupt ministers for their selfishness abuse this law. The British government gave independence to her colonies and forms a commonwealth just to keep united as one family. To day with this commonwealth, India is reaping lots of rewards. When all Indians were thrown out from East Africa, British kept their promise to shelter all British passport holders. Some went to India, but Indian government did not treat them humanly. All Indians living in Western countries are far better of and have no complains what so ever and are loyal to that country. Mahatma Gandhiji had no problem with British, but with non-violence he convince Britain that India is capable of running by its own people. To day British government have erected a statue of Gandhiji in Parliament in recognition as a peacemaker. Indian companies with their expertise are allowed to buy British companies and in return they are generating lots of for-
Arun Vaidyanathan By email
Perfect editing
After a great deal of tug-of-war I am finally happy with the way my sister has presented my views in this letter. As a secretary, she writes good English but in doing so inadvertently changed my meaning here and there so I had to put her right. She is learning fast how to treat my writing. Secondly. your reader Kumudini Valambia points out the lack of female letter writers in the paper and I have good news for her and other readers. A family friend of ours has a sharp tongue and when I suggested that she should write letters to Asian Voice she said yes, why not? I hope she will write something soon.. Vijay Joshi By email eign exchange to UK. Narrow minded, Mr Shashi is well come in UK. He should have been thankful to British government for sheltering Indian in UK instead of digging and stirring the past. Is it not better to look forward to brighter future in a globalization world where every country has to play part in securing peace and progressing through one family of he world.
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Manoj Patel By email
ASIAN VOICE
Jatindra Saha By email
Britain and extremism
David Cameron has finally hit the target on Islamic extremist ideology. The UK is under real threat from extremism and unfortunately only he sees the daily secret intelligence briefings as Prime Minister, so we have to trust him. But the circle he has to square, is parliament and especially Labour, Liberals and the Left. What makes me so sure of this, because India has the same problem. India has not invaded any Mid East country or done anything to provoke terror, in fact Hindus go out of their way to accommodate all beings but they still remain as targets. The UK has ISIS, Israel has Iran, and India has Pakistan each of the later driven by the same 8th century ideology. The PM may claim not to blame one religion but Sikhs, Buddhists, Jews, Christians and Hindus have no terror out fits that I have heard of. Another problem he has is the US, they supported ISIS while it was in Syria but now that it has spread beyond Syria and is linked to attacks in Tunisia the problem needs containing. Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon
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Down Memory Lane
Friends emailed me group photograph of our teachers going back early fifties. Teachers include Vyas, Pandit, Jones, Ms Fernandez, Trivedi, Vidyanathan, Phadkar, Dayabhai and Chandubhai Patel and many more. This was indeed unique journey down memory lane. It would be impossible for present generation school-children to understand our relations with teachers. They were like fathers, elder brothers and sisters. I distinctly remember my father giving me school fees on first day of every month, to hand over to class teacher. There was no social security. We had to pay for every privilege, medical care, schooling. If pupil was late in paying fees, teacher would cover until we can reimburse. Physical punishment was rare but not prohibited. If we complain to our parents, we get told off. No wonder people of our generation have cachet, sitting on podium. Most are professional people, Lords, Lawyers, Professors, Surgeons and Charted Accountants, although most are retired, many have passed away. So international Dar gathering on 8th August will be our last opportunity to meet old friends coming from as far afield as US, Canada, Australia, India and Dar, friends we have not seen for 60 years. I hope it will be roaring success, bitter sweet gathering, remembering departed and knowing that we may never meet again, last hooray, lustre, time to say Alvidea until we meet again in heaven! Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email
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My recent comment on the proposed “meet and greet” event being arranged by ABPL Group on 22nd or 29th August for its regular letter writers seems to have been misunderstood by some readers. All I said was that rather than sharing my opinions with a roomful of fellow letterwriting stalwarts I would prefer to air my views in a popular newspaper like Asian Voice which is read by many thousands of people all over the world every week. I have nothing against “meet and greet” get-togethers and hope the forthcoming event will be a huge success with lots of selfies taken and a full report appearing in both weeklies - Asian Voice and its sister paper Gujarat Samachar. Rudy Otter By email
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Ofsted accused of ignoring anti-Christian bullying
Following an in-depth investigation into radicalisation at a group of schools in Birmingham, ofteds and the Department of Education (DfE) were allegedly accused of “ignoring” the bullying of Christian students at Muslim schools. Colin Hart, director of the Christian Institute, a pressure group and a charity said, “Ofsted's system for detecting intol-
erance is clearly inadequate if it is not picking up on anti-Christian sentiment.” Colin Hart wrote the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan. He wrote, “You will see they include anti-Christian chanting in assemblies, GCSE pupils who opted to learn Christianity being left to teach themselves, and Christians being called 'ignorant' or 'liars' by
teachers.” A Department of Education spokesperson said, “Bullying of any kind is unacceptable and all schools should take an active role in tackling it. Heads, teachers, governors and trustees are working tirelessly to resolve deep-seated issues at these Birmingham schools which developed over a long period of time.”
teaching hours in humanities and social science subjects. He said that first year students had “an unreasonable entitlement” of obtaining a first class or 2:1 degree, which causes the stu-
dents to lag behind. William Richardson also said, “It cannot be right that, for some, the design of teaching is the problem. It is not acceptable that there are undergraduates, especially in the humanities and some social sciences, who end up in harm's way because they are bored in termtime or don't have enough to do on their course.”
Easy degrees lead to excessive drinking and partying
The head of a private school association has stated that degrees at leading British universities are too easy, which encourage bored students to indulge in excessive partying. The general secretary of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), William Richardson, suggested that factors behind a drinking culture, such as the low
Oxford University digitizes old paintings of Hindu gods University of Oxford has posted digital versions of 110 Kalighat paintings of Hindu deities and others from 19th-century Calcutta on its new online portal "Digital.Bodleian". These include paintings of Hindu deities Krishna, Shiva, Ganesha, Durga, Hanuman, Parvati, Kali, etc., which were acquired by Sir Monier Monier-
Williams in the winter of 1883-1884. Some of these paintings had cost one anna each at that time. Applauding Oxford University Bodleian Libraries for digitizing images of Hindu deities and making them available to a wide variety of users from around the world for learning, teaching and research; Hindu
statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA), said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth. Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, urged major libraries of
UK
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NEW RULES FOR OVERSTAYERS AND ILLEGAL MIGRANTS SINCE 06 APRIL 2015 The Home Office made it crystal clear that people who are either overstayer or illegal or who never have submitted any application in the Home Office would be accountable in future. The Home Office is discouraging any kind of non-compliance when it comes to reporting or making the application for further leave to remain in the UK on time. The concept of buying time or trying to avoid submission of due application is dealt as most punishable act by any migrant. The Landlords can now serve up to a five years if they accommodate any illegal migrant as a tenant knowingly in his premises. The Home Office may grant out of country right of appeal if detained. However the situation has twisted differently for those who try to comply and regularise their stay in the UK. The Home Office has introduced a new policy to reconsider the decisions pre-dated 06 April 2015 provided there are new and exceptional circumstances. The Home
the world to make available the digitized versions of Hindu art from their collections on their online portals, thus sharing the rich Hindu art heritage
Office is keen to consider the applications which involve children and private life. The right approach from illegal migrants should be that they must introduce themselves into the system and comply with the Home Office as soon as possible. Under new rules the Home Office would also consider whether the applicants should be granted an in country right of appeal enabling them to depict their immigration history and the grounds in detail. Migrants have to understand that since new rules are introduced there is no way to avoid compliance with the Home Office. It is in their own benefit to register themselves by submitting the application.
Fehmina Farani
Farani Javed Taylor Solicitors Verulam House, 60 Grays Inn Road London WC1X 8LU
Mob.: 07773 706 866
with the rest of the world. Bodleian Libraries of University of Oxford have over 11 million printed items, about 80,000 ejournals and vast quanti-
ties of materials in many other formats. University of Oxford, one of the top world universities, is oldest university in the English-speaking world.
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MEDIA WATCH
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, missile scientist and President extraordinary of India (2002-07) was a rare combination of doer and talker, a karma yogi, who drew his last breath, aged 83, while addressing a rapt, youthful audience in Shillong on human possibility through the enriching experience of science and scientific endeavour, a tireless karma yogi to the last. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to his critical contribution to India’s development and modernization, while President Prananb Mukherjee drew attention to his humility amid the acclaim that came his way. APJ Abdul Kalam was born into a humble Muslim family in the small Tamil Nadu town of Rameswaran, where he was laid to rest with full state honours in the presence of the Prime Minister and dignitaries from across the country, including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, a show of unity rare in contemporary India.
Ascent from humble background
The son of a boat owner, the boy Kalam went to the local St Joseph School to be taught by exemplary teachers of whom he spoke reverentially when he had become a national icon. Next, came the elite Madras Indian Institute of Technology, where
APJ Abdul Kalam
that without it India would never be taken with the seriousness she deserved. The next step was to design three prototype missiles and present the drawings and explain their characteristics to then Defence Minister (later President) R.
The former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the National Awards on Technology, at the celebration of the Technology Day 2012, in New Delhi on May 11, 2012
Kalam’s métier was rocket science. He worked for a spell at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) before moving onto missile development. There was little progress in the field in the 1970s despite generous government funding. The eminent physicist, Raja Ramana, was asked by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to tour the relevant laboratories and report on their failings. He discovered leaders with outsize egos, all working at cross purposes, and suggested that the entire project be scrapped and a fresh start made with a new leader at the helm of a restructured organization. Dr Ramana’s keen eye spotted then largely unknown Abdul Kalam, whom he sized up as the right man for the job. Dr Kalam was told to make a presentation to India’s top military brass on how he planned to go about delivering the missiles. The doubters in the audience, bored and cynical after years of boasting by speakers given to making unfulfilled promises, were electrified by Dr Kalam’s speech. It was eloquent, cogent and explored realistically what at that stage was doable. The unanimous verdict was that they had at last found their man. He, for his part, firmly believed that strength respected strength,
Venkataraman. This was duly done. An impressed Venkataraman told Kalam that since his team had designed three prototypes, why could they not produce three more as per the requirements of the armed forces.
Kalam takes charge
When the six prototypes were ready, the Defence Minister took Dr Kalam straight to Prime Minister Gandhi for her approval, which was promptly given, signalling the beginning, in 1983, of a glittering career and India’s odyssey with the integrated missile development programme, which yielded in the fullness of time the short-range (Prithvi), medium-range (Agni, I,II, II, IV) and long-range (Agni V) missiles for the three services. It was an amazing story. The driven Dr Kalam assembled his teams and led them into realms few had dreamed possible. His unique self-belief rubbed off on colleagues and subordinates. He gave the nation the self-confidence it had hitherto lacked.
Team leader, institution builder
Dr Kalam had an uncanny knack of getting the best out of
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
each and every member of the teams he led because he knew their individual strengths, understanding how best to blend them in the collective effort. He had not a shred of envy or jealously of the talented people around him, he was never found wanting in generosity in acknowledging the contributions of others in the field, like space scientist, Professor Satish Dhawan, who had helped him get started, and to Mrs Gandhi, who encouraged him after the initial failure of India’s first satellite launch and the depression he felt at the time. Modest to a fault, Dr Kalam was always reticent about his own contribution to the successes that followed. He created the institutional platform for the stellar achievements of those to whom he handed over the torch when he relinquished office.
Foreign tributes
Dr Kalam had the rare ability to circumvent technological obstacles through innovation and deft political footwork. US sanctions regime against India was duly surmounted; and he became the architect of the enduring defence partnership with Russia. “We remember him for his charm and simplicity,” said the Russian Ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, whose embassy in New Delhi flew the Russian flag at half-mast. “He was the man who pioneered India-Russia missile and space cooperation and as Scientific Advisor to government of the time, the (the joint venture supersonic cruise missile) BrahMos was his gift to both our countries,” said Ambassador Kadakin. Other foreign tributes included the US State Department which described Dr Kalam as “an inspirational leader; ” and Sri Lanka, a country with which Dr Kalam had a particularly warm relationship. Messages were also received from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives.
Inspired decision
Prime Minister Atal Bihar’s decision to put Dr Kalam’s name forward as President of India was truly inspirational. He cast a light across India, always accessible, especially to the young, always encouraging, always talking of the unfolding vistas that were within the grasp of the Indian people. He was wedded to India’s well-being, to the greatness that could be hers with dedication and vision. As President he displayed a common touch that connected with all sections of society. Born a Muslim and a bachelor, Dr embraced the essential truths of all faiths. A glory has passed. Whence comes another?
considering a second mission to Mars. “We are also thinking of going to asteroids and comets,” he said (Times of India July 22). The shade of Dr Abdul Kalam will be pleased, even hitching a galactic lift, if possible.
Punjab terror attack
It was a wake-up call for Punjab and India, as three jihadis commandeered a police station in Gurdaspur district, near the Pakistan border, killed seven people, including a senior police officer, before being shot dead
by relatives and friends. The atrocity led to the notorious communal riots in the State in March 2002. His trial should bring closure to one of the most tragic events in India’s recent history (Times of India July25)
Biocon performs well in first quarter
Bangalore-based Biotech major, Biocon, returned 23 per cent profit in the first quarter of the financial year (April-June 2015). The strong performance across all service lines plus increased profitability from its Research & Development and branded formulations business were responsible for impressive figu r e s . Chairperson and Managing Punjab terror attack Director Kiran Mazundar Shaw said: “This, combined themselves in the ensuing 12with product sales and monetihour gun battle with security zation of R&D assets through forces. The Global Position licensing, helped us to grow.” System found on their bodies (Business Line July 25) would appear to suggest their journey originated in Pakistan (Hindu, Times of India July 28) Foxconn in Andhra See page 3 for analysis.
Border force gets language skills
Members of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBF), which operates along the line of control with China are being given language training in Mandarin and Tibetan. A Chinese language cell has been set up at ITBT headquarters in Mussoorie for that purpose. Over the last two years 58 personnel have learned Mandarin, while 36 others have acquitted speaking writing skills in the Tibetan language. This enables the ITBF to communicate with border guards on the other side when territorial violations occur (Hindu July 23)
Prime suspect in Godhra atrocity held
A full 13 years after 59 pilgrims on a stationary train at Godhra in Gujarat were burnt alive in their coach by a rampaging mob, the prime suspect, Hussain Suleman Mohammed, has been finally run to ground in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, where was given refuge
Pradesh
Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology, the largest global contract telephone/ gadgets and hardware manufacturers arrived in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh to locate a site for the company’s manufacturing facility. This is part of the tech giant’s plan to set up about 10-12 manufacturing facilities across India. The company’s initial focus will be on Gujarat and Maharashtra, but it has already setting its sights elsewhere. Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu held talks with Foxcomm Technology Director Jerry Gou. (Business Line July 11)
Maruti Suzuki firing on all cylinders
Maruti Suzuki has returned an astonishing profit growth of 56 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year (April-June 2015) over the same quarter of last year. “During the quarter, higher volumes, cost reduction efforts, lower sales promotion expenses and favourable foreign exchange rates helped improve performance,” said a company statement.
ISRO mission to Venus
Space scientist Narendra Bhandari of the Ahmedabadbased Physical Research Laboratory, addressing Mumbai school pupils, told them that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) planned to send a satellite to Venus and was
Mamata Banerjee in London meeting Lord Swraj Paul See comment page 3
UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali languages stay in school curriculum
China and India in Britain
As PM Modi readies for his Head of Government visit to the UK in November there are several important matters. First, Britain must use the visit to help Britain get inward investment. PM Modi is familiar with the UK. We in UK are an incredible place to do business, and can help Indian companies be global. That is what we must showcase. And given our focus on the Northern Powerhouse we should showcase places like Leeds. (It won’t be Manchester because the Chinese President will have been there the month before), and Midlands is well covered already and not the Northern Powerhouse, Cambridge is well known globally – we need to focus on the Northern Powerhouse and those cities who will get the most out of it and have a track record of Indian investment. Second, we must lobby on issues of retrospective tax. Such tax on British companies is not good for India. And there is nothing wrong pointing that out. Third, we must ensure the status offered to the Indian PM is the same as that to the Chinese President who will have visited the month before. The problem is the Chinese President is a Head of
State whilst the Indian PM is only a Head of Government. Protocol accords differing treatment, but the problem is the Indian side, especially the press, will not see such subtleties. They will question about visits to Buckingham Palace, meetings with Royalty. Over the three day visit, the final day will only have room for very little substantive meetings. There needs to be a major event on the first night for business leaders – this government being very focussed on business of course. Indeed, there would be nothing wrong with charging business leaders for such an event. The second event can of course be the much rumoured Wembley Stadium event; and there is no shortage of people wishing to ingratiate themselves. Thankfully, the Foreign Office officials handle such matters together with departments such as BIS, and so the visit with all its popularity will not become a circus but be focussed on British interests, but Britain must show it accords India the same status as China – and that can only come from British officials, not from British Indians alone.
"Send in the Gurkhas" to stop Calais migrants It is feared that around 150 illegal immigrants are arriving into Britain via Calais, France, each night. The Government is facing demands for stronger actions, which includes calls from a police commissioner to “send in the Gurkhas”. Police and crime commissioner for Surrey, Kevin Hart mentioned that the 700-strong 2nd Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, situated outside Hythe, Kent, should be sent to tackle this issue. Kevin Hurley said, “The Gurkhas are a highly respected and competent force, and are just around
Migrants walk along railway tracks at the Eurotunnel terminal near Calais
the corner. They could help to ensure that our border is not breached.” John Keefe, a Eurotunnel spokesman does not seem satisfied with the British and
French Governments' actions so far. He said, “They say they will act to stop the flow of migrants, which we welcome, but we need action not just words.”
Indian billionaire buys old Scotland Yard Yusuffali Kader, considered as one of India's richest men has bought the original Scotland yard, located in Whitehall for a staggering £110 million. Kader is estimated to be worth £1.8 billion. The property is to be converted into a luxury hotel developed by Galliard Homes and will be owned by Kader's Abu Dhabi-based Lulu Group International. It will be operated by Steigenberger. The original Scotland Yard police station will become a 92,000 sq ft hotel, which is due to open in early 2017.
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Old Scotland Yard to be converted into a luxury hotel
Despite warnings by the exam boards in the UK that many community or minority languages may be discontinued at GCSE and A levels, the government has now affirmed that some of these languages such as Gujarati, Punjabi and Bengali will continue to be taught in schools till September 2018. The department of Education (DoE) strongly believes that there are many benefits of learning a second language, including a minority language and the government is ready to continue with teachings of this subjects. According to UK reform minister Nick Gibb (pictured), “All pupils should have the opportunity to study foreign languages as part of a core academic curriculum that prepares them for life in modern Britain. This should extend to community languages.”
He further said that an outward facing country like Britain requires high quality qualifications not just in French, German and Spanish but also in languages such as Gujarati, Punjabi, Bengali, Polish and Turkish. He added, “To avoid any gap in provision of certain languages the government will, where necessary, compulsorily extend the time table for organisations to continue with existing qualifications until at least September 2018.”
Earlier this year when the board of examinations had expressed their plans to drop minority languages especially Indian languages, from the curriculum, the issue significantly worried many scholars, as well as local Asian MPs. On popular demand, the government met many representatives from embassies and communities, including supplementary schools as well as spoke to the exam boards, to find a solution. Virendra Sharma, Punjabi MP from Ealing Southall, had written to Tristram Hunt, shadow secretary of state for education, to raise awareness of the terrible threat the Tory government was posing to language A level qualifications. Following this, Hunt had spoken to the House of Commons and called for the education secretary to resolve this matter.
UK
"Classic Indian street food" in aid of Jaisalmer school
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28-year-old Tanya Gohil, launched her food stall, Devi's, at Maltby Street market in Bermindsey, where she sells “classic Indian street food with a contemporary British twist”. The profits will be used to help fund a school in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. Tanya Gohil hopes to raise £20,000 which will help her to purchase land in Jaisalmer, on which the school will be built. She said, “It's a very tribal area. They say: 'why do girls need to go to school? They'll become homemakers'. It's about respecting the values of those cultures but changing the mentality. Education will mean fewer child marriages, girls will give birth at an older age. There's a host of benefits.” Her food at the stall has proven to be extremely popular with customers at Malty Street. Tanya Gohil said, “I'm selling out every weekend, which is not something I expected. I've also been approached to do pop-ups in pubs around south London- I can't keep up. There's only one of me!” Gohil was born and brought
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Tanya Gohil
up in the UK. She grew up in a big house in Buckinghamshire with 18 family members under one roof. She has visited India twice. She spent three months there recently travelling and road-testing recipes. Gohil considers herself to be
“a home cook” as she has not acquired any formal training. She said, “I have no training whatsoever. It's just being surrounded by my family, watching what they do. In Indian culture, women are encouraged to cook, because who will want to marry you if you can't?”
tracks ranging from guitar solos to pop and rap Shakuntala is complemented with a monochromatic set design and flowing black and white stylised costumes. First dramatized by the fifth century Indian poet Kalidisa, it is the story of Shakuntala, a young woman who lives in a hermitage in a forestwho falls in love with King Dushyanta, during his visit there. He marries her before returning to his Kingdom, but the
maiden is cursed by a sage who erases the King’s memory of her and forces her to leave the forest. Discussing the production Oliver commented “Shakantula epitomizes a harmonious kaleidoscope of Eastern Classic and Western Rock. This simple and fresh tale with its riveting and unforgettable musical score will charm any theatre enthusiast.” The Gems Modern Academy was invited to perform at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the American Schools Theatre Festival which traditionally features performances from schools based in North America and Canada. On this occasion, the organisers, who had seen footage of the production in Dubai, were so impressed with the high production values and performances that they invited the Gems Modern Academy to apply to participate.
The new 'Arranged Marriage Investigations Service' UK Private Investigators have launched a new service for people who want to know more information about their prospective bride or groom. The service is primarily being aimed at the South Asian community who are known for having arranged marriages. Timothy Burchell, head of UK Private Investigators said, “Entering into an arranged marriage is a lifelong commitment and many families want to ensure the integrity and suitability of the person their daughter or son is intending to marry. In recent years, more people have been meeting online or in the workplace and families have become less involved in the match-making process, so have no idea about a suitor’s real
Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. Help us change the world.
What is Asian Charity Clarity? When you donate money to charities, how do you know you are giving it to the most effective ones? If you are a charity, how do you stand out and best showcase the great work you do? Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. That's what Asian Charity Clarity is all about. ACC have come up with a special rating system which assesses a charity across 18 metrics for Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency, and Accessibility. We have 110 charities on ACC right now, and will have around 500 in July. Every week, we will publish a Top 10 list looking at different aspects of Asian charities.
Gems Modern Academy to perform Shakuntala at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Shakuntula, a Rock Opera, an exciting and original new take on the classic Indian drama will make its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut from 16th – 21st August at the Church Hill Theatre. It will be performed by students from the Gems Modern Academy school in Dubai. Written, scored and directed by Group Cultural Coordinator for Gems Dubai, Kevin Oliver, a seasoned theatre producer in his own right, the Fringe performances mark the first time a school from the UAE has performed at the internationally renowned Festival. Based on a tale from the pages of the Indian mythology Mahabharata, Shakuntala has been reimagined as a rock opera by Kevin Oliver, with 19 original songs and a cast of 30 singers and dancers featured in the hour long musical production. The entire story is woven together by a narrator set against a backdrop of song and dance. Primed with percussion against
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
"We've established our new, dedicated service because we're seeing a big rise in requests to check whether a prospective bride or groom is really who they say they are: whether they are of good character, educated and of the financial standThe 'Arranged Marriage Investigations Service' give ing they or their information on your prospective bride or groom families claim. Anyone who is background and need reassurnot genuine will soon be found ance before the union of marout. We are highly accurate and riage is completed.” offer full international coverage." Burchell further stated,
Trustees have independent control over, and legal responsibility for, a charity’s management and administration. They play a very important role, almost always unpaid, in a sector that contributes significantly to the character and wellbeing of the country. These are the Top 10 Charities with the Most Trustees, given by number of trustees. Some charities, if they are larger on the basis of Income, may require more trustees. Generally, however, we do not think that charities need more than a few trustees for effective management. Trustees Charities 1. The Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom 2. Jain Samaj Europe 3. Navnat Vanik Association Of The United Kingdom 4. Brent Indian Association 5. Christian Missions Charitable Trust 6. Friends of Seva Mandir 7. Lakshmi-Narayana Trust 8. The Vishwa Hindu Kendra Southall 9. London Sivan Kovil Trust 10. Lohana Charitable Foundation
35 23 21 17 16 16 16 16 16 16
trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees trustees
www.asiancharityclarity.org.uk
High Commission to celebrate India's independence day in London India will celebrate its 69th independence day on Saturday 15th August 2015. The High Commission of India, like every year is putting together a great event to invite the diaspora community, their friends and family to participate in celebrations on Sunday, 16th August, 2015 from 11am-4pm at the Indian Gymkhana Club, Thornbury Avenue, Isleworth TW7 4NQ. This is an open event for all. The Flag Hoisting Ceremony will start at 11am, followed by singing of the National Anthem. The event will also include cultural programmes, food stalls offering free meals from different regions of India, and a raffle draw with attractive prizes. How to get there? The event supports Free Park & Ride Facilities. If you are coming by your vehicle,
please park car at the Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, TW3 4DN (1.3 miles from the venue) from
where the complimentary chartered buses can be used to and from the Indian Gymkhana Club. The High Commission of India/Indian Gymkhana Club however accepts no liability for any damages or losses that may occur to visitors or their vehicles. Closest Tube Station: Osterley Tube Station (Piccadilly Line). The Indian Gymkhana Club is 5-6 minute walk from the Station.
Paid subscribers of Asian Voice will receive a copy of the Asian House & Home magazine with their newspaper this week.
15
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Exercise Indradhanush between the Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force
bat training missions along with RAF involving contemporary tactics. The combat support aircraft crew are also associating/interacting with the RAF Globemaster Sqn, Hercules Sqn, Voyager (Air to Air Refueling) Sqn and gaining from the RAF experience. The IAF Garud regiment of Special Forces operated with the RAF Regiment in various aspects of training. The troops practiced various missions in urban warfare which also included combat insertion missions in a near-realistic scenario. The IAF aircrew performed exceptionally well and demonstrated their high standard of training, op preparedness, flexibility and adaptability while flying outside Indian national borders. Full cooperation was evident between RAF and IAF in meeting all operational, maintenance and administrative requirements.
University closes door due to lack of international students
Continued from page 1 hosted-facilities arrangement for USW’s own staff to teach its part-time courses in a small, highly specialised range of professional disciplines. The arrangement allowed us to test the market without major financial outlay. “We had a number of student applications but, having tested the market, USW decided not to proceed at this time. In part, the business case was based on recruiting international students. “However, the UK visa regulations changed in between the decision to start the project and the point at which we
would have moved to enroll students.” For the first time in 30 years the number of international students enrolling in England's universities decreased. In 2013, there was a 50% drop in the number of postgraduate students coming from India and Pakistan, and close to a 25% drop in the number of students who enrolled from the EU compared with last year. There are many satellite/small towns that economically depend on universities, especially on international students, who pay twice the amount of tuition fees than the local ones.
Drama explores important social issues. Is that what appeals to you? Yes, but entertainment is important as well. There are a myriad of ways to explore history and culture. All societies have one form of a storytelling tradition. Part of drama’s function is to stand outside and look back in. We say ‘this is what we’re doing, did you notice?’ That’s why I enjoy comedy and drama equally. There are a host of ways to look at the human condition. Music 'There comes into it too, are a host of shadow puppetry.
ways to look at the human condition'
photo credit: Michael Shelford
The Indian Air Force contingent touched the skies of the UK with glory during the two week-long Exercise Indradhanush. The title of the exercise signifies display of glorious power in the sky. This exercise was fourth in the series and is held alternately in the UK and India. The last was held in India in the year 2010. The IAF contingent demonstrated strategic deployment capability, flying in 4 x Su-30MKI aircraft along with 01 x IL-78 Tanker ac, 01 x C17 and 01 x C-130 aircraft providing transport support. The deployment was completed within 54 hrs, travelling across three continents, covering a distance of over 8000 miles. The 190 strong contingent was led by Group Captain A Srivastva. The first aircraft landed in the UK on 17 July 2015 and the last aircraft departed the UK airspace on 31 Jul 2015. The IAF team flew com-
for example, from the controlled tone of your voice to the occasional adjustment of your glasses: how did you prepare? Well, the cast were all really supportive and it was fantastic to work with Armando Iannucci. You also observe people. I looked at politicians on television, in parliamentary meetings, and paid attention to their little habits. People do funny things when they’re nervous, especially in positions of power.
Priyanga Burford: On Acting Sunetra Senior
Watching Priyanga in such intense, intellectual roles as ‘Baroness Sureka’ in BBC Two’s political satire ‘The Thick of It’, and more recently on stage in Prebble’s psychological play ‘The Effect’, it is hard not to be in awe of the power of her professionalism. However, as we found out, this is just one, dare I say incidental, half of the story. Discussing her journey, from science to English Literature to acting, her intimate approach to the craft and her views on the industry today, we see that committing to growth as a person is what fuels a successful career: How did you get into acting? It wasn’t until university that I really got involved with the drama scene. I was in a play, written by a friend of mine who studied English with me. I received some very encouraging feedback. Before that, I remember tagging along with a school theatre trip to see Charleson in his legendary perform-
ance of ‘Hamlet’. I felt the exhilaration then: going through something in a room full of people and having this deep shared experience. I had A Levels in chemistry, biology and physics, and that really woke me up to the arts.
You are often cast in sharp, political roles, for example in ‘UKIP: the first 100 days’, a mockumentary that followed the fictional success of Farage’s party had he won. Do you have to have knowledge of politics alongside the acting Stay experience? positive It helps that I’m interested in current affairs, but I don’t need to know more than any thinking person who watches Question Time. I prepare for those roles as meticulously as I do any other. I am one of those actors who really eat up the world of their characters. A lot of imaginative work and research goes into it. Yes, you’re incredibly convincing in your roles. In ‘The Thick of It’,
What have been the highlights of your career? Well, firstly, getting to do what I love and getting paid for it! In terms of career, a number of different things, all for different reasons: in my recent performance in ‘The Effect’, we had such a big reaction from the audience because we were broaching the topic of mental health. The play dealt with extraordinary ideas to do with the brain, psychology and anti-depressants, and people were happy we were discussing it. These issues are often stigmatised and that just compounds the suffering. What are your current projects? I’m shooting a new comedy series, BBC‘s ‘I Want my Wife Back’. I also write for an organisation for young women who want to perform in the arts, and the next edition is out soon. Finally, I’m writing a short film ‘Serpentine Insomniac’. It’s about a woman who can’t sleep and develops an interesting hobby in the hours she’s awake: the miniscule and concentrated can be fascinating indeed.
What barriers have you had to overcome in the industry? At the start, I found there to be little scope for Asian female actors outside what was limited and marginal. I would always get cast as a onedimensional doctor for examplealmost like a prop. It’s the same as a woman. You’re either the wife or a bolt-on girlfriend, but things are definitely changing. That’s why I enjoyed playing the UKIP role. I was a person with my own story. It was about Deepa Kaur’s choices as an MP and how she deals with them as an individual. Finally, what would your advice be to other aspiring actresses? A few things: There is no substitute for hard work. It does pay off. Secondly, hold yourself to high standards. Thirdly- stay positive. The industry is not a meritocracy and there is sexism and nepotism, but there are also voices. Focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t and actively be one of them. Keep going; be creative and do things to feed your inspiration. W
priyangaburford
www.act-for-change.com
16
UK-Bengal Relationship: A New Beginning Flame of Kalam's ignited UK
Rupanjana Dutta
Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee visited Britain for the first time, a week ago with 62 member delegation including state ministers, prominent members of the West Bengal business community, and the Vice Chancellor of Presidency University, Professor Anuradha Lohia, to attract British investment to West Bengal. The trip was somewhat scuttled by the national mourning announced after the death of former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. This led to cancellation of 3 programmes, including a cultural evening and a press interaction that Ms Banerjee had promised with the local and foreign correspondents, from Indian media, based in London. She has faced criticism to have selected the trip around the time when British Parliament was in recess, and were Parliamentarians away on holiday including British Prime Minister David Cameron. However, it is believed that Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson was ready to see Ms Banerjee, but she had to cut her trip short, with the growing emergency situation in Bengal due to cyclone and flooding. The general consensus, though, is the delegation made a reasonable impression with a combination of simplicity from the Chief Minister and sophistication from the likes of her finance minister, Dr Amit Mitra, formerly secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and Sugata Bose, a Harvard professor who is now a Trinamool Congress MP in the Lok Sabha.
Exclusive interactive panel with FICCI and UKIBC Dr Amit Mitra hosted a panel discussion for an audience of around 300 and
Ms Banerjee with delegates
invited several leading business leaders from West Bengal to share their experiences. Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, Chair of the UKIBC said: “I think that the strength of the delegation that the Chief Minister has brought
10.48% as compared to India’s 7.5% and that it was the 5th largest economy in the country in terms of Gross State Domestic Product. Beyond the modest set of memorandums of understanding signed during
Mamata Banerjee, Lord Swraj Paul, Dr Amit Mitra and Lord Karan Bilimoria
with her to London underlines the seriousness of purpose of the Chief Minister and her government.” COO of UKIBC Kevin McCole said: "the highly interactive nature of the business conference ... has redrawn the model for how these events are delivered. UK investors were impressed by her can-do attitude. They were also impressed by the message the Chief Minister gave ... It was full of passion, compassion, humility and humour." Mitra referred to the state having a population of 93 million, its growth in consumption being 3% higher than the national average, the Gross Value Added Growth being
Banerjee’s visit, the Hinduja Group indicated they plan to invest in three different sectors, including restoration of heritage buildings in Kolkata. Kolkata’s Heritage Committee may in general have to be flexible on “change of use” of concerned premises to enable financiers to recover their investment. The Caparo Group, chaired by Lord Swraj Paul, who is originally from Kolkata, declared West Bengal will have “first right of refusal” for a factory to manufacture a comparatively low cost sports car, with technology from Maclaren, who have a Formula 1 team with Honda. What Paul possibly
PRESENTS
means is West Bengal may have to match concessions that could be offered by other states to clinch the deal.
UK and Bengal sign 21 MoUs CM Banerjee signed 21 MoUs with Britain in the fields of industry, health, education and urban development. The MoUs included academic exchange programmes between the University of Cambridge and Presidency University, Kolkata, in the field of Arts and Humanities and between London-based School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Presidency for the study of Bangla language. In the health sector, a MoU was signed between the Institute of Health and Family Welfare,
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Prime Minister, who is on a graduate diploma courses tour of South East Asia. on family medicine. Earlier, Cameron in a It also included a techletter to Banerjee wrote, "I nical collaboration for am sorry that my travel development of micro cliplans mean I will not be in mate controlled bio domes London to see you in perfor "Eco Tourism Township" son. Our relationship with in Kolkata. India is a priority for the The agreements were UK and we look forward to signed during a bilateral welcoming your Prime meeting with Britain's Minister to the UK later Minister of State for this year." Employment and British Commenting on the Prime Minister David personal letter from Cameron's Indian Diaspora Cameron, Banerjee champion Priti Patel at a responded, "21 MoU's are a reception hosted at the good sign of Britain's partForeign and nership with Bengal. I Commonwealth Office thank him for his good (FCO) here. wishes." Ms Patel told in her address: "This is a landmark visit, these MoUs will Floral tribute at help bring the UK and West Tagore Rabindranath Bengal ever closer, and and Mahatma unleash the potential of our relationship... Gandhi statues "For 34 years, West Bengal languished under Ms Banerjee offered floral Communist rule. The state tributes to the statue of had tremendous potential, Rabindranath Tagore at but that potential remained Gordon statue and the new unfulfilled. I am delighted Gandhi statue at to say that things are Parliament square, that was changing fast. Today, West Bengal is on the move. "Under Mamata Banerjee's leadership the state is enjoying a renaissance and its potential is beginning to be realised," said the Indian-origin minister, who had accompanied Cameron to Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the Tagore statue in Gordon Kolkata in 2013. Square. Dr John Stevens recited a "The Prime Minister Tagore poem in the original Bengali was impressed. It was and the SOAS South Asia Institute clear to him this was a Director, Professor Michael Hutt (far state and a Chief left) gave a speech
reading from the original Bengali from Gitanjali, by Rabindranath Tagore, a collection of 157 poems published in 1910.
community. Buckingham Palace is a monument which has been at the centre of some of the world’s historic decisions.”
Bengal CM's visit to Buckingham Palace
Personalised gift
Dr Amit Mitra, Ms Mamata Banerjee and Ms Priti Patel
Government of West Bengal, and the UK's Royal College of General Practitioners for technical support for running post-
Minister that we could do business with. That's why he invited you (Banerjee) to visit London," she said on behalf of the British
ASIAN ACHIEVERS
AWARDS
The people’s choice awards
Venue: Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN
inaugurated by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley earlier this year. She also paid floral tributes to Kalam at a small ceremony organised in Taj St James Court Hotel in London on Tuesday 28th July. A gala Bengal-themed cultural event at the Natural History Museum, which was to include performances by singer Usha Uthup, and Ustad Rashid Khan, was cancelled. Dr John Stevens (pictured), Leverhulme postdoctoral Fellow at SOAS conducted a special reading in Bengali called "Alo",
Mamata Banerjee on Monday became the first chief minister from an Indian state to get an official reception at Buckingham Palace, Britain’s most iconic address. Prince Andrew hosted an evening tea for the Chief Minister at the house of the monarch. The Chief Minister had a 40-minute one-on-one interview with Prince Andrew, who described her as “a very dynamic leader, leading a dynamic government, sowing the transformation of
Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, Rembrandt and van Dyck line up the walls of Britain’s most coveted art gallery- the state room of Buckingham Palace. The hallowed walls may soon have another addition: the work of Mamata Banerjee, the artist. The Bengal Chief Minister gifted a hand-painted work of hers to the Duke of York -Prince Andrew -second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth. Mamata Banerjee won the heart of the British royal
CM Mamata Banerjee meets Prince Andrew
Bengal”. The prince, it was learnt, has gifted the chief minister a bag with motifs of Buckingham Palace on it. Mamata herself said later: “I had been to London once before and have walked past Buckingham Palace, never knowing that I would enter it one day . Prince Andrew gave me a very warm reception, and even came all the way out to see me off. The prince inquired about the changing economic and political face of Bengal and our initiatives around tax collection. He has plans to work with women of Bengal under the aegis of a few of his NGOs. “I apprised him of all our women-friendly schemes like Muktir Alo (a plan to rehabilitate trafficked women and sex workers willing to leave the profession), and the work we’ve done for the transgender
I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H
family by carrying with her special gifts for princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. She handed over some clothes to Indian High Commissioner HE Ranjan Mathai for the baby to be passed on to the royal family.
Parallels with Gandhi The Chief Minister drew comparisons to none other than Mahatma Gandhi on the first day of her maiden visit to Britain, braving a cold, and dark British summer day in her everyday attire: white cotton sari and Hawaii chappals (flipflops), with a casually draped shawl her only concession to the weather. (A special thanks to As his Ray, Raym edia , extract from his pres s release has been used in this report)
UK
minds inspires Britons
Snehal with a friend and Dr Abdul Kalam
Snehal Thakkar, a customer adviser at the Santanders bank, Hatfield, UK is an inspiration for the community. 17 year old Thakkar had met President Abdul Kalam when he visited Anandalaya school in Anand on 12 April 2002. When Dr Kalam reached Anand by road in the evening, it was under curfew following communal disturbances. The next day, at the school, Dr Kalam refused to give a speech and chose to interact with students. While talking to the students, a
question came up: 'Who is our enemy?' There were many answers, but Snehal's answer had struck a chord with the former President. She said: “Our enemy is poverty. It is the root cause of our problems and should be the object of our fight'." Dr Kalam thereafter had dedicated his book 'Ignited Minds' to Thakkar. He wrote: "I dedicate this book to a child who is studying in class 12. Her name is Snehal Thakkar.” This book, meant for Indian youngsters, is
Snehal with CB Patel, Publisher/Editor, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. She attended a diabetes seminar hosted by Asian Voice in Harrow on Saturday 1 August and addressed a small gathering, sharing her story
regarded as a highly motivating book for young Indians, as also to anyone interested in understanding the reasons for remaining behind in the march of human civilization. The small book of 205 pages contains dynamic and original ideas, examines attitudes afflicting the Indians, and present prescriptions for rapid growth of India to enable the country to emerge as a developed country. She was later invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan by Dr Kalam to attend the
President's oath taking ceremony and had lunch with him at the Ashok Hall. When Dr Kalam visited Gujarat in later years, he had asked Narendra Modi about Snehal's whereabouts and had presented the CM with the book Ignited Minds, dedicated to her. Snehal attended a diabetes seminar hosted by Asian Voice in Harrow on Saturday 1 August and addressed a small gathering, where she shared her story.
Lord Bhattacharyya speaks at Tagore centre
Ashis Ray, Raymedia
The lack of inclination among Bengalis to become entrepreneurs was a result of "intellectual arrogance" remarked Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, a member of the British of Lords who is of Bengali origin. Bhattacharyya, a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is an engineer, educator and government adviser, who famously persuaded the Tatas' to purchase a then ailing Jaguar Land Rover, which has now become one of the most profitable companies in Europe. He is the founder and chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group, an international role model on how higher education and businesses can work
together, which is a part of Warwick University in the Midlands of England. His expertise is the automotive industry and in the 1980s he helped Margaret Thatcher, then British prime minister, to revive a sinking car making sector. He is often described as "the most eminent Indian in England". Speaking as chief guest at a lecture on Dwarka Nath Tagore, Rabindra Nath's grandfather, at an event hosted in London by the Tagore Centre on Sunday evening, Bhattacharyya went on to say the Bengali attitude was "we don't do business". Dwarka Nath was among India's first entrepreneurs, but his descendants desisted from enter-
Sumit Mitra speaking, Lord Bhattacharyya seated
ing business and instead followed intellectual pursuits, which have come the ideal for Bengalis. Delivering the lecture on Dwarka Nath, Sumit Mitra, a senior Indian journalist, highlighted the fact that his Nobel Prize winning grandson Rabindra Nath harboured
an antipathy for his ancestor. Mitra has been carrying out extensive research on Dwarka Nath in London, Scotland, Delhi and Kolkata since 2009, with the object of writing a definitive book. Dwarka Nath died in London in 1846 at the age of 52.
Asian Achievers Awards is organised every year by UK’s leading news weeklies, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asian par excellence For table booking contact us on 020 7749 4085 www.asianachieversawards.com
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16
UK-Bengal Relationship: A New Beginning Flame of Kalam's ignited UK
Rupanjana Dutta
Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee visited Britain for the first time, a week ago with 62 member delegation including state ministers, prominent members of the West Bengal business community, and the Vice Chancellor of Presidency University, Professor Anuradha Lohia, to attract British investment to West Bengal. The trip was somewhat scuttled by the national mourning announced after the death of former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam. This led to cancellation of 3 programmes, including a cultural evening and a press interaction that Ms Banerjee had promised with the local and foreign correspondents, from Indian media, based in London. She has faced criticism to have selected the trip around the time when British Parliament was in recess, and were Parliamentarians away on holiday including British Prime Minister David Cameron. However, it is believed that Mayor of London Mr Boris Johnson was ready to see Ms Banerjee, but she had to cut her trip short, with the growing emergency situation in Bengal due to cyclone and flooding. The general consensus, though, is the delegation made a reasonable impression with a combination of simplicity from the Chief Minister and sophistication from the likes of her finance minister, Dr Amit Mitra, formerly secretary-general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and Sugata Bose, a Harvard professor who is now a Trinamool Congress MP in the Lok Sabha.
Exclusive interactive panel with FICCI and UKIBC Dr Amit Mitra hosted a panel discussion for an audience of around 300 and
Ms Banerjee with delegates
invited several leading business leaders from West Bengal to share their experiences. Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt, Chair of the UKIBC said: “I think that the strength of the delegation that the Chief Minister has brought
10.48% as compared to India’s 7.5% and that it was the 5th largest economy in the country in terms of Gross State Domestic Product. Beyond the modest set of memorandums of understanding signed during
Mamata Banerjee, Lord Swraj Paul, Dr Amit Mitra and Lord Karan Bilimoria
with her to London underlines the seriousness of purpose of the Chief Minister and her government.” COO of UKIBC Kevin McCole said: "the highly interactive nature of the business conference ... has redrawn the model for how these events are delivered. UK investors were impressed by her can-do attitude. They were also impressed by the message the Chief Minister gave ... It was full of passion, compassion, humility and humour." Mitra referred to the state having a population of 93 million, its growth in consumption being 3% higher than the national average, the Gross Value Added Growth being
Banerjee’s visit, the Hinduja Group indicated they plan to invest in three different sectors, including restoration of heritage buildings in Kolkata. Kolkata’s Heritage Committee may in general have to be flexible on “change of use” of concerned premises to enable financiers to recover their investment. The Caparo Group, chaired by Lord Swraj Paul, who is originally from Kolkata, declared West Bengal will have “first right of refusal” for a factory to manufacture a comparatively low cost sports car, with technology from Maclaren, who have a Formula 1 team with Honda. What Paul possibly
PRESENTS
means is West Bengal may have to match concessions that could be offered by other states to clinch the deal.
UK and Bengal sign 21 MoUs CM Banerjee signed 21 MoUs with Britain in the fields of industry, health, education and urban development. The MoUs included academic exchange programmes between the University of Cambridge and Presidency University, Kolkata, in the field of Arts and Humanities and between London-based School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Presidency for the study of Bangla language. In the health sector, a MoU was signed between the Institute of Health and Family Welfare,
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Prime Minister, who is on a graduate diploma courses tour of South East Asia. on family medicine. Earlier, Cameron in a It also included a techletter to Banerjee wrote, "I nical collaboration for am sorry that my travel development of micro cliplans mean I will not be in mate controlled bio domes London to see you in perfor "Eco Tourism Township" son. Our relationship with in Kolkata. India is a priority for the The agreements were UK and we look forward to signed during a bilateral welcoming your Prime meeting with Britain's Minister to the UK later Minister of State for this year." Employment and British Commenting on the Prime Minister David personal letter from Cameron's Indian Diaspora Cameron, Banerjee champion Priti Patel at a responded, "21 MoU's are a reception hosted at the good sign of Britain's partForeign and nership with Bengal. I Commonwealth Office thank him for his good (FCO) here. wishes." Ms Patel told in her address: "This is a landmark visit, these MoUs will Floral tribute at help bring the UK and West Tagore Rabindranath Bengal ever closer, and and Mahatma unleash the potential of our relationship... Gandhi statues "For 34 years, West Bengal languished under Ms Banerjee offered floral Communist rule. The state tributes to the statue of had tremendous potential, Rabindranath Tagore at but that potential remained Gordon statue and the new unfulfilled. I am delighted Gandhi statue at to say that things are Parliament square, that was changing fast. Today, West Bengal is on the move. "Under Mamata Banerjee's leadership the state is enjoying a renaissance and its potential is beginning to be realised," said the Indian-origin minister, who had accompanied Cameron to Chief Minister paid floral tributes to the Tagore statue in Gordon Kolkata in 2013. Square. Dr John Stevens recited a "The Prime Minister Tagore poem in the original Bengali was impressed. It was and the SOAS South Asia Institute clear to him this was a Director, Professor Michael Hutt (far state and a Chief left) gave a speech
reading from the original Bengali from Gitanjali, by Rabindranath Tagore, a collection of 157 poems published in 1910.
community. Buckingham Palace is a monument which has been at the centre of some of the world’s historic decisions.”
Bengal CM's visit to Buckingham Palace
Personalised gift
Dr Amit Mitra, Ms Mamata Banerjee and Ms Priti Patel
Government of West Bengal, and the UK's Royal College of General Practitioners for technical support for running post-
Minister that we could do business with. That's why he invited you (Banerjee) to visit London," she said on behalf of the British
ASIAN ACHIEVERS
AWARDS
The people’s choice awards
Venue: Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN
inaugurated by Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley earlier this year. She also paid floral tributes to Kalam at a small ceremony organised in Taj St James Court Hotel in London on Tuesday 28th July. A gala Bengal-themed cultural event at the Natural History Museum, which was to include performances by singer Usha Uthup, and Ustad Rashid Khan, was cancelled. Dr John Stevens (pictured), Leverhulme postdoctoral Fellow at SOAS conducted a special reading in Bengali called "Alo",
Mamata Banerjee on Monday became the first chief minister from an Indian state to get an official reception at Buckingham Palace, Britain’s most iconic address. Prince Andrew hosted an evening tea for the Chief Minister at the house of the monarch. The Chief Minister had a 40-minute one-on-one interview with Prince Andrew, who described her as “a very dynamic leader, leading a dynamic government, sowing the transformation of
Titian, Leonardo da Vinci, Dürer, Rembrandt and van Dyck line up the walls of Britain’s most coveted art gallery- the state room of Buckingham Palace. The hallowed walls may soon have another addition: the work of Mamata Banerjee, the artist. The Bengal Chief Minister gifted a hand-painted work of hers to the Duke of York -Prince Andrew -second son and third child of Queen Elizabeth. Mamata Banerjee won the heart of the British royal
CM Mamata Banerjee meets Prince Andrew
Bengal”. The prince, it was learnt, has gifted the chief minister a bag with motifs of Buckingham Palace on it. Mamata herself said later: “I had been to London once before and have walked past Buckingham Palace, never knowing that I would enter it one day . Prince Andrew gave me a very warm reception, and even came all the way out to see me off. The prince inquired about the changing economic and political face of Bengal and our initiatives around tax collection. He has plans to work with women of Bengal under the aegis of a few of his NGOs. “I apprised him of all our women-friendly schemes like Muktir Alo (a plan to rehabilitate trafficked women and sex workers willing to leave the profession), and the work we’ve done for the transgender
I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H
family by carrying with her special gifts for princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. She handed over some clothes to Indian High Commissioner HE Ranjan Mathai for the baby to be passed on to the royal family.
Parallels with Gandhi The Chief Minister drew comparisons to none other than Mahatma Gandhi on the first day of her maiden visit to Britain, braving a cold, and dark British summer day in her everyday attire: white cotton sari and Hawaii chappals (flipflops), with a casually draped shawl her only concession to the weather. (A special thanks to As his Ray, Raym edia , extract from his pres s release has been used in this report)
UK
minds inspires Britons
Snehal with a friend and Dr Abdul Kalam
Snehal Thakkar, a customer adviser at the Santanders bank, Hatfield, UK is an inspiration for the community. 17 year old Thakkar had met President Abdul Kalam when he visited Anandalaya school in Anand on 12 April 2002. When Dr Kalam reached Anand by road in the evening, it was under curfew following communal disturbances. The next day, at the school, Dr Kalam refused to give a speech and chose to interact with students. While talking to the students, a
question came up: 'Who is our enemy?' There were many answers, but Snehal's answer had struck a chord with the former President. She said: “Our enemy is poverty. It is the root cause of our problems and should be the object of our fight'." Dr Kalam thereafter had dedicated his book 'Ignited Minds' to Thakkar. He wrote: "I dedicate this book to a child who is studying in class 12. Her name is Snehal Thakkar.” This book, meant for Indian youngsters, is
Snehal with CB Patel, Publisher/Editor, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. She attended a diabetes seminar hosted by Asian Voice in Harrow on Saturday 1 August and addressed a small gathering, sharing her story
regarded as a highly motivating book for young Indians, as also to anyone interested in understanding the reasons for remaining behind in the march of human civilization. The small book of 205 pages contains dynamic and original ideas, examines attitudes afflicting the Indians, and present prescriptions for rapid growth of India to enable the country to emerge as a developed country. She was later invited to Rashtrapati Bhavan by Dr Kalam to attend the
President's oath taking ceremony and had lunch with him at the Ashok Hall. When Dr Kalam visited Gujarat in later years, he had asked Narendra Modi about Snehal's whereabouts and had presented the CM with the book Ignited Minds, dedicated to her. Snehal attended a diabetes seminar hosted by Asian Voice in Harrow on Saturday 1 August and addressed a small gathering, where she shared her story.
Lord Bhattacharyya speaks at Tagore centre
Ashis Ray, Raymedia
The lack of inclination among Bengalis to become entrepreneurs was a result of "intellectual arrogance" remarked Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, a member of the British of Lords who is of Bengali origin. Bhattacharyya, a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is an engineer, educator and government adviser, who famously persuaded the Tatas' to purchase a then ailing Jaguar Land Rover, which has now become one of the most profitable companies in Europe. He is the founder and chairman of Warwick Manufacturing Group, an international role model on how higher education and businesses can work
together, which is a part of Warwick University in the Midlands of England. His expertise is the automotive industry and in the 1980s he helped Margaret Thatcher, then British prime minister, to revive a sinking car making sector. He is often described as "the most eminent Indian in England". Speaking as chief guest at a lecture on Dwarka Nath Tagore, Rabindra Nath's grandfather, at an event hosted in London by the Tagore Centre on Sunday evening, Bhattacharyya went on to say the Bengali attitude was "we don't do business". Dwarka Nath was among India's first entrepreneurs, but his descendants desisted from enter-
Sumit Mitra speaking, Lord Bhattacharyya seated
ing business and instead followed intellectual pursuits, which have come the ideal for Bengalis. Delivering the lecture on Dwarka Nath, Sumit Mitra, a senior Indian journalist, highlighted the fact that his Nobel Prize winning grandson Rabindra Nath harboured
an antipathy for his ancestor. Mitra has been carrying out extensive research on Dwarka Nath in London, Scotland, Delhi and Kolkata since 2009, with the object of writing a definitive book. Dwarka Nath died in London in 1846 at the age of 52.
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Press prints notes with Ex-Gov's sign
Dear Financial Voice Reader,
Would you like a career in trading? Apprenticeships have become popular. Internships have too. I used to take interns and apprentices, but it got too busy. So I had to find a new technological way of doing it instead – more on that later. But for those looking for a career trading what are the options? First you can apply to absolutely every bank possible and hope you have the skills they are looking for. Quick thinking is important. Of course an ease with numbers. A calm mind under pressure is vital too. What people don’t realise is that to be a good trader, also important is to think differently to how most people think, and to be able to fight your instincts. Is this you? For instance traders need to be able to see a loss and take it. Not be frozen. They need to be able to do the uncomfortable. They need to be able to see the upside, that in a small loss, at least it is small. The comfortable thing, the public does is hold on and freeze and hope and pray. My apprentices, indeed trading apprentices generally, need to see learning as a positive experience, not a chore. The process is the goal to a good apprentice. They need to see profits just the way they see losses – something out of a process of doing ones job; knowing that doing it right they will make profits. Trading mentees need to be patient. They need to be willing to learn at weekends, and genuinely want to succeed in small bite size steps. They need to be people who are not quitters. Persistence is the secret to all skills. Trading apprentices need to be able when they are making money to keep calm and drive their advantage home, and again not freeze and admire their good works, but move to the next opportunity. Traders need to understand rules and follow them with emotional detachment. So who have these skills? The first thing is to be aware of what is needed, and the second then to practice them. You may practice on a demo account. The Chairman of the world’s largest derivatives exchange once told me that he would train apprentices by making them take quick small losses, like a boxer taking jabs, so they got used to it. Because the worst thing was a fear of small losses, so that they did nothing and got big losses. So there you are. Want to be a trader? For those who want be mentored by me on a career in trading: www.alpeshpatel.com/go
Snapdeal to raise $ 500 million
E-commerce portal Snapdeal is all set to raise $500 million in investment from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd along with SoftBank Group Corp and Foxconn, as reported from a source. The move comes as a show of faith to Snapdeal, from Asia's three biggest technology companies. The online business place competes with Flipkart Online Services Pvt Ltd and the local subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc in the country's online shopping market, which Morgan Stanley estimates will be worth $102 billion by 2020. It is Alibaba's first direct investment in the country. Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial Services Group in February agreed to buy 25 percent of Indian
payment services provider One97 Communications. In October, Snapdeal, which connects small businesses with customers in an online marketplace, secured a $627 million investment from Japan's SoftBank, itself an early backer of Alibaba. Alibaba was in direct funding talks with Snapdeal in March, but opted to instead invest together with SoftBank and Foxconn, as per a source. Foxconn founder Terry Gou told shareholders at an annual meeting two months ago that India is a key market this year for his group. Snapdeal and SoftBank were not available for immediate comment. Alibaba and Foxconn declined to comment.
It has come to light that at lease one of the press continues printing notes with D Subbarao's signature in 2014, even though Raghuram Rajan took over in September 2014. A recent report by the Comptroller & Auditor General has revealed that it remitted 146 million pieces to RBI's regional offices, which asked the press not to send notes with the former governor's signature. As a result, it is now saddled with over 226 million pieces of bank notes of Rs 20, Rs 100 and Rs 500, which cost close to Rs 37 crore. As per norms, all notes
D Subbarao and Raghuram Rajan
printed from January 2014 should have come with Rajan's signature something that the Bank Note Press Dewas failed to do and went ahead and printed as many as 372 million pieces of currency notes from January to February 25.
Although Bank Note Press has maintained that the notes have not been rejected and that they would be dispatched as soon as RBI issued instructions, the CAG has noted that there was a “remote” possibility. Going by the auditor's
Nestle India in works for new market plan: Maggi on priority
After the drama that followed the Maggi controversy after the instant noodles were found breaching the prescribed food norms, Nestle India is reassessing all aspects of the brand, including the ingredients. The company's newly appointed Managing Director Suresh Narayanan acknowledged the controversy saying, “We have a process of introspection in terms of learning in the organisation, in terms of what we did right, what we did not do right... internalise these learnings and move forward.” Nestle has also identified other categories and is looking at opportunities to introduce new products in efforts to overcome the challenge posed by the company's first quarterly loss in over three decades. “Task number one is to get Maggi back. That's an important part of what I will be focussing on,” Narayanan addressed the media. “It is my endeavour and those of my colleagues
that we come to with respect, with cooperation, with support from the authorities, I am not in a confrontational frame... Nestle is a part of this country. We will be a part of this country as we have been for the last 100 years respecting the laws of the land and also respecting all the authorities. It is my hope that we are able to find a solution and we are able to move forward.” Hit by ban on its Maggi instant noodles, Nestle India reported a standalone loss of Rs 64.40 crore for the quarter ended on June 30, 2015; its first quarterly loss in over three decades. It had posted a net profit of Rs 287.86
crore during the April-June quarter of financial year 2014-15. “The whole business segment has been dismantled, from procurement to manufacturing to distribution and supply chain. The whole system is now in a state of freeze,” he said, adding he would not “hazard a guess” on how much time it would take to revive it. Asked if it was the end of Brand Maggi if the court verdict goes against the company, he said: “My fervent hope is that we are able to find a solution, resolve the issue, bring Maggi back, and move forward.” The company will also look at reducing overdependence on one product. Besides Maggi, it will also focus on increasing growth in other product categories such as dairy, coffee and beverages, chocolate and confectionary and nutrition. “The Maggi journey will continue, but the journey in other categories also needs to be emphasised,” said Narayanan.
The Hong Kong Central Bank has initiated a fine of HK $ 7.5 million on the State Bank of India's Hong Kong branch for breaching the city's anti money-laundering and counter terrorism financing rules. According to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, between April 2012 and November 2013, SBI failed to perform a series of key anti money-laundering checks, including doing due diligence on 28 corporate customers, monitoring existing business relationships, and verifying whether its customers
were politically exposed persons. Besides paying the fine, the bank must submit an independent report to the HKMA, which is Hong Kong's banking regulator, outlining the remedial action it will take to tackle these internal control failings, it said. “It is important to note that neither the HKMA nor the external consultants found any instances of problem accounts or suspicious transactions during the period in question, or the years following,” SBI said in a state-
ment. “We fully support the HKMA's efforts to ensure high standards of due diligence and monitoring among Hong Kong's financial institutions. As noted by the HKMA, we have undertaken very positive and intensive remediation work to address their findings, which refer to procedures and policies in place during 2012 and 2013.” The fine marks the first time the HKMA has taken disciplinary action under Hong Kong's Anti MoneyLaundering Ordinance brought into force in 2012.
Suresh Narayanan
Hong Kong takes disciplinary action against SBI branch
account, the Dewas press did not follow instructions. On September 14, 2013, 10 days after Rajan took charge, the Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Pvt Ltd had issued a specimen note of Rs 10 with the new governor's signature and asked the press in Dewas and Nashik to collect security material to begin printing. A month later, it also informed the press about the approval for “machine proof” of Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 500 notes with Rajan's signature. The norm is to put the new governor's signature on notes that are printed from January.
Greek manufacturing collapses following shutdown
The Greek manufacturing activity in July has plummeted to levels that record back to 16 years, owing to shortage of new orders and significant supply issues caused by the three week bank shut down. Greece shut its banks and imposed capital controls on June 29 to avert a bank run after Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called a referendum on a new bailout. The shutdown hit the economy which was already beaten up by a six-month standoff between the government and its international lenders on a cash-forreforms deal. Markit's purchasing managers' index (PMI) for manufacturing, a sector which makes up about 10 percent of the economy, fell to 30.2 points last month, the lowest reading since the company began compiling the data in 1999. The index remained below the 50 mark that denotes growth. “Manufacturing output collapsed in July as the debt crisis came to a head,” said Markit economist Phil Smith. “Although manufacturing represents only a small portion of Greece's total productive output, the sheer magnitude of the downturn sends a worrying signal for the health of the economy as a whole.” Restrictions on money transfers abroad have choked supplies needed by Greek businesses. More than 43% of manufacturers said they faced longer delivery times last month as a result of the restrictions.
REAL ESTATE VOICE
Property Faith
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Suresh Vagjiani
Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company
Today we are hoping to exchange on a property in the crème of London, Mayfair. We were supposed to exchange on this property on Friday and were told if we did not we would lose it by Monday. Over the weekend we managed to get a total of three different parties to purchase the property. Two wanted to keep the property long term the other syndicate were flexible. The property is in a purpose built block minutes away from Dorchester Hotel. It is on the fourth floor and consists of 1,400 sq. ft. It also comes with a share of freehold which is especially liked by foreigners, notably Indians who do not like the concept of leasehold. Leasehold means you don’t own the property forever, you ‘own’ it for a finite number of years, you have to pay more to extend the term you own the property for. This essentially means you don’t own the property, you ‘rent’ it albeit for a long period of time. This may be acceptable to the western psyche but for the Indian mind it’s difficult to digest, as the Indian mind looks at 21 future generations and the western typically only his own. One of the parties who was looking to purchase the property on a buy and hold basis wanted to see the property. I told them it wasn’t possible, as we had been given an ultimatum to exchange. They said they couldn’t put this level of money in without seeing the property. I explained that it’s a purpose built flat and there’s little to see in a three bedroom flat even if you assume everything needs doing up it would only make a difference of say £150k. This is not the case, the property is in a lettable and therefore mortgagable condition. Though £3m is a lot of money, relative to what property you can buy in this location it is not a huge amount. However they were not convinced and so we moved to the other party who wanted to purchase this deal.
We b e l i e v e t h i s p r o p e r t y t o b e w o r t h a b o u t £ 4 . 2 m i n t h e o p e n m a rke t , w h ic h e q ua t e s t o £ 3, 0 00 pe r s q . f t . We h a v e m a n a g e d t o n e g o t i a t e a t h re e m o n t h comp letion w hich give s us the op po rtunity to flip the con tra ct if w e w ish. H owever this is a r are p roper ty to get hold of a nd t o sell it short wou ld be a cr ime, t h e re f o r e i t w o u l d b e b e t t e r t o h o l d o n , c o m p l e t e t h e d eal, tidy it up a nd the n look for a sa le w h en you ca n a chieve the ma ximum price.
The price we had secured the contract for was £3. 070m which eq uates to just u nder £2,200 per sq. ft. The flat directly below sold for over £3,000 pe r sq. ft. a fe w m ont hs b a ck. The com pa ra bles fo r thi s b lock were a li ttle sca tty the reas on b ein g the b lock w as com po sed of t hree se par ate uni ts a nd t h e o n e w e a re b u y i n g i n i s t h e p r e m i e r o n e d u e t o t h e v i e w o v e r t h e garden s. Thus the differentials in pri ce.
One of the investors is Muslim therefore his condition to investing in the deal was it should be purchased in cash, as to take a mortgage means the payment of interest which would be Haram. It may be Haram but not taking a mortgage limits the returns you make from a property. Islamic finance in my opinion is a sham. They circumvent the rules by changing the words, i.e. instead of calling it interest they call it rent, this is one way. The other is the bank purchases the property and then sells the property to the buyer for a higher price, which equates to all the interest rolled up and added to the purchase price. The payment for this is chopped up over the term of the ‘loan’, in essence it is a play on words, they still use the prevailing interest rates for the calculations. A rose by any other name is still a rose.
Given that prices of certain properties are touching £2,000 per sq. ft. to the north of Hyde Park it was a no brainer that in this location, a property at this price which comes with a share of freehold would be a good deal. The problem with delaying this deal was the seller’s solicitor was very fast in responding to any enquiries we had. Despite this we managed to get our lawyer to find an enquiry to delay the exchange till Tuesday. Any longer and I fear we will lose the deal. There is another independent party looking to purchase the property for more than we are paying, the reason we know this for sure is they wanted to use our lawyers to put the offer forward. Therefore we know the threat is real, and not a ploy to get us to move faster.
O r d i n a r i l y, t h e d e p o s i t r e q u i r e d f o r t h e p ro p e r t y w o u l d b e i n t h e r e g i o n o f 4 0 % o f t h e v a l u e , t h e re s t o f t h e m o n e y w o u l d b e b o r r o w e d , t h e re f o re i f w e s e l l it for 40% more than we paid for it we have doubled o u r re t u r n . H o w e v e r b y n o t t a k i n g a m o r t g a g e w e w i l l m a ke o nl y t h e 4 0% .
The Real Deal
This does however mean we have no pressure and no paperwork. Furthermore as time goes on the property price should rise and at this point if we decide to take a mortgage we can refinance and pay the other investor out from the proceeds. These days you need to hold the property for at least six months in order to refinance at the market price and not the purchase price. However in this situation I suspect the ceiling on how much you can borrow will be governed by the rental on this property and not the market value. Property prices have been rising fast and the rental has not kept up therefore the yields have dropped. From when they used to be 5% not long ago they have dropped to 2-3%. We are currently working on a couple of deals at the moment, one is a six flat scheme in Bushy valued at £1.1m and the other is a development scheme in the jewellery quarters of London, Hatton Garden.
Wall End Road, London, E6 Purchase Price: £120k l A large one bedroom flat l No stamp duty l Producing more than £10k rental per annum on AST l Close to the local shops and amenities of Barking Road l Very good buy to let property with a gross rental yield of 8.5% per annum Call us now to secure this deal!
0207 993 0103
We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:
Specialists in
Central London Property Sourcing
info@sowandreap.co.uk
www.sowandreap.co.uk
55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA
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Tips of the Week
l Always check the service charges and ground rents in new build flats, these have the tendency to dampen your rental yield.
l Ex Local flats are excellent for income generation with low service charges and long leases, they won't eat into your rental income as much as other flats. The rooms tend to be large and they are perfect for multi let tenants such as students which will further enhance your rental.
20
BUSINESS
National minimum wage offenders named and shamed
On Thursday 30 July Business Minister Nick Boles has named 75 employers who have failed to pay their workers the National Minimum Wage, including at least 7 Asian companies, if not more. The named 75 companies owed workers over £153,000 in arrears, and span sectors including hairdressing, fashion, publishing, hospitality, health and fitness, automotive, social care, and retail. This brings the total number of companies named and shamed under the scheme, which was
Business Minister Nick Boles
introduced in October 2013, to 285 employers, with total arrears of over £788,000 and total penalties of over £325,000.
Business Minister Nick Boles said: “As a one nation government on the side of working people we are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum Wage receives it. When the new National Living Wage is introduced next April we will enforce robustly. This means that the hard-working people of the UK will get the pay rise they deserve.” From October the National Minimum Wage will increase to £6.70. Employers should be well aware of the different rates
for the National Minimum Wage depending on the circumstances of their workers. Employers and workers can call the Acas helpline or visit gov.uk if they need information about the NMW. To improve compliance in the hairdressing sector HMRC has launched a NMW campaign to drive voluntary behavioural change. The campaign is an opportunity for employers to check they are paying their employees correctly and ensure any outstanding arrears are paid back to employees.
Foxconn plans to invest $ 20 billion in India
Union Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and secretaries of six ministries are in talks to finalise a $ 20 billion investment in the country by Taiwanese electronic component manufacturer, Foxconn Technology. Prasad met with chairman and founder of Foxconn, Terry Gou, with a delegation of 30 members. Sources said, “Based on the discussion a final announcement along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be made.” “Today’s meeting is crucial since Foxconn has decided on the areas where it wants to invest in India,” a source in the Commerce Ministry said. The move could help boost electronic component manufacturing in India, and allow it to com-
pete with its rival China in the field of manufacturing cheap electronic goods. It is reported that Gou has held meetings with chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana, in the last two months to accrue land for a probable technology park. He also met with film direcor Subhash Ghai during his meeting last month, sparking speculations of his
plans to invest in Bollywood. Foxconn has already announced a partnership with Sony, as the sole manufacturer of the brand's Bravia bilateral. A 30 member delegation from the company visited different ministries and state government officials, prior to Gou's visit. It is informed by sources that the investment news was to be announced in the Digital India week
launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but Gou was unable to attend the function. It is also in talks with Adani Group, Snapdeal and Flipkart for hawking products manufactured in India with its partners. This will be Foxconn's second innings in India as it also makes components for companies like Sony, Xiaomi and Acer. It is currently dealing with litigation issues over laid off employees, who allege that the company closed down units without “following any of the mandatory procedures under the Industrial Disputes Act”. The company had to shut down in 2014, after its major client, Nokia, closed down its manufacturing facility in Chennai.
According to reports, around 1178 unemployed young people from the European Union, has found jobs, training or apprenticeships in Britain under the 'Jobs Mobility' programme since its set up in 2012. That accounted for 34.7 per cent of the 3,387 jobs handed out so far, much higher than second place Germany, which has provided 659 placements. At the same time, just 25 Britons under 30 have found work under the scheme, less than 1 per cent of the total. Media has disclosed that workless migrants are being given thousands of pounds to find employment in the country under the scheme. It offers up to €5,000 in relocation expenses and course fees per participant. The average cost per head was €1,818, according to official figures. The scheme is reportedly transferring people from high unemployment, to Britain. “The high number of placements in the UK could be due to the dynamics of the UK labour market,” it said. “A high share of outgoing
job finders in certain countries mirrors the situation of the EU labour market, as these countries have high youth unemployment rates. Similarly to previous quarters, the UK remains the main country of destination.” Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, claimed that the Government “has a grip” on the migration crisis in Calais. He said 100 additional guards would be on duty at the terminal in Calais while UK Border Force officials will start working inside the Eurotunnel control room Monday night. “I think we have got a grip on the crisis. We saw a peak last week, since when the number of illegal migrants has tailed off,” he said. The scheme includes travel allowances of up to €350 for distances of more than 500 miles, plus subsistence funds of up to €50 a day. Participants can also claim up to €1,060 in relocation expenses to move to the UK, €1,270 for language training and €1,000 to have their qualifications recognised in a new country.
Tata Steel has finally incorporated its Long Products Europe division into a new standalone independent subsidiary within its European operations. Hundreds of Tata Steel workers on Teesside in the north east of England will effectively come under the new management which will be led by Bimlendra Jha, executive chairman of Tata Steel board. “The move brings together the existing long products businesses with its associated distribution facilities. It will allow the business to combine the strength of Tata Steel with a flexible and more focused operational approach. It will also enable strategic options to be progressed,” a Tata Steel spokesperson said. Jha, who replaces Jon Bolton, will run Tata Steel's India based long products business the company said. The news followed the abandoning of AngloAmerican industrialist Gary Klesch's plans to buy the LPE plant, citing rising energy costs and
Chinese imports ruining the UK steel industry. A report commissioned by the workers' union claimed a standalone business would be the best option for Tata's LPE division. “As the key recommendation from the Syndex report into the future of Long Products, we welcome the creation of the stand-alone business and look forward to working with Jha and his team to create a sustainable future for long product steel production in the UK,” a community union spokesperson said. “Having worked closely with Jon Bolton over a number of years, we wish him all the best as he leaves the business.” Tata Steel had announced it would drop 25 jobs at its Skinningrove plant after it saw a decrease in customer orders.
Jobless migrants paid to find work in Britain
Tata Steel completes UK move
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Ola closes TaxiForSure in 22 cities
Cab service provider Ola is shutting operations of its subsidiary TaxiForSure in over 22 smaller cities, migrating it to major cities including Kochi, Trivandrum, Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Madurai, and others. TFS, in its company blog said, “Everybody needs to change with the times, and we are doing the same. TaxiForSure is migrating to Ola in your city and now we can serve you better. This is a new opportunity for us to set new goals and achieve bigger things,” it said. The blog post also said TFS credits will be transferred back to the user’s bank account, while payment through Paytm will remain. Last month, Ola had announced that it would soon go mobileapp mode in cities it operates. The move comes five months after it acquired the Bengaluru based rival for around $200 million in a cash and stock deal. Many industry analysts termed the move as a consolidation strategy in the fledgling online taxi services industry. When contacted, an Ola spokesperson in an email said, “TaxiForSure continues to operate as an independent brand in the top 30 cities with a strong focus on building the most economical brand in personal transportation. The consolidation of TaxiForSure into the Ola app in the next 22 cities is designed to
ensure a seamless experience for consumers, straight from the Ola app.” So far Ola has raised around $677 million in funds from investors like DST Global, Singapore's GIC, Falcon Edge Capital, SoftBank, Tiger Global, Matrix Partners, Steadview Capital and Accel Partners US. Its latest plan to migrate TFS users to its platform in smaller cities is regarded as a move to strengthen its brand identity, as the company has been facing tough competition from US based rival Uber. Recently, Uber announced its intention to invest $1 billion in India to expand its services. Operating from over 18 cities, India is Uber's second largest market after the US. The startup has also announced its plan to invest $50 million for building a response and support centre in Hyderabad. Ola starts bug bounty program: Taking tips from its counterparts, Ola has launched a bug bounty programme, under which the company will compensate or acknowledge those who report bugs in its software. It will offer a minimum reward of Rs 1000 for spotting a bug; there is no upper limit. Ola came up with the idea after several hackers claimed the company app was highly vulnerable to cyber threats.
Thomson reappears in Indian market
Technicolour major Thomson has found its way back into Indian electronic market after signing a licensing deal with Resolute Electronics in Hyderabad. According to the agreement, Resolute will invest Rs 300 crore in the next 3 years, to increase its existing production capacity to make 2000 television sets a day and set up a facility to manufacture large home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners. The company has an exclusive tie with Thomson, for LED TVs, as per A. Gopal Krishna, CEO of Resolute. He said the company hopes to being with the launch of
Thomson LED TVs by the end of the month or the beginning of the next. To go national, the company has tied up with e-commerce website Flipkart, where it would make the television sets available first. Krishna said the immediate goal is to get 1 per cent market share in the Indian market that sells 11 million sets in a year. The products would be priced at 10 to 12 per cent lower than the market lead. Resolute has already invested Rs 20 crore in the existing production facility. And the deal is a comeback for Thomson into the Indian television market. It was present in the country till 2004 through a subsidiary route.
CURRENCY VOICE
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
21
Foreign Exchange
Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,
Eurozone economy maintaining a modest growth Currency Specialists.
Unemployment in the eurozone is neither improving nor getting worse, despite hopes that the latest figures would show a further drop in the jobless rate. The unemployment rate stayed at 11.1 per cent in June from the same level the previous month. Economists had been expecting a small decrease in the rate to 11 per cent. The lowest unemployment rate in the bloc in June was recorded in Germany (4.7 per cent) and the Czech Republic is also faring well (4.9 per cent). At the other end of the scale is Greece, where unemployment remained 25.6 per cent in April. Despite improving GDP growth in Spain, the country's unemployment rate is also still well in the double digits, at 22.5 per cent. Italy's unemployment rate moved up to 12.7 per cent in June from 12.5 per cent in May, youth joblessness increased to 44.2 per cent, its highest level since 1977 and roughly twice the eurozone average, showing that high-school and university-aged Italians are still desperately struggling to find employment. Inflation in the 19-nation Eurozone was unchanged in July
while the jobless rate for June was also flat, suggesting the economy maintained only modest growth. Consumer prices rose 0.2 per cent in July, the same rate as the previous month and in line with analysts' forecasts. The Athens stock exchange ended its torrid first day of trading in five weeks 16.2 percent lower, after it reopened for the first time in five weeks. Greek banking stocks were the worst hit with Alpha Bank, Attica Bank and Eurobank Ergasius, Bank of Piraeus and the National Bank of Greece all closed around 30 percent lower the daily volatility limit. Banks make up about a fifth of the index. It had fallen behind by 22.87% just minutes after opening for trade. Not long after the market reopened at 07:30 GMT, the Athex had plunged to 615.16 points, down by 182.36 points from the 26 June close. U.S. labour costs in the second quarter recorded their smallest increase in 33 years amid tepid gains in the private
sector, but it likely was a temporary setback against the backdrop of diminishing labour market slack. The Employment Cost Index edged up 0.2 percent, the Labour Department said on Friday. That was the smallest gain since the series started in the second quarter of 1982 Economists had forecast the employment cost index rising 0.6 percent. The pace of growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector slowed in July and disappointed expectations, according to an industry report released on Monday. The Institute for
Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity fell to 52.7 from 53.5 the month before. The reading was shy of expectations that the pace would remain unchanged at 53.5, according to a Reuter’s poll of economists. UK manufacturing growth picked up in July, a survey has suggested, after a 26-month low in June. Manufacturing accounts for around 10% of the UK economy, the index rose to 51.9 in July, from 51.4 in June. A figure above 50 indicates expansion. However, it remained below the average of 54.3 the sector has had since April 2013. Production expansion remained dependent on consumer goods manufacturing, which offset a contraction in investment goods such as plant and machinery, Markit said. In addition, demand for exports was being sapped by the sterling-euro exchange rate as new export orders contracted for the fourth consecutive month in July.
Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 4th August 2015 @ 4pm
GBP - INR = 99.14
USD - INR = 63.69 EUR - INR = 69.75 GBP - USD = 1.56 GBP - EUR = 142
EUR - USD = 1.10 GBP - AED = 5.71
GBP - CAD = 2.05
GBP - NZD = 2.36
GBP - AUD = 2.10
GBP - ZAR = 19.72
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WORLD
22
Islamic State abducts four Indians
T Gopikrishna, Balaram Kishan, Vijay Kumar and Lakshmikant
New Delhi: Four Indian teachers who were returning to India from Tripoli and Tunis, were kidnapped in India. Laxmikant Ramakrishna of Raichur, Mulbagil Vijay Kumar of Bengaluru, T Gopikrishna and K Balram of Hyderabad were 'detained' at a check point, 50 km from Sirte. MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, “Three of them were faculty members at the University of Sirte and one was working at the Sirte University's branch in Jufra. We are in regular touch with the families concerned and all efforts are being made to ensure the well being and early release of the four Indian nationals.” He further said, “On July 20th, our mission in Tripoli came to know that four Indian nationals who
were returning to India via Tripoli and Tunis were detained at a checkpoint approximately 50 kms from Sirte.” The Ministry of External Affairs further said the are from where the Indians were kidnapped is under the control of the Islamic State, which has taken control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria and has declared itself a caliphate. However, later, Swarup sent a tweet from his official account, that sent a sigh of relief to two of the Indians' families as he said, “Welcome news from Libya. 2 of the 4 detained Indians brought back safely to University of Sirte. Our efforts continue for the remaining two.” The families of Laxmikant, an assistant professor at the EE
Engineering College of the University of Sirte, and Vijay Kumar, head of the English department, were informed by officials about the release. “Luckily, my brother was released this evening. We will celebrate when he returns,” Laxmikant’s younger brother, Pavan Kumar said. Bengaluru based Vijay Kumar is a doctorate holder in Education with post-graduate degrees in English, European History and Education, and a double graduate degree to his name. “His wife Sunitha was so scared after she heard about the kidnapping that she rushed off on a pilgrimage to pray for her husband’s safe release. Her prayers have been answered,” Vijay Kumar’s brother, Hemanth, said. South Block officials said Laxmikant and Vijay
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Kumar had been brought back to Sirte, located between Tripoli and Benghazi, and confirmed that there had been no ransom demand yet for the other two. However, negotiations run into fresh trouble as sources said efforts for the release of the remaining two academicians had “run into trouble.” In the past few days, several militias have been fighting for control of the Libyan coastal town of Sirte, where forces loyal to former leader Muammar Qadhafi, who have allied with foreign IS terrorists, are fighting groups ranged against their dead leader that control the capital Tripoli. “Our efforts are on,” a senior official said, adding, “The clashes don’t help.”
Iran bans weekly for criticising N-deal
Tehran: In a first of its kind penalty issued by the Iranian government, the country has banned weekly newspaper, 9th Dey Weekly, managed by ultra-conservative lawmaker Hamid Rasaie for criticising its recent nuclear deal with the West. It also issued a formal warning for alleged breaches of reporting guidelines. H o s s e i n Noushabadi, a culture ministry spokesman said, “If anyone was to make comments against our national interests on a subject that is tied with our national security, it should definitely be stopped.” He added that the nuclear agreement is “an important matter that was achieved under the supervision of the supreme leader... and cannot be easily criticised with unjust comments.” The SNSC is the country's highest security committee and oversees the nuclear talks under the leadership of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
In Brief
Italy cracks sheep code to arrest godfather's henchmen
Rome: Italian police has arrested 11 suspects linked to fugitive head of the Sicilian Mafia, Matteo Messina Denaro; one of them, a former boss who ran a sheep-based code secret message system for the mobster. The arrests come after an investigation that followed passing of messages between 2011 and 2014, using hidden cameras and microphones around a farm near Trapani in Western Sicily. Matteo Messina Denaro, 53, who has been on the run since 1993, used a farm in Mazara del Vallo to communicate with his henchmen via the aged-old method of “pizzini”, bits of paper containing messages often written in cipher, police said. “The sheep need shearing ... the shears need sharpening” and “the hay is ready”, were among code phrases used to alert the gang to a new message, written on tightly folded bits of paper wrapped in sellotape and then hidden in the dirt. Three of the arrested are over the age of 70.
Mullah Omar's family disapproves of new Taliban chief
Peshawar: Family of late Taliban leader Mullah Omar has said they do not back his successor Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, and wants a new chief to be chosen by Islamic scholars and veterans of the movement. In an audio statement by Omar's younger brother Abdul Manan, the family said they had not given their baiyat, or pledge of allegiance, to Akhtar Mohammad Mansour and did not want to make a choice amid differences. “Mullah Omar during his life had always stressed unity among the mujahideen,” said the statement. His comments were aimed at averting a factional split at a time of growing discord over the direction of peace talks with the Afghan government. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced Mansour as the new leader, a day after confirming that Mullah Omar was dead.
Malaysia seeks help to find MH370 debris
Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian officials have sought help from territories near the area where a suspected piece of a Malaysia Airlines jet was discovered. A wing flap suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines was found on Reunion, which was later taken to a French military testing facility to be analysed by experts. Air safety investigators have identified the piece of debris as a flaperon from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing. Malaysian government officials will ask territories near Reunion to alert them if they find any debris that could be from a plane, as informed by a transport ministry official. Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said in a statement Sunday that representatives from Malaysia, the U.S., China, France and Boeing would take part in the verification of the flaperon.
UN to end poverty in next 15 years
United Nations: In a draft agreement that outlines 17 goals with 169 specific targets on issues ranging from ending poverty to ensuring quality education, the 193 member states of the United Nations have concluded on a new development agenda for the next 15 years. The agenda calls for eradicating poverty and hunger, achieve gender equality, improve living standards and take urgent actions to combat climate change. Secretary Ban Ki-moon said, “We can be the first generation that ends global poverty, and the last generation to prevent the worst impacts of global warming before it is too late.” The document called “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” will be adopted at a U.N. summit just before the annual meeting of world leaders at the General Assembly.
US spied on ally Japan: Wikileaks
Tokyo: Anti-secrecy group Wikileaks has dropped yet another bomb on the United States with the release of a cache of cables that prove the US has been intercepting calls between Japanese officials on sensitive issues including trade, climate change and bilateral relations, for years. In the cache called, “Target Tokyo”, Wikileaks has alleged that the National Security Agency has 35 targets in Japan, going back to 2006, when Shinzo Abe started his period as prime minister. The targets included the switchboard for the Japanese Cabinet office, the official workplace of the prime minister, and the line of the executive secretary to Abe's chief cabinet secretary. Officials from the central bank and the finance and trade ministries also had their phones tapped, as did the natural gas division of Mitsubishi and the petroleum division of Mitsui.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
In Brief
Myanmar appeals aid for flood relief
Yangon: Flood hit Myanmar has appealed for international assistance to help provide food, shelter and clothing to more than 210,000 people affected by weeks of heavy rainfall. The government has reported at least 47 deaths until now. “We are cooperating and inviting international assistance. We have started contacting possible donor organisations and countries,” said Minister of Information and spokeman for the President's office, Ye Htut. He said international assistance was also needed to relocate people and rebuild communities after the flood waters retreat. The minister informed that the flood waters have begun to recede in Rakhine state on the west coast, which suffered some of the worst flooding after being lashed by the tail of Cyclone Komen, which made landfall in Bangladesh late last weeky. With a per capita GDP of $1,105, Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in East Asia and the Pacific.
Turk CEO gives staff £ 150K each
Turkey: Owner of Turkey's biggest online food ordering service Yemeksepeti, Nevzat Aydin is officially the best boss in the world after he pushed for bonuses for over £ 150,000 per employee, following a £ 375 million acquisition by German Delivery Hero. Aydin said, “If there is a success, we have accomplished it together. Some employees cried, some screamed, some wrote letters of thanks. There were emotions because you affect the lives of the people. People can buy homes, cars.” He will continue to stay at Yemeksepeti after the take over, as a member of the Delivery Hero management team. A spokesperson from the other company said the bonuses had been decided before the acquisition and approved by the new parent company. This is not the first case of profit-sharing payouts, no matter how rare. US entrepreneur Bob Thompson gave 550 workers at Grand Rapids Asphalt in Michigan, $128 million in bonuses, in 1999.
World's finest Opal to go on display
Sydney: An Australian museum has announced it would exhibit what it believes is the best opal stone ever found, a multi-coloured gem, named the Virgin Rainbow. It said the stone valued at more than Aus $1.0 million would go on public display for the first time in September to mark the centenary of opal mining in the country. “It's of unequalled quality, it's a fully crystal opal,” museum director Brian Oldman said. “It's almost as if there's a fire in there; you see all different colours. As the light changes, the opal itself changes. It's quite an amazing trick of nature.” Dug up in Coober Pedy in 2003 by local miners, the Virgin Rainbow came into the museum's possession about 18 months ago and will now be part of an exhibition opening in Adelaide next month. “I think this exhibition will have the finest collection of precious opals that we believe have been brought to one place in the world,” Oldman added.
Giant minion takes over Dublin
Santry: A giant 40 foot inflatable Minion fell down, causing traffic problems in Ireland. The famous animated character reportedly advertising a fairground nearby, knocked off a car's wing mirror and brought traffic to a standstill when it came crashing down on Swords Road. No injuries were reported but Dublin City Councillor Paul McAuliffe said the incident was a “despicable” breach in health and safety and could have had “far more serious consequences”. “I don’t want to sound like a killjoy, but if that had landed on a cyclist, for instance, it could have been serious. If you take the Minion part of it out, if this was a large inflatable weather balloon that had not been properly tethered, there would be no humour in this story at all.” He added, “It seems like one of those innocent silly season stories but I am very concerned that such a large object was allowed escape onto a busy main road. There could have been far more serious consequences.”
Over 100 children rescued in Nigeria
Nigeria: Nigeria's military has released a statement to confirm they had succeeded in freeing captives from the jihadist group. “During the offensive operations, 178 people held captive by the terrorists were rescued,” military spokesman Colonel Tukur Gusau said. “They include 101 children, 67 women and 10 men. They were found “in bad condition caused by maltreatment,” he explained, without stating exactly when they were released. Gusau also confirmed the arrest of a high-ranking Boko Haram commander near the town of Bama in northeastern Borno state. Soldiers also succeeded in closing down numerous Boko Haram camps during their offensive.
WORLD
23
Pak hangs teen, faces global reproval
Karachi: Despite a storm of protests clogging the Pakistani government, the country has executed Shafqat hussain who was convicted of killing a child when he was a minor. Resuming capital punishment, the government hanged Hussain before dawn, at a jail in Karachi, for killing a 7 year old in 2004. The case has attracted attention and concerns from the United Nations as the man's lawyers and family claim he was only 15 at the time of the murder and was tortured into a false confession. His distraught family sat stunned with the news after seeing Hussain reprieved from the gallows four times. Mother Makhni Begum said, “My son was innocent, only Allah will prove his innocence in his court.
Abdul Majeed sits beside Shafqat's body in an ambulance neck is separated from his We can't do anything but body.” they will face Allah on the The United Nations day of judgement.” rights experts had said his His brother said he trial “fell short of internacontinued to protest tional standards” and had against the conviction till urged Pakistan against the end and his last words hanging him without were, “I never even investigating the torture touched the boy. I want to claims and, consider his let the world know that as age. The Kashmir governI lay down my life.” After ment even made a last receiving the boy's body, minute plea to President his family claimed the Mamnoon Hussain to hanging wasn't carried out postpone the execution, properly as “half of his
but the voice went unheard. Even though the results weren't published officially, a probe into Hussain's age allegedly ruled he was an adult at the time of his conviction. British anti-death penalty campaign group Reprieve said the hanging represented “all that is wrong with Pakistan's race to the gallows,” and Amnesty International accused the government of “callous indifference” to human life. Pakistan has hanged around 180 convicts since the end of a six year moratorium on executions in December after Taliban militants massacred more than 150 people at a school, most of them children. Hangings were paused during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan but resumed last week.
The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg (31), announced his wife's pregnancy, also revealing that they are expecting a baby girl. He posted the news to his 33 million Facebook “friends”. Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan (30) had met at Harvard University and married seven years later, in 2010. Priscilla Chan had suffered three miscarriages over two years.
you're going to have a child. You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you- as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own.” The couple decided to
share their experience with the world to encourage and help other struggling parents. Zuckerberg wrote, “We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well. Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful.”
Facebook's founder and wife are expecting baby girl
Biden weighs 2016 Presidential race
Washington: United States Vice President Joe Biden is reportedly in consideration for entering the 2016 presidential race, a move which will throw yet another obstacle in Democratic Hillary Clinton's way. Although no major announcements have been made yet, it is said he will announce his bid to run for president, soon. “What the Vice President has said publicly is that a possible campaign for the presidency is something that he’s considering, and he anticipated that he would make a decision by the end of this summer,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters. Even if Biden chooses to go ahead with the move, he will have much lesser time than the others to prepare for his campaign. He'd need to build out a crew of field organizers and volunteers, sign talented operatives and court local politicians' support, and more. “Most campaigns use summer to set up field staff and are ready to roll to organization in the fall,” Democrat Tom Henderson said. “If he waits too much longer, it's probably going to be too late.”
Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook, “You feel so hopeful when you learn
24
INDIA
State initiates Digital Telangana: Will provide hassle free internet
Hyderabad: The Telangana government aims to provide Internet connectivity to all households in the region under its new 'Digital Telangana' initiative, as per IT Secretary Jayesh Ranjan. “We are trying to ensure providing Internet to each and every household in the state,” he addressed a FICCI seminar on 'Integrated Digital Solutions for a Smarter Telangana'. “We are making this ambitious target of providing Internet to every person in different ways through broadband con-
nectivity, 4G, Wi-Fi and epanchayats. We will ensure that 'Internet For All' does not mere just remain a slogan.” Digital Telangana rests on two important pil-
lars - supply component and demand component, Ranjan said. “We are working on laying optic fibre to every household. There are more than 8.5 m i l l i o n households in the state and the opportunity that has arisen for us to accept such a daunting challenge.” He further said that
along with the government's flagship Watergrid programme, wherein piped water is aimed to be supplied to each household, the project's duct lines would also be used to put optical fibre cables to reach every household in the state. “Another way we are ensuring that Internet reaches everyone is by encouraging private telecom players to roll out 4G services.” He added that two telecom firms have already announced their wish to roll out 4G services in the entire state by the end of this year.
Kanimozhi the Law Commission are debated in Parliament, we urge the government to issue a moratorium on using death penalty. We also request the President to not process mercy petitions until this issue is settled,” she said. Kanimozhi also pointed out the rising frequency in capital punishment exercised by the country, given Yakub Memon was the third person to be executed in the last three years.
Bengaluru: After the ruling Congress and opposition parties have arrived at a consensus for more powers to remove judges from the Karnataka Lokayukta, the state legislature has finally passed the Karnataka Lokayukta Bill. The government agreed to BJP’s demand for support of two-third of the members in both Houses of the legislature mandatory for removal of the Lokayukta. Initially, the Congress had mooted simple majority. Leader of the Opposition and BJP member Jagadish Shettar had argued that a simple majority for removal of the Lokayukta would make the institution a hand maiden of the government of the day, and had sought a modification in the law. Under the new law the process of removal of the Lokayukta can be initiated if one-third of the legislators in either house sign a motion and present it to the heads of the Vidhan
Parishad or the Vidhan Sabha. This is a modification of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act of 1984, in which a motion for removal of a Lokayukta can be kicked off only with the support of twothird of the legislators. However, like in the present law, the new law mandates support from twothird of legislators for removal of the Lokayukta after a probe by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court. The new law says, “The Lokayukta or Upalokayukta… against whom a motion is moved before the House or Houses of the state legislature for his removal, is precluded from discharge of his duties during the pendency of motion for his removal.” This clause is expected to help remove Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, who refused to step down despite his son’s arrest in an alleged extortion scam.
Patiala: After the execution of Yakub Memon, the focus is once again shifted to Patiala Central Jail, where former chief minister Beant Singh's assassin Balwant Singh Rajoana Balwant Singh Rajoana faces death senthe insistence of SAD had tence. filed a mercy petition Rajoana, along with before the President's Jagtar Singh Hawara was office in 2012, which was arrested for their roles in forwarded to the Home the CM's assassination in Ministry for recommenda1995. Both of them were tion.Union Home given death sentence by a Ministry , based on the CBI court in 2007. While appeal issued a stay on the Hawara's appeal for relief execution of Rajoana. from death penalty was Later, CM Parkash Singh reduced to life sentence by Badal along with Sukhbir the high court, Rajoana Singh Badal met the then never appealed against the President Pratibha Patil verdict. and sought clemency for Rajoana's execution Rajoana. wasn't carried out followHowever, the stay on ing a political outcry the sentence is in order which engaged both, the until word is heard from SAD and the state the President. Congress. The SGPC at
Jalandhar: After the recent Gurdaspur attack, the state now strives to cope with condoling and compensating the families of the victims. However, different policies have made the government's struggle real. The two policies; exgratia payment to the affected and government jobs on compassionate grounds, have been rendered pointless, with the victims' relatives now deciding the compensation criteria, by even delaying funerals, if that's what it takes. With the opposition parties goading these families, the state government is forced to give in to the demands or find an alternative to get out of the pressure situation. As the country acknowledged Gurdaspur superintendent of police Baljit Singh's death fighting terrorists, his family had no faith in the government and decided not to
Kanimozhi to move bill against death penalty
Chennai: In consideration of her party's strong views against death penalty, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi has decided to move a Private Members Bill in the Parliament to abolish capital punishment. In a statement, she said DMK has opposed death penalty in all cases and favours the immediate abolition of this practice. The statement read, “The party’s 2014 Conference in Tiruchi resolved to abolish death penalty as did the manifesto for Lok Sabha elections that year. We will work towards removing death penalty from statute books. In the upcoming session of Parliament, I will move a Private Members Resolution and Private Members Bill to abolish death penalty.” “The Law Commission of India is currently holding consultation on this issue. Until the recommendations of
After Yakub, focus back on Rajoana
Karnataka prepares to send off Lokayukta
Punjab's compensation law falls short
Parkash Singh Badal cremate him until his daughters were promised the posts of naib tehsildar and his son, the position of SP. Their were influenced from the precedent set by the Sarabjit Singh case. Yielding to the demands, the government offered the post of DSP to the son and Rs 25 lakh exgratia payment to the family. Also, all the cops and civilians injured in the encounter will receive payments of Rs 3 lakh each and a member of families of the three Home Guards who were killed will be hired as constables in the state police.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
South Brief
Final farewell to the Missile Man
Rameshwaram: The entire state, including shops, educational institutions, government and private establishments remained closed in honour of the former president of Abdul Kalam. People from all walks of life gathered to pay homage as he was laid to rest in his home town of Rameshwaram. What was surprising, was the commendable discipline everybody showed, almost making police personnel look unnecessary and more for the security of high profile leaders who had shown up. Be it the crowd at Mandapam, that patiently waited to receive the mortal remains of the 'Son of the Soil,' or the thousands who silently stood for nearly five hours at Rameswaram to pay their last respects, the crowd posed little anxiety to security. India's Missile Man was sent off with dignity and love.
Pattiseema Project gets 200 crore
Hyderabad: The state government has released additional funds of Rs 200 crore to complete the pending Pattiseema lift irrigation project on time. In a statement, finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said an input subsidy of Rs 25.46 crore was released to compensate for the extraordinary weather conditions in Srikakulam after the Hudhud cyclone, and loss for more than 50 per cent of paddy crop in 16,972 hectares in 13 districts due to pests. The amount would credited directly into the farmers' accounts, who will be notified later. He also said the proposals for setting up a cyber police station to control the growing cyber crimes in the state particularly in Visakhapatnam were cleared.
Stalin to launch Jail Bharo
Chennai: DMK Treasurer M.K. Salin has threatened to launch a 'Jail Bharo' agitation if the state government does not resolve the water crisis in Chennai. He said water was being supplied only two or three days a week, and it wasn't even in good condition. “People get water mixed with sewage. The government is duty bound to provide drinking water to the people. But the Tamil Nadu government is selling water for Rs 10. It is a shame,” he said. Mr Stalin said even though the AIADMK government announced another desalination plant Nemmeli, the announcement has remained on paper.
North Brief
Haryana to get women police stations
Chandigarh: : The Haryana government has announced to set up women police stations in all the 21 districts of the state on Raksha Bandhan. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar reviewed the preparations in a meeting attended by senior police officers. Khattar said the all-women police stations would operate round-theclock and would be inaugurated simultaneously in all districts on the eve of Raksha Bandhan on August 28, functioning from very the next day. “Buildings of these police stations would be separate from that of main police stations to make them more visible to public. Each women police station would have one lady deputy superintendent of police, two sub-inspectors, three assistant sub-inspectors, four head constables and 16 constables.” a state government spokesman said.
IIM Amritsar classes commence
Amritsar: The Indian Institute of Management Amritsar, is all set to start classes from August 7 from a provisional campus, as the construction work on its own building is yet to start. The classes, for now, will be convened at the Punjab Institute of Technology, located within the premises of Government Polytechnic College, near Guru Nanak Dev University. The IIM's own campus is proposed to be ready within a couple of years or more time. A press release from the authorities claimed that the institute got the final go ahead from the ministry of HRD to start the course this year, after the permanent site for the IIM campus was finalised by a committee in June.
Whistleblower wins Ramon Magsaysay
Chandigarh: Haryana's whistleblower IFS officer Sanjay Chaturvedi has been chosen for this year's Ramon Magsaysay Award for his exemplary integrity and courage in public life. Chaturvedi was removed as chief vigilance officer at AIIMS in 2014 after he had detected irregularities at the medical institute. After coming to power, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had decided to depute him as his officer on special duty, though his request lies pending with the Centre. Chaturvedi faced 12 transfers between 2005-2010 apart from suspension, departmental chargesheets for major penalty, police and vigilance cases, spoiling of ACRs. As many as four times, the President had intervened to quash orders of suspension, departmental chargesheets and spoiling of his ACRs.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
India's population to surpass China by 2022 2bn
Population
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2015 China
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India's population will surpass China by 2022
According to the United Nations, India will overtake China to be the world's most populous country by 2022. By population size, China is currently the largest country with 19%, closely followed by India with 18%. There are currently 1.38 billion people in China, while there are
1.31 billion in India. However, the UN predicts that by 2022, both countries will pass 1.4 billion people, with India marginally ahead. It is also said that India's population will grow to 1.5 billion in 2030, and 1.7 billion in 2050, whilst the population in China will start to see a decrease after the 2030s.
In the country's first big clampdown on internet porn, the Indian government has ordered service providers to block 857 websites, as per a spokesperson of the Department of Telecommunications, NN Kaul. “Free and open access to porn websites has been brought under check,” Kaul said. “We don’t want them to become a social nuisance.” H o w e v e r , Communications and Information Technology Ministry officials have denied to acknowledge it as a crackdown and have called it a “temporary measure”. “The directive came after the Supreme Court last month expressed concern over the Home Ministry’s failure to block websites featuring child pornography,” an official said. The department insisted it was not a ban since several such websites are available, and also through VPN and proxy servers. The government, in a 17-page order issued a list of offending sites and directed service providers to block access on the grounds of morality and decency. In response to the original petition filed that argued that that crimes against women and children were influenced by the proliferation of porn sites, the Supreme Court refused to impose an outright ban after hearing a petition that said internet porn fuelled sex crime. The court said indi-
viduals should be free to access such websites in private. But the court asked the home ministry to submit its views and the government acted after the ministry sent a letter to the telecom secretary, Kaul said. As a result, several sites became inaccessible and displayed messages that they were blocked on instructions of the competent authority. People stormed social media, protesting against the decision, the hash tag #Pornban even became a trend on Twitter. “Porn ban is anti-freedom, impractical, not enforceable. Politically not very smart too. Avoidable. Let’s not manage people’s private lives,” best-selling novelist Chetan Bhagat posted on Twitter. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma said that given that level of popularity, any government embraced a ban would lose the next election. “To ban porn, saying it will be seen by who shouldn’t see it, is like saying to stop traffic because there will be accidents,” he tweeted. Watching porn is legal in India, although distribution and sale of pornographic material remains illegal. Kaul said the government was working on a long-term solution and suggested the ban would not remain indefinitely. The government is treading on wafer thin ice with the porn ban as it directly points at the citizens' right to the internet.
India blocks Internet Porn: Sparks debate
INDIA - WORLD
UK and Indian port agree on historic partnership
Peel Ports, the UK’s second-biggest port operator, has entered into a formal information sharing agreement with India’s largest container terminal, the first such association between the two countries. In a ‘letter of intent’, signed by Peel Ports’ Chief Executive Mark Whitworth and Shri Neeraj Bansal Chairman In Charge of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust Port (JNPT), the two organisations commit to the exchange of information and expertise on port operations, port management and hinterland connections. They will also develop a series of modules in education and training of port operators, IT systems, traffic and trade between Liverpool and Mumbai. Mark Whitworth said: “The UK and India are natural partners to collaborate and learn from one another. We are facing many similar challenges in supply chain distribution and connectivity. At Peel Ports, we are realising our own ambitious plans in the creation of Liverpool2, a £300m container terminal that will allow some of the world’s largest vessels to call closer to the heart of the UK marketplace. We
Anuradha Roy, Sahota on Booker longlist
Indian writer Anuradha Roy and British-Indian Sunjeev Sahota are two of the names on the list of 13 international authors for the Man Booker prize of 2015, as per the prize committee. “We had great time choosing this list. Discussions weren't always peaceful, but they were always very friendly. We were lucky in our companions and the submissions were extraordinary. The longlist could have been twice as long, but we’re more than happy with our final choice. The range of different performances and forms of these novels are amazing. All of them do something exciting with the language they have chosen to use,” Michael Wood, chair of the committee said. Roy is selected for 'Sleeping in Jupiter' and Sahota for 'The Year of the Runaways'. The former has received glowing reviews for its attempt at exposing the hypocrisies of Indian society, while the Sahota's work has been praised for its tale of Indian migrant workers living in Britain.
look forward to working in partnership with JNPT to assist exporters and importers to get their goods closer to market, while reducing costs, carbon and congestion.” JNPT currently operates three container terminals, two of which are operated by private companies and a fourth is under construction. The quay wall has already been extended and planning is underway on a major new logistics facility to complement the existing supply chain support available close to the port. Chairman Shri Neeraj Bansal added: “JNPT, being the premier container port of India, carries
additional responsibility to bring in more efficiency and economy to the exim trade. This new initiative of entering into mutual collaboration with international ports is a path breaking initiative of Ministry of Shipping to create more synergy with the international port community.” Measured by Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), the UK is already the biggest G20 ‘maker’ in India. Last year the UK invested $3.2 billion in India accounting for almost 10% of all FDI flows into India, more than the second and third largest G20 investors into India combined. Likewise,
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Indian companies are amongst the biggest investors in the UK. The innovations developed through these collaborations have hugely benefited both countries. In 2014, 1.8 million tonnes of goods worth £3.9 billion were exported from the UK to India, with imports of 6.5 million tonnes to a value of £3.3 billion. Container shipping plays a major and increasing role in this trade, especially with initiatives such as ‘Make in India’ introduced by the Government of India, to encourage incountry manufacturing. The signing was also witnessed by Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, who said: “We recognise the importance of the historical bilateral interchange between our two countries as major industrial and commercial partners. There is immense strategic and economic value in our mutual collaboration to propel economic growth in each of our countries. This strategic alliance between these two major ports will drive more efficient movement of goods and will build on our common objective of establishing optimal port performance.”
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INDIA
Tharoor in fresh row: From tweets to e-mails
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Congress MP and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor has a knack of finding himself in hot water time and again. Not one to feel shy over endorsing his views, Tharoor recently jumped right into the molten centre of the 1993 serial blasts convict Yakub Memon's execution as the country found itself weighing the decision of the Supreme Court. In a series of tweets, he argued against the practice of death penalty in India. “There is no evidence that death penalty serves as a deterrent: To the contrary in fact. All it does is exact retribution: unworthy of a Govt,” he wrote. “We must fight against terrorism w/all the means at our command. But coldblooded execution has never prevented a terror attack anywhere,” he added. With several people expressing conflicting opinion on whether Memon’s hanging had merit, Tharoor said that he was not commenting on
one specific case. “That’s for the Supreme Court to decide. Problem is death penalty in principle & practice,” he wrote. Sticking to his opinion on capital punishment, Tharoor seemed undeterred when BJP officials hit out at him calling his remarks an insult to those who wanted to get rid of terrorism. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said he chose to ignore Tharoor’s tweets against the hanging, which the Congress MP dubbed as “state-sponsored killing”. He stuck to his opposition to death penalty even for terrorists, saying states should not act like “murderers” and that the criminal justice system left much room for errors and biases. “Terrorists should be put behind bars throughout their life without parole. In earlier days, there was a belief that if a person murders someone, he should be killed. Why do we need to follow the old obsolete practice…,” “When we implement capital punishment, we are actually acting like
them. They are the murderers and the state should not act like them,” Tharoor told reporters. On the bubbling reactions over his tweets, he said, “I have not said a word on Memon case. What I tweeted was that I was not going into the merits of an individual case and it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court. I had tweeted against the death penalty which is an obsolete practice.”
Even before the matter could cool down, Shashi Tharoor, upset over his party's allegations on him, wrote a scathing letter to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of not appreciating his “sincerity”. “I was dismayed, indeed distressed, by our exchange at the morning meeting,” Tharoor said, referring to reports that the party president had taken Tharoor to task for supposedly leaking details
Continued from page 1 people connected to him and loved him so much. Kalam used to regularly meet school and college students and talk to them about science, technology and life. He often shared his vision on where India should be by 2020. There are several anecdotes of him replying to random letters written to him by children. President Pranab Mukherjee said there was no other president who was as loved as was Abdul Kalam. “Kalam was always jovial but carried his years lightly. His mind was ever agile. He was humble but had a mighty mind. He was the people's president during his tenure as president and will continue to remain so in the hearts of
people after his demise,” Mukherjee said. “I was defence minister in the UPA-I government when he was the president and supreme commander of the armed forces. He asked me to support the Brahmos missile project. His direct encouragement resulted in the Brahmos being used by all the three services.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi penned a tribute in honour of APJ Abdul Kalam, excerpts of which are, “BHARAT has lost a Ratna, but the light from this jewel will guide us towards APJ Abdul Kalam's dream-destination: India as a knowledge superpower, in the first rank of nations. Our scientist-President -and one who was genuinely loved
and admired across the masses - never measured success by material possessions. For him, the counterpoint to poverty was the wealth of knowledge, in both its scientific and spiritual manifestations. As a hero of our defence programme, he shifted horizons; and as a seer of the spirit, he sought to liberate doctrine from the narrow confines of partisan tension to the transcendental space of harmony. Human beings can shape their lives through will, persistence, ability and sheer courage. But we have not been given the right to script where we are born, or how and when we die. However, if Kalamji had been offered an option, this is how he would perhaps have chosen to say
goodbye: on his feet, and in front of a classroom of his beloved students. As a bachelor, he was childless. But that is wrong. He was a father to every Indian child, teaching, cajoling, urging, exciting, clearing darkness wherever he found it with the radiance of his vision and the passion of his involvement. He saw the future, and showed the way. As I entered the room where his body lay in state, I noticed the painting at the entrance that depicted a few lines from an inspirational book he wrote for children, Ignited Minds. The good that he did will not be interred with his bones, because his children will preserve his memory through their lives and work, and gift it to their children.”
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arranged temporary camps to accommodate the 900 odd enclave dwellers who have opted to come over to India. Land for the new residents seem to be an issue, however, Forward Bloc MLA from Dinhata Udayan Guha is confident that it won't be a problem. “There are many people in Bangladesh who had land in the Bangladeshi enclaves on the Indian side. Now the government may acquire the land and distribute them among the new settlers,” Guha said. Afarul Haque, who had to be smuggled out of Bengal so he can take up a job in Rajasthan, the deal means beginning of a new life. “I had to use fake documents to get admission in school, where I learnt about the fundamental rights that an Indian citi-
zen enjoys. This included right to employment. Now, I will be able to exercise this right and not feel insecure while taking up a job,” he said. Cooch Behar SubDivisional Officer Krishnava Ghosh said, “The administration will work as quickly as possible to provide all facilities to them.” District Magistrate P Ulganathan, also said the procedure of giving these enclave dwellers has begun. “They will now get addresses. Then, land will be detected in their holdings. Following this, Aadhaar card will be issued to them,” he added. Cooch Behar Trinamool Congress president and MLA Rabindranath Ghosh said the entire process will be completed in six months. “Work is afoot to give these
people voting rights before the state polls next year. After inclusion of their names in the voters’ list and Aadhaar, their children would be admitted to schools. They would be given civic facilities like electricity and potable water,” he added. When India gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947 and was split into India and Pakistan, each region was allowed to pick whether it wanted to be part of India or Pakistan. The bubbles of land were stuck away from their mainlands as their surrounding areas chose to be part of the opposite country and the new border was created. The total number of new Indian citizens will be 15,193 and the swap will be completed by November.
Shashi Tharoor
People's President laid to rest
of a meeting of Congress MPs. He expressed dismay at reports that stated he cut an “isolated figure” at the meeting and that “everybody disagreed with him” when he suggested the party should not stall Parliament. “Yet, your comments this morning were based on the assumptions that I was responsible for the leaks! Why on earth would I have spoken to the media to undermine myself and my standing within the party?” Tharoor said. “I hope there is no misunderstanding of either my conduct or my intentions. I have served the party's interests with sincerity and to the best of my ability, while often feeling that this has neither been seen nor appreciated. The events of the last 24 hours sadly suggest that this remained the case.” In his letter, Tharoor also mentioned his wife Sunanda Pushkar's death and the “ghoulish attention” he received from the media in the wake of this “personal tragedy”. He added that since then he
has kept his distance from the media. “It is obvious that some people have managed to persuade you that I have been speaking to the press against the party's interests. Nothing could be farther from the truth... Leaking is the habit of conspirators and cowards; I am neither. Ever since my unwelcome unwelcome intrusion into their space, however, I have been targeted by both,” Tharoor said. “Whether at a family gathering or at a meeting of a company, school or party, different kinds of contacts, interactions and exchanges take place... To take a small portion and leak it outside for someone’s personal interest, isn’t it indecent?” Tharoor asked. He said he was not going to deny or confirm that he had sent a letter to Gandhi. “I am not confirming or denying this. If I confirm or deny this, it means it is legitimate to talk on such things. I am against such practices,” he said.
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region had increased attacks against India's armed forces lately, one of the incidents being the death of 20 soldiers in Manipur in June, in what was the deadliest attack on security forces in the last two decades. The unrest has in general, killed more than 170 people, most of them militants, in the northeast this year and, 465 in 2014, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal.
Modi signs an end to Naga insurgency
Although the terms of the agreement are not known yet, Modi's government said it wants to develop the region, which has been neglected by the rest of the country, by offering proper development funds and building better infrastructure. “We are making a new beginning today ... 60 years is a long time of fighting, the wounds are deep,” Modi said at a conference
Freedom at Midnight: enclaves swapped in Border deal
51 Bangladesh parcels in India, hoisted new national flags. Their residents now have a choice: Stay and change nationalities, or move. No one from the Bangladeshi enclaves in India has chosen to cross over as per figures released by Bangladeshi officials. Abdul Jalil, a Bangladeshi farmer in the Karala enclave in India’s Cooch Behar district, said he was changing nationality to keep his land. “I was born here, my father and my grandfather died here,” he said about the enclave he grew up on, a small plot of land with a dozen houses and a mosaic of jute and rice fields. “From Saturday, I’m an Indian.” The Cooch Behar administration has
Modi at the signing ceremony of historic peace accord between Government of India & NSCN, in New Delhi
alongside NSCN-IM secr e t a r y - g e n e r a l Thuingaleng Muivah, a co-founder of the rebel group. “Since becoming prime minister, peace, security and economic transformation of the northeast have been among my highest priorities. It is also at the heart of my foreign policy, especially Act East,” Modi said, in reference to efforts forging closer ties with Southeast Asia. Militants from the
Thuingaleng Muivah thanked PM Modi. He said, “The Nagas will forever remember you for your statesmanship. Under Modi we have come close to understanding each other and have worked out a new relation.” Revelling in the join of his newest accomplishment, Modi said, “Our oldest, insurgency is getting resolved, it is a signal to other smaller groups to give up weapons.”
UK
Gang jailed for attack on court witness' home
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
A gang were prosecuted at Woolwich Crown Court on 31st July 2015, and jailed for intimidating a court witness with a grenade, as well as firing bullets near Ongar. Bullets from a handgun were fired through the front door of the victim's home on 30th April 2014, while a hand grenade exploded near the front of the house three days later. The blast smashed windows and damaged a parked car, and luckily no one was injured in the attack. Jahzeiah Francois (24), was From left: Jahzeiah Francois, Nigo Habib, also known as Claudio Mohamed jailed for 14 years for conspiring to and Kirtharan Thuraisingam. Photographs courtesy: Essex Police pervert the course of justice. Kirtharan Thuraisingam (33), was jailed for 13 years for conspiring to pervert the course of justice, plus five years for the possession of explosives. Nigo Habib (37), was jailed for 9 years for conspiring to pervert the course of justice, while Walid Habib (37), was Bullet hole in the victim's front door jailed for 18 years for the Waldie said, “Walid intimidation of a witness. Walid Anna Ibrahim Walid Habib Habib was the masterHabib must also serve half of the arsenal of mind behind a gang operation original 15-year sentence for the weapons, mainly from easter from an industrial unit near Ongar conspiracy which involves stolen Europe. The operation was that supplied Class A drugs, vehicles, firearms and drugs. smashed after only a few months firearms and stripped or changed Anna Ibrahim (32) was also after stolen vehicle equipped with the identity of cars stolen in the jailed for 10 years for conspiring to a tracker led Essex Police to the area. These were serious and viopervert the course of justice. unit.” lent criminals with access to an Detective Inspector Andy
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Scientists calculate when a woman should start a family
Scientists create fertility calculator to suggest when a woman should start trying for a baby
Scientists have warned that women who want to have at least three children should start trying for a baby by the age of 23. Those wanting two children should have their kids by age 27, while women wanting only one child should start trying by 32. Experts have created a computer model based on an analysis of fertility data from more than 58,000 women. The computer model suggests when to try for your first baby. Sheffield University
fertility expert, Prof Allan Pacey said, “You’ve got to factor in that people don’t necessarily have children in quick succession. What it is saying is that if you’re relaxed about having three children, you can wait until you’re 35, but you’ve got to start early to be certain.” Prof Pacey further stated, “We haven’t got a time machine we can put people in. Everyone thinks they can wait – this shows that you can’t.”
Customs check abandoned at Heathrow to cut queues
"Jihadi Bride's" family blame London mosque for her radicalisation It has been claimed that the teenage jihadi bride, Sharmeena Begum, as well as three of her school friends, Amira Abase, Kadiza Sultana, and Shamina Begum, allegedly fled to Syria to join Islamic State after being radicalised at a women's charity based at one of Britain's biggest mosques. It is claimed that jihadi bride, Sharmeena Begum (16), recently married a Syrian IS fighter. Family members as well as Islamic leaders are said to have initially blamed the internet for the radicalisation of the four schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy, East London. However, there are now claims that Sharmeena Begum, one of the youngest British teenagers to have joined IS at age 15, was first allegedly radicalised in the East London Mosque, based in Whitechapel. It is further alleged that she was radicalised by women from a group called Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE). There are claims that Begum then allegedly groomed her three friends. The IFE have previously been revolved in controversy as one of its founders is a suspected
Sharmeena Begum
Muslim extremist, who was accused of murdering 18 people, as well as war crimes in Bangladesh. Sharmeena Begum's father, Mohammed Nizam Uddin (38), a waiter in an Indian restaurant, revealed that his daughter's behaviour significantly changed after the demise of his wife, Shahnaz Begum (33), who passed away of lung cancer in January 2014. Begum used to be like any contemporary girl, who would enjoy listening to music and watching TV.
She had aspirations of becoming a doctor, hence, she used to study hard. H o w e v e r, after the death of her mother, she began attending the East London Mosque regularly, as well as started to wear the hijab. Her father did not feel alarmed as he felt that his daughter's sudden interest in Islam was her way of coping with the death of her mother. He reportedly said, “She used to
tell me to take her to the East London Mosque as she wanted to go and pray there. Sometimes she used to call me to pick her up from there.” Although Uddin did not directly blame the mosque or its groups for the radicalisation of his daughter, Begum's stepuncle, Baki Miah (35), allegedly said that the rest of the family blamed the IFE's women's group for brainwashing the girl's mind. “They told her things like, if she goes and dies in Syria, she would go to paradise, where she would meet her mother. I am 500 per cent sure that she was groomed at the East London Mosque. She was spending most of her time in the mosque...”.
Report states customs checks at Heathrow are being abandoned at busy times to help cut queues
A report reveals that customs checks are allegedly being abandoned at Heathrow airport during busy times to cut queues, despite arriving from “high-risk” countries. It is claimed that the bosses at Heathrow Terminal 5 were more focussed on “managing queues”, which indicates that there was often no customs checks at all taking place. Inspectors had spent up to 25 hours at Heathrow Terminal 5 to monitor the work of customs staff. The inspectors often found no one on duty checking people at the Primary Control Point (PCP) in the
arrivals section. The reports by the inspectors stated, “We spent 24.45 hours observing 78 officers working in the customs channels at Terminal 5. On eight occasions during this period there were no officers in the customs channels at one or both of the two exits, despite the fact a number of 'high-risk' flights were arriving at the time. During focus groups and interviews, some staff told us they felt the focus on managing queues at the PCP sometimes resulted in no customs activity even at times when high-risk flights had just landed.”
Former City trader jailed for 14 years Former City trader, Tom Hayes (35), became the first person to be convicted by a British jury of rigging Libor rates. His trial was at London's Southwark Crown Court, and he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. After a twomonth trial, Hayes was found guilty of eight counts of conspiracy to defraud, after a week of deliberations. The judge, Justice Cooke told Hayes, “You played a leading role in the manipulation of Libor. You exerted pressure on others, essentially trained those junior to you in
the activity, made corrupt payments to brokers for their assistance.” The judge further stated, “The conduct involved here is to be marked out as dishonest and wrong, and a message sent to the world of banking accordingly. The reputation of Libor is important to the City, as a financial sector, and the banking institutions of this City. Probity and honesty is essential, as is trust. The Libor activity, in which you played a leading role, put all that in jeopardy.”
Tom Hayes was sentenced to 14 years in prison
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Dhanush's Rajamouli turns down Karan Visaaranai in Venice film fest D T
Radhika Apte bags role opposite Rajni
irector Rajamouli who is basking with the recent success of his war epic movie was approached by Karan Johar to direct a Hindi movie. The offer however, was turned down as the director doesn't seem tempted to enter Bollywood and has his entire time focused on the second part of
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s per speculations, actress Radhika Apte will play s u p e r s t a r Rajnikanth's female interest in his upcoming film by director PA Ranjith. Earlier reports suggested Vidya Balan was chosen for the role. It is said that source close to the project has confirmed that the actress has been finalised for the role and it will be o f f i c i a l l y announced soon. Radhika Apte has acted in different languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali and Marathi is currently shooting for an English movie titled 'Parched'. The 29 year old ventured into Tamil cinema with the 2012 Prakash Raj's 'Dhoni' and later, acted in 'All in All Azhagu Raja' starring Karthi and Kajal Kajal Aggarwal in lead roles. She was then roped in as the female lead in 'Vetri Selvan' last year which was directed by Rudhran. Her latest Tamil film 'Ula', is now in the post production mode.
Baahubali, with the same cast that includes Prabhas, Rana, Anushka, Tamannah, Nassar, etc. The film is making excellent
business even after 20 days and has grossed 64 crore rupees in Tamilnadu alone, bringing huge profit to K.E.Gnanavelraja, who has got distribution rights for a colossal amount.
amil actor Dhanush's production venture 'Visaaranai' has become the first Tamil movie to premiere in the competition section of the upcoming 72nd Venice International Film Festival. An unreleased experimental thriller, 'Visaaranai' is written and directed by Vetrimaaran of 'Polladhavan' fame, and stars Attakathi Dinesh, Anandhi and Aadukalam Murugadoss in lead roles. This is the actor's second production project to get international recognition, after the critically wellreceived 'Kaaka Mutta'. Dhanush tweeted, “#Visaaranai 2 premiere at d 72nd Venice International film festival n Orrizzonti competitive category. Proud Wunderbar films.”
Sun Network's fate wavers A
direct fallout of the Ministry of Home Affairs has denied security clearance to companies under the Sun Network, restricting them from participating in Phase III e-auction of private FM Radio channels. However, they will not immediately seal the fate of the 33 channels which have also been denied security clearance by the ministry. The action is in consideration of the future course of action based on the home ministry's decision. If the government decides to cancel Sun TV Network's licenses due to promoters' alleged involvement in cases involving bribery, moneylaundering and an illegal telephone exchange, their channels may have to go off air immediate-
ly, leaving thousands of employees uncertain about their jobs, to say nothing about the losses to shareholders, quotes leading daily. The empire is backed with a combination of business interests and political connections. Sun is owned by billionaire Kalanithi Maran who is known for maintaining a low profile, even in the current storm that surrounds the group.
Jaanisaar
Bangistan
Daisy Shah in Hate Story 3
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comedy satire film directed by Karan Anshuman and produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, Bangistan features Riteish Deshmukh,
Pulkit Samrat and Chandan Roy Sanyal in the lead. Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandes also appears in a small cameo. Music is by Ram Sampath.
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aanisaar is a periodic of a revolutionary courtesan of Avadh, India, and a prince brought up in England, set 20 years after the first war of
Indian independence of 1857. Directed by Muzaffar Ali and produced by Meera Ali, the movie features Imran Abbas and Pernia Qureshi.
ai Ho' actress Daisy Shah, is currently shooting for the sensuous franchise 'Hate Story's' third part. Keen on experimenting with roles, she said, “Actors shouldn't have any limitations, is what I've heard and learnt. So if you are playing a character, you are that character. So if it's the film's requirement to turn sensuous, it's fine. If it's to turn evil, fine.” Daisy had played the role of a simple girl in her previous film; when asked about her character in HS3, she said, “I won't be able to reveal much, but all I can say is that this character is completely different to the character I played in Jai Ho.” The film is directed by Vishal Pandya, written by Vikram Bhatt, and stars Sharman Joshi, Karan Singh Grover and Zarine Khan.
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
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Took Anushka three tweets to get Kalam's name right
ollywood actress Anushka Sharma attracted criticism from unrelenting twitteratti as she expressed her condolences on former president APJ Abdul Kalam's demise. Why, you ask? The pretty maiden mistaking him with Bharatratna Abul Kalam Azad, got the missile man's name all wrong in her tweet that read, “Very sad to hear about the passing of ABJ Kalam Azad. Loss of an inspiring visionary and a wonderful soul. May his soul RIP.” No sooner had she realised her mistake, she deleted it, only to get the name all wrong again. “Very sad to hear about the passing of APJ Kalam Azad. Loss of an inspiring visionary and a wonderful soul. May his soul RIP.” Even though she did get the name all figured out and right the third
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time, she already was in the line of fire, and bore the brunt of her faux pas. Twitter user Raghav Chopra said, “there should be far greater outrage on Anushka Sharma's tweet #KalamSir than there was on Salman Khan over Yakub.” Other tweets read, “@AnushkaSharma You
only focus on VIRAT KOHLI. Shame that it took u 3 attempts to write APJ Abdul Kalam's name properly on twitter.” “@AnushkaSharma third time ? That's what Abdul Kalam Azaad was all about.. Hard word and dedication.. You will get success eventually.” As they say, third time's the charm.
End on King Khan's Wankhede Ban
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he Mumbai Cricket Association has ended Bollywood 'Badshah' Shah Rukh Khan's five year ban on entering the Wankhede Stadium. Khan was banned from entering the Wankhede in 2012, for five years after a heated altercation with a security guard and the MCA officials following an IPL game in which KKR beat the Mumbai Indians. Ahead of its Managing Committee meeting on Sunday, however, a certain section in the MCA wanted that the ban, which was supposed to end in 2017, to be lifted a couple of years earlier itself, since he had already served a substantial period of it without trying to enter the stadium at any stage. The committee had offered to temporarily lift the ban on Shah Rukh last year, in what was a failed attempt at bringing back the IPL final from Bangalore to Mumbai. That offer was just for the final. This time, however, the ban has been consigned to history for good. “It has already been three years
Huma in Gurinder Chadha's next
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FTII Row: Chauhan selected with one para CV
ontemporary a c t r e s s Huma Qureshi has been cast for G u r i n d e r Chadha's next project titled 'The Viceroy House'. Set in the 1940s, the film talks about L o r d Mountbatten’s last few days of stay in India before the country got its independence, it also reportedly has a love story angled in it. Chadha had mentioned that she has bought the rights to Narinder Singh Sarla’s 'The Shadow Of The Great Game' and Larry Colins & Dominiue Lapierre’s 'Freedom At Midnight' for the film. 'The Viceroy House' will be shot in an extensive outdoor shoot schedule in India in locations like Jodhpur and other parts of Rajasthan.
since we banned him. The managing committee unanimously felt that his ban should be lifted. Shah Rukh is now most welcome to come and watch matches at the Wankhede Stadium,” MCA jt secretary PV Shetty told the media. The decision works in favour of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla too, since Shah Rukh, besides being an IPL team owner, is also a popular face of the league. Khan thanked the committee on Twitter sayin, “My gentle father in law made me realise how lil it matters who was rite or who was wrong. Wot matters is grace. Thnx MCA for ur graciousness.”
Pulkit finds elder brother in Riteish
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angistan' actor Pulkit Samrat has said he shares a special bond with co-actor Riteish Deshmukh and is happy to find an elder brother in him. He said, “He has been a great support throughout the film. Before meeting him I was really nervous. He has a brilliant comic timing and sense of humour. I was not sure about how to start talking to him since he is senior. We had not met before.” He added, “There is a certain kind of approach that he has towards his work and I've stolen minute aspects from that. I think that our relationship and bond goes beyond sets and I'm very happy to find an elder brother in him.”
he Film and Television Institute of India has been in the storm since quite some time now after the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as Chief. Students have vehemently demonstrated their dislike by staging protests and asking the government to call him off the post. In a recent RTI query, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has revealed that Chauhan was selected on the basis of a one-para Curriculum Vitae, which also suggests that the only notable achievement mentioned by Chauhan was his role in 'Mahabharat'. “Gajendra Chauhan is an actor who is best known for his portrayal of the eldest P a n d a v a Yudhishthir in the Mahabharat. He has worked in around 150 movies and over 600 TV serials,” the RTI noting said. The 281 page record provided by the Ministry includes details of resumes of others who were proposed for the post of FTII President. The only reference to Mr Chauhan's qualification is a one paragraph summary. An applicant had sought information regarding the educational and professional qualifications of Gajendra Chauhan, and the basis on which he was considered for his selection as President, Film and Television Institute of India, among other queries. Though the applicant had also sought copies of all the reasons recorded for Mr Chauhan's selection, the information provided by the Ministry does not show any reasons in defence of his controversial appointment as the FTII President. The Ministry was also silent on why he was preferred above the dozens of Indian cinema whose names were once proposed by FTII for appointment as its chief. FTII Students' Association has declared that the strike will continue till their main demand for removal of Mr Chauhan, who they allege lacks vision and stature to head the institution, and reconstitution of FTII Society is accepted.
RGV voices opinion over Yakub Memon case
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am Gopal Varma has openly promoted his views on 1993 blasts accused Yakub Memon. He posted on T w i t t e r , “Sympathy of certain people on Memon is becos in his pics he looks normal like any of us whereas the dead 257 ppl are just a number.” Adding, “I wish we can see pic of Memon along with pics of all murdered 257 people laid side by side..Only then his horrificness can be understood (sic).” Irked by people against the conviction, with a series of tweets he specifically targeted social activist Tushar Gandhi for opposing Yakub Memon's execution. “If he heard Tushar Gandhi's imbecilities on Yakub, Mahatma Gandhi himself wud hav not only slapped Tushar,but wud hav punched him in stomach.”
Vivek Oberoi to sponsor education
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ctor Vivek Oberoi is known for extending support to different causes. This time he has taken up the task of sponsoring girls from his own NGO Development and Empowerment Girls, for international specialised programmes. Currently engaged in a shoot for his next film, Vivek who is familiar with the procedures and formalities, will fly to the US to tie up with a few colleges which will entitle girls willing to pursue their education. He said, “Every girl child deserves the right to education, and I hope to help a few who reach their ultimate potential with some specialized programmes in the US.”
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UK
Chinese teachers blames welfare state for ill-disciplined students
A group of Chinese teachers have blamed the generosity of Britain's benefit system for causing British school students to become idle, ill-discipline, as well as lacking ambition. The teachers came to the UK as part of the BBC Two documentary, 'Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School.' The teachers spent 4 weeks at Bohunt School in Liphook, Hampshire,
teaching a group of 50 children aged 13 and 14. The Chinese teachers taught up to 12 hours a day and found the students to be disruptive and lacked concentration. They blamed the welfare state of Britain for the students' mindset. One of the teachers, Wei Zhao said, “Even if they don't work, they can get money, they don't worry about it. But in
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Amorous affairs continue to be highlighted whether or not this leads to a lasting relationship depends much on your own personal maturity and circumstances. Efforts to restructure and transform your lifestyle are more likely to meet with success. Experience you have built up in the past will now stand you in good stead.
ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20
TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Projects of personal interests and home and family-centered activities are in focus as the week begins. Creative interests are highlighted. Excellent time for work of a mental nature. Local travel is a delight. Some of you will begin an exciting romance. Charm in self-expression will open doors for you now. The Chinese teachers spent 4 weeks at a school in Hampshire, and blamed the welfare state for lack of ambition school students
China they can't get these things so they know, 'I need to study hard, I need to work hard to get money to support my family.' If the British Government really cut benefits down to force people to go to work they might see things in a different way.” Another teacher, Li Aiyun said, “When I handed out the homework sheets, I expected everybody to be concentrated on the homework. But when I walked in the classroom some students were chatting, some students were eating, somebody was even putting make-up on her face. I had to control myself, or I would be crazy.” Science teacher, Yang Jun said, “In China we don't need classroom management skills because everyone is disciplined by nature, by families, by society. Whereas here it is the most challenging part
of teaching.” Yang Jun was left confused when a schoolgirl left the classroom, crying after getting to know that singer Zayn Malik had left the boy band, One Direction. “I found it difficult to understand such emotional behaviour over a pop band.” However, headteacher Neil Strowger, does not approve with the Chinese method of teaching, and found the technique to be “mind-numbingly boring”. He said, “If you visited my school in the week when cameras were not there you would not see behaviour like that. There is no low-level disruption. However, if you go into a class and do not treat the students with respect then you are going to get problems.” Neil Strowger added, “I don't believe we are somehow causing our children to fail by having a welfare state.”
GEMINI May 22 - June 22 You have everything to gain by following your creative inclinations. If you have new ideas, now is the time to put them into practice. Whatever your present interests you are likely to find that new doors open and the way ahead offers increased scope for expressing your real self. A great time to meet and interact with people.
CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time. An influence that should help to enjoy the 'nicer' side of others as bring out the best in friends, colleagues and partners alike. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.
LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Your communication sector is all-abuzz with planetary energies firing you up preventing you from sleeping properly. Give yourself plenty of physical outlets to drain off some of the excess mental stimulation. The Sun in your sign will make you feel like you can finally settle into a more grounded and steady routine instead of letting your schedule run you. VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23
You may find yourself hard at work behind the scenes, although that may not be apparent to others. You may find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, with opportunities to advance on both the inner and outer level. There’s a sparkle to your social life and you will have fun communicating with others.
LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23
Your charisma, appearance and selfexpression are to the forefront. Spontaneity of expression is what this transit is about. Increased energy and a renewed feeling of confidence is with you now, so take advantage. There's nothing wrong with achieving your personal goals, it's time to carve your own path in life.
SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22
Your social graces will serve you well careerwise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. All things considered, your health should be robust. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you’ll gain. A good time for restructuring and rethinking your aims and interests.
SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21
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Your horizons are most certainly expanding. Your philosophical thoughts will make your mind run wild. With Jupiter transiting your Solar 9th House, there will be many opportunities. Your financial affairs are looking up. Do not miss out on ways to better yourself in the coming weeks.
CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20
The Sun energizes your sector of change, transformation and regeneration. On a more practical level, you may be dealing with joint finances and shared resources now more than usual. You should also make sure that your tax affairs are in order. You are more willing than usual to explore and delve deeper into life's secrets and arrive at meaningful conclusions.
The accent’s very much on relationships. The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments, if this is what you want. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires. The general pattern of things continues on a progressive and buoyant theme.
AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19
PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20
Give top priority to important written work, official matters and vital communications. If you can manage to get away from usual routines, this will not only prove to be highly enjoyable but it will have a decidedly beneficial effect on your physical and psychological well-being. Loved ones will be looking after you.
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Dame Asha Khemka DBE – Celebrates 40 years of Hindu Sevika Samiti UK
Dame Asha Khemka DBE praised the Youth Leadership Training and character building activities of HSS UK while addressing over 950 packed audience in the blazing open air sunshine at the concluding function of the Sangh & Samiti Shiksha Varg (SSV), a 9 Day residential youth leadership training course on Sunday 2 August 2015. The course is an annual event of HSS UK which was held in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Dame Asha Khemka DBE is the Principle and CEO of West Nottinghamshire College Group which teaches 34,000 students and has a budget of £75 million. In an inspiring address to the 200+ young participants, Dame Asha said “you are the best. This is my first visit to HSS activities and I am truly amazed. Young people learning the benefits not only of physical education, not only of mental education but also learning as individuals and as part of a team.” Praising HSS, she said “a unique organisation which works for the benefit of the community in a disciplined manner”. Diversity of participants: Leadership, teamwork and discipline are just three of many important qualities that 170 boys (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK) and 104 girls (Hindu Sevika Samiti UK) developed over the nine day leadership training course. The attendees came from 28 towns in the UK and represented 10 states of India and one from Pakistan, Mauritius and Ireland which shows the diverse reach HSS has across the community. The course was an educational arena which nurtured complete charac-
Dame Asha Khemka DBE celebrating 40 years of HSS (UK) ter development through the practice of physical and intellectual activities. Each morning the participants arose at 6 am and began their day with prayers and physical activities such as Yoga to calm the mind and wake up the body. Later during the day participants engaged in intellectual activities in form of discussions, roleplays, and lectures, designed to increase their knowledge and understanding of the Hindu Dharma. The participants also chose one physical and one intellectual subject to master over the nine days in focussed workshops. The most oversubscribed physical activities were Music and Niyudh (Indian Martial Art). These focussed workshops developed self control, confidence and knowledge of the participants to aid them in becoming better leaders. The day ended with a special night time activity in form of team building exercises, roleplays or a singing competition. This let the participants wind down after a packed day but still developed many soft skills helpful in the society and workplace.
Training future leaders: The training course was run by 37 full time instructors who facilitated all the physical and intellectual training. There were 50+ fulltime and part-time volunteers who took charge of all behind the scene logistics to make sure the facilities were kept clean, food was cooked and site was secure. Over the 9 days, the course consumed 8,000 rotis (chapattis), kindly donated by 140 local families across Leicestershire. Over 80 pints of milk and 22 loaves of bread were used every day as part of 5 meals and snacks served to the attendees from sunrise to sunset. The last day of the course was a public function known as Samarop where participants would showcase their talents in front of their parents and guests. They performed arts of Yogasana, Niyudh (martial art) in front of over 950 audience. The chief guest Dame Asha Khemka DBE, delivered an inspiring speech which emphasised on the contribution of Sewa, Hindu Dharma and young leaders to the main-
Nilesh Solanki addressing the youngsters
stream life of UK. The Samarop ended by an inspiring and motivating message from a sevika, teacher and yoga instructor, Madhvi Haria, highlighting the Shakha ‘Hub’ as a Sanskaar Kendra, where individuals are developed to serve the society.The nine day residential training course created future leaders in the workspace, society and more importantly the Hindu Samaj. The theme of universal peace and oneness echoed throughout to inspire future leaders who would benefit the communities and embrace the world as one family. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh’s motto is “we achieve by our own efforts” and Hindu Sevika Samiti’s motto is ‘Tamso Ma Jyotir Gamaya’. This shows the dedication of all the instructors and volunteers who took time out of their personal lives to create an inspiring course to invest for the future of our world, taking the meaning of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – The world is one family into a new dimension. Photo credit: Vin Mistry
SPORT WORLD
31
Indian hockey players part of Gurdaspur operation
Three former Indian hockey players, drag flick expert Jugraj Singh, former India captain Baljit Dhillon and his brother Daljit Dhillon, were all called to join the Punjab Police team involved in the operation to eliminate the terrorists who had attacked Dinanagar near Gurdaspur recently. The trio had been rushed to Gurdaspur from their place of posting soon after the attack on the police station. Daljit and Jugraj were part of the operation during the day while Baljit, Superintendent of Police, Investigation, was asked to be ready for action if the operation stretched beyond the evening, however, it wasn't needed. “I can't talk about the mission in detail as it's a sensitive issue,” Jugraj said. “As soon as the message about the incident was flashed we rushed to the site to neutralise the terrorists. We reached Dinanagar at about 8:15 am in the morning and took our positions,” said the former India star. “My brother Daljit and Jugraj were on the spot since morning.” Former forward Baljit said that there was only one thought when he received the orders, to save the people. “We had no feeling. No fear. The only thing on our minds was to achieve our target, to save the people,” he said. “It was quite like hockey where once we went into the ground, the only focus was on scoring goals.”
5 per cent Indians among blood dope offenders
Increasing cases of blood doping has pointed its finger at Indian athletes, as experts scratch their heads on the possibility of it happening. Reports that claimed leaked results from 12,000 blood tests on 5000 competitors brought into light, the wide extent of cheating in the sport. Experts reviewed that the analysis of the blood levels of medal winners at World Championships and Olympics between 2001 and 2012 indicated a third of athletics medals were won by competitors who had given suspicious tests. An Indian expert said that blood doping in India could be possible as erythropoietin (EPO) is available in India and athletes might have used it, considering the reports are true. “I don't know whether these reports about Indian athletes would have been true or not. But at the same time, you cannot rule out blood doping in India as EPO is available in the market,” Sports Medicine expert P S M Chandran said. “Blood doping can be in two ways. Earlier, it was done through transfusion of one's own blood. An athlete withdraws his own blood, stores it at freeze point and re-infuses it before competition. Now, the latest is the easier one, that is by injecting banned substance erythropoietin. This EPO is available in India and so you can't ruled out blood doping in India.” Officials of AFI and NADA did not respond. An official in the know of this blood testing said that so far the National Dope Testing Laboratory in the country has not found adverse blood testing. And said if at all Indians are to be caught for blood doping, it could be from samples collected by IAAF or WADA at the top world events like World Championships and Olympic Games.
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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 8th August 2015
Michael Chopra takes a strike at achieving his goal of Indian passport Rupanjana Dutta
Former Newcastle and Cardiff City striker Michael C h o p r a returns to India to achieve his goal of being adopted by his ancestral nation and secure an Indian passport. As the grandson of Indian nationals, Chopra hopes to permanently return to his roots and play professional football for the Indian National team, following his debut for Kerala Blasters last year. However, domestic regulations in India state that in order to represent the country, players must have an Indian passport something Michael is yet to attain. Chopra's history is key to achieving his Indian Citizenship. As the son of Minty Chopra, an Indian man whose parents left India to
seek their fortune in the UK in the late 1950's, and English mother, Sharon Chopra, he has always been very proud of his dual heritage. By returning to India with an Indian passport, the world famous striker would be able to settle and play the sport he loves, in a place his spirit has always thought of as home. Earlier this year whilst addressing a gathering of Indians in South Korea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that in his one year in power, the world's perception of India had changed and people had become excited about returning to their country. PM Modi said, "Citizens of India wanted to leave the country for better opportunities. Now they are ready to return even if they earn less in India than abroad." Michael Chopra's career, starting from the Newcastle United Academy in 1993, spans 22 years, playing for teams such as Cardiff City, Blackpool and Ipswich Town but his fondest memories are from his time at Kerala Blasters, part of the
Indian Super League, in 2014. Chopra wants to return to India to become a part of raising the profiles of the teams and to encourage young players in India to reach for their dreams too. Chopra said, "I am really looking forward to returning to India this summer and I hope that my ancestral home will welcome my decision to forgo my British Passport in return for an Indian nationality. India is where my spirit lives and I hope that I can one day represent the country I love on a national footballing stage. I was born in Britain, brought up in Newcastle but, phi bhi dil hain Hindustani." Having acknowledged his British background for most of his career, Chopra now hopes that his Grandparent's homeland will adopt him with open arms. Over four years ago, Chopra took the first steps towards receiving an Indian passport by applying for his OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) card, which after five years, allows a person to apply for the passport.
Chand Dutee cleared to run
Dutee Chand
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has cleared Indian sprinter Dutee Chand to compete, after the IAAF had barred her on account of hyperandrogenism, a condition caused by excess levels of testosterone. It was seen as an advantage to her over fellow women athletes. The CAS has given two years to the athletics body for providing conclusive evidence backing its eligibility rule, which proves that women with hyperandrogenism enjoy a clear advantage. However, trouble is far from over for the athlete as she has been asked to shift events and also possibly part with her trusted coach.