AV 9th January 2016

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MODI MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO PAKISTAN P27

SIDDHARTHA DHAR IS LABELLED ISIS’ NEW ‘JIHADI JOHN’

9th January to 15th January 2016

Asians dazzle in New Year’s Honours List

Vol 44 | Issue 34

Guns fall silent at Pathankot IAF base

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

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80-hour military operation kills all six suspected Pak terrorists

Reshma Trilochun

Pages 16-17

Community condemns new immigration rule

Page 18

A new chilling video has emerged of five alleged British spies in Syria being killed by Daesh members, also known as Isis and new allegations have emerged that one of the masked gunmen in the video is British-born, Siddhartha Dhar (32), a Hindu who converted to Islam, also known as Abu Rumasayah.

He has been termed as being the new alleged “Jihadi John”.

The recent decision of the airstrikes in Syria as a quest to destroy Islamic State is said to have led to this murderous video.

One of the masked gunmen, alleged to be Dhar, spoke in a British accent and taunted David Cameron. He said, “Your children will pay for your deeds. How strange it is that we find ourselves today hearing an insignificant leader like you. How strange it is that a leader of a small island, threatens us with a handful of planes.

One would have thought, you would have learned the

Siddhartha Dhar is allegedly one of the masked gunmen in the IS video that shows the killing of 5 alleged British spies

lessons of your pathetic master in Washington, and his failed campaign against the IS. But it seems that you, just like your predecessors, Blair and Brown, are just as arrogant and foolish. In fact, David, you are more of an imbecile.”

The gunman continued, “Only an imbecile would dare to wage war against a land where the law of Allah reigns supreme. And where the people live under the justice and security of Shariah. Only an imbecile

would dare to anger people who love death the way that you love your life.”

Siddhartha Dhar, from Walthamstow, east London, used to run a firm hiring out bouncy castles and had fled to Syria while being on bail, along with his wife and four children.

He had escaped from under the noses of the security services even though he was on bail for alleged terrorism offences.

Continued on page 7

All six terrorists who attacked the Pathankot airbase have been killed after an over 80-hour operations by the security forces. India's defence Manohar Minister Parrikar who was present at the airbase, accompanied by Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag, said that the fourday operation to secure

the compound was still under way. Addressing reporters, he said, the Indian security forces “have done an excellent job containing these highly motivated terrorists. NIA already has started the investigation.

Since the operation is still on, I would not like to conclude on that and let NIA collect information,” Parrikar said. “Security Continued on page 26

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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to

Harmeet Ahuja

Harmeet Ahuja, who is known to many by his nickname, Sunny, is a Director of Sun Mark Ltd as his primary occupation and also a director of a number of other companies. He has helped grow the company from a relatively small FMCG distribution business to one which now has business in over 110 countries and is flying the flag for the best of Britain.

The company is widely recognised internationally in its sector and has been recognised on numerous occasions for its growth and achievement. He is a regular speaker at business events and also serves in a number of voluntary roles.

Educated at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith he went on to study at King’s College London and then completed an MBA at Henley Business School.

Sunny’s most recent voluntary role was his appointment as the Chairman of the Development & Alumni Council at his old school, Latymer Upper. He is married and has two children.

What is your current position?

I am a Director of Sun Mark, an international distribution company in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. We are headquartered in the UK but are engaged in business in over 110 countries with an emphasis on emerging markets. We continue to grow our footprint in far flung corners of the world. I am also a director of a freight forwarding business and a hotel group.

What are your proudest achievements?

I am heavily involved in business so a great deal of my focus is around that. My proudest

moment was when we were recognised by Her Majesty the Queen when we were conferred a Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade but we were so spurred by that achievement that we ended up achieving five consecutive Queens Awards as well as a host of others along the way. It has been a lot of fun getting there too which has been nice.

What inspires you?

There is so much around to inspire you, particularly people who have a determination to succeed despite all the odds. I am also inspired by people who strive to help others when there

is no apparent gain for them.

experie n c e s you are exposed to. This is one of the b e s t aspects and one which I feel privileged to have.

What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

I am a believer that a great deal is possible if your efforts are directed in the right way and that your own destiny is under your own control. There are times when that may seem impossible to comprehend but you have to keep plugging away and through your actions you create further opportunity; so to answer the question, I believe the biggest obstacle is oneself.

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

I have worked closely with my father in law, Dr Rami Ranger MBE, and without a doubt he has been the biggest influence for me. He has given me a different perspective to doing many things and helped me to develop my own skills and knowledge to help me advance with him. We continue to work closely together.

What is the best aspect about your current role?

When you are engaged in business in as many countries as we are and in many cases you are directly involved with people from all over the world and from so many different cultures you marvel at the sheer variety of

British Sikh racially assaulted in Poland A British Sikh, Nav Sawhney (25), was a victim of violent racial hate crime, while trying to enter a Krakow nightclub, in Poland.

Nav Sawhney, a London-born turbaned Sikh had travelled

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Auschwitz with a friend on Saturday 28th November, and decided to have a night out in Krakow, with a few other fellow Brits who they had met.

The group headed off to a club which had received great reviews, but

Nav Sawhney was allegedly called a "Muslim terrorist" at a club in Poland

were left astonished when all of Sawhney's friends, who are white, were allowed into the club while he was refused entry with “no questions asked”.

Nav Sawney, who is an engineer expressed, “The bouncer stopped me and said I was not allowed in. I asked why very calmly and after a few minutes passed, he was shouting at me and spitting at me and was very aggressive. My friend came down the stairs [in the club] and asked why I was not allowed in. It was said it was the dress code, But my friend said 'we are dressed exactly the same'.

And the worst?

There are so many pressures that come with working in emerging and frontier markets which include instability and unpredictability but then you have to appreciate that while on the one hand you are lucky enough to have exposure to such diversity it is also tinged with some negative aspects too.

What are your long term goals?

On the business front it is enjoyable to strive to grow the company we have and that is a real bonus; that you enjoy what you do every day. Beyond that I am now also trying to spend more time on social and philanthropic matters and to see how we can also give back to society, both

[The bouncer] pointed at my turban and said 'that hat, Muslim terrorist'.

They were being really aggressive.”

Sawhney decided to walk away and shake the bouncer's hand to show that he agreed to disagree with him, when he was allegedly punched with great force which caused his turban to come off and fall to the ground. Police arrived 30 minutes after the alleged assault.

He stated that the police said, “What did you expect when you come to Krakow after the Paris attacks. Brown people and white people are treated differently here to in the UK.” Sawhney and his friend were then allegedly asked to get into the van as it was unsafe for them to be on the streets.

A Polish Embassy UK spokesman wrote a message on Sawhney's Facebook page, stating, “We are very sorry about what happened to you.

Such racist behaviour is unacceptable and we are glad to hear that many people stopped to express their support for you and contempt for the incident.”

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close to home and farther out.

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

I believe that if we can grow our inter-reliance on people from both near and far then our understanding would increase immeasurably and the potential for conflict would be reduced.

The business environment being created by the government is helping but I would urge them to do more and try to achieve their goals on this front more quickly.

I would also put greater emphasis on education and training – I believe education is a great liberator and can change the destiny of generations to come.

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

There have been so many fascinating characters throughout history that to be able to speak with any one of them at length would be incredible but I have always been fascinated by President Abraham Lincoln. He was a true reformer and really stood up for something which he believed, but something which flew in the face of the accepted thinking of the time and helped put an end to the slave trade. It would be amazing to hear what he would have to say about our world today.

Labour MP suspended for sexting teenager The 49-year-old Labour MP Simon Danczuk, has been suspended for allegedly sending sexual text messages (an act also known as sexting) to a 17-year-old student, Sophena Houlihan, now MP Simon Danczuk allegedly sent sexual text messages to Sophena 18, allegedly statHoulihan (right) ing that he wanted to “spank” her. which will be responsible It is suspected that the for determining any furMP had sent these mesther action.” sages to the teenager in The teenager stated, July, after separating from “When I first got in touch I him wife, Karen Danczuk, never expected the mesalso known as “selfie sages to get so graphic, At queen”. the time I played along There are allegations with it, but now I feel like that the two had started he duped me.” exchanging messages for On his Twitter account, months after Houlihan had Danczuk expressed, contacted him regarding a “Today's Sun story, while vacancy in his constituency not entirely accurate, refers office. to an extremely low point A Labour Party in my life. My behaviour spokesperson shared, “A was inappropriate & I full investigation will now apologise unreservedly to take place under the everyone I've let down. I authority of the National was stupid & there's no fool Executive Committee, like an old fool.”

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Modi in Moscow: Taking Indo-Russian ties forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a giant step towards confirming his place as a front rank Indian statesman during his recent twoday summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Modi had clearly done his homework reading the briefing papers and appreciating the full significance of a time-tested relationship that has long been the bedrock of India’s foreign policy and its geopolitical angles of vision. When Mr Modi warmly acknowledged the leading role of the erstwhile Soviet Union in creating the platform for India’s industrialization in the face of quasi Western boycott, he clearly knew what he was talking about. Why so? Because he would have consulted the copious contents of official files and learned of the US Department minute, penned in the aftermath of Jawaharlal Nehru’s first visit to the United States in 1949, which hazarded the absurdist projection of ‘India as the likely successor to Japan as the embodiment of Asiatic imperialism.’ To counter this perceived threat, another note advised the US to court Pakistan and make the pivot of an Islamic bloc to contain India. In due course Pakistan was made the linchpin of the regional US-sponsored CENTO and SEATO pacts, whose primary function was the containment of Soviet Russia and Maoist China; Pakistan’s goal in putting these alliances to work in the furtherance of its anti-Indian interests were never fulfilled; but the US and UK did the next best thing by their support of the Pakistani position on Kashmir through UN resolutions which were aborted by the Soviet veto.

Mr Modi’s subtext breathed an awareness of the diabolical role of the Nixon administration in the Bangladesh Liberation struggle in 1971, when the US president Richard Nixon and his infamous National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger covertly encouraged China to open a second front along the Himalayas to save their beleaguered Pakistani client Yahya Khan from outright military defeat at the hands of India.

Here, again, it was the

Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship of 9 August 1971 with its clause promising prompt Soviet intervention in the event of an attack on India that forced Washington and Beijing to think again. From then to the arrival of George W. Bush in the White House some thirty years later, the US put in place a high tech sanctions regime against India.

‘Russia and India have a very strong partnership that the US can only aspire to,’ said Jon Grevatt, Asia-Pacific analyst for IHSJane’s. ‘Sales from America may ebb and flow but the sales from Russia, including the crown jewels of Russia’s defence capability, will remain strong because there are so many ongoing programmes between the two countries.’

Nevertheless, foreign policy cannot be a zero sum game. India’s relations with the United States are better now than they’ve ever been. There will, from time to time, be divergences of national interests, as on Syria where India stands solidly with Russia, from its military intervention against ISIL, to its projected roadmap towards the settlement of the Syrian crisis. India is also opposed to the US-led Western sanctions regime against Russia, as much a futile exercise as the exclusion of the Soviet Union from the Anglo-French Munich conference of October 1938 to seal Czechoslovakia’s surrender to Nazi aggression.

India and Russia have signed 16 agreements worth $7 billion, including Indian military acquisitions, space and energy cooperation in oil, gas and the construction of Russian nuclear power plants in India, plus ways to augment two-way private sector trade and investment. Most of these deals are in the public space but some remain confidential.

Mr Modi applauded President’s decisive leadership in the re-emergence of Russia as a global player and his seminal role in taking IndoRussian relationship to new heights of creative endeavour. Mr Modi deserves applause for his own efforts in the exercise, for it takes two to tango.

Indo-Israeli venture bears fruit The Indo-Israeli Barak 8 project , approved almost a decade ago, encountered obstacles, some bureaucratic, others technical. This highly ambitious project to develop a state-ofthe-art surface-to-air missile system with a range of 70 kilometres has been a long time coming. Some Indian scribes with no science or engineering background are prone to write off such ventures off as white elephants when such things could be bought off the shelf in America or Europe. Technology transfers in these cases were invariably denied and the models on offer were of an older vintage.

India’s Defence Research & Defence Organization (DRDO) made the wise decision

to team up with Aerospace Industries of Israel.

The partnership got the project moving. In November 2014 came the breakthrough when the missile destroyed an incoming object in mid-air with pinpoint accuracy. Finally, at the end of December 2015, the Barak 8 Long range SAM missile fired from the Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata performed the clinching test successfully in the presence of Indian and Israeli scientists and engineers. The missile is to be manufactured in India by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, with separate versions for the Indian Air Force and Army to follow. The India-Israel collaboration has been a resounding success.

World’s Parsis flock to Gujarat town Udvada, a non-descript Gujrati hamlet of about 6000 souls hosted a gathering of 5000 Parsi and Irani Zoroastrians from India and abroad, which is a substantial number of the community’s global population. Udvada is the holiest of holies for Zoroastrian pilgrimage. Since 1742 it has been the throne of the sacred fire, believed to have burned continuously ever since it was consecrated between the 8th and 9th centuries on Gujarat’s Sanjan beach, where stormedtossed Persian Zoroastrian had landed in the

hope of saving their 3.000-year old faith from the invading Arabs. The idea of the new, prideenhancing Udvada Utsav came not from a Parsi but from then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in 2008 at Ahmedabad’s Cama Hotel, where he told its Parsi owner he’d like to showcase the community’s Gujarati roots. Udvada Utsav became a reality with Cyrus Poonawalla’s sponsorships. The Parsi presence has enriched India in every field of human endeavour.

Persia’s loss has been India’s gain.

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking.

Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

- Steve Jobs

Priti Patel MP Minister for Employment & the Prime Minister’s Indian Diaspora Champion

Indian diaspora helping to build a stronger and more cohesive Britain In November, I was delighted to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK – as our two great nations deepened our existing bonds in business, education, security and culture. Supported by our talented and vibrant Indian diaspora community in the UK, the relationship between Britain and India continues to go from strength to strength.

Every day I see the contribution that the UK’s 1.5 million strong Indian community makes to our economy, society, and country as a whole.

More than 100,000 Indians run their own businesses in the UK, with their links to home bringing inward investment from India to Britain that created 8,000 new jobs last year.

The employment rate amongst the Indian diaspora has never been higher and I hope that with the push to enhance Britain’s economic prosperity, through the Spending Review, we will only see that figure rise further.

The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement put security first for the working people of Britain. It protects our economic security by taking the difficult decisions to live within our means and bring down our debt. We are moving on from the job of rescuing Britain’s finances to the job of rebuilding the country to ensure a pros-

perous future. We are making sure we leave the next generation with a stronger country than the one we inherited.

I know that our Indian community, with their strong entrepreneurial spirit, will play an integral role in that.

We are backing the small businesses that drive our economy, and building the infrastructure they need to develop and grow in Britain.

Our welfare reforms are designed to incentivise work and help people into jobs faster and encourage them to increase their earnings.

With the rollout of the revolutionary new Universal Credit service, we’re making it easier for business to hire workers or for their staff to take on more hours. I know that this will be a huge boost to employers up and down the country, and will help them increase productivity.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit showed the pride our Indian diaspora has, not only in their heritage, but also in their place in modern Britain.

They are right to be proud, because as we look to the New Year, I know we can also look forward to the Indian diaspora community continuing to help build a stronger, more cohesive Britain, one where everyone who works hard gets the opportunities they need to succeed and get on in their lives.

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India's new High Commissioner Navtej Sarna to reach UK soon

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

The veteran diplomat says nothing stops him from living a life of a writer to the fullest

Navtej Sarna, the newly appointed Indian High Commissioner to the UK, will soon be reaching London to take over his new role. Besides being the longest-serving spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs in India, Sarna has come to be known as a member of the ‘MEA school of literature’.

As Sarna's ninth book ‘Second Thought’ hits the shelves, the veteran diplomat says that nothing stops him from living his “second life” – that of a writer – to the fullest.

He will be taking over the position as the new High Commissioner after a successful stint by Mr Ranjan Mathai, who was one of the most efficient Indian High Commisioners in the UK. Under his supervision many major events were organised here to enhance the Indo-UK relationships, including the historic visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and London's first ever Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.

The book, a collection of Sarna's columns that appeared in ‘The Hindu’ for over seven years, takes the reader down the nostalgic path of a literary journey intertwined with private memories. The collection ranges from classics to contemporary writers.

Navtej Sarna was born in Jalandhar, India to a noted writer in Punjabi, Mohinder Singh Sarna, and did his schooling from St. Joseph's Academy, Dehradun. Later he grad-

Navtej Sarna

uated as a part of the 1980 Class of Indian Foreign Service.

Before holding his current post, he was Joint Secretary for external publicity at the MEA, since October 2002, and holds the distinction of being the longest-serving spokesperson of the Ministry. He served two prime ministers, three foreign ministers and four foreign secretaries, till the end of his term in September.

He was a former Indian Ambassador to Israel and has served as a diplomat served in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Teheran and Washington DC. As a writer, his first novel published was We Weren't Lovers Like That in 2003, followed by The Book of Nanak in the same year, his latest, The Exile, published in 2008, based on the life of Duleep Singh, the last Maharaja of Lahore, and son Raja Ranjit Singh.

In an interview with

IANS, Sarna gave some very interesting ideas about his interview.

Excerpts from the interview (as published by IANS): Q: Your book talks mostly about writers and their mental landscape.

A: There are different aspects of writers which another writer is curious to know. I am curious to know about the magic formula, about writers and their mental landscape.

There is a curiosity about the language, different narratives, which certain writers experiment with. It helps one’s craft in knowing the structure of a particular book. I have written mostly about 20th century classical writers whose different styles helped me a lot.

Q: How do you keep the worlds of a writer and a diplomat apart and together at the same time?

A: It has always been a challenge and I have been doing it for the last 35 years. It’s my second life. I decide consciously not to write about my life as a diplomat. It makes it easier to sustain both lives. I lived both the facets of my lives comfortably and I have balanced it in a very cautious way. I have a lot of friends from both the fields.

Q: Tell us about the ‘MEA School of Literature’ A: We have several writers who published their works and are being called the ‘MEA School of Literature’. It feels good.

For instance, there is Pavan Varma, Vikas Swarup and a couple of

more writers among us.

Q: Throw some light on tracing Hemingway in Havana, who had a great influence on you…

A: Hemingway is an iconic writer and I visited his home in Havana. There are legends of about his extravagance. They have turned his house into a museum; it has his bars, fishing boats, grave of his pets, guns, boots, African jackets, among many other things. Another thing I found out is that Hemingway used to scribble down his weight in the bathroom daily.

Hemingway was easy to track. It is a whole industry.

Q: The book has a strong thread of nostalgia running through it.

A: Whether in the Mumbai piece or about the second-hand book shops, nostalgia is a strong emotion that I induced into my writing. The past is a safe place to fall back.

It is there in your head and it gets rosier by the day and each person’s past is their own. I draw upon the past a lot and it’s inevitable for me as a writer.

Q: Any misadventures along the way?

A: That should be the visit to Tolstoy’s estate in 1983 which didn’t happen.

Those days, foreigners needed to get a permit to leave Moscow’s city limits, which we didn’t have.

Q: Can we expect a novel from London?

A: Right now, I don’t have an idea about my new project. I have a busy job ahead in London.

House set on fire after car bursts into flames whilst parked on drive did some research online and found reports of Cmodel Corsas having a manufacturing defect.

He said the couple had "not been advised" of the problem, but believed they should have been.

Pravin said: "I feel devastated. It is not just a question of getting the car repaired. It could have involved lives of people, as well as the property."

A couple have spoken of their shock after their car suddenly burst into flames while it was parked on their drive. Flames from Pravin and Rekha Kotecha's Vauxhall Corsa then spread to their home, causing damage the property inside and out.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has said the cause of the blaze was an electrical fault.

The couple said they believed the fire was down to a manufacturing defect.

However, Vauxhall said that while the Kotechas' model of Corsa was identified as having a fault some years ago, it should not be

assumed that this was the cause of the blaze.

The Kotechas were in the lounge of their Thurmaston home at 8.45pm on Christmas Eve when Rekha smelled burning. Pravin said he had last

driven the car at about 1pm that day, several hours before the fire began.

He said he had been driving the 2004 C-model Corsa for three years, without any issues.

After the fire, Pravin

Jahangir Akbar, a former headteacher at Oldknow Academy, one of the schools in Birmingham where claims of Trojan Horse were made, had been the first to be given an

“indefinite” teaching ban, as he was accused of misconduct.

However, the conduct panel's verdict means that Akbar can reapply after five years to have his ban

set aside. The former acting head of the school had been accused of trying to “eliminate” Christmas celebrations at the school, as well as “undermining tolerance” of other beliefs.

Pravin and Rekha Kotecha

Former headteacher first to be given 'indefinite' teaching ban

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Student lands two-year prison sentence for lying about rape to re-sit A-levels A student has been landed a two-year prison sentence, after she allegedly claimed that she suffered two rape attacks in five months by the same man.

The Edinburgh Sheriff Court reportedly found that the 21-year-old Naima Shereen Mirza, pictured, actually had lied to re-sit an A-level after getting a low mark. When she reported the rapes she even named a man from Perth, central Scotland. But the Police knew that the man she accused was already in jail at the time the alleged attacks took place.

Mirza, then a student at Edinburgh Academy, denied that she’d lied to police between May 15, 2012 and April 2, 2013.

But a jury found her guilty at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court. A police officer interviewing her said: "I had concerns about her

hiding her face and running out of the room", she said.

"I had the impression it was very well planned. I didn’t see any real distress or anything like that."

She eventually wrote to one of the officers in which she confessed: "Nothing happened. I went to the park and made it up. I wanted another year at school to get to Strathclyde University."

She needed an A in chemistry to get to the university but failed to get it so wanted to do a re-sit.

Treadmill costs a life Birmingham and Solihull coroner, Louise Hunt, has called for improved measures in all gyms after the death of a 23-year-old man who died after falling off a treadmill and hitting his head at a gym in Birmingham.

An inquest heard how Kamrul Hassan suffered a fatal head injury after falling backwards while running on a treadmill.

This incident took place at Small Heath Leisure Centre, in August 2014.

Kamrul Hassan was a business student in London. He remained in at Queen Elizabeth Hospital for six days and died on 16th August. It is said that Hassan had an operation to relieve the rising pressure on his brain, however the injury was too deep which led to his death due to a “traumatic brain injury”.

Louise Hunt ruled Hassan's death was due to the accident. Hunt said that she intends to write to the gym, which is run

by Birmingham City Council, asking them to obligate the use of a safety wire while on the treadmill, which is designed to stop the machine if the user gets

Kamrul Hassan

into a difficulty.

Hunt said, “I think the use of this safety wire needs to be enforced during the induction period, not just at this gym but at all gyms. As a person who uses the gym, I certainly did not know about the safety wire and I have never used one.”

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said, “This was a terrible accident at one of our gyms and the coroner is right to think about how a similar accident could be avoided in the future.”

Bake Off's winner is a stay-at-home mum and 'proud' Nadiya Hussain, the motherof-three, who triumphed and became the winner of The Great British Bake Off has gained a lot of popularity.

But despite of that, she has decided to remain a stay-athome mother.

Nadiya from Leeds said, “I was a stay-at-home mum, I am a stay-at-home mum, and I have been for more than 10 years. We got married and said we have a

choice here. We can have children and I can go to work and pay my wage entirely to childcare and never see the children, and you can go off to work as well. To me that didn't make sense. The balance in our house wasn't right. So it was a choice that I made. It was a luxury to be able to stay at home and have a husband go out, further his career and climb the ladder.

And I'm proud of that.

Nadiya Hussain, winner of The Great British Bake Off 2015

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Happy New Year Spriha Srivastava

Let me start by wishing all the readers of Asian Voice a very Happy New Year.

What a year 2015 has been - some of the big themes have been the European migrant crisis, financial markets speculating a rate hike from the US Federal Reserve, Nepal earthquake, Paris terrorist attacks and others. While the world got more and more sucked into the fear of terrorism posed by ISIS, world leaders came together to fight the beast.

However, the year was not all bad too. India-UK relations hit a new high with Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the UK. For Indians in the UK, the event at Wembley stadium will remain etched in their memories forever.

The visit created positive sentiment among UK investors and fund managers with exposure to India and other emerging markets.

While Mr Modi spoke in detail about the two countries working together on areas such as defence and climate change, the focal point for investors was his comments on the attractiveness of India as an investment destination. He also talked about taking steps to make it easier for those looking to do business in India.

India remains an attractive investment destination for investors across the world, especially as they struggle to find higher yields in the traditional developed markets.

After PM Modi’s visit, a number of Indian compa-

nies are now slowly expanding to foreign markets by listing on the London Stock Exchange.

This would give exposure to foreign investors and raise more funding for expansion purposes.

In 2015, the first ever curry bond was launched jointly by London-based Sun Global Investments and Mumbai-based Zyfin Funds. A number of other are also companies expected to launch similar bonds. A number of Indian corporates are also working to make an entry into the international bond market.

As part of its expansion plans, the Indian railway network will soon issue rupee-denominated bonds on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).

Popularly being referred to as ‘masala bonds’, this move will be followed by other Indian companies launching more than £1bn worth of rupee bonds. News reports suggest that India’s largest mortgage lender HDFC is eyeing this month for a masala bond debut.

In bigger world news, 2016 is an important year for the United States with the country going to Presidential polls in November. It will be a year with interesting developments from Presidential candidates, while also watching President Obama deal with the big threats the country is facing at the moment.

Meanwhile, analysts predict that concerns over safety from terrorists will continue to impact nations

but it is high time leaders work towards a plan to tamp down ISIS. The start of 2016 wasn’t the best for India with terrorists attacking the Air Force base in Pathankot. But governments around the world will continue spending on defence and beefing up security measures.

It will be a challenge to balance increased defence spending with economic growth but countries like India and the UK have fortunately come out of the recession phase and are on their way to recovery. While the UK has seen growth figures rising and there is forecast for better growth, India has emerged as the fastest growing country among BRICS nations, according to reports.

In the world of entertainment too, 2015 remained the year of some wonderful films such as Star Wars, The Martian, Inside Out among others.

While Star Wars took people back to their childhood, Inside Out brought out the child in each one of us. Viewers could relate to the emotions portrayed in the film. In Bollywood, 2015 was the year of Bajirao Mastani, Piku and Masaan among others.

A new year brings new hopes and while some concerns from 2015 remain the same in 2016, there is more experience to deal with such issues.

And on that note, let us hope and pray that 2016 brings some wonderful events along with some great movies. What is life without some entertainment?

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Rhodes scholar claims Oxford spreading injustice Oxford University has come under fire from its own student.

Ntokozo Qwabe, an Oxford University law student, from South Africa, has come down heavily on the world famous institution for its 'systemic racism'.

Qwabe, a Rhodes scholar, claimed that students at Oxford endure “systemic racism, patriarchy and other oppressions” on a daily basis, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. He accused the university of spreading “injustice” around the world by educating future leaders with a “skewed” and “Eurocentric” mindset. The student also claimed the Oxford’s admission process

Ntokozo Qwabe

is ‘unrepresentative’ and ‘perpetrates exclusion’.

The student, who called the French flag a ‘symbol of violence, terror and genocide’ after the Paris attacks, wrote a lengthy 1,000word post on Facebook hitting out at British media for perpetuating a ‘racist myth’ and speaking out against Oxford University.

The furore comes in the wake of a high-profile cam-

Justice served: Suicide bombing plotters jailed for life AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

paign to have a plaque and statue dedicated to Cecil Rhodes, removed from outside Oxford University’s Oriel College. Qwabe was the co-founder of the Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford movement.

Rhodes was one of the era's most famous imperialists, with Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe and Zambia – named after him.

Qwabe is one of 89 current Rhodes scholars who benefit from the colonialist's legacy, which brings foreign students to Oxford at a cost of £8 million a year.

So far, over 8,000 people from around the world have been granted Rhodes Scholarships, including Tony Abbott and Bill Clinton.

The couple who had plotted to carry out a terror attack on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 bombings have been given life imprisonment. The court heard how Sana Ahmed Khan (24), belonged to a middle-class, well reputed family and her plans to carry out an outrageous attacks inspired by Isil suicide bombings, has led to her parents' reputations to be tarnished.

Sana Ahmed Khan, is a graduate with an English degree from the University of Greenwich, London, and is the daughter of well respected professionals; her mother is a magistrate.

Khan was raised to be “open, honest and tolerant”, however, she had turned to resent them.

It is alleged that Khan, along with her husband, Mohammed Rehman (25), who she married in a secret Islamic ceremony, sought out the Islamist justification for the barbarity she was about to carry out.

Judge Justice Baker,

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Mohammed Rehman and Sana Ahmed Khan have been jailed for life

suggested that the couple, from Reading, had become extremists after becoming discontented from their families. Rehman's family allegedly said that he turned to extremism to try and impress Khan, who was from a much affluent background.

Khan had written a letter of leniency to the judge, which read, “My mother, a judge herself, has lost her position, her child and the respect of friends and family. I emplore you to have mercy when considering my sentence.”

However, he plea was rejected and she was given a sentence of a minimum of

25 years in prison.

It has also been suggested that the duo have divorced and turned on each other during the trial.

This case of Khan is remarkably astonishing as one questions how could an educated, well-brought up woman turn to extremism while she was raised to be an open-minded and tolerant individual.

No doubt, this may have certainly caused a lot of grief to both Rehman and Khan's family members, but also tarnishes the British-Asian community in the UK who have to suffer for the actions of such criminals.

Man jailed for killing 'vulnerable' Anita Kapoor 35-year-old Navin Mohan, has been jailed for a minimum of 21 years and 191 days for the brutal murder of an alleged prostitute, Anita Kapoor (34), from Hayes. He had strangled the “vulnerable” mother in his car before dumping her body.

Anita Kapoor's halfnaked body was found by a lorry driver, on 23rd June 2015, close to the Amersham Road on A413.

Mohan was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Tuesday 8th December 2015.

The court heard how Kapoor and her boyfriend, Stanley Flanders (50), were allegedly addicted to drugs

Anita Kapoor

Navin Mohan

and she had sold sex with men in Southall to fund her addiction.

Further allegation was that Flanders acted as her “pimp” and forced her to steal customers for more money. However, Flanders denied all these allegations.

Kapoor's 16-year-old daughter emotionally said, “My mum could be loud and annoying but she was

funny, gentle and caring, but most importantly my best friend... I will never forget 23rd June 2015. At 12:07 an officer said to me, 'We have reason to believe your mum has been murdered'. At 12:07 each day I will be reminded of those words. It will stay with me for the rest of my life that I will never hear her gentle voice again.”

pubs, clubs and restaurants across the city I'd urge Londoners and visitors alike to get out there and soak up the best we have to offer.

"As with any other major event in the capital our policing response will be appropriate, but I'd stress we've seen nothing to suggest a specific threat to London.”

Mr Johnson added: “I've no doubt people will be out there enjoying themselves in their hun-

dreds of thousands. And so they should be. All firearms officers will be on duty. There is no leave for firearms teams to provide greater cover."

Ken Marsh, Metropolitan Police Federation, the leader of rank-and-file police in the capital, echoed the mayor’s comments and predicted Londoners would show their traditional resilience and enjoy the party as normal.

“All firearms officers will be on duty. There is no leave for firearms teams to provide greater cover,” he said.

“There is an awful lot of work going on behind the scenes. I think people will defy the terrorist threat.

Londoners are very resilient and have a lot of faith in their police officers to keep them safe.”

Resilient British get out and soak in New Year celebration Every firearms officer in London was on duty to protect the New Year celebrations in an unprecedented security operation. While New Year celebration gets cancelled in several places in Europe, e.g. Brussels, Scotland Yard cancelled their New Year leave for more than 2,000 armed officers – the first time they have taken such a step – as part of the largest-ever police mobilisation for December 31 festivities.

Boris Johnson MP, the Mayor of London, exhorted partygoers to “get out there” and “soak up” the atmosphere as the capital prepared for the chimes of Big Ben at midnight.

Mr Johnson said: “It's business as usual. From our fantastic fireworks on the banks of the Thames to thousands of events in

www.asian-voice.com

UK distressed over executions in Saudi Arabia AsianVoiceNews

The execution of 47 prisoners, and the Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, in Saudi Arabia, has caused an international vociferation. It also led to protests outside the Saudi embassy, in London.

Britain has expressed their dismay over the executions in Saudi Arabia, and they have insisted that intelligence co-operation between the UK and Saudi Arabia saved lives.

Political parties, such as Labour and the Liberal Democrats have increased the pressure over Saudi Arabia, and the Labour Party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn is expected too step in soon.

Foreign office minister, Tobias Ellwood had said, “I am deeply disturbed by the escalation in tensions in the last 24 hours in the Middle East. The UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty. We have stressed this to the Saudi authorities. We are concerned to hear of the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. It is essential that diplomatic

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missions are protected and respected.”

The treasury minister, David Gauke said, “The prime minister has made it clear that intelligence from Saudi Arabia has helped save lives and protect people in the UK. We have a relationship with Saudi Arabia where we are able to speak candidly to them.”

While the world remains aghast by the execution of the prominent cleric, Saudi Arabia has severed commercial ties and air links with Iran over attacks in retaliation.

Protestors had firebombed

US Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump

received 100,000 signatures.

A spokesperson for Theresa May issued a state-

Protests outside the Saudi embassy, London

the Saudi embassy in Tehran, Iran, as they were enraged with the cleric's capital punishment.

The Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, declared that all flights to Iran would stop and all the citizens of Saudi Arabia will be banned from travelling to there.

He also called for Iran to “act like a normal country”.

Most international leaders, including our Prime Minister

Home Secretary, Theresa May

ment.

“The Home Secretary may exclude a non-European Economic Area national from the UK

A spine-chilling video of the execution of 5 alleged British spies by Isis jihadists was released

very pleasant boy, and I know it may be hard to believe but he still is, and I still believe that he still can be that person.” She also mentioned that he had converted to Islam more than a decade ago.

Dhar was brought up as a Hindu before he married his Muslim wife, Aisha. It is alleged that the former neighbours of Dhar in Walthamstow, claimed that his wife may have allegedly led him to becoming an extremist. Another Hindu who had converted to Islam and took the path of extremism is Vadodara-born Dhiren

Shoppers cashing on 'hedge spending' Man jailed for bomb threat to MP

David Cameron, “condemned the death penalty”.

He said, “We want to see stability in the Middle East, not least because that will be absolutely essential for solving the crisis in Syria which is the source of so many of these problems.”

The US has also called for the two nations to show restraint as the uprise in tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia could further deepen proxy wars in Syria and Yemen.

In the UK, the last capital punishments took place in 1964, and the death penalty officially abolished in 1965 in Britain, and 1973 in Northern Ireland.

if she considers their presence in the UK to be nonconductive to the public good. The Home Secretary has said that coming to the UK is a privilege and not a right and she will continue to use the powers available to prevent from entering the UK those who seek to harm our society and who do not share our basic values.”

The statement also stated that the Government would not comment on Donald Trump's individual case.

Siddhartha Dhar - the new alleged 'Jihadi John

Continued from page 7 Dhar had been arrested in September 2014, along with the British Muslim preacher and activist, Anjem Choudary on suspicion of being a part of the banned group Al-Muhajiroun.

Choudary is soon expected to appear in court. Like many of the spectators who had watched the ghastly video, Dhar's mother and sister were shocked and found the masked gunman's voice to be familiar and similar to Dhar.

His mother, Sobita Dhar said, “I heard the voice, yes, but I don't know, I'm not sure of the voice. These are the most difficult questions to answer. I just cannot say.

I'm not sure with myself whether it is the truth or not.”

His sister, Konika Dhar added, “I can't believe it.

This is just so shocking for me. I don't know what the authorities are doing to confirm the identity, but I need to know if it is.

His sister went on to share her memories of him from their childhood and adolescent years. “He was a

In Brief

7

A research has found that many consumers have been returning their full price purchased items to only buy them back at discount price during sales. Shoppers have been hitting the high street with “hedge spending”.

Home Secretary to ban 'non-conductive' non-Europeans Home Secretary, Theresa May, has declared that she “may exclude” people who are “not conductive to the public good”. This could lead to the US Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, being barred from the UK. There were more than 560,000 people who had called for the US Presidential candidate to be banned from entering the UK. The Government had confirmed that the petition could be discussed in Parliament after it

UK Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Barot (44), who attended Kingsbury High School, north London. He had planned to detonate a bomb and launch an attack on London's Tube, for which he was jailed for life.

If the sight of five helpless victims dressed in orange jumpsuits and handcuffed, while five extremists stand behind them dressed in militaristic style attire, depicting themselves as soldiers wasn't nauseating enough; you will also see a child in the video standing in the desert saying, “We will go and kill the kuffar [infidels].” It has been identified that the boy, no

older than 4, is the son of Grace “Khadijah” Dare (24), who allegedly fled to Syria from London, in 2012.

The grandfather of the child who has also been labelled as “Jihadi Junior”, Henry Dare, has expressed his disgust over the use of the boy as a propaganda tool in the murderous video. He said, “He doesn't know anything, he is just a small boy.

They are just using him as a shield. It's propaganda. They are in the video because they are being told what to do, under the influence of guns.

He is my grandson, I can't disown him. He doesn't like it over there.”

This may just be the start of a shuddering beginning for Britain. It is more so worrying for the Asian community who regardless of class, religion or background stood together in unity during difficult and testing times.

With examples of extremists such as Siddhartha Dhar, it is very perturbing to think how our future generation, our children will be able to stay safe and away from radicalisation.

Craig Wallace, a Muslim convert, has been jailed for 8 weeks after he wrote on Facebook that he would bomb Tory Charlotte MP, Leslie's house after she had voted in Charlotte Leslie Craig Wallace favour of airstrikes in Syria. At Willesden Green magistrates' court, district judge, Mark Jabbitt told the 23-year-old from Willesden Green, “You personalised a very, very, very serious debate... which no doubt caused distress.”

MP calls for gender neutral documents

The former culture secretary, Maria Miller, stated that people should not have to state their gender on official documents such as passports and driving licences, and has called for the government to put an end to this, due to fears of transgender discrimination.

HSBC ends link with Muslim charity

HSBC bank has ended its association with Islamic Relief, Britain's government-funded Muslim charity, due to fears that money provided for aid may end up going to terrorist groups overseas. This decision by HSBC bank was made a year ago but nothing was revealed publicly until now. The charity's bosses have expressed their anger about HSBC's decision. The charity is said to be receiving significant amounts of money from the Department for International Development (DfID). Islamic Relief stated that HSBC's decision led to the delay in purchasing tents for the Nepal earthquake survivors, in 2015.

Illegal meat processing plant boss fined

A distribution boss, Majid Zaman (34), from Halifax, West Yorkshire, was given a suspended sentence and fined £10,000 for operating an illegal meat processing plant. It is said that approximately 2 tonnes of poultry were found to be unfit for consumption. Zaman was found guilty of 12 food and hygiene safety offences at Bradford Crown Court, and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment and suspended for a year.

Online dating peaked during first week of Jan

The first weekend of 2016 was deemed as the busiest for online dating. According to a data analysis spanning 5 years, men aged 25 and women who are 30-years old were more likely to be searching for partners on dating sites.

Dating expert, Jo Barnett said, “People just want to a fresh start and it's a good time of year to wipe the slate clean and try something you might not have tried before. I think a lot of people will have been thinking about it for a while and may have been given a nudge about relationships from relatives over Christmas.”

Prince Philip is better dressed than Harry The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, continues to turn heads even at the age of 94. He outdid his grandson, Prince Harry, by being termed as the most stylish man in the Royal family.

Prince Philip, who has a reputation for frugalness, as well as reusing and mending his old and favourite outfits was ranked 12th in GQ magazine's Best Dressed Men list, coming slightly behind Benedict Cumberbatch and Harry Styles.

His 31-year-old Prince Philip beat his grandson by grandson, Prince being ranked 12th on the Best Harry was placed as Dressed Men list, while Prince Harry was ranked 38th 38th on the list. The sense as he was ranked Duke of Edinburgh has 26th on the list two years definitely made a mark back in the top 50. with his unique fashion

8

UK

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

CB Patel

Defiance, Defiance, Defiance...

As I See It

Amla, the accurate

South African Test cricket captain Hashim Amla has shown the utmost courage, concentration, skill and steely character in scoring a timely double

nation where an Indian origin person is a cricket captain and another Indian origin man is a Finance Minister (Pravin Gordhan).

Non-violence is the only way ahead for almost all conflicts and challenges.

Britain is unbeatable

hundred in the second Test match against England at Cape Town.

Amla's fourth double hundred in Tests could not have come at a more opportune time for him as well as for South Africa.

One has to remember that in the last 10 Test matches, his grand total was just about 100 runs. His lean form led several English commentators to write him off and to speculate on his captaincy.

In a way, South Africa, which was the strongest cricket team for several years, had a whitewash in India recently and the English team also

achieved a spectacular victory in the first Test at Durban.

In the first innings the English team made a huge score of 629 for 6 declared and the whirlwind batting of Ben Stokes (258) will be a benchmark for a long time.

It was such a gigantic score and with one wicket down for 7 runs, Hashim Amla had to regain his unique talent, show patience and carry on regardless, which he did so eminently.

Let's not forget Amla, of Indian (Gujarati) origin, is leading South Africa which was, just four decades ago during the dark days of apartheid, generating headlines when it refused to recognise and include Basil D'Oliveira, a coloured South African, in the English team.

Nelson Mandela has left a permanent legacy of a functioning rainbow

This small island has always stood defiantly against any aggressors and bullies. Fascism, extremism and religious hatred cannot kowtow Britain as a nation.

Several major European cities were

compelled to curtail or completely shut their public New Year celebrations under threats and intimidation. But not Britain.

In central London, just a stone's throw away from the Parliament, thousands of people celebrated and welcomed the New Year with all fanfare, without any fear of terror attacks.

Similarly, in Edinburgh in Scotland, thousands came out on streets and rejoiced to usher in the New Year with a bang. This is Britain. It may not be the richest or the most powerful nation in the world again, but surely it is a beacon of hope against terrorism and such inhuman aggressors.

Muscular diplomacy: Modi in Lahore Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, known for his spectacular and surprising initiatives, had a historic stopover in Lahore last week. It was

Both Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif (no relation) are working together against Taliban and terrorism.

After all Pakistan has paid the heaviest price in blood and toil. Let's not focus on the past. People make mistakes. Leaders make greater blunders. But when both Governments of India and Pakistan are trying to embark on the journey for peaceful coexistence, here comes Pathankot.

Some parties in India are politicising the terror attack which is neither necessary nor desirable.

It is very sad that some opposition parties in India are equally doing their utmost to throw spanners in the works of economic development which is so crucial for India.

The important legislations about the national sales tax (termed Goods and Sales Tax), land reforms for rapid infrastructure development and reasonable labour law reforms have been blocked in the Upper House of Indian Parliament where Prime Minister Modi's party/alliance is in minority.

In 19 months Prime Minister Modi has travelled to some 30 countries and forged an unprecedented relationship with the leaders in politics and business which could surely assist India, but the irresponsible behaviour of enemies of progress in India is delaying the

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Subhash Vithaldas Thakrar

Partner, CBW LLP, Accountants Vice President, London Chamber of Commerce Subhash.thakrar@CBW.co.uk

Home Grown Jehadis The Paris attacks bring home the reality that the attackers who commit these atrocious terrorist attacks are not young people who are born somewhere far of but home grown within us. This is the change from when 9/11 when the Taliban attackers were all from Middle East.

I was in Brussels at the European Parliament on 20 th November speaking at the World Forum of Ethics in Business. I managed to get away that evening as from the next morning the city was virtually closed. So the impact of these attacks extend beyond the epicentre of the attacks!

What is it that is leading to our young people getting so radicalised such that they not only want to give up the comforts of life that we have in the West but then to turn round and develop hatred against that very community.

Here, the radicals have become so strong in their minds that they believe killing others and killing themselves along with them is a heavenly act.

This is unprecedented if we look back at certain minorities who have committed heinous acts against humanity but they would not dedicate their personal lives for the cause. Hitler and his supporters were a minority and killed so many. Idi Amin was a minority and killed over a million Ugandans. Closure to home, there were the IRA bombers in UK. They had no intentions to kill themselves but were sure to want to kill others.

So what is it that is radicalising young people from our own communities in this way?

Yes, the finger is firmly pointed at the Muslim community. This is natural as all the attackers have been Muslims.

A question that I raised with CB in my recent meeting with him was what would be the situation if these attackers were actually Hindu jihadis instead. The media and members of wider

public would have developed anti Hindu sentiments. What sort of feelings would majority of us peace loving Hindus be getting? How would we react to such extremists who would call themselves the true followers of Hinduism? Their version of the religion would be different to ours but the wider public and most media would not know the difference. So how would we cope with such feelings?

I would suggest that we would not be comfortable with our lives in such a situation. We would get frustrated and may be helpless. The pleasure and comfort of leaving in this society may deteriorate for us. I put it to you that this must be the feeling amongst the peace loving moderate Muslims in our society.

I would also suggest that we would also not be willing to adopt a ‘quiet no comments’ approach. I believe we would become very vocal and disassociate ourselves from the so called Hindu jihadis.

We would also fully cooperate with the government to assist in catching and punishing the extremists. This ,however, is easily said than done.

Would you cooperate if you or your family are threatened with physical attack if you are seen to assist the authorities? Or go against the extreme sentiments?

The government is faced with serious challenges of terrorists born from our own communities and the majority of relevant community not doing or even seen to do anything to correct the bad mistakes from its own community.

This brings me back to asking why is this happening in our own communities. Well, perhaps it is the environment of up bringing of these young people.

Today’s terrorists in their 20s and 30 s are today’s generation that started life in similar years back. Were these not the children who did not get the best exposure to education? Were these not

the people who have been kind of neglected when best education, best jobs and best lifestyle were concerned? Muslims suffer from relatively lower education and higher unemployment such that they fall in the lower strata of society. The Muslim prison population is also relatively higher. When you are made to feel neglected, would you not react or do things that will get you more income or attention? Would you not be vulnerable? In these circumstances, if someone starts praising you and gives you that importance that you have never had before, would you not start enjoying this? Would you not start responding positively to this? If this starts early in your age, would you not starting to develop anti establishment feeling?

I believe today’s behaviour arises from generational change that took place a generation back. To change society, one must change a whole generation. This means analysing what was happening in this society 2530 years ago and then providing society with relevant support mechanism such that the next generation from this society become peaceful and law abiding.

I would give just one example. In South Africa, where I used to travel regularly over last 20 years, there were black teenagers who had been deprived of education, employment and comfort of life when they were small children and right up to when they became young adults. So they did not fit the community when they became adults.

The outcome was that these children became thugs and looters.

The South African society has moved on a lot and because of decent education and comforts of life being provided to wider community, crime rates are down as citizens are gainfully employed.

Their next generation is better behaved and more fitted to the wider community.

Police will be present at a Blackpool school after an apparent threat of a massacre was made on social media.

Lancashire Police confirmed that they are continuing to investigate who is behind Facebook messages which described

plans to ‘kill as many people as possible’ at Montgomery High School in Bispham, Blackpool, on Monday.

Photos of the two students who killed 12 students and one teacher before committing suicide at Columbine High School

in 1999 were also posted to social media.

Lancashire Police have reiterated that there is nothing to suggest that it is a ‘credible threat’ and were continuing to carry out inquiries to find out who is responsible for the messages.

Blackpool school to be guarded by police after ‘massacre threat’ on Facebook

most welcome and appropriate. It has every potential to lead to better environment in that region.

development process.

They may delay but can't stop. Sooner they learn, the better for everybody.

UK Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Leading Lights

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The British Businessman helping his State beat Cancer There are lots of successful business people in the Indian community, and many of them donate to charity. Some even start their own foundations.

But it’s rare to find someone who is so committed, so passionate about his or her cause that they seem to spend most of their public life either talking about it or being in the field, making health camps and helping the needy in their home states.

Meet Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal, who made such an impassioned speech at a recent charity event that he blew the audience’s socks off. He puts his money where his mouth is and has helped a lot of people in his home state, Punjab.

Where it all started Kulwant Dhaliwal took his degrees in Punjab, and emigrated to the UK at 27 years old. He built a successful business in fashion clothing retail and whole-

Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal

sale. He also built up a property portfolio that is now managed by his wife Manjit Kaur, as he retired at 45 to devote his life to charity. After losing his father-in-law to cancer in 2006, he decided to wage war against ignorance of

up to help provide people with cancer detection facilities. The charity has tested thousands of individuals all over India for a variety of cancers, helping in both the detection and education about prevention.

Since his appointment Kulwant has organised numerous camps across India reaching the smallest and the most remote villages to increase awareness and the early detection of cancer when it is curable.

The camps cater for cervix and prostate cancer along with breast and other forms of cancer. The disease leads to over 85% deaths in the state of Punjab.

Instead of taking donations, Mr. Dhaliwal inspires individuals to sponsor camps directly by requesting them to deliver World Cancer Care camps to their respective villages.

But it was due to his fight against cancer that Kulwant came to be speaking at Sterling Dental Foundation’s recent charity ball to raise money for charity walker Bobby Grewal.

the disease.

Challenges

Cancer Attack

Kulwant said that the toughest part of his advocacy work was getting people to accept that he wanted a charity that would help at ground level. His aim was to help people at

Mr. Kulwant Singh Dhaliwal is the Global Ambassador of charity ‘World Cancer Care.’

World Cancer Care was set

9

London Run. Mr. Dhaliwal set up the ‘Sant Singh Dhaliwal Trust’ in the name of his father to address female foeticide, the adolescent marriage of girls and a lack of educaThe Mission tion available to the poor.

After retiring, Mr. DhaliwaI discovered that Kulwant believes that the foeticide was the reason biggest gift that is of educathat boys made up 70% of tion and knowledge. He the children out of a popuwants that, instead of givlation of around 3,000 in ing money to a poor child, his birthplace, Bir Rauke in that they be given educaPunjab. tion so they can earn a The trust mainly living and eradioperates in this poverty cate area and has led from their to reversing the entire family.

Instead of taking female to male H e donations, ratio with 107 spreads females to 100 western Mr. Dhaliwal inspires males in the knowledge individuals to area. in India by sponsor camps It has using cancer directly adopted female educational children, eduand informacates and clothes tion material of them, teaches them life the NHS, by transskills and gives them finanlating them into different cial help for their marlanguages and distributing riages. leaflets.

The trust has provided Kulwant wants money school uniforms, books, to go to go to education stationary, and awards to and treatment “Instead of over 337 children since temples and places of wor1991 with over 18 individuship,” he says, as he did als now holding high rankmost forcefully at the ing government jobs.

Sterling Foundation Ball.

Kulwant said,” We take Kulwant is also the our buses round, the mamChairman of the ‘Sardar mogram machines are on Singh Dhaliwal Sant the buses. We find out if Trust’, an athletic charity. any of the family members He himself walks around have had cancer, and can 200 miles a month, taking take just six to seven minpart in charitable walks utes to do a mammogram.” like the 2013 British 10K their source directly, in their villages, and provide help where it was needed.

The challenge was to make people’s money count on the ground.

A RETROSPECTIVE

TUESDAY 26th JANUARY, 7pm CADOGAN HALL Sloane Terrace, London SW1X 9DQ Mahatma Gandhi is a legendary and much loved figure around the world. His ideology was based on the foundations of truth, nonviolence and service to humanity. Reflect on his life through a presentation comprising of rarely seen short films, audio recordings and much loved Gandhian bhajans.

PRESENTED BY Birad Yajnik, noted Gandhian author and curator RENDITIONS OF DEVOTIONAL SONGS PERFORMED BY Swati Natekar, Unnati Dasgupta, Sunil Jadav, Jonathan Meyer, Siddarth Singh & Amardeep Sarl.

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW Cadogan Hall Box Office 020 7730 4500 www.cadoganhall.com

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READERS’ VOICE

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Raja Ram Mohan Roy I read with interest your editorial. He was of course an amazing figure for India. He stopped Sati and made sure that Indians kept learning English. So yes, we owe him not just that but many other things.

I just wanted to point out that he died in Bristol and there is a beautiful memorial to him in the cemetery there. He was not allowed to be cremated in those days and therefore he is buried there. the memorial to him was built later by some wealthy Bengali.

It was in poor state and about 5 years ago I had a dinner at the House of Lords which was organised by a group of people from Bristol who wanted to raise money to refurbish and repair the memorial.

Dr Lalvani also contributed £5,000 towards it. If anyone is visiting Bristol they should try and visit this memorial, it makes you feel a great deal of pride inside for such a person.

Respect for Christianity

Welcome to 2016

I fully endorse Lord Dolar Popat’s statement that Britain is a Christian country. It is but natural that as majority of British people practice Christianity it automatically becomes religion of the nation. Even though secularism deters religion from influencing political affairs and decisions, no nation can be allowed to become Godless. Britain should not be allowed to become a zombie after being denied or barred from spirituality as offered by Christian religion. All those residing in Britain must also appreciate freedom of religion and worship permitted and protected by prevailing laws.

But Hinduism has a special place in our lives. Its values and teachings must not be sacrificed on altar of political correctness. Nor our pride in Christianity be allowed to devalue spiritual heritage of Hinduism. All Hindus must stress that Hinduism is strong enough to reinforce Christian religion. We also must stress that Hinduism predates all junior religions and also inclusive of teachings of these religions. Therefore Hinduism can easily synergize with prevailing religion.

Hindus must stress that we have achieved current status and wellbeing only due to Hindu values and practices. Glow of such confidence must be effectively impressed on all those who seek Hindu support.

I fully endorse the views of Lord Dollar Popat in Asian Voice 26.12.2015 “Britain is a Christian country and we should be proud of it.’’ Surely the vast majority of Asian Voice readers will feel the same. I have no hesitation in saying that Christianity has shaped the world for better.

Unfortunately, the number of practising Christians is on decline but its essence, nonetheless, is apparent and reflected in all walks of life. Justice, equality, fairness, tolerance, humanity and love for all are sensed and experienced in all aspects of social and political life. Immigrants of different backgrounds have found safety, security, freedom, and opportunity to succeed and excel.

Britain has given us so much; how can we be so ungrateful!!!

All religious scriptures teach their followers to respect other faiths.

God is one. Hymns of any faith are divine. Listening to Christian hymns is not offensive to Hindus and does not make them any less Hindu or un-Hindu.

It’s the moral obligation of all right minded people to preserve the rich Christian heritage.

I conclude by penning down that, I am proud to be Hindu and I am also very proud to live in a Christian country.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Niranjan Vasant London

Baroness Shreela Flather By email

Freedom of religion and worship in Britain

The Jains of India - the unparalleled altruists in the world

Modesty in views about the Jains in Mr Dinesh Sheth’s letter dated 26/12/15 is perceived with respect. The most interesting information about the Jains of India is certainly substantiated by the fact that the Jain nuns clothed in white still altruistically visit places bare footed, taking care to save life of even insects that come along their way, even in scorching heat to spread the message of Jainism - the true altruism: to follow the basic principles of considering the well being and happiness of others first.

And by their very nature they have formed the most peace-loving community worthy of being regarded with utmost respect and homage; and have gained wealth which is accumulated gradually by their conserved energies, health, strength and unity; and which is, in turn, spent altruistically in the society. Mahatma Gandhi’s adoption of the principle of Ahimsa - non violence - throughout his life is an example to the nationl and, it is believed, that this was one of the facts considered while granting independence by the British government; and as such, the Indian government is expected to preserve the values of its ancient civilisation which have a cultural base of Jainism as well.

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New Year is the time for celebration. But for some people 2016 has not made an iota of difference. If anything life has become a nightmare for them. Flooding in England, Scotland, the USA, South America and especially in Myanmar and Philippine Islands has destroyed properties and caused immense suffering to millions of people.

The most disturbing feature of the psychology of some people is complete disregard of such tragedies. Instead they celebrate causing even more suffering to their fellow humans. Germany has accepted a huge number of Muslim refugees from the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and especially from Syria. But instead of being grateful the Muslim terrorist of Iraq and Syria have apparently decided to attack that country forcing the German authority to close two railway stations and causing cancellation of a number of New Year celebrations throughout Europe.

Saudi Arabia has welcomed 2016 by executing 47 so-called terrorists including a prominent Shia Cleric. The Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi on his way back from Moscow made an unscheduled visit to Pakistan and met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hoping to improve Indo-Pakistan relation. Pakistan’s response was to send a number of terrorists in disguise of Indian soldiers to attack an airbase in Indian Punjab.

The main New Year resolution should be how to prevent radicalising of vulnerable minds and international terrorism. A disease can be cured only by treating its cause.

Until the ideology stemming from religious beliefs is addressed the terrorism the world has been experiencing is likely to continue.

Jatindra Saha By email

Britain’s Christian heritage

I was perplexed to read Lord Popat's article regarding the Christian heritage of this country. He claims that certain Asian organizations hold the view that public life in this country should be de-christianised. He knows that the word Asian is ambiguous.

The Indian Hindu community has never questioned the Christian roots of this country. Hindu families actually celebrate Christmas because it is their Dharma to respect all paths to God. For the last 34 years we have been organizing a Christmas Lunch in Croydon for our English friends. When it comes to tolerance the Hindu faith has led the way for centuries. While as he says there are few countries where there is freedom to practice one's faith without fear, I am proud that our country of origin India accommodates all faiths and the Christian community has been present there for 2000 years and flourishing, numbering over 20 million at present.

Lord Popat says that, ' we are becoming increasingly intolerant of Christianity'.

Who does he refer to? He says that Ugandan Asians came to the UK because of the Christian values of this country. People came here because as British passport holders they had no other choice. This is not taking anything away from the fact that individual English men and women went out of their way to help us to settle.

The Hindu community will forever be grateful for that. I think that Lord Popat's efforts should be diverted to opposing people like Baroness Butler-Sloss and the increasingly secular organizations of this country.

Nitin Mehta Croydon

Sonia Gandhi’s ancestoral past

Mr. Joshi in one of the papers in Congress newsletter highlighted Sonia Gandhi’s family’s involved in Indian politics. Sonia is perceived as a low class European girl who came from a very poor family and the family consists of three girls and they were so poor they did not have enough money to buy clothes.

Since Sonia was born outside India the sinister political activities of her family never came to light and everything was hushed up. During the end of World War two as a Fascist member of the party her father helped sending thousands of innocent Jews to Germany in Cattle truck which helped to put them in gas chamber. Sonia never talked about her family’s involvement in the public. The information was blacked out and only Javier Moro’s book ‘the red Sari ‘published some information about her family which was banned in 2010 and set fire to the book. In Mr. Joshi’s article he mentioned about her family’s involvement with Fascists and he was sacked. NDTV never mentioned her family’s association with Fascists I do not understand why the constitional experts allow foreigners like Italians, Bangladeshi and foreign terrorists to obtain full Indian citizen and become Prime Minster of India. When the Congress party dug the Modi’s past history, it is time for The BJP to find out Sonia’s sinister activities of the family who helped to kill thousands of Jews. It is a shame on the part Congress party to appoint a person from a fascist family to become the leader of the Congress party and the party is tainted. Nobody in India published about her early years and her family back ground which is a mystery.

RN Patel Essex

Arun Vaidyanathan By email

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By Remya Unnithan, National General Secretary

Bad People or Bad Circumstances…?

Theft, assault, rape, murder! These are the acts I hear about every day – whether it is on the news while I hurriedly eat my breakfast in the morning on my way to work, on public transport on my commute from A to B, in a wide array of films, from Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange’ to ‘Chan-Wook Park’s ‘Oldboy’ or even in my job, working in a Criminal Defence and Mental Health law firm. I, as well as nearly every one of you are surrounded by violence, pessimism, malice and as some may say, evil.

So, what differentiates us from those who commit or allegedly commit crime? More often than not, it’s circumstances. It isn’t that the wrong we see on a daily basis is because there are bad people, but because these so called “bad people” are surrounded by a bad ambience, which ultimately impacts the way they think and act. Some use it to their advantage, for example, Dave Pelzer wrote his phenomenal and inspiring story ‘A Child Called “It”’, to ‘A Man Named “Dave”’ based on his horrific upbringing by his mother.

Others, regrettably, do not!

From the wife who was mentally and physically abused by her husband to the child who was peer pressured into taking a spliff. From the lawyer with an extraordinary career who was ultimately made redundant leading to depression to someone who witnessed a serious crime and the child who

was cyberbullied –one acts and thinks the way they do because of circumstances! Think about it. What would you do if you were in a similar situation as listed? The question is too hypothetical to answer and those of you who can answer it, is answering based on your own personal circumstances.

Are these people really bad or are they a product of their circumstance?

I must stress that I am not saying that those who commit crime have a justified excuse because of their unfortunate circumstances; they have done something wrong and therefore must face the consequences ahead of them.

However, doing something wrong and being a bad person are two different things –sometimes it correlates and at times it does not.

I am frequently asked how “how on earth do you do your job”. On numerous occasions, I have even been told by several people that they could never do the job that I do. But, the bottom line is, we are all human –some of us make mistakes, some of us are a victim of circumstance and yes, at times some of us have no excuse and are just corrupt!

Don’t we all deserve a second chance though? Even the murderers? A lot of us will read the latter question and abruptly answer “no”. Even I would. Who felt that way when Red, played by Morgan Freeman, was released from custody in ‘The Shawshank Redemption’?

He not only admitted to killing a man, but he had no defence, yet we all watched that scene where his parole was approved with warmth and content.

We saw a man, a virtuous man, a murderer, get released from prison and we were all just…delighted! We saw the point of view of the wrongdoer. I have met a number of people in my line of work similar to Red, yet the same people who felt that glee watching the film would say they do not deserve a second chance.

Victim of circumstance or bad people?

Whoever you are, whatever you have done, we all need help and support, otherwise we will always be a victim of circumstance or remain blind that we are doing something wrong, to the point where we will commit further wrongdoings.

Students can potentially be highly exposed to bad environments that can cause an adverse effect.

They are introduced to various classes of drugs; some go through depression, whether it is because of a bad break-up, anxiety over their future, exams or because of problems at home.

As members of NHSF (UK), we support our fellow peers to prevent others from being a victim of circumstance and instead use their circumstances to their advantage. We must endeavour to achieve our objectives and empower each other into becoming good, inspiring people!

We must seek to create those future leaders of society!

Innovative counselling scheme tackles domestic violence COUNCIL NEWS

Harrow Council is the first authority in the UK to pilot a cutting edge domestic violence programme. The scheme brings together couples where there have been incidents of domestic violence to discuss the impact of their behaviour in a supportive environment.

Traditional models used at the moment only work with the abuser and not the whole family. The new programme is designed to help couples understand what triggers abuse and how to avoid those situations.

The programme will be run by trained psychotherapists and counsellors from

Domestic violence poster

the Tavistock Centre for couples relationships. They will work closely with the families to discover the triggers for the abuse and help the couples to use techniques to defuse situations.

Ten couples have been selected to take part in the

Times tables 'to be tested by age 11' Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

National Hindu Students Forum (UK)

first phase of this scheme, after screening and risk assessment to make sure the programme is safe and suitable. Counsellors will initially work with the participants individually, followed by sessions with the couples together. Social workers from Harrow will also undertake direct work with the children to assess the impact of the violence.

The programme started on 1 December 2015, which coincided with a local awareness raising campaign to ensure residents know where they can go for help and how to report domestic violence.

11

Every pupil in England will be tested on their times tables before leaving primary school, under government plans. Pupils aged 11 will be expected to know their tables up to 12x12, and will be tested using an "on-screen check".

The checks will be piloted to about 3,000 pupils in 80 primary schools this summer, before being rolled out across the country in 2017.

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said maths was a non-negotiable aspect of a good education.

The "on-screen check" examination will involve children completing multiplication challenges against the clock, which will be scored instantly.

Children to be tested on times table by age 11

The Department for Education says it is the first use of on-screen technology in National Curriculum tests. Ms Morgan has also said teachers will be judged by the results of the tests: "Since 2010, we've seen record numbers of 11 year olds start secondary school with a good grasp of the three Rs. But some continue to struggle. "That is why, as part of our commit-

ment to extend opportunity and deliver educational excellence everywhere we are introducing a new check to ensure that all pupils know their times tables by age 11. They will help teachers recognise those pupils at risk of falling behind and allow us to target those areas where children aren't being given a fair shot to succeed."

In 2015, 80% of Year 6 pupils achieved Level 4 in maths, reading and writing, up from 78% last year.

But Labour says standards are being threatened by a shortage of teachers, and in the past some teaching unions have warned additional tests can place unwelcome pressure on teachers and pupils.

Learn a language in 2016, Britons are urged As the New Year beckons, the British Council is calling on people in the UK to make learning a foreign language their resolution for 2016. The campaign is being backed by actor and broadcaster Larry Lamb.

In August, a poll of 2,098 UK adults by the British Council poll found a quarter felt nervous at the thought of having to speak a language on holiday.

The Council's languages drive comes as the number of pupils taking

Britons are urged to learning foreign languages

GCSEs in modern languages continues to fall.

Higher Education Statistics Agency data

released in February showed that entries to modern foreign language degree courses had dropped. French fell by 25%, German by 34% and Spanish by 1%. Overall the number of entrants to modern foreign languages fell by 16% between 2007/08 and 2013/14.

The British Council says tackling "just a phrase a day" in a foreign language could see people greatly improve their language skills.

12

MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stopover in Pakistan en route to New Delhi from Moscow and Kabul held the media in thrall.

The mills of fevered speculation were in overdrive at the nature of the cloak and dagger exercise. Secret talks between spooks in third countries, back channel exchanges through businessmen and flights of fancy that in a more rational environment would be bedtime reading for kids were churned out in reams of column inches in Pakistan supplements without the name.

The parallel that might have lent greater spice to this Pakistan epic, regurgitated in the Times of India, for instance, would have been at last passing reference to Henry Kissinger’s memorable descent on Beijing the summer of 1971.

A Mumbai-based Congress party magazine, Darshan, with a picture of Sonia Gandhi on the cover has made a vitriolic attack on Jawaharlal Nehru, much to the amusement of local BJP and Shiv Sena officials. Was it a gaffe, or was this an internal party revolt aimed to discredit Sonia Gandhi?

Nehru was able to live with criticism as his letter to the cartoonist Shankar asking him to continue to do so whenever he, wished, shows (TV report December 28, press reports December 29, 2015)

MPs demand double pay

India’s MPs have demanded their salaries be hiked two-fold , even as the work they do in Parliament has been diminishing substantially session by session.

Shades of Communist-led Left Front rule in Bengal: the ‘toiling masses’ were tutored to strike for wages increases and less work (TV report) December 24)

India-Russia exercises

Modi with Nawaz Sharif

Media memory cells in India usually expire after a week, hence the Kissinger epic is now a mildewed relics of a forgotten past. So, is the Modi-Sharif embrace the start of a new era in the tortured history of the Subcontinent, the brave new world to be? A RSS deity has proclaimed the first light of a new dawn in the fulfilling vision of Akhand Bharat.

Such mysteries are best left for poltergeists and kindred spirits of the nether world to decipher.

Those of common clay would do better to wait and see how the promised nirvana unfolds.

Unpropitious signals

Early signals don’t look to good.

A jihadi attack on Indian Air Force base at Pathankot, near the Pakistan border, according to the latest reports, have been repelled, with six of the attackers killed.

Indian commandos and helicopter gunships took part in the operations (TVV reports Januarty 2) Is there any change in the Pakistani mindset?? No, say Bangladesh 0fficials. Dhaka having expelled a Pakistani woman diplomat for covert ties with jihadi groups iun the country. Also, Islamabad’s recent denial of Pakistani atrocities in the country in the Liberation struggle in 1971, has led to the withdrawal of the Bangladeshi ambassador in Islamabad The leopard, it would appear hasn’t changed its spots.(Times of India December 27)

Sena take

Shiv Sena, the BJP’s coalition partner in the Maharashtra state government, warned the Modi regime in Delhi that previous unilateral peace approaches to Pakistan had brought only a crown of thorns – witness Atal Bihari’s initiative in 1999. With a turn of the screw, the Sena put the telling question: ‘ ‘Modi’s efforts to improve relations with Pakistan are admirable. But the country wonders about BJP’s reaction , had it been a Congress

PM who landed at Karachi or Lahore.’ (Hindu December 29)

ISI man snared

K K Ranjith, an aircraftsman with the Indian Air Force walked into a honey-trap with a UKbased woman, believed to be an agent of the Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence directorate, has been arrested for espionage.

He gave away details of Tactical and Combat Development from the Gwalior establishment; location details of IAF warplanes deployment units; Bathinda air base maps; also details of recent IAF exercises. In the past month or so, nine operatives from six locations, including Kolkata, Pokhran, , and Jodhpur (Times of India, Telegraph, Hindu December 30)

Sonia, Rahul savaged

Ramchandra Guha, academic and Telegraph (December 24) columnist, came out with guns blazing at the mother-son duo of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi – doting parent, indulged offspring, utterly inept, a clueless bore determined to consign the Congress party and its historic lineage to the dustbin of history. Guha’s diatribe was triggered by an excoriating assault on the discredited pair, by MJ Akbar, formerly a Congressman and biographer of Jawaharlal Nehru, but now a BJP stalwart.

India and Russia conducted a naval exercise, Operation Indra, in mid-December off the Andhra Pradesh coast in Bay of Bengal, Visakhapatnam being the operating base. The two navies practiced ant-submarine drills and a live-fire operation involving aerial and surface targets, with assault teams supported by helicopters to reclaim a ship seized by simulated terrorists. Frigates, destroyers, tankers, an Indian submarine, a Poseidon P 81 maritime surveillance, while the Russian provided a guided missile cruiser and a rescue tug (Russia India Report, Moscow)

HAL to build Russian copters

Russia has opted for state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for the manufacture of its 200 Kamov 226T light utility helicopters rather than a private partner because of HAL’s proven experience in producing Russian military platforms. India has agree to the arrangement (Hindu December 30)

Reliance, Almaz Antey missile systems

Indian is to induct into its armed forces. This falls within the ambit of the ‘Make in India’ as well as the offset policies of the Indian Defence Ministry. The two sides discussed upgrades of systems already in service in India and Research & Development cooperation.

Astra’s proven capability

India’s air-to-air Beyond Visual Range Astra missile, designed and developed by the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) tested its anti-jamming capability and is now ready for induction into the Indian Air Force (IAF), with the entire package of tests completed.

‘The trials were vigorous, and the state-of-the-arty missile did very well,’ said a DRDO source. Astra will be integrated with IAF’s aircraft (Hindu frontline December 26)

IIT Bombay Techfest

Some 150,000 students descended recently on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Powai (Mumbai) campus for the technology festival annual (Techfest), Asia’s largest patronized by UNICEF. Alumni from 2,5000 colleges across India and 500 colleges from abroad participated. On display were innovative devices that might well transform the lives of ordinary Indians. Among them were the Walking Humanoid Robot, an automated robot capable of mining in lunar environments, lowcost programmed robots and robots come in handy during disaster relief operations. To make low-cost solar lamps for communities in India’s rural hinterland was also held.

Companies raise $4 billion in 2015

Twenty-one companies have been listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange in 2015 with initial public offers to garner Rs 13,600 crore – a five-year high, while an impressive pipeline is already in place for 2016. IPOs worth Rs 14,000 crore will soon be hitting the market, and experts project a total of Rs 50,000 crore for the

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entire year. Experts see many more firms and small finance bank licensees tapping the IPO market to raise funds (Hindu December 26)

India exporter of doctors

India has emerged as the highest exporter of doctors and nurses to Europe, according to a report from Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD). More than a third of the UK’s National Health Service – 35 per cent – were born abroad.

‘India and the Philippines were the largest exporters of doctors and nurses to OECD countries by a spectacular margin,’ said the report. However, NHS figures point to decline in the number of Indian doctors on its rolls, from 10,265 in 2009 to 6,880 today (Times of India December 29)

Industry majors In joint project

Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata, Maruti Suzuki have teamed up to invest and develop components and systems for electric and hybrid vehicles. Mahindra Reva CEO Arvind Matthew, at a press conference at Bangalore, said that the three companies are working together to achieve common standards and drive down costs.

India counts on biotech growth

By harnessing the power of Big Data and promoting the manufacture of laboratory equipment, the Department of Biotechnology to be the driving force for a $100 billion industry by 2025, from the present $10 billion, with Government in the role of facilitator by helping attract skilled talent and putting in place appropriate regulatory norms (Hindu)

States to partner Railways

Joint ventures by Indian Railways and with selected state governments to mobilize resources and develop rail infrastructure – a win-win situation, said an official, with an initial paid up capital of Rs 100 crore.

(Telegraph December 31)

Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence and Russia’s leading developer of air defence missile systems have agreed on a joint venture on the development and manufacture of

Congress gaffe or revolt?

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Kremlin in Mosco. see comment page 3

Anil Ambani

Sonia Gandhi

the entire range of missiles and radar required for India’s military. Almaz Antey was responsible for Russia’s prized S-400 Triumf defence system which

Barack 8 Indo-Israel missile test. see comment page 3

UK Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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13

Passengers of London-Ahmedabad direct flight angry, asked to get off at Mumbai The Middle East – The West is a Pawn

The fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia shows one clear truth: we in the West are not to blame for every conflict in the Middle East. This is a battle they have fought among themselves for 1000 years.

We in the West have been pawns in their power struggles, not the other way around.

We have been seduced into settling their scores, not the other way around. We have been manipulated in the great game, not the other way around. It is us who went into Iraq, because Kuwait was invaded by Iraq, and we were told by them they had weapons, and we believed them. They started it, not us.

It is too easy to think that just because the British Empire for a hundred years ruled in the region, that all Western powers are to blame for 1,000 years of conflict.

The conflict started when Abraham had two children, Ishmael and Isaac – and the tribes of both have been fighting each other - so it’s been around for 5,000 years, when the West lived in caves.

But now we have allies, allies whose practices we don’t like, such as Saudi Arabia, but I would rather be on the same side of the table nudging and pushing them, than on the other side. I would rather be watching them, criticizing them that if they want our friendship we need

things from them, we do want rights for women, for workers and until that exists we will never be the very best of friends, but we won’t break up, not least because we too receive benefits, such as jobs from their investments.

Take Qatar, in the UK Parliament, you will hear how they are allies in the war on terror, on investing in the UK (been to Harrods recently?), creating jobs. But yes we will also as with all friends criticize when they do not live according to the standards we consider universal.

What now with the mess between Saudi and Iran? Outright conflict and war is a possibility – just as 300 years ago the West say the 30 year war between its two factions of Protestants and Catholics. Iran knows the battle is one it cannot win. Iran would have Russia as an ally, who does not want the balance of power to be entirely in Western side. But that does not mean the West is the puppet master, just because by removing Iran’s existing regime would remove the major power in the region which is a thorn to the West.

It’s too easy to blame the West for everything in the region, to think we are the ones with all the power of manipulation, that our allies are all bad and evil.

The truth is we have friends there who are more than capable in their own right.

British-educated Isil member killed There are claims that a Cardiff businessman, Siful Haque Sujan, who became a cyber expert for Isil was killed in an American air strike.

The computer expert, who was educated in Britain has spent over ten

years in the UK studying and working, before he joined Isil as one of its to cyber experts. The 31year-old Bangladeshi became a senior militant figure who allegedly led hacking campaigns in order to defeat tracking

Passengers of the Air India direct flight to Ahmedabad were left discontent and totally disappointed, after they were asked to disembark in Mumbai without any prior notice, instead of staying on the flight to continue the last leg of their journey. After years of campaigning by Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Prime Narendra Modi during his historic visit to the UK in his Wembley speech had promised a direct flight to Gujarat via Mumbai. As per definition, a direct flight may halt at another port before it reaches the final destination, but passengers for the final stop need not disembark. A non stop flight does not stop anywhere before it reaches the final destination.

From 15 December the direct flight to Ahmedabad was reinstated, and the Indian Prime Minister had attributed the drive behind the campaign to our Publisher/Editor and his 'special friend' Mr CB Patel.

But 15 days later, to the community's disappointment Air India has reportedly stopped flying their direct flights, going back to their earlier arrangements, where passengers had to disembark in Mumbai and get on to another flight, after waiting for a short while in Mumbai.

Vimlaben Patel &

Kusumben Patel, who were travelling to Ahmedabad were not told the flight would not be flying direct to Ahmedabad. In Mumbai they were made to get off, do security check and change to another flight to go to Ahmedabad, leaving them totally confused. “We did not expect that we had

to get off. This was totally unexpected in wee hour of the morning. We were not mentally prepared.”

Chetan Patel and Parul Patel, who had bought expensive alcohol bottles as gifts, not only had to disembark and go through another round of security check, but also were denied the bottles back in Mumbai, perhaps due to liquid restrictions.

Vijyaben Vyas who was a wheelchair bound passenger, told Asian Voice, “I chose a direct flight, because I did not want to get off at Mumbai. But I had to ultimately get off and no one can imagine the hassles a person like me faces. Very disappointing.”

Dhanwant and Sushila Patel called up the Asian Voice saying it was misrepresentation of the actual scenario and they felt cheated. “We booked this

flight after reading in Asian Voice that Air India has a direct flight now. But this is not what we signed up for. I feel totally let down,” they added.

Yogesh and Toral Patel, who were flying on New Year's Eve, told Asian Voice, “The flight was supposed to leave UK at 1:30pm instead it only left at 7:30pm. This is really unacceptable.”

When escalated the matter to Tara Naidu, R e g i o n a l Manager of Air India (UK & Europe), she told Asian Voice, “As per the schedule most of the London-MumbaiAhmedabad flights are direct from London to Ahmedabad via Mumbai.

Passengers do not need to disembark at Mumbai, however understand that on a few flights there were some operational constraints due to which passengers had to disembark at Mumbai airport.

Only few flights (AI130/25Dec 15 – 136 mins, AI130/26 Dec 15 – 156 mins, AI130/27 Dec 15– 143 mins and AI130/29 Dec 15– 90 mins) had delays in December over an hour due to operational issues and we are working towards resolving these issues. When delays are more than an hour, passengers are deplaned for their personal comfort."

In deep water: People brave the weather to help the flood-affected While most of Britain spent the festive season snuggled up in the warmth of their homes with their loved ones, there were people who were left homeless and shattered due to the flood which occurred in Cumbria, as well as other parts of Northern England. As persistent rain continued to shower, there were reports of floods in Manchester and Leeds city centre as well.

Reports have emerged that while the Department for International Development spent £61 million on the affected floods in the recent weeks in Britain, the department has spent over £100 million providing aid to oversea countries that were hit with devastations.

The highest aid was

and surveillance by Western spy agencies.

Troops were out to rescue those affected by the flood

A Coastguard helicopter was out to rescue those affected by the flood

given to the Philippines alone, with £77 million given to help it recover from typhoon Haiyan.

Bangladesh received £7 million, while Pakistan was given £5.7 million for devastations caused by monsoons.

Labour MP Simon Danczuk criticised the figures. He said, “Why do we spend money in Bangladesh when it needs spending in Great Britain?

What we need to do is to sort out the problems occurring here and not focus so much on developing countries. That has to be our

priority.”

Presently, The Government invests up to £1 billion annually providing aid to poor nations to help them during devastations, and this figure is likely to increase to £1.7 billion per year by 2020.

Mandy Lord (53), was trapped in her home due to the flood, and she described the situation as being in “Noah's ark”. She said, “We had sandbags and floodboards around the house but it still got in through the floorboards.

We managed to save all our animals and one of our neighbour's cats who had got trapped.”

It is said that about 100 soldiers from 2nd Battalion, Duke of

Lancaster's Regiment, were called in to help the fire fighters and police team to help search for those worst-affected by the flood in Whalley.

Commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, Lt-Col Hamish Cormack stated, “It's a dynamic situation.

The water levels are still rising so it's very much a case of 'wait and see; and plan for the worst case.”

It is said that the

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service had suggested that an estimated 500 to 600 homes could need to be evacuated.

Many people even risked their own lives in order to ensure the safety of their elderly neighbours.

Although the devastation has left many aghast, every cloud has a silver lining.

Lucy Emmott and Pete Dickson refused to be

Mytholmroyd, Calderdale goes underwater

beaten by the torrential weather and went along with their initial plans of tying the knot, even if it meant sporting wellington boots wither their wedding attire.

14 COMMUNITY

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Map reveals 50% of 95th birth celebration of Pramukh Swami Maharaj Londoners are foreign-born AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

The 95th birth anniversary of Pramukh Swami Maharaj was devoutly celebrated on Saturday 19th December 2015 at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London.

The evening programme explored the profound impact of Pramukh Swami’s exemplary life through a montage of video clips, enlightening dramas, devotional songs as well as discourses and testimonies from sadhus and devotees.

Pramukh Swami’s positive and life-changing impressions on society were conveyed through a series of video clips. These messages were supported

A boy offering his prayers

with an informative sketch outlining an example of his inspirational guiding force. Members of the audience shared their own personal memories with their guru and explained how such experiences have bettered their lives.

Swamiji’s notable achievements were displayed on screen through and figures. facts Anandpriya Swami brought this factual journey to life by describing his tireless efforts to serve his devotees. Tyagratna Swami eluded to the importance of personal attachment to a Satpurush Prabuddhmuni and Swami delved deeper into Pramukh Swami’s spiritual status as the fifth successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.

Youths performed a medley of vibrant bhajans to pay tribute to Swamiji’s life and works which invoked joyous celebrations from the audience.

Satyavrat Swami enlightened the gathering on how they can contribute to the centennial birth celebrations of Pramukh Swami which were officially launched in Sarangpur earlier that day.

The weekend saw people at centres and Mandirs across the country, and the world, gather to acknowledge this momentous occasion. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is currently in Sarangpur, India, where his birthday celebrations attracted around 250,000 people from across the world.

The capital has now reached its highest population with 8.6 million, and is also at its most diverse ethnically. There are large numbers of residents in London who were born abroad.

Figures reveal that 10 out of the 32 London boroughs are dominated by residents who were born in India, while residents born in Bangladesh, Poland, Nigeria and Turkey dominate in at least three boroughs each.

The ten boroughs with a majority of Indian-born citizens are Barnet (35.9%), Harrow (50.2%), Hillingdon (30.4%), Brent (53.3%), Ealing (46.9%), Hounslow (47.1%), Croydon

The number of foreignborn residents currently in London

95th birth anniversary celebration at Swaminarayan Mandir, London

Museum of Oxford displays 800-yearold Ganesha statue An 800-year-old Hindu sculpture is on display alongside objects from Oxford's Hindu community.The statue of the Lord Ganesha forms the centrepiece to the 40 Years, 40 Objects exhibition at the Museum of Oxford.

The Ganesha statue, on loan from the British Museum, is sitting alongside statues donated by members of Oxford's Hindu community. It is currently touring seven museums, including Bournemouth, Bradford, Birmingham, London and County Durham.

Sadly Lord Ganesha will leave Oxford on the 12th January, so a special Vidai Pooja for Ganesha's safe onwards journey will take place on that day at The Oxford Town Hall from 5.00 pm until

7.30pm. The event has been organised by The Oxford Hindu Temple and Community Centre Project (www.oxfordhindutemple.org).

The special prayer will be attended by Heads of the Community and Many dignitaries and many special VIP guests. Everyone is welcome to attend the special exhibition.

The OHTCCP is a long running Project and will be launching their 5 year Community Centre Project Fund raising plan. With hope that they will be supported by the whole Hindu Community Worldwide in finally realising their dream of a place to belong for the Oxford's Hindu Community.

The Community Centre project will be open to the whole Community regardless of

ethnicity. A place where prayers, meeting and other social religious and community gatherings can be held.

For more details contact Jaya Patel at soulinspiration2@hotmail.co.uk.

Web: www.oxfordhindutemple.org

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

This map of London shows the boroughs which have a predominate Indian-born population

(32.8%), Bromley (15.9%), Havering and Redbridge.

Currently, there are approximately 267,000 Indian-born Londoners, 126,000 from Bangladesh and 113,000 from Pakistan.

According to the predictions from the census carried out in 2011, experts suggest that the number of foreign-born people residing in London will exceed native Britons by 2031, with an estimated five million.

The rise in the number of non-British born Londoners is predicted to total the city's population to over 10 million in 2031,

and 11 million in 2041. As the number of foreignborn residents are on an uprise, Britain will allegedly see a slow decline of British-born people.

Professor Michael Batty, from University College London (UCL), stated hat the huge growth in the population over the last ten years “relates to international migration”.

He said, “It went down [population] from about 8 million to 6.6 million over a period of about 30 years and the main reason was suburbanisation- suburban growth, people getting cars, changing transport and also slum clearance.”

Irish originate from the Middle East and Eurasia A genetic study has shed some light on the origins of the Irish race.

According to geneticists from Trinity College, Dublin, and archaeologists from Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland’s early population may have come to the country from as far away as the Middle East and Eurasia.

Dan Bradley, lead researcher and a genetics professor at Trinity College, Dublin, and his team sequenced the genome of an early farm woman who lived near modern-day Belfast about 5,200 years ago, as well as three Bronze Age contemporaries from about 4,000 years ago.

The skull of the Neolithic farmer woman, uncovered at a burial site near Belfast, revealed her DNA was a mix of hunter gatherers and early farmers from as far afield as the Middle East. She looked like modern Southern Europeans, with black hair and dark eyes.

Meanwhile, the three Bronze age men whose genes were sequenced from remains found on Rathlin island off Northern Ireland had 30% genetic make-up “from the peoples originat-

ing above the Black Sea”.

Descendants of people from the Pontic Steppe – a Black Sea region stretching across modern Ukraine, Russia and Georgia – may have migrated to Ireland more than 4,000 years ago in the Bronze Age, bringing

the gene for blue eyes.

Farming originated in the Middle East 7500 years ago.

However, no country has evolved on its own i.e. no country can claim to have a 'pure race'. Race is a cultural concept, not a biological one.

A high degree of genetic diversity exists within populations because individuals from different populations have always intermingled and mated with each other. Given that populations have interbred for most of human history, most anthropologists reject the idea that “pure” races existed at some time in the distant past, according to Microsoft Encarta Encyclopaedia (2002).

According to New Standard Encyclopaedia (1971), “There are no pure races in existence, and no traces have been found of pure races in the past. This is because crossbreeding between different people has gone on since before the dawn of history.”

SP

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Freemasons banned from Hillsborough 'cover-up' inquiry Freemasons have been banned from being employed on the biggest criminal investigation into alleged police criminality.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPC) is ivestigating allegations of a cover up after the crush that killed 96 Liverpool football fans in the Hillsborough disaster. But the watchdog has ruled that freemasons cannot be employed as civilian investigators on its work related to Hillsborough despite a court ruling banning the discrimination.

A spokesperon for the commission said, “The IPCC is examining whether there was any form of influence on the decision making of police involved in the disaster., arising from the membership of any organisations, or groups...”

The United Grand Lodge of England which represents 200,0000 freemasons said it did not believe that the ban was necessary and that it was

fully cooperating with the commissions inquiry.

Grand Lodge of India The Grand Lodge of India (GLI) is the main governing body of Freemasonry within India and was officially constituted on Friday 24 November 1961.

Freemasonry traces its roots in India in the early years of the 18th century.

In 1730 officers of the East India Company held their meetings in Fort William in Calcutta. The number given to the Lodge was 72.

The Goshamal Baradari, Hyderabad, built in 1682 by Sultan Abul Hassan Tanasha, is the oldest building used as a Masonic Temple in India.

Built in 1682, it was donated to the fraternity in 1872 by the Nizam of Hyderabad.

Some of the famous Indian freemasons include: Swami Vivekananda, Dr. C. Rajagopalachari and Pandit Motilal Nehru to name a few.

Wrongfully arrested victim's Met application rejected Sabbir Ahmed Malik (25), an expert in counterextremism who specialises in preventing radicalisation and domestic abuse, had aspirations of joining Scotland Yard. However, his application was rejected and he claims it is because he had successfully sued the police force for wrongfully arresting him.

Malik, who has a postgraduate degree in human rights and is a council official, had applied to join the Metropolitan police. He had decided to apply after the Metropolitan police had launched a campaign to get more people with second languages, including Bengali, to join the police force. Malik, who speaks several languages felt he was apt for this role.

He was left surprised as his application was rejected due to his wrongful arrest, even though the force's head of human resources, Robin Wilkinson stated that minor convictions and warnings would not prelude someone from becoming a police officer.

In 2014, Malik had won £18,500 against the Met for wrongful arrest. He had also received a letter of apology, as well as a written confirmation that his DNA and fingerprints will be removed from the police national computer system.

However, Sabbir Malik received a letter from the Met in May 2015, which stated he had failed his

Sabbir Ahmed Malik's application was rejected by the Met vetting “due to receiving a reprimand for shoplifting on 10/03/2005”, when we was 14 years old.

Malik wrote a letter of complaint to the Met commissioner, Bernard Hogan-Howe, but he received a reply which stated, “On the vetting form you completed on 20th February 2015, it states that 'the commissioner retains the right to reject any application without giving reasons.”

For Malik, joining the police has been a “lifelong” aspiration and he now seeks legal advice regarding the Met's rejection of his application. He said, “It has been my lifelong ambition to join the police. I wanted to build bridges between the community and the police where there is a tradition of distrust. I think I've been discriminated against by the Met police, simply because I sued them for a mistake they committed twice against me. Instead of turning against the police, I still wanted to join them.”

TLIGHT

15

Sanjay Sood-Smith

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

A Wholesome Bite of Business Sunetra Senior

A major contender on the 10th series of BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, Sanjay is every bit as upbeat and energetic as he appeared on the show. Currently in the middle of launching his new food business ‘Tuk In’, a curry wrap creation 'The days a fresh and vibrant twist, his perwhen you had with sonal qualities are continuing to serve to be hardhim well. Sood-Smith impressed everyone when he came back for the nosed and bru- finals, and inspired fellow contestant tal are long Mark Wright to victory, “I think people just assume that to make it in the corpogone' rate world you have to be cut-throat, and really tough and uncaring” he told us, “but that is not at all the case.” The young entrepreneur, referred to as ‘a guardian angel’ by Wright, also provides a motivational speaking service on the side, including goal-setting and personal development.

Happily making the time to talk to us despite the buzz and bustle of the festive period, Sood-Smith shows us that having a balanced attitude is the staple of healthy work life.

Tell me about more about your business Tuk In; what do you think makes it unique?

We’re giving you a variety of curries wrapped in naan bread. It’s one of the nation’s favourite foods made accessible. There’s no faffing with cutlery, and you can have it on the go without a mess. But as well as the convenience aspect, we’re also focussed on health. We use fresh ingredients and each wrap is high in nutrients.

Is there a particular marketing technique you used, apart from the catchy name? (laughs) Well our goal was to make it contemporary Indian. I’m half Indian and half English myself, and I wanted to give it that feel; something firmly rooted in Indian culture, but appealing to the British market. One of the images we are using is the colourfulness from the Holi festival so it’s really modern and multicultural.

You have a background in banking, but have since turned to the foodie franchise. Is that something you’ve always been interested in?

Yes, I’ve grown up around Indian food, and all through university I was a waiter. Initially when I left banking, my first hope was to start a contemporary Indian restaurant but after pairing up with a friend in banking, Tom, we thought it wiser to start a business with a broader appeal.

Elaborate on how your banking experience has informed your work in the food franchise?

I enjoyed a banking career for six years. It was the training ground that helped develop my operational and delivery skills. I was actually a branch manager looking after four different branches. I also moved into strategy retail development which exercised a high level of thinking. This continued with my experience in e-commerce and product development, so the industry really gave me a solid foundation.

What valuable lessons did you learn from ‘The Apprentice’?

That ability to understand different businesses and the skills required to thrive. I was working with different

ten to help Mark win! The show has fuelled my passion for working with food and I'm happy to be going after what I want. people, reacting to high pressure situations; having that ability to adapt and change quickly is integral to making it in business. Another experience was learning from the other candidates, who were all as equally passionate. It gave me the message that if you want something you should go out and get it.

What would you say was your toughest challenge on the show?

When we had to cart around a bus full of 25 people in Kent, on what was a coach tour; it was a big challenge because there were several different variables and you just never knew how people were going to react.

Was that also your most memorable moment?

Actually the most memorable is one I’ve had the pleasure of watching on screen, which was having a billboard that I designed being put up in Times Square. Incredible!

How did it feel to get as far long as you did?

So good. I've always been a fan of the show, for me it is as much about getting to do the tasks and play the game as well as trying to win. I thoroughly enjoyed doing all the challenges, and got to come back in week

Where do you want to branch out with Tuk in?

We are looking to expand over the next year: we’ve landed a contract with a big airline so we are going to be supplying them. We are expanding across different retail sectors in the UK and are currently in discussions with European retailers too. It's a very exciting time!

Something about the business world that people don’t know?

Not only is it possible to do business whilst maintaining integrity and having a conscience, but it is actually better for its development. Cultivating a relationship with people is important; the way you communicate matters. The days when you had to be hard-nosed and brutal are long gone.

Finally, what is your advice to other young entrepreneurs?

Some people have a natural entrepreneurial flair but for me having a grounding in a bigger organisation and working in a company for that period of time gave me the skills and understanding to succeed. So I would say, unless you have a really great idea that you’re 100% sure about, it’s worth building a foundation and having the experience to fall back on. twitter.com/sanjaysoodsmith

UK

ASIANS DAZZLE IN NEW YE

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Prime Minister David Cameron fac

Rupanjana Dutta The New Year’s Honours List has been published on Thursday 31 December in recognition of the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people right across the United Kingdom.

In total it includes 1,196 people, out of which around 35 people are of South Asian origin, including a Knighthood, given to Harpal Singh Kumar, Chief Executive, Cancer Research, UK for his contribution in the health sector. Two of Britain's most prominent businesswomen have been appointed dames in the new year's honours list.

However, the List has attracted much criticism for having privately educated people dominate the top echelons of the hounours system, as much as they did 60 years ago. PM Cameron was

Knights Bachelor Knighthood

Harpal Singh Kumar: Chief

Executive, Cancer Research UK. A former McKinsey consultant and medical entrepreneur, Harpal is jonoured for his services to cancer research. He has been hugely influential in promoting research into the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and cancer care. CRUK’s income and research spend are at an all-time high.

Under his leadership, it has been instrumental in pushing the Government to take further measures to reduce smoking and to ban sunbeds for under-18s. He also chaired the Independent Cancer Taskforce and authored the NHS Cancer Strategy “Achieving World Class Cancer Outcomes. A Strategy for England 201520”, published in July 2015.

He has been instrumental in setting up the Francis Crick Institute as a worldleading centre of biomedical research and innovation. He was interviewed exclusively

by Asian Voice in the British Punjabi magazine in 2014.

Although fewer Whitehall madarins have received honours, the list still contains a significant number of civil servants. This year 136 have beeb awarded, 6% of the total.

In addition to the honours recipients, this year sees three new admissions to the Order of Merit.

The Order of Merit is awarded to those who have rendered exceptionally meritorious services towards the advancement of the Arts, Learning, Literature and Science.

The award is in the personal gift of The Queen, and is limited to 24 living recipients.

Whilst maintaining a broadly equitable gender balance (48% female

accused of cronyism, for giving honours to Tory donors, including awarding a Damehood to a senior civil servant , accused of “catastrophic leadership failure.”

Moreover nearly half of the recipients of knighthood and above in 2015 attended public school, The Times has reported. People who attended either Oxford or Cambridge, also feature strongly- 27% of the recipients this year went to these universities. There have been repeated attempts by Tony Blair, Sir John Major and others to create a more meritrocratic system. Sir John made it easier for the public to make nominations amd david Cameron brought back the British Empire Medal.

overall) the New Year’s Honours List sees a significant rise in the proportion of awards to women at senior levels (38% female at Knighthood/Damehood/Clevel compared to only 31% female at those levels in the 2015 Birthday Honours).

In total, 76% of awards in the New Year’s Honours List will go to people who have undertaken outstanding work in or for their local community. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has announced 72 awards for Britons in recognition of truly exceptional and outstanding service to Britain overseas. There are also a number of awards in this List for services to World War Two Commemoration, Ebola campaign, philanthropy, science and technology, law and order, sport, industry and economy, education and health.

The list of Asian recipients are as follows Order of the British Empire

Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Zameer Mohammed Choudrey: Honoured for services to the UK Wholesale industry and charity in the UK and abroad.

Zameer Choudrey is the chief executive of Bestway, which is the seventh largest family owned business in the UK, with and annual turnover of £3.6 billion, and founded by his uncle, Sir Anwar Pervez.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, in 2015 Choudrey's net worth is £975 million; which makes him the second richest Pakistani in the UK. He is believed to be the architect of Bestway's diversification, especially into cement manufacturing, global banking, pharmacy etc. He is also renowned for his philanthropy and the founding Trustee of Bestway Foundation- a charitable trust of the Bestway Group that works exclusively in health and education.

Commenting on his appointment he said: “I cannot begin to express how honoured I am to have been includDr Raminder Singh Ranger, MBE: More popularly known as Rami Ranger, is the Chairman of Sun Mark Ltd. He has been honoured for his services to business and community. Rami, who is an entrepreneur and social and political reformer, his business interests span from his principal company, Sun Mark Ltd, which is an international marketing and distribution company, to diverse fields ranging from shipping to beverage manufacturing to property development. His company, Sun Mark, is the only company to have been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise for five years running and he has now been honoured by the Queen on seven occasions. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Sea Air and Land Forwarding Ltd, also a Queens Award for Export winner.

Speaking about his honour, Rami

ed by the Queen in her New Years Honours List. It gives me great pleasure to be recognised for my contributions in this manner. These honours represent everything that makes Britain great reinforcing how it doesn’t matter where you have come from, what matters is your work ethic and the impact you can make. It shows what matters is that you contribute and you help to make Britain even better, something many immigrants do on a daily basis across the nation.”

He continued: “At Bestway, we strive to sit at the heart of local communities throughout Britain, servicing them and supporting them however we can – whether that be by providing food and drink to local shopkeepers through our Wholesale business, or providing medicines and health services through Well Pharmacy, or whether that be by providing support to those in need through Bestway Foundation and its charitable work.”

said, "I was pleasantly pleased that my work and business have once again been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen. "My work to

build bridges between people of different faiths now living side by side in Britain is important as we must leave a country worthy of our next generation. As we now have one Queen and country, as a result, we have also become one. "I am grateful to my family and staff for their support as no one cannot achieve much alone. My friends have also supported me in getting this recognition.

"Our business at Sun Mark Ltd is growing rapidly as business must continue to move with the market.

Any business is as good as its last week’s turnover. As a result, business must evolving at all the times. "You will agree that honour endorse what one is doing and makes people more aware of the activities which led to the recognition. Honours not only encourage the individual to go further but also inspire others to emulate the recipient."

This

year

• 1,044 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level. 329 at BEM, 472 at MBE and 243 at OBE; • 76% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity; • There are 578 successful women candidates in the List, representing 48% of the total; • 5.7% of the successful candidates come from ethnic minority backgrounds; • 7.5% of the successful candidates consider themselves to have a disability under the Equality Act 2010.

Samir Desai: Peer to Peer and

Financial Inclusion Innovator.

Awarded for his contributions to the Financial Services. Samir is the CoFounder and Director at Funding Circle, which is the world’s leading marketplace exclusively focused on small businesses — more than £1bn ($1.5bn) has been lent to 12,000 businesses in the UK, USA, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Today, businesses can borrow directly from a wide range of investors, including more than 40,000 people, the UK Government, local councils, a university and a number of financial organisations.

Mr Desai said, “This honour is a testament to the hardwork of the Funding Circke team who have helped originate £1.25bn of loans from thousands of investors to small businesses in the last 5 years, creating over 50,000 jobs globally.”

Yasmin Sheikh, MBE: Cofounder, British community h o n o u r s awards. She has been awarded for her services to Women and S o c i a l Integration. Yasmin Sheikh MBE and the Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, founded these honours awards to highlight the positive contribution the British Muslim community to the British Society, as well as the increasing acceptance of the community into mainstream British Society.

UK Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

EAR’S HONOURS LIST 2016 www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

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17

ces criticism; is accused of cronyism Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Daljit Lally: Mrs Lally is the Deputy

Chief Executive, Northumberland County Council and Joint Executive Director, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. She is honoured for her services to integrated care. Daljit is the joint executive director of wellbeing and community health services working in a joint council role between NCC and NHCFT. Daljit is responsible for Adult Services, Children’s Social Care Services, Education and Public Health Service across Northumberland. In addition Daljit manages community health services across Northumberland and North Tyneside. Daljit’s previous roles have included management roles in both the public and private sector across the north east including as regional director of a care group.

Kala Patel: Managing Director,

Kiddycare Limited (Nurseries), Patel is honoured for services to the Childcare Business. An Asian woman from Kenya who moved to the UK aged 16, Kala Patel established Kiddycare nurseries, when she had her first child and was unhappy with the standard of childcare. Within a month of opening Kala had a waiting list of 300.

Despite the cultural challenges then managed to get a bank loan which supported its expansion to a second site. Kiddycare was born.

Today Kiddycare has five sites and provides quality childcare from 6 weeks to five years as well as out of school care for older children. Kala has won numerous industry awards and launched a consultancy arm recognising the business opportunity to provide childcare to corporate employees. She won the contract to manage Royal Mail’s nursery at its headquarters, a contract Kiddycare has proudly held for 16 years.

As Kiddy Care prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary next year it has received a number of opportunities for expansion in the UK, Dubai and all metro cities in India.

Raj Nayyar: Policy adviser, London, HM Revenue and Customs, Nayyar has been honoured for services to Tax policy.

Ramsingh Pratibha: District operations Manager, Work Services Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions, Pratibha has been honoured for his services to Jobseekers and Employer Engagement in London.

Gurmukh Singh: Patron at

Khalsa aid, Singh has been honoured for services to community cohesion and charity. Established in 1999, Khalsa Aid is an international non-profit aid and relief organization founded on the Sikh principles of selfless service and universal love.

Professor Meena Upadhyaya:

Meena Upadhyaya is a Professor of Medical Genetics at Cardiff University and has held a number of roles in public life including Trustee for Women Equality Network for Wales (Wen WALES), Mentor for students for University entrance and Governor for Hindu Cultural Association (HCA). She has a PhD from Cardiff University and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in Molecular Genetics. In 2010, Prof Upadhyaya won the Inspire Wales Award for Science & Technology and has received a Recognition Award from the Welsh Government in 2011 for her many contributions to Medical Genetics. Meena is also the founder and chairman of the Wales Asian Women Achievement Awards (WAWAA) which aim to empower Asian women throughout Wales and to better promote and applaud their input and support of all aspects of Welsh life. She has received this honour for her services to Medical Genetics and the Welsh Asian community.

Members of the Order of the British Empire

Fayyaz Ahmed: He has been honoured for services to interfaith

and community cohesion in Preston.

Zlakha Ahmed: Chief

Executive of Apna Haq, Ahmed has won this award for her services to Women's Rights and Community Cohesion in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

Apna Haq establishes support services for Muslim and black women facing domestic abuse issues. For the past twenty years, Ahmed has worked with black, Asian, and Muslim groups in a variety of community settings in the South Yorkshire region of the UK. Ms. Ahmed has a wealth of expertise on issues pertaining to violence against women and has gained credibility for her and Apna Haq’s work on the local, regional, and national levels. She has delivered trainings on violence against women to several agencies in Rotherham, and has also conducted domestic violence trainings for the South Yorkshire Magistrates for the past six years.

She is regularly invited to speak at conferences and campaigns that raise awareness about violence against women in the Asian and Muslim communities.

Ms Ahmed said, “It does feel like an amazing achievement. If I look at my work and how I’ve developed as an individual it’s always been about making a difference in the communities I live and work in. To get that work recognised is amazing.”

Nasir Awan (Ahmed Jamal):

Chief Executive Officer, Awan Marketing International.

Honoured for services to business and international trade. Nasir Awan, is also the President of the Institute of Asian Businesses. Nasir was born in 1958 in the city of Peshawar, in Pakistan. In 1967 he emigrated to England with his mother and younger brother, to join his father who had first arrived in England in 1962, serving in the Air Force as an officer. His late Father, was the first in the Royal Indian Air Force pre-partition, he stood to witness the action in Burma during the Second World War. Nasir attended both Primary and Secondary school in Aston-

Birmingham and later went onto study Radio and television engineering at the former Garrattes Green Technical College.

Nasir with his two sons in their later 20s now manage the Business; they are one of the few 3rd generation Businesses still going strong.

He has been the head chair of governors' of an inner city school for the past six years, and was vice chair for four years. Nasir is also the chair of a mosque in Aston – Birmingham. In addition, he is a trustee of various top UK charities.

Aftab Ahmed Chughtai: For services to business and community, Chugtai has been honoured for his community relations in Birmingham.

Ayesha Hazarika: Chief of Staff

to the Deputy Leader, Labour party, Ayesha has been honoured for her contribution to political services. Ayesha was former Chief of staff to Harriet Harman, exdeputy leader of the Labour party.

Gurmeet Kalsi Singh: Gurmeet has been honoured for the parliamentary services and volunatry services to the Sikh community in Surrey. Gurmeet is a Building Services Engineer, at the Palace of Westminster.

Rekha Mehr: Honoured for

services to Entrepreneurship and enterprise. Mehr who is the founder of a London baking boutique, Pistachio Rose. She is the Director at MassChallenge and former entrepreneur-in-residence at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Pistachio Rose has been supplying luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason with ginger shortbread, mini chai madeleines, sweet naans and dark and white chocolate tarts.

Mehr as the entrepreneurs in residence, was appointed to advise the Government on policies that affect small and medium-sized companies. She was exclusiuvely interviewed by Asian Voice in 2013 for our British Asian Women magazine.

Dr Jayshree Mehta: Dr Mehta is the President of Bharat Hindu Samaj, the Hindu Temple and

Chair, Sangam Indian Women's Association. She has been honoured with this accolade for her services to the community and its cohesion in Peterborough (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) Saravanamuttu Mylvaganam: Lately a strategic unit network manager, for department of business, innovation and skills, Mylvaganam is honoured for public services to the Tamil community in the UK and Sri Lanka.

Satpal Singh Nahl: An officer, at Bradford Group, HM Revenue and Customs, Nahl has been honoured for services to taxpayers and public administration.

Yasmin Mohammed Farooq Nathani: Director/Chair at Shama Women's Centre, Yasmin has been honoured for her services to the empowerment of women in Leicester.

Shama Women’s Centre was set up in 1985 to empower local women, many who were from different ethnic backgrounds to become more active socially, educationally and financially through a range of activities in a women’s only environment.

Many of the women that use the Centre face the risk of becoming isolated, due to low incomes, cultural and languages barriers.

However over 27 years the Centre has become a ‘hub for thousands women’ in Highfields and across Leicester.

The Centre has helped thousands of women improve their confidence, gain qualifications, provide volunteering opportunities and find employment; working with a network of local groups to ensure that the needs of the individuals are met.

Asha Odedra: Honoured for services to lae and order, Asha works as the strategy manager for violence against women and girls, operations directorate, Crown Prosecution Service.

Karnail Singh Pannu: Honoured for services to the community in Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Jaz Rabadia: A Senior Manager of Energy and Initiatives, Starbucks and STEM Ambassador, Jaz has been honoured for the services to Sustainability in the Energy Management Sector and Diversity in the STEM Sectors.

Afsheen Kabir Rashid: Founding Director and Chief Operating Officer of Repowering London. Honoured for services to renewable energy projects in deprived London communities.

Asad Razzaq: A leader, Community Action to Change Harehills, Asad is honoured for services to Young People and the community in Harehills, Leeds.

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UK

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Abdullah Rehman: The Chief Executive at Balsall Heath Forum, Rehman is honoured for services to the community in Balsall Heath, Birmingham.

Surrounded by a green oasis of flower beds, vegetable patches and greenhouses is the Balsall Heath forum, the heart of a community with ambitious plans. Founded by Raja Amin, inside the cabin, it looks like a cross between an Alpine chalet and a garden shed, is a collection of local people, from teenagers to pensioners, whose community spirit is said to be the inspiration of Cameron’s ill-fated Big Society.

Mukesh Sharma, DL: Managing Director of the Selective T r a v e l Management, Sharma has been honoured for his services to the Travel Trade in N o r t h e r n Ireland. A former managing director of Delta Airlines in NI and a Consort Travel Group board member, he is a shareholder and managing director of family-run business Thriftway Travel established in 1982. He quickly developed an aptitude for the business positioning the company as Ireland's largest long-haul specialist 'ticketconsolidation' business. In 2009, he headed up a merger with McNeill Rigby Travel to form one of Ireland's largest travel agencies McNeill & Thriftway Worldwide Travel a key move that reshaped the industry and elevated NI's competitive position across the UK. The merger opened access to worldwide competitive airfares, worldwide accommodation, car hire and rail travel. In 2011 he acquired Selective Travel, a significant operator in the niche business of corporate travel services for universities, including QUB, securing a contract worth £35m from the Southern Universities' Purchasing Consortium in England. An astute and confident leader he oversees the entire NI operation and has created a flagship travel company with 68 employees and an annual turnover of £50m.

He is a recognised and respected figure in the industry, advocating and developing international partnerships to the benefit of the NI economy. He is a founding member of the NI Forum for the Travel & Tourism Industry board providing strategic direction to the NI Executive and other stakeholders on issues affecting the industry. In March 2015, Mukesh was appointed as Deputy Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast.

Dr Suresh Chandra Vasistha: Has been honoured for his services to the community in the London Borough of Redbridge.

Medallist of the Order of the British Empire

Aatin Ashok Anadkat: Aatin is honoured for his services to entrepreneurship in Leicestershire.

Sarfraz Alam Mian: Sarfraz is the Chief Executive Officer of Neue Schule Limited, and honoured for his services to UK trade.

Sajid Rashid: Sajid has been honoured for his services to the community and charitable fundraising in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

Gurdev Singh Rayat: Gurdev is honoured for services to the community in Greenwich, London.

Cllr Habib Rehman: Of Birmingham City Council, honoured for services to business and community relations in Birmingham.

www.asian-voice.com

UK lays down law to non-EU migrants; community condemns immigration policy AsianVoiceNews

Rupanjana Dutta

This new year will witness new laws that will change the way you live, work and relax. Some of them made the headlines when they were announced, while some went unnoticed.

However many of them could have a permanent, lasting impact on the lives of people living in Britain.

From April 2016, Non-EU migrants who have spent more than five years working in the country will be required to earn £35,000 per year or else face deportation.

This will hit the nursing industry the hardest. One may think that a nurse who has spent the last decade looking after a terminally ill British citizen could be considered an asset to our society, but according to the new legislation, if you come from outside the EU and you’ve been working here for more than five years, you must be earning more than £35,000 a year, or else you will be shipped off back to your country of origin.

The policy, announced in 2012 by the home secretary Theresa May, has been criticised by the Royal College of Nursing. It predicted chaos in the health service, and urged the Home Office to add nursing to the list of occupations exempt from the rules and reconsider the salary threshold.

According to the Royal College of Nursing, nearly 3,500 nurses could be kicked out of the country under the legislation, in a move which could end up costing us nearly £200million. The threshold is far above the average national wage of £22,000.

In an attempt to reduce immigration the Migration Advisory Committee will particularly focus on Tier 2 visas for skilled migrants, including making it available only to those who come under 'skill shortages and specailists', limiting a sector, claiming the skills shortage, introducing a skills levy on busiuness who recruit foreign workers and increasing the salary threshold.

The release of the tier 2 visa report immediately prompted the Institute of Directors (IoD) – a business group with a membership consisting mainly of company directors – to call for a complete review of UK immigration policy. They accused the government of setting unrealistic targets that made it impossible to put in place an immigration system that works to the benefit of UK business and the economy.

Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, said that a sudden decision to make it easier for nurses to enter the UK, by adding the occupation to the shortage occupation list,

by Home Secretary, Theresa May, demonstrated that the Tier 2 Visa system is simply not fit for purpose.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

opportunities for the domiciled.

Pritha Sathish: It is really

Mr Vaz said: "Having hit

Dewan: Outrageous and total discrimination. The policy must be fair and transparent n definitely can't be based on a cherry picking principle.

Sana Siddique: UK has

Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP the monthly cap in June this year, we witnessed the twisted effects of the system, as the cap gives preference to job roles with higher salaries. In June, nurses were prohibited from working in the UK, which prompted the government to temporarily ease restrictions to allow recruitment to continue."

"Although the temporary measures were welcomed, it's clear that the Tier 2 Visa system could have caused a staffing crisis across the NHS this winter. A system that prompts rushed adjustments in order to remain functional is not fit for purpose. Quite simply, nurses should remain on the Shortage Occupation List (SOL)," Mr Vaz added.

According to Vaz, the government imposed annual cap is not doing much good; in fact he labelled the cap 'counterproductive.'

WHAT BRIT ASIANS HAVE TO SAY

Joseph John: It's the pre-

rogative of any country to choose which people it wants to host. So no this is not unfair. I think before anyone can call the UK unfair, should look at how friendly their own country is to migrants. India makes any foreign citizens life in India a bureaucratic nightmare. The terms of the EU don't allow Britain to do the same for EU citizens. The nurse story has been well publicised on tv and radio already, therefore I'm sure what will happen is that exception to their profession will be applied as they are desperately needed in this country.

Major (Retd) Tikendra

been very good with offering permanent residence to immigrants and make it there home, but circumstances are changing and it has to look into people who are living here and how can they benefit them. Putting a salary clause as a part of getting permanent residency is a hands on idea.

We get people who contribute to the economy and grow by themselves. This is a very good approach in getting people seriously thinking of hardwork and that you have to earn it to become citizen to this lovely Kingdom.

Sarojini Ellis: I think the hospitals will be very shortstaffed if the nurses earning under the threshold are deported or not given the permanent residency. This will be bad news for everyone and waste of money used in training them.

Other industries will experience this problem as well.

Ragasudha Vinjamuri

Immigration and permanent settlement seems to be a double edged dagger for the UK. One one hand, it is proving costly (figuratively and literally) to receive several thousands of EU migrants continuously for settlement, including those with less qualifications/skills, on the other, the heat is turned on non-EU migrants who might be richly contributing to the economy and service industry, but whose pay mostly may not touch the said benchmark. Though the think tank may have weighed some consequences, it is still myopic of long term impacts on sectors like health. The government is probably aiming at improving skills and technical expertise on home front to reduce external dependency and to shield

unfair. They have already introduced tough entrance exams, English language tests for nurses, while there isn't any test for Europeans and we all know, we speak English better then Europeans then why this discrimination? And this rule will make their condition worse...I think govt can straightaway say we don't want immigrants instead of giving false hopes to people.

Amrita Joshi: These migrants have to prove that they can be a part of the British society before they can come here. At the time of their application, interview or arrival they were not told that they might not be able to gain permanent settlement after 5 years if they do not earn more than £35k. To enforce such rule now seems unfair to the people who are already here. If it was enforced to all people applying for work visa after this legislation then that will be fine. However in this case the process to come here should be made easier.

Debashri Mitra: The rule is discouraging. People come to the UK thinking of all that motivates them, one of them being the standard of living and the fact that they might be able to be part of this community on a long term basis. The new rule does not help a majority of the migrants especially nurses who are part of one of the most unappreciated professions. A low salary and a law like this will definitely steer them away from here. Why would one want to stay here long term knowing that there are chances that the family will be asked to leave and won't be provided PR. Permanent residency is security of some kind and when that is not part of the package, I don't think it's motivation enough for the highly qualified, not adequately paid professionals. For some even if the profession doesn't pay enough, it's the quality of life and the security aspect of being part of the community in the long term a good enough motivation.

This law has definitely made some people think twice whether this is going to be any good for them to think of UK as a destination to further their long term dreams.

RAsian EALESTATEVOICE Voice | 9th January 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

19

Buy before the tax man stamps on you

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Whilst holidaying in Kerala, I got to meet the owner of the villa we were staying at. The meeting was fixed and instigated by the family who were managing the villa; no doubt for a good kick back if anything was to occur.

The aim of the meeting was partly to see if she would be interested in investing in London property, and whether we could book the Villa at the same rate for next year.

The owner told me the same rate was out of the question, as the villa could easily be booked during this period ten times over – which admittedly was correct.

The other question, of investing, was interesting for me. It transpired she was a very well to do lady who had lived in Hampstead for a few decades. During this time she had sourced a couple of properties for her daughters, in Brixton and Shoreditch.

Both of which have shot up in the last decade; these were areas with a bad reputation but with good sizable Victorian properties.

Her perception was apart from London there is nowhere worth investing in the UK. She was a native Keralite who had married an English Gentleman and had gone to live in the UK for a while. There are not many business owners who are from South India, it is my experience that they generally make excellent employees; and as you head to North India they all seem to want to be Maliks.

This was a litmus test of someone who has active experience of the market and is from a business background, to show London has and will continue to hold pulling power to the exclusion of the rest of the UK. In fact her plan is to come to London with the aim of securing another property in London for another one of her daughters.

She is one buyer who will be purchasing before April 2016 when the stamp duty for BTL properties will increase. London will absorb this blow, it will come back again.

My expectation is there will be a flurry of activity prior to April to close deals, following which there will be a lull in the market whereby the market absorbs and adapts accordingly. The rise will encourage investors, traders and developers to hold on to more property as the cost of purchasing has increased. Therefore the frequency of transactions will decrease.

This will be the third round of stamp duty changes in a short space of time, it will by no means be the last.

The government has an insatiable black hole to fill. The national debt currently stands at £1.63trillion; and if you include all liabilities it is £4.8trillion. I cannot fathoms these numbers as I have no framework to do so.

The bottom line is the debt seems insatiable. Therefore as time goes on the government will need to find another form of tax in order to take money out of its citizens and into filling this hole. Who owns this debt? Who knows?

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According to the National Association of Estate Agents there are on average ten buyers for each property. According to this body house sales dropped in November 2015 but the number of buyers has increased. This is partially due to the season, as just before Christmas the property market winds down and the number of sales decrease.

However demand is heavily outweighing supply and this cannot be put down to seasonality. House prices therefore are set to increase. We will be in a sellers’ market as the year starts, this means sellers will be setting the price not buyers; this will be exasperated by the stamp duty increases.

It is therefore important if you do wish to purchase to execute quickly. In my experience a deal can be done in days or can take many months. A good set of lawyers is essential in order to expedite the process. It is imperative that those who have been sitting on the fence regarding purchasing property to do so quickly, before the hike in stamp duty kicks in.

If you have the time and expertise start looking now. If you don’t have them then instruct us to start looking for you. We have the expertise to source according to your specification and ensure the pieces are lined up so the deal can be executed in a timely fashion and the increase will be avoided. Of course we charge fees however this can be balanced out by the fact that you may not be able to find the property on your own or you may not be able to execute in time.

When doing the deal you could even make the date a condition of the contract; this will ensure the deal is expected on time from the buyer’s side.

April may seem a long way off but if you examine the time it takes to find a suitable property in London given there is an excess of buyers, compounded with the rush for everyone to do their deal before April, it is not that far away - time is ticking. It can take around a month to find a suitable property and then a month or a couple of months to actually complete. This will take you into March. This is dangerously close to April 2016 when the stamp duty increase kicks in.

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Tips of the Week

l Look beyond your doorstep. Investing where you live is often a safe but poor option. The question you should ask is: where will your money serve you best?

l Always focus on the capital growth of an investment property - never sacrifice this as this is how the bulk of your money will be made, rental income is secondary.

20

ASIANBUSINESS

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice

Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, New Year’s Resolutions for Making More Money!

Losing an extra 10kg and making an 10k in the year are the resolutions of many people – modest, straightforward. The thing with making money, unlike losing weight is, if you can make 10k, you can make 100k - when it comes to trading and investing at least.

Here are some top resolutions: One have a plan – the plan needs to be detailed.

It needs to state how much capital do you have, how much is the most you will risk on any one trade, how will you spread the risk capital across investments, and how much do you plan to make on each investment?

Once you have some basic figures, and an idea of how often you expect to lose and win, you will have a financial plan.

Next you need a trading strategy. How will you pick winners? How will you pick losers?

After this you must know when you will take a loss. This is the biggest mistake people make. They don’t plan for their losses. They pray them or wish them away. That will not do. You must absolutely know when you will exit. It is this, your losses that will make you rich. It is the protection from big losses.

And the basic thing to understand about losses in business, trading, life, investments is to know when something is a bad debt, with no strategy left for you to extract money, or more accurately, you’re better off putting the capital that is left into the strategy that works, and when the loss will recover such that you would buy at that price now if you did not already own the asset (ie forget the bias of owning the asset at a loss).

And that leads to understanding psychology.

People don’t realise they behave very differently to owning an asset which shows a loss to one which they would buy right now at the same price. People prefer to hold on, than take the loss. They call it a ‘paper loss’. That’s not helped when transaction costs are high and the opportunity to re-acquire low.

But trading online in FX presents no such problems. You will soon realise trading and investing online is about a mindset – about a way of thinking.

Trading and investing then gets closer to being a process whereby you can say how much you are making per 10 trades on average, how much you are losing (capped), how you maximise profits from those trades that are doing well (by putting more money).

If I had to pick the most important parts of success, I would say they are trading psychology so you don’t get sabotaged and also protecting losses.

Blackstone acquires Alpha One mall Blackstone, the US-based private equity major, is reported to have acquired Alpha One mall at Vastrapur in Ahmedabad, which was owned by Guargaon-based real estate company, Alpha G: Corp. Blackstone was in talks to acquire 100% stake in Alpha G: Corp, which owns one mall each in Amritsar and Ahmedabad totalling 1.2 million square feet.

According to the market sources the deal for both Ahmedabad and Amritsar centres is around £80 million.

Alpha G: Corp is owned by private equity funds C&C Alpha (50 per cent), Morgan Stanley (15 per cent) and the G: Corp group (30 per cent), while members of the management team hold 5 per cent.

A memorandum of

understanding (MoU) was signed in 2005 Vibrant Gujarat to develop a city centre at Vastrapur in Ahmedabad. Later on Alpha G: Corp bagged the plot in an auction by the Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority to build the city centre and the deal size was £5.2 million at that time. The total built up area of Alpha One mall is approximately 500,000 sq. ft.

Recently, a top official of Alpha G: Corp hinted at a management change for both Alpha One city centers Amritsar and Ahmedabad and revealed that both the properties were being sold to Blackstone. Real estate market sources say that with this acquisition Blackstone in entering into mall management space in a big way.

www.asian-voice.com

FDI flow in India grows by 35% in last 17 months AsianVoiceNews

A top Indian government official has stated that the foreign direct investment in the country has grown by 35 per cent in the last 17 months, even as it has fallen by 16 per cent across the world. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Amitabh Kant said, “FDI in India has grown by 35 per cent at a point of time when FDI across the world has fallen by 16 per cent.”

He said after the 'Make in India' which was launched in end-September last year, the FDI grew by 40 per cent as compared to the previous year, “but if you look at the last 17 months of this government, FDI has grown by 35 per cent as compared to the previous 17 months.” He

Amitabh Kant added that the FDI has come into manufacturing, consumer goods, logistics and food processing sectors.

Talking about start ups, Kant said, “There is a huge energy, vitality and dynamism amongst startups in India and we need to

carry this forward from digital start-ups to manufacturing start-ups, to startups in agriculture and social innovation areas, and from tier one to tier two and three cities.”

“The Prime Minister will be launching the

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Startup India movement on January 16 in New Delhi, we are inviting all the startups from Bengaluru to participate in this. On that day we will link up all the IITs, IIMs, NITs and central universities for viewing of the start-up India discussions from morning to evening.”

He also mentioned that the PM will unveil the action plan on that day, to provide a major impetus.

“Challenge for India is to grow at 9-10 per cent over a long period of time over the next three decades or more," he said. "If India has to grow at 9-10 per cent, then the country must become a very easy and simple place for people to do business....; It has to grow rapidly in manufacturing sector,” he said.

India gets oil deals as Russia opens doors The annual bilateral summit between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin saw a strings of oil deals, potentially worth $2-3 billion.

Russian flagship Rosneft, the world's largest publicly-traded oil company, formalised sale of a 10 per cent stake in its 100 per cent subsidiary Vankorneft to ONGC Videsh (OVL) for $ 1.3 billion. The deal gives OVL access to Rosneft's crown

jewel Vankor in East Siberia, the largest onland Russian field developed in the last 25 years. It had made its last big deal in

2009 by acquiring Imperial energy, which has fields in Tomsk region in the Far East.

This was followed by a preliminary agreement for giving OVL more stake later and partnerships in other onland fields in Siberia and other regions of Russia. Rosneft also signed a preliminary agreement with a consor-

Kothari to put Housing.com's house in order If you describe Housing.com as a woman in dire straits, then its new CEO Jason Kothari, perhaps, is the knight in the shining armour who is expected to rescue the damsel in distress after a year of turmoil which has hurt the Mumbai-based start-up's standing in the online real estate market. Kothari was literally brought in to put the house in order after his maverick predecessor Rahul Yadav's headline hitting ways brought the company to its knees.

Before being sacked, Yadav's infamous run-in with Housing.com investors or his strange decision to gift his entire stake to the company's employees or for that matter he calling the company's investors as 'intellectually incapable' had grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons and done enough damage to the already ailing firm. Under his leadership, the firm had secured a $90m funding round led by Japanese telecoms group SoftBank

Jason Kothari early last year. But in July everything went haywire and Yadav was shown the door due to alleged inappropriate behaviour.

The company lost momentum and Kothari was brought in as chief business officer to steady the ship. By the time he was made the chief executive in November, the Indian property start-up had almost hit rock bottom.

Before Kothari assumed charge, Housing.com had already begun to shed staff, and he continued cutting jobs, shutting wasteful projects to reduce cash burn. Costly billboard advertising cam-

paigns too were axed.

Today Kothari is looking to revive the business and retain it as a going concern, and for that he has to raise more money.

According to a report in The Economic Times, Housing.com is in talks with e-commerce company Snapdeal and global media giant News Corp for a strategic stake sale to overcome its cash crisis. Japan's SoftBank, which is the largest investor in Housing.com, is looking to bring in strategic partners with an aim to drive the company's future growth.

If the talks between the parties go through, the deal may get sealed by the second quarter of 2016, the report added. However, the final contours will depend on the beleaguered company's ability to show growth in its 'buy and sell' business, which allows users to not just find property but engage in a transaction online.

Housing.com competes with PropTiger in which News Corp, the parent of this news website, owns a 30% stake.

tium of IndianOil and Oil India (OIL) for selling a stake in another subsidiary, Taas-Yuryakh Neftegazodobycha, which is developing the Srednebotuobinskoye field, one of the largest in East Siberia. Though the IOC-OIL combine seeks 29 per cent, which could be worth in excess of $1 billion. Rosneft sold 20 per cent in Tass-Yuryakh to BP for $750 million in October and is negotiating with another company.

Struggling steel firms banking on India

The global steel market may not be bright, but no need to steel yourself for a shock. India is there, true as steel.

When world prices are plunging, embattled steelmakers are pinning hopes on India – Asia's secondlargest emerging market – to put the pedal to the metal.

“There is really only one location that has the long-term potential to pull the global steel market out of its current slump, and that is India,” Edwin Basson, director-general of the World Steel Association, a trade group, was quoted as saying to Financial Times.

India's growth rates are set to stay above 7% over the next two years, boosting carmakers and steel-consuming sectors.

Moreover, India is adding capacity too, with Tata Steel opening a new plant in Orissa, which will nearly double its output.

India is the world's fourth-largest steel producer and is expected to overtake the US for third place in the next couple of years.

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Global growth to be uneven in 2016 Currency Specialists.

In a week marked by the complete absence of economic or policy news out of the UK, Sterling tracked almost tick by tick the moves of the Euro versus the US Dollar to end down a bit over 1% against both major currencies.

The Eurozone also had an extremely quiet week in terms of economic releases. Spain and Italy received an economic recovery boost, Spanish shops are now hiring at pre-crisis levels, while business confidence is also holding up in Italy, according to official figures.

Spain's national statistics agency said retail hiring in November grew 1.8% on last year, the fastest rate since Spain entered a deep recession in 2008. In Italy, figures showed business confidence fell in December, but remained close to recent highs. Italy and Spain are the Eurozone’s third and fourth largest economies.

Spanish retail sales increased 3.3% in November compared to last year, the sixteenth consecutive month of growth, according to the National Statistics Institute. Many retailers are confident this will be the best Christmas period for business

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

since the country's recovery started.

Higher household spending in Spain this year, fuelled by falling oil prices and tax cuts, has helped to boost Spanish shops and drive economic growth. Spain's economy grew 0.8% in the third quarter, while the growth rate in Italy was lower than expected at 0.2%, according to EU figures.

Despite the slowdown, morale among Italian businesses and consumers remains high.

Business confidence fell to 105.8 from 107.1 in November, according to Italian statistic agency ISTAT's composite business morale index, which combines surveys of the manufacturing, retail, construction and services sectors. Consumer confidence dropped to 117.6 from a record high of 118.4 in November, although it was still above analyst expectations.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he will not give in to “unreasonable” demands as he braces for negotiations with creditors over pension cuts.

Tsipras is aiming to pass the bill through parliament by January 15.

The pension reforms form

part of an €86bn (£63bn) bailout package agreed to in August, of which €16bn has been unlocked so far. Tsipras faces a tough challenge in satisfying creditors without angering voters and his MPs, who command a small majority in parliament.

Greek central bank boss Yannis Stournaras warned that failure to reach an agreement “entails large risks, difficult for the economy to withstand this time.”

In the US, the Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index, which had decreased moderately in November, improved in December. The Index now stands at 96.5, up from 92.6 in November.

Pending home sales in November slightly declined for the third time in four months as buyers continue to battle both rising home prices and limited homes available for sale.

Pending home sales index inched down by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% last month. Yearon-year, pending home sales rose at annualized rate of 5.1% in November. This was above forecasts for an increase of 4.0% and following a gain of 2.3% in the prior month. The dollar held

steady against the euro due to the upbeat data release.

The pound was almost unchanged against the U.S. dollar, hovering close to an eightmonth low. The Nationwide Building Society said home prices rose 0.8% in December, exceeding expectations for a 0.5% gain.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde warned that global economic growth would be "disappointing" next year. Writing in a guest article for German newspaper Handelsblatt, Lagarde pointed to the possible effects a slowdown in emerging economies would have on the rest of the world. Lagarde said "In many countries the financial sector still has weaknesses and in emerging markets the financial risks are increasing. All of that means global growth will be disappointing and uneven in 2016," Lagarde also said growth in global trade has slowed considerably while a decline in raw material prices is also providing a drag on economies and that low productivity, ageing populations and the effects of the global financial crisis will also stall growth.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 5th January 2016 @ 10.30am GBP - INR = 97.75

USD - INR = 66.58 EUR - INR = 71.72 GBP - USD = 1.46 GBP - EUR = 1.36

EUR - USD = 1.07 GBP - AED = 5.40

GBP - CAD = 2.04

GBP - NZD = 2.18

GBP - AUD = 2.04

GBP - ZAR = 23.01

GBP - HUF = 429.64

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UK

In Brief

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

25 dead, 123 injured in Saudi hospital blaze

RIYADH: At least 25 people were killed and 123 injured by a destructive fire that swept through the intensive care, maternity and neonatal care wards of Jazan General Hospital in Saudi Arabia on December 24. Civil Defence agency took to micro-blogging site Twitter later, to inform the fire had been extinguished and an investigation was under way into the cause. It also added that twenty-one civil defence teams had assisted in putting out the blaze. The teams were able to evacuate the children and patients from the intensive care unit, the health ministry said on Twitter, but most casualties were on the hospital’s upper floors. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said there were no Indian casualties in the fire at the hospital where 30 Indian nurses were on duty.

Join us or we will abduct you, IS threatens Miss Iraq

KIRKUK: Just when you thought the ISIS can be any more preposterous, the first Miss Iraq since 1972 has reportedly received a threatening call from the terrorist organisation demanding she join them or be kidnapped.

Shaymaa Qasim Abdelrahman, 20, became the first winner of the national beauty pageant in more than 40 years.

The pageant's organisers said Abdelrahman was distressed but, determined to “continue forward despite any obstacles”. She said, “I want to prove that the Iraqi woman was her own existence in society, she has her rights like men. I am afraid of nothing, because I am confident what I am doing is not wrong.” Pageant director Ahmed Leith said, “The situation is weak here and we wanted to celebrate this the same way other countries, like Lebanon do. To have a sense of normalcy.”

Boko Haram attacks in Nigerian cities kill 80

MAIDUGURI: Islamic extremists Boko Haram has struck the northeastern Nigerian city of Maidugiri with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombers, for the first time in several months. At lease 50 people were killed with the death toll expected to go higher. A twin suicide bombing in Madagali, has claimed nearly 30 people, as reported by witnesses. Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu, commanding officer in northeast Adamawa State has confirmed the attack but said the casualties are yet to be established. The military said there were multiple attacks at four southwestern entry points to the city. Civil servant Yunusa Abdullahi said, “We are under siege. We don't know how many of these bombs or these female suicide bombers were sneaked into Maiduguri.”

George Pataki ends White House bid

WASHINGTON: Former New York Governor George Pataki has officially walked out of the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, just over a month before the first nominating contests begin. Making the announcement in an ad that aired on local NBC affiliates in New Hampshire, Iowa and, South Carolina, Pataki, 70, said, “While tonight is the end of journey for the White House as I suspend my campaign for president, I'm confident we can elect the right person, someone who will bring us together and who understands that politicians, including the president, must be the people's servant and not their master.” The centrist Republican failed to gain traction amongst a sea of candidates, including billionaire businessman Donald Trump. “Donald Trump is the KnowNothing candidate of the 21st century and cannot be our nominee,” Pataki said.

Oil slump forces Saudi Arabia to spend its reserves

RIYAHD: As the oil slump continues, Saudi Arabia is burning through its foreign reserves at an unsustainable rate and may be forced to give up its prized dollar exchange peg. Former reserve chief Khalid Alsweilem said, “If anything happens to the riyal exchange peg, the consequences will be dramatic. There will be a serious loss of confidence.” He also added, “But if the reserves keep going down as they are now, they will not be able to keep the peg.” The warning came after the Saudi finance ministry revealed that the country’s deficit leapt to 367bn riyals (£66bn) this year, up from 54bn riyals the previous year. Collapsing oil revenues forced officials to tap foreign reserves and borrow from debt markets to finance running costs this year. Officials expect that the deficit will fall to 327bn riyals in 2016, as Saudi cuts back spending from 975bn to 840bn riyals..

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Explosion near Indian consulate in Jalalabad AsianVoiceNews

KABUL: An explosion was reported on Tuesday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, 400 metres from the Indian consulate. An official said there were no reports of casualties from the blast, which followed an attack on the Indian consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday.

Siege in Mazar-i-Sharif ends, Indian mission safe Meanwhile, the 25hour gunbattle between security forces and terrorists outside the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif came to end late on Monday night with the killing of all the attackers without any damage to the mission in Afghanistan.

While three of the attackers were killed on Sunday night, the remain-

ing were neutralised a day later. "The clearance operation is over and all the terrorists have al been killed," provincial police chief Sayed Kamal Sada was quoted as saying.

The diplomatic mission manned by about 45 ITBP commandos, is highly vulnerable to attacks as it is located in a densely populated residential area and

the buildings around it are taller than the consulate, leaving it exposed to attacks by rocket launchers.

Top government sources said that the first RPG was fired by militants from a 100 meter distance and was directed at the Indian consulate, but it missed the building and hit another building nearby.

Bikram Yoga founder's wife seeking divorce WASHINGTON: Wellknown yoga guru Bikram Choudhury is being divorced from his wife after his former students accused him of rape and sexual assault. Rajashree Choudhury has filed documents saying she wants to split from husband Bikram due to irreconcilable differences.

The 69 year old, founder of Bikram Yoga, has recently been accused of sexually assaulting six former students. The first of the lawsuits is expected to come to court next year.

In a recent interview, he claimed his wife “never looks at me” ever since the allegations came to light.

Mrs Choudhury, 50, has laid out her terms in the divorce paper, and said she wants spousal support. She has also asked for a share of the couple's homes, including properties in Los

Angeles, Beverly Hills and Honolulu. She could get tens of millions of dollars off the separation, as under California's divorce law, anything earned whilst she was living with her husband is considered “communal property” and must be shared.

Lawsuits against Choudhury alleged that he took advantage of students as young as 47 years his junior, by telling them, “God wants us to be together”. Former student Jill Lawler alleged that he told

her, “If you don't have sex with me, I'll die”, before raping her.

One of his protégé, Sarah Baughn alleged that he sabotaged her career as a yoga instructor after she rebuffed his advances.

Choudhury has always been outspoken in his self-belief and in the past, compared himself to Superman or Buddha. He once claimed his key to success to be his “balls like atom bombs, two of them, 100 megatons each.” He has vehemently denied all the allegations against him and said they “dishonour Bikram yoga”.

The Yoga guru and Rajashree have been married 31 years, and built an empire which has attracted people like Madonna, Andy Murray, and David Beckham.

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That's when ITBP commandos at the sentry post fired at the terrorists.

From 9 pm to 9.15 pm on Sunday, ITBP officials engaged with militants and there was heavy exchange of fire. Sources said that at least seven rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rounds were fired towards the consulate but all of them missed the target.

Later, Afghan national police commandos secured the Indian consulate around 12 midnight.

A senior officer said that there was no intelligence input from either side - India or Afghanistan - on any possible terror attack at the consulate.

ITBP director general Krishna Chaudhary said the force has secured the mission area effectively.

Death for 3 in Bangladesh for killing blogger NEW DELHI: A Bangladeshi court has sentenced 3 people to death and 5 others to prison for killing an atheist blogger in 2013. Judge Sayeed Ahmed announced the decision in a Dhaka courtroom, in the presence of 7 defendants charged with murder in the death of Ahmed Rajib Haider.

The blogger campaigned for the ban of the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, which is opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan in 1971. One of the three who were sentenced to death was tried in absentia. The judge sentenced three others to 10 years in prison, another to five and another to three years. Haider's father rejected the verdict saying all the defendants deserved the death sentence.

A beautician cut above the rest Blessed are those who have a job they love because they don’t have to work for a day in their life. Suwarna Dilip Gugle is one such fortunate person who discovered her passion very early in life and pursed it relentlessly.

Today it has taken her places.

She was in London recently for a short beauty course to upgrade her professional skills. She is into beauty business.

Beauty is not just skin deep, says Suwarna.

“Looking presentable is very important. The first impression has to be good and that comes through your looks. Inner beauty should be there but looks too are important. It adds to your confidence.”

Suwarna specialises in

handling skin and hair problems using electromedical apparatus, skin tightening, enhancing, anti-wrinkle and skin lifting treatments. She is also an expert in mesotherapy, derma pen skin needling treatments and advance chemical peels. She also has expertise in haircuts without shortening the length and hair styling, besides spa therapy, reflexology, Thai massage, acupuncture,

pedicure, nail treatment, cosmetics and skin products advice, among others.

Suwarna has been into beauty business since 1986, running her own parlour in Pune (Rajasthan Beauty Parlour And Institute).

Since last year she has also been working with the Maharashtra Government's beauty therapy academy (Yashaswi Academy for Skills) imparting beauty skill training to underprivileged girls under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. Suwarna is in-charge of the academy responsible right from setting up the course, teaching the students, training the faculties, etc.

She is also the author of two popular books – ‘Basic Beautician Course’, and

‘Basic and Advance Haircutting’. The fact that Maharashtra Government is using her books (as syllabus) for ITI courses is a testimony to their popularity. “It’s a good career option. Like other subjects, beauty also has its own science. Unless and until one upgrades, one cannot survive in this business for long. Most importantly, a beautician should know the contraindications – i.e. she should know when a particular beauty product or therapy should not be used because it may otherwise harm the customer,” says Suwarna.

Read the full story on https://www.asianvoice.com/Volumes/2016/9 -January-2016/A-beautician-cut-above-the-rest

WORLD - INDIA Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Fire engulfs Dubai hotel DUBAI: A massive fire engulfed part of a luxury hotel in Dubai, lighting up the side of the Address Downtown hotel near the centre of the city on New Year's Eve. Dubai police said the blaze started on the 20th floor of the building, which is also a residential address. Footage taken by witnesses and uploaded to the internet shows huge flames rapidly climbing the hotel’s exterior from what appeared to be a terrace or balcony. Witnesses said the hotel staff and fire crews evacuated all guests as the blaze did not immediately penetrate the building, instead, heating the outside of the 63-storey structure. Survivors said they were ushered out by the fire stairs. “We were immediately shown where to leave,” David Moran, a Dubai-based businessman who was dining in the hotel, said. “They were very good. They knew their jobs and people escaped without panic.” It took four hours for firefighters to put out the fire. The hotel stands on a boulevard in downtown Dubai near the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping mall. The area is one of the sites for the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

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staggered that their money is being used to support projects in a country that can well afford to look after its own citizens, especially since we have been told aid to India would be scaled back.”

While financial aid will come to an end, the UK will continue to offer grants and technical assistance to India.

Unperturbed by this development, India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on December 23 said the move implies that Britain recognises India’s economic strength.

Britons argue why should the UK pay for poverty relief to a nuclearpower country which has sent a mission to Mars, which boasts more billionaires than Britain and itself pays millions of pounds a year to needy nations? It’s not fair to get aid from

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vious year. But considering the state’s vast richness and tourism potential, the visitor numbers should have been more. Tourism, at present, contributes 4% to 5% of the state's GDP. This assumes significance when tourism body VisitBritain has forecast that the number of overseas visitors to the UK will hit a new record of 36.7 million in 2016, up by 3.8 per cent.

If a small country like UK can boast of such huge tourist numbers, tourismrich Gujarat should be having more footfalls. Many countries depend on tourism, some depend more. Tourism generates nearly 45% of British Virgin Islands' national income.

Tourism accounts for 30% of Maldives' GDP; 13% of Croatia's GDP; 6.7% of Morocco's GDP; 16.3% of Malaysia's GDP; 8.5% of UAE's GDP; 10.9% of Singapore's GDP; and 5.4% of Spain's GDP.

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Billed as the ‘Jewel of the West’, Gujarat has a rich blend of exotic locales, historical sites, wildlife, diverse culture, a 1,600- kilometrelong coastline, a vast desert area, religious places and pilgrimage centres like Dwarka, Somnath, Palitana, Pavaghad, Ambaji, Modhera Sun Temple, etc.

But despite possessing such tourist attractions, Gujarat has not really been able to tap its vast tourism potential to the optimum.

In spite of the tourism sector being awarded ‘industry status’ by the Government and signing of mega star Amitabh Bachchan as the brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism, the state has not been able to cash in on these positives.

In terms of domestic tourists, Gujarat is currently at 8th position with 3 crore tourists visiting the state every year, and in terms of international tourists it is ranked 16th in India with 2.25 lakh international tourists.

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another country when you are spending money on an agenda far above the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. The focus should be on trade and more trade, not aid.

Despite many positives like Indian economy growing at over 7% a year, or for that matter India now being a middle income nation, the country is still home to a third of the world's poorest people.

About 300 million Indians live on less than $1.25 a day. Forty per cent of the world’s malnourished children are in India, with 1.3 million children dying in India each year from easily preventable illnesses like diarrhoea, pneumonia and malaria.

The flip side, however, is if the aid is not stopped, it will give Britain some level of command to oversee and inquire into how that money is put to use. In India, the state governments allocate millions of dollars towards poverty alleviation, but they hardly reach the poor. A majority is siphoned off allegedly by bureaucrats and middlemen. An independent overseer, perhaps, will go a long way in curbing the corrupt system.

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Britain’s decision to stop giving development aid to India from 2016 marks a turning point in its relations with India.

The decision was taken by the UK government in 2012 after a domestic outcry about India’s growing economic status.

In 2012, then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had said British aid was “a peanut” (sic) in India’s total development spend and that the country could very well do without it. This statement had led to huge protests in the UK against its aid to India.

Many said the UK taxpayer does not need to donate to a state that is itself a foreign aid donor, which is classified by the World Bank as a middle income country (MIC) and whose economy is growing.

As per the statistics released by the Department for I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development (DfID), India received £279 million in 2014, a £10 million increase over the previous year.

Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the UK’s Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “British taxpayers will be

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DMK chief seeks pact with Cong Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

CHENNAI: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party said that it was focusing on building alliances for what was likely to be a multicornered fight in 2016.

Party chief M Karunanidhi publicly invited Vijayakanth last week, for an alliance just when it seemed as if it would be a toss-up between BJP and Left VCK-MDMK. He later sought to assure that he won't leave Congress, a staunch ally during the United Progressive Alliance time.

“DMK and Congress are natural partners. DMK needs as many allies as pos-

M Karunanidhi sible if they want to win the assembly elections. They may have their differences, like they have had in the past, but they will get together if they want to win in 2016,” said political analyst Gnani Sankaran. After losing the 2014 elections,

Jaya seeks Modi help for holding jallikattu CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a special session of the Parliament, or extend the winter session, to pass a bill that amends the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act. In a letter, she wrote, “May I request that the Parliament session be extended or a special session called for introducing a bill to comprehensively and suitably amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Act, 1960 so that jallikattu can be conducted during Pongal.”

The chief minister also urged the Prime Minister to promulgate an ordinance if the winter session could not be extended and

a special session could not be called. “Alternatively, considering the urgency of the issue, the Government of India may consider promulgating an ordinance enabling the conduct of jallikattu during Pongal. On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I urge you to have the ordinance promulgated expeditiously,” said Jayalalithaa.

“The inability to conduct jallikattu has caused general disappointment and widespread resentment among the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly in the rural areas. This sport is part of their cherished tradition.” Jallikattu is a tradition of taming the bull and is found distasteful by several animal activists across the state.

Capt Amarinder is against dynastic politics

Capt Amarinder Singh CHANDIGARH: Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh aims to “set an example” by not letting any member of his family contest on the party ticket. He said, “My decision is subject to the final approval of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. We will do whatever she says. But in our family, we have decide that only I will contest the Assembly elections.

My wife, Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur, will step down from the Assembly,” he said.

He also said his brother Malwinder Singh and son Raninder Singh will not fight the Punjab elections

due in 2017. Clarifying his move is not directed at the Congress leadership, but in fact is aimed at the Badal dynasty in Punjab, he said, “When we attack Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for distributing tickets and important positions to his family members, including his Deputy CM son Sukhbir Singh Badal, son-in-law and Punjab Food Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, daughter-in-law and Union minister Harsimrat Badal, her brother Bikram Singh Majithia, how can I allow this to happen in my family? We are doing this to set an example,” he added.

the state party was only too glad to hear the news.

Karunanidhi's invitation to Congress may revive an alliance between the two parties that lasted a decade, ending only before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when DMK was keen on distancing itself from the scam-tainted UPA and due to differences over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

DMK's alliance with the Grand Old Party began with the split of Congress in 1969, when the Karunanidhi-led DMK backed Indira Gandhi citing her reforms. DMK fought the 1971 election in

alliance with Congress (Indira) and won a vast majority of 184 seats out of 234. Focused on Lok Sabha, Indira Gandhi agreed to concede all the seats to DMK in the assembly elections at a time when Congress had the largest vote share in the state.

Since then, Congress has preferred to ally with one regional party or the other in the elections, barring in 1989 when it went alone and the move came a cropper. Left adrift by DMK, Congress went alone in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and did not win a single seat.

Karnataka council polls: Cong wins 13 seats BENGALURU: The ruling Congress has bagged 13 of the 25 Karnataka legislative council seats for which elections were held on December 27. The BJP had to settle for a single-digit tally of six. The JD(S) won four seats and independents two.

The elections had seen a free flow of gifts - smartphones, tablets, costly saris and cash - from the parties to the voters (members of municipal and panchayat bodies). The parties had cited the lack of any ceiling on expenditure to justify their largesse. The results have not significantly altered the strength of the three parties in the 75member House.

The Congress and BJP will have 29 members

each, the JD(S) will have 11 and independents, five.

Chairman D H Shankaramurthy is a BJP member.

The Congress had hoped to bag 15-18 seats and the BJP 15. Observers said the results were a huge setback to the BJP, coming after its failure to rule the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike council despite being the single largest party.

BJP functionaries had planned to cash in on the rebellion in the Congress during ticket distribution.

K S Eshwarappa, opposition leader in the legislative council, had announced he would resign from public life if the Congress bagged one seat more than the BJP.

Haryana extends education rule to municipal polls CHANDIGARH: After the Panchayat polls, the Haryana government has decided to impose similar minimum education criteria for candidates seeking to contest the municipal elections. The state cabinet decided to amend Section 13-A of the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973 and Section 8 of the Haryaan Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, to stipulate the eligibility conditions for candidates for the urban local bodies.

As per the changes, in the general category, male candidates must have passed Class X, while female candidates must have passed Class VIII. In the reserved category, male candidates must have passed Class VIII, while female candidates must have passed Class V. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who chaired the cabinet meeting, said, “Besides, all the candidates contesting the elections to urban local bodies have to file a declaration that they have provision for a func-

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Nadella meets Andhra CM; signs MoU for Cloud adoption

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Ministe N Chandrababu Naidu met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, at his residence. During the meeting Nadella assured the CM of total cooperation with the state government in utilising cloud data for improving citizen services. The state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft India in a bid to deepen their partnership to improve access, deployment and use of Information and Communications Technology and offer better citizen services and drive digital inclusion. As per the MoU, the state government will the use technical knowledge provided by Microsoft India. Microsoft India will support building of up to three proof-of-concept (POC) solutions to apply Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualization in the fields of education, agriculture and eCitizen services.

Pranab forced to fly back after fire at KCR yagam

HYDERABAD: A massive fire at Telangana Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao's Ayutha Chandi Yagam in Medak, forced President Pranab Mukherjee's chopper to fly back to Hyderabad. Witnesses of the incident said huge flames leapt through the thatched roof of the main pandal when the priests poured ghee into the main yagna gudam. As panic prevailed with thousands of people running for safety, fire engines were rushed to the spot and volunteers began to clear the area. “The yagam was almost drawing to a close when the priests offered holy material. Suddenly, the flames shot up to the roof,” said a senior Telangana minister. Watching from the air, the President's chopper hovered over the venue as smoke engulfed the skies, and flew back to Shamshabad.

Hyderabad to host film fest, Indywood market

HYDERABAD: Organisers of the All Light India International Film Festival and Indywood Film Market have said the second edition of the events will be held at Ramoji Film City from August 17 to 21, 2016. Global film and media fraternity like producers, directors, exhibitors, buyers, sales agents, stuntmen, and equipment manufacturers among others, will participate and mark attendance. The film festival will witness participation from more than 70 countries, 1,000 international delegates, 3,000 film market delegates and more than 1,500 film submissions. “We see tremendous opportunities for the Indian film industry due to the variety and the depth the industry offers.

Indywood will enable the Indian film industry to bridge the existing gap and help Indian films to be made for a global audience,” Indywood founder director S K Sohan Roy said.

Chandigarh bags Digital India prize

Manohar Lal Khattar tional toilet at their residence.” The cabinet also decided that people who have been charged with grave criminal offences punishable with more than 10 years imprisonment will be debarred from contesting the elections till they are acquitted by the courts.

“To bring qualitative improvement in the working of the urban local bodies, there is a need to include minimum qualification for a person willing to contest such elections,” said Khattar. “Another reason for prescribing minimum educational qualification is that even after the introduction of the 74th constitutional amendment, illiteracy is a common excuse given by the elected representatives for poor functioning of the urban local bodies.”

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh was given an award for outstanding performance during the Digital India Week. Presented by Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, to UT District Information Officer Rajnish in New Delhi, Chandigarh has been recognised for the egovernance initiatives undertaken during the Digital India Week held from July 1 to July 7. The city launched e-stamping facility in all sampark centres, digital lockers, and citizen-centric mobile apps like 'mobileRLA' and 'mSampark', as well as awareness camps on information security. Dr S B Deepak Kumar, Secretary (Information Technology), said, “Our endeavour is to leverage IT in improving the life of every resident. This award will motivate us to undertake initiatives that will bring citizens to the centre stage of governance.”

Badal for naming Chandigarh airport after Bhagat Singh

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said that there was a general consensus on naming Chandigarh's new airport terminal after Bhagat Singh and a formal decision in this regard should not be delayed any more. Badala senior appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene personally to put an end to any controversy on the issue. "A proposal to this effect is already with the government of India and we all assume and still remain convinced that considering the massive national following Sardar Bhagat Singh enjoys, no one would even consider opposing the proposal," an official statement quoting the chief minister said.

INDIA Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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4,000 Parsis converge for Udvada Utsav

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“Damn the Tigers, save the Parsis,” quipped Bollywood actor Boman Irani in his satirical take on the community's decreasing number at the first ever Iranshah Udvada Utsav. A cultural meet that attracted over 4,000 Parsis from across the world, the event unfolded on the 25th to 27th December, 2015. The high-octane festival saw Achaemenid wall friezes, treasure hunts, heritage walks, dance performances, comedi acts, historical presentations, Parsi plays and karaoke nights. Guests were also entertained by dance performances by the Hormuzd Khambatta Troupe. Chief guests of the events were India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Ratan Tata, and Minister for Energy & Petrol-chemicals, Civil Aviation & Tourism, Gujarat, Saurabh Patel.

Billionaire stud owner Dr Cyrus Poonawalla said he

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extended his support in the honour of his late wife Villoo. Showing immense interest in developing Udvada, he even donated £150,000 for the fest. “I am keeping her flame alive through this festival,” he said. Parsis number under 60,000 in India and a little over a 100,000 across the world.

Marking his presence, Udvada's Vada Dasturji, Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor called the festival Prime

Minister Narendra Modi's “brainchild”. Only a couple of weeks after Modi took control of the office in 2014, a delegation of Parsi leaders, including Dastoorji, Homai Engineer, late Jehangir Cama and Dinshaw Tamboly had met him and briefed him on the plans to develop Udvada as a pilgrimage centre. The quaint town became the home of the Iranshah, Parsis' sacred fire, in 1742, and holds reli-

India needs more Parsi businessmen: Jaitley India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week indirectly hinted at the need for Parsis to grow in numbers saying that the country needs more business leaders from the community to emerge as the fastest growing economy at a time when global conditions are adverse. “As mentioned here just now that India is trying hard to grow faster than any other country in the world.

Global situation is adverse still India is trying to do that. And for that we need a lot more of you,” said Jaitley, speaking on the concluding day of Iranshah Udvada Utsav. “How you do it and produce more business leaders, I think it is for you to discuss and consider within community,” he said to a thundering applause.

Jaitley said the Parsis were vital in the quest for higher growth for the business leaders they would produce.

The minister acknowledged the contribution of the community to India and described how he spent many years with Parsi individuals closely associated in his life. Jaitley also assured all the central government

support to the community to develop Udvada.

Cyrus Poonawalla, founding chairman of Serum Institute of India, was also felicitated at the event. Poonawalla, the chief sponsor of the three day event, became emotional while remembering his wife Villoo, to whom he dedicated the festival.

Udvada Atash Behram The Udvada Atash Behram, also known as the Iran Shah, is one of the eight fire temples of the Zoroastrian religion located in Udvada in Gujarat on the west coast of India; the only other Atash Behram outside India is in central Iran at Yazd. The Atash Bahram, meaning "Victorious Fire", housed in the Udavada temple built in 1742. AD. It has a chequered history of its movement within Gujarat after it was moved from Iran in 715 AD. It was consecrated first in Sanjan in 721 AD. It is one of the oldest fire-temple in India representing the cultural and religious link with Iran.

Within the temple precincts there are the Dasturji Koyaji Mirza hall and a museum.

Zoroastrian pilgrims

from all parts of India, Canada, Pakistan, and Australia visit the temple on pilgrimage. Newly wed couples also visit Udvada on pilgrimage, and on their behalf, their parents offer a machi (throne of wood to the fire) at the temple.

The fire temple is situated in Udvada, which is a small coastal village, of about 2 square km area, in the southern coast of Gujarat. The village was gifted to the priests by the king of Mandvi. It is approachable by road and rail. It is 206 km away from Mumbai towards the north, situated between Vapi town and Daman on the National Highway (NH8) which passes through Manor.

History: The Atash Bahram fire was moved

from Iran to India in 715 AD consequent to the migration of Zoroastrians in Greater Persia due to the persecution by the Islamic rulers who conquered that country; those who moved to India are called Parsis; the earliest link of worship of the sacred fire in Zoroastrian temples is dated to the 4th century BC. The Parsis travelled by ship from Hormuz in the Persian Gulf and landed on the Indian coast at Diu. They then moved along the coast to Sanjan, where the local Hindu ruler, Jadi Rana, gave them asylum and land to settle down but under a few stipulations. They settled down in Sanjan and then established their first Atash Bahram in India in 721 AD.

gious importance. With the number of members in the community dwindling, Udvada likes almost in ruins as a memento of what once was. What used to house the very first Iranshah, the holy fire is now replaced by a modern house. The Iranshah has been moved to a fire temple. “There was no one who objected to this construction,” rued Jamshed Bhiwandiwala, an architecture professor who has campaigned for Udvada’s conservation. The utsav drew attention to all the neglected facts, like the break ins of the dilapidated, neglected homes.

Valsad collector Ravi Arora has promised to install surveillance cameras and, the town just might get its first police station.

Most of the area's 60odd permanent residents do not remember the town ever being so lively. Dirt streets were paved over,

compound walls received new coats of paint, blownup images of wooden bungalows lined the street and fairy lights and streamers popped across the village.

Chief guest Saurabh Patel said, “It's sad that such a lovely community is becoming smaller and smaller. You all must be worried, but so is the rest of Gujarat.” While promoting development, he announced at the festival that no high rise buildings will be allowed in the village any more. Union minister Arun Jaitley felicitated industrialist Ratan Tata on the last day of the fest.

Addressing the thrilled crowd, Jaitley said, “I am truly honoured by so much love and respect showered on me today. Everyone in the community has made me very proud of being a Parsi and I cannot ever forget this honour.” He added, “The desire to strive for excellence and producing

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leaders in every field is a distinction that undoubtedly belongs to the community. At a time of such an adverse global economic situation, we need more of you.” He also had the crowd in splits with anecdotes about his Parsi friends.

Patel announced £2 million for development of Udvada town into a model for unity and harmony. He acknowledged the contribution of the community in development of the country and reiterated government's commitment to preserve Parsi culture and heritage. “Parsi community has a global identity.

Settled in India for last 1,300 years, the community has contributed immensely from freedom struggle to industrial development. To preserve its culture, the youth from the community need to come forward,” said Patel in his key note address.

Suggestion to open fire temples to all sparks row At the Iranshah Udvada Utsav, the narrative of the Parsis' dwindling numbers provided moments of hilarity, while also exposing the deep rift between the orthodox and liberal sections of the community. Boman Irani, who was the Utsav's chief guest on Saturday, elicited chuckles when he cussed “Damn the Bengal tiger, save the Parsis.”

But Maharashtra's former advocate-general, Darius Khambata's more unorthodox solution to the problem of intermarriage throwing open fire temples to Zoroastrian converts provoked heated responses.

The fact that the head priest graciously felicitated him with a shawl after his talk, created even more ripples.

“Is this the Iranshah (sacred Parsi fire) preservation festival or the Iranshah destruction utsav?”one livid member of the audience was heard saying.

Community magazine Parsiana, which compiles statistics on the community, pegs the number of intermarriages at 38%. In his talk, Khambata cited various sources to explain that religion does not forbid conversion. “Every source tells us that Zoroastrianism is universal,” he said.

“Anybody can convert to Zoroastrianism. There is no bar in our religion.” In fact, he took this a step further and said religious texts like the Gathas enjoin Zoroastrians to spread the faith. He also criticized the community's obsession with race. “You cannot endeavour to save our ethnicity at the cost of our religion,” he said. “I am seeing an attempt today to distort our

great religion, an attempt to suggest that it belongs only to racial Parsis.” While liberal Parsis have long lobbied for the children of Parsi mothers and nonParsi fathers be accepted into the fold, Khambata's opinion was that anyone interested in the faith be welcomed.

One incensed audience member, Gordafrid Aresh stood up and objected to the contents of Khambata's speech while other delegates booed and cheered. “If the gentleman is of the view that we should open our agiaries and atash behrams, I would recommend that he makes his own agiaries and atash behrams,” said Aresh.

“Someone who wants to follow Zoroastrianism is most welcome to do that in the privacy of their home but entering a place of worship, which has been consecrated for Zarthustis, I and many other Zoroastrians find that intolerable.” If Parsis had opened their doors to other religions and integrated, she said, their unique identity would have vanished long ago.

However, Udvada head priest Dasturji Khurshed Dastoor shrugged off the criticism pointing out that Khambata had based all his opinions on reputed sources. “His opinions don't

make him less of a Parsi.

He spoke at the World Zoroastrian Congress and got a standing ovation,” he said. “We cannot hide from the fact that intermarriage is taking place Why should we shy away from the problem?” Dastoor also condemned the hypocrisy of allowing children of Parsi men, who've married nonParsi women, into the faith.

“I have lots of parents who have come to me and cried, `I have only one daughter and she's marrying outside',” said Dastoor, adding, “I say, `Well what can you do? Is the boy nice? Is she happy? Then go ahead'.”

About 30 delegates have travelled to the Utsav from abroad. British delegate, Malcolm Deboo, who is the president of the World Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe, had a nuanced take on Khambata's speech. “The world is saturated with religions,” he said. “We need to move away from the notion that everyone wants to be Zoroastrian. If we were really to open our doors, we'd be in for a rude shock,” he said. As for whether the move would benefit the community, Deboo quipped, “That's a question only Bejan Daruwalla (the octogenarian Parsi astrologer) can answer.”

INDIA

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18 more Andhra students sent back from New York airport Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

and come back. Students, who had taken admissions in other universities, were also sent back. The officials were not convinced when students pointed out that the institutions were not blacklisted by the US authorities. This is the latest in a series of incidents in recent months in which students from the two Telugu states were sent back either after landing in the US or from destinations enroute like Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

About 90 students, who had left after completing all formalities including admission letters from the universities, were sent back during last three to four months. As many as 14 students, who

withdraw and return home.

The students claimed that no reason was given for not sending them back, though they gave satisfactory reply to all the questions asked and despite possessing all valid documents.

"One officer said he was doing this on the boss' order," said a student.

Another student who had gone to join Northwestern Polytechnic University, California said the officers told him that there is a problem with his visa.

"They asked me if I bought the visa," he said.

The student was told that if he wanted he could apply again for admission into another university

American authorities have sent back to Hyderabad 18 more students from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh last week. The students, who had gone to the US to join various universities, were sent back from New York airport after cancelling their visas.

They complained of interrogation and ill-treatment by the officials of US Customs and Border Protection at John F. Kennedy International Airport, though all their documents were valid.

The students said they were detained for several hours without drinking water and food. They said the officials threatened to bar their entry into US for five years, if they fail to

had taken admission at two California universities, were sent back from San Francisco on December 19. The next day Air India stopped another batch of 15 students from boarding the San Francisco flight at Hyderabad airport.

"According to the US government, the deported persons had presented information to the border patrol agent which was inconsistent with their visa status," it added.

Earlier this month, 14 Indian students who had gone to join the Silicon Valley University at San Jose and Northwestern Polytechnic University at Fremont were deported by the US authorities.

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY

Louis Eden Patel

D.O.B.: 02/01/2007 Mother: Dr Sarah Patel Father: Dr Merul Patel Phd Sister: Amber Place: Brighton Wishing you a Happy 9th Birthday!

Lots of love from Mummy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Baas, Dada, Foi, Fua & all cousines, friends & family.

You are a wonderful son and lovely precious grandson. May all the love and pride we feel keep growing year by year.

May God Bless You.

A Sparkling Light of London has been Dimmed

Guns fall silent at Pathankot IAF base Continued from page1 personnel killed in the attack will get 'battle casualty status' and all its benefits. I see some gaps, that will be cleared after the investigation is over. But I don't think we have made any compromise on security,” he added Intelligence officials have attributed the attack to Pakistan-based Jaish-eMuhammad, on the basis

New Delhi about the possible attack saying the terrorists seemed to have infiltrated into Punjab.

Home Ministry officials said a full-scale alert was ordered late on Friday evening after information emerged that five armed men had hijacked a vehicle used by a Punjab Police officer. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval ordered an élite unit of the

of intercepted phone calls made by a member of the assault team. The terrorists who struck the airbase at Pathankot in the wee hours of January 2, are said to have entered the defence organisation during the afternoon of the previous day. Punjab police, security forces and central intelligence agencies, who were aware of the situation, had alerted

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National Security Guard to be moved to Pathankot, in anticipation of a possible attack on the IAF base.

Senior defence officials said the attackers were holed up inside one of the vacant barracks of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) till Sunday evening and the Indian defence forces had destroyed the building after which the firing stopped from the fidayeen. “The operation is on. Given the magnitude and size of the airbase (15 sq. miles), the entire operation is likely to take a long time. That will be till all our personal and strategic assets are safe,” NSG IG Major General Dushyant Singh told reporters in the midst of the operation. Air officer commanding (AOC) J S Dhamoon said the base “is like a city in itself with schools, residential quarters and shops and all of that is secured.” Air Force officials said that on Sunday, the last batch of attackers were contained in one part of the base, far away from the residential section and key installations.

The operations costed India seven security personnel, including Lieutenant Colonel E K Niranjan, head of the elite bomb squad of the National Security Guard.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and assured him support in Pathankot investigations.

Condemning the attack, he told Modi that Pakistan will stand by India in fighting terror. NSA Ajit Doval shared 'leads' with his Pak counterpart and has sought credible action on them. The neighbouring country's foreign office released a statement on January 4, saying it is working on the leads shared by India.

Parsan Harbans Singh, wife of the late Harbans Singh (HCI) sadly breathed her last on December 31st 2015 after a cardiac arrest hours earlier.

Devoted to her husband and society, she always lit up a room.

The youngest of four, Parsan was born 1932 in Dodoma in 1932 to a Chief of Police father.

Attending the best Urdu language girls’ school in Bhawanipur, Kolkata, she spoke English, Urdu, Bengali, Hindi and Punjabi.

Parsan played sitar, sang, and shot with a rifle. She took a BA in English at College, then read Law at Kolkata University.

Settling in England after marriage in 1953, she was a rare professional Indian here then. She worked in the Indian High Commission and performed an Indian dance for the Queen Mother at Marlborough House in 1959.

She won a crown in a West London beauty contest. Occasional film appearances included a medical student in “Doctor in the House.”

Parsan, also known as Ajeet, was the first Indian Education Welfare Officer. She helped build understanding between Asians and the West London

English.

She was a voluntary probation officer.

She was appointed to the Special Health Authority for hospitals, including Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s, by the Health Minister.

Parsan was elected Honorary Life Vice President of the Women’s Council of Great Britain.

For decades she was a dedicated member of the Indian High Commission Ladies Association, sometimes one of its only representatives in international fairs.

Parsan was a rare Magistrate for Middlesex Petty Sessions Area in 1985.

Parsan’s daughter Dimpal Sahni served her mother and father with devotion, sacrificing much for their comfort.

Dimpal’s three siblings; Rani Singh (Special Assignments Editor, Asian Voice), Kaka and Raj, are beholden to her.

There are four grandchildren. Parsan has two elder siblings in Delhi.

Funeral and cremation; Thursday 7th January 2016 at Ruislip B r e a k s p e a r Crematorium 1.35pm, Kirtan and Bhog Ealing Gurdwara 3-4pm.

Contact: Daljit Sahni (0044) 7516 140 162

www.asian-voice.com

Modi makes surprise visit to Pakistan AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Trust our beloved Prime Minister to do the unthinkable. In a dramatic and totally spontaneous gesture, NaMo became the 1st Indian Prime Minister since Vajpayee in 2004, to visit neighbouring country Pakistan. Modi took the entire world by surprise with a single tweet, hours before his departure from Kabul, saying he was going to “drop by” in Lahore for a meeting with Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif, where the latter was present for his granddaughter's wedding. Received at Lahore airport by Sharif, both the leaders hugged warmly before they walked hand-in-hand on the red carpet laid out in Modi's honour. In another first, the two leaders took a Pakistani military chopper to Sharif's Raiwind home on the outskirts of Lahore.

Termed as 'Birthday Diplomacy' by the media, the “impromptu“ meeting with Sharif - after Paristhe day also marked the birth anniversaries of Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, former Indian PM Atal

Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi Bihari Vajpayee and Sharif himself.

Modi gifted Sharif's granddaughter an Indian dress as he met with Sharif's family members, including wife Kulsoom Nawaz. While Pakistan described it as a goodwill visit, the foreign ministry spokesperson said Modi was “infusing a positive spirit in the neighbourhood”. Pakistan foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary said that his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar would travel to Islamabad to carry forward the dialogue process. Agency reports

said the talks will be on January 16. While Modi was accompanied by NSA Ajit Doval, foreign secretary S Jaishankar and other officials, Sharif had his foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary by his side.

“The two sides decided to collectively work towards the common goal of fighting poverty and increase people to people contact in order to open new avenues for peace and mutual cooperation between the two neighbouring countries,” Chaudhary said. Leaders

of Pakistan's main opposition parties also welcomed Modi's visit.

Imran Khan, chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, said he had also invited the Indian PM to Pakistan during his recent visit to India. He said frequent meetings between the heads of the two states would have a positive impact on bilateral relations.

“Improvement in Pakistan-India ties is inevitable for sustainable peace in the region,” Khan said.

The Indian PM later tweeted that he was personally touched by Sharif's gesture of receiving and seeing him off at the airport. In another tweet he said he spent a warm evening at Sharif's home and that his birthday and his granddaughter Mehrunissa's wedding made it a double celebration.

WORLD - INDIA Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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States take up Modi's enthusiasm to connect with diaspora Mirroring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's enthusiasm to promote start-ups and entrepreneurship and, his love for Indians abroad, several states have picked up initiatives in a bid to nurture the youth and reconnect the diaspora with their roots. The Uttar Pradesh government rolled out a red carpet to welcome around 250 members of the Indian diaspora on January 4th, in Agra, as the state's first Pravasi Diwas took off with pomp and fervour.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav addressed the NRIs and PIOs saying the meet was a beginning of a neverending dialogue between them. Stating that the whole idea behind the UP Pravas Diwas was to connect the diaspora with the

in New Delhi on December 22, 2015, in the run to the Happening Haryana Global Investors Summit2016, to be organised in Gurgaon on March 7 and 8.

Four other roadshows are lined up at Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, before the summit. An official spokesperson said that boot camps would be organised with the joint efforts of the state government and Start-Up Accelerator Chamber of Commerce in colleges and universities across the state from January 2016 onwards.

A Start-up torch, lit by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at the show, will be taken across different universities and colleges, other than units associated with the fields of technical, management

state, he said that he wanted to work on a common and meaningful dialogue of the development of the region. “I am overjoyed to see such large numbers of NRIs here and admit that the gathering has exceeded my expectations. We are here not only to welcome you in the Taj city, but also to make you partners as the state endeavours to get its rightful place in the country,” he added. Sixteen eminent people with roots in Uttar Pradesh and now living abroad were given the 'UP Ratna' awards by the chief minister and his wife, Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav, while 13 MoUs were signed at the event.

Meanwhile, a one-ofits-kind programme Start-up, was launched in Haryana to help the young and capable entrepreneurs of the state. The programme was launched during a roadshow organised

and industry. The torch will finally reach the venue on March 8.

The Government of Madhya Pradesh has already started preparations for its biennial Global Investors Summit to be held in Indore this year.

The GIS, last held in 2014, saw participation by top businessmen like Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, Cyrus Mistry, YC Deveshwar and, Gautam Adani. Six-nations including Canada, Australia and South Africa were partnernations. Already pitching in for this year's vent, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that he would be happy if China makes partner with this year's summit. Pitching, he said the state has investment-friendly schemes, readily available land bank of 25,000 hectares, and availability of basic infrastructure.

When faith is in search of faith Muslims are boycotting the country's key anti radicalisation viz. 'Prevent' programme, The Times has reported. There were less than 300 community tipoffs in last 6 months, raising concerns that the police are being denied information that might prevent terrorist attacks. Figures from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) show that of the 3,288 referrals to the programme in the first half of 2015, only 280/8.6% came from the community, family, friends and faith leaders. Rest were from public bodies outside policing like schools, social services, health sector, etc.

Even though the figures relate to all kinds of extremism, they illustrate disillusionment within Muslim communities about 'Prevent', which has been described as racist or compared to almost witchhunt.

In December Walthamstaw Forest Council mosques, that represents thousands of Muslims, boycotted this programme. Tension in the community increased when a 14-year-old boy was interrogated over his inclination towards Isis after he was heard using the term 'ecoterrorisme' in a French class.

According to an analysis by The Times, 'Why Muslims choose to be silent', the reporter said, the 14-year-old boy's case was one of a number in which the desire to deal with extremism has had opposite effect. The Prevent Programme enhances distrust and alienate the very

communities that the authorities are trying to reach out.

Prevent was introduced after 9/11, but such grassroots interventions depend on the community for tipoff, but the fact of 'duty' to report concerns have only widened the gap.

The Muslim Council of Britain has raised concerns about the 'effectiveness and negative consequences' of Prevent and claims the word 'duty' results in further alienation. However the strategy's supporters claim it has raised public awareness of terrorism.

In a letter to the Editor in Times, Shuja Shafi, Secretary, MCB wrote, “Muslims are not silent on terror. Only last month MCB took out an advert in the name of hundreds of Muslim groups unequivocally condemning terror...

“Terrorism affects us all. We have encouraged community efforts to report criminal activities and cooperate with police...

“Many Muslims do have serious questions about the Prevent programme. And many of us want a successful counter terrorism policy that works far more closely with Muslim communities.

Our democratic traditions should surely mean that such concerns ought not be shut down by implied suggestions of acquiescence to terrorism or disloyalty to our country.”

Freedom of Expressionin question?

Mathew Parris in the Times writes about the significance of the phrase 'freedom of speech' and

contradiction that it poses.

Referring to the Charlie Hebdo affair, though he was shocked at the atrocities by some loose-cannon Islamists, he had to stop himself from asking if the magazine was asking for it!

Retired from the board of Index on Censorship, a British anchored organisation that campaigns for the freedom of expression, worldwide, he points out how times have changed, and so have laws.

There are laws protecting one from racial abuses, and one from homophobic attacks – most think that's justified, but what if a person from Muslim background wants to deny the sacred truths of Islam at a public meeting that causes deep offence to many Muslims? For example, at a university if students touch on some sensitive issues on the campus that hurt the sentiments of diehard Muslims, will the university be able to protect them?

And how will the student define his or her danger in the right words?

Christianity faces extinction at birthplace?

The Queen spoke of the tragedy of refugees and one of the world’s finding light amid the darkness in her Christmas message. She spoke how Mary and Joseph were also forced to flee with infant Jesus.

David Cameron used his Christmas message to emphasise the importance of security and to applaud those involved in protecting the country from terrorism.

Cameron also said

being Christian made Britain a country tolerant of all faiths.

“As a Christian country, we must remember what his birth represents: peace, mercy, goodwill and, above all, hope. I believe that we should also reflect on the fact that it is because of these important religious roots and Christian values that Britain has been such a successful home to people of all faiths and none.”

But the Most Rev Justin Welby has compared Isis to King Herod's, the ruler who massacred all newborns in Bethlehem, for the slaughter of the innocents. The head of the world's 85 million Anglicans fears that the terrorist group is threatening to eliminate Christianity where the religion was born. The calls for greater protection came amid news that the Church of England is to fast-track black and ethnic minority clergy to senior positions to counter accusations of institutional racism.

His comments came after faith leaders warned that persecution of Christians was growing across the world. Brunei has threatened to imprison anyone who celebrates Christmas in public and levy heavy fines for putting up a Christmas tree and crosses, singing hymns or sending festive greetings.

Somalia has banned all events relating to Christmas as contrary to Islamic culture. In China the Communist Party has been dismantling large crosses outside hundreds of churches.

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www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

‘Peigal Jaakirathai’ not a regular horror-comedy: Eshanya Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

Selvaraghavan, Gautham Menon join hands

Ilayathalapathy Vijay is very popular in Lanka

I

A

ctress Eshanya says her forthcoming Tamil horror-comedy 'Peigal Jaakirathai' is different as compared to other films of the same genre released in the last few years. She said, “My last release was Telugu horror-comedy 'Raju Gari Gadhi', and I can certainly say it's very different from this film.

Although they belong to the same genres, their presentation and stories are different. 'Peigal' is not a regular horrorcomedy. Here’s a story that has given the usual horror film a different spin,” she said. She plays a college girl in the film.

The film’s story revolves around events that take place after she meets a man. The film also stars Jeevarathanam, Thambi Ramaiah and Rajendran in important roles.

Talking about her experience, she said, “It was so much fun acting alongside Jeeva and Thambi Ramaiah sir.

They were patient and helpful at all times.”

“I really enjoyed working in both these films. In fact, I started shooting for 'Peigal' soon after I wrapped up 'Raju Gari Gadhi'. I really didn’t feel any hangover of the genre. As long as the films are different in some ways, I don’t mind doing another horror film right away,” she said.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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et-to-be-titled Tamil horror drama will be bankrolled by Gautham Vasudev Menon and the project is slated to go on the floors early next year. “It is true that Gautham is producing Selvaraghavan’s next project. Unlike the regular horror films Tamil cinema has witnessed in the last two years, this one will be made in such a way that it will send chills down the audience’s spine,” a source close to Selvaraghavan said.

The movie will feature popular actor S.J. Suryah in the lead. The source said, “The makers are currently finalising the rest of the cast.” The source also added that Selva has shifted all his focus on the horror film as he has always wanted to work in the genre.

layathalapathy Vijay's mass fan following among Tamils living across the globe needs no inrtroduction. Here comes yet another testimony for that. The 'Theri' star has topped the list of most googled celebrities by Sri Lankans in the year 2015. A popular international magazine has released the list of most searched celebrities in the popular search engine Google, across the world. Soccer sensation Lionel Messi and Hollywood actress Kim Kardarshin are the most googled celebrities in more than 20 countries across the globe.

Bollywood superstar Salmanh Khan is the most googled celebrity in India. Bollywood hottie Katrina Kaif tops the list in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Boliviya and Nepal.

Vijay tops the list of people googled by people across Sri Lanka, a close neighbour of India.

Samantha gets a pat on the back from Vijay

I

llayathalapathy Vijay has always openly appreciated his costars and their performances. The latest actor to catch his eyes is none other than his 'Kaththi' and ‘Theri’ pair Samantha.

She was recently needed to shoot a long sequence where the actress had to give both subtle expressions as well as emote, which she nailed perfectly.

While the entire unit applauded, Vijay rushed to her side after the shoot, shook hands with

'Wazir'

A Bollywood action thriller directed by B i j o y Nambiar, 'Wazir' is the story of a suspended cop and a paralysed chess master who are brought together by a twist of fate.

The film features Amitabh Bachchan, F a r h a n Akhtar, Aditi Rao and Neil Nitin Mukesh.

her and congratulated her.

Samantha who was delighted with the gesture later gushed on about her hero's magnanimity to one and all.

Big B hopes AaradhyaAbRam share screen space in future

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ollywood veteran star wishes his grand-daughter Aaradhya and fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan's son AbRam act together when they grow up. Recently, Shah had named Aaradhya-AbRam as the best couple when he was asked to choose between Ranbir-Deepika, RanveerDeepika, Alia-Sidharth and Fawad-Sonam.

Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming movie 'Wazir', when asked what he has to say about it, Bachchan Sr. said, “Unke mooh mein ghee shakkar aur doodh malai. (May the wish come true)” Directed

by Bejoy Nambiar, 'Wazir' is the story of two unusual friends, and features Farhan Akhtar and Aditi Rao Hydari.

'Bajirao' wins big at Renault Sony Guild Awards

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a n j a y L e e l a Bhansali has yet again managed to mesmerise the audience with his timeless cinematography, choreography and direction. His recent film 'Bajirao Mastani' has managed to clinch as many as nine awards at the Renault Sony Guild Awards 2016 with Ranveer Singh taking away the Best Actor award. SLB's adaptation of 18th century Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajiro I, took away awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound Design, Best Costume Design, Best Dialogue, Best Choreography and Best Actor in a Supporting Role categories. While Deepika missed the Best Actress for her role as Mastani, she made up for it by winning the award for her superhit movie 'Piku'.

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Aamir, Anushka are PETA’S hottest vegetarians in 2015

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ollywood a c t o r s Aamir Khan and Anushka Sharma have topped the list of the hottest vegetarians of 2015, released by the People for the E t h i c a l Treatment of Animals. They beat competitors, including A m i t a b h Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor, R Madhavan and Dhanush.

The winners were selected by visitors t o PETAIndia.com, who had cast their votes to help the organisation decide.

A a m i r Khan decided to go vegan after his wife Kiran Rao showed him a video about

eating healthy.

Vegas refrain from using any animal products and byproducts like eggs, dairy, honey, leather, fur, silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps. “At the end of it, I was convinced that vegans are way ahead of non-vegetarians and even vegetarians,” Aamir said.

“It is very important what you eat, as that is what you are. So it’s very important to make sure you’re eating enough vegetables and drinking enough water, which I’ve always done,” Anushka said in a statement.

PETA India manager Sachin Bangera said both the actors are the perfect example of “fit vegetarians” and “they're inspiring millions of their fans to try plant-based foods.”

Sunny Leone is stunning: Priyanka

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n a man eat man world, what can the women do but stand up for each other?

Actress Priyanka Chopra who will soon be seen in Prakash Jha's upcoming 'Jai Gangaajal' said former Indo-Canadian adult star Sunny Leone made her look “bad” as she is “stunning.” The actress tweeted, “I love how things are sensationalised out of context!

Standing and taking pics with Sunny Leone makes

me look bad because she is stunning! Lol!” The tweet comes in response to a report that said the 'Quantico' star did

Bhansali to launch Vinod Khannai's son Sakshi

not wish to be photographed with the 'Jism 2 'actress.

Leone, who is currently getting ready for her upcoming sexc o m e d y 'Mastizaade', said she feels the same about Priyanka.

She tweeted, “I feel the same about you darling. Media can be mean sometimes. They just wish it was them taking pics with you. Lol xoxo.”

Karan Johar to launch Shah Rukh's son Aryan

Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Bachchan leaves his co-stars in awe of him

ollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan is an enigma, and leaves all his co-stars in awe of him. The latest to be completely bowled over by him is none other than Farhan Akhtar. Akhtar, who had previously directed Bachchan Sr in 'Lakshya', will be seen sharing screen space with him for the first time in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's upcoming 'Wazir'.

Akhtar said, “I was happy to spend time with him. We are all huge fans of him and grown up watching his films. I spoke to him a lot about the past, about him approaching other roles, about his association with Salim Saab and my father, how they worked together. We spoke a lot about 'Deewaar'. He is very witty, very funny.” The antago-

nist of the film, Neil Nitin Mukesh said he was extremely nervous when he was approached for the role.

He said, “I had a mammoth task as my character had to intimidate Bachchan's character. I said how can you intimidate someone whose name itself intimidates you? But then I thought my career

would be incomplete if I don't work with him, Vidhu Sir and the team.”

An action thriller starring Bachchan, Akhtar, Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham and Aditi Rao Hydari, 'Wazir' releases in cinemas worldwide on 8th January 2016, produced

by Vinod Chopra Films and distributed by Reliance Entertainment

story of a professor, Dr. S R Siras (Manoj Bajpayee) fired from his position for his sexuality and a young journalist, Deepu Sebastian (Rajkummar Rao) who tells his story to the world. Based on true events, the film depicts the unlikely friendship between the two, a relationship that will change both of them forever.

The film received a standing ovation at its World premiere at the prestigious 20th Busan International Film Festival in October 2015 and shortly thereafter opened to packed houses at the 59th BFI London Film Festival.

Later in the month, it was selected as the opening film at the17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival on October 30th 2015; marking the second time that a Hindi film opened the festival since 1997, the inaugural year of the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

‘Aligarh’ to release in February

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ligarh the much anticipated film on homosexuality and Indian society will release on 26 February. The story is about an old Professor on the verge of his retirement who gets expelled from his University after a camera captures him engaged in a homosexual act. Though consensual, it triggers a controversy regarding morality and tradition. A young journalist sets on to investigate the truth and unravel the reality of this "sting operation".

Set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh from which the film takes its name, ‘Aligarh’ is the

Katrina finally makes it to the Kapoor family

Sadhana, whose hairdo defined an era, dead

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ilm-maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is currently riding high on the success of his recently released 'Bajirao Mastani', is all set to launch veteran actor Vinod Khanna's son, Sakshi.

Khanna's elder sons Rahul and Akshaye have been part of indie films and, made their mark with movies like 'Border' and 'Dil Chahta Hai', respectively. Now, his third son will find a strong support in Bhansali. Sources said, “A film is being made with Sakshi which will be produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. We are working on the script. We cannot reveal much about it at this moment about the project.” The movie will be directed by ace casting director Mukesh Chhabra.

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n a recent interview, filmmaker Karan Johar said he would launch Shah Rukh Khan's elder son Aryan. Calling dibs on the most awaited launch of all times, Johar called dibs on helping Aryan's career take off. “Working with SRK was and is something that I always cherish. I feel whenever there are two people who are strong and close to each other, there is a section of people who are never happy with their closeness. Shah Rukh is beyond family to me. In fact, my equation with him has moved from him to his kids now. I always tell him, I am going to maintain my youth quotient only because I want to launch Aryan. No one else can launch Aryan but me.”

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latest addition to the iconic Kapoor khaandaan, Katrina Kaif seems to have finally found her place. In a recent picture, the actress was seen with the Kapoors. In the photo that went viral, Katrina was seen posing with Karisma, Kareena, Saif, Karisma's daughter Samaira, Randhir Kapoor, Ranbir, Kunal Kapoor and Rima Jain. However, missing in the frame with “in-laws” Rishi and Neetu. The annual Christmas lunch at Shashi Kapoor's house came with a twist while Ranbir and Katrina happily posed with each other, mommy dearest was MIA.

eteran actress Sadhana, known for her films, songs, and sequences, but mostly, for her fringe haircut, finally succumbed to a long battle with cancer on December 25. She was 74 and is survived by her foster daughter. Born in Karachi, her family moved to India and settled in Mumbai when she was barely 7 years old.

She first entered the industry as a child actress in 1955 with a small appearance in Raj Kapoor's 'Shree 420'. She also did a significant role in India's first Sindhi language movie 'Abaana'. Sadhana was at her prime in 1965, when she delivered two blockbusters 'Waqt' and 'Arzoo'. “Sadhana (Shivdasani) breathed her last at her home this morning,” friend and BJP city spokesperson Shaina N.C. said.

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Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Sweet poison: Beware, sugar could lead to breast cancer While high sugar intake is usually said to be associated to the risk of being diagwith diabetes, nosed researchers have found that it could also lead to the risk of developing breast cancer.

Scientists have stated that high-sugar western diets may increase the risk of breast cancer, as well as possibility of the cancer to spread to the lungs.

Common sugar found in aerated drinks, such as Coke, and food such as biscuits, cereal bars and ketchup could also be driving the disease.

As for diabetes, according to new figures, one in five retired people suffer from diabetes. NHS figures reveal that the number of people who have diabetes has surpassed four million, which is costing the NHS an estimate of £10 billion per year.

Chief executive of Diabetes UK, Chris Askew said, “The need to tackle

this serious health condition has never been so stark or so urgent.

Tragically, we are continuing to see too many people with diabetes suffering serious complications, and even dying before their time.”

It is suggested that annually, about 24,000 people die due to diabetes. If not controlled, diabetes can also lead to amputations, blindness, kidney failure and heart disease.

What also leads to diabetes is obesity.

Many Britons, as well as young children who

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have been deemed as clinically obese due to their poor lifestyle and diet, which in most cases leads to the diagnosis of diabetes and heart conditions. Even after losing weight after being obese or overweight

decay.

Many behavioural analysis have been made to detect how one might behave during a meal out and their eating habits.

According to researchers from Cornell University, New York, and the of Jena, University Germany, diners tend to order more food if their waiter or waitress is overweight. They found that people were four times more likely to order dessert, and 17.65% more alcohol if they were served by someone with a high body mass index (BMI).

Obesity can lead to many conditions including diabetes

does not guarantee you a long life. According to a study by Professor Samuel Preston, those who manage to bring their weight down to a healthy level are more likely to die an early death.

Public Health England have stated that an average child between the age of four and ten consumes 22kg of sugar a year, which is the equivalent to the weight of an average 5year-old. These children are at a high risk of diabetes, obesity and tooth

Diabetes and obesity are not alien to Britons, nor to the Asian community. At times, due to hectic lifestyle and schedules, we tend to put our health on the backseat in order to keep up with the fast pace of life. It is not merely about being fat, there are a lot of health complications in the long run which worsen as the day goes by.

It is essential to put yourself and your wellbeing first in order to be able to provide a long, healthy and fulfilling life for the next generation, for your children.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Mercury turns retrograde on

the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th. This occurs in your tenth house of career and status, slowing down your progress at work. It is important for you to be steadfast and focused as misunderstandings and confusion reign. Stay as organized as possible while Mercury, the planet of communications does its best to trip you up.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your ninth house of travel and adventure, creating havoc – make sure your travel documents are in order. Your mental focus could be anywhere other than your normal routine which could create chaos - discipline yourself.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your eighth house of joint resources, taxes, wills, legacies and alimony, creating confusion and complications for you during the next few weeks. Mars is also in your work house, so make sure you have plenty of focus when making decisions.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 Your closest relationships come under scrutiny as Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th. Mercury, the planet of communications goes retrograde in your seventh house of marriage and partnerships. There can be a lot of misunderstandings and confused signals. It is a time for reassessment.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your sixth house. The next few weeks may bring confusion and misunderstandings at work and troubles with your health.

At work you need to pay more attention to detail before finalising important matters.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your solar fifth house. Extra care should be exercised when it comes to matters surrounding romance, children, and creativity. Be as non-judgemental as possible as this is a period of review and rest. Speculation and gambling are not advised right now.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your solar fourth house. Extra care should be exercised when it comes to family relations, real estate matters, and domestic issues. Be as diplomatic as you can with your loved ones. Try to put off major decision-making with regards family matters for the time being.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th. This transit occurs in your solar third house, extra care should be exercised when it comes to composing letters, emails, making phone calls, and with communications in general.

Issues with siblings or neighbours - these should be resolved amicably.

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th.

This transit occurs in your solar second house, extra care should be exercised when it comes to new financial initiatives. There may be the need to resolve old, nagging issues regarding personal finances. Take this time to re-budget and re-think how you want to spend your cash during this period.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your solar first house. Extra care should be exercised when it comes to your body language. Others may misinterpret whatever you say and you should be aware that you can give off mixed signals. Good time to review the manner in which you come across to others.

Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your solar twelfth house. Extra care should be exercised when it comes to private and personal matters. Be as non-judgemental as you can, but do keep an eye out for deceptiveness and falseness in others.

Good time for yoga and meditation.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Mercury turns retrograde on the 5th, and will remain retrograde until the 25th in your eleventh house of friends and associates. The next few weeks would serve you well if you spend more time listening than speaking. Good time to re-assess your relationships and partnerships.

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Ashwin is number-one ranked bowler of 2015 AsianVoiceNews

Australia captain Steve Smith and Ravichandran Ashwin of India have finished 2015 as the numberone ranked batsman and bowler respectively in the ICC Test Player Rankings.

Ashwin has achieved the number-one spot for first time in his career after injury prevented Dale Steyn from bowling more than 3.5 overs in England's second innings. Even though the fast bowler bagged four wickets in the first innings, these were not enough for him to end the year as the number-one ranked bowler for the sixth time since 2009.

Steyn had started the Durban Test leading Ashwin by four points and now trails the India offspinner by the same margin. In the ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers, Ashwin has become the first India bowler since Bishen Bedi in 1973 to achieve the milestone of finishing the year in number-one Test position.

In fact, Bedi, an ICC Hall of Famer, is the only India bowler to ever top the Test bowling table, while Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Kapil Dev and Anil Kumble peaked at number-two during their careers.

Ashwin has finished 2015 as the most successful bowler with 62 wickets in nine Tests, and this is

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

reflected in his ranking after he started the year in 15th position and slowly but surely moved to the top of the chart.

In the past decade, Shane Warne has finished in the top position in 2005 and Muttiah Muralitharan completed a hat-trick from 2006 to 2008, before Steyn got his grip on the top spot which was only broken in 2013 when his team-mate Vernon Philander topped the table.

Reacting to the news, Ashwin said: "Finishing the year as the number-one ranked Test bowler is like an icing on the cake that I have managed to build over the past 12 months. I always wanted to get there one day. "There can't be a better way to finish 2015.

Replicating what Mr. Bedi

did is something I am very proud of. The former India captain was a master at his craft and I am very humbled to follow in his footsteps. I would like to thank my Test captain Virat Kohli, who has been a big influence, and, of course, the team management, my team-mates and the BCCI for their continued support."

England's Stuart Broad was the second leading wicket-taker in 2015 with 56 wickets in 14 Tests. This includes five wickets in the Durban Test, which have proved to be the cornerstone of his career-high third position in the latest rankings.

Broad, who started the year in eighth position, has now become England's highest-ranked bowler

after James Anderson who has slipped to fifth after missing the Durban Test due to an injury.

O t h e r bowlers to finish the year on career-high r a n k i n g s include Nathan Lyon in 14th place (up by one), Moeen Ali in 23rd (up by seven places), Mitchell Marsh on 52nd (up by nine places) and Dane Piedt in 59th (up by five places).

Ashwin, for the second time in three years, has finished as the number-one ranked Test all-rounder.

Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan had started 2015 as the top all-rounder.

Smith, who last week won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year as well as the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award, had entered the Melbourne Test in fourth position. However, after scoring 134 not out and 70 not out, the 26-year-old has leapfrogged Kane Williamson of New Zealand, England's Joe Root and AB de Villiers of South Africa into the top spot.

Meditation helps Compton regain batting form What do actor Richard Gere, tennis star Novak Djokovic and singer Paul McCartney have in common? Yes, you guessed it right. They all meditate.

Now, it seems English batsman Nick Compton too is following in their footsteps.

Test discard Compton will be able to breathe easily again after his stupendous comeback in the Durban match, thanks to meditation which has breathed new life into the

Nick Compton

of 85 and 49 in his comeback Test as England defeated South Africa by 241 runs in Durban to claim a 1-0 lead in the fourmatch series.

The promising righthander was dropped in 2013 following a painstaking seven from 45 balls against India at Headingley.

Before leaving for South Africa he had told All Out Cricket magazine how meditation and learning to control breathing

has helped his batting.

“The mind is like the bicep, you have got to train it.”

It’s possible that in the Durban Test Compton may have put to good use the yoga or the meditation techniques he had learned to focus the mind during his time out of the side.

Well, going by the way he was middling the ball and the temperament he showed in the Durban Test, it appears the breathing exercises have stood Compton in good stead.

Career-defining match for Amir Khan

Amir Khan (29), the British professional boxer and former world champion did not have the most remarkable year in the boxing ring in 2015, and 2016 may turn out to be an extremely crucial year for his career.

After being rejected as an opponent in the ring against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, his upcoming fight with Kell Brooks could define the future of the Bolton boxer.

Khan only fought in one match in 2015, against Chris Algieri in

out-of-form batsman.

Compton posted scores

2016 may be a careerdefining year for the Bolton boxer New York. Although Khan convincingly won the match, the victory did very little for his reputation.

However, according to

the Matchroom Sport chairman, Barry Hearn, Khan is allegedly avoiding being in the ring against Kell Brooks by chasing impractical fights in the US. Matchroom are the promoters of Brooks.

Regarding the match between Khan and Pacquiao, Hearn said that the Filipino boxer’s promoter, Bob Arum said that it was never going to be materialised.

While speaking to Sky Sports, Hearn shared, “I know Pacquiao well and Bob Arum is a friend of

mine. I asked Arum ‘What percentage of a chance does Khan have of fighting Pacquiao?’ Arum said, ‘Less than one per cent.’

He had no chance. I’m very disappointed because Khan has been almost impossible. He doesn’t seem to want to fight anybody. [Being in America] is an excuse.”

We will just have to wait and see whether Khan can give them and his critiques a fitting reply by turning the tables and gloriously winning the match.

UK Asian Voice | 9th January 2016

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Lodha panel moots radical reforms in BCCI

The Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee has mooted radical reforms to the way the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) functions. According to the recommendations, the BCCI could be in for a radical overhaul.

The panel's report covers a wide arc from tenures of officials to ticket distribution. It seeks to impose strict eligibility criteria, limit association votes to one per state, prevent concurrent holding of posts and keep out ministers and government servants. It has also made a strong appeal to lawmakers to legalize cricket betting for all except stakeholders like players, coaches etc, with certain safeguards. The report also seeks to decentralize and professionalise the board's functioning give players a voice through a new players' association provide “limited autonomy” to the Indian Premier League (IPL) and do away with redundant voting patterns.

Retired CJI Lodha, who stopped short of renaming he BCCI, said the “biggest challenge” for the three member panel while seeking to cure Indian cricket's ills was to ensure the “good bacteria was not lost” while providing “the right dose.” If followed in toto, the proposals may set off an earthquake within the BCCI's corridors which will leave big guns scrambling for cover and rule out many from future positions as administrators. It will also leave many established state associations and members as mere appendages without voting rights. As it stands, these recommendations will be taken up by an SC bench later this month. While the BCCI naturally has strong objections to the proposed changes and will be given an opportunity to respond, the board may have no choice but to implement the changes in part or full if the court passes orders. “If they don't follow these proposals it will be shoved down their throats,” legal sources said. The only one left smiling was former IPL COO Sundar Raman, who was spared punitive action after his role as a willing accessory in the IPL spot-fixing scandal could not be satisfactorily ascertained. Wherever possible, the report also recommends putting external watchdogs in place, from retired judges to former election commissioners.

An important recommendation is the appointment of three independent officials, an ombudsman to preside over and formulate dispute resolution mechanisms, an ethics officer to constitute conflict-of-interest parameters and an electoral officer to oversee voting patterns and norms. In what is likely to give the Delhi cricket association bosses the shivers, proxy voting too has been ruled out..

15-year-old Mumbai cricketer scores 1,009 runs in an innings

Pranav Dhanawade, a 15-yearold Mumbai youth, has broken a century-old cricketing record on Monday and became the first batsman to score 1,000-plus runs in an innings in any form of cricket.

Batting against Arya Gurukul School in a Bhandari Cup match, Pranav reached 1,000 runs in just 323 balls on Tuesday. The tournament is an under-16 inter-school event organised by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) mainly for the benefit of suburban schools. Pranav's epic knock, which lasted 395 minutes, included a staggering 59 sixes and 129 fours. His team soon declared the innings at 1,465/3, which is also a world record, with Pranav remaining at unbeaten 1,009, while the opposition side were bundled out for 31 on Monday. His school went past Victoria's 1,107 against New South Wales made way back in 1926. The 15-year-old student of KC Gandhi High School, Kalyan has broken a 116-old cricketing record after amassing unbeaten 652 on Monday thus taking over the mantle of 'highest individual score' (including minor cricket) from AEJ Collins. Collins had held the record since 1899 when he struck an unbeaten 628 for Clark House against North Town House in UK. In the course of his multiple recordbreaking feat, Pranav also surpassed Prithvi Shaw's marathon 546 scored two years ago in a Harris Shield tie, an innings that had previously been the highest individual score in any form of cricket in India. Maharashtra government has offered to look after the education and coaching expenses of the schoolboy.

Wimbledon golfers reject tennis club's offer

About 800 members of Wimbledon Park Golf Club has rejected the £25million offer of All England Lawn Tennis Club to let the world-famous tournament expand on to their grounds. The offer was made to end its lease in five years’ time instead of letting it run until the expiry date in 2041.

The settlement offered meant golfers with at least 10 years’ club membership would have shared the lump sum – giving each a payout of up to £50,000. But a vote among the 800 members of the 117-year-old club resulted in the committee declining the offer.

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Amla returns to form, defies England

South African captain Hashim Amla defied England's bowlers and batted throughout the third day of the second Test at Newlands on Monday.

Amla made an unbeaten 157 as South Africa reached 353 for three at the close, still 276 runs behind England's first innings total of 629 for six declared.

AB de Villiers was the only batsman dismissed during the day as South Africa, 1-0 down in the four-Test series, dug in on a pitch which offered no assistance to the bowlers.

Steven Finn was the only successful bowler. He had De Villiers caught at midwicket shortly before tea after Amla and De Villiers had put on 183 in a third wicket partnership which lasted for two minutes short of five hours.

Faf du Plessis, who like Amla had endured a lean spell with the bat, made 51 not out as he helped his captain put on an unbeaten 85 for the fourth wicket. It was a crucial innings for Amla, who was under pressure for both his captaincy

Hashim Amla and his batting. South Africa have not won a Test since beating the West Indies at the same venue a year ago, while Amla had made only 150 runs at an average of 15 in 10 innings since that match.

There could be no better pitch nor more uplifting occasion for a batsman to regain his touch. After the brutality of the previous day, it was time for an artist to take centre stage as Amla led from the front, batting throughout and restoring some pride along the way. Never had he nor his team needed it more.

Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow showed brute force on Sunday, but the

magic of Amla’s batting is in his wrists - supple and strong as they are - and his ability to work the ball square of the wicket and along the ground with neatness and precision, rather than down the ground and over the ropes with pure power and force.

This was the surgeon’s scalpel rather than the butcher’s cleaver.

Amla - already in possession of a triple hundred against England, at the Kia Oval in July 2012 - is not sated yet, and was well supported with half-centuries from AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis.

England, brought quickly back down to earth, managed only one wicket and in truth did not look like taking many more, although their energy could not be faulted.

About Amla Hashim Amla is the first South African of Indian descent to reach the national squad - his grandparents migrated from Gujarat - and he shares the penchant for wristy legside flicks that ooze off his bat. A quiet man, there is no doubting Amla's

immense hunger for runs.

His elevation to the South Africa side was a poorly kept secret after he reeled off four centuries in his first eight innings of the 2004-05 season, after being appointed captain of the Dolphins (formerly Natal) at the tender age of 21. His older brother by four years, Ahmed, made his first-class debut two seasons before Hashim, but there is little doubt that the younger Amla is the better player. He is also a devout Muslim whose requests to have logos promoting alcohol removed from his playing gear have been successful so far.

Amla toured New Zealand with the South African Under-19 team in 200001, he captained South Africa at the 2002 Under19 World Cup, and after starring for the A team, made his Test debut against India in 2004-05.

He was not an instant success, with serious questions emerging about his technique as he mustered 36 runs in four innings against England later that season.

India beat Afghanistan; win SAFF title Skipper Sunil Chhetri struck in extra time as India staged a superb comeback to claim their seventh SAFF Championship title by defeating a spirited Afghanistan 21 in a hard-fought final at the Trivandrum International Stadium last week. Chhetri scored the decisive goal for India when he capitalised on a defensive lapse by the visitors in the first half of extra time.

Earlier, the two teams were locked 1-1 after the regulation 90 minutes in a match which saw fast, end to end action with plenty of chances at both ends.

Zubayr Amiri (70th) put Afghanistan in front before Jeje Lalpekhlua (72nd) put India back in the game, and then Chhetri finally sealed the matter.

The Indians thus avenged their 2-0 loss to the defending champions in the final of the last edition in Katmandu in 2013.

The best chance of the first

half fell to Jeje in the 14th minute. He did well to win the ball under pressure and played it for Narzary whose cross struck the trailing leg of Zubayr Amiri and came off Afghanistan goalkeeper Ovays Azizi. Jeje's header on the rebound came off the crossbar, and he hit the crossbar again in the 56th minute with a powerful shot from outside the box.

The Afghanistan strike force comprising captain Faysal Shayesteh, left winger Noraollah Amiri and right winger Mustafa Zazai caused the hosts plenty of problems throughout the match. The Indian defenders did themselves no favours by some shoddy defending on several occasions.