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In the biggest document leak in history, more than 11 million documents have been leaked from the secret files of law firm Mossack Fonseca, headquartered in tax haven Panama, revealing a list of individuals who paid the firm and bought the benefits of the secretive, lax regulatory system, in which it operates, to set up offshore entities in tax havens across the world.

Vol 44 | Issue 47

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

Nawaz Sharif

Ian Donald Cameron

From Russian President Vladimir Putin to Hollywood actor Jackie Chan, the documents have practically crushed the global elite. With 29 billionaires from the Forbes Top 500 Richest List, also revealed are the identities of 500 Indian figures. Also included is Ian Cameron, British Prime Minister David Cameron's father. He ran an offshore account to avoid paying taxes in Britain, hiring a small army of Bahamas residents – including a part-time bishop – to sign its paperwork. Continued on page 26

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |9th April 2016

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Raman Bedi

Raman Bedi was Chief Dental Officer – England from October 2002 to October 2005. He is Chairman of the Global Child Dental Fund. In 2005 he was asked to establish the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce. The mission of the taskforce was to support governments on how they can improve children’s oral health. In 2009 it was working in 13 countries. The Taskforce underwent a significant change in 2008 when it became a charity focused on the dental care of the most disadvantaged children around the world. Professor Bedi is based at King’s College London and also holds an honorary chair at University College London where he was the co-director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre at the Eastman Dental Institute from 1998 to 2008. He also has an honorary “Extraordinary Professorship” in Paediatric Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa (2007-2010). He has examined and lectured in over 40 countries. He was past President of the British Society for Disability and Oral Health in 2002, President of the Education Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) from 2002 to 2004 and chair of the IADR Regional Development Programme Committee from 2002 to 2004. He has published over 190 scientific papers and five books. 1) What is your current position? Since leaving the post of Chief Dental Officer for England, in 2005, I have been the director of the Global Child Dental Health Taskforce which is based at King's College London. A charity, the Global Child Dental Fund, was created in 2008 to take this project forward and I became its founding chairman. 2) What are your proudest achievements? Family of course, and being married to Katie for almost 30 years, and having three boys. As for work? Being appointed as the first BME professor in dentistry in the UK was an

important step for the community and the profession. Of course becoming the 8th and youngest Chief Dental Officer for England in 2002 was a proud moment especially as it was the first time a BME person had been appointed as a Chief Officer in the Department of Health. 3) What inspires you? As far as work goes it has been improving child oral health and especially for the most disadvantaged children. Since leaving Bristol University dental school, almost 35 years ago, I have been a paediatric dentist and have worked to improving the dental care for children. Now I can do

Sadiq Khan celebrates Holi with community in Ealing

Sadiq Khan celebrated the festival of Holi on Saturday with the Shree Jalaram Mandir in Ealing. The event was the first time the Hindu temple in Ealing has celebrated the festival of colours in Revenor Park. Sadiq Khan, Labour’s Candidate for Mayor of London, said: “London is the greatest city in the world, and it’s amazing that people from all backgrounds can come together and

celebrate this wonderful festival of colours. It is great to see the young people of the Mandir leading the organisation of such fantastic events and I know that it will go from strength to strength. “London is at a crossroads and we need a Mayor who will unite our communities and celebrate our great diversity. That’s why I’m so committed to being a Mayor for all Londoners.”

this on a global stage and work with international health agencies such as the World Federation of Public Health Associations. In 2012 I became the founding chairman of the WFPHA oral health group and was, last year, elected for a second term. The first major activity was to get the general assembly to pass the declaration of the human rights of a child in terms of oral health. This declaration has been used around the world in promoting better child oral health

4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? One might think being from a BME background during a period when very few minorities where in senior positions in the dental (or health) profession. However, I have found that being a dentist has been the biggest obstacle!! Strange but when I served, for four years as the co-chair of the community and race affairs committee of the Church of England, or as a trustee of the Children’s society or as a founding trustee of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation, the initial prejudice was not being from a BME background but being a dentist. Perceptions of dentists is different when working in larger social activities. 5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date? My parents have been influential and great supporters. But like many Asian parents wanted their son to own and run their own dental practice. They never really understood the world of academia. I remember sharing with them the fact that I was appointed as the Chief Dental

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Officer for England – my mothe r ’ s response was “does that mean you will get your own practice”. Other than parents there have been

many who have supported me and encouraged me to take bold steps 6) What is the best aspect about your current role? I love travelling to different countries and working with senior dentists on how they could improve child oral health. National policies and also practical training with local dentists. It is humbling to work with so many creative and gifted people all working to help their child population. I also enjoy the freedom to develop these programmes and for that I am grateful to King’s College London for giving me the flexibility and time 7) And the worst? The most frustrating aspect of the international work is helping very talented people who work with very limited resources. Each year I help provide training to paediatric dentists who work in very limited resources especially those from low income

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countries. I am amazed how committed and resourceful these individuals are and most important persistent and driven they are to help children 8) What are your long term goals? My immediate goals is to implement a successional strategy for the international child oral health improvement programme. Finding committed and able people to take this work forward and ensuring that they have the resources to implement programmes. 9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change? NHS dentistry. We need an honest discussion about this and to stop the tinkering with budgets and policies. The service needs more transparency – to become a core service and focus on children and vulnerable groups. Of course, prevention has to the cornerstone 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why? It would be easy to name a great leader or an inspirational figure but that would frustrate, as on a desert island, I would not be able to implement any change. So maybe a world chess champion like Kasparov who could teach me how to improve my chess, keep my mind stimulated and maybe one day be able to beat them

Hertsmere's first Pandav Vidhya Shala Holi Rang Utsav festival Guests were splattered with paint as the Pandav Vidhya Shala Holi Rang Utsav 2016 celebrations got underway. The festival, which was part of a project of Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK, took place on March 19 at Bushey Academy with MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden initiating the countdown. Pandav Vidhya Shala Holi Rang Utsav 2016 is a Hindu festival of colours where people play, chase and colour each other with dry power and coloured water. Dina Bhudia, one of the organisers of the Bushey event, said: “It was a brilliant event and everyone had a great time. “More than 200 people came and we had such positive feedback. We will definitely be doing this again. We were also bless to have our chairman Dr Tribhovan Jotangia present who gave a short story on the Holi festival. “We have been looking

MP for Hertsmere Oliver Dowden took part in the festival

to do it on a wider scale and hopefully we will get the support from both Hertsmere Borough Council and Hertfordshire County Council. “When I went to Oliver Dowden it was because I saw the growth in the Hindu community. “Oliver has been such a great support. He didn’t think he realised how messy he would get.”

The event was hosted by Pandav Vidhya Shala - the Gujarati and Hindu Dharma School and run by a number of volunteers. The festival is said to signify the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. It is celebrated all over the world. This was the first ever Hindu event in Hertsmere and the intention was to bring the Hindu communi-

ty together. Mr Dowden said: “This was a great celebration – colourful and full of fun, although very messy and it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves. “Throughout the festivities there is also the serious message of good triumphing over evil, the end of winter and arrival of spring. This was a fantastic event that the whole community came together to enjoy. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone in the Hindu community a happy Holi.” Trudy Martell, head teacher of Bushey Academy, said the academy welcomed the event through their doors. She said: “The Bushey Academy has long had a motto ‘Proud to Belong’ and this reflects its ethos of being a community school at the heart of Bushey. The academy welcomed the opportunity to open its doors to members of the community and share in their celebrations.”

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice |9th April 2016

Tata to Talbot! Less than a decade ago when Ratan Tata, the then chairman of the Tata Group, announced the acquisition of the Anglo-Dutch Corus Group in a £6.7bn deal, seldom he realised that the Tatas were buying a pig in a poke. This was in 2007 a year before the banking financial crisis. Perhaps for the Tatas there was an element of post-colonial jubilation about this transaction. Rata Tata described it as “a moment of great fulfilment for India”, as if the symbolism of possessing a trophy in the imperial birth place of mass-produced steel was more important than any commercial justification. He also called the Corus deal a “very visionary move... Hopefully in future, people will look back and say that we did the right thing.” Nine years after the deal, Tata Steel has put its lossmaking Port Talbot Steelworks in south Wales on the market, putting thousands of jobs in jeopardy, besides compelling the Conservative government to find a solution ahead of an EU vote dominated by concerns about the economy. The major part of the blame for the crisis has been laid on China – it is a consequence of the slowdown in China’s factory floors. If people world over are buying fewer cars and houses, it is showing up in the slide in demand for steel. And this has led to fall in prices. Also, with local demand losing steam, China and other produc-

ers had to export steel at lower prices, or even at a loss, to the rest of the world, leading to accusations of “dumping”. However, the show must go on. At present, there are two possibilities. Either the plant will shut down or somebody will take over. The latter seems to be a likely scenario. The name of Sanjeev Gupta, the 44-year founder of Liberty House, is already doing rounds for acquiring the beleaguered plant. The UK government, too, is doing its mite to revive the ailing plant. Well, all these are good positive signs. Tata Steel perhaps is the best potential saviour, according to the thinking in the Whitehall. Perhaps that's the reason why Business Secretary Sajid Javid is flying to India late on Tuesday to sort things out. He should have done that last week itself. Tata is the largest Indian corporate house which has other successful and well-respected huge operations in the UK, including Finlay Tea, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Consultancy Services and many more. In the past the British government was least cooperative during the negotiations of JLR. We ought to also understand clearly that the new technology and the processes have to be utilised if some core industries have to survive. Finally, the ability to gauge the early warning signs of an economic meltdown will separate the men from the boys.

Dawn of a New Era in Myanmar A new chapter has begun for Myanmar with democracy returning to Yangon after 54 years of military rule, thanks to Aung San Suu Kyi, the international icon for democracy, who fought the junta that put her under house arrest for 15 years to stop her efforts to make the people of Burma the real fountainhead of power. But Myanmar’s new President is not Aung San Suu Kyi. She cannot be the President because the country’s Constitution, written by the military, prohibits a Burmese who has married a foreigner, or has children from a foreigner, from becoming head of state. Suu Kyi’s two sons are British passport holders. However, she has made her confidant Htin Kyaw the President, the first genuine civilian in the post in more than five decades. He assumed charge as the President on March 30. The initial euphoria of creating history in the Southeast Asian nation or bringing a change is fine, but democracy is not a magic wand. The problems plaguing the country cannot be solved overnight. The transition only marks progress, not complete change. The National League for Democracy-led government faces an uphill task ahead. Problems of mass poverty,

regional insurgency, ethnic conflict, Buddhist-Muslim tensions and Rohingya issue will take a long time to be resolved satisfactorily. Suu Kyi will have to play her role shrewdly if she is to make democracy work. Suu Kyi has joined the new cabinet and has four important ministries (foreign affairs, education, energy and the president’s office) and the overall responsibility to lead the nation. The cabinet also includes three lieutenant generals nominated by Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing. If the NLD and the army cooperate fully, they can lead the nation to a new dawn. The Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi is widely known as India’s friend, a believer in Gandhian philosophy and an admirer of Jawaharlal Nehru. With “The Lady” – as she came to be known as – in power, India-Myanmar relations should flourish in the normal course. India will have to develop closer ties with Myanmar since the countries share a 1,600-km border. Having encouraged the Delhi University-educated Suu Kyi – the daughter of Myanmar’s independence hero, General Aung San – it is India’s prime duty to enable her to rebuild Myanmar as a true democracy.

Terrorism is Terrorism, Nothing More, Nothing Less Last week at the fourth Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, India had proposed that Masood Azhar, the leader of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-eMohammed, should be declared a terrorist. China opposed the proposal. It is not surprising. In the context of Indian subcontinental politics, China, especially as Pakistan is in its armpit, will always oppose anything India proposes which is not to the liking of real rulers of Pakistan – that is the Military. America and France have changed their tunes after 9/11 and Paris attacks last year. The recent 'Bloody Easter' in Lahore and earlier bloodshed in Brussels have only exposed the hypocrisy of the Western powers vis-a-vis the horrors of terrorism and proxy wars. China itself has something to worry about in its Xinjiang and other regions where extremism and terrorism have already raised their ugly head. The nuclear arms, its technology, etc. have reached North Korea, even China through the subtle cooperation of Dr A Q Khan, the Pakistani nuclear physicist, who

secretly stole the technology while undergoing training in Europe, especially Holland. America and other Western democracies are genuinely concerned about the nuclear arms or the technology to manufacture them falling into the hands of extremists. But China's stand in Washington last week will not only allow Masood Azhar to roam freely but could create major problems. The British establishment should remember that Masood Azhar toured the UK in 1993 and during his 30 days he visited 42 mosques, “for the sake of Allah”. He openly told the British children that murders are allowed by the Koran. To welcome a hate preacher is to promote hate. The roots of Jihad in the UK were planted more widely in 1993. Platitudes alone cannot protect religious minorities, said the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in his opinion in Financial Times dated 2nd April, 2016. Nothing more needs to be said.

Pak investigators visit to India The Modi government has taken a political risk by allowing Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team's (JIT) visit to India to probe the Pathankot attack. On the first sight, the exercise may be a dud with no clear legal basis for the probe. In the absence of a Letter of Rogatory (LR) from Pakistan for gathering evidence in India for its Pathankot probe, any lead gathered during JIT's visit to the Pathankot airbase would have no legal value. A Letter Rogatory is a formal request from a court to a foreign court for judicial assistance, with the most common remedies sought being service of process and gathering of evidence in the foreign country. Without an LR, any information or evidence gathered by the Pakistan officials cannot be placed on record and cited as evidence in the investigation being carried in Pakistan. But the biggest gain for India from the visit would be that New Delhi could press for reciprocity in near future. In a couple of months, India is likely to request Islamabad to allow a team of National Investigation Agency to conduct its own inquiry in Pakistan, based on leads gathered during its investigation in the Pathankot attack. On the other hand, the team's visit would strengthen India's stand that Pakistan territory was used for terror attack against India. Pakistan

for the first time assured India of action against terrorists who used its territory for planning the attack. Pak team's visit has, meanwhile, caused a political storm with the opposition parties slamming the government for giving the Pakistan team, which included an ISI officer, unfettered access to the Pathankot airbase. Within the government too, defence minister Manohar Parrikar signalled internal unease over the Pakistani visit by choosing to publicly emphasise that his ministry specially denied them permission to go anywhere in the air base. He went along because the ministry of defence didn't want to be seen as coming in the way of investigators. Despite opposition, Indian government may be calculating that elements within the Pakistani establishment may finally be willing to turn the tide on their policy of cross-border terror. The problem is that Pakistan continues to distinguish between good and bad terrorists and the path to rapprochement is predicted on the belief that it will eventually stop doing so. Ideally, India-Pakistan relations must move to a paradigm where terror attacks cease to be game of oneupmanship but instead come to be seen as a threat to both societies.

We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Amber Rudd Secretary for Energy and Climate Change

Stronger, safer and better off as a member of the EU The decision we will all make on 23 June, the day of the EU referendum, will directly affect the futures of your children, grandchildren, and possibly their children too. As the Energy Secretary, my first responsibility is making sure our families and businesses have the certainty of secure, clean and affordable energy supplies. This is exactly why I care so much about the UK staying in the EU – because it helps to deliver that for our communities across the UK. Being in the EU helps attract billions and billions of pounds of investment, which supports the 660,000 jobs in the UK’s energy sector. Does anybody really think all of that investment would continue if we left the EU, and with no extra costs? Those who want us to leave cannot tell you what a future would look like. Neither will they tell you how much it will cost. What I will tell you, is that people want, and deserve, lower energy bills, and we’re doing everything we can to make that happen. Leaving the EU could put all of that at risk and working people would pay the price with fewer jobs and higher prices. National Grid, who are responsible for the energy infrastructure on which we rely to go about our daily tasks such as putting the kettle on or charging our phones, commissioned an independent report

about how the EU membership affects our energy supply as well as gas and electricity bills. The findings show that by leaving the EU and its internal energy market we could see energy costs rocket by at least £500 million a year – the equivalent of British bills going up by around one and a half million pounds each and every day. And these costs could easily be a lot higher. In fact, being in the EU helps UK households save an average of £60 on their energy bills a year because of energy efficient product standards for things like TVs, fridges and washing machines. This saving rises to £120 a year by 2020. Leaving the EU could also affect the supply of this energy in the future. By 2030 we are expected to import about three quarters of our gas – that’s nearly twice as much as we import now. That means we have to continue to work well with our closest neighbours, so that we’re stronger together against countries such as Putin’s Russia who are rich in natural resources but hold other countries to ransom by threatening to cut off their gas supplies. Together we can source gas from elsewhere and drive down the price of imports. I firmly believe that we will be stronger, safer and better off as a member of the EUwhy risk our energy and economic security by changing that?

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

British skier loses toes after fleeing from wolves in his socks Asian Voice |9th April 2016

A British skier has told how he escaped in his socks from a pack of wolves after accidentally going off-piste and crashing into a tree while on holiday. Janveer Sandhu nearly lost both legs to frostbite after ditching his heavy ski boots to run from the predators through waist-deep snow before climbing a tree to get away. He was eventually picked up by a passing motorist the next day – but still faces losing a toe to frostbite. ‘It was the best thing ever when I saw the car,’ said Mr Sandhu, a project manager. ‘I just thought “I’m going to live”.’ Mr Sandhu’s fight for survival began during a five-day break with a friend in Bansko, Bulgaria, in early February. On the second evening, the experienced skier went down a black run on his own. However he became confused by the signs and ended up going off-piste into steep, dense woodland – where he crashed into a tree at high speed. He said he then saw three wolves just a few hundred feet away – and

Janveer Sandhu, left, fled a pack of wolves, file picture right, after crashing while skiing off-piste in Bulgaria

they were heading in his direction. ‘I’d started going downhill after the crash

but when I saw the wolves I had to go back up. I climbed for about 45 min-

Mr Sandhu escaped the wolves in just his socks and almost lost both legs to frostbite, pictured

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YOUTH CONFERENCE 2016

On Wednesday 27 April, we will be hosting our annual Youth Conference networking evening. We have a fantastic line-up of speakers who will share their success stories, give motivational short talks to inspire and advise the younger generation, so that young people can fulfill their aspirations and get ahead in the world of work. There will be a scope to take part in Q&A and brief workshops.

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utes – but it was difficult. I was waist-deep in snow. I was still in my boots so got rid of them. I didn’t think about my feet. I just wanted to save my life. I realised every step [away from civilisation] was death, so I climbed a tree where I spent the night. I ate snow because I was thirsty.’ During the night he saw the rescue teams’ search lights, but says they were too far away to shout. His mobile phone also had no signal. It wasn’t until sunrise that he dared clamber down, trekking for hours before finding a road where he was picked up by a Romanian family. Mr Sandhu, from Ilford, Essex, was then taken to hospital in Sofia, where doctors battled to save his legs. He flew home on February 13, but was admitted to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for a further three days before returning to have the tip of his right big toe and all the next toe amputated. However he said he is lucky to still have his feet at all.

Could passports be stored on smartphones?

It’s hard to imagine a world without passports. It’s one of the most guarded things we own. But passports could soon become a thing of the past, paving the way for ‘paperless documents’ instead. De La Rue, a British company and currently the world’s largest passport producer, is working on technology that could securely store passport details on smartphones, so that you can have it with you all the time. A spokesperson for De La Rue said the concept is very much in the ‘early stages of development’ but if enforced, the digital passports would work just like the boarding passes we currently use. It is still

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Adam Johnson’s new prison wing-mates include a paedophile sex gang

Twelve men were jailed for sexual offences against a teenage schoolgirl

you’ll find the sick perverts who are into kids. He’s where all the nonces are,’ a source told the paper. ‘There’s loads of them there as they are classed as vulnerable prisoners to stop them getting jumped on the normal wings. ‘A lot of them are fairly low-profile cases you don’t hear about. The former England footballer But there are a lot of Adam Johnson arrives at grooming gangs and trafBradford Crown Court fickers from Rotherham and around that area Adam Johnson is settling here. into his new life at HMP ‘Johnson might have Armley in Leeds after he thought he was in for an was convicted of groomeasy ride but there are ing and having sexual some sick individuals on contact with a 15-yearthe wing where he’s old fan. banged up.’ He was sentenced to The sex gang he six years in prison after a referred to, pictured high profile trial last above, was led by Arif month. Chowdhury, who has now According to the fled to Bangladesh. Daily Star, he is in the sex Members of the gang offenders A Wing along included Khalid Raja with a paedophile gang Mahmood, Tauqeer which raped a 13-yearHussain, Yasser Kabir, old girl. Sufyan Ziarab, Bilal ‘A-Wing is where the Ziarab and Israr Ali. nonces are. It’s where unclear how an individual’s personal details, currently stored on a passport’s electronic chip, would be kept secure on a mobile phone. According to David Jevans, from security company Proofpoint, digital passports on your phone will require new hardware on the device in order to securely store the electronic passport so it can’t be

copied. Speaking to The Telegraph Mr Jevans said: ‘It will also have to be communicated wirelessly to passport readers, because doing it onscreen like an airline ticket QR code can be copied or spoofed.’ Some airports have already tested mobilebased clearance systems, such as Miami and Atlanta, where travellers can use a phone to enter customs information, though it is not clear how successful it was.

Appeal launched to help raise money for Indian student suffering from cancer Manisha Gupta is an Indian student living in Germany. In September 2015, she was diagnosed with a deadly cancerous brain tumor. Having undergone a brain operation followed by radiation and chemo therapies but life expectancy is not good. She has a wish to see her

homeland India and wants to be with all her near and dear ones during this time of uncertainty, fear and helplessness. The cost of flying her is nearly 60,000 Euros of which, 15.325 Euros has been raised. Donations can be made at https://www.gofundme.co m/q2k6c3x8

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Happy Vaisakhi from the Met – as Sikhs across London celebrate this time of abundance and the anniversary of the Khalsa order, we look forward to a year ahead that reflects the dedication to equality at its heart. Having a diverse workforce is important to us. After all, we wouldn’t be able to do our job without a breadth of individuality across our organisation that reflects and understands London’s communities. This is your chance to join us, put simply, be the difference that makes the difference. To find out more about joining us please visit www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

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Asian Voice |9th April 2016

TRS products recalled after detected with salmonella Batches of spices were recalled from customers after TRS Jeera Powder and TRS Dhania Powder packets were detected with salmonella. TRS Wholesale Company Ltd, will soon display point-of-sale notices in all stores telling consumers why the products are requested to be returned along with what to do with the bought products. A bacterium that causes food poisoning, the Food Standards Agency has con-

firmed that no other products sold by the company are known to be affected. Common symptoms of salmonella include extreme diarrhoea, fever and abdominal cramps that usual last four to seven days. Infected product details are; TRS Jeera Powder, batch number P353340, 100g labelled best before December 31, 2017, and, TRS Dhania Powder, batch number A481514, 100g pack labelled best before end of

December, 2017. This isn't the first time TRS has faced a salmonella issue. They had recalled sesame seeds in December 2007 for the same reason.

Two charged with murder of man killed over £120 debt Two men have been charged with murder of a man who was allegedly stabbed to death during a row with four men over a £120 debt. Bright Osei, 21 and Nelphy Lelu, 22, both of North London, were arrested on March 31 for Ali the murder of Nasrollahi. Nasrollahi, 22, was found collapsed on a residential street in Barnet, North London, on Tuesday afternoon (March 29).

According to a report in Daily Mail, one witness said he died in his girlfriend’s arms as she screamed ‘I love you’. His distraught girlfriend called paramedics and police to the upmarket tree-lined suburban avenue, but nothing could be done to save Nasrollahi. According to the report, he was described by cousin Mahbod Nasro as ‘inspirational’ for the way he ‘taught his little sister and brother the ways of

Ali Nasrollahi

studying’. Nasro, 28, also claimed it was his cousin who was owed the debt and not the other way round.

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Man forced out of seat in train cries racism In an incident prompted by alleged racism, 20 year old Cory Edwards has claimed to be forced out of a carriage on a train from London after row with a fellow passenger. The Literature student and photographer was travelling on a train from Paddington with a reserved seat ticket. Finding an elderly woman sitting on his seat, she decided to sit in another place himself. Speaking to the media, he said, “I got on the train at Paddington and I had a reserved seat but an old woman was sitting there. I didn't want to bother her and asked her to move so I sat somewhere else instead. A couple came on at Reading, they came and stood in front of me and said 'that's our seat' and asked me to move.” He said, “Before I even got a chance to move they started giving me all these looks, the guy put his hand

Cory Edwards

on my camera, starts moving my stuff. Then he starts to threaten me, said 'if this wasn't on a train, I'll find you in Plymouth'.” Edwards said police were called and were on the train for between 20 to 25 minutes while the incident was resolved. But, he said, the officers did not listen to his side of the story and instead asked him to move to a different part of the train. “They told me if I wanted to continue discussing it I'd have to get off the train.

They made me go somewhere else and wouldn't let me sit in my reserved seat. It would be different for someone from a rich area who wasn't black. I know for sure there has to be some kind of racial motivation behind it, I know what it looks like when I see it.” Responding, a British Transport Police spokesman said, “I can confirm we were called to a train at Reading station at around 1.45pm on Wednesday, 30 March, following reports of an argument between passengers over a reserved seat. Officers attended and spoke to those involved. A man was asked to leave a seat which was reserved for another person. The officers who attended felt the incident had been resolved amicably as nobody wished to make a formal complaint at the time and therefore no further action was taken.”

Raising money to help feed children in India Karen Dunstan, inhouse General Counsel at Urban Exposure is taking part in the Virgin London Marathon 2016 on 24th April to help raise money for The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Urban Exposure’s corporate charity. Urban Exposure are proud to have been a sponsor of Akshaya Patra for the last two years. As a charity it delivers maximum impact for each pound it receives - reaching an astonishing 1.4m children each day. It's one of the most efficient and highly audited charities in the world today. The Foundation provides hot, nutritious school meals to 1.4 million children every day across 10 states in India with just 1 child being

fed for a whole year at the cost of £10, £2,500 can feed an entire school for a whole year and with £0.96 from every £1.00 donated going directly towards producing food for children. These free midday meals encourage children to attend school and stay in school whilst tackling hunger and malnutrition. For many it will be the only meal they receive that day – and the biggest incentive to come to school. By providing free school meals, the charity are shaping the next generation of India's children, giving them the opportunity to have a career that previously was out of reach. Commenting on her fund raising Karen Dunstan, General

Counsel, Urban Exposure said: "I'm really excited to be running the London Marathon again this year - my 3rd one - it doesn't get any easier! I'm particularly inspired to raise money for such an amazing charity. If we reach our target of raising £2500, we will feed an entire school for an entire year. Any donations helping to deliver such incredible impact would be greatly appreciated." To donate please go to https://www.justgiving.com/karens-lond o n marathon?utm_source =email&utm_medium=emails-fromeua&utm_content=shor turl&utm_campaign=e ua-email-sponsorshiprequest

Canny students in Hounslow donate huge haul of tinned goods for those living on breadline Students at St Mark's Catholic School, Hounslow, pictured with the amazing haul of tinned food they donated to those less fortunate than themselves at the Storehouse project in Feltham which took three weeks to gather. Teacher Amy Jackson said pupils were so inspired by the appeal they had used their own money to buy the produce. "The children have been so generous," she

said. "One boy donated 70 tins which he had bought using his own pocket money, which shows how much this means to them." Storehouse is run by

Riverside Vineyard Church in Feltham to provide free clothing, equipment and food parcels to impoverished families in the area.

UK Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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Nishit Patel has worked in the Financial Services Industry for over 15 years and is based out of London as Head of Paraplanning. He is also a committee member of Dharmaj Society of London and a representative on the Chha Gam Nagrik Mandal.

BREXIT What are we voting for? Nishit Patel On 23 June 2016 all of the UK over the age of 18 will vote on whether Britain remains a member of the EU (European Union) or whether we leave. This is the most defining vote of a generation and yet all the media focuses on is immigration. Well as a son of an immigrant I have seen with my own eyes the positive impact that immigration has had on Britain and this is not the sole reason for the vote. Britain last held a referendum on Europe in 1975 and they asked voters whether the UK should remain in European Economic Community? The vote was won with a endorsement of 67%. Membership of the European Union provides an umbrella under which the UK has the benefits of being part of a larger body of nations. I guess it is much like a shop keeper who is part of a network such as NISA who remains largely independent but who benefits from the buying power that a collective can enjoy. European Union membership

lation. 5. Protection from terrorists and organised crime due to cross border cooperation and the sharing of information. 6. Trade benefits such that the CBI estimates the net benefit of EU membership at between £62bn to £78bn a year!!! That is almost 5% of UK GDP. 7. Larger voice in both political and economical policy. If you consider the size of the U.K. It is clear we are no longer a worldwide leader in terms of our economy, the days of the Empire have long since passed and by being part of the EU we have a greater presence on a global scale and retain our voice on global affairs. Now this is just a brief summary of the benefits we enjoy as part of the EU. Sadly the main gripe is that the EU has evolved from and economic union into a political Union and this impinges on our right to be governed independently. Indeed EU directives are legally binding and must be implemented by all member states, these directives therefore become part of our laws and leaves the UK with less independence.

brings the following benefits: 1. the freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe (many thousands of UK citizens live, work or retire in Europe) 2. Sustains millions of jobs (the Centre for Economic and Business research suggests that almost 3.1 million jobs in Britain were linked to UK exports to the EU. The EU also provides considerable subsidies to UK farmers which provide stability to this sector 3. Safer travel is afforded being part of the EU as the majority of us holiday to EU destinations and benefit from access to emergency healthcare, consular protection from any EU embassy if there is no UK embassy. We also benefit from safer air travel and greater access to compensation for flight delays and cancellations. 4. Consumer protection - as a part of the EU we can buy goods and services from Europe safe in the knowledge that our consumer rights are equal to those we benefit from in the UK. Mobile phone operators now have to cap roaming charges in Europe as a direct result of EU regu-

If we vote to leave the EU then this could result in the following benefits. 1. we currently pay £13bn a year to the EU budget and receive £4.5bn in payments. Thus the net gain would £8.5bn which could be directly used by the UK government to provide better healthcare or indeed education. 2. The freedoms to negotiate our own trade agreements, much like Norway has, although as no other EU member has ever left it is an intangible part of the Exit argument as we have no idea how the remaining EU members would treat us. 3. We could restyle our country to be a financial hub of the world, much like Singapore. 4. We could regain control of immigration, as under current EU laws we cannot prevent anyone from a member state coming to live or work in the UK. There are cur-

rently 942,000 Eastern Europeans working in the UK (source office for national statistics) 791,000 Western Europeans and 2.91m workers from outside the EU. If we leave the EU we can take back control of immigration and actually revert back ta more selective immigration programme much like Australia or Canada, where we only accept those immigrants who will have a positive impact on the UK. 5. Britain would regain its independent identity on the world stage and start to forge its own relations without being tied to the EU. 6. There would be more jobs and increased wages as migrant worker numbers are reduced. 7. Security is currently compromised by being part of the Eu as we have to have open borders. If we leave we can strengthen our borders stop ter-

Source of envy and, traffic nuisance, an owner of a fleet of gold supercars as been fined hundreds of pounds in parking fines. A gold Lamborghini, Aventador, Rolls Royce, Mercedes G63 6x6 and a Bentley Flying Spur has caused quite a stir in

Knightsbridge with people stopping by to take photographs. Reportedly owned by a wealthy Saudi Arabian man (why aren't we surprised?), the Lamborghini has two separate penalty notices while the Merc and the Bentley have one each. The cars were parked in

rorists entering the UK. Of course whatever happens on 23rd June and the subsequent outcome one thing is for sure. If we leave the EU there is no way anybody can truly quantify the impact or indeed whether there would be any benefit to the UK. Leaving would definitely create an air of uncertainty however we should not be afraid of either outcome. We are historically and culturally a very resilient nation and us Asians are well versed in having to survive, and indeed flourish in uncertain times. The vote will have a very defining impact of not only the UK, not only us but indeed the rest of Europe and future generations. I urge you all to discuss this vote with your family and friends and try and engage in the whole process. This is the UKs chance to voice it's opinion on the EU, so use it wisely.

Owner of gold supercars charged hundreds of pounds in parking fines

Cadogan Place, outside the Jumeriah Carlton Tower Hotel, mere yards away from an NCP car park. Councillor Timothy Coleridge said he would speak to the council's parking department after the cars appeared to be parked in pay and display bays.

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A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER Dr Arun Vaidyanathan

Urban Meditations

Spirituality is most powerful when applied practically

Jonty Crossick

writes about injecting spirituality into everyday life and living from the heart

Late Arun Vaidyanathan with his wife Pattu, and their three daughters Mina, Rajini and Anjali

Rajini Vaidyanathan Recently Dr Arun Vaidyanathan, one of Asian Voice’s most diligent and dedicated letter writers passed away. It is not only a sad loss for me but also for our readers as well. I am thankful to his daughter Rajini (BBC correspondent in Washington DC) who has sent us a personal obituary at my request - CB Patel My father left India for the UK in May 1966, departing by ship from what was then Bombay, to take up a doctoral scholarship at Leeds University. He had just seventyfive pounds in his pocket, but a brain like no other. By the end of his lifetime he had picked up a total of 9 degrees and postgraduate diplomas, and accomplished so much more. He was a quiet crusader, and in the nearly half a century he spent in England, he devoted himself to public service. “As a local parish councillor, I am trying to do the job for the benefit of local residents,” he wrote in a letter, I recently found. For more than 3 decades he made a lasting impact in Milton Keynes, be it by helping to set up the MK Council for Racial Equality, or working to

improve local schools. He was the first Asian school governor in the area, serving as one for decades. He sat on MK health advisory boards, volunteered as a prison custody visitor with the local police, and bettered the lives of those around him by spearheading local campaigns as a councillor. My father also had a passion for writing letters, many of you will have read those he penned for Asian Voice, as well as local and national publications. His succinct and stylish prose would always provoke a discussion, whether his chosen topic was Indian politics, the environment or education. He never told us why he loved this so much, but having read many of his letters in recent days I think I’ve figured out why. It gave my father a voice, a chance to highlight some of the campaigns and causes he cared so deeply about, a chance to right wrongs and highlight injustice. My father’s activism was set in the backdrop of a different era. When he arrived in the UK in the 1960s, racism was far more prevalent. Despite experiencing discrimination on so many levels, he worked to eradicate prejudice, and never let us his children - believe anything was impossible. “I am involved in race relations for more than 25 years, and due to institu-

tional racism it was very difficult to get into some public sector organisations in spite of my educational qualifications and experience,” he once wrote, “BMES are underrepresented in senior positions and I am fighting for them.” Dad fought for everyone, but he lost the ultimate battle after several years of treatment for multiple myeloma. Our parents celebrated their fourtieth wedding anniversary last October – all of us got together for a day we will never forget. He and our mother were a perfect match. They enjoyed going to Indian classical concerts, watching Tamil movies and visiting their children. Their emphasis on education and career was passed onto us - they raised a dentist, doctor and journalist – most importantly in a loving and warm home. Two years ago, Dad became a grandfather. We hope the generations which follow will live by his values and ideals. In this current selfie age where lives are played out online and the importance of human interaction has lessened, my father is a reminder that immersing yourself in your local community has an enduring value. He died with us all at his bedside, not before asking us what the cricket score was! We will forever miss him.

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I like to joke with my Gujarati friends that I am a fellow “guju”. They look at me quizzically as I have no guju features. “I am a guju,” I claim “because I was born a Jew and have followed an Indian guru! So I am a guju! Jokes aside, I feel enormously privileged. I was not looking for a guru. Back in 1996 I met my guru. He was 76, celibate, effulgent and had never left India. In the last 20 years, I have built businesses, gained an MBA from London Business School and been to India 33 times, building temples and publishing books such as the Bhagavad Gita. His first order to me was that business is my service. My desire, therefore, has been to integrate the material with the spiritual. I want to spiritualise my material activities, living with meaning, equanimity, compassion and love. I have succeeded. And I have failed. We love to share our glories. But I think that, sometimes, we gain more from sharing our failures. For we learn more from the pain of failure than we do from success. I also think we develop connection with others when we share our vulnerabilities instead of pretending to be perfect. I have been an entrepreneur since I studied at Cambridge University. I started my first company during my time as an undergraduate. I have built businesses with 25+,

50+ and 100+ employees, experienced business growth, and suffered the pain during downturn and fraught trading conditions. I have completed successful property deals and experienced property developments which have stalled. Most of all I have witnessed how some partnerships work and others flounder. Some employees have performed with great merit, vitality and energy while others have sown discord and proved great disappointments. The certainty about life is that it is uncertain and perhaps our greatest folly is to seek certainty in spite of the overwhelming evidence. Of course we like to develop comfortable and successful lives. However, surely there is a great danger building our selfesteem and sense of selfworth on top of the vicissitudes of temporal phenomena rather than the certainty of eternal values and principles. My spiritual practices have saved me. I lose no sleep. I am rarely anxious. I chase my dreams. I have no hate for people who let me down, disappoint or work against me. And I am able to think clearly in the face of uncertainty. How? Not because I am special. I am not. I am as impatient and prone to skewed thinking as the next person. I am just fortunate to have absorbed myself in India's ancient spiritual philosophy, the Bhagavad-Gita, which I am convinced, is deeper, richer and more complete than anything we have in the West. Indeed, I think we deepen our experience of the Abrahamic faiths when we perceive them through the ancient yogic systems. I know I am not this body. I know I am an eternal soul. I know that all my sufferings are due to my perfect and absolute soul misidentifying through the false ego with all this temporary phenomena. I am convinced

through experience that I am protected by God/Vishnu/Krishna/Nar ayana and that I can communicate directly with Him through mantra every day, anytime and anywhere. tasmäd asaktaù satataà käryaà karma samäcara asakto hy äcaran karma param äpnoti püruñaù Therefore, always perform your prescribed duties without attachment. By working in this way, a person attains the highest end. You should always perform your karma free from all attachment, for that is how a person attains the Supreme. Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 3 Verse 19 If, on the battlefield as explained in the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna could dispel his doubts and, in the face of death, think of God, Krishna, as he rode into the battlefield, fighting for the lives of his kin, then so I can also inject the same magic into the daily mundane activities. We can spiritualise the material. It is the ultimate winwin. My experience shows me that when I practise sincerely then whether I win or lose I remain happy and strong, I devote my heart towards God and I am constantly cleaning my heart. I make it more likely, through my equanimous actions, not thrown off balance with turbulent emotions, that I will win on the ground too. Jonty Crossick is an enterprising Jew who has incorporated spiritualism in day-to-day corporate entrepreneurship activities. An Economics and History graduate from Cambridge University and an MBA from London Business School, he is a serial entrepreneur who has started eight businesses right from the scratch in multiple sectors. His overriding motivation is to inject the magic of Bhakti yoga as expounded in the Bhagavad Gita into the daily mundane activities.

Qatar Airways launches flights from Doha to Birmingham Qatar Airways has inaugurated the airline’s fourth UK gateway, with direct flights between Doha and Birmingham connecting the city with more than 150 destinations worldwide. Emirates recently launched the A380 aircraft on its lunchtime

service between Birmingham and Dubai, increasing capacity by 180 extra seats. The airline now offers three flights a day and more than 1,200 seats a day on the route. Uday Dholakia, Brand Ambassador for the Airport, said:

“Birmingham Airport range of destinations and passenger numbers are growing rapidly. The Airport is a vital cog in driving the Midlands Engine for Growth, providing the connectivity that our thriving businesses need to trade, export and secure investment.”

UK Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The British Indian Running her own Film Company Sonali Joshi is the Founder and Director of Day For Night Film group. She writes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are a London based independent film company working across the film exhibition, distribution and screen translation sectors, occupying a niche position within the UK film industry. We take some of the freshest and most distinctive independent films to wide and diverse audiences across the UK and further afield, with the promotion of cultural diversity and accessibility at the core of our philosophy. We work with film festivals, venues, filmmakers and audiences, with the central aim of enabling broader access to visual culture through distribution and curatorial projects.â&#x20AC;? Sonali has over 18 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in film exhibition and education, distribution and screen translation in the UK as well as in France, Denmark

and Asia. She holds a PhD in Cinema Studies (University of Glasgow) and an MA in Media and Communications (Goldsmiths, University of London). Sonali first discovered cinema at the 1930s Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, being taken to watch classic Indian films there at a young age. However, her real introduction to film came when she first saw a FranĂ§ois Truffaut film as a teenager. Sonali began her career working in the film programming department of M a n c h e s t e r â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s Cornerhouse cinema. She then moved into film distribution, working on various high-profile releases for independent distributors in Paris. Following her time in Paris, Sonali went on to set up the foreign language subtitling department of a leading post-production house in London (IBF).

She established Day for Night in 2006, bringing together her interests and diverse background in film festivals, distribution a n d screen translat i o n . Whilst based in

London, Sonali has spent extended periods working abroad since then â&#x20AC;&#x201C; returning to Paris, as well as in Copenhagen and various cities in Asia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; drawing from a range of varied cultural experiences and working practices which have strongly informed Day for Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not easy establishing a film company in the crowded market place right now, but Sonali persevered and works hard to keep things moving. Sonali has worked extensively in creative curatorial management and production, having previously worked on the

Sonali Joshi

have heard about the film. Viva Spanish Film Festival, It was India's official Oscar Northern Lights Film entry for Best Foreign Festival and Artistic Language Film this year Director of Pan-Asia Film and has been gathering Festival. She is currently awards at film festivals all Festival Director of Nordic over the world.â&#x20AC;? Film Festival which just The film is the debut completed its 4th edition at feature by Chaitanya the end of 2015. Tamhane. Since the film Sonali is an experipremiered at the Venice enced subtitler, something Film Festival, winning the she has done in tandem Orizzonti Award for Best with her work in film. She Feature Film and the Lion has over 15 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiof the Future Award for ence in managing multiBest Debut Film, language audio-visual COURT has gone on projects. She has to win a further 26 done French to awards at interEnglish and E n g l i s h We are a London national film English sub- based independent festivals and I n d i a â&#x20AC;&#x2122; s titling, as film company National Film well as offering technical occupying a niche Award. â&#x20AC;&#x153;COURTâ&#x20AC;? and linguistic position within the consultancy to UK film industry follows the case of an ageing folk independent singer who is distributors, procharged with inciting ducers, filmmakers the suicide of a sewage and arts venues. worker through the Sonali regularly particiallegedly seditious lyrics in pates in international conhis songs. With no eviferences on Cinema dence and few witnesses, Studies, has given lecthe case unfolds in a lower tures on Film Festival Mumbai court, while the Studies and Film personal lives of the Distribution at varilawyers and the judge ous UK universities. involved in the case are observed beyond the courtShe tells me she room, presenting an acute is often abroad but is reflection on the fabric of proud of a current contemporary Indian socirelease she is arranging. ety. â&#x20AC;&#x153;COURTâ&#x20AC;? is the latest â&#x20AC;&#x153;I released an Indian film to highlight the growfilm called "Court" in ing strength of Marathi cinemas and online in cinema and indeed regionthe UK on 25 al Indian cinema. March. You may

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READERS’ VOICE

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

British Steel Industry UK’s 12m tonnes’ production capacity is only 0.7% of world manufacturing capacity of 1600m tons. There is already over-capacity globally, so it would be unwise to support it. The workers need to be supported while being retrained in other skills over 2-5 years. This industry’s history tells us a wider story about Britain’s two conflicting ideologies of socialism and capitalism that has damaged not only that industry but many other industry sectors and undermined the institutions that support them. British steel was nationalised by the Labour in 1949 because of under-investment. The Conservatives privatised it in 1952. Labour renationalised it in 1967. Margaret Thatcher privatised it again in 1988. It merged with Dutch steel producer Hoogovens in 1999 to form Corus Group. Tata acquired Corus in 2007 for an inflated price of £6.2bn after a bidding war. Tata invested £3bn in its European operations to restore competitiveness. The assets are now worth £0bn. Winding up could cost another £1bn. Tata Steel is likely to move to continental Europe. The financial services sector worldwide encourages borrowing, tax evasion, housing inflation, currency speculation, hedging and international money laundering. It is time its activities are curbed and manufacturing, that represents genuine growth, are encouraged. Nagindas Khajuria By email

Atrocities in Europe Donald Trump, the American Presidential hopeful, says that it is not safe for Americans to come to Europe and the UK. How right is he? After the bombing atrocities in Paris and in Brussels, one would feel unsafe to come to any European country. Tuesday, 22 March, was indeed a black day for Brussels when bomb blasts, one at the airport and the other at a metro station, killed 31 and wounded 300 innocent people. This was in the wake of similar atrocities in Paris. These terror attacks would corroborate what Trump says. Are we safe walking in the streets of London? There must be a way of stopping such killings from happening again. How can we make the world a safer place for us, our children and the posterity to live in? Inequality causes hatred and jealously. The inequality between the haves and have-nots must be the culprit and needs to be tackled in order that people the world over who are oppressed and hungry can feel satisfied and content with their lot. Religion must also be playing a part because, as history would indicate, many killings in the past and present have taken place in the name of religion. Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Fabled riches of India Katar Lalvani claims that the British did almost everything for India. (News Review 20 March). He misses the point. It was the fabled riches of India that brought the British to India. Before the arrival of the British, India accounted for a quarter of all global manufacturing. Its GDP was around 25% in 1700 and fell to 5% by 1950. The city of Agra with a population of 700,000 dwarfed all the cities of Europe. It was the influx of Indian treasure that propelled the industrial revolution. And it was India that was forced to absorb the goods produced by the revolution. India’s flourishing textile industry was destroyed leading to the destruction of its urban economy. Under the Raj India had two famines in 1876 and 1899 which killed millions. An ancient civilization that was way ahead in Mathematics, Medicine, Astronomy and many other subjects was crushed and reduced to penury. The transfer of wealth is unparalleled in History. India started with nothing in 1947 and is today the world's fastest growing economy. The Roman conquest of England and the Norman conquest of Britain was wrong. So was the British conquest of India! Neither were invited! Nitin Mehta Croydon

America’s double standards

Recently Pakistan papers said American powerful lawyers’ lobby urged Indian government to protect minority rights by lifting the ban on cow slaughter for human consumption.Eating beef is forbidden in Hinduism.In Muslim countries pork is banned where Hindus and Christians are in minority. If America is so concerned about protecting minority rights in India, why is it not setting an example by protecting the rights of minorities in its own country? To respect the sentiments of minority Muslims and Hindus in the US, why is America not banning pork and beef respectively in its own country? This is nothing but unfair discrimination by the US lobby. US should mind its own business and not meddle in other countries’ affairs and must respect the law of the land. Dr Moorthy Handsworth, Birmingham

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World Culture Festival

I was happy to read Kantaben and Prabhakant’s observation and comments about World Culture Festival, organized in Delhi by Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Art of Living Foundation on dates 11-3 to 13-3-2016. It must be noted that with 3 million attendees, there was no untoward incident of any kind. Please note that if each attendee spent about 1000 rupees per day per head, millions of rupees were added to coffers of Delhi government and central government. Instead of thanking, Art of Living Foundation was forced to pay hefty fine of rupees 5 crores within a very short time in spite of permission by Delhi Development Authority one year ago. If warned earlier, by NGT and Agricultural organization, venue might have been shifted. This penalty was a jarring note for Foundation, members and sympathizers. Opponents of the festival acted within very short period: luckily Supreme Court rejected petition to ban the Festival. This last minute protest and penalty under the excuse of pollution proves how Indian heritage, culture and religion is rubbished at home whereas it is welcome all over the world We hope that Foundation pursues legal action to get penalty waived and monies already paid refunded. Ramesh Jhalla By email

Evolution

I read with interest Kumudiniben's article in AV of 19th March. There is always life after death as long as a human has mundane desires. We go to heaven and hell to enjoy and suffer as per our deeds. As we change our old clothes and wear new ones, so does our Soul which is Eternal, enter new body. Our corporeal desires trap us in to vicious circle of life, death, old age, diseases and distress! Human body is the highest stage of physical evolution but still it's transitory and dies, so it can't be the aim of life! So the next stage is mental evolution. Hence we should train and evolve mind in such a way that we free our Soul from vicious circle of life and death and achieve Nirvan/Divine Eternity! Scientists are like Frogs in a little Pool. God has already installed Art, Physics,Chemistry, Biology, Technology and Maths when He created The Universe! Nothing works or exists without God! Upendra Kapadia By email

Our no hopper politicians

Our gutless, corrosive, heterogeneous politicians are bullied and subjugated by Tom, Dick and Harry. Both PM and Chancellor are willing to dance to Chinese tune who is systematically destroying our ragtag still industry, imposing 46% traffic on quality Tata steel product exported to China. As Chinese steel is produced by government, it is capable of dumping steel in EU without murmur from politicians, especially from German Chancellor, as Germany is only country that enjoys balance of payment surplus with China. If trade relation with China determinates, China, not Britain would be the loser by £60 billion. No wonder Tata would like to shut furnaces and move out, due to government’s surrender, lack of appetite to compete on international stage on equal footing. Britain is fast gaining reputation as unfriendly country for manufacturing industry! US imposes 286% traffic on Chinese steel, thus US is capable of competing with Chinese imports. Then US is proud nation with patriotic citizens, in sharp contrast to EU where each nation, especially France and Germany look after their own self-interest, to the detriment of the wellbeing of Europe. God save us from these righteous, sanctimonious, “Ivory Living” politicians who are turning Europe into unmanageable refugee camp. As President Obama said, it is when, not if dirty atom bomb, doomsday scenario, will explode killing thousands of innocent people. Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Could we trust our omnipresent government?

My interest in politics is minimal. Its involvement ends with voting for person I trust, not the party. So I was pleasantly surprised at the announcement that Government does not rule out nationalizing steel industry. If it happens, it would be step in the right direction. But in all honesty, not many believe it, as it may be deceptive, ambiguous talk for public consumption, fiduciary act, especially in view of the imminence of “In or Out” referendum. It is difficult to believe our fossilized, fiduciary politicians who regard their future career more important than fate of our country. How mighty have fallen, from superpower to marginalized castaway! Egalitarianism does not exist in real world. We only have to look at once confidence oozing two-dimensional German Chancellor who single handedly created refugee crisis, expecting Noble Peace Prize, another Malala? But if foreign investment dries up, economic progress in doldrums, companies like Tata relocate due to lack of government support and Conservatives in fear of losing next election, then perhaps scenario may change, although I would be reluctant to bet, as dinosaurs would never survive, let alone prosper in real world? Kumudini Valambia By email

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Theresa May accused of wrongly deporting 48,000 students Home Secretary Theresa May faces heat after her office finds itself accused of wrongly deporting over 48,000 international students after a documentary exposes an English test cheating scam at one school. A BBC Panorama documentary claimed to uncover fraudulence at an East London school where students were sitting for the Test of English for International Communication, in February 2014. The expose led to an investigation which, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire, in June 2014, said found evidence of 46,000 “invalid and questionable” tests. Following this, May revoked the licenses of 60 educational institutions, and detained international students, all of whom had got the TOEIC certificate in the past. Now, most recently, the Upper Tribunal announced a ruling on March 23, saying the Home Secretary's evidence suffered from “multiple frailties and shortcomings”. President Honourable Mr Justice McCloskey said, “The evidence adduced on behalf of the Secretary of

Theresa May

State emerged paled and heavily weakened by the examination to which it was subjected.” He added, “In the sporting world, a verdict of 'no contest' would have been appropriate at this juncture.” The tribunal also mentioned finding no evidence from any English Testing Service witness. “Almost remarkably, ETS provided no evidence, directly or indirectly, to this tribunal,” said the president, labelling

the firms' actions “mildly astonishing”. “The legal burden of proof falling on the Secretary of State has not been discharged, The Appellants are clear winners.” The judgement could lead to the thousands deported students returning to Britain and claiming compensation. Affected by the wrongful action, a member of the Indian Workers' Association said 70 per cent of the affected students were in fact, Indian. “Due to their personal and national humiliation, many left of their own accord, the majority were deported.” A Home Office Spokesperson said, “The government continues to tackle abuse of our immigration system and protect the reputation of our world class education institutions. The investigation into the abuse of English language testing in 2014 revealed extremely serious, large scale, organised fraud. We are very disappointed by the decision and are awaiting a copy of the full determination to consider next steps including an appeal. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

Online Integrated Solutions (OIS) enabling diasporans to obtain their BVNs from abroad girls. The Club said: "We are most grateful to OIS and Mr Ahmadu for their support which has been a lifesaver for the Club"

UK Islamic school accused of promoting anti-Semitism

A police car is parked outside the Islamic Tarbiyah Academy in Dewsbury on March 31, 2016

A UK Islamic school is accused of teaching pupils that Jews are plotting to take over the world. The school is now under investigation by the Department for Education. An inquiry by Sky News has found that the Islamic Tarbiyah Academy in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, is publishing leaflets promoting the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the fabricated antiSemitic text describing a so-called Jewish plot for global domination. The Islamic academy runs an after-school madrasa for 140 primary schoolchildren and adult courses. The school is run by

Mufti Zubair Dudha, a cleric from the Deobandi sect of Islam, which is believed to be overseeing around 50% of UK mosques and madrasas. Another leaflet seen by Sky News states mixed-sex institutions are evil, instructs Muslims not to follow British customs, and orders females not to leave the family home without full covering. Dudha told Sky News: “It saddens me greatly that certain extracts from our publications have been taken and misrepresented to link the academy with extremism. We fully believe in the importance and need of integration whilst being able to practise our faith.”

Bank For Your Banking Needs

Mahmood Ahmadu with the Chairman of the local club along with its players

DATA management company Online Integrated Solutions (OIS) has assured Nigerians living in the diaspora that it will ensure that they all meet the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) requirement to provide their bank verification numbers (BVNs) without having to travel to Nigeria. As part of an ongoing plan to sanitise the Nigerian banking sector, the CBN has asked all bank customers to verify their accounts to ensure they still own them. This, however, has created problems for Nigerians in the diaspora who cannot go to their high street branches but OIS has decided to come to their rescue by offering the service worldwide. Under an ambitious programme, OIS has asked all Nigerians living in the UK to turn up at their Fleet Street address in central London, and their Leicester location to conduct their own verification exercise. OIS under the able

leadership of the founder, Mahmood Ahmadu, has stressed its commitment to make life easier for all by opening several locations around the world. Some of the locations are; USA – Los Angeles, Houston, Washington DC, New Jersey and Atlanta. China – Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai. Johannesburg, Dubai, New Delhi, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur and Ankara Turkey. All information will be forwarded on to the respective banks in Nigeria, who will automatically verify the customer accounts. OIS CEO, Mahmood Ahmadu, said: "It has become clear that a lot of Nigerians in the diaspora are concerned about this matter, so OIS has decided to come to their assistance by capturing the data for them and forwarding it on to their banks. All they have to do is turn up at our offices nearest to them, and their data will be captured and sent on. OIS charges a nominal fee to all clients of £30,

which goes to the cost of staffing the offices, and purchasing specialist equipment required for capturing the data and other costs. This token charge is nothing compared with the cost of a flight ticket to Nigeria which they would otherwise have to pay." First announced in February 2014, the BVN scheme was introduced by the CBN to provide greater security for access to sensitive or personal information in the banking system. According to the CBN, with the increasing incidents of compromise on conventional security systems, biometric technologies have been increasingly used in the banking industry as an enhanced form of authentication for realtime security processes. OIS is also helping various community organisation recently Mahmood Ahmadu was thanked by a local football club for the OIS support for the Club which provides training and skills to local boys and

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BOOK REVIEW

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Antony Copley Honorary Professor of Modern European and Indian History, University of Kent Debating India: Essays on Indian Political Discourse - Lord Parekh Oxford University Press 2015 xix+374, Rs 1640

Debating India: Essays on Indian Political Discourse

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nly a mind so deeply versed in his own culture could have written so wise a book. No reader will fail to come away without a greater insight into the Indian story. Parekh has a disarming capacity both to be unsparingly critical of modern India’s polity yet always finds in himself a generous conclusion. It is revealing to compare the far more enthusiastic response of a W H Morris- Jones from an earlier generation of political scientists of modern India with Parekh’s more acerbic analysis. But then Parekh is assessing an India which has moved on so dramatically through Shining India from that of the generation of the founding fathers of the Republic. Dispassionately, he judges the giants of modern India, Tagore, Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, with Gandhi running as a thread throughout. There are engaging essays on the nature of India’s public discourse, national symbols, the workings of Indian democracy, secularism, dealing with jihadism, even the nature of Indian friendship. The relationship between Tagore and Gandhi was always bound to be fractious, rivals as they were to being India’s most distinguished contemporary. And whatever he owed to Yeats on being awarded the Nobel prize in literature, Tagore must have felt he had the edge. Though we now know it was not he but Dr Prinjavan Mehta, a far more intimate Indian friend of Gandhi, who first described him as a Mahatma, Tagore could not fail to be moved by Gandhi’s defence of Indian rights in South Africa. Gandhi was sufficiently impressed by Tagore’s views on education to send his sons to Santiniketan on his return to India in 1915.But they came at the world from such different directions. If moksha meant self-dissolution they interpreted this very differently, Tagore an `opening up the self to and suffusing it with the richness of the world’, Gandhi `reducing oneself to zero, purifying oneself of all that was base, shedding ties and attachments to the world, and aiming at emancipation from or extinction of the bondage of the flesh.’(p 64)Tagore hated the noncooperation campaign, though at the price of his `moral loneliness’, seeing it as a rejection of the West, hating the burning of foreign cloth. Gandhi denied that he rejected the West, felt his was the way to emancipate Indians from a sense of inferiority, and that `

healthy nationalism was a necessary step to internationalism.(p 75)’They fell out again over Gandhi’s belief that the Bihar earthquake was God’s punishment for untouchability. Here Parekh expresses his own moral judgement, that connecting the natural and moral worlds in this way has no foundation: òne can argue with equal, even greater cogency that we live in a pluriverse, made up of different and in some cases autonomous orders of being and levels of reality.’(p 85) But Tagore’s belief of God’s only working himself out in the world through its beauty but not its ugliness is no more `scientific’ and `rational’. Yet there can be little doubt that Tagore with a quite different feel for the human condition, its sexual anguish, our all too human frailties, comes out the better from this comparison. Parekh is especially shrewd in his appraisal of Ambedkar. We diminish him by categorising him as a Dalit leader: he was far more of a national and international figure. Indisputably the framing of the Indian constitution owes more to this highly qualified constitutional lawyer than anyone else. Yet Ambedkar was himself chary of hero-worship: `Bhakti or hero worship is a sure road to degradation and eventual dictatorship.(Quoted p 97)It was he who had the principle of fraternity added to the Preamble to the Constitution, the only way forward to an equal society. His was a vision of a westernised State bureaucracy fashioning a just society .Parekh again sees Ambedkar lessened if we narrowly focus on his differences with Gandhi. We are now more aware of how Gandhi was out of his depth with a member of the Scheduled castes far more highly educated than himself. Normally their leadership was pretty deferential to the Congress. Sadly, Ambedkar is quoted as taking hope from Gandhi’s assassination: ìt will release people from bondage to a superman, it will make them think for themselves.’(quoted p 124) And Parekh believes Ambedkar’s attitude to Gandhi l `lacked balance and objectivity.’ He feels Gandhi was closer to the Dalits than Ambedkar himself and `they trusted Gandhi and gave him their loyalty to a much greater degree than to him.’(Parekh p 123)His faith in a westernised elite as the means for change is seen as misplaced and the idea of a separate electorate contradictory withhis ideal of fraternity. Was the mass conversion of his Mahar community to Buddhism not in some sense Gandhian? Parekh sees Jawaharlal Nehru’s prime-ministership in two halves, a misguided one as a modernist, a more positive one as a critical modernist. Down to the late 50s Nehru, in his drive for industrialisation, neglected agriculture, seeing in India’s villages and the antiquated outlook of the peasantry the source of India’s degeneration. But his socialism Parekh assesses lacked any real drive for èquality or even equi-

Bhikhu Parekh

ty,’(p 143) Nehru was no true democrat, Cabinet meetings were run like tutorials and Parliament played but a small role. The Congress party became `little more than a family –owned recruiting ground for careerists and sychophants.’(p 166) Even Nehru’s foreign policy is seen as driven by a search for international approval and so merely perpetuated India’s sense of colonial inferiority. But then it all changed. Nehru belatedly grasped the importance of agriculture, the need for the small scale, small farms, local irrigation schemes, local power stations .This was linked with his reaching out to the people through Panchayat Raj, locally elected bodies. He turned his attention to primary and secondary education. All this is ` a shift from uncritical to critical modernism.’(p 175)Even so,

Parekh emphasises his break from Gandhi: `he courageously stood up to Gandhi not often politically but almost always ideologically and committed India to the path of modernisation, a no mean achievement.’(p 176) There are some very original and imaginative chapters on Gandhi. We learn how deeply Einstein admired Gandhi. But Einstein doubted the efficacy of Gandhian non-violence against the Nazis and Bonhoeffer likewise,accepting the need to assassinate Hitler. So Parekh inspects the limitations of satyagraha. Intriguingly, he believes, certainly in the early stage of Nazi rule, non-violence would have worked: `it would be wrong to rule out the possibility of effective non-violent resistance altogether.’(p 261)And so could non-violence work against al -Qaeda and Isis? There is a brilliant imagined conversation between Osama bin Laden and Gandhi. Parekh makes the

shrewd point of the Islamists: ìn denying their humanity we risk losing our own.’(p 271)He believes dialogue is possible. The Arab spring revealed a readiness for change in Islamic societies and one bin Laden would himself have had to acknowledge. And a sympathetic western approach would break through bin Laden’s Manichean world view. If a readiness for dialogue is defensible I’m not so sure passive non-resistance against either the Nazis or Isis would be no more than suicide. Parekh, however, has the arresting insight that at its root violence is driven by a fear of death. Gandhi had no fear of death, and indeed saw death às an act of selfexpression.’(p 266) Beyond personalities Parekh explores a range of issues. Initially he describes the nature of traditional public discourse, contrasting vada, a deliberation entered into with an open mind and pure heart, and vijigisu, where no holds are barred and you seek to smash your opponent. Over time Parekh sees a merging between Advaita Vedantism and Islamic Sufism, òpening up a cross cultural universality that helped unites the multi-religious Indian society.’(p 16)Would all this survive the new kind of debate opened up by the challenge from the west, above all by the mssionaries? I am surprised Parekh sees Dayananda Saraswati as a great reformer. But will a public discourse that is `suspicious of all claims to absolute and final truth’(p 33) survive Hindutva? Who knows about the choice of India’s national symbols? Here Parekh is unusually informative. It is Ashoka’s charka not Gandhi’s that is on the national flag. Do the colours represent green for Muslims, saffron for Hindus ,white for the other communites? In the end this colour code was abandoned in favour of the colours representing certain spiritual values, `cultivating systematic ambiguity.’(p 45)It was a close run thing for the choice of national anthem between Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram. The former won but the latter was to enjoy equal status. India might have been named Barat. There is a caustic account of the workings of Indian democracy. Had Ambedkar had his way India would have been more a Republic than a democracy. Family dominates elections, Parekh interpets,. so much so it is almost `like a caste.’ Neither Congress nor the BJP have any national vision. The BJP might have become the equivalent to a Christian Democratic party but instead `became a culturally shallow politically intolerant and narrowly Hindu party.(p 195) Congress had the making of a Social Democratic party but fell into the trap of being merely dynastic. Indian elections have become even more presidential than under Nehru and Mrs Gandhi. Parekh is of course assessing the way India has been transformed, or indeed malformed, by Shining India. Horrendous inequalities have

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opened up, 2/5ths of Indians now exist in poverty, at best seeking survival, opening up a gap with the successful two-fifths, threatening `to undermine the moral consensus that has sustained Indian democracy so far.’ Wealth and political power are seen as replacing caste as the basis of à new hierarchy: ` the quest for domination trumps the need to address common problems in a cooperative spirit.’ Overarching the far more critical economic and social crisis is a cultural one of Indian secularism. Communal breakdown of course tore the subcontinent apart in 1947 and the threat of further conflict has never gone away. The Constituent Assembly went for a uniquely Indian version of secularism, one which recognised the pervasive presence of religion in public life and legislated for the equal status of all religions. Nehru had favoured a French version in which though freedom of conscience was recognised but Church and State would be separated, leading in France’s case to state sponsored ant-clericalism and in today’s France a seeming lack of tolerance for religious minorities. Nehru would have preferred a more secular nature in the public sphere. But the majority Hindu community soon felt that the Muslim minority were being over-privileged, leaving them with a sense of cultural marginalisation and, as Parekh reads it, `resentment of secularism itself.’(p 147) No one had struggled more than Gandhi to achieve communal harmony. Parekh is excellent in portraying the way he sought a conversation between religions. If Gandhi believed in a supreme intelligence in the universe, he rejected the very idea of any monolithic claim to the truth, even that a faith had a monopoly of its founder. Religions do not function in isolation, `rather they are driven by their inner telos to reach out to others as part of their unending religious search.’(p 306) But today’s India is confronted by a quite different expression of belief in the Hindutva project. A little surprisingly, Parekh is none too alarmed at its recrudescence under the new Modi administration. This Hindutva mark two is softer than its original-remember the shocking vandalism of the mosque at Ayodhya in 1992-with à recalibration and rebalancing of its components.’: à strong Hindu cultural ethos within the limits of the Indian constitution and relative distancing from the RSS.’(p 226) Others would beg to differ. The murder of M Kalmurgi, a Kannada literary critic by a Hindu fanatic, is one pointer. Amit Chaudhuri, for one, sees a warping of the Hindu tradition of pluralism by a new Wahabi -style version of the faith. As a delightful addition Parekh explores the Indian tradition of friendship. He does so in terms of the great Indian classics. I would have favoured a contemporary literary reference, to the friendship between Maan and Firoz in Vikram Seth’s novel, A Suitable Boy.

UK Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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THE FAMILY LEGAL AID CHANGES IN PRACTICE

If You’re Reading This

You’re a Tax-Dodger

Why would you ever want to be a shareholder-investor in a company in a tax haven like BVI (British Virgin Islands), Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Gibraltar – other than to dodge tax? The myths about tax havens are, first, that owning a company in them always equals tax dodging. Not true. Tax dodgers don’t pay tax wherever their companies are. The second myth is owning a company in them is always not ethical because the UK Government misses tax revenue. Not true, because you are still paying tax in the UK, and even better not paying any foreign country tax (which is why you do it). Only if you go to great Google or Amazon type lengths is this myth true; in which case you should be imprisoned – but Governments don’t have the guts to go after Google or Amazon CEOs. The third myth is that owning a company in them must always be a secret. Not true, 3,000 investment funds in BVI all need to be public because they are looking for public investors. There are thousands in the public domain marketed daily from London alone. It’s so good for Britain to have taxhaven companies that all these reputed investment fund companies are formed in tax havens and run by British companies, Gartmore funds (Domiciled in Cayman Islands); Barclays Global Investors funds (domiciled in Ireland); F&C funds(domiciled in Cayman Islands); Henderson funds (domiciled in Cayman Islands); Jupiter funds (domiciled in Cayman Islands); New Star funds (domiciled in

Bermuda); Old Mutual funds (domiciled in Cayman) – the list of British established investment fund companies in tax havens goes on and on. A new scandal? Your pension will be a shareholder (ie investor) in them or others just like them. That means you are almost certainly a shareholder in a tax haven investment company, through your British pension, and that includes journalists at the Sunday Times and Daily Mail – and even Parliamentary pension funds. So are you an unethical investor, perpetuating taxdodging? Or could you actually be bringing more tax to the British exchequer? BVI, Bermuda, Cayman are common jurisdictions for global investment companies because they’re geared for attracting global investors (cheap and simple and familiar globally) and it’s easier to market such ‘plain vanilla’ funds – ie the familiar to a global audience. Thereafter as a British taxpayer, profits are repatriated and paid in the UK, not in BVI (because it is a zero-tax jurisdiction). So does Britain benefit? Yes. It means British shareholders, pensioners, get to keep more of the profits earned, with nothing deducted at source…more money for you in your pocket. More tax for you to pay too to the British exchequer. No wonder for investment companies BVI is a perfectly legitimate British Overseas Territory and has 3,000 listed mutual funds. And here is the kicker – don’t feel bad - the BVI, Cayman Islands - the Head of State is HM Queen.

Emine Mehmet

In this article Emine Mehmet, Family & Childcare Law Director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors discusses how the changes in Legal Aid have practically affected the area of family & childcare law.

On 1st April 2013 the criteria for individuals to obtain family legal aid was changed significantly by the introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO). LASPO effectively introduced a scheme whereby, even if they are financially eligible, in order to obtain legal aid for most family issues a client has to prove that they have been a victim of domestic violence and that the perpetrator of that domestic violence is the opponent in the case for which they seek legal aid. This is known as scope evidence. The requirements for that scope evidence are strict, with only certain documents being acceptable. This change left many vulnerable individuals, who are unable to pay solicitors private fees, without recourse to legal advice. There was also initially a requirement that the scope evidence had to be dated within the last 24 months. This left some stranded in the midst of the court process when the evidence then became out of date. As a result of lobbying by the Law Society, the requirement for the proof to be dated within the last 24 months has recently been lifted. However, whilst this is a welcome development, in practice there is still a way to go to ensure that victims of domestic violence can access justice. For a start, some of the scope evidence requirements in themselves are onerous and as a result victims are often unable to obtain the required documents. One of the most accessible ways in which a victim can prove domestic violence is by obtaining a letter from his or her GP. However the letter must specifically state that the victim has been examined, and that the

GP can find no other reason for the injury upon examination. In cases where the abuse is emotional, and the injury is mental as opposed to physical, many GP’s are struggling with this concept and are simply not providing the proof in a form acceptable to the Legal Aid Agency. Similarly, even if an individual has had cause to contact the police to complain of domestic violence, evidence of that contact is not enough. A conviction or a caution is required for the purposes of the Legal Aid Agency scope evidence. According to the House of Commons Library Statistics, more than 838,000 reports of domestic violence were made to police forces across England and Wales in 2012/13, but only 6.3% resulted in a conviction. As such few will be able to obtain evidence from the police which will be acceptable to the Legal Aid Agency for the purposes of legal aid for things such as divorce, financial proceedings arising from divorce or arrangements relating to children upon separation. With the court process already a daunting prospect in itself without the added fear of facing an abuser in Court without lawyer support, victims may simply avoid the court process altogether. This could give abusers an unfair advantage. Some law firms, such as Duncan Lewis solicitors, are providing regular pro bono advice clinics to ensure that vulnerable people can still access justice. But demand is unsurprisingly great and it is not possible to assist everyone, no matter how deserving. As such, unless there is a further change in the law, the sad fact is there will be a large part of society that will be unable to access family law legal advice for the foreseeable future.

Mechanic jailed for assaulting and keeping his wife as slave A man who kept his wife as slave for two years was finally brought to justice after he was sentenced to eight months for ABH and two years to be served concurrently. Sumara Iram was regularly beaten and threatened to be killed by Safraz Ahmed, 34, a mechanic by profession. She was forced to do chores from 5 am until midnight every day, and endured severe physical assault until she tried to take her own life with a dose of heavy painkillers. He has admitted to holding her in domestic servitude and causing physical harm. Ahmed brought the victim to the UK in December 2012, after agreeing to an arranged marriage in the country in 2006. The attacks started immediately after their second official wedding ceremony in February 2013. Prosecutor Caroline Haughey of the Woolich Crown Court said, “In his words, he told her he had married her so she

Safraz Ahmed

could look after his mother and his house.” Ahmed also punched Sumara in the face, causing damage that required surgery, cover her face with a cushion and threw tins of cat food at her head. She wasn't even taken to the hospital after her overdose, and the 28 year old had to call the

police herself in August 2014. She said she wasn't permitted to leave the house alone and lived a “life of violence, intimidation and misery”. Ahmed was arrested in February 2014 after neighbours saw him dragging Sumara into the house by her hair. Sentencing Ahmed, Judge Christopher Hehir said, “Between the point when your wife arrived and when there was a further ceremony, you had a change of heart about Ms Iram, possibly because of different levels of education and differing backgrounds. She was bullied and controlled by you, given little money and expected to cook, clean and look after your family as if she was a skivvy.”

Heathrow, Gatwick, Downing Street clocked by IS In an alarming video that has emerged on the internet, two ISIS militants wearing black masks are seen talking in thick London accents about possible attacks in UK. They said Heathrow, Gatwick and the Prime Minister's residence could be their next target.Sickeningly laughing at the recent Belgium atrocities, one of the men says, “Belgium, Brussels Airport, a big boom went off. Heathrow, Gatwick, Downing Street.” The other man chimes in laughing, “Gatwick, Downing Street, you're next.” Believed to be trained

by fellow Briton, Junaid Hussain, a cyber-hacker from Birmingham who is now a top recruiter for the terrorist outfit, security experts said the pair in the video are based in Syria where they went into an internet cafe to record the warning. The video was found by extremist monitoring group, the Middle East Media Research Institute. Meanwhile a lot of Britons are known to be fighting for IS, and the most dangerous one of them, Siddhartha Dhar, known as 'Jihadi Sid', is still believed to be alive. He is suspected to be the masked executor of a

grotesque new ISIS video that was released earlier this year. Islamic State terrorists have constantly targeted the UK, keeping the government on the edge. A recent ISIS poll uncovered yesterday also revealed it to be the jihadis' preferred choice for its next attack. As landmarks around the world lit up in colours of the Belgian flag after the Brussels attack, IS poll asked “What will be the colour of the Eiffel Tower in the next attacks?” Popular opinion from fellow militants was the UK. It is incomprehensible the things these people find humour in.

Jewish Self Help

14 COMMUNITY

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Chaos in Calais Suresh Vagjiani

devote his life to being a ‘Hare Krishna’. I was attracted to the ground level work he continually does, running on a tight shoe string budget. The food is close to or just past the sell by date and is collected from supermarkets and cash and carry’s, he has developed a network of these contacts over the decades he has been doing this work. So it comes to him for free, his costs are plates, spoons, petrol and logistics. To me this is an ingenious idea, which has been thought of

and in Calais there were houses being broken into and the local police where powerless to stop them. So I had my reservations about going there. So I agreed to commit to simply going and helping to preparing the food for the trip. It was going to be packed into large thermos type containers so that when it got to Calais it would still be piping hot. The morning started early, at 4:00am in order for the food to be ready and reach Calais by midday. That was our plan anyhow. So as I was chopping away, I surprisingly saw a familiar face by the name of Sanjay come through the kitchen door, he was someone who I had known since I was a teenager as he used to arrange demonstrations in community gatherings whereby he would break bricks on his back and break bricks on other people’s backs. He used to be a practitioner of the art of Kateda, a Martial Art stemming from Indonesia. This had stuck in my mind having been to Indonesia several times. He had come for two reason one was to do his weekly drop off of vegetables and the other was to go on the trip to Calais. Unfortunately for him the van could only accommodate three people and it was already full. So Parasurama suggested perhaps Sanjay could take his car and ask the other vegetable choppers to come. Spookily, I discovered I had my passport in my

and executed by him almost single handedly. To me he doesn’t even seem totally human, he seems like he is a cross between an Irish man and an Elf. Often I’m strain myself trying to listen and understand him through his thick Irish accent but none the less nod politely when he talks and even laugh when he does. But the man has spirit, ingenuity and audacity, and I like the work he is doing. A couple of weeks ago there was a trip to Calais planned to feed the refugees there. I mean it is all very nice to chop vegetables, in the safety of the kitchen, but in truth I didn’t actually like the idea of going to feed a whole bunch of refugees, as I had watched some unofficial Youtube videos of German villages being overridden,

pocket, I don’t usually walk around with my passport in my pocket. But had done on this occasion, as I was supposed to see the bank manager about opening a new company account. So it looked like I was supposed to go on a spontaneous trip to Calais, like it or not. In the end there ended up being four of us on the trip in Sanjay’s car, along with the three in Parasurama’s car. Two of whom also decided to come along when the trip was confirmed, neither of whom had any intention of coming earlier in the morning.We drove to Dover and then took the ferry to Calais, the first thing when we arrived which struck me was that the port looked like a high detention concentration camp, there were double fences and barbed wire

I have been going to chop vegetables every Saturday for the Homeless for the last month. The charity I help is a local one called Food For All, based in Kings Cross. They manage to feed 1,000 hot meals a day to the homeless, students and whoever else wants one; Monday to Saturday. The charity is run by an eccentric Irish Man called Peter O’Grady, also known as Parasurama Dasa. This isn’t his real birth certificate name, but was given to him when he decided to

Michael Whine

because Jews were exiled from their homeland for two thousand years, they developed self-help mechanisms within the diaspora communities in which they lived to assist newcomers and those in unfortunate circumstances to better manage their lives. In the UK, we have been developing such institutions for 350 years, since the modern Jewish community was established. Among the largest is Jewish Care which last year celebrated its 25th anniversary. The result of a merger between the Board of Guardians, originally founded in 1859, and the Jewish Blind Society, founded in 1819, it is now said to be the largest nongovernment social care agency in the country providing social workers, old age homes and day centres. From its establishment, Jewish Care set out to streamline the Community’s charitable organisations, of which there were hundreds, and reduce overlapping. Like all other Jewish charities, Jewish Care relies not just on its professional staff, but also its volunteers, of whom there

are said currently to be 3000. The capacity to adapt to the Community’s changing demographic and economic circumstances characterises many Jewish bodies. Central to this review process has been the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, which specialises in researching the state of the contemporary Jewish communities in the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. Their work is policy-oriented and driven by the need to ensure that we are ahead of the game, constantly thinking about the Community’s needs and available resources. One year, JPR may research demographic changes in a particular suburb of London, to advise on new schools; in another it may be surveying antisemitism to guide policy formulation. Another long established organisation is British ORT, the UK arm of World ORT, the largest Jewish education and training body in the world. Founded in 19th Century Russia, as the Association for the Promotion of Skilled Trades, it was established to teach agriculture or a trade to poor Jews living in the impoverished villages of western Russia. Now ORT runs vocational schools and trade colleges worldwide, including India, but especially in Israel. Its flexible approach, and constant syllabus revision in line with industrial and commercial trends, ensure that the education it offers is of the highest standard. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, ORT returned to Russia and the Baltic States, and now serves 27000 students in 58 schools and educational institutions every year. In Latin America it runs university courses and digital media centres in line with its commitment to look to the future. Another Jewish maxim is tikkun ha’olam,

tighter space. The entrance was guarded by Police, dressed in black and armed. The place looked like what I would describe as a shanty town, something you would see regularly in developing countries. The roofs and construction was from makeshift materials, wood, corrugated sheets, and tarpaulin type material. Parasurama had brought his batmobile, which was a van which seemed to me to have everything in there. He also brought a trailer which contained lots of pieces of wood, broken pallets and other random left over construction bits.

We parked our car well outside the camp and walked in with the van, going deeper into the shanty town. We didn’t really know what to expect. We stopped momentarily to adjust the trailer which carried the wood. As soon as we did the trailer started to get raided, people came from nowhere and started helping themselves. As the trailer was open from all four sides there was nought we could do to control the situation. It seemed a few stronger leaders helped themselves to all the wood. I didn’t fancy a piece of wood on the back of my head and therefore

The British Jews number about 320,000 only. It is one of the smallest minorities but it’s presence is very impressive in all walks of life from art and culture to business and philanthropy and many more. They are also very unique in looking after the needs of those who are less fortunate. This second article from Mike Whine is not only very informative on how the Jewish community is fulfilling its own responsibility but it can inspire others to do similar for their kith and kin. If any other information or guidance is necessary Mr Whine can certainly be of enormous help. One such example is the Community Security Trust which has been able to help other minority religions on how to safe guard their temples and community centres. CST has an excellent system which is admired and supported by the British government and especially the police. If any Asian community organisation is providing such ‘Care of Community Members’ Asian Voice would be delighted to publish the information. Please send your report with photographs by email to the editor CB Patel at cb.patel@abplgroup.com Religious law imposes on Jews the important obligation of tzedekah, performing deeds of justice, or helping others. This is viewed as a form of self-taxation rather than a voluntary charitable donation. Giving to charity, or helping others, is therefore acting justly and is regarded as equal to all the other commandments combined. The prophet Hillel, who lived at the turn of the Common Era in ancient Jerusalem, was among the most influential in Jewish history. Ascribed to him are several sayings which summarise Jews’ attitudes to themselves and to others. Two of the most notable are: “What is hateful to thee, do not do unto thy fellow man: this is the whole Law; the rest is commentary”. And: “If I am not for myself, who is for me, and if I am only for myself, what am I, and if not now, when?” Taking these maxims as guidance, Jews have therefore sought to help each other, and to treat others as they wish to be treated themselves. And everywhere. When we went into the town it looked pleasant enough, lawns mowed well, but eerily quiet. We drove around for about half an hour to finally arrive at the camp, there were no signs of any refugees anywhere, that was until we got to what seemed the industrial area of the town, and then we saw them, walking down the road, from the approach to the camp of refugees. A couple of weeks’ prior, half the camp had been bulldozed and burnt, in order to concentrate the refugees into an even

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or repairing the world which has come to mean social action and the pursuit of social justice. Organisations working in this field include World Jewish Relief, an international agency founded as the Central British Fund for German Jewry in 1933 to aid Jews fleeing Nazism. It responds to the needs of primarily, but not exclusively Jewish communities at risk or in crisis outside Britain and Israel. Its expertise and ability to react quickly is recognised widely, and as a consequence works closely with governments. It responded to the Nepal Earthquake Appeal two years ago, and channelled Jewish donations to that country very quickly. Another much smaller agency working abroad is Tzedek, Jewish Action for Just World. This focusses on development and educational aid in some of the poorest countries in Africa and Asia, again including in India. It aims to provide direct support to smallscale, self-help, sustainable development projects regardless of race or religion. Again it relies on volunteers, some of whom may be gap year students whose lives and outlooks are enriched by working with and for others. Via these and other bodies, the Jewish community fulfils its religious and social obligations while also encouraging entrepreneurship. Of course assimilation and other pressures inevitably mean that younger Jews are less inclined to support these communal efforts than were their parents, who may have come to Britain as refugees, lived through the War, or witnessed the rebirth of Israel, and who wanted to repay the notional debt they felt they owed. But through the concept of volunteerism, they also provide a much needed social arena which may be lacking elsewhere. let them help themselves to the loot. This was a need identified by Parasurama from his last visit. In the cold weather and at night they need wood for fuel, as well as for construction and repairs to their makeshift homes. After the trailer had been raided and was empty we decided to park up and then start serving food. Even before we got a chance to set up the van was swamped. We foolishly decided to serve from both sides of the van, from the back and the side through the sliding door. Continued on page 30

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Bradford man charged with murder of Asad Shah

Yes, research showed that psychological oppression could actually be one of the most harmful forms of violence: it is harder to detect and has a long term effect. The abuser might try to choke an otherwise independent woman’s financial freedom by, say, confiscating her credit card or dissuading her from career progression: this is not borne out of jealousy necessarily, but rather control.

Have you always felt drawn to women’s rights? I am invested in the issue of human rights and supporting the oppressed. Watching cowboys and Indians movies as a child, I would support the Indians. On this note, I was actually approached by a group of quite influential men who wanted me to write about the stigmatisation of Indian men in abuse cases, and it later transpired that one of these men was convicted for being a perpetrator. I feel there is a concerted propaganda effort to withhold the feminist movement, and me speaking out as a man has a significant effect.

there are not enough Asian men speaking out about the issue of gender inequality

Lawyer Aamer Anwar

together. And shared their views with us and stood behind us. And we are extremely grateful to all the people of Scotland for having shown this solidarity.” Lawyer Aamer Anwar said: “There has to be a legacy of Asad Shah. This city has seen sectarian strife for over 150 years. We need to make sure that we don’t import the politics of hatred, of sectarianism from Pakistan into our communities and to our streets. Anybody who attended the vigil, anybody that attended the funeral today of Asad Shah would know that Asad Shah was a well-loved man. We can’t have another life lost to such hatred.” However, according to a report in The Times, supporters of a sectarian group have celebrated the murder of Shah. A group on Facebook posted a newspaper report of the death of Shah with the message: “Congratulations to all Muslims.” The group calls itself “anti-qadiani” – using a derogatory term for Ahmadiyya Islam. Shah was born in Rabwah, Pakistan, and moved to Glasgow in 1998 to join his father in business. Meanwhile, lawyer Aamer Anwar has received death threats over his calls for unity in the Islamic community following the killing of Shah. According to a Daily Mail report, Aamer Anwar said he was taking the threats extremely seriously and police were investigating. Anwar chaired an event at Glasgow Central Mosque last week where he called for unity and condemned violence and extremism in the wake of the killing of Shah, as well as terror attacks in Brussels and Lahore.

The Butterfly Room

Victim Asad Shah

A 32-year-old man, Tanveer Ahmed, from Bradford in Yorkshire has appeared in court charged with murder of Muslim shopkeeper Asad Shah, who was stabbed to death outside his shop in Glasgow after posting a ‘Happy Easter’ message on Facebook. Ahmed entered no plea and was remanded in custody pending a further court appearance. Asad Shah, 40, was found seriously injured in Minard Road in Shawlands at about 9.05pm on 24thMarch. He died in hospital. According to a report in The Times, it was estimated that he had been stabbed 30 times. Shah’s Facebook message was: “Good Friday and a very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation.” Police said his assailants were Muslims and described the incident as “religiously prejudiced”. According to a BBC report, Asad Shah’s funeral has been held. The service took place at the Ahmadiyya Muslim mosque in the Yorkhill area of the city. Friends, family and politicians turned out in large numbers for his funeral. A message on the wall inside the hall at the mosque reads “Love For All, Hatred For None”. The report quoted Abdul Abid, president of the Ahmadiyya community in Scotland, as saying: “We are sad that a very popular man of our community is not with us anymore. He was a polite, gentle person. We are proud to have had such a wonderful person amongst our community.” Mansoor Shah, vice president of Ahmadiyya UK, was quoted in the report as saying: “I have been to Pollokshields this morning and I saw the bunches of flowers and I met a couple of neighbours down there and it was very moving. We are the Islamic community and we do not believe in any kind of extremism. We must live in this country as law-abiding citizens. We are glad that the people of Scotland have come

TLIGHT

Saurav Dutt:

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Sunetra Senior

Dutt’s latest novel ‘The Butterfly Room’ raises awareness about the taboo subjects of domestic violence and homophobia through the evocative art of storytelling. Short-listed on both The Guardian and LA Times Books, Dutt is known for his non-fiction and fiction, and this recent gender critique is the carefully crafted culmination of both. The plot centres on daughter-in-law Lakshimi and the complex emotional struggle she goes through to escape her abusive family constraints: “The world of the book was informed by the 200 plus interviews conducted with various women of South Asian descent,” Dutt told us. “All of them had suffered at the hands of household violence.” *** “I spoke to women of different classes,” he continued “from stay at home mums to the successful heads of business, and what was very interesting was an underlying psychological element. Though physical violence would certainly manifest, mental oppression was consistent throughout. For example, though certain Indian women were financially stable, it did not make them any less likely to be trapped in an environment of abuse; often they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, leave due to social reputation and extracurricular security being at stake.” So, Dutt is telling us, though violence may be taking on an untraditional form, it is keeping backward, traditional stereotypes more alive than ever: “whether it was using her party-going past against her or actually striking blows, the end goal was always to attack the woman’s self-confidence and keep her down as an individual.” And the relevance of the psychological intricacy in women’s abuse cases is not just limited to South Asian culture. In a recent multiple assault case, filed against a former Canadian radio show host, there was a shocking readiness to dismiss the behavioural nuances of victims caught in the trappings of a silent patriarchal system: for example, the action of sending flowers to the attacker would be immediately questioned when it was just as plausible that this was the only way the woman could get his attention to confront him, as a powerful, womanising man. But as Dutt expressed, his turning to writing about domestic violence was ultimately two-fold: “I wanted to leave a message of hope: every survivor has shown such courage and strength in enduring and prevailing through the hardships, and I have new found respect for all those who've been through abuse.” Thus using the format of fiction- “to probe in a way that more immediate forms of art such as ‘film and music’ cannot”- Dutt not only makes visible a universal wrong, but actually shapes our thoughts as powerful tools in a social law so fundamental to change. 'The Butterfly Room’ is a beautiful name. What was the inspiration? There is a character who encases very beautiful butterflies. This serves as a wider metaphor for all those women – wives, mothers and daughters – within relationships and marriages who aren’t able to break free. They are continually taken advantage of because in South Asian culture there is a stigma on divorced women and it is not easy to leave.

Tell us more about the message you wanted to leave with the readers It was about leaving a message of hope: simply seeing these women as victims is unhelpful. There is much to be admired in their survival; their fight through all the pain. Can you elaborate on these new forms of cultural oppression that violence takes?

Do you feel personally connected to the book because of your roots? I was born in India and brought up in Britain, and South Asian issues concern me greatly. I do feel that there are not enough Asian men speaking out about the issue of gender inequality. The only way for there to be progress, is if we work together: proceeds from ‘The Butterfly Room’, for example, are going to charities such as Refuge, Amnesty International and the Sharan Project. Is there a recurring theme in your writing? The issue of denial; it’s a big problem in the Indian community. If behaviour is scrutinised there is a tendency to shut down. There is projection onto women who speak out too: “no one is going to marry you, you’re just going to antagonise your husband”.

What was the most challenging part of writing this novel: emotionally, technically? They were intertwined. I wanted to be able to portray the pain of these accounts without being too maudlin. It wasn’t meant to be a melodramatic Bollywood epic. That is difficult to produce at a writerly level. It is a challenge to translate the experience accurately. But fiction writing does allow you to be nuanced and I’m proud of the end result. Finally, what is your advice to other journalists who might be feeling tentative about a difficult issue? Remember you’re in a position to give a voice to the voiceless. If you don’t write about it, no one else will. Or, in the best case scenario, it’ll come out years later. As a journalist you help people on a daily basis to keep in mind the bigger picture. Action happens alongside what you do; getting people to talk holds valuable weight. twitter.com/sd_saurav?lang=en-gb

Vaisakhi the biggest Sikh celebration

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Vaisakhi, also spelled Baisakhi, is one of the most important dates in the Sikh calendar. It is the Sikh New Year festival and is celebrated on April 13 or 14 each year. It also commemorates 1699, the year Sikhism was born as a collective faith. In other words, Vaisakhi celebrates Sikh New Year and the founding of the Sikh community, known as the Khalsa, in 1699. It was originally a harvest festival in Punjab before it became the Sikh’s most important festival. Vaisakhi is a long established harvest festival in Punjab. In 1699 the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, chose Vaisakhi as the occasion to transform the Sikhs into a family of soldier saints, known as the Khalsa Panth. Guru Gobind Singh Ji founded the Khalsa in front of thousands at Anandpur Sahib. In 1699, Sikhs from all over Punjab gathered together to celebrate Vaisakhi. Guru Gobind Singh Ji came out of a tent carrying a sword and requested that anyone prepared to give his life for his religion come forward. A young Sikh came forward and disappeared into

the tent with the Guru. Then the Guru reappeared alone with his sword covered in blood and asked for another volunteer. This was repeated another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent with him. This led to some anxious moments until eventually all five emerged from the tent alive, with Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and wearing turbans. The five came to be known as the Panj Pyare, or ‘Beloved Five’. The men were then baptised into the Khalsa by the Guru. He said some prayers over the five and they were sprinkled with amrit (‘immortalising nectar’). This is how the Amrit ceremony came into being and these five Sikhs became the first members of the Khalsa. The festival is marked with ‘nagar kirtan’ processions, which are led by traditionally dressed Panj Pyare. The Guru Granth Sahib – the Sikh scripture, which is also the 11th and last Sikh Guru – will be carried in the procession in a place of honour. Apart from Anandpur Sahib and Amritsar Golden Temple, in India the main celebration takes place at Talwandi Sabo, where

TRAVLIN

Guru Gobind Singh Ji stayed for nine months and completed the recompilation of the Guru Granth Sahib. To sum it up, Vaisakhi is an occasion for celebrating the community’s growth and for recalling a set of shared values and collective memories. In the Sikh spirit, Vaisakhi celebrates the integration of the spiritual and temporal worlds, and it provides practical avenues for bringing these to bear through shared values and practices. Vaisakhi is fundamentally about community, celebration, and progress, and these values are at the forefront of the collective consciousness as Sikhs gather together to

STYLE

mark the occasion. In Himachal Pradesh, Vaisakhi is celebrated as a way of honouring Goddess Jwalamukhi (also known as Durga, Mata, Amba), and in Bihar it is celebrated by honouring Surya (the Sun God). In Bengal, Vaisakhi is observed as the beginning of the New Year. To mark this people make ‘rangolis’, or floral patterns, displayed on the entrance of their homes. Vaisakhi is also celebrated as the New Year in

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Priti Patel MP

brate the huge contribution of British Sikhs, who have been a keystone of British life for over 160 years. Through my role as the Prime Minister’s Indian Diaspora Champion, I have had the honour to engage with the British Sikh community – in Gravesham and beyond – and see the rich contribution they continue to make to British culture, business, sport, charity and much more. I wish you all a joyous and peaceful Vaisakhi.”

Sikhs ‘took up arms to defend, not to conquer anyone’

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the South of India, and is marked by holding Pooram festivals, where processions take place to honour Lord Vishnu. In Assam, Vaisakhi is celebrated as Rangali Bihu (colours). Meanwhile, in London, Vaisakhi will be celebrated with an afternoon of indoor and outdoor activities at City Hall on Saturday (April 9). The event is organised by the Mayor of London, with support from Singh Sabha London East and EY Sikh Network. Also, Priti Patel, the Prime Minister’s Indian Diaspora Champion and Employment Minister, has conveyed her best wishes for Vaisakhi. She said: “I am delighted to extend my warmest wishes to everyone in India, Britain and around the world celebrating Vaisakhi. This is a much celebrated and significant time for the Sikh community as they commemorate the birth of Khalsa and give thanks. “Vaisakhi is also an important occasion to cele-

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By Dr Rami Ranger CBE, FRSA, Chairman The British Sikh Association

It is a matter of pride for the Sikhs and a tribute to the vision of Guru Gobind Singh Ji who established the Brotherhood of Khalsa (Sikhs) on this day in 1699 to defend the religious freedom of every Indian that Vaisakhi is now being celebrated at No. 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s residence, and also in the House of Commons, the British seats of power, as a mark of respect for the Sikhs and their Gurus. This just shows how far the Sikhs have come in Britain and beyond against all odds. I believe the best is yet to come for the world from a liberated community. The story of Vaisakhi has its origins well before 1699 and began with the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, who was publicly beheaded by Aurungzeb, the then Mughal ruler, for refusing to give up his faith. Regrettably,

Aurungzeb had become overzealous with his blend of religion and wanted to force everyone to convert to his faith or face dire consequences. Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up for the rights of Hindu Pundits who were being threatened with conversion and stood for their right to worship as they deemed fit. The Guru challenged the emperor to convert him first before the Hindu Pundits. As Guru Ji refused the emperor’s demands, he was beheaded for his act of defiance and the Guru’s martyrdom unleashed anger

Guru Teg Bahadur

amongst his followers and they did not rest until they brought an end to the tyrannical rule in India. It just goes to prove that the Sikh Gurus were amongst the first to champion human rights. It is worth remembering that Sikhs took up

(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk https://www.london.gov.uk http://www.ibtimes.co.uk http://www.thedailybeast.com)

arms, not to oppress or suppress anyone, but to liberate those who were being oppressed and suppressed in the name of their religion. They took up arms to defend and not to conquer anyone. As a matter of fact, the Sikhs do not convert anyone with coercion or by false inducement of a place in a “Heaven”. Instead, they respect every religion of the world and, as per the teachings of their Gurus, believe religious labels are not important but that deeds and actions of an individual are more important to the Almighty. Those who shared his beliefs were encouraged to have an easily recognisable identity, a beard and turban, to show what they stood for and Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s ethos of human freedom. More importantly, before Guru Gobind Singh Ji Indians used to die for India and after Guru Gobind Singh Ji, they now fight to defend India. I shudder to think what would have been our future and that of mankind without the Brotherhood of the Khalsa. Sikhs are the epitome of self-sacrifice for others. Next time you see a Sardarjee, please do give him a hug and give a thought as to why he decided to wear a beard and a turban for India and mankind.

Tata says goodbye to UK operations UK Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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Over the past few months, the steel industry in the UK has been grabbing the news headlines, but for all the wrong reasons. The announcement by India’s Tata Steel that it plans to sell its UK steel business, putting thousands of jobs at risk, is the latest setback to an industry which has seen a succession of job cuts. At the start of this year, Tata Steel, which currently employs 15,000 in the UK, announced plans for 1,050 job cuts, on top of the 1,200 it axed in October 2015 and the 720 it cut last summer. Other firms’ decision to cut jobs has only adde to the woes. In October, Thailand’s SSI announced it was closing down its Redcar works with the loss of 2,200 jobs, then parts of Caparo Industries’ steel operations went into administration putting 1,700 jobs potentially at risk.

The steel industry is hit by:

(a) high UK energy prices (b) the extra cost of climate change policies (c) and unfair competition from China – there have been allegations that Chinese steel is being sold in the UK at unrealistically low prices.

Sajid Javid to meet Mistry

Business secretary Sajid Javid will meet Tata chairman Cyrus Mistry in Mumbai on Wednesday over the disposal of its loss-making UK steel operations. A report in the Financial Times said Prime Minister David Cameron will meet the Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones on Tuesday to discuss how to attract potential buyers for sites such as Port Talbot without breaching EU rules on state aid. On Monday, Jones, a Labour politician, launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s response, saying it had been “slow and inadequate”.

Sajid Javid

He singled out Britain’s opposition of higher EU taxes on Chinese steel, saying: “We need the UK to back higher tariffs.” According to the FT report, a spokesperson for the PM said that, under state aid rules, the UK could still “provide financial support” for the steelmaking sites. That could include reducing pensions and energy costs. But asked for details, the spokesperson said the focus was currently “on how we get a genuine sales process off the ground”. The government remains opposed to allowing higher tariffs on Chinese steel. “We don’t want to have decisions in one area which have an adverse impact in other areas,” the spokesperson said. On Sunday Javid had said

Closure

particular its overcapacity.”

Everyone fears this option. The knock-on effects of a closure would be considerable. The IPPR think tank has estimated that while 15,000 jobs at Tata UK would go, there are another 25,000 in the supply chain that would also be at risk, although it says that some of these are not in the UK. The impact on the Port Talbot area where Tata Steel UK employs some 5,500 workers would be disastrous.

How vital is steel for UK?

SMOKE SIGNALS: The beleaguered Port Talbot Steelworks in Wales there was no question of nationalising the £15bn pension fund for Tata Steel’s UK workers, which has a £475m deficit.

Who might save Talbot?

India-born Sanjeev Gupta, the founder of steel, commodities and property group, Liberty House, could be the knight in the shining armour to rescue Port Talbot Steelworks. According to a BBC report, Sanjeev Gupta is to meet Sajid Javid to discuss his potential plans. Earlier, Gupta told the BBC that he would be interested in the whole business. He said: “Many (parts) are loss-making at the moment but we believe they can be turned around.” Liberty has also struck a deal already to buy two Scottish steel mills from Tata. But these are very different from Port Talbot. Between them the two Scottish plants Clydebridge and Dalzell employ 270 people; in contrast Port Talbot employs 4,000.

Greybull Capital

The London-based business turnaround specialist is headed by two families – brothers Marc and Nathaniel Meyohas and Richard Perlhagen. It rescued Monarch Airlines and has been in talks with Tata about a £400m deal for taking over its long products business, mainly in Scunthorpe in north Lincolnshire. Scunthorpe makes wire rods, steel beams and rail track –a very different business to Port Talbot – although it employs similar numbers of workers. The company said it was not interested in taking over Port Talbot and has not had any discussions. In Scunthorpe, it is not expected that Greybull will takeover the British Steel pension liabilities, instead it is thought they would stay with Tata.

China the culprit

The industry blames cheap Chinese imports for a collapse in steel prices. China is now the world’s biggest steel producer, accounting for around 822 million tonnes a year – almost half of the world production. The UK, which produces almost 12 million tonnes a year, is a minor player in terms of absolute output, but has sought to specialise in high-quality, high-value steel products. With China’s market slowing, their producers have been looking for export markets, such as the EU.

This has led to accusations of unfair competition, that Chinese producers are “dumping” steel products on overseas markets – that is not just selling them cheaply, taking advantage of their lower production costs, but actually selling them at a loss. In 2015, the EU imposed anti-dumping duties for six months on some steel imports from China and Taiwan.

Available options

Tata Steel UK has operations in

Bank of Scotland is still majority (58%) owned by the government.

Temporary Nationalisation

If faced with immediate closure there might be an option for the government to temporarily take ownership before selling it on. The Scottish government temporarily nationalised Tata’s Lanarkshire mills during the sale to Liberty, although ownership lasted only a matter of minutes, and was done for technical reasons at no cost to the tax payer. Nationalisation of the business for the short-term might be politically more acceptable, but the government would have to absorb all the costs. It would also run into problems with EU rules on state aid.

Government support

Sanjeev Gupta

Port Talbot, Trostre, Shotton, Llanwern and Newport in Wales and Rotherham and Corby in England.

Sale

If a buyer can be found, this is the preferred outcome for everyone. Business Secretary Sajid Javid has said: “There are buyers out there”, but no realistic candidate has put themselves forward. Tata invested £3bn into its UK operations and is losing £1m a day as steel prices continue to fall.

Nationalisation

It seems an unlikely scenario. PM David Cameron said: “We are not ruling anything out. I don’t believe nationalisation is the right answer.” But that is precisely what the Labour government did during the financial crisis when it bailed out the banking system. Royal

There are other ways the government might support the steel business if no buyer comes forward soon. One option being considered by ministers is to “mothball” the blast furnace at Port Talbot. It is thought this would cost between £10m-£20m a month and would also involve laying off most of the workforce. Another option involves a buyout by managers and staff at Port Talbot. While Tata called the plan “unaffordable” it might work with the help of government loans or loan guarantees, similar to the ones being considered in the sale of Scunthorpe to Greybull. Again the EU rules restrict what the government can do to help. The European Commission told the BBC: “EU rules do not allow rescue or restructuring aid such as emergency loans or government guarantees on loans to steel manufacturers in financial difficulties. This is because of past experience and taking into account the features of the EU steel industry, in

Steel is vital for just about everything we use. Whether it is buildings, chemical, cars, lamps or drinks cans – all depend on it at some point. About 18,000 people are directly employed in the steel industry. With a total UK workforce of 31 million this is just one in 1,700 jobs. However, if the industry was to shrink further there will be an impact in other allied sectors – steel processors, distributors, scrap metal dealers, metal traders and other metal product manufacturers. Many argue that this is not just a crisis for the steel sector, but one affecting UK manufacturing in general, which accounts for roughly 10% of UK economic output. So what can the UK do? The industry is clear what it needs: lower business rates, a relaxation of carbon emissions targets for heavy manufacturers, more compensation for high energy prices, and a commitment that British steel is used in major construction projects. Steel industry’s future Business Minister Anna Soubry said on Radio 4’s Today programme that the government was determined to ensure that Port Talbot continues to make steel. The world faces a huge oversupply of steel – currently only two-thirds of the steel being produced is actually being used. Tata itself says that “trading conditions in the UK and Europe have rapidly deteriorated” recently, due to the global oversupply of steel, a “significant” increase in exports into Europe, high manufacturing costs, continued weakness in UK demand for steel and a volatile currency. Energy intensive businesses, like steelmakers, also face higher electricity prices in the UK than they do in many of the Britain’s European neighbours – and the industry has been calling for urgent action on this. (Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk)

BUSINESS

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ADB lowers India's next fiscal growth forecast AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

domestic product to grow 7.4 per cent in FY2016, slightly below the FY2015 estimate of 7.6 per cent. In FY2017 growth is forecast to rise 7.8 per cent.” The bank said the weak global economy will continue to weigh on exports in the next fiscal, offsetting a further pickup in domestic consumption, partly due to an impending salary hike for government employees. “India is one of the fastest growing large economies in the world and will likely remain so in the near term,” ADB's chief economist Shang-Jin Wei said. “The potential growth of the country can be raised further if it can successfully implement necessary reforms, including unifying the tax regime, improving

The Asian Development Bank has pegged India's growth rate downwards for the next fiscal to 7.4 per cent, from 7.6 per cent this year, stating further reforms will help the country remain one of the fastest growing economies in the world. “India's economy will see a slight dip in growth in FY 2016. The economy will again accelerate in FY 2017 as the benefits of banking sector reforms and an expected pickup in private investment begin to flow,” ADB said in statement. The bank's growth forecast of 7.4 per cent for 2016-17 is lower than its earlier projection of 7.8 per cent. “In its latest Asian Development Outlook, ADB projects India's gross

RBI cuts key lending rate by 25 basis points

Raghuram Rajan

The Reserve Bank of India cut its key lending rate by 25 basis points in line with overall expectations, comforted by the central government's fiscal prudence steps, a cut in interest rates on small savings rates and moderate inflation. The repurchase rate, or the short-term lending rate for commercial banks on loans taken from the central bank, stands lowered to 6.5 per cent from 6.75 per cent, while the reverse repurchase rate, or the short-term borrowing rate, has been adjusted upward to 6 per cent from 5.75 per cent. The changes were carried out in the monetary policy for the current fiscal announced by RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan. Among the two key instruments to directly regulate the money flow in the system, the cash reserve ratio (CRR), which is the quantum of liquid funds against deposits which commercial banks have to hold, has been left unchanged at 4 per cent. But the minimum daily maintenance of CRR has been cut to 90 per cent from 95 per cent. Similarly, the statutory liquidity ratio, or the value of specified securities which commercial banks have to subscribe to, stands at 21.25 per cent,

effective April 2 onward. The central bank had last cut its short-term lending rate in September by 50 basis points to 6.75 per cent. Cumulatively, 2015 saw the monetary authority cut the repo rate by 1.25 per cent. "Inflation has evolved along the projected trajectory and the target set for January 2016 was met with a marginal undershoot," Rajan said in his policy statement, adding that retail inflation was expected to decelerate modestly and remain around 5 per cent in this fiscal. "After two consecutive years of deficient monsoon, a normal monsoon would work as a favourable supply shock, strengthening rural demand and augmenting the supply of farm products that also influence inflation," he said. "On the other hand, the fading impact of lower input costs on value addition in manufacturing, persisting corporate sector stress and risk aversion in the banking system, and the weaker global growth and trade outlook could impart a downside to growth outcomes going forward," he said. He said the growth projection for 2016-17 was being retained at 7.6 per cent.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

labour market regulations as opening further to foreign direct investment and trade.” Finance Ministry's Economic Survey 2015-16 tabled in the parliament last month has tagged India's growth for the next fiscal in the 7-7.5 per cent range. “The government is expected to maintain its ongoing fiscal consolidation efforts, with the deficit cut to 3.5 per cent of GDP in FY2016, supported by tax revenue growth and asset sales. However, India still faces significant challenges to finance the infrastructure it needs to deliver sustainable growth, with funding requirements estimated at around $200 billion a year through FY2017.”

All off-shore companies may not be illegitimate: Raghuram Rajan Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan said that not every off-shore company opened by an Indian national need be illegitimate and that this would be primary task of the probe team in which the central bank has also been co-opted. Rajan was replying to questions when his reaction was sought on reports of 'Panama Papers' expose in which names of 500 Indians were included. Following the expose, the Indian government has set

up a committee to probe the alleged offshore holdings of Indias. "We are in the investigation team on 'Panama Papers'. We will have to see what is legitimate and what is not. That is a part of the investigation process," Rajan told a press conference. "It's important to remember that there are legitimate reasons, too, to have accounts overseas." Deputy Governor H.R. Khan said the primary investigation into the matter would only determine if

any violation has taken place. "A lot of things are permitted, a lot of things aren't. There are a grey areas too," Khan said. "All of it will be known once the investigation is complete." The comments came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a multi-agency probe team on the expose, conducted by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) along with over 100 global media organisations, dubbed the

"Panama Papers". "A multi-agency group is being formed to monitor the black money trail," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had told reporters, after he met with the prime minister. The team will comprise officers from the Central Board of Direct Taxes' Financial Intelligence Unit, the board's Tax Research Unit, and also officials from the Reserve Bank of India, the finance ministry said in a statement.

Gujarat SMEs outnumber bigger players It seems that the small and medium enterprises (SME) in Gujarat raise more funds through Initial Public Offers (IPO), as compared to their mid and big size companies. As per figures presented by Prime Database, India's first database dedicated to primary capital market, 16 SME firms from Gujarat cumulatively raised nearly £14.7 million in 2015-16.

On the other hand, only three medium and large size companies from Gujarat came out with their IPOs this fiscal. While only three IPOs were launched by bigger players in 2015-16, as many as 16 SME firms hit the primary capital market. While the amount raised by SMEs is lower than the biggies, the rush to list on the SME bourses show the ambition

set by the SMEs. “The SMEs typically run out of collateral and funding sources for meeting growth capital. Moreover, the requirement is of smaller amounts. Hence, SMEs find it difficult to meet the funding requirements only through bank loans or private money. SME exchanges, with relaxed compliance norms and cheaper cost

structure, offer a growth capital platform to progressive firms to meet their funding requirement. As a result, increasing number of SMEs are taking IPO routes,” said Mahavir Lunawat, group MD, Pantomath Capital Advisors Private Limited, a merchant banker which has managed maximum SME IPOs over last two years.

Indian in Panasonic's decision-making body For the first time in the history of Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, an Indian has been appointed on the coveted decisionmaking body of the $80 billion company. Manish Sharma has been working as senior executive of the company now. Sharma's induction into the global role comes along with an elevation in his role at the Indian subsidiary too. He has been appointed as the president and CEO of Panasonic's India and South Asia operations. He was earlier MD of Indian operations. The global executive council of Panasonic is a key decision-making body

Manish Sharma

that gives shape to the company's business plans across the world. Mainly dominated by senior Japanese executives, the 50-member council also has the global president and other board members.

“The role will help me access global strategies and help drive in higher resources and new business plans for the Indian market,” Sharma, who at 44 is the youngest to crack into Panasonic's executive council, said. Panasonic is not the first Japanese electronics company to give a key global role to an Indian. In April last year, Sony had also elevated Sunil Nayyar, sales head of its Indian business, to lead its consumer electronics business in the US, its largest market. Panasonic also appointed Daizo Ito, previously president of the Indian business, as man-

aging executive officer, Panasonic Corporation. “India is at the heart of the Panasonic's global growth strategy and both Ito and Sharma have been pivotal in driving growth for Panasonic India. I am confident they will continue to propel our business forward,” Kazuhiro Tsuga, president of Panasonic Corporation, said. Apart from Sharma, international representatives in the executive council include three Americans and one European. The company wants enhanced representation from officials from key markets as it goes about localization of products and technologies

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

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REAL ESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

In the Nick of Time

One of our clients has just managed to complete a deal, just in the nick of time. Completion for this little studio occurred on the 31st March 2016, thereby saving on the 3% increase in stamp duty. This was his second attempt at buying a property with us, the first was at an auction where the property was an ex local, first floor apartment in a purpose built block located in Fulham. It was guided at £375k, and ludicrously went for £490k, which was way outside what we were expecting; and I think a record for the block. This is what happens when emotional buyers are allowed into the auction rooms. The investor was an introduction from another client, and therefore came with recommendation. He had purchased a BTL property previously and therefore was not a complete novice. The property he purchased had increased in price. As part of our turnkey service we advised how best to refinance and use the proceeds for another purchase. He had rightly concluded that investing in the UK property market is probably the best investment one can make. The idea was to set up an investment pot for his children. He was very keen the deal should be done before the stamp duty rise and therefore enlisted our help in order to achieve this. The property in my opinion was in an ugly block, Park West in W2. Overheated and smelly, and corridors like my primary school. It is however a favourite amongst Arabs, who enjoy the local amenities such as the shisha bars scattered along the whole length of Edgware Road. Interestingly the freehold of the block is owned by Freshwater, a Jewish landlord.

Ugly it may be, but this is the third property we have purchased in this block for clients in the last year. And given the right deal we will carry on purchasing here. Our original criteria for purchasing property has been the discount we get on the way in, the fact the properties are in such strong locations meant the growth is taken care of by itself. Every single property we have sourced on an individual long term basis has gone up in value with annualised double digit growth every year it’s been held. The research we conduct now on the properties we source is not just restricted on evaluating the price on the way in, it has been widened in depth and breadth to even include crime figures in the location. We also include previous growth figures, purely for the block or in the case of a period property the precise location the property is in. In this scenario the average growth rate for a studio in this block is 14% per annum, the figures stretch as far back as 2005 and therefore some of the data includes the period of 2007/8 which means even taking into account one of the worst financial crises in decades the growth rate is still on average 14% per annum, which is impressive. The property which was completed just in time is a studio of 332 sq. ft. on the fifth floor of a portered block, with a long lease. It has a relatively good aspect as it faces the front of the block so it has good light and therefore a good feel to the property. We still went in with a good discount, the property was purchased for £350,000 which equates to £1,050 per sq. ft.; properties on the market on this block

Real Deal The

Hampstead, London, NW3 Purchase Price: £700k lA large one bedroom ground floor flat lShare of freehold lScope to add more square footage to the flat along with another additional bedroom lClose to the leisure facilities of Finchley Road and lHampstead Heath lWe expect the value of the property after conversion will be around £950k lVery good long term buy and hold

averaged £1,262 so this represents a saving of 16% on the average market price. These figures are attractive, not ugly, this is what needs to be seen and measured when considering property investment. Not one’s own opinions of what is attractive or not, neither should the criteria of ‘it’s close to where I live therefore let me purchase, as I can manage the property easily’, with some vague idea of your offspring living there at some time in the future. This is penny wise and pound foolish, or perhaps even just foolish. Yet this is the precise criteria many use to invest. When a property first comes on the market there is usually a flurry of activity, this is the time to do a deal. As time moves on the flurry decreases and the property if left long enough starts to become stale. The time to do a deal from the seller’s point of view is right in the beginning when there is high spurt of demand. Buyers attract buyers. On a property this small, it is essential to ensure if you want the property you grab it quickly and agree the deal ideally before it gets any exposure on the market. This is exactly what occurred in this situation, through our connections in the local area we were able to close this deal without it even touching the open market. There are many buyers at this sort of level in the market, and if this property had hit the market the chances are it would have attracted multiple bids and the price would have been inflated. By keeping the property off the market we were able to shave potentially 16% off the price (as compared to others on the market) and we made a further saving of 3% on the stamp duty by ensuring the transaction was completed before the 31st March deadline. This represents a saving of £66,500 on the way in. Assuming the average future growth rate is in line with the past the property is expected to rise by 14% per annum which means an annual increase of £49,000. Interestingly this is about what the client earns; he has just replicated his annual earnings through his investment with us. Some clients wish to look at properties with their families and then consult others for their opinion on the deal. This client only saw the property after the deal was done. This is probably the best way of doing deals. This means the chances of one’s emotions getting involved with the deal is minimised. The real research is done in the analysis of the past, current and where the future price of the property will go. The property is currently being refurbished for roughly £2,000 and will be rented for £300 pw giving a decent yield of 4.4%. This is now a very good yield given the location, yields have dropped hugely as the capital values have increased.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

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Tips of the Week

l Focus on long term growth prospects, not just rental income.

l Property is a very forgiving asset class, even if you purchase a dud property given time it will rise; the stronger the location the quicker it will rise.

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, As I mentioned on my World Paper Review on the BBC – we have some interesting market opportunities presently. The FTSE 100 is just 10% off its all-time highs and double from its lows a few years ago. But it is also at 1998 levels. So is there an opportunity for rises or for falls. You can use the taxi drive test. Not until a taxi driver tells you what stocks to buy will the market be overvalued. That has not happened to me – although English may not be their first language, but that’s another issue. If you want to invest: Those stocks which are highest rated on my awardwinning software www.sharescope.co.uk/alpesh are: Carnival, CRH, Glaxo, Persimmon, RELX, Bae, Bunzl, EasyJet. You will notice the property company Persimmon on there. A lot of these companies are making a killing out of London property and despite the Panama papers highlighting some of the dodgy offshore politicians buying homes in the UK via such offshore companies, the demand from regular global people remains big. That means more profits for these builders. Basically you can build a cardboard box in London and sell it for a fortune to a Russian or Hong Kong investor. If you think there will be falls: Invest in cash rich companies like Apple and Google and Amazon – I love them for even 5 years from today. Keep this copy of the paper, use it. Consider index trackers so at least you are diversified, or Exchange Traded Funds – your bank’s broker eg Barclays can help you. ETFs such as those tracking Gold share which rise when markets fall, or other ETFs which are designed to rise when the markets fall. The key trick is to make sure you know your time frame. The mistake most people make is they buy value companies for the short term and then are surprised when in the short term they don’t move and they intend to hold for the long term and then they sell those value companies too quickly. Profit is linked to time. Time is money is true because given enough time good companies prove themselves. But a bad investment does not become good through time and that is another common mistake people make, that they hold their bad investments for way too long, thinking I will give it more time. Worst still, a bad investment does not become good by adding more money to it. That’s the most difficult lesson and differentiates winners from losers.

Ultra Electronics believes in innovation Ultra Electronics, an FTSE 250 business, is the West's go-to place to hunt submarines. CEO Rakesh Sharma vouches making sonar systems and sonar buoys that are dropped from aircraft to detect submarines, to be one of the best businesses in the current times. Calling anti-submarine warfare as a “forgotten” industry, Sharma said, “There were about 250 submarines in the world during the time of Second World War, now, there are 500.” He joined the company in 1989, and has seen a steady decline in the demand for submarine detection kit.

After hit with low demand, Ultra suggested a partnership with the Ministry of Defence on sonar buoys, 13 years ago. “We don't exist because I can pick up the phone and talk to David Cameron as I employ 30,000 people- I doubt the policeman outside No 10 would take my call. We survive because we are innovative in technology, but also in the way we do business.” With a company that maintains such a low profile, 54 year old Sharma makes sure he keeps it more engaged, and participating with the government and organisations.

India's core sector growth Data released by India's commerce and industry ministry reveals the eight core sectors - coal, steel, electricity, cement, fertiliser, refinery products, natural gas, and crude oil, grew an annual 5.7 per cent in February as compared to 2.3 per cent expansion in the year, and more than previous month's 2.3 per

cent year-on-year growth. The eight core sectors account for nearly 40 per cent of the index of industrial production and February data bodes well for the IIS numbers. “The core sector growth number for February is encouraging at 5.7%,” said chief economist at Care Ratings, Madan Sabnavis.

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India allows 100% FDI in e-commerce AsianVoiceNews

India has permitted 100 per cent foreign investment in the e-commerce format in a bid to attract more foreign investments. In a set of guidelines issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) on FDI in e-commerce, foreign investment was not allowed in the inventory-based model of ecommerce. Currently Indian online market stores Flipkart and Snapdeal have foreign financial backing as the FDI guidelines on foreign investment remains unclear. To clear the fog, the DIPP has even issued a definition of 'e-commerce', 'inventory-based model' and 'market place model'. It said market place model of

e-commerce means providing of an IT platform by an e-commerce entity on a digital and electronic network to act as a facilitator between buyer and seller. An inventory-based model of e-commerce means an eTo clear the fog, the DIPP has even issued a definition of 'e-commerce', 'inventory-based model' and 'market place model'. commerce activity where inventory of goods and services is owned by an e-commerce entity and sold directly to the consumers. The department said a market place entity will be permitted to enter into transactions with sellers registered

on is platform on businessto-business. However, an ecommerce firm will not be allowed to sell any more than 25 per cent of the sales affected through its market place from one vendor or their group companies. “In order to provide clarity to the extant policy, guidelines for FDI on ecommerce sector have been formulated.” DIPP said the e-commerce marketplace may provide support services to sellers in respect of warehousing, logistics, order fulfilment, call centre, payment collection and other services. “Such an ownership over the inventory will render the business into inventory based model.” It said that in marketplace model goods/ser-

Vodafone moves international court over tax dispute British telecom giant Vodafone has reportedly moved The Hague-based International Court of Justice, seeking appointment of a judge to preside over an arbitration over its £1.42 billion tax case. The move came after arbitrators appointed by it and the government of India failed to reach a consensus on selection of a neutral presiding judge of the three-member panel. Vodafone in 2013 had invoked the India-

Netherlands bilateral investment treaty, seeking a resolution to the tax demand imposed on it by enacting a tax law with retrospective effect to sidestep a Supreme Court judgment that went in the company's favour. Conciliatory proceedings were initiated but differences led to a breakdown, following which arbitration was initiated. The government had in June 2014 appointed former Chief Justice of India R C

Lahoti as arbitrator, while Vodafone named Canadian trial lawyer Yves Fortier as its choice. The two later agreed on Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf of the ICJ as the presiding arbitrator. Lahoti recused himself from the case in May 2015 and a month later Yusuf, too, declined to be part of the panel. Thereafter, India in July last year named Costa Rica-based lawyer Rodrigo Oreamuno to arbitrate on its behalf.

Arun Jaitley urges Australian industry to invest in India Finance minister Arun Jaitley said India would continue on the current path of growth for a couple of decades more, bringing benefits of liberalisation to its people and eliminating the curse of poverty. Urging Australian supperannuation funds industry leaders to invest in India, he emphasised that the growth path the country is moving on, it will stay on it. “It's only then that India can eliminate the curse of poverty,” Jaitley said. “We do believe that 7.5 per cent rate can be improved upon... And government is concentrating on several areas, specifically rural India. People in India are benefiting from the whole

Arun Jaitley

process of liberalisation.” Speaking at a round-table meeting with top leaders of the superannuation fund sector, Jaitley spoke to leaders including Australian minister for small businesses and assistant treasurer Kelly ODwyer, chairman of Future Fund Peter Costello and Indian high commissioner

Navdeep Suri. Also present was a high-powered Indian delegation led by FICCI. FICCI president Harshavardhan Neotia said India has made considerable progress over the last year, reflected in improvement in key macroeconomic indicators like GDP growth, inflation, fiscal deficit, current account deficit as well foreign investment inflows. Adding, there is an element of positivity and optimism about India, which is shared not just by domestic industry but also globally. He also said superannuation funds have ready to invest funds and we from Indian industry are here to invest projects.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

vices made available for sale electronically on website should clearly provide name, address and other contact details of the seller. “Post sales, delivery of goods to the customers and customers satisfaction will be responsibility of the seller.” “E-commerce entities providing marketplace will not directly or indirectly influence the sale price of goods or services and shall maintain level playing field,” it said. The guideline also said “subject to the conditions of FDI policy on services sector and applicable laws/regulations and other conditionalities, sale of services through e-commerce will be under automatic route”.

Reckitt chief Rakesh Kapoor among best paid bosses

Rakesh Kapoor

CEO Rakesh Kapoor was paid nearly £23 million last year in a payday by Reckitt Benckiser, pushing him further up the rankings of Britain's best-paid bosses. The company stated in its 2015 annual report that the remuneration of its chief executive had almost doubled after the group's soaring share price lifted the value of its stock options. It said Kapoor was only paid a bonus of over £3.8 million after the makers of Nurofen and Durex, were criticised six years ago when their former chief executive earned £90 million in one year. Kapoor hit a number of targets related to net revenue and net income growth. His base salary rose 3 per cent to £890,950.

IndiaCast announces new EPG number for COLORS UK on SKY LONDON: TV18 and Viacom18’s local and international distribution wing, IndiaCast has announced a new EPG number for COLORS UK on the leading DTH platform, SKY. This change would be effective from Tuesday 5th April, 2016. As a part of this change, COLORS UK

will be available on EPG number 786 on SKY. This move will further make the channel visible on the first page of the International channels selection guide menu for SKY subscribers. Anuj Gandhi, Group CEO - IndiaCast, said, “Moving COLORS UK up to EPG number 786

enables us to create top-ofmind recall for the channel and its content thereby building engagement with SKY subscribers.” Govind Shahi, Head – Viacom18 UK, said, “As we move the channel to EPG number 786, we are hoping to enhance sampling amongst SKY subscribers,

thereby bringing audiences closer to superior quality and inspiring content.” SKY subscribers will be intimated about the new EPG number for COLORS UK through an announcement on the network as well as via social media platforms.

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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

‘Brexit’ again a major talking point Over the weekend the Vote to leave the EU campaign released a list of 250 names of business leaders who are in favour of the UK leaving the EU. The list includes former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan, and the hotelier Sir Rocco Forte. This is an attempt by the Vote Leave campaign to paint an exit in a positive business light as many prominent business people have previously come out in favour of staying the EU. However, the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee warns on Brexit risks to financial stability. The committee said "the most significant near-term domestic risks to financial stability" were connected to the referendum on EU membership on June 23rd. It referred to risks as a period of "heightened and prolonged uncertainty" as the central bank moved to bolster banks risk buffers and tighten lending to landlords. The FPC also stated that sterling could be forced lower, though that has potential benefits - making British industry more competitive and raising the cost of imports, which

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

would arguably be welcome at a time when inflation is well below the Bank's 2 percent target. Standard & Poors chief Sovereign ratings officer Moritz Kraemer also stated that the Brexit could lead to Britain losing its AAA S&P credit rating which it has maintained since 1978. This would be due to the UK’s ‘deep political, financial and trading ties in Europe’ which would be at risk if Britain were to leave the EU. The pound closed the quarter with its heaviest trade weighted loss since late 2008 which was mainly attributed to global financial turmoil, the Brexit and a lack of positive sentiment surrounding a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of England. Also last week, the Markit manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 51.0 last month. British manufacturing ticked up last month from its weakest level in nearly three years and quarterly growth remained disappointing. It comes as the business secretary, Sajid Javid, visits Port Talbot to

meet workers and management affected by Tata's decision to sell its UK assets. The Brexit was again a major talking point this weekend as former England football captain Sol Campbell is the latest celebrity face to weigh in on the EU referendum saying he was backing independence. Over in the states, we had Core Personal Consumption Expenditure – Price Index (YoY) (Feb) at 1.7% in line with previous. We also had Core Personal Consumption Expenditure – Price Index (MoM) (Feb) at 0.1% which was below the expected figure which was 0.2%. These are important figures in the US as two thirds of their economy is made up my consumer spending. This led to a sharp fall in the value of the USD. In addition, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen emphasised global dangers to growth and inflation, hence the need to proceed "cautiously" on tightening policy. She said global risks were not expected to have a deep impact on the US, but caution was still appropriate. Her tone was simi-

lar to the Fed's statement in mid-March, when the central bank made no change to rates and guided expectations towards a slower pace of increases after December's increase. Ms Yellen repeated her message from earlier public speeches that volatile oil prices and China's slowing growth, along with how soon inflation would reach the Fed's 2% goal, were key factors guiding the Fed towards taking a gradual approach on raising rates. The U.S. dollar hit its lowest level against the euro in nearly seven weeks last week following dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that pushed out expectations for the central bank's next interest rate hike. weakness overseas. A relatively quiet week of data from the Eurozone, with German unemployment change showing a marginal decrease in the number of unemployed members of the workforce. Following the poor USD data, EUR appreciated across the board with EUR continuing its four straight sessions of gains against the dollar.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 5th April 2016 @ 2.50pm

GBP - INR = 94.41

USD - INR = 66.62 EUR - INR = 75.70 GBP - USD = 1.41 GBP - EUR = 1.24

EUR - USD = 1.34 GBP - AED = 5.19

GBP - CAD = 1.87

GBP - NZD = 2.09

GBP - AUD = 1.88

GBP - ZAR = 21.29

GBP - HUF = 390.00

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Myanmar takes steps to usher in democracy Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Htin Kyaw hints at constitutional amendment

NAYPYIDAW: Taking its first and significant step towards democracy, U Htin Kyaw swore in as President of Myanmar, with former political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi close by his side. Prohibited from a top post in the country, Suu Kyi now becomes the Foreign Minister and will head other ministries; education, energy and presidential office. Myanmar has been dominated by the powerful military for years and continues to have a rooted hold. A historic day in Myanmar, March 30 was a symbolic day of ceremony where Kyaw was sworn in along with his two vice presidents and 18 cabinet members. In his swearing-in speech, the new President said, “The Union Parliament has elected me as president, which is a historic moment for this country.” He

Newly elected President of Myanmar Htin Kyaw (left), with Aung San Suu Kyi

vowed to work toward national reconciliation, strive for peace with warring ethnic rebels and improve the lives of the 54 million people who call the Southeast Asian country their home. Even after leading the National League for Democracy party to a landslide

In his speech, the newly sworn-in President said, “I have a duty to amend this constitution so that it becomes a constitution that suits our country and matches democratic values.” It is believed that the statement was in reference to the ruling that bars Suu Kyi from taking charge as her children

and late husband are British citizens. However, it seems easier said than done as any amendment needs 75 per cent approval from the parliamentarians and about 25 per cent of the seats are acquired by military officers, making sure no government can change any law without the army's permission.

win in the November elections, Suu Kyi cannot be a president owing to a constitutional manipulation by the military. She has, however, said she would run the country from back-stage. Commending the step, US President Barack Obama, in a statement said, “The United States looks forward to being a friend and partner of the new

government and the people of Burma as they make progress toward building a more inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous future.” India too, welcomed the change. PM Narendra Modi tweeted congratulations, “Congratulations and best wishes to U Htin Kyaw on being elected President of Myanmar! Will work together to strengthen India-Myanmar ties.”

North Korea threatens US PYONGYANG: In true character, North Korea has threatened the US to kill more people in the country than the September 11 attacks. In an article featured in the state-run DPRK Today, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un's government said their weapons are trained on the White House, Pentagon, and other US locations of importance. “If three civilian aeroplanes attacks from 15

it recently defied UN's weapons ban by testing new surface-to-air missiles during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. N Korea has declared itself in a state of “semi war” and has voice dislike against countries including America and China. Kim had most lately threatened a “nuclear storm” against the country's enemies after it was subjected to strict UN sanctions - including a ban on missile tests.

years ago resulted in 3,000 deaths and brought a nightmare to life for the US, the outbreak of our final war will wipe the country from history, leaving no time to even regret or have nightmares about it. Being beaten by only three civilian aeroplanes, the US was ashamed in front of the world and has suffered incalculable psychological and economical damage,” read the mocking article. The threat comes just after

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57 killed in Pakistan floods

ISLAMABAD: Northwest Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir faces major damage as rains and floods have taken over the area. Flash floods claimed the lives of at least 57 people, injured 27 and swept away houses in two regions. Sources said Shangla district is the worst affected as 14 people lost their lives. Kohistan and Swat regions reported 12 and 8 deaths respectively, and PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan lost 8 lives, including 5 children. Pak President Mamnoon Hussain while expressing grief over the loss of lives and property, directed authorities to take all measures to help the affected.

Khaleda Zia gets bail in five cases

DHAKA: Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia surrendered before courts on Tuesday and was granted bail in five cases related to violence, graft and sedition. The former prime minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief appeared in several courts in connection with different cases. Khaleda appeared before the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court, accompanied by BNP leaders and activists and left the premises after getting bail. The same court had on March 30 issued an arrest warrant against Zia and 27 others for an attack on a bus in which one person was killed and 30 others injured, although Khaleda was not physically present when the incident took place.

Sikh soldier allowed to wear turban and sport a beard

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A billion-dollar wedding

In Brief

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MOSCOW: In possibly the most extravagant and the most expensive wedding in the history of weddings, a Russian billionaire Mikhail Gutseriev's son tied in the knot with his young bride. A celebration that dripped in class and luxury, British-educated Said Guteriev, 28 married dental student Khadija Uzhakhovs, 20, in a ceremony that was attended by the cream of the global crop. Khadija looked breathtaking in her Elie Saab couture gown. A huge white number with a floor length veil, long train, studded with diamonds, she matched her dress with a handbag that reportedly weighed 25lb. The event was thrown at Moscow restaurant and banqueting venue Safisa. Guests rolled up in their Rolls Royces, a small addition to the multimillion worth fleet of luxury cars that decorated the outside of the banquet. Matching the ceremony, the entertainment was an unforgettable affair with performances by Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Sting. French singer Patricia Kaas also participated, along with Georgian national folk dance ensemble Sukhisvili. With an edible spread that featured food ranging from Europe to Japan, the guests were treated to an elaborate eight-tier white cake with icing and layers of pink floral garlands. The top was a star and a crescent- a symbol of the family's religious belief. The entire charade is said to have cost the groom's father around $ 1 billion. A self made billionaire, Forbes has put Mikhail's worth at $ 6.2 billion. His son Said, who has a masters degree from the University of Plymouth, is currently the director of Russneft’s Orsk Refinery.

WASHINGTON: Amongst pending Sikh soldiers pleas, the US military has granted decorated Sikh-American officer a long term religious accommodation, which means, he can continued to serve while maintaining his articles of faith. Captain Simratpal Singh, 28, has become the first active duty Sikh soldier to receive approval to maintain his beard and turban while serving in the US Army. He had sued the Defence Department last month in a first of its kind lawsuit, saying he was being subjected to “discriminatory” testing because of his turban and beard. He said he was being asked to undergo additional testing for his helmet and gas mask. The Army granted the permanent accommodation, saying in a court document that it would only be revoked if the beard and turban affected “unit cohesion and morale, good order and discipline, health and safety.” 3 Sikh soldiers sue defence dept: Three Sikh soldiers, meanwhile, have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defence seeking to serve in the United States armed forces without having to compromise on their articles of faith. Specialist Kanwar Singh, specialist Harpal Singh, and private Arjan Singh Ghotra demanded that the army accommodate their religious articles of faith, including turbans, unshorn hair and beards, so that they can begin basic combat training with their various units in May.

Pak detains over 5,000 people after Easter blast

LAHORE: Pakistan's Punjab government said security forces have rounded up over 5,000 people with more than 200 still in custody, on the backdrop of the Easer Sunday bombing. Punjab province law minister Raan Sanaullah said, “In the past 24 hours, Punjab police had conducted 56 operations, the counter terrorism department 16 and intelligence agencies in collaboration with the local police carried out 88 raids in different parts of the province and rounded up a total 5,221 people.” Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban faction - Jamaatul-Ahrar behind the bombing warned that the terror attack was a “message” to the government about their “arrival” in Punjab. “Nawaz Sharif should know that war has reached his doorstep, and God willing the mujahideen will be the winners in this war,” the group's spokesman said.

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British families ‘buying Nuclear arms in Pakistan at risk Nepalese kids’ of theft by terrorists AsianVoiceNews

LONDON: The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Nepal last April claimed over a thousand lives. While people are still recuperating from the damage, an investigation has revealed that child survivors from Nepal are being sold to British families to work as domestic slaves. Kids as young as 10 are bought for a price of £5,250 by black market gangs in Punjab. A newspaper reported the gangs are taking advantage of Nepalese refugees, feeding off of the families' misery. It also claimed that wealthy British families are buying the youngsters to work as unpaid domestic helps. The Sun newspaper has alleged that a trader named Makkan Singh lined up children for their undercover reporter to pick from. “We have supplied lads who have gone on to the UK. Most of the ones who are taken to England are Nepalese. For the supply of a boy, minimum £5,250 is involved. Then you will have other costs associated with taking him to the UK, but that's your responsibility extra to what you pay us. Take a Nepalese to England. They

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are good people. They are good at doing all the housework and they're very good cooks. No-one is going to come after you,” Makkan said. Responding to the news, Home Secretary Theresa May said child trafficking is a “truly abhorrent crime” and urged the National Crime Agency to investigate the newspaper's findings. She told the newspaper, “No child, anywhere in the world, should be taken away from their home and forced to work in slavery. That is why we introduced the landmark Modern Slavery Act last year, which included enhanced protections for potential child victims of slavery and sentences up to life imprisonment for those found guilty. We encourage the newspaper to share its disturbing findings with the Police and National Crime Agency so that appropriate action can be taken against the vile criminals who profit from this trade.” The Modern Slavery Act was introduced last October to crack down on modern day slavery and protect victims of trafficking.

Zuma ordered to pay up for swimming pool, amphitheatre JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's top court has ruled that President Jacob Zuma has flouted the constitution in using public funds to upgrade his private residence, and must repay the money. The decision has further sparked calls for his impeachment. The court delivered a damning verdict on Zuma's conduct after a swimming pool, chicken run, cattle enclosure and amphitheatre were built at his rural homestead- at Nkandla in rural KwaZulu-Natal, on the base of so-called “security” measures. Zuma refused an ombudswoman's orders to repay the money spent on the upgrades. Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said Zuma “failed to uphold, defend and respect the constitution as the supreme law of the land.” Public Prosecutor Thuli Madonsela, the country's ombudswoman ruled in 2014 that Zuma had

“benefited unduly” from the work on the Nkandla property in KwaZulu-Natal province, and that he should refund some of the money. The president responded by ordering two government investigations that cleared his name; including a report by the police minister which concluded that the swimming pool was a fire-fighting precaution. Mogoeng said on Thursday that Zuma “must personally pay the amount determined by the national treasury.” The work was valued in 2014 at 216 million rand (then $24 million). “President Jacob Zuma's action amounts to a serious violation of the constitution, and constitutes grounds for impeachment,” the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's main opposition party , said. It added that it had officially begun the process to impeach Zuma.

ISLAMABAD: There is a fear that nuclear weapons in Pakistan may fall into wrong hands that is they are at risk of being stolen by terrorists. These fears emerged during a nuclear security summit in Washington, according to The Australian, where more than 50 world leaders were gathered to discuss the feasibility of terrorists getting their hands on nuclear material. Incidentally, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was missing from the summit. Ironically, he cancelled his trip in response to the Lahore terrorists attack last weekend. A TRUNEWS report said Pakistan possesses new tactical nuclear weapons as part of their posturing toward India. Islamabad also has nuclear warheads that fit on an artillery shell. Because they are easier to use, lower-ranking commanders could have access, which raises security concerns.

Sikh man beaten up in Canada

TORONTO: In an alleged racially motivated attack, a 29 year old Indo-Canadian Sikh was verbally abused and beaten up by four men in Canada. Still recovering, Supninder Singh Khehra was out with friends in Quebec City after dark and was trying to get a cab when a car full of men approached him and started shouting at him in French. “I was punched in the eye and fell to the ground, where I was kicked repeatedly. It was all because of my race, my colour and the headgear I was wearing. I'm really worried about the safety and well-being of young kids of my community who wear turbans,” Khehra said. He also said his turban “went flying off”. Following the incident, two men were arrested. One was let go without charge, while the other faces charges of assault and threatening a police officer. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was quoted as saying that such “hateful acts” had “no place in Canada”. The entire incident was caught in video which was shared on the Sikh Network’s Facebook page and has been viewed more than 90,000 times.

Nawaz Sharif

The US has tried to get officials there to be more security conscious, but Pakistan reacted defensively, insisting its facilities are safe. “We are not apologetic about the development of the tactical nuclear weapons,” said Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, a senior military adviser. ISIS has made it clear they are trying to obtain nuclear weapons.

WORLD Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

In Brief

Brazil's biggest party quits coalition, Rousseff isolated

BRASILIA: In a move that subsequently cripples President Dilma Rousseff's fight against impeachment, Brazil's largest party announced it was leaving the governing coalition and pulling its members from her government. The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party decided unanimously in a packed leadership meeting that its six ministers in Rousseff's Cabinet and all other party members with government appointments must resign immediately. The loss of Rousseff's main coalition partner may prompt smaller parties to abandon the government, leaving Brazil's first female President increasingly isolated as the impeachment process nears a vote in the lower house, expected in mid-April.

Woman cuts lover's heart in Bangladesh

DHAKA: A young woman has been sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court for cutting her lover's heart out and slashing his throat. Fatema Akhter Sonali, 21, took revenge from the man who refused to marry her and secretly kept recordings of the couple having sex. Prosecutor Quazi Shabbir Ahmed said, “It's rare for a woman to be sentenced to death. But her case was exceptional.”

INDIA

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In Brief

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Karnataka HC slams CM Siddaramaiah

Siddaramiah

BENGALURU: Slamming Chief Minister Siddaramiah's government, Justice AN Venugopala Gowda of the Karnataka High Court questioned the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Bureau that has visibly weakened the state's Lokayukta. “Is this the man who walked down from Bengaluru to Ballari to fight corruption?” the judge asked without taking the CM's name. He said the ACB has paralysed the Lokayukta system and created a vacuum with neither the Lokayukta police nor ACB receiving complaints against corruption for the past 15 days. “Why did you ask the Lokayukta police not to register complaints? Have you not created a vacuum? We've seen people leaving the country itself if a day is delayed in registering a complaint. It does not appear that consultation at different levels was taken before the decision to create the ACB. Your manifesto is to strengthen the Lokayukta, but brazen action could be seen taking place in last 15 days.” Reading out more than a dozen verdicts of the Supreme Court pertaining to corruption, Justice Gowda said no day goes in the country without corruption.

CHENNAI: AIADMK will contest 227 out of 234 seats in the May 16 assembly election in Tamil Nadu leaving just seven seats to the alliance partners. Chief minister J Jayalalithaa will contest in R K Nagar constituency which she won with a huge margin of 150,000 votes in the by-poll held in June last. The list has largely taken in new faces, mostly the party functionaries across the state. Not all the state ministers have made it to the list. Finance minister O Panneerselvam will contest from his own Bodi seat while electricity minister Natham R Viswanathan will

AAP likely to win 100 seats in Punjab, claims survey

Arvind Kejriwal

CHANDIGARH: In good news for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a survey has predicted the Aam Aadmi Party to win nearly 100 seats in Punjab. Conducted by Huffpost-CVoter in February, the survey shows a consolidation of favourable sentiment in favour of AAP from the same time last year. AAP is likely to gain between 94-100 out of the 117 seats in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, up from the 83-89 projection of the Cvoter poll from April 2015. The survey further claimed the ruling SAD-BJP alliance will come down with just 6-12 seats, from last year's 13-19 seats.

This hotelier helps to feed the hungry

AIADMK to contest 227 seats in TN poll

move to Athur. Other ministers whose name appear on the list are: R Vaithilingam (Orathanadu), Edappadi K Palaniswamy (Edappadi), B Valarmathi (Thousand Lights), S Gokula Indira (Anna Nagar) K C Veeramani (Jolarpet), P Thangamani (Kumarapalayam), Thoppu N D Venkatachalam (Perunthurai), S P Velumani (Thondamuthur), M C Sampath (Cuddalore),R Kamaraj (Nannilam), C Vijayabhaskar (Viralimalai), Sellur K Raju (Madurai West) and R B Udayakumar (Tirumangalam). Former ministers including Panruti S Ramachandran (Alandur), K A Sengottaiyan (Gopichettipalayam), C Ve Shanmugam (Villupuram), V Senthil Balaji (Aravakkurichi) and N Thalavai Sundaram (Kanyakumari) have been given seats. The notable inclusions are assembly deputy speaker Pollachi V Rajaraman (Pollachi), former Speaker D Jayakumar (Royapuram), and

The survey has said that AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal is the most favoured face as chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, with Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh standing second. While 59 per cent respondents wanted Kejriwal to be declared the chief ministerial candidate for Punjab, 51 per cent said they would choose Arvind Kejriwal over Amarinder Singh. They also chose him over deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. Among Kejriwal, Sukhbir Badal and Captain Amarinder for CM's choice, 51 per cent backed Kejriwal, 35 per cent Amarinder and 7 per cent Sukhbir.

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J Jayalalithaa

Enticing voters

One thing commonly practised and accepted in Tamil Nadu, prior to the elections is the handing out of hard cash to the people by political parties. A top government official who is quite familiar with the whole charade said around 60 per cent of the electorate will get cash of Rs 2,000 to 3,000 each, from various parties. For a 58 million voting population, this means some £60,000 to 90,000 distributed as cash, or gifts before polling day. These are operations monitored and directed from the very top of parties. But the government official says the money may have already reached the distribution points at the ward, panchayat levelbefore the model code came into effect. So far, £1.5 million have been caught in vehicle checks and cash seizures.

P Vetrivel, who quit his MLA's post to facilitate Jayalalithaa's return to the assembly after the Karnataka high court acquitted her in the disproportionate assets case. Vetrivel gets Perambur seat. Seven alliance partners have been accommodated, while the notable miss is Velmurugan's Tamilaga Vazhvurumai Katchi. RPI's S K Tamilarasan moves to Madurantakam from Kilvaithinankuppam, while AISMK leader R Sarathkumar will contest from Tiruchendur. TN Kongu Ilaignar Peravai leader U Thaniyarasu moves to Kangeyam from his Paramathi Velur seat. M Thamemmun Ansari's MJK, a breakaway faction of MMK, gets two seats Nagapattinam and Ottanchathiram. The party, floated a month ago, extended support to the ruling AIADMK last week. Another Muslim outfit, and a long-time ally, S Sheik Dawood's TMML gets Kadayanallur seat.

Quota for Jats, 5 other castes challenged

CHANDIGARH: The quota bill was challenged in the Punjab and Haryana High court in Chandigarh, a day after it was passed in the Haryana Assembly. Advocate Satnarayan Yadav challenged the grant of reservation on the grounds that the Supreme Court has ruled against the overall quota exceeding the 50 per cent threshold in any state. Referring to a 1992 order wherein the apex court had opposed more than 50 per cent overall reservation, Yadav claimed Haryana government had succumbed to the pressure from Jats by bringing the reservation Bill. Two or three states have sought to provide over 50 per cent reservation but these

decisions have been challenged in the courts, he said. The Bill that was passed after major Jat protests, provided reservation to the Jats along with five other communities in government jobs and education was unanimously passed by the Haryana Assembly. Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois, Tyagis, and Mulla Jat, are given a new classification, Block 'C', in the Backward Classes category. The Bill proposes to give 10 per cent reservation to these communities in government and government-aided educational institutions and ClassIII and IV government jobs. It also envisages 6 per cent reservation for them in BC 'C' category in Class I and II jobs.

KOCHI: Minu Pauline, owner of Pappadavada, a restaurant chain in Ernakulam, Kerala, has installed a fridge where 50 food packets are kept every day, in an effort to feed the homeless and needy. 'Nanma Maram' meaning 'virtue tree', has also started to see donations, with people chiming in to donate their excess food. “Anyone can leave leftover food here in this refrigerator so that it can be a solace to the hungry and the starved. We named it 'Nanma Maram' in this context,” Minu said. The restaurant has requested people to mark the date of preparation of the food on the packets they donate to make sure expired packets are cleaned out. “Apart from the food that Pappadavada keeps in the refrigerator, we request individuals, party makers, event managers, and restaurant owners to deposit left over, but fresh and eatable food, neatly packed in this refrigeration of love.”

Madras HC suspends judicial magistrate

MADURAI: Madras High Court has issued suspension orders to Melur judicial magistrate KV Mahendra Boopathy after he failed to follow the high courts' orders on granite mining cases in Madurai district. Boopathy pushed himself into further controversies after favouring action against former Madurai district collector Ansul Mishra who had continued the crackdown on granite mining mafia. Madurai district principal judge A M Basheer Ahmed came to Melur judicial magistrate court and informed Boopathy about his suspension. Boopathy was suspended a day after a team of two judges, including the principal district judge, held an inquiry with him.

Madras HC gets six new judges

CHENNAI: Madras High Court will get six new judges soon. The names recommended by the collegium headed by Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul have been cleared by the Supreme Court. Sources in the High Court said, Kalaiyarasan, Gokuldas, Bharathisadan, S Sunder, M V Muralidharan and D Krishnakumar would be the new judges. All of them signed in Devanagari in the court, which is mandatory.

NIA summons senior Punjab police officer, friend

NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency has summoned three persons, including senior Punjab police officer Salvinder Singh, for questioning in connection with the Pathankot terror strike as the agency awaits a Letters Rogatory from Pakistan. This is a routine investigation as some formalities have to be carried out before a charge-sheet is filed in the case. The NIA had conducted a lie-detector test on all the three and given them a cleanchit. Terrorists engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with the security forces at the IAF base from the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Seven security personnel were killed, while four bodies of terrorists belonging to Jaish-eMohammed were recovered.

Vadra firm takes Haryana govt to court

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to the Haryana government on a petition filed by Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, owned by Robert Vadra, challenging VAT notice. The high court has sought a response from the government. The matter pertains to Shikohpur land deal in Gurgaon between Skylight and DLF. The firm has challenged a notice by the excise department of October 12, 2015 under section 16 of Haryana Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, 2003. The firm has also sought a direction to respondents not to proceed further with the assessment proceedings until the complete relevant information or records were provided to it by the department.

INDIA Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

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Vijay Mallya – the fallen king Heavy voter turnout in AsianVoiceNews

Wilful defaulter Vijay Mallya's offer of £400 million has been rejected by the 17-lender group which seeks a repayment of more than £900 million. His proposal presented to the Supreme Court, included a payment of £200 million by September and the rest subject to conditions. A source said that, “Lenders have decided that they want a minimum of £490 million to be paid upfront, which is the principal loan amount. Further, they would demand interest component as well.” The banks said most of the proposal was filled with caveats, which provoked doubts about whether the assets will actually yield the amounts stated. Mallya's proposal suggests that shares of companies pledged against loans be sold off, from which, banks will be able to get around £200 million after paying off those who loaned money against the equity. The group of 17 lenders is head by the State Bank of India and is currently fighting more than 20 cases in various courts and debt recovery tribunals across the state. They have sought Mallya's return after he left the country last month anticipating legal action. The Enforcement Directorate has asked Mallya to present himself on April 9, after he failed to appear on April 2.

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Vijay Mallya

Vijay Mallya, son of businessman Vittal Mallya, took over as Chairman of United Breweries Group after his father's death, at the age of 28. Once the reigning 'King of Good Times', Mallya is the ex-

chairman of United Spirits Ltd, the largest alcoholic beverage company in India, with his fingers in different pies. He was the owner of the Kingfisher Airlines, and co-owner of Formula One team Sahara Force India, he has been Chairman to several companies. With a natural taste in nothing but the finest, Mallya is mostly known for his extravagant lifestyle. The government, banks, and the media were right behind the tycoon's tail the whole of March as he felt the heat over dues in unpaid loans and interest. Facing the worst crisis of his life, Mallya however, was smart enough to sneak out of the country, to reportedly London, before the banks could issue a legal case on him. Even as the ED closed a notice on him asking him to return to the country to settle, Mallya said that loan defaults are a business matter and banks give out loans knowing the risk involved, adding that he didn't feel the time was right to return to India. With London locals claiming to see him zooming around the streets in his fancy cars, his “secret” house wasn't too difficult to sight as the 'Ladywalk' estate is spread over 30 acres, barricaded with metal gates from wall to wall and closely guarded. Well, as it is said, the rich don't even go broke the same as the rest of us.

Sandeep Beecha takes charge as Flag Officer of Gujarat Naval Area Rear Admiral Sandeep Beecha is the new Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat Naval Area (FOGNA). He took over the reins of Gujarat Naval Area at a ceremonial parade held at INS Sardar Patel, Porbandar, last month-end. Rear Admiral SN Ghormade, the Flag Officer Maharashtra Naval Area, was so far holding the additional command of Gujarat Naval Area. The Flag Officer Gujarat Naval Area is responsible for Naval Operations in Gujarat Area, security of Gujarat Coast and Offshore Development Areas which contribute significantly to the commercial and maritime economic activities of the country. Rear Admiral Beecha was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 21st July, 1986. He is Navigation and Direction Specialist and has commanded Coast Guard Ship C-05, INS Ajay, INS Vindhyagiri, and the destroyer INS Rajput, apart from the shore training base, INS Mandovi. Prior to this appointment, the officer was Naval Advisor at the Indian High Commission in London.

FORMAL INTRODUCTION: Rear Admiral Sandeep Beecha being introduced to Commanding Officers at the ceremonial taking over ceremony of Flag Officer Gujarat Naval Area.

MAN OF THE MOMENT: Rear Admiral Sandeep Beecha at the ceremonial taking over ceremony of Flag Officer Gujarat Naval Area.

Assam, West Bengal

Heavy turnout was recorded in the first phase of assembly elections with Assam recording over 78 per cent turnout in the 65 seats that went to polls and West Bengal's 18 seats spread over Jangalmahal witnessing over 81 per cent polling. Election Commission (EC) said the polling passed off peacefully in both the states. In Assam, the turnout was 2% more than in 2011. Election Commission officials said the poll percentage might go up further and could touch the 80% mark once the final reports from remote areas arrive. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when BJP won seven of the 14 LS seats, the turnout was 80.1%. Polling, which was initially low because of morning rain, picked up momentum around fore noon. Braving inclement weather, voters turned up in big numbers in the Barak Valley and the hill district of

Dima Hasao. Since morning, women in colourful traditional attire queued up before polling booths. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, BJP's CM candidate Sarbananda Sonowal, former Union minister Paban Singh Ghatowar and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) chief Atul Bora are among the 539 candidates whose fate will be decided in the first phase. Political parties had different interpretations for the high turnout. In Guwahati, Congress supporters began early celebrations by bursting crackers for hours after polling came to an end. Forty-five of the 65 seats are in upper Assam, known as the Ahom heartland. Gogoi, an Ahom, has projected the fight as the Battle of Saraighat in which the Ahoms had defeated the Mughal Army in the late 17th century. Two days ago, he had described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as `a Mughal invader'.

India failed to give evidence: Pak report

A day after the five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team reached Islamabad after conducting investigations in Pathankot attack, reports in Pakistani media, quoting JIT sources, claimed that India had “failed to provide any evidence“ to prove that Pakistani militants stormed the strategic air base. `The News International' website reported that the JIT could not collect evidence from the attack site as it got very limited time (only 55 minutes) to visit the air base. Quoting sources, the report also stated that the NIA could only inform them about the “negligence” of the Border Security Force. The report of JIT dismissing NIA's evidence is “complete opposite” of what Indian officials claimed. NIA had claimed that all the evidence, including the statements; ballistic and forensic reports; call records; and names and addresses of suspects, including those of Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Maulana Masood Azhar, his brother Abdul Rauf and others based in Pakistan, had been shared with JIT.

INDIA

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India, Saudi Arabia pledge to fight terror Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Trust Modi to make the most of what he can. In his three-nation visit to Brussels, US, and Saudi Arabia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stopped over at Riyadh, for his first Saudi visit, where he managed to keep himself busy with a series of meetings and engagements. Modi and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on Sunday committed to fight terrorism and ramp up security and intelligence cooperation. In addition, Modi invited Saudi business to invest in India, and opened the door for more Indian companies to operate in the desert kingdom. Appreciating the work of Saudi Arabia against terror, Modi said governments across the world should enhance cooperation in intelligence sharing, law enforcement, developing best practices and technologies as well as in extradition arrangements and capacity-building. Modi gifted Saudi King a gold-plated replica of the Cheraman Juma Masjid in Kerala. Both the sides signed five MoUs including Labour Co-operation, Investment Promotion Cooperation, Cooperation in Field of Handicrafts, Intelligence related to Money Laundering, terror financing and related crimes. He also held talks

before 2003. While it let people buy shares under LRS, it never allowed them to set up companies abroad. The document leak – now known as the 'Panama Papers' – revealed that most of the companies were set up long before the rules were changed, with the purpose

finance minister Arun Jaitley vowed strict action against all “unlawful” accounts held abroad. With advice from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jaitley set up a committee involving agencies like CBDT, RBI and FIU. Making India the first country to form a com-

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia conferring Saudi Arabia`s highest civilian honour on Narendra Modi

with top Saudi officials. High on India's agenda was energy and healthcare. Modi attended a round table with Saudi Commerce Minister, 30 Saudi CEOs & Indian business leaders present. He also addressed business leaders at Saudi Chambers of Commerce. One of the highlights of his maiden visit was his engagement at the TCS all women IT & ITES Centre in Riyadh, where he was given an overview of the operations, and interacted with the all-women workforce. NaMO emphasized the role of technology in governance, and said e-governance, for him, means easy governance, effective governance, and economic governance. He invited the

Painful Panama exposure

Continued from page1 The most prominent names are of 12 world leaders; President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, Alaa Mubarak, son of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Ex-Vice-President of Iraq, Ayad Allawi, King of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, President of the United Arab Emirates, Emir of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Prime minister of Iceland Sigmundur Davio Gunnlaugsson, President of Russia, Sergey Roldugin, Former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Li Xiaolin, daughter of Li Peng, the former Premier of China, Rami and Hafez Makhlouf, cousins of Bashar Assad, the President of Syria, Clive Khulubuse Zuma, nephew of Jacob Zuma, President of South Africa, Maryam Safdar, Hasan Nawaz Sharif and Hussain Nawaz Sharif, children of Nawaz Sharif, prime minister of Pakistan, and former Pak prime minister the late Benazir Bhutto. It all started in 2014, when reporter Bastian Obermayer, from German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung was contacted by a still-unknown figure asking if he was interested in some data. The source offered the newspaper documents involving 214,488 companies and 14,153 clients of

women IT professionals to visit India, and said their visit will make a huge impact even in India. Attending the 13th India-EU Summit in capital Belgium, Modi addressed the dominant issue at hand - Terrorism. Modi started off with a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Both the premiers talked to expand trade, investment and high technology partnership. “India is one of the brightest economic opportunities in the world today. Our macroeconomic fundamentals are robust, and at 7 per cent plus, we are one of the fastest growing economies of the world. I invite the Belgian govern-

ment and companies to proactively associate with India’s ambitious development projects. including Digital India, Start-Up India and Skill India. Belgian businesses can make their global supply chains more cost effective by manufacturing in India,” Modi said. PM Modi met with Donald Tusk, President of European Council and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the India-EU summit. He also paid tribute to the victims of the Brussels airport and metro attack. Modi and Michel remotely activated India’s largest telescope located at Devasthal, Uttarakhand, from Brussels. The 3.6metre optical telescope which is the largest in India will be used by scientists to study areas such as magnetic field structures of stars, chemical evolution of the Milky Way and the search for extra solar planets. He reached Washington early on March 31, to attend the Nuclear Security Summit from March 31 to April 1. At the gathering of world leaders at a dinner hosted by US President Barack Obama at the White House, Modi shared India's assessment on terrorism and gave a passionate and precise speech on

Mossack Fonseca, one of the world's largest creators of shell companies. Obermayer was offered the data through an encrypted channels. Zeitung soon contacted and later collaborated with Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a non-profit collective of 190 journalists across more than 65 countries, seeking to wean out cross-border crime and corruption, to process the documents. Also involved was Indian newspaper, The Indian Express. Obermayer said the data they received was from 1977 through 2015. The group of journalists verified the data's authenticity by comparing it to public registers, witness testimony and court rulings. Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, corporates including DLF owner KP Singh and nine members of his family, Gautam Adani's elder brother Vinod Adani, all figure on the list. Also present isMumbai ganglord, the late Iqbal Mirchi. It was also revealed that the list includes not just individuals, but also details of hitherto unknown deals, in some cases, involving the government too; Cricket franchise deals, and linkages to those who have previously been under the CBI or Income Tax radar. RBI norms dictate no Indian citizen could float an overseas entity

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Indian Clients that warmed up to Panama

Amitabh Bachchan – Veteran Actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Well-acclaimed Actress Onkar Kanwar – Chairman, Apollo Group Shishir Bajoria – Promoter, SK Bajoria Group Harish Salve – Former Solicitor General, India Jehangir Sorabjee – Honorary Consultant Physician, Bombay Hospital Mohan Lal Lohia – Chairman Emeritus, Indo Rama Synthetics Zavaray Poonawalla – Head, Management Committee of the Royal Western India Turf Club Rajendra Patil – Businessman and Educationalist Abdul Rashid Mir – Founder and CEO, Cottage Industries Exposition Gautam and Karan Thapar – Crompton Greaves Ltd Ashwani Kumar Mehra – Owner, Mehrasons Jewellers Gautam Seengal – IT Consultant Vinod Ramchandra Jadhav – Chairman, Sava Healthcare Ashok Malhotra – Former Indian Cricketer K P Singh – Promoter DLF Vinod Adani - Elder brother, Gautam Adani of Adani group

to park foreign exchange. It was only in August 2013 that people were allowed to set up subsidiaries or invest in joint ventures under the Overseas Direct Investment window. Exposes like this will make things more transparent: Arun Jaitley Responding to the leak that involves Indians,

mittee since the leak, the special investigation team on black money said it would investigate thoroughly the reported secret list. “The multi-agency group will comprise various government agencies; the CBDT, FIU, FT&TR and RBI. They will continuously monitor these (accounts)

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Chandubhai Dalia passes away

Chandubhai Dalia, the eldest son of late Chatrabhujbhai Dalia, originally from Jinja, Uganda, passed away on Monday, 4th April 2016. He came into contact with Maganbhai in Jinja, where he joined Bal Mandal and became close to satsang. He was fortunate to have darshan and blessings of Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj in East Africa. Thereafter, he settled in the UK in 1972 and formed a unique bond with our guru Param Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His unfaltering devotion to satsang continued and he passed on the values of satsang to his family and friends, encouraging them to participate in various sevas. Chandubhai's outstanding contribution and seva secured the land for BAPS London Mandir and The Swaminarayan School. Chandubhai leaves behind his wife, Chandrabalaben, two daughters, Heena and Sheetal, son in laws, Raj and Vijay and four grandchildren, Kushal, Aniksha, Shayan & Kian. Contact: 020 8954 1214 the impending threats of terrorism saying that while terrorists are now using modern technology and devices, with the evolution of global terrorism, national and international efforts to counter them have become outdated. The fourth and final Nuclear Security Summit saw leaders from more than 50 countries and four international organisations in attendance. “Terror has evolved. Terrorists are using 21st century technology. But our responses are rooted in the past,” said Modi. Referring to the

recent terror strikes in Brussels, Modi said it showed the world how real and immediate the threat to nuclear security from terrorism was. Elaborating on the topic Modi identified “contemporary features of terrorism. First, today's terrorism uses extreme violence as theatre. Second, we are no longer looking for a man in a cave, but we are hunting for a terrorist in a city with a computer or a smart phone. Third, State actors working with nuclear traffickers and terrorists present the greatest risk.”

and whichever accounts are found to be unlawful, strict action as per existing laws will be taken,” said Jaitley. He also warned of more names coming up in the next few days. Stating that the 'Panama Papers' give details of accounts and assets held by some Indian entities in Panama, Jaitley said this is the fourth collective bunch of such information and investigation that have been made. “The first related to Liechtenstein accounts against all persons involved in that prosecutions have already been launched. Assessment orders have been passed. Then details came in 2011 with regard to HSBC account holders. Five hundred and sixty nine out of those account holders have been traced and 390 were illegal and already 154 set of prosecutions have been filed,” he said. “The prosecutions are taking their normal course and assessment proceedings and their consequential actions are on.” Mossack Fonseca: Treasure of offshore entities Located in Panama, law firm Mossack Fonseca was founded in 1977 by Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca Mora. The company is one of the world's top creators of shell companies, corporate structures that can help hide ownership of assets. Its internal files contain information of 214,488 offshore entities made for people from over 200 coun-

tries. Documents released contain nearly information about 15,600 paper companies that banks set up for clients who want to keep their finances under wraps, including hundreds created by international giants UBS and HSBC. Data includes emails, financial spreadsheets, passports and corporate records showing the secret owners of bank accounts and companies in 21 offshore jurisdictions. Most of the services provided by the offshore industry are legal if used by the abiding law. However, the documents showed that banks, law firms and other offshore players have often failed to follow legal requirements that make sure their clients are not involved in criminal enterprises, tax dodging or political corruption. Fonseca offers Indian investors offshore options to lodge their income and resources from foreign countries and avoid capital gain tax in India. The name is not really new to investigators in New Delhi. Income Tax department of India has been pursuing individuals and companies that allegedly sought to evade taxes by parking their cash in tax havens, since 2013. The firm's records shows that India sent notices to authorities in tax havens, including in the Bahamas, seeking details of beneficial ownership and finances of at least six offshore companies managed by it.

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FITNESS

A little anxiety can push us in a positive direction

ccording to a new study, the stress we feel during the periods of uncertainty may give us a distinct performance advantage. Researchers demonstrated this counterintuitive finding by zapping 45 study volunteers with a mild electric shock while they played a computer game in which their avatars turned over rocks that sometimes had snakes under them. Half the volunteers knew when they would get a shock, and half were in an “uncertainty group” in which they were told to guess whether or not there would be a snake under the rock as part of the video game. If there was, they would receive an electric shock on their hand. As time went on, participants were better able to adjust and guess which rock would yield to an electric shock - but the study authors made sure to keep uncertainty levels

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

| Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Best way to quit smoking is to go ‘cold turkey’

or not a snake was under a rock. This suggests that the anxiety that stems from uncertainty may help us make a better decision in the long run and may offer “some survival benefit,” according to the authors. “Using our model we could predict how stressed our subjects would be not just from whether they got shocks but how much uncertainty they had about those shocks,” lead study author Archy de Berker said in a statement. “Our experiment allows us to draw conclusions about the effect of uncertainty on stress. It turns out that it’s much worse not knowing you are going to get a shock than knowing you definitely will or won’t.” Uncertainty is a thread in our everyday lives - not just in important areas like careers and relationships, but also in daily tasks. It prompts us to make adjustments to mitigate its effects, like choosing to

order an Uber to the airport as opposed to taking a chance trying to find a cab. If there isn’t a concrete way to abate the unknown, the stress may help us solve it. “Appropriate stress responses might be useful for learning about uncertain, dangerous things in the environment,” senior study author Sven Bestmann said. “Modern life comes with many potential sources of uncertainty and stress, but it has also introduced ways of addressing them.” While it’s ultimately good news that stress can help us perform better during moments of variability, it’s also important to remember that excess anxiety can lead to a host of health problems. The key is harnessing stress from uncertainty, but not letting it become all-consuming. The takeaway? A little anxiety can push us in a positive direction.

GREAT FOR HEART The eugenol in tulsi helps protect the heart and keeps one's blood pressure under control. It also lowers their cholesterol levels. Chew few leaves of tulsi on an empty stomach to prevent heart ailments. Chewing a few leaves of tulsi on an empty stomach everyday can both prevent and protect any heart ailments. BEATS STRESS By maintaining optimum cortisol levels, it helps in beating stress. Its leaves help in soothing nerves, regulating blood circulation and in beating free radicals produced during stress. Chewing 10-12 leaves helps in alleviating stress.

riggers such as the smell of popcorn at a movie theatre or a commercial for a snack may have a stronger pull for obese people due to differences in brain chemistry, says a study. Obese people tend to have greater dopamine activity in the habit forming region of the brain than their lean counterparts and lesser dopamine activity in the region controlling rewards, the findings showed. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centres. These differences could potentially make the obese people more drawn to overeat in response to food triggers and simultaneously make food less rewarding to them.

"Eating based on unconscious habits rather than conscious choices could make it harder to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, especially when appetizing food cues are practically everywhere," said lead author Kevin Hall from the National Institutes of Health in the US. The study involved 43 men and women with varying amounts of body fat. Study participants followed the same eating, sleeping and activity schedule. Tendency to overeat in response to triggers in the environment was determined from a detailed questionnaire. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans evaluated the sites in the brain where dopamine was able to act.

Why fat people tend to overeat

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LIFESTYLE

high throughout the task by changing the odds of a snake appearing. Scientists measured participants’ uncertainty during the game and their subsequent stress levels, which ended up matching the individuals’ reported stress they felt after completing the game. The authors also monitored the individuals’ pupil dilation and perspiration. They found that people who were uncertain when they’d be shocked saw a significant increase in anxiety compared to those who knew whether or not to anticipate getting zapped. But the researchers also found that the higher anxiety levels actually helped the uncertain individuals, because it allowed them to better assess risk. In other words, the study found that individuals who had the most stress during a period of uncertainty in the game were better at judging whether

Benefits of tulsi

ulsi, which is an integral part of the Indian household, is not only considered holy but is also known to have many medicinal benefits, too. Here's taking a look at some of them... CURES FEVER With its anti-bacterial and antibiotic properties, it cures common infections, including fever. Boil a few leaves of tulsi along with powdered cardamom in half litre water and let it reduce to half in quantity. Mix this decoction with sugar and milk and have a sip of it once in every two to three hours. GOOD FOR DIABETES With antioxidants and essential oils that produced caryophyllene, eugenol and methyl, it can all help the pancreatic beta cells, which store and release insulin, function better. This, in turn helps increase the sensitivity to insulin. This lowers ones blood sugar levels and treats diabetes.

HEALTH&WELLNESS

new study has found that the best way to give up smoking is to go “cold turkey.” Scientists from Oxford University found that smokers who try to kick their habit bit by bit are less likely to succeed than those who decide to give it up in one go. The team recruited 697 smokers who had chosen to stop smoking for the study and split them into two groups. The first group - the abrupt cessation group - stopped smoking completely from day one. The second group - the gradual cessation group - set a quit day but gradually reduced their tobacco use in the two weeks leading up to that date. According to Dr Nicola Lindson-Hawley, who led the study, said: “Both groups had advice and support and access to nicotine patches and nicotine replacement therapy, like nicotine gum or mouth spray.” One month after their designated quit day, 49% of the abrupt cessation group were still not smoking compared with 39% of the gradual cessation group.

The scientists therefore concluded that the cold turkey participants were 25% more likely to have been successful than the group who attempted to quit gradually. Dr Lindson-Hawley said: “The difference in quit attempts seemed to arise because people struggled to cut down. It provided them with an extra thing to do, which may have put them off quitting altogether. If people actually made a quit attempt then the success rate was equal across groups. “We also found that more people preferred the idea of quitting gradually than abruptly, however regardless of what they thought they were still more likely to quit in the abrupt group.” But she added that for smokers who find it impossible to make a clean break from tobacco, it was better to try to cut down than simply give up. “For these people it is much better to attempt to cut down their smoking than do nothing at all and we should increase support for gradual cessation to increase their chances of succeeding,” she said.

urmeric contains a powerful antioxidant called curcumin. The compound lowers the levels of two enzymes in the body that cause inflammation, according to the Medical Center at the University of Maryland but that's just scratching the surface, says nutritionist Julie Daniluk. Giving an exam-

ple, Daniluk says she suffered from arthritis, bursitis and colitis: all conditions rooted in painful inflammation. But she was able to push her symptoms into remission thanks to a few dietary changes. Along the way, she discovered a powerhouse spice called turmeric. Now she sneaks it into everything from dips to smoothies.

Health benefits of turmeric

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Amy Jackson's Easter surprise for her family

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

ingh is Bliing' actress Amy Jackson is a busy person with her life caught travelling between cities for her work commitments across 3 industries. After winding up 'Robot 2' in Bolivia, the lady rushed to Bangkok for her brand shoot, after which, she visited Mumbai to start Sohail Khan's next opposite Nawazuddin Siddiqui. However, her hectic schedule did not stop her from spending Easter with the ones she loves the most. Sources said after she packed up her shoot on Thursday, she flew down to the UK to surprise her family and friends and spent the weekend with them.

'Thozha’ strikes gold at the box office

amil-Telugu bilingual 'Thozha' has raked in a total of over £2 million within 4 days of its release. An adaptation of French drama 'The Intouchables', starring Akkineni Nagarjuna and Karthi, the movie is about the relationship between a quadriplegic millionaire and his caretaker. Trade analyst Trinath said,

“Both the versions of the film have opened to very positive word of mouth. Together, they have minted over £2 million in the first four days. The film is expected to have a successful run till the second week of April when Vijay's Theri will hit the screens. In the interim, it is expected to do business of over £5 million.”

P Susheela gets a Guinness Entry

eteran singer P Susheela has entered the Guinness Book of World Records, with a mindblowing new world record. The Guinness certificate given to her noted, “Susheela has been singing since the 1960s and she has recorded a whopping 17,695 solo. Duet and chorus backed songs in as many as six Indian languages since the 1960s.” The singer, born in 1935, recorded her first film song for 1952 film 'Petra Thai'. Throughout her career, she has sung thousands of songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and other Indian languages.

'Love Games'

Aamir unites Hindi-Marathi film industry

An urban thriller delivered by the Bhatts, 'Love Games' features Patralekha, Tara Alisha Berry and Gaurav Arora.

ctor Aamir Khan, who has often voiced his opinions over national issues, had met Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and his wife Vinoda at the Raj Bhavan to discuss the Satyameva Jayate Water Cup initiative. He also sought the Governors' views on his plans to unite the Hindi and Marathi film people for his campaign trail through rural Maharashtra. He later invited his friends from both the industries for a private dinner at his home. “The purpose of the meeting was to appraise the actors about Aamir's plans for water harvesting and addressing the water scarcity problem. He has urged his friends to campaign along with him through the state with a team that will dig wells and teach villagers about water harvesting.

‘Love Charger’ figures in worst music albums

n news that will not go down well with 'Messenger of God' Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's followers, American TV host Jimmy Fallon introduced the west to GRRSI's music in a rather unflattering way. We all know (and love) 'The Tonight Show' host Jimmy Fallon and the various segments he plays. In his latest episode, Jimmy gives his audience a peak into some of the music albums around the world and strictly advises against listening to any of them. GRRSI's 'Love Charger' unfortunately topped the list of his 'Do Not Play' segment. Jimmy, introduced the song saying it was a real artist's work, and roughly 10 seconds after playing the music, strictly advised viewers to not play the track.

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Kareena declines dinner invite by British royalty AsianVoiceNews

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areena Kapoor has reportedly declined an invitation to a charity function in Mumbai to be hosted in honour of the British royals, Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Kareena said her husband, a royal himself, Saif Ali Khan, will be busy and she does not want to attend the party alone. A source said, “Kareena has confided in her friends that since Saif is shooting and won't be able to make it to the royal reception, she also does not want to attend it. Despite being approached by the authorities repeatedly, she does not want to go alone.” The royal couple will start their India trip on April 10. Their schedule includes paying tribute to the Mumbai attack victims and visiting the Taj Mahal.

Bachchan, Kangana honoured with film awards

S Rajamouli won Best Film for 'Baahubali', Sanjay Leela Bhansali won Best Director for 'Bajirao Mastani', Amitabh Bachchan won Best Actor for 'Piku', and Kangana Ranaut won the Best Actress award for 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' in the 63rd National Film Awards. Kangana's co-star in the movie where she plays a double role, praised the actress saying, “In the last seven years that she has been in the industry, she has just grown. It is rare.” Director Bhansali was ecstatic over the win.

“Whether it is mainstream, art-house or parallel cinema, the director and cinematographer have toiled hard on the film and I am ecstatic to win the award.” After a collective win for the 'Bajrangi' team, Kabir Khan tweeted, “Thank

you everybody for all your love. We are really happy that 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' got the National Award for Best Popular Film.” 'Visaaranai' won Best Tamil Film, and Samuthirakani won Best Supporting Actor for the same movie.

to use their cellphones and were repeatedly asked to refrain from making videos or clicking pictures of the shoot. A junior artiste said, “Sridevi doesn't want any phones around her. In fact, we requested her for selfies during the shoot but we weren't allowed to click a picture with her. We heard that some pictures of the shoot were leaked on Facebook and

the team had to reshoot those scenes, which meant that they had to incur a huge loss.” The shoot also faced some nuisance as some ABVP members came to the location asking the crew if they had permission to shoot in the college. However, the situation was brought under control after the SHO of Maurice Nagar police station arrived.

Sridevi turns teacher in her new avatar

ridevi is swamped with shoots for her upcoming film 'Mom', where she plays a school teacher. The actress was spotted shooting in SRCC in Delhi, in a crisp white salwar-kameez, with the college campus altered to look like a school. The media also spotted producer and Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor, and actor Akshaye Khanna. Sridevi was shooting in the parking lot with Khanna, where kids were seen arriving in a yellow bus with 'Green Field School' written on it. It has been revealed that the actress plays a mother of two daughters, and a school teacher, in the movie. With a strict policy, most of the shoot locations are 'no mobile phones' zone. Junior artists dressed as students were asked not

Bipasha finally decides to marry

fter two years of dating, Bipasha Basu has decided to settle down with beau and former 'just friend' Karan Singh Grover. A web-portal has revealed that a Bengali-style wedding will be held at the actress' Khar residence, in attendance of family and close friends from both sides. The ceremony will be followed by reception at Regis on April 29. The couple's best friend Rocky S will be designing the outfits for both the bride and groom. The guest list include Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra, R Madhavan and his wife.

Kareena and Priyanka bury the hatchet

Marriage not on Arjun Kapoor’s mind right now

etting bygones be bygones, Kareena Kapoor recently praised former rival Priyanka Chopra in a media interaction saying, “Priyanka is already taking Hollywood by storm and Bebo seems to be very proud of her. I really respect Priyanka for having that zest. She is a global icon and probably the only mainstream actress to put India on a global map. In fact, I feel that because of her, we are being recognised outside India as well.” It isn't only Bebo extending a friendly hand. Priyanka who was shooting at a suburban Mumbai studio went over and had lunch with Kareena when she learnt the actress was in shooting in the adjacent floor.

Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Sonam gearing for another woman centric film

After the well-acclaimed biopic on slain flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, actress Sonam Kapoor, a self-confessed feminist, will soon be seen playing yet another strong female character on the big screen. When asked about her upcoming project, Sonam said, “I will announce something soon. I can't talk about it. Talking to the paparazzi on the sidelines of the Women of Worth Awards, Sonam said she would like to play historic female heroes. “There are a lot of Indian women who have been modern heroes who have helped in building a better India. There are lot of Indian women in the history you look at like Mother Teresa, Sarojini Naidu, Lata Mangeshkar and others. There are women who got lost in the page of history like Neerja Bhanot. There is a wider variety of women that we are looking at and the more innovative things that they are doing which are cultural and scientific breakthroughs and artistic as well,” she said. L'Oreal Paris hosted the fifth edition of the awards that honoured the achievements of eight exceptional women who have made a difference in the lives of others. L'Oreal ambassadors Sonam, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Katrina Kaif were present to give away the awards.

Shahid has so much to learn from Vishal Bhardwaj

S W

hile Arjun Kapoor plays every woman's dream husband in his 'Ki & Ka', the actor has anything but marriage on his mind. “I don't believe that I should get married so early because I can't spare time for my personal life right now. I want to work, I want to wake up every morning and go running onto a set and have fun and enjoy myself- that's my priority. I really appreciate people who can balance their personal and professional lives; I am not capable of that yet,” the actor said.

hahid Kapoor considers himself fortunate for being able to work with national-award winning director Vishal Bhardwaj twice. Both 'Kaminey' and 'Haider' had shown the actor in his possible best. Showing his appreciation, Shahid recently tweeted, “Kicking off the final schedule for #Rangoon today. Will wrap the film in April. My third with the maestro Vishal sir. So much still to learn. Fortunate and blessed to have so many chances to work under him.” Shahid plays a soldier in the film that also stars Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan in lead roles. The film is set against the backdrop of the World War II.

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Chaos in Calais Continued from page 14 The van was crowded almost instantly, like bees to honey. They were pushy and uncontrolled, and aggressive. No queues were formed just a rush and push to the front, with the strongest ones getting to the front. They were also surprisingly choosy, not wanting the hot food but trying to make a grab for the fruit which was inside of the van. I assume this was because they wanted less perishable food which be kept and traded. It got scary at times. There were Afghanis, Bangladeshis, Sudanese, Pakistanis and Somalians, but not many Syrians which from what I understand was where the bulk of the refugees were supposed to be coming from. They were surprisingly absent from the crowd. As the crowd continued to get more aggressive and unruly we took the decision wisely to stop the distribution and shut both doors to the rear and the side and move out of that

patch with food still remaining. The new plan was to go out to the entrance where we would not be so packed from all sides, and where there was some police presence and start the distribution off from there by opening only the side door. This time there were three of us just on crowd control. Here we were able to maintain orderly lines, and finish the rest of the hot meals off in a saner way. Having emptied the van fully we were ready to leave. For me it was a great way to spend the weekend and an amazing experience. I would encourage the readers, if inspired to do so, to sponsor the work that this great man does, either by sponsoring the daily meals for the homeless here in London or sponsoring other projects like Calais. If you wish to make a donation to this worthy, grass roots cause please visit https://www.justgiving.co m/foodforalluk. Matchless Gifts Donations - 0203 551 7151

Coming Events

l Women in Music Festival featuring Five Rivers Project - Najma Akhtar, The Nehru Centre 8 South Audley Street, W1K 1HF, Friday 8th April 6.30pm onwards. Contact: 020 7491 3567 or 020 7493 2019 l Ram Navami Bhajans, Jaspar Centre, 15th April, 12.00-2.00 pm. Contact: 020 8861 1207 l Entrepreneurship Masterclass organised by the IIT UK Alumni Association, Imperial College Business School and the Gandhi Centre. Thursday 7th April 2016, 18:00 - 21:00 at the LGS Lecture Theatre, Imperial Business School, London SW7 2AZ. For more information and to register visit http://www.iitlc.org/events.php?id=131 l Monthly Sevashram lectures on Hinduism, starting on Saturday April 9 from 4 - 5.30 PM followed by Puja and distribution of sacred Prasad Venue: London Sevashram Sangha, 99A, Devonport Road, London W12 8PB. Please contact Swami Nirliptananda 020 8743 9048. Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Deputy Editor: Anand Pillai Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Email: anand.pillai@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Senior Business Development Manager: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Head - New Projects & Business Development: Cecil Soans - Email: cecil.soans@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Advertising Sales Executive: Rintu Alex - Email: Rintu.alex@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4003 - Mobile: 07816 213 610 Business Development Manager: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com Leicester Distributors: Shabde Magazine, Shobhan Mehta Mob: 07846480220 (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel. +91 79 2646 5960

“The Nizar Sisters Swimathon Team" raise over 4k for BBC Sport Relief 2016

an excellent period for ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 It's increased energy and

motivation, so that new endeavors, whether they are business or health-related, or personal, fare especially well. You are more decisive and forward-looking now, and you feel that your decisions are right. With Venus and Sun in your sign, love should be blossoming.

Don't take short-cuts in

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 legal or official matters. It

will be only too easy to feel exasperated by bureaucracy but you won't be doing yourself any favours if you lose your cool. This is a fine time for you to get away from the mundane realities of life and relax. Some of you will probably go abroad.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to your loved one. You often sabotage your emotional interests by keeping too much inside. However, your inner pressure builds up and manifests as irrational moods that others find hard to understand.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Millie (9), Sofia-Nur (10) and Hannah (6)

Sofia-Nur (10), Millie (9) & Hannah (6) managed to complete 5km (200 lengths) at the Queen Mother’s Sports Centre on Saturday 19th March and managed to raise £4,278 for BBC Sport Relief which was some 42% over their fundraising target. 2 years ago Sofia-Nur & Millie challenged themselves with a 1.5km (60 lengths) Swimathon for BBC Sport Relief 2014 at th e Queen Mother’s Sports Centre, Victoria and managed to raise over £1500. This year, the girls were joined by their

youngest Hannah. Speaking about their achievement Sofia-Nur, Millie & Hannah commented: “We've decided to put our swimming to good use once again for BBC Sport Relief 2016, to raise cash that will help to change lives, both here in the UK and abroad. This time, the three of us took part, and we really are grateful for everyone’s donations, as your generosity will help to make a world of difference to people living incredibly tough lives. Lots of love SofiaNur, Millie & Hannah!”

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You are in a brilliant period for increasing your earning power and you'll be busy taking charge of your finances. Achieving a sense of security becomes a priority. Although there is a lot of sorting out to be done in your relationship sector, it will not phase you as so many issues have already be dealt with.

Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change. If you know your ground and are not afraid to stick your neck out, you can create your own opportunities. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

At home, be at your diplomatic best and try not to tread on anyone's toes. Passions will run from hot to cold, and relationships may suffer. Even the most strong-willed Virgoans will be more open to compromise to keep the peace. Plan your spending and set sensible budgets.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

The prevailing cosmic pattern packs a powerful punch early this week. Having such potent energies, make you feel positive and confident in whatever you do. This is not the time to hold back or underestimate your potential if you wish to further an important aim. Some of you will try to get away from the routine chores.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 There will be increased scope for varying your activities, widening your network of contacts and getting out and about. It is an excellent time for exercising your mental energies, claryfying your and other people's ideas and getting involved in discussion. Exercise caution when it comes to making financial decisions as being hasty will cost you ! SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. This makes you impatient with restrictions and even more determined to cut your own path. Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings. You are likely to experience some tension in close relationships..

You are endowed with a level of determination that others sometimes find formidable. Once you set your mind on a goal you stay the course no matter what obstacles you encounter. Saturn's placement in your Solar 12th house often denotes a phase of restriction, sometimes frustration, in one's life.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Business partnerships are tested, some of them could challenge your authority. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you will gain. Now is the time to cultivate an easier relationship with life, get out and about, explore fresh possibilities. Once you set your mind on a goal you must go for it. Don't get over- anxious if you feel that you're being kept in the dark. You will probably find that worries have been unfounded. Although you may be faced with a difficult decision concerning your career or employment, this is not the time to hide. Don't waste time if you can improve matters.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

SPORT

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Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Shiva Thapa qualifies for Rio Olympics

World Champion ships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa (56kg) became the first Indian boxer to make the cut for this year's Olympics by entering the Asian Qualifying Tournament's final but the celebrated M C Mary Kom (51kg) failed to book her Rio Games ticket after losing in the last-four stage. Shiva, given the top seeding in his weight category, lived up to the billing as he sailed past 2013 World Championship bronze-medallist Kairat Yeraliyev of Kazakhstan in the semifinal. With this victory, the 22year-old Indian is set for his second Olympic appearance, four years after he became the youngest boxer to qualify for the sporting extravaganza. “I want to thank god for having managed to achieve this. I was very worked up about this bout, it was the most important bout for me. So I am totally relieved,” Shiva said. “I have very little time at hand for rest and recovery. So, it's slowly sinking in. I can't thank enough my coaches and all those who supported me in this journey. I hope to come good on expectations this time by winning an Olympic medal,” he said. However, it was heartbreak for another top seed, Mary Kom, who went down to old foe Ren Cancan of China in the semifinals, which will only translate into a bronze medal for her. Another Indian in fray was Commonwealth Games silver-medallist and fourth seed L Devendro Singh (49kg) but he lost to top seed Rogen Ladon of Mongolia in the semifinals.

Kohli named captain of ICC World T20 XI

Indian leading run getter Virat Kohli was named captain of the ICC World Twenty20 XI, which had no place for current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni but featured veteran seamer Ashish Nehra. For the second successive time, an Indian has been named captain of the all-star XI and incidentally it was Dhoni, who was declared skipper after the previous edition in Bangladesh where India reached the final. Four Indians had made the ICC XI after the previous edition and the number has dropped to two this time. Kohli was adjudged Man of the Tournament for his sublime form which made him the backbone of India's batting line-up. He scored 273 runs with a staggering average of 136.50 and an equally astounding strike-rate of 146.77 with three 50 plus scores. "Although I'm disappointed that we were not able to make it through to the final and win the ICC World Twenty20 title on home soil, I'm proud to be named player of the tournament," Kohli said in a statement. "As a team, we have all loved the experience of playing in this event in front of big, passionate home crowds and I'm pleased the tournament in India has been successfully staged. And I'd like to congratulate West Indies men's and women's squads for their successes," he

Virat Kohli

added. The prolific right-hander hit 29 boundaries and five sixes in all and was second in the list of leading run-getters behind Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh, who scored 295 runs. Nehra handed India an early

Twenty20 XI, which had no place for current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni but featured veteran seamer Ashish Nehra

breakthrough in almost every game. He took only five wickets but was economical in all five games. A select group of former cricketers and com-

mentators picked up both the men's and women's teams for all conditions on the basis of the players' performances in the World T20. Besides two Indians, the men's team also comprised four players from runners-up England, two from the West Indies and one each from Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and South Africa. It also included a 12th man in Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh. The team did not feature any Pakistani player. The women's team, meanwhile, did not have any Indian cricketer. It comprised four players from New Zealand, two players each from Australia, England and the West Indies, and one each from Pakistan and South Africa. Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies was named skipper of the women's team. The selection panel that chose the teams comprised Geoff Allardice (ICC General Manager - Cricket, Chairman), Ian Bishop (former West Indies fast bowler), Nasser Hussain (former England captain), Mel Jones (former Australia women's batter), Sanjay Manjrekar (former India batsman), Lisa Sthalekar (former Australia women's allrounder). Men's World T20 XI: Jason Roy (England), Quinton de Kock (South Africa, wicketkeeper),

Stafanie Taylor

Virat Kohli (India, captain), Joe Root (England), Jos Buttler (England), Shane Watson (Australia), Andre Russell (West Indies), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), David Willey (England), Samuel Badree (West Indies), Ashish Nehra (India), 12th man - Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh). Women's T20 XI: Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Charlotte Edwards (England), Meg Lanning (Australia), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies, captain), Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Rachel Priest (New Zealand, wicketkeeper), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Megan Schutt (Australia), Sune Luus (South Africa), Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand), Anya Shrubsole (England), 12th player -- Anam Amin (Pakistan).

Sarfraz Ahmed named Pak T20 captain

Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed has replaced Shahid Afridi as captain of Pakistan's Twenty20 team. Afridi quit as captain after Pakistan lost three of its four group matches at the World Twenty20 tournament in India, but said he wanted to continue playing the shortest format of international cricket. "I spoke to Sarfraz this morning and conveyed to him that he was our natural choice for this position," PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said. Ahmed, 28, played in all the four World Twenty20 matches, but batted lower down the order throughout the tournament despite having a good strike rate of 120.24 in 21 Twenty20 internationals. Ahmed led Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan's first professional domestic Twenty20 league in February before losing to the Misbah-ul-Haq-led Islamabad United in the final. Pakistan is likely to play only three T20 internationals in the remainder of 2016, one against England and two against the world champion West Indies. Following the drubbing Pakistan suffered in the T20 matches, coach Waqar Younis also stepped down from his post.

BCCI wants Dravid as Team India coach

The Indian cricket board's advisory committee is keen to have batting legend Rahul Dravid as the chief coach of senior team. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have approached Dravid to enquire about thinking. Rahul was said to have told committee that he would give a thought to the proposal. Sources say should Dravid agree to take up the challenge, he is likely to be given a free hand and a long-term contract, possibly extending to the 2019 World Cup. There

is no clarity, however, on ex-cricketer and commentator Ravi Shastri, whose term as India's team director ended with India's campaign in the ongoing World T20. Shastri, it is learnt, is keen on continuing to work with the Indian team, but highly-placed sources say he is not being considered for the role of the head

Rahul Dravid

coach. The advisory committee will meet soon to discuss the issue of the chief coach. Dravid is presently the mentor of the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Delhi Daredevils. Before this he led the India Under19 team to the World Cup final in Bangladesh last month. While playing for Rajasthan Royals

earlier, Dravid had also taken up the role of a mentor for the franchise, a job in which he continued even after quitting the game. BCCI's present mindset can be seen in the backdrop of having watched Dravid seamlessly blend with youngsters across all formats of the game. Further, with India scheduled to play 18 Test matches between June 2016 and March 2017, a proven-hand like Dravid makes all the more sense to the board right now. Neither Dravid nor

any of the three-member advisory committee members were available for comment. The board had earlier contacted former Australia batsman Michael Hussey to take up the challenge but the arrangement failed to work out. In the meantime, the BCCI is all set to continue with the services of assistant coach Sanjay Bangar, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar for now. Their contracts are likely to be extended soon.

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A day of glory for Caribbeans Asian Voice | 9th April 2016

Sunday was a day of glory for the West Indies. Both their men's and women's teams won their World T20 finals against England and Australia respectively at Eden Gardens. West Indies' Carlos Brathwaite smashed England's Ben Stokes for four successive sixes to snatch a sensational fourwicket win as the Caribbean side became the first team to win the title twice. Needing 19 off the last over sent down by Stokes, Brathwaite exhibited nerves of steel to complete the chase in stunning style. The 24 runs Brathwaite scored off Stokes was the highest in the final over of a Twenty20 International, bettering Australia's mark of 23 against Pakistan in Gros Islet in 2010. England's death overs hero Stokes was left distraught after failing to contain Brathwaite, who had a memorable night having scored 34 with the bat after earlier claiming 3-23 with the ball to restrict England to a modest total. Man-ofthe-match Marlon Samuels

the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Deandra Dottin struck the winning runs amid much drama for the West Indies. The West Indian ladies muscled the Australians out of the contest with a splendid display of controlled power-hitting

was not out on 85 but it was Brathwaite's blistering total off 10 balls that saw them home. Put in to bat, England got off to a horrendous start before Joe Root hit a fluent 54 to help the 2010 champions post a competitive 155 for nine wickets. Root added 61 to the England total in partnership with Jos Buttler (36), who hit leftarm spinner Sulieman Benn for back-to-back sixes before holing out in the deep.

that was only slightly less explosive than what their men's team had displayed against India. Chasing Australia's modest tally of 149/5, West Indies openers

Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews added a record 120 runs to virtually shut Australia out of the match. Skipper Stafanie 59 and 18year-old Hayley 66 literally toyed with the Australian bowling which lacked both variety and bite. It was the highest partnership for any wicket by the West Indies in the WT20 meet. The previous record was held by Dottin and Shanel Daley, who added 118

runs against South Africa in Basseterre in the 2010 WT20 meet.

Yuvraj's six sixes

The four sixes West Indies batsman Carlos Brathwaite scored against England's Ben Stokes reminds us of the 6 sixes Yuvraj Singh smashed against English bowler Stuart Broad in an over at Durban in South Africa Maiden victory for in 2007 T20 world championship. Broad's first two women balls were swung over fine West Indies women won leg, the third over cover, their maiden final in style at Carlos Brathwaite celebrates hitting the winning runs the fourth cut over point,

Stafanie Taylor (L) and Darren Sammy

the fifth pulled to mid-wicket and the last into the stands at long-on. It was only the fourth instance in top cricket that six sixes were hit in an over after Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri did it in firstclass cricket and Herschelle Gibbs in the World Cup earlier.