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Time magazine calls Manmohan Singh 'underachiever', Congress counters charge

Narendra Modi and the Muslim vote bank

For report see page 24

For report see page 25

VOL 41. ISSUE 11

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Osborne, Balls clash over banking inquiry

George Osborne and Ed Balls

James Morris (Halesowen and Rowley Regis) on his actions in Government, Mr Balls said: "At no point, at any time when I was an adviser or a minister in the City, was any point put to me by the Financial Services Authority, the Treasury, the Bank of England or anyone in this House that there was any reason to doubt the integrity of the Libor market, which only came to light subsequently and has

now been properly investigated. "Tory Nadhim Zahawi (Stratford-onAvon) asked him: "Can you confirm that in your time in office, no other minister either in No 10 or the Treasury spoke to the Bank of England on Libor that you know about?" Mr Balls called on him to withdraw the "false, personal accusations" which were made "purely in the hope of political advantage".

The Chancellor told him that a report commissioned by UBS on Libor was seen by former Labour minister Baroness Shriti Vadera and former Barclays chief executive Mr Bob Diamond had said the senior Whitehall figures involved were "ministers." He called on Mr Balls to "explain what Labour's involvement was, who were the ministers, who had the conversation, who were the senior figures" and said he had to "answer for his time in office". Mr Balls said Mr Osborne's allegation was "utterly false and untrue" The Chancellor again challenged Mr Balls about who were the "ministers in Whitehall" who raised concerns with the Bank of England about Barclays' high Libor rate. Mr Balls said that Baroness Vadera was a honest member and was not involved in any wrong-doing. During her long political career she never asked for any favours or given undue advantage to anybody. She is a clean and honest Labour member. Continued on page 26

Hindu residents hurt; 'free school' controversy surges in Harrow Rupanjana Dutta Controversy regarding the new free Hindu school has taken the Harrow residents by shock. While some neighbours have as usual raised their concerns regarding the 'disastrous' traffic that it may cause, Cllr Susan Hall's objection, has led to a widespread anger amongst the Asians, especially the Hindu community living around for two to three generations. In a news published by Harrow Times in June, Cllr Susan Hall, pictured, reportedly said, “I am terribly concerned about the location, because there’s going to be poor access to the school making the traffic situation an absolute nightmare. “I applaud the council for opening a new free school, but it needs to be put in the right position with a proper location.” Harrow predominantly is an Asian area where over 30% of the local residents are Hindu. The establishment of this new Avanti

school at the teacher's centre temporarily, has of course thrilled the community living around. And such hue and cry from a Council leader regarding a 'stop gap arrangement' has been 'heart breaking' and 'faith shattering' for the whole community in their political leaders and the Conservative party. While Asian Voice has received many calls and letters from concerned Hindu residents, we turned to the local political leaders for their comments. Cllr Navin Shah, AM, Brent and Harrow, told Asian Voice, “The current use of Harrow Continued on page 2

The interest rate rigging scandal by Barclays has turned into a slinging match between Chancellor George Osborne and his opposite number Ed Balls in House of Commons. They were involved in angry exchanges as MPs debated proposals for an inquiry into the banking scandal. The pair clashed after Mr Osborne accused the shadow chancellor of being involved in the Libor rate-rigging scandal. Mr Balls denied any involvement and claimed Mr Osborne's "cheap and partisan" conduct "demeans the office he holds." MPs will vote on whether to back Labour's call for a full, judge-led independent inquiry into the culture of banking or support the Government's preferred option of a parliamentary investigation. In heated opening exchanges, with deputy Commons speaker Nigel Evans battling to maintain order, the shadow chancellor said Mr Osborne's actions illustrated the need for an independent investigation. Challenged by Tory

14th July to 20th July 2012

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Dr Sonal Minocha, Dean of the Business School, University of Bedfordshire Dr Minocha is Dean at University of Bedfordshire Business School. Before Bedfordshire, Dr Minocha was Associate Dean at the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Sunderland, where she was responsible for the international development and external engagement portfolios of the Faculty. Prior to Sunderland University, Dr Minocha was at Anglia Ruskin University as Head of Department at Ashcroft International Business School. Before this she was founding Dean and Associate Professor at Raffles University, S.E. Asia’s largest private university. Her research interests span strategy, creativity and innovation studies in industries as diverse as management education and the film industry (particularly Bollywood). Her work has been disseminated via a range of outlets including books, articles and refereed journal papers. 1) Please tell us about your current position? I have recently joined University of Bedfordshire as Dean of the Business School. A key aspect of my role is providing a clear vision for the School and to champion the development of an academic brand profiled on international practice based management education and practice. 2) What are your proudest achievements? I left home (Delhi) in 2001 to study business in the UK and the experience inspired my dream

People, people and people - too many to single out one person. I have been fortunate to have had many great colleagues to work with and that have helped shape my thinking and practice over the years. 6) What is the best thing about your current role? I see education as a transformational experience-it helps us find that ‘moment of awakening’ in our lives. As Dean I can confidently play ‘agent provocateur’ to my students, colleagues, senior management/governors alike to create and sow the seeds of innovation and see them grow into trees that will shape futures for our campuses, cities and communities alike.

to lead a business school and have the opportunity to re-shape business and management education. In September 2011, exactly ten years on, I was appointed as Dean at Bedfordshire Business School. 3) What plans do you have for the Business School? I am passionate about making business education relevant and practical to the lives of our students who are faced with the challenges and opportunities of the global business world. We are daring to be different in our approach to

career to date?

7) And the worst?

helping students become more employable through the ways we partner with business. We aim to develop the ability to think creatively, practice intelligently and design futures in our students. 4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career? Being Dean of a Business

School isn't easy; being relatively young and Indian in a traditionally based industry has proved to be a significant challenge in progressing my career. That said, I enjoy the challenge and hopefully in a small way I am providing a direction of travel for others to follow. 5) Who has been the biggest influence on your

It is regularly argued that the traditional model of universities, long established in the UK, can inhibit and frustrate really radical innovation. 8) What are your long term goals? Personally I aspire to make a genuinely distinctive contribution to global higher education practice. And of course like every Indian girl I once aspired to be in Bollywood -obviously too old for that now-but

perhaps can play mom to the leading lady one day!! 9) If you were Prime Minister, what one thing would you change. My wish would be to be PM of India for half a day and PM of the UK for the other half. I would then champion the establishment of the largest collaborative project in history between the two countries to turn yesterday’s villages into today’s towns and today’s towns into tomorrow’s cities through the power of education. 10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figures would you like to spend your time with and why? If I can take some license of the definition of historical – I would take Jamie Oliver (though not a historical figure, he certainly has created impact) for the food, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for some Sufi music entertainment, Jawaharlal Nehru to complete my education on leadership with a sprinkling of Aerosmith to add some ‘rock star’ quality to my own leadership and finally Shakespeare for the stories he would write about us and make me part of history too before we left the island!

Hindu residents hurt; 'free school' controversy surges in Harrow Continued from page 1 Teacher's Centre is for educational purpose so the temporary use by Avanti House (promoters of the school) does not require planning permission. Statutory consultation of the local residents is being carried out by the promoters of the school and the Council has also advised the residents of the proposed temporary use. Moreover, local Councillors for Wealdstone have been holding surgeries at the Teacher's Centre and been actively engaging with the community with regards to their genuine concerns about traffic and congestion. I'm confident that Avanti House, together with Harrow Council will listen to local residents and take appropriate measures." "As to the development of a new school on this site, Harrow's Core Strategy and Area Action Plan have designated the Teacher's Centre site for Free School use such as the one promoted by Avanti House. In due course there would be a planning application for the new school when all critical matters such as traffic would be professionally considered by the planners and as part of the planning process residents will also be fully con-

sulted." "I appeal the Avanti House and Harrow Council to work closely with the local residents, voluntary organisations and Whitefriars School to ensure that the genuine concerns are carefully examined and proper actions are taken. It is shameful that Cllr Susan Hall is scaremongering and inciting local residents. Avanti House already has an excellent track record in Harrow of developing a hugely successful Krishna Avanti School, recently visited by Her Majesty the Queen. I welcome the school proposal in principle and urge everyone to work together to find a solution that will serve Harrow's educational needs as well as eliminate concerns of the local residents.” Former Councillor Anjana Patel told Asian Voice, “As the government has granted them to establish a free school and the school has to start in September this year, they have to find a building for the school. The only established school building available in Harrow is Harrow Teacher's centre. No matter what school is accommodated there, impact is going to be the same. Then why a Hindu school should be a matter of concern?" However as the paper

went to Press, in a letter to the Editor, Cllr Susan Hall and Cllr. Barry MacleodCullinane told Asian Voice, “The concerns we have raised regarding the location of the proposed Avanti Trust/iFoundation school at Harrow Teachers' Centre should in no way be misconstrued as a lack of support for the school itself. As we made clear in our original letter, we both support and welcome the school." "Our concerns regarding the impact on traffic at the site were brought to our attention by local residents, and we have raised them with senior Council officers on several occasions. Labour councillors Keith Ferry, Brian Gate and Phillip O'Dell have raised similar concerns themselves. We are encouraged to hear that consultation is now being conducted on this issue, and that the Council is working with the Avanti Trust to mitigate traffic problems." "Regarding our comments on crime and gang activity; at no point have we asserted that such problems would be the impact of the school itself, and we are appalled it has been suggested otherwise by other parties. These problems do, unfortunately, already exist within the vicin-

ity of the Teachers' Centre. Our primary concern has always been the safety of the potential pupils and teachers using a school on the site and, given the lack of discussion regarding local criminality, we felt compelled to raise the issue." "We are disappointed that our concerns on this issue have been misunderstood in some quarters and, we feel, deliberately misinterpreted in others. We recognise that suitable sites for schools are limited in Harrow; we simply hoped that by raising concerns regarding the Teachers' Centre, efforts would be doubled in tackling and mitigating them. This is why the reported distance from the project of the Council's Labour administration concerned us so much; it was not playing politics. Our differences aside however, providing choice in education is an area where we are in full agreement with our Labour colleagues, and this school will present Harrow's pupils and parents with a truly distinctive and welcome choice...” If you are a local resident and have something to say about the above report, send your message to aveditorial@abplgroup.com.

Dr Vijay Patel, Chief Executive, Waymade Healthcare Plc, to be honoured as the brightest alumni in the university history of 114 years by the De Montfort University at Leicester on 14th July. He was presented with a honorary doctorate by the same university 2 years back.

Coalition in doldrum? A mass revolt by Conservative MPs over Nick Clegg’s priority of reforming the House of Lords threatens to destabilise the coalition. The Government is heading for its first defeat since coming to power in 2010 after more than 70 Tories vowed to defy party whips and bring about parliamentary gridlock over the issue. David Cameron is due to sit down with Mr Clegg on Wednesday morning as the paper went to Press, to try to plot a new phase of the coalition after an expected result that Lib Dems will regard as a breach of faith by Tories. Both sides acknowledged that a government defeat would place the coalition under severe strain. “It’s a mess,” a senior Tory said. “This is new ground for us all. It’s potentially very serious,” a senior Lib Dem added.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

COMMENT

God Particle: a landmark discovery The European Organization for Nuclear Research announced that it has discovered the elusive Higgs boson - a very big deal indeed. The so-called “God particle” represents the “missing link” in the fundamental theory of physics, but its existence was mere speculation until last week. The Higgs boson constitutes an essential particle that permits matter, and therefore life itself, to exist. Thus, the discovery represents a landmark in man’s quest to understand the natural world. No wonder the excitement. But the achievement is also a reminder that there are no absolute answers in the science of life. Contrary to the incontrovertible “facts” that constantly bombard us about anything from weight loss to global warming, science is rarely - if ever - “settled.” Modern science merits admiration and wonderment, as vindication of the unbounded capacity of human curiosity. But the search for answers won’t end with the Higgs boson. Science opens doors, only to find even more doors. Thus shall it always be. The news last week that scientists at the world’s largest atom smasher, the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Meyrin, Switzerland, may have found the Higgs boson particle is big news for many reasons. The first is that the sub-atomic particle has the potential to more accurately define how we are made and what we are made of. For years, the Higgs boson particle has eluded scientists because it decays so quickly. Nevertheless, for 50 years scientists have sought knowledge of it because of a belief that it provides mass to all particles. In the most intricate puzzle to mankind - that which explains the world - it’s a key piece that may one day link to more discoveries. That is the real value in great scientific advancements, such as 80 years ago when science discovered quantum mechanics, anti-matter and learned more about the atom. When those discoveries were made, knowledge did not come instantly. But

those tools led to great scientific advances. And the possibilities of knowledge that can be gained from the Higgs boson particle excites the mind. One possibility is to go beyond conventional knowledge of particles and discover how and why particles gain mass. And if the Higgs particle continues to be confirmed in further research, it can one day lead to the development of an entire new chapter of physics designed to study branches of sciences unknown as of today. If that sounds like an exciting science fiction tale from H.G. Wells or another master fantasy writer, so be it. But the Higgs boson particle is even better, because it’s real life. It can lead our children and grandchildren into a new world of physics and other sciences that we older folks can only contemplate now. And these discoveries also lead to advances in the quality of life. If it was not for scientists thoroughly searching to uncover all we can about particles, matter, anti-matter, etc., we wouldn’t have medical scans today that can help in treating diseases. If proven, finding out what Higgs boson can do will be a great adventure. These stretch the human mind to its limits, so it was heartening to read of the Indian involvement in this amazing adventure. Japan and India represent the largest Asian presence in CERN, complementing the finest brains of North America, Russia, not to speak of Europe itself. Indian scientists have also contributed a lot in the discovery. In fact the word boson is named after Satyendra Nath Bose of Kolkata. There were also contributions from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai and Bangalore’s College of Science. Though the scientists may be able find the origin of the universe, the religious beliefs of the people should not be challenged. Otherwise there will be anarchy in the world. People are low-abiding and quite mainly because of the fear punishment from God for wrong doing.

Arrest of terrorists show alertness of police The London metropolitan police last week arrested 14 people in two separate counter-terrorism operations against suspected Islamist plots. They were arrested for alleged commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism ahead of London Olympics which kicks off on July 27. The arrests were made following intelligence tip-offs and the suspects were being questioned to know their modus operandi and the men involved in this nefarious activity. Scotland Yard did not reveal their identities but said two of the men, aged 29 and 21, and a woman were arrested from west London. Three other men, aged 26, 18 and 24, were picked up from east London, which has a large concentration of the people of Bangladeshi origin and where a mosque is said to be a hotbed of extremism. Bangladesh foreign minister Dipu Moni echoed the concern during her London visit in April. A spokesman for the met police clarified that the operation in London was not hundred per cent linked to the Olympics. "Public safety remains our overriding concern." In a related development, searches were being carried out at eight residential premises in east, west and north London and one business address in east London. Last month, the head of Britain's domestic intelligence organization had warned that British nationals being radicalized by al-Qaida in some Arab countries were likely to attempt terror strikes in the United Kingdom. Some of the six arrested are understood to be British nationals. According to some reports the arrested men belong to Pakistan and Somalia. No

Indian Muslim was involved in the plot. The terrorists also know that the path of violence will not lead to any solution. Still they want to bring more misery for the common man and the members of their family and community. Whatever be your grievances the path of non-violence and negotiations only can bring solutions. The arrested men may be only small fish in the terror plot. The police have to look out for the big fish behind the plot and bring them to book. Afghanistan under scrutiny In order to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops, the representatives from donor countries have pledged $ 16 billion in development aid to the country over the next four years. They also warned that they would watch more closely for evidence of corruption or mismanagement. The last multinational summit on Afghanistan before foreign troops begin withdraw next summer produced what it called a mutual accountability framework. This will subject President Hamid Karzai’s regime to external checks such as biennial spending review by donor countries and closer monitoring from World Bank-approved agents.Perhaps one reason for the rise in violence and bloodshed is lack of development and unemployment. If we can provide the people with basic necessities people will not fall into the traps of terror mongers. So the aid will give at least hope for the people that the foreign countries are not going to abandon them after withdrawing troops. Hope will give rise to optimism in life.

Fonseka takes up cudgels against Rajapaksa General Sarath Fonseka, the former Sri Lankan army chief jailed for running as an opposition candidate, has declared he would lead an Arab Spring-style uprising to force the government from office. In the absence of a viable opposition it is perhaps the need of the hour. Gen Fonseka was arrested and jailed for opposing Mahinda Rajapaksa during the presidential election. Fonseka was released from prison following pressure from world powers. He may perhaps be jailed to prevent the truth to come out about the atrocities committed by the Lankan army during the last stage of the fight against the Tamil Tigers. Many innocent people were shot dead during the fight. Their land was usurped by the army and many are still in prison. The condition of Tamils was pathetic. Gen Fonseka has launched a bitter attack on President Rajapaksa, whom he accused of persecuting his family and terrorising opponents, and pledged a new campaign to topple his government. "I'm definitely asking people to rise up," and "overthrow the government by democratic methods," he said. He denounced his former commander-in-chief as a "dictator" and called on the international community to "derecognise" the government. Gen Fonseka criticised British Prime Minister David Cameron for meeting Rajapaksa at a Jubilee lunch in London last month and

said the international community must instead isolate his government to stop its abuses. "They should derecognise the government and give protection to the people...if there is a dictator violating human rights and the democracy of the people; I think the world will have to act against the regime. He cited a series of abuses by pro-government politicians, including rapes and murders of opponents and pointed to an incident in February when police opened fire on a crowd of 5,000 fishermen, including women and children, protesting against rising fuel prices. Two teenage girls were recently gang-raped by suspected pro-government figures while two members of the JVP which supported his presidential campaign were shot dead by motorcycle-borne gunmen last month. Despite being banned from standing for election for the next seven years, Gen Fonseka remains a popular hero in Sri Lanka for leading its armed forces to victory in its 27 year civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009. He was hailed by large crowds at rallies throughout the country but his popularity led to a rift with President Rajapaksa and his brother, the defence secretary Gotabaya. Repression continues even today. The rights of the people are abrogated. Only international pressure can bring a change in Lanka.

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Thought for the Week We are all moulded and remoulded by those who have loved us and, though that love may pass, we remain, none the less, their work. No love, no friendship can ever cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark upon it forever - Francois Mauriac (1885-1970)

Political Sketchbook Alpesh Patel’s

The Embarrassed Indian – in defence of the sacred I can’t quite put my finger on it, it’s more a feeling, a taste, than something concrete – but I get the impression Indians, and Hindus very often in particular, are so often, so many of them, embarrassed of their Indianness. Several observations: I recently was at a wedding where I was asked to keep an eye out for a suitable girl, ‘but from a modern family, where they eat and drink everything’. I was recently in India and a Hindu friend of mine ordered beef, explaining, ‘we Indians eat everything now’. A few weeks ago, at a friend’s home, whose wife is Catholic and husband Hindu, the children, aged 8-12 joked, ‘we should kill cows, because they pollute the air with methane’. I am not saying all Indians or Hindus should be clad in saffron, or that liberal democracy and freedom of speech and expression are not to be cherished. It’s just that I don’t see a Muslim or a Jew celebrating, actually with pride, their eating pork. If they do it, they are almost apologetic. Appreciating it is something apart from their culture and history. That they do it, is their freedom in a liberal democracy to do it, but they don’t wear it as a badge of honour. Nor is being modern equated to being Western by other cultures in my experience as it is my Indians. Beware, because apart from your culture, your history, one day, not every day, you will discover you are nothing, neither of this nor that, just bobbing around, without the sturdy safety and certainty of your culture and its values. I am often teased for being a teetotal vegetarian. A ‘boring’ Gujarati. Teased sometimes by Indian members of the House of Lords no less. Funnily, as a barrister, I was never once teased about it by my English peers. I explain I am a teetotal vegetarian for cultural reasons. It is the way of my grandmother and hers before her. It is my connection to my past – it is my one way to say to my ancestors, many things I will not be able to carry forward, but this thing, shall give me strength in every meal, every day, every meeting, who I am. It is for me, as are the 5 ‘K’s to a Sikh – an article of faith. You do as you wish, but remember, I know your great great grandparents and you prove when you ‘do as you wish’ that they were greater than you. Do we not realise we are respected around the world for who our ancestors were, not for who we are? We are respected because of the Vedas, because ours was the largest ever volunteer army assembled in defence of freedom – to fight someone else’s war because it was the right thing to do. We are not respected because of our ability to assimilate and integrate and become the same. Why would you throw away your birth right of respect? Why would a King abdicate his throne? I am not being dictatorial, or pious, when I say, ‘do as you wish, but please have some sense of your own culture and history’. I am not advocating the hard-line right-wing of Indian or Hindu culture, itself alien anyway to India. But all things are not equal. Some things are better than others. Some things are right and some things are wrong. And one way to judge, yes judge, is based on your history and the history of your ancestors. Continued on page 13

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LEICESTER VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

He keeps community intact Shopkeeper Arunkumar Vagani, pictured, is the linchpin who unites his community, according to neighbour Ruby Salt. He is among the latest of the kind-hearted residents who have been nominated for the Leicester Mercuryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Good Neighbour Awards. The winner will receive goodies including a break for two in the Algarve, Portugal, supplied by Ryanair. "Mr Vagani is the linchpin of our community. He is a local businessman who helps anyone in need and shows nothing but kindness to those he meets," said Ms Salt, who lives in Hamilton Street, North Evington, Leicester. Mr Vagani, 67, has lived in the Hamilton Street area for 38 years and is well liked respected not only by his customers

but by the wider community. Ms Salt, 40, said: "He will do shopping for those who are infirm and transport those who can't move. Mr Vagani is always

A van driver caused the death of a passenger because of a moment of inattention due to lack of sleep, a court heard. Emtiyaj Ibrahim (44) was returning home to Leicester from Middlesex when his van hit a tree in Narborough Road. He had not slept for about 20 hours. The accident happened on the city-bound carriageway at about 4.30am on September 2 last year. Front-seat passenger and family friend Soyeb Siddic Musa Bhaiji (28), of Leicester, suffered "catastrophic" head injuries and died six days later. Ibrahim, of Goscote House, Sparkenhoe Street, Highfields, Leicester, admit-

willing to help his neighbours and is a constant in our community. He can and will turn his hand to anything, he even helped me with an excruciating back problem. He mediates on behalf of those who can't speak English

and introduces people to the finer nuances of British life. He binds members of this neighbourhood together with his helpful and outgoing nature." Ac c o rd i n g to Ms Salt, Mr Vagani notices if someone is ill or missing and makes sure that they are all right. "He is generous with his time and his wife's delicious food. He makes sure that our community remains intact and respects all. He is valued by so many around here and he is a figure to anchor oneself to. As a neighbour of mine, I have come to cherish him for his kindness and wisdom. I feel extremely honoured

to know him. He is more than a shopkeeper, he is a neighbour, a confidante, a communicator, a teacher, a mediator and an inspiration." Mr Vagani said: "I am flattered Ms Salt has nominated me for the award. I believe in helping people and being part of the community." Chan Kataria, chief executive of EMHG, which owns and manages more than 17,000 homes in the region, said it was sponsoring the awards because it believed in promoting neighbourliness. Mr Kataria said: "We are delighted that there have so many nominations." The winner and two runners-up will be presented with their awards at a ceremony at St Martin's House, Leicester, on Thursday, August 2.

ted causing death by driving a Renault van without due care and attention. He was sentenced to a two-year community order, with 180 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay ÂŁ700 court costs. He was also banned from driving for 12 months. Judge Simon Hammond said: "This is a terrible tragedy. The defendant had been driving for too long without a proper break. There were no aggravating features, such as fast driving. It's not known if Mr Bhaiji was wearing a seatbelt." Jonathan Cox, prosecuting, said on September 1, Ibrahim had woken up at between 6.30am and 8.30am. He agreed to make an overnight garment deliv-

ery to Middlesex as an unpaid favour for a friend. His brother-in-law, and family friend Mr Bhaiji, also went as passengers. They set off at 10pm on a twoand-a-half hour journey to make the delivery. After the goods were unloaded, the defendant began the return journey, stopping for a 15 to 20minute break at a service station. The collision, at about 4.30am, happened about 300 metres past the Narborough Road junction with Meredith Road. The van was travelling at about 35mph, within the 40mph limit. Mr Cox said: "It can only have been a momentary lapse. The vehicle deviated and the driver's side

wheels collided with, and mounted, the tree-lined central reservation. The van collided passenger- side with a tree. Fatigue must have played a part because of the length of time he'd been driving." Jagvir Sangherra, mitigating, said: "He can't recall why the vehicle touched the kerb, but concedes tiredness played some part. He doesn't believe he fell asleep. He's a very religious man and prays five times a day. His parents, and the family of the deceased, are from the same village in India. He feels extreme remorse on a daily basis and knows he'll have to live with what he's done for the rest of his life and has found it very difficult so far."

Death crash caused by van driver's tiredness

PM meets members of the Hindu community A group of political activists took the opportunity of briefing the British Prime Minister David Cameron on the needs and aspirations of British Hindu communities when they met him at a function which was for selected invited guests only. Councillor Bhupen Dave said that the Prime Minister was very appreciative of the positive contributions Hindus have made to the British Society. David Cameron was

Vinod Patel, David Camron and Bhupen Dave

also very keen to see more political participation from the youths in the conservative party and he wants more people from the minority communities to put their names forward to stand as MPs. Mr Vinod Popat, Chairman of Leicester Community Enterprise Services (CIC) Ltd said he was pleased that the Prime Minister found time to meet the Group to discuss issues that affect the Asian and in particular the British Hindu Community.

Councillor's leaflet was breach of conduct code A Leicestershire councillor undermined good race relations by producing a leaflet which criticised Muslims, a watchdog has found. Councillor Graham Partner, pictured, who quit the BNP to sit as an independent, has been censured "in the strongest possible terms" for sending out the New Year message to more than 5,000

voters in his Coalville division. The leaflet, which featured part of an article from a national newspaper, said victimhood "comes easily" to followers of Islam. The leaflet said: "Every terrorist atrocity, every blood-soaked massacre is justified by reference to imagined grievances. But the greatest persecutors of other faiths

are Muslim, themselves." Last Wednesday coun-

ty council standards subcommittee strongly censured Coun Partner and ruled he should undertake equality training. The hearing was held after an investigation carried out by the Race Equality Centre in Leicester. After the hearing, Suleman Nagdi, spokesman for the Leicestershire Federation

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'Even after her death, she is helping others' The family of a woman whose tragic death could help save someone else's life have urged others to sign up to the organ donor register. Seema Dalal collapsed with an aneurysm during a religious gathering at her local Hindu temple. She was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre but died the following day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday, June 24, aged 38. Her heartbroken family have described the moment doctors told them that Seema, of Belgrave, Leicester, was a card-carrying member of the NHS Organ Donor Register. A family member said that it is "the most anguished time for any family, as you can imagine", but they realised the decision would have been Seema's wish. He added: "Now we have had time to reflect on it, to know that through her tragic and untimely death someone else's life can be saved, it has at least given us some comfort." The family particularly wanted to highlight the shortage of people from Asian communities across Britain who have signed up to the donor register. The spokesman said: "Seema's death has come as a huge shock to the family and her many close friends. She was an active, warm, loving, bubbly person and nothing was too much for her. She had an infectious smile that brightened up your day." He said that Seema, who was a "crazy" Liverpool football fan and ardent cricket follower, lived by "setting a great example" to others. "She is doing it even now," he said, "by donating her organs to help someone else's life". He added that many family members and friends had signed up to the donor register since her death. of Muslim Organisations, said: "I welcome the ruling. As a holder of public office, one must uphold the highest standards of conduct which are geared towards uniting communities and not dividing them. I hope we can put this behind us and it is not repeated." County council chairman Peter Lewis was one of the people who complained after seeing the

The family's appeal for more people to join the register comes as the country prepares to mark National Transplant Week (July 9 to 15). A spokeswoman for NHS Blood and Transplant, said: "We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Seema's family at this sad time. We must also thank them for agreeing to donate her organs to help save the lives of others after her tragic death." She added: "Organ donation saves the lives of thousands of people, but three die every day waiting for a transplant. Currently, 29 per cent of the UK population are signed up to the NHS Organ Donor Register, the database of names of those who agree to donate after their death, but less than one per cent of those who registered an ethnicity are from a black and minority ethnic background. With Transplant Week coming up, it is vital that everyone, regardless of ethnic background, sits down and talks to their family about their wishes." Scott Imrie, regional manager for Santander, said: "She was a popular and long-serving branch manager. Her contribution to Santander and the community was immeasurable." To find out about the register, call 0300 123 2323 or visit: www.organdonation.nhs.uk leaflet. After the hearing, he said: "It is of the greatest importance that we maintain the highest standards of public conduct, whatever our political affiliations. These must be secondary to the way we see the people we serve. I see my task as chairman of the county council to ensure every councillor respects the public and, in turn, deserves their respect."

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Asian Voice launches

community campaign against changes to UK immigration laws

By Spriha Srivastava

S-E-L rock audiences Friday 6th July saw over 1,000 people flock to the City Pavilion in Romford, to experience one of the most exciting and intimate events that the Bollywood industry has hosted in the UK. The undisputed kings of Bollywood music, Shankar Mahadevan, Eshaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa took to the stage to entertain the crowds in a unique oneoff show. Shankar, Ehsaan & Loy is a group that can attract people from anywhere in the world. Shankar Ehsaan and Loy came up from the ranks of the non-film music scene, performing rock, blues, jazz and pop before entering the film music industry. Shankar Mahadevan, a software engineer, worked on Oracle Version Six and studied Western, Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. He made his debut with the 1985 Marathi film Vahinichi Maya. A leading playback singer with Pukar, Sapnay and Biwi No.1 to his credit, he also composed "Breathless". Ehsaan Noorani studied music at the Musicians' Institute in Los Angeles and worked with the like of Ronnie Desai, LaxmikantPyarelal, KalyanjiAnandji and Louis Banks. He composed Alien Desire, did several jingles and like Loy, was part of a blues-and-acid jazz band. Loy Mendonsa is trained in Western classical and also learnt the rudiments of Indian classical music. He performed with several group bands, plays and composed jingles and signature tunes. Their entry into mainstream cinema was with Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Mission Kashmir and then they rose to fame with Dil Chahta Hai, Kal Ho Na Ho and so on. The event at the City Pavilion in Romford was a celebration of so many years of contribution to Indian cinema by this magnificent band. Introduced by BBC Asian Network’s Noreen Khan, the talented trio and their full band and back-up singers, took to the stage to perform some of their best-loved tracks from Blockbuster films including: Kal Ho Na Ho; Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara;

Houseful; Don and Don 2; Dil Chata Hai, Wake Up Sid; Salaam eh Ishq; Tare Zameen Par; Bunty aur Babli and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. The response from the crowds was so amazing that the planned two hour show took on a life of its own, and in an unprecedented and spontaneous reaction to the audience, the trio continued singing to requests and the show went on into the early hours of the morning! Shankar Mahadevan said: “The night was absolutely mind-blowing. We were looking forward to playing in a new environment, but I don’t think any of us expected the reaction we received. It was great to just go with the flow and be able to play to the mood of the audience. Everyone was dancing and singing along – it was truly a night we won’t forget.”

celebrities, singers and actors from the ‘Bollywood’ film industry. The company also has access to Pakistan and Asian UK music artistes. Rishi Lakhani of the Millennium Group said: “What can I say but, ‘Thank you SEL’. 1,000 fans have left with the most positive experience they could have hoped to have had. The guys were true professionals and really did City Pavilion proud.” The Kings of Bollywood concert was supported by B4U Music as official TV partners and the BBC Asian Network as official radio partners. The only drawback to the entire event was the delay on part of organisers to start the event at the said time. The event which was originally expected to start between 7:30 and 8, started at 9 PM. The

In the last 2 years the British Government has tried innumerable ways to target the immigrants. It has resulted into endless confusion with hardly much of a difference in the numbers. Asian Voice has run several stories raising issues that affect immigrants directly and indirectly. In the 16th June issue (page 1) we spoke about a 'future' campaign and invited our dear readers to write to us about their feeling regarding the upcoming laws to be enforced on immigrants who want to settle here with their families. This week we have launched the campaign formally and we want more of you, in fact all of you to support us to make our government realise Britain is a multicultural country, where every tradition and faith should be given its due credit. The upcoming changes are to directly and severely affect our culture, age old traditions and our ways of life. We need the government give us our due 'right to equality and life'. Read on to know more about our campaign and the ways you can support this campaign. On the 9th July 2012 the Government will begin to introduce changes to immigration laws which will restrict the number of people who are able to come to this country. There are two main changes; they will begin to abolish the right of appeal for family visitors applying for a visa to visit the United Kingdom; and they will introduce minimum income requirement for persons wishing to sponsor a family immigration application. These changes will have a profoundly negative impact on many of our readers, on our grandparents our husbands and wives, our aunties and uncles and cousins. We as a newspaper feel it is only right to launch a campaign against the changes that is why we urge you to join our community campaign for families against the proposals.

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

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

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

Preserve your heritage Zaf Mughal, of A u t o g r a p h Entertainment and the man behind the intimate event, said: “What a night! In all the years that I have worked in the film industry, even I have never experienced this kind of rapport and spontaneous reaction from artists – they just kept going… whatever the audience wanted they played!” A u t o g r a p h Entertainment (AE) and Zaf Mughal who are managing SEL for the concert, are leading celebrity management and booking agents for some of the biggest

trio performed for about an hour and then a small 10 minute break was announced. This 10 minute break ended up being a 40 minute long break. Apart from the delay by organisers, the event totally rocked the audiences. This event was also unique in its nature with the band playing for a smaller audience. It wasn’t on the likes of Wembley or The O2 and that it made it all the more special for audiences to listen, enjoy and dance to the famous numbers of one of the most respected bands in Bollywood.

Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar has been serving the British Asian community for the last 40 years. Each year we go from strength to strength in terms of quality content and circulation. We give our valued readership a comprehensive news platform as well as other features on health, entertainment, business & finance, politics,sport ex... On the auspicious event of 40th Anniversary of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice, we are proud to present once in a life time opportunity to create your very own personal documentary film. In today's computing world it is necessary to preserve our culture and history, our language and customs. Moreover physical printouts are outdated and difficult to preserve. We are proud to pres-

ent this opportunity to film your family details and traditions for the generations to come. We can design this documentary/ talk show as per your requirements. For eg. success story/journey, family oriented, personal, business related, career profile, family tree- who we are, where are we from etc.... Interview to be conducted by well known and professional persons from Gujarat /UK Technical details/ Terms and conditions: l Interview/Meeting time: 2 hours l Can be arranged at your place or our office. l All the materials/photos to be provided together,we shall not accept part of it later. l Commentary in

English/Gujarati Final video under 30 minutes. Payment terms 50% in advance and remaining 50% on delivery of the CD. On this celebration of 40th Anniversary, we offer this at a discounted price of only £1250+VAT, which will cost you £3000 to £5000 elsewhere. Please contact Alka Shah on 07944 151 893/ 07875 229 122/020 7749 4002 or email on alka.shah@abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Farewell reception for Anand Kumar, Attache (Hindi and Culture), Indian High Commission, organised at ABPL

Rani Singh, Jyotsna Shah, Anjana Patel, Sonoo Malkani, Paula Chattoraj, Pilu Amin, Rupanjana Dutta, Kokila Patel, CB Patel, Mahesh Patel, Kailash Singh, Mr Dhami, Anand Kumar, Shakuntalaben Pithwa with other guests

Kokila Patel Purvi Shah Shri Anand Kumar, Attache (Hindi and Culture), Indian High Commission of India, London, provided yeoman's service for promotion of Hindi as an Indian national language and associated cultural activities during his tenure at the High Commission of India, London. On 4th July at Shakti Hall, in the Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar premises a formal farewell lunch was organised. Attended by community leaders and crème de la crème of the community, Mr Kumar was honoured with a 'Karma Yogi Sanman' an award or certificate presented to honour his commitment and contribution to the community. The reception was attended by Air India UK, Ireland and Europe regional manger Shri Kailash Singh, Mr S.K Dhami, Attache, Coordination, India House, and Industrialist Shri Maheshbhai Patel, former Cllr Anjana Patel, and many other dignitaries. Rupanjana Dutta, Associate Editor, Asian Voice was the MC for the afternoon and kick started the event after a lavish Gujarati buffet lunch with some details on the newspapers and formally welcoming the Chief guest and others. She informed the guests regarding the increasing popularity of the newsweeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, and about the rising circulation and the grand celebrations to commemorate the 40 years of the publication. She then welcomed CB Patel, Publisher/Editor to say a few words and introduce the present guests formally. CB said “Today there are some good news about Air India. First the Air Regional regional manager Shri Kailash Singh is present here, and second AirIndia pilots who were on strike has finally withdrawn it and joined back work. Neither Air India nor its staff are to be blamed for this strike. It was was politically motivated by some corrupted people. Former Aviation minister Praful Patel had promised to start direct Ahmedabad-London flight, but he did not fulfill

his promises. Direct flights are much required, hope Mr Singh sends our message to the senior executives in Air India and makes a difference in our lives. He further added, “In India House, most of the executives are non-Gujarati and are mostly from Bihar. Shri Anand Kumar is also from Bihar. He has nurtured and promoted Indian language and culture in the UK and Ireland immensely in the last 3 years. He studied in Patna University and Delhi, and has a Masters in Sanskrit.’ Consulting Editor Jyotsnaben Shah talked about Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar and the philanthropic work associated with us. Air India regional manager Shri Kailash Singh added, “Previously I was a Manager of Air India flight in the Heathrow airport. Just recently I have been given the post of UK, Ireland and Europe regional manager, Air India. I believe that in order to get success, it is very much necessary that we work with good team spirit. Therefore, I am trying to make the existing bond between Air India and India House stronger.” “After getting my new post, I had gone to India House where I met Shri Dhamiji and Mr Anand Kumar. Mr Kumar had kept a good contact with the Indians here and has done a very good job in promoting our language and culture. I will not say goodbye to him because he will be going from here to a very important post and duty and we are proud of that.” Mr Dhami said, “As you all know, Anandji is my good companion. Commonly, it is said that both of us are supposed to be left hand and right hand of the High Commission. Obviously with Mr Kumar gone, the High Commission will lose its one hand. And like Kailashji, even I will not say goodbye to Anandji. After Anandji goes from here, he will first go to South Africa, where he will contribute in a Hindu Conference at Johannesburg. He will play an important representative role.” Louton based Shri Maheshbhai Patel said “ we know that for delay of direct flight, more than

commercial factor it is the political reason.’ But I am sure that Kailash Singh will surely take efforts for starting the direct flights soon.” Rani Singh author of a book on Sonia Gandhi added ‘ I am highly impressed by the work and service of Anand Kumar. I am obliged to CB Patel, he had done a launch of my book in Shakti hall of his office. I am daughter of Harbansh Singh, who was once an Ambassador of the India House.” Harrow former Councillor Anjana Patel said, “Previously there were no Indian occasions celebrated at the High commission, and very rarely any Gujarati was invited in the function arranged for any Indian politicians. After Mr Anand Kumar, our Indian festivals started getting celebrated in Gymkhana and representation from all Indian states are seen’. After the Karma Yogi San man was presented to Mr Kumar by CB and other member guests, Anand Kumar said “I heartily thank CB Patel to give me such an honour. I am going away from here but still feel that lot is left to be done. When we came here, the first thing was to connect with our community. When Dhamiji and I had to go for any event or occasion or arrange one, we used to work tirelessly. Whether it is London, Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff or Glasgow, we have reached everywhere. Its only Edinburgh that we have not gone and further North. Whether you are Gujarati, Tamil, Telegu Bengali or Punjabi whatever it might be, speaking in your mother tongue at home is the main sign of our culture. Mother tongue helps to remove generation gap. Today we have connected 14 cities of the UK to High comission through the power of language and mother tongue”. Vishwa Gujarati Samaj active member Shri Shakuntalaben Pithwa who came from Baroda talked about the ‘Street Children’ charity and how she would appreciate some help for this children from enterprises like Air India. Kokila Patel, Managing Editor of Gujarat Samachar, closed the event with a thank you note to all.

MIDLAND / UK VOICE

Murder inquiry launched after Asian stabbing in Old Basford park A murder inquiry has been launched into the death of a man after a stabbing in a park in Old Basford. The victim, named locally as 21-year-old Danny Parekh, pictured, was found in the small play park off Oakleigh Street shortly after 1am Sunday. He was taken to Queen's Medical Centre with a stab wound to the leg but later died. Police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with the murder. The victim was described by friends and family as "a great, humble lad, who would do anything for anybody". Dozens of people turned out at the park to pay their respects and leave flowers. One tribute read: "Gone but never forgotten. Love, Rhea and Nikita". Another read: "Danny, love you so much. All love, love, Kingston and

Kingsley'. Mr Parekh's cousin, who did not want to be named, said: "This is mad. I don't understand why this has had to happen. This is the second person close to me I am losing to violence. I don't know how to cope. His friends at Deptford Estate, in Highbury Vale, will miss him sorely." Mr Parekh is said to have had a two-year-old son with his girlfriend. A 27-year-old woman,

of Gabriel Close, next to the park where Mr Parekh was found, called the ambulance after she had been woken up by "a very high-pitched howl". The mum-of-four, who did not want to be named, said the sound of the screams made her physically ill. A postmortem examination was carried out by a Home Office pathologist. Police have carried out house-to-house inquiries and are making a full forensic search of the park. A number of people are believed to have been in the area and the time and detectives are keen to speak to anyone with information about what happened. They can contact Nottinghamshire Police on 101 ext 811 1945 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Honour killing mother witnessed the murder Farzana Ahmed, 49 (pictured) accused of killing her own daughter, changed her defence, saying she had seen her husband attacking the teenage girl on the night she went missing. She had before claimed that nothing had happened on the night that she and her husband, Iftikhar allegedly murdered their daughter, Shafilea Ahmed has now changed her story, and has claimed that she found her husband attacking the 17year-old girl in their home in Cheshire, September 2003. The prosecutor, Henry Riding, told the jury that Ahmed’s new defence statement held admission to the fact that violence had occurred towards Shafilea. The new statement alleges that Mrs Ahmed came downstairs, and discover and then witness her daughter Shafilea being attacked by her husband. She has claimed that she attempted to intervene but was “punched with a clenched

fist” by husband, Iftikhar. She said that, in fear she went upstairs with the other children, and returned to find that her husband and Shafelia were gone. She said that when asking him where Shafelia was upon his arrival, he allegedly responded: “If you care for your dear life and that of your children don’t ever ask me this question again.” One or two days later, she allegedly asked the same question, and says he responded: “I have already told you once before, I don’t know where she is. I have also told you not to ask me that question again.” She also

Less TV equals a longer life

Men faced with terrorism offences after gun find on the M1

The British Medical Journal Open has published research suggesting that reducing the time spent sitting down and watching television could add many years to people's lives. Researchers claim that cutting it down to less than three hours a day could extend a life by two years and watching television for less than two hours a day might add an extra 1.4 years to someone's life. Scientists have called for a “big change” in the behaviour of adults, as they spend more than half their day in somewhat inactive activities.

Three men from Birmingham were charged with terrorism offences after firearms were found in a car stopped by the police on the M1. Omar Mohammed Khan, 27, Jewel Uddin, 26, and Mohammed Hasseen, 23, are all due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. They will face charges of “engaging in conduct between May 1 and July 4, a preparation for an act of terrorism with the intention of committing such acts”. Four other men faced with these same charged remain in custody.

claims that her husband told her that if she told anyone anything he would “do the same to our other children and to you.” The prosecution says that both parents allegedly strangled their daughter after stuffing a plastic bag down her throat, to suffocate her. They apparently believed that her westernised behaviour had brought shame upon the family. Shafilea had tried to go on dates with young men, and had resisted plans for an arranged marriage. It has been said that they resorted to murder after realising that nothing they could do would make her follow their wishes. Shafilea’s body has been said to have been wrapped in a rug, and dumped on a river bank close to the Lake District. Both parents deny murder. The jury at Chester Crown Court was told that further details of Mrs Ahmed’s new defence statement will be released at the jury soon.

Crook called police to beg for his own arrest Matthew Perry, 24, and father of one stole £360 and cigarettes after threatening a garage shop worker, Adrian Lindsey, in Portsmouth. Lindsey was shaken and forced to open the safe. A court was told that Perry felt so guilty about the attack that he telephoned the police, begging for his arrest. After calling the police, Perry took 25 diazepam tablet and later had to be taken to hospital. Perry was jailed for 14 months at Portsmouth Crown Court after confessing to the robbery.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

A dash of glitter for the Sri Lankan cause Indrani Thakurata It wasn’t a usual afternoon at the Lycamobile headquarters in London. It was a heady mix of glamour and cause. The largest global provider of low cost international mobile calls, Lycamobile and Gnanam Foundation presented the first instalment of a £1 million grant to one of The Prince’s Charities, The British Asian Trust. The £250,000 cheque was handed over to the trust ambassador, the ace cricketer, Muttiah Murlitharan, who graciously accepted it on behalf of the trust. “I am delighted by the generous donation. I am associated with a few causes in Sri Lanka as well. Through one of the charity programmes, we are trying to build a school in Maankulam, Sri Lanka. Many people in our country are not as fortunate as us, so it is our duty to help them,” says the spinner. Adding voice to Murlitharan, Subaskaran Allirajah, Group Chairman of Lycamobile and The Gnanam Foundation comments, “This is a first big effort towards charity in Sri Lanka. We are committed to providing long term support to people in need. Our current partnership with the British Asian Trust has been successful in the on-going skills and training project which enables youth from slums

Handing over the cheque to Muttiah Murlitharan (Centre), Milind Kangle (On the left) and Subaskaran Allirajah (On the right)

in Chennai, India to gain employable skills. I am delighted to extend this partnership to Sri Lanka where we can make a significant impact on the lives of disadvantaged people.” Highlighting the company’s success story, Milind Kangle, Lycamobile’s, Group Chief Executive Officer says, “We are glad to be in a position to contribute significantly to a number of worthy causes. We would like to give back to the society in our own way.” The grant has been earmarked for projects in Sri Lanka that focus on reaching out to vulnerable population in the country by supporting local organisations who are actively engaged in enhancing access to education, employment and health care. The British Asian Trust will be managing the

grant across four years, and will identify the areas of most need through its in house, and on the ground experts. The charities will then be elected after a rigorous due diligence process to source the most impactful models. “The trust will focus on the development of the marginalised women, youth and children. Similar to Murli’s world records, we hope to achieve a world record performance in all our endeavours,” quips Milind Kangle. Apart from promoting the cause, the amicable cricketer also talks about IPL and KKR’s victory in the finals when quizzed. “KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) deserved the victory. They played really well. As of now, I am looking forward to play in the next IPL season for the Royal Challengers,” he concludes.

Husband and family convicted of killing "possessed" pregnant Brum woman

Hammad Hassan

Four relatives face life sentences for killing a pregnant woman they believed was possessed by an “evil spirit”. Naila Mumtaz’s husband, parents-in-law and brotherin-law were all convicted of her murder at Birmingham Crown Court Monday. The 21-year-old’s husband Mohammed collapsed in the dock as the jury’s verdicts were returned. The threemonth trial previously heard Mrs Mumtaz was found by paramedics “grey, ashen and lifeless” at her home in Craythorne Avenue, Handsworth Wood, at 4.30am on July 9, 2009. She was six months’ pregnant. Christopher Hotten QC, prosecuting, said

Mohammed Mumtaz (L), Salma Aslam (R), and Zia Ul-Haq (C) arrive at Birmingham Crown Court

family members believed Mrs Mumtaz, who had arrived in Birmingham two years earlier from Pakistan, was “possessed” by Muslim evil spirits known as Jinns. He said she had been smothered by all four defendants – Mohammed, 27, his parents Zia UlHaq and Salma Aslam, both 51, and his 24-yearold brother Hammad Hassan. The court heard that Mumtaz was a 27-yearold former University of Wolverhampton student. His parents are 51 and his brother 24. After the verdicts, Det Insp Simon Astle said: “This was a tragic and deeply upsetting case, where a young woman had her life so

horrifically ended by those she loved and trusted. Naila was a pretty, outgoing young woman who was soon to become a mother for the first time. It is unthinkable that those she was closest to would take her life in the belief that she had been possessed by evil spirits.” Her family said in a statement: “Naila was a happy, confident and beautiful young woman. She came to Britain to be with her husband. We entrusted our most treasured, beloved only daughter to him and his family.” Mr Justice Keith adjourned sentence on all four, who were remanded in custody, for reports to be prepared.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

India's Zuckerberg in the making? Rupanjana Dutta The idea of 'facebook' has taken social networking to a different level in the West, while our Indian youngsters are not far off. Chetan Tripathy, a budding lawyer from India is following in the footsteps of Zuckerberg, and has formed a social networking site called Project Cloud for legal 'stuff'. Say you are a student and you need to write papers. Have some query? Post it on the 'wall' and you will have a helping hand somewhere. What if you are a publisher and arranging a seminar? Post in on the calendar and you will have a good audience joining you. Similarly, whether it's competition, call for papers, internshipas long as its 'law related' you will have a space on Project Cloud. "Interaction is the key mantra", says Chetan. An LLM student at King's College, London, is also a poet and has had many books published in India and was interviewed by Indian national media. In his early 20s, Chetan is bubbling with ideas, energy and willing to take this 'project' to a further height. "Project Cloud was created with a simple moto. Though today the word 'social' is of an extraordinary value, our

Chetan Tripathy

aim is to walk our friends through a certain situation. We have questions, we need help. And collectively what we can achieve through a social networking platform has never been tested. Yes of course there is facebook, twitter etc or various blog sites. We are not bloggers. This platform is supposed to provide everything from a little motivational chat to answers to convoluted legal questions. It is purely an announcement platform and a simple registering is good enough." What are the challenges with running such a social website? With a pensive nod, Chetan adds"It is to do with membership, awareness and investors. I created it when I was an undergrad in Jodhpur doing my LLB. It has gained momentum and have around 3000 members so far, but we

need more people to join us. We have members from 150 countries, from various universities, but we need to be more organised." Greatest accomplishments? Chetan declares with a full cheshire grin"Project Cloud has recently been launched as an android application and is due to join the Apple apps in a month. Not complicated, as Chetan explains, the apps will help you to see updates, deadlines on the site and connect to the Project Cloud groups on facebook and twitter directly with its followings!" With all his ambition and talent, we are hopeful Chetan Tripathy will soon be one of the iconic names that global social media would be proud of. Young and focussed, he has all the ingredients to give Zuckerberg a run for his fame. Our best wishes are there for you Chetan! (If you need more information on Project Cloud - visit http://projectcloud.info/. To download apps on Android, visit the site on your Android Phone. You can get updates by subscribing to Project Cloud on Facebook (http://facebook.com/projectcloud) or T w i t t e r (http://twitter.com/inprojectcloud).

Lord Loomba speaks at European Leadership Conference in Geneva Lord Loomba spoke on Thursday at the European Leadership Conference in Geneva to an audience of academics, visionaries, social philanthropists, and leaders in religious, business and public life on the role of the family in combating crime and poverty. Emphasising the stability of the family as a strength that is undermined at our peril Lord Loomba explained how the Loomba Foundation’s aims, of which he is founder and chairman trustee of, help in no small way to underpin family life for widows and their dependants. The importance of the acceptability of such treatment leads, Lord Loomba said: “to [the] fragmentation of the social bonds that glue the family together; it does nothing to promote stability and a sense of understanding what is the right thing

to do when children, or even adults, have to make a decision on which path to take, or route to chose.” Explaining his reasoning Lord Loomba stressed: “This is obviously of great importance in understanding right from wrong and knowing not to carry out socially destructive behaviours such as criminal activity.” Further describing some of the treatment meted out to women in the developing world once they become widows Lord Loomba related the consequences to the women and their children. “Sometimes,” he said, “they are prohibited from earning a living, their family wealth claimed by the blood relatives of their late husband; they are left with no means of support and are subjected to extremes of poverty and deprivation.” Often widows are forced to turn to

prostitution to sustain themselves or the children ‘take on the mantle of breadwinner’ foregoing any thought of an education or a childhood as we know it. “The family,” Lord Loomba stressed, “in this scenario does not have an acceptable value that is considered of any merit to their community leaving the widows and children living as an underclass condemned to a life of poverty.” Adding: “they …. become the victims of crime and are thrust into a life of poverty,” Lord Loomba emphasised how the UN recognised International Widows Day, June 23rd, aims to draw attention their plight and encourage governments across the world to contribute to a sea-change in attitudes towards widows and promote positive help for them and their dependants.

Leading Lights

by Rani Singh

Special Assignments Editor

Vinay Nair, 33 Vinay Nair is the Business Development Manager for Acumen Fund, a non-profit organisation that invests in companies providing critical goods and services to the poor in India, Pakistan and other parts of the developing world. A former Executive Director at J.P. Morgan London and a Global Fund technical advisor to the Clinton Foundation, he has lived and worked in Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. Vinay received his BA (Hons.) in Economics and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin and a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the London School of Economics. He is on the Advisory Board of the Centre for Talented Youth Ireland and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. What did you do after JP Morgan? I joined JPMorgan straight after my undergrad and was fortunate to have great experiences with them for over eight years, rising to Executive Director. I was considering how to combine these experiences with my values on equality and justice, and JPMorgan supported me to go on a sabbatical, which I spent primarily in India. I initially focused on microfinance (lending ‘micro’ amounts of money to women deemed too poor to be banked) but was struck by my experiences with social enterprises (companies applying market-based solutions towards a social purpose). That was the start of a three-year journey spent in various roles working and studying in several parts of the world and ultimately leading me to join Acumen Fund last year. How did you come to work with the Clinton Foundation and what did you do there? On my sabbatical, I met some inspirational leaders, including at the Clinton Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, who offered me an incredible opportunity to spearhead a major project within the Ministry of Health in Mozambique. My wife and I discussed it – she is a GP in south London and wasn’t able to join me. It was tough, but we decided I should go for it and, looking back, we are so happy with that decision. Following a crash course in epidemiology, I landed in Maputo in January 2009 and co-led the successful application for $175 mil-

lion of five-year HIV/AIDS funding from a major public funder, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. I then moved to rural Mozambique and spent some months with a group of HIV-positive women setting up a small business making and selling (delicious!) jam. Did you meet Bill Clinton? What did you think of his organisation? President Clinton was due to come to Mozambique while I was there but the trip was cancelled at the last minute! I admire him, especially his work in bringing peace to Northern Ireland. After leaving office in 2000, he set up a Foundation that does fantastic work in a wide variety of areas, such as health access and climate change around the world.

dignity not dependence; choice not charity How did you meet up with Acumen Fund? I first met Acumen Fund when I was in Hyderabad on my sabbatical. I enjoyed reading the book “The Blue Sweater” by Acumen’s Founder, Jacqueline Novogratz. It sets out a clear vision of what Jacqueline calls ‘patient capital’ – combining the best elements of both the markets and philanthropy. Acumen Fund’s mantra of “dignity not dependence; choice not charity” really struck a chord. After coming back from Mozambique, I started a two-year Masters in Public

Vinay Nair

Administration at the LSE. During this time, I initiated a project with one of Acumen’s investees, Husk Power. The founders of Husk developed a technology to provide electricity to rural households in Bihar for $2 per month, which can power two bulbs and one mobile charging station. I worked with Husk on how they could conduct a rigorous evaluation of the impact of their work, and how Acumen could work with the Indian government to help more companies like Husk to start-up and grow. I joined Acumen last year to expand our community across the UK and Europe, to share how patient capital investing can impact people’s lives, and change the way the world tackles poverty. What is next for you? I greatly enjoy combining my experiences, skills and values to contribute to the change I want to see in the world. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whom I met while at the LSE, once said that the only place for poverty is in a museum. That is a powerful vision and I hope to play my part in achieving it one day.

YOUR VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Yet another Inquiry

Right to family

After the Chilcott Inquiry into the war in Iraq and the Leveson Inquiry into ‘phone hacking, there will be yet another inquiry. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, has announced a full Parliamentary inquiry of the banking sector following the Barclays Bank rate-rigging scandal. The Bank staff was manipulating a key inter bank lending rate (Libor) in order to boost its profits and to reduce pressure at the time of the financial crisis. For this, the Bank has been fined a whopping ￡290 million and its chief executive had to resign. The Prime Minister has tried to fend off growing demands for a public inquiry into the loss of trust in British banking by announcing a quick parliamentary inquiry into professional and cultural standards in the industry. But Labour leader, Ed Miliband, said the review did not go far enough, calling instead for a full judge led inquiry which was independent of bankers and politicians. However, the MPs voted for a parliamentary inquiry. One wonders what purpose the inquiry, costing millions of pounds like the Chilcott and Leveson enquiries, will serve. It won’t repair the damage that has already been done. The country’s economy depends largely on the financial sector which makes a lot of money for the country. The few bankers earn so much for so many. Bankers make money – for themselves and for the country. So why punish the people who are adding to the country’s wealth? Punishing the bankers will be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

I note with deep pain the changes introduced in parliament on 11 June 2012 adversely affecting family life. I throw some light on plights of immigrants: 1. I with some friends who are Indian Chartered accountants, qualified accountants, chemists, architects, doctors, other professionals arrived under HSMP scheme. 2. Under original scheme, we were promised settled on completion of 4 years with no condition. 3. Please note that we have left our flourishing careers in India to arrive in UK. 4. Most of my friends including myself was having age around 50 years when we enter UK . 5. Naturally we had children who has grown & at marriageable age. 6. We have been facing problems to find suitable match in UK since our children are not born in the UK & not well educated in the UK. 7. We as an immigrants are not as widely accepted as others are in the society despite of our hard work. 8. We are exploited in job markets offering lesser pay than British born. 9 I know the government has grievances since some of immigrants abused the system but Govt blames all immigrants instead of looking in to their own faulty system. Why? We are more disturbed & harassed by frequent changes in immigration rules which never allows us a peaceful night of sleep. The government has failed to note contribution made by the immigrants through taxes (we are not entitled to benefits!). The British government must respect the value of Asian families who are more committed towards betterment of family. The government has failed to look after the interest of immigrants by not keeping their own promises!

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Banks are agents, not principals The principals are governments, businesses and private individuals. The majority of transactions are carried out by instructions from them to banks. Daniel Defoe wrote a paper in the 18th century on jobbers and stockbrokers in stocks that it was “a trade in Fraud, born of Deceit and nourished by Trick, Cheat, Wheedle, Forgeries, Falsehoods and all sorts of delusions”. The culture of greed, not just in the banks, but in the wider world, is the cancer that is spreading rapidly. The joint stock company model of running private enterprise that was introduced in the 16th century has failed. It is time a new legal structure is conceptualised where investors, employees, customers and suppliers are the joint principals, and management is the agent. PwC, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and KPMG, auditors of substantial companies, institutions and government accounts have not ensured sufficient discipline. Banking is an international business: any structural reform and/or legislation solely in the U K will fail. George Osborne should cooperate with the European Union and jointly come up with a Single EU-wide Banking Regulator

V Patel Via Email

Cable car- London Last week, me and my wife had been to the Cable Car at Greenwich The O2. It was such a nice experience. Although there is a separate ticket to buy, Oyster Card users get to have some discount. The seat covers are signature Emirates ones. Other side of the river doesn't have much to offer; I believe things will change as more and more people will come to experience the Cable Car as the Olympics comes closer. However there is plenty to offer at the O2. For those who hasn't been there, I would recommend one. Devang Bhatt, Harrow, London as well as EU-wide Banking System Structure. Cooperation and competition are not mutually exclusive. Only then London will remain a major financial centre. Nagindas Khajuria Via Email

Political morality – does it exist? I read with interest your editorial on ‘Tony Blair keeps his richness in closet’ (AV 7 July 2012) and couldn’t agree more with the views you so cogently expressed about this ‘showman’ politician. The Labour Party’s ideology is described as that of a democratic socialist party which seeks to create a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few. Its most influential branch of socialism is said to be ethical socialism which Tony Blair actively promoted. Ethical socialism opposes ‘possessive individualism’ and denounces ‘immoral behaviour’ such as avoiding or evading tax by which social welfare to those who most need it is denied. And yet, as a former Prime Minister, he himself flouted this ideology and the rule of law by being secretive about his full earnings and amassing considerable wealth through tax avoidance schemes. For those of us Asians who like me have supported the Labour Party, such adverse revelations about a prominent politician who is supposed to lead by setting a good example himself, can indeed be very disheartening. If I were to tell Tony Blair that there is a popular saying which goes like this: ‘It is good to earn money for our needs; it is the hunger for wealth that is destructive’, I think he would laugh at me with his typical broad grin! Uttambhai D Mistry Bolton

Higgs Boson and Gods’ particle Discovery of Higgs Boson is gigantic step for humanity in quantum and sub atomic field. Contribution of present Indian scientists from SINP-Bengal, Tata Institute for Nuclear Reasearch and Bhabha Atomic Research Centres, Chandigadh, and Bhubaneshwar is acknowledged by CERN, European counterpart for Large Hadron Collider Project. Following Indian names will and should be honoured in discovery of God particle: Satyendranath Bose, Suchendra Dutta, Meghnad Saha, Subroto Sarkar, Satyaki Bhattacharya, Manjeet Kaur and team etc. Indian newspapers (GS and AV) must draw world attention to these Indian scientists to oppose casual dropping of the word “Bose”, thus erasing the source. UK and USA media naming Higgs Boson as Higgs PARTICLE, must be opposed. The name Higgs denotes effort by Peter Higgs and Boson denotes Satyendranath Bose whose work was endorsed by Albert Einstine in 1920, and formed basis of Higg’s theories in 1960. “God’s particle” or “Higgs Boson” is subatomic particle that glues the atomic cloud together, without which atoms can fall. Other comparison can be of a baby kept afloat by balloons in roomful of balloons; each balloon will be Higgs Boson. Discovery of God’s particle is not an

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Brand ‘Gujarat’ – which is equated with Guangdong of China, he invited Chinese business community and public enterprises to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit- 2013. He highlights Gujarat’s special investment regions as areas where Chinese companies could invest. He called on China to invest in infrastructure and power projects in the state, wooing potential investors with a sales pitch that showcased Gujarat as a state with levels of “governance, transparency and stability” that they could not find elsewhere in India. He declared that “the two great countries will make Asia the centrestage of the global economy.”

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A new theory says that any physical activity for 15 minutes every day is a good insurance against a plethora of health problems, be it related to the heart, the brain or even cancer. A study published in The Lancet, a British medical journal, said that just a quarter-hour of physical exertion a day could reduce a person's risk of death by 14% and increase life expectancy by three years compared to inactive people. Incidentally, another theory published in a different British journal said daily TV-viewing for six hours could take

away five years from your life. Adding and subtracting years from your life has never before been quantified in such medical terms, say doctors. The 15-minute short-cut to good health, in fact, changes the most fundamental rule that was approved by the World Health Organizationthat 150 minutes of activity a week is needed to stay healthy. )(.#(/

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Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar have always valued and cherished the contributions made by the letter writers. To help in further interactions amongst each other and with our team, we are planning a Letter Writers Seminar in August 2012. To avoid clashes with major events, it will be held on a Saturday between 3-6pm, and the probable dates are 4th August, 11th August or 18th August. To enable maximum participation, we would like you to send us your preferred /choice of date (from the above mentioned dates) via email to aveditorial@abplgroup.com or via post to our office.

Hindu free school In view of the irresponsible comments by Cllr. Susan Hall, I feel it is the duty of every one to comment and complain about the negative attitude shown by the Conservative Leader in Harrow Council. I would very much like to say that this is out of character for her but unfortunately this is not the first time she has offended, perhaps unintentionally the Hindu community. I am glad that Jaiya Shah, Chairperson of Harrow Council for Justice has given her a fitting reply in various local and ethnic newspapers. I am glad to appreciate and write in her support. As Cllr. Hall lives in a multi cultural and multi faith borough with the highest concentration of Hindus, I would normally assume that she is as much part of our culture, our beliefs and in harmony with our needs, our way of life, as are most leading politicians and that include some from her own party, the ever present Harrow East MP Bob Blackman and Labour MP Garath Thomas, EX-MP Tony McNulty and many Councillors across the party divide. I hope that her statement and reference to “prevalence of localised gang and criminal activity” does not refer to Hindu community, as Hindus, along with Sikhs, Jains and Jews are one of the most law abiding citizens of this country, with the lowest prison population. Cllr. Hall is too intelligent and well informed to confuse Hindus with the term “Asians” mischievously used by the British Media, especially in aftermath of the sex scandal involving underage girls from the underprivileged members of the host community. I hope Cllr. Hall will realise that her views are neither constructive nor in the best interest of her party. I hope she will be humble enough to apologise to the Hindu community. Perhaps she can take Gandhiji’s words of advice to heart that humility and saintliness goes a long way in mending fences. Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email end but can lead to further theorising and deductions about origin of universe. Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

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

1 Year 2 Years

Letter Writers' Seminar

EDUCATION / COUNCIL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

University applications from the UK fall 8.9% University applications from UK students for courses starting in the autumn are down 8.9% on last year, according to the latest figures from the admissions service. This will be first year group to face higher tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year. The biggest drop was in England, where applications are down 10%. This means that about 50,000 fewer people are applying to university compared with the previous year. Universities Minister David Willetts said the application figures were "the second highest on record" - and that tens of thousands more people were still expected to apply. "This will still be a competitive year like any other as people continue to understand that university remains a good long term investment for their future," said Mr Willetts.

Labour's universities spokeswoman, Shabana Mahmood, said "the decision of the Tory-led government to treble tuition fees to £9,000 is hitting young people and their aspirations".

These updated figures from the Ucas admissions service show the level of applications up to the end of June. While England has seen the most substantial reduction, down 10% compared with the same point last year, there are also declines of 2% in Scotland, 3% in Wales and 5% in Northern Ireland. Universities in England are going to

charge up to £9,000 per year from this year - while Scottish students at Scottish universities will not face any tuition fees. The biggest fall for the 2012 intake is among the over-18 age group - for example, applications from 19 year olds and those aged between 25 and 29 are down by 12%. Among 18-year-old school leavers, the fall has been less marked, approaching 3%. The raising of tuition fees had been criticised as a deterrent to poorer students - but the latest figures show a mixed picture. The biggest reduction in England is among students from the 20% most advantaged areas although whether this means they are not going to university, or studying outside the UK, is not certain. Applications from the most disadvantaged areas fell marginally.

Well-being and education "go together" People who are better educated are more likely to say they are satisfied with their lives, a study suggests. And they are more likely to say that the things they do are worthwhile, according to research by the Office for National Statistics. The study is part of a £2m project launched by the prime minister to try to measure people's happiness and well-being. It does not say education necessarily leads to happiness.

The researchers point out that many other factors affect the way people feel, including someone's age, health, income and job. The study also shows that over time, the UK's population has become better-educated. Between 1993 and 2011, the proportion of adults aged 16 to 64 without any formal educational qualifications has more than halved from 27% to 11%, it says. Meanwhile, the proportion with a degree or

equivalent qualification has more than doubled from 11% to 24%. Among people with Alevel or higher qualifications, 81% rated their overall satisfaction with life as seven out of 10 or more. And 85% felt similarly positive about how worthwhile they felt the things they were doing were. Among those who left school with no qualifications, 64% rated their happiness with life as seven out of 10 or higher.

England's schools 'letting future maths stars down' England is neglecting its brightest children, leaving them lagging far behind their peers overseas in top level maths scores, a report says. The Sutton Trust study shows teenagers in England are half as likely as those in the average developed nation to reach higher levels in maths. Brighter pupils are more likely to go to private or grammar schools rather than other state schools, it adds. The government said it wanted to "restore academic rigour" to schools. Researchers at the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University examined the proportions of pupils achieving the highest levels in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) tests. The PISA tests (Programme for International Student Assessment) compare the performance of pupils in different countries in subjects such as reading and

maths. The latest results date back to 2009. The report found that just 1.7% of England's 15year-olds reached the highest level, Level 6, in maths, compared with an OECD average of 3.1%. In Switzerland and Korea, 7.8% of pupils reached this level.

Overall, England ranked 26th out of 34 OECD countries for the proportion of pupils reaching the top level in maths, behind other nations like Slovenia (3.9%), the Slovak Republic (3.6%) France (3.3%) and the Czech Republic (3.2%), which were among those scoring around the OECD average. The report adds that the situation looks worse for England when a wider global comparison is used.

Singapore, which is not part of the OECD table analysed, saw 15.6% of its students score the top level, while in Hong Kong and Shanghai, which were also not part of the OECD table, 10.8% and 26.6% respectively got the top level. Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lamp said: "This is a deeply troubling picture for any us who care about our brightest pupils from non-privileged backgrounds." The study also suggests that comparing the maths results of 18-year-olds would be even more stark because 90% of English pupils drop the subject after GCSE. Whereas in many other countries, maths is compulsory up to the age of 18. The report argues that England is falling down international tables because of successive failures to help the most able pupils. It calls for bright children to be identified at the end of primary school, with their achievements and progress tracked from then on.

SARVAM

Official Charity for AAA 2012

Making a change at India's Grassroots

A deserted child finds hope at SARVAM

Mr Vijay Poddar

Fifteen year old Krishnan’s parents deserted him when he was born. Soon after his birth his father remarried and in a fit of anger his mother too left him with his paternal grandmother. Krishnan grew up without parental love and care. His poor grandmother, Radha found it increasingly difficult to take care of him. In despair, she decided that

she could no longer keep him with her. Krishnan who was then attending evening classes at SATYAM, gave vent to his feelings and cried to his teachers saying he wants to live with his parents. But it was not possible as his parents lived separate lives and did not want him. SARVAM counselled his aging grandmother and assured her that Krishnan’s educational needs will be taken care of. Since then, SARVAM has been bearing his educational expenses. Krishnan did everyone proud by scoring 86 percent marks in secondary school exams. SARVAM hosted a celebration for all children who passed the secondary school exams and facilitated Krishnan along with others. However, his mother could still not be contacted and

his father refused to come and encourage him on his success. SATYAM is a place where Krishnan feels at home. And importantly, he receives here the love and affection he most longs for. “We welcome your participation and support. You may contribute in general for the project or for specific purposes. For further information, please contact.... Mrs Shilpa Shah on 07404618933(between 2pm and 6pm) or email on shilpa.sarvam@gmail.c om. “If you wish to donate to Sarvam, please make cheques payable to ‘THE SARVAM TRUST’ and send them to: The Sarvam Trust Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW

COUNCIL NEWS

Olympic Torch Relay in Harrow! The Torch Relay starts in Harrow on Wednesday 25 July at 9.15am at Headstone Manor. There will be a variety of activities to celebrate the Torch, setting off from our historic manor house including local school children performing specially commissioned pieces, medieval re-enactments and sports demonstrations. There will also be an all day Family Fun Day after the Torch has departed. The Torch will then travel through Wealdstone, along Station Rd (outside the Civic Centre at around 9.45am), through Harrow Town Centre, up Harrow-onthe-Hill and then down Sudbury Hill into Brent at about 10.20am. Activities

Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am passes the Olympic flame to torchbearer Emma Folwer in Taunton, Somerset as the torch makes its way to London

are planned around each of these points with local communities and schools participating and the Torch Relay procession giving out 'goodies' along the way. Around 30 Torch bearers from around London, the UK and the world will

carry the torch through Harrow - with some Harrow residents included. Further information on what to see and the best places to stand will be featured in the July edition of Harrow People and on this website shortly.

Know the air you breath Hackney's free air pollution forecasting and alerting service airTEXT is being relaunched this week and now includes a new smart phone app, providing new ways for residents to learn about predicted air pollution, UV and grass pollen levels as well as day and night time temperatures. Air pollution affects us all, especially those who spend a lot of time outdoors either walking, cycling, running or working, but particularly anyone who is suffering from asthma, bronchi-

tis, heart problems or similar diseases as well as very young or elderly residents. The service is designed to help ensure you have the necessary medication at hand during times of high air pollution levels and to help prepare your day ahead to reduce exposure. The service will send a warning message via text, voicemail or email if air pollution levels in Hackney are expected to reach moderate, high or very high levels. Users with smart phones can check pollution levels

at any point during the day. Along with the alerts the airTEXT website includes street by street pollution maps and also lets users know what to do to try to avoid being affected by air pollution. Cllr Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods said: "This service provides helpful data for residents who might need to take additional precautions during days when pollution levels may temporarily increase in parts of the borough."

World of dance at Barnet’s libraries Children under four are invited to dive into a colourful underwater world full of dance and enchanting characters at five of Barnet’s libraries. The free interactive dance performance choreographed by Melanie Ingram is inspired by Marcus Pfister’s much-loved chil-

dren’s story, The Rainbow Fish. The Underwater Wonder performances are presented by Sadler’s Wells as part of Big Dance 2012, a programme of the London 2012 Festival. Underwater Wonder offers fun and exciting performances which children under four can watch and

take part in as they dance, sing and play under the sea. The production will tour twelve libraries in north London, with five featured in Barnet. There are 20 spaces available for children accompanied by one adult/guardian at each library performance; booking is recommended via the individual libraries.

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Scrutator’s The Financial Times columnist Gideon Rachman referred recently to an anomaly in US foreign policy: how was it, he asked, that America applies a strict sanctions regime against Iran (and countries that trade with Iran in oil and gas) for her alleged attempt – on questionable evidence, as testified before Congress by the top US intelligence bodies - to manufacture nuclear weapons; and for Tehran’s funding of the militant Islamist Hizhbullah in Lebanon, yet the US for long turned a blind eye to Pakistan’s clandestine acquisition of nuclear weapon technology from Europe, and ignored the cloned relationship of Pakistan’s military and its Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) with myriad Islamist terror groups in the country, from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network to Hafiz Saeed’s Lashkar e-Toiba. Bruce Riedel, a former top intelligence expert on Af-Pak territory in the Obama administration perceived this to be part of the seamless robe of Pakistani statecraft. Mr Rachman, for his part, believes Pakistan to be much the greater threat to Western interests than Iran ever was or presently is. The US has shelled out $2 billion as aid to the Pakistan military, plus an apology for its air strike last November, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a border post adjacent to Afghanistan. In return Pakistan allowed stranded NATO supply trucks at Karachi’s quayside to resume their journeys into Afghanistan. “US mistrust over Pakistan’s terror links persists, say experts,” screamed one newspaper headline (The Hindu July 5). But the Obama administration is stalled for lack of a coherent Pakistan policy. Periodic fistfuls of dollars for diminishing returns tell of a political void. “Pakistan was a criminal enterprise from birth” is V.S.Naipaul’s opening sentence in “Beyond Belief”, the sequel to “Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey”: both works monuments to the distilled wisdom of a penetrating intellect untouched by the saccharine of political correctness.

State actors involved

UK bans IM, Laskar

While Pakistani and Indian civil servants met in Delhi for their ritual diplomatic masque, India’s Home Minister, whose responsibilities include the nation’s internal security, announced firmly from the wings, that Pakistani “State actors” had been party to the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.

Meanwhile, the British government and parliament are to be commended for the ban on the Indian Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba as terrorist organizations. According to Abu Jundal’s testimony, the Mujahideen and Laskar had joined forces to coordinate attacks on targets in India (The Times of India July 6).

Defence measures

Home Minister P.Chidambaram

His words were refreshingly blunt. “It is no longer possible to deny that though the incident happened in Mumbai, there was a control room in Pakistan before and during the incident. Without State support the control room could not have been established.” He continued: “after Abu Jundal’s interrogation, it was clear that there were State actors. Dots are increasingly getting joined.” Mr Chidambaram said India knew the names of the handlers of the ten-member terrorist hit squad in Mumbai, of whom only Kasab was alive in Indian custody. The Minister also revealed that following Abu Jindal’s deportation from Saudi Arabia and arrest in India, another wanted terror suspect, Fasih Mohammed, had been detained by the Saudi authorities; he said the papers for his extradition to India were being processed by the government.

A raft of measures to strengthen India’s defences have been completed or are underway. The Sino-Pakistan axis in India’s immediate neighbourhood presents a security challenge faced by no other member of the international community. Defence Minister A.K. Antony and India’s Chief of the Army Staff General Bikram Singh and his senior staff held a meeting to discuss major issues in defence preparedness. A Defence Ministry official said later: “The Defence Minister asked the army to prioritize and focus on critical areas and suggested systemic and organizational changes to achieve the desired result in a short time span.” The construction of border road networks, particularly in the Chinese sector, are being accelerated while critical weapons acquisitions, such as light American howitzers that can be transported by helicopters to mountainous battlefronts, were to be finalized with the minimum delay. The timeline for modernization has been put at two years (The Telegraph July 2).

INS Vikramaditya undergoing sea trial in Russian waters

frigate (one of three) was delivered in early June, the second is to follow in August, and the third in the summer of 2013. Meanwhile, the seat trials of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya have commenced in Russian waters. Indian naval experts are on board the vessel monitoring all aspects of its performance, including its weapons suite etc. If all goes according to plan, the formal handover of the Vikramaditya’s will take place on December 4. It will give a formidable dimension to Indian naval power (The Hindu 29). Russia is reported to be making a pitch for its Amur-1650 submarines under the Indian Navy’s P-75(I) project (The Hindu June 24). The Russia-India BraMos supersonic cruise missile, already in operation with the Indian Army and Navy and shortly to be integrated into the country’s most lethal Russianmanufactured Sukhoi-MJKI-30 aircraft, is to be complemented, in 2017, by the hypersoni8c cruise missile now being tested in both countries, said BrahMos (India CEO) Sivathanu Pillai (The Hindu June 28).

hopes to preserve its 1989 double-taxation avoidance treaty with India through the deal. Mauritian Foreign Minister Arvin Boolell said these sundrenched islands - 1,700 nautical miles from Mauritius - would be ideal holiday resorts for Indian developers, while for the Indian Navy, they would be ideal bases in the Indian Ocean- a marriage of glamour and security that should India’s interests.

Higgs boson

Satyendra Nath Bose

It was one of those rare occasions when an exalted subject dominated media headlines. What heavenly relief to be spared, for a change, the Mills and Boon shows of vainglorious Indian politicians. The discovery of the hitherto elusive Higgs boson or its subatomic kin – the popular “God particle”– set India alight. Reams of print told us the story of the shy and retiring Professor Peter Higgs, now a venerable 83, and the theory he had fathered way back in the 1960s as a 37year-old physicist at the Edinburgh University.

One reason for the Kolkata’s celebration was the fact that the term boson is named after one its great sons, Satyendra Nath Bose, by none other than Albert Einstein. Their collaboration in what is today known as the Bose-Einstein statistics (one of two classes of subatomicparticles that laid the basis of quantam mechanics). Bose, like his distinguished Kolkata contemporary, the astrophysicist Megnad Saha, and their eminent senior Jagadish Bose, may have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society (FRS) in their time, but the accolade of the Nobel prize eluded all three, as did the Nobel Peace prize Mahatma Gandhi, but not Henry Kissinger who, in a fairer world, would surely have been indicted for crimes against humanity.

India in US exercise India joined an American-led 22-nation naval exercise in Hawaii. The exercise was limited countries of the Pacific Rim, India’s ‘observer’ status, in keeping with its geography, was modest. More significant was Russia’s full participation with four warships; it was Russia’s first presence in these war games. China was not invited. The Indian and Russian presence elicited adverse comment in the People’s Daily, organ of the Chinese Communist party. The Indian presence was explained by the country’s naval authorities as a desire to keep abreast with the latest developments in naval warfare. Russia’s presence indicates, surely, that Russian and Chinese national interests do not necessarily converge in every situation. Perhaps that was the message Moscow was trying to get across (The Telegraph July 6).

Russia delivers

Mauritian offer to India

An in-depth two-year modernization programme of India’s submarine fleet at Russian shipyards has completed and the first deliveries made to the Indian navy. A state-of-the art

Mauritius has offered to cede control of its 70-kilometre North and South Agalega Islands to India as part of a trade and investment package. Mauritius

speak of Europe itself. There was much excitement at Kolkata’s Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, whose scientists had made their own special contribution to the work of CERN. There were also contributions from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai and Bangalore’s College of Science, a reminder of the distance India has travelled since independence in advanced science and engineering. For this the country’s owes a deep debt of gratitude to the pioneering vision of Homi Bhabha and Jawaharlal Nehru.

Peter Higgs

Confirmation of its existence, said CERN’s German Director General Rolf-Dieter Heuer, had increased man’s understanding of the universe by 4 per cent, its remaining mysteries, a daunting 96 per cent, still to be plumbed. The hugely ambitious CERN project buried under the Alps between France and Switzerland, is Europeanled but its outreach is global, with scientists from around the world participating in its ground-breaking researches in physics and cosmology. These stretch the human mind to its limits, so it was heartening to read of the Indian involvement in this amazing adventure. Japan and India represent the largest Asian presence in CERN, complementing the finest brains of North America, Russia, not to

Albert Einstein

Amit Chaudhuri, author of two jewelled fragments of autobiography and works of English literary criticism, remarked in a piece in The Guardian (July 3) that Indian scientists, in particular, were best advised to set up base in America if they harboured ambitions for the coveted Nobel. For the popular Western imagination India is largely unknown territory: exotic, poverty-ridden, disasterprone, mysterious and distant. Is Sweden’s Nobel Committee weighed down by the white man’s burden?

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

MMUK celebrates 'Mahesh Navmi' Maheshwari Mahasabha United Kingdom (MMUK) celebrated 'Mahesh Navmi' with great enthusiasm for the third consecutive year. It has special significance for Maheshwaris as the community was formed with blessings of Lord Shiva on the day of Mahesh Navmi. It is one of the hallmark events of MMUK and brings all Maheshwaris in the UK together to celebrate the event under one roof. This year, Mahesh Navmi was celebrated in West London on 17th June 2012. It was an all day event featuring sports and fun games for kids as well as for grownups in the morning and the cultural performances in the evening and finishing off with a gala dinner. The participation from the community was overwhelming, with more than 80 participants. The morning fun and enthusiasm carried onto the early evening cultural event, which saw an unprecedented attendance of about 200 people. A magnificent stage, colourful lights and a massive gala style sitting arrangement gave an early feel of how marvellous the evening will unfold. The cultural event commenced with prayer to Lord Mahesh and greeting to everyone. Cultural programme started with fancy dress competition in

which kids showcased themselves in different characters and costumes. This was followed by several breath-taking dance performances, a heart touching poem recital and a soothing sitar performance - all contributed by members of MMUK community. More than 30 prizes were distributed to the winners and runners up from various competitions and games. MMUK president Shri Dilip Pungliya addressed the community to further spread the awareness about MMUK amongst the masses with a vision to bring all the Maheshwari residents in the UK under one umbrella. This year's Mahesh Navmi event was special in several ways – the participation from the community broke all the records from previous years. It had wider participation not only from Maheshwaris of Indian

origin residents across the UK, but also witnessed participation from the Maheshwari families migrated from Pakistan. Everyone enjoyed the spirit of togetherness and had good share of memories to cherish. People also applauded organising committee's effort to put together a fantastic event and eagerly await for future opportunities to come together again .The success of the event can be drawn from an inspirational testimonial given by one of the attendees, “MMUK- a home away from home – A commendable effort to maintain the integrity of our culture and keep us abreast with our roots. The mere thought ‘We are not alone’ provides a big reason to smile’’ For more information about the event and MMUK please visit www.mmuk.org.

The Embarrassed Indian – in defence of the sacred Continued from page 3 Just as we liberals strongly advocated against child marriages, dowry, caste discrimination, so too what based on our cultural heritage do we liberals ever advocate for – other than ‘do as you wish’? What do we hold on to? Do we say, ‘no this is what it means to be Indian, this you shall not take?’ I fear it is this lack of confidence, sometimes called the Indian inferiority complex, which permeates into the global political sphere, where unlike a China, India is not prepared to be belligerent, not prepared to be a global player shaping the world. It is also this, ‘do as you please’ attitude which I fear is at the root of corruption. I was at a cinema in India recently. At the start of the programme they played the national anthem. Everyone stands. Everyone is silent. It’s a small thing. But it’s these small things that provide confidence. As I look at the ‘Britain is Great’ campaign for the Olympics, I see you do not have to shed that which is your historical birth right in order to be ‘modern’ . Perhaps French Journalist and Philosopher Francois Gautier put it best who said “Oh Member of the Indian Intelligentsia! You think that reading the latest New York Times bestseller, speaking polished English, and putting down your own countrymen, especially anybody who has a Hindu connection, makes you an intellectual? But in the process you have not only lost your roots, you have turned your back on a culture and civilisation that is thousands of years old and has given so much to the world. Cry O my beloved India, look what thy children have done to thee!” Ironically, the proudest Indian I see today is Aamir Khan. Both able to be fiercely proud but also be critical and make constructive changes to his country. The right wing of Hinduism and the right wing of Islam both have to come to terms with the

that fact Muslims in India are not guests – it is their country too. Or as Shakespeare put it, ‘For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.’ Or as Obama said, ‘To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.’

May under more pressure after being challenged about delays Theresa May, the home secretary, has been put under more pressure because of immigration delays ahead of the Olympics. Keith Vaz, the Labour chair of the home affairs committee, said that he was “appalled” by the length of queues in Heathrow airport at Terminal 4, after a trip to West London. He said: “The worst aspect was that half of the immigration desks were simply not open even though the Border Force had prior knowledge of all flight arrivals.” Upon being questioned about the problem, May said that she had increased the number of staff at Heathrow, as well as other airports in response to hearing about the “unacceptable” queues. She told MPs: “Extra arrangements will be in place for the Olympics.” Damien Green, immigration minister, has reassured MPs that weekend staff numbers have risen by 50 per cent at Heathrow, and he will face questions

Jains celebrate London's diversity There is a phrase in the English language – ‘I cannot see the wood for the trees’ – meaning that we see the trees in front of us, but do not recognise the forest. London, being the multi-cultural capital of the world, has a large number of faith communities and worship places, but it is rare for busy Londoners to visit those outside their own faith. Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai, Founder and Spiritual Head of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur (India), decided to take his global followers on such an interfaith journey on a ‘Love of Faith’ charity walk on 30th June 2012. Over four hundred and fifty people including members of various Jain communities of the UK, representatives of Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Zoroastrian and Baha’i faiths, as well as several MPs and other dignitaries participated in this event. Starting with prayers at a Jain Derasar in NorthWest London, the Event in Central London commenced at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St. Johns Wood, followed by visits to the London Central Mosque at Regents Park, the London Fo Guang Buddhist temple near Oxford Circus, the Radha Krishna temple in Soho and culminating at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey. Within a span of a few hours, participants experienced the depth and breadth of the diversity of London, got a flavour of the Love of Faith that is expressed by worshippers

Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai with representatives of major world faiths around a Unity Candle

of different faiths and the variety of ways in which this is done. At each place of worship, a representative of the faith explained the basic tenets and then there was opportunity for interaction either through dialogue, meditation, bhakti, devotional singing and dancing. The aim was to celebrate the beauty of faith and the divine, to connect people of different faiths and bridge any divides. In the process, over £100,000 was raised for two special charities, Sense International and SR Love and Care. In Jain philosophy, the principle of Anekantvad – that truth has multiple facets, and depends on the perspective of the seer – is central to its teachings. It is not a mono-theistic religion that believes solely in one God or one truth, but allows a diversity of viewpoints and beliefs to coexist. This is a unique feature of the Jain faith, one that has allowed Jains to intermingle and mix with all kinds of people all over the world where they live and work. Respect for others is a spontaneous act for many Jains, and this

walk demonstrated this through collective communal action. The warmth and friendship of the welcome that we received at each place showed how rare it is that groups of worshippers from a different faith embark on such pilgrimages. At each place, we allowed the faith to speak in its own voice, explain its own beliefs and customs within its own context, something quite rare in today’s world. We are very quick to judge others, without allowing them to speak their own truth and wisdom. The event also attempted to unite people of different faiths, instead of dividing them, which is often in the news today. The largest event from the UK Jain community’s offering to ‘A Year of Service,’ marking the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen, the charity walk imbued the potent and transformative message of non-violence, peace, tolerance and love. For more information and to make a donation to this worthwhile cause, please visit: www.loveoffaith.org.

Divorce settlement wrapped up in just 11 days Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have reached a private settlement in their divorce case, avoiding a full blown court battle and detailed exposure of the actor's links to Scientology. The remarkably swift deal, which both of them have signed, was concluded just 11 days after Holmes filed for divorce and followed marathon

negotiations between two teams of lawyers over the weekend. Cruise is thought to have been especially keen to avoid a drawn-out court case that could have highlighted details about him and Scientology. The controversial church has repeatedly been cited as a reason for the couple's separation and it has faced a torrent of bad publicity

in the past fortnight. It is understood their six-year-old daughter Suri will live primarily with Holmes, but that Cruise will have generous visitation rights and be a full part of the child's life. Holmes, who was raised a Catholic, is thought to have secured her wish that Suri not be brought up in the Church of Scientology.

Thousands of Gurkha jobs saved Serving Army officers and politicians are questioning why the 3,400 men in the Brigade of Gurkhas are being spared when the Army reduces by 12,000. The Government has been accused of “lacking the stomach” for the political fallout that would be likely if they cut the unit of Nepalese soldiers who have served Britain for two centuries.

It is understood that the Gurkhas’ future was discussed in last-minute talks ahead of Future Force 2020, that saw dozens of units disbanded as the Army reduces its numbers by a fifth to 82,000. There is said to be apprehension in government circles at the “Joanna Lumley factor” after the actress’s success-

ful campaign, when Labour was in office, to give all Gurkhas with four years’ service the right to settle in Britain. An MoD spokesman said: “We have always been clear that some units will inevitably be lost or will merge as a result of the restructuring of the Army to create an agile, flexible force for the future.”

about border delays from Vaz's committee. Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, told home office ministers they

should do more. The government has been urged to repair the M4 motorway at a faster pace, as this links Heathrow and central

London. Due to repairs in process, six miles of the road are closed while engineers are working on repairing the cracks.

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Meet Bhangra Beauty Nindy Kaur By Anjali Patel Shreya Datta

Young Asian Social Enterprise (YASE) off to a flying start Wednesday 4th July 2012 marked the first successful milestone for YASE. Fifteen students participated in the first phase of the scheme and raised in excess of £5,300 through undertaking creative fundraising projects. The students presented their fundraising experiences at the event, hosted at the Accenture head office by Sushil Saluja, (Senior Executive at Accenture). In reward for their fundraising efforts, the students were awarded Jemini Gova (YASE student) receiving a certificate from Kevin McCole (UKIBC) the YASE prize. This consists of mentoring support tively address such challenges”. for the students and an opportunity to Additionally Aekta and Divya reingain first hand insight at a range of top forced the importance of developing a city firms that have partnered with social conscious. They wanted to YASE, including Accenture, develop a model which not only PricewaterhouseCoopers, Shell and addressed the aforementioned chalReed Smith. lenges but also encouraged the youth to Kevin McCole (Chief Operating give back. Officer at the UK India Business The funds raised through the Council) presented the YASE certifischeme will go directly towards carefulcates at the event and noted that the ly selected grassroots projects in develstudent presentations were “inspiring oping countries such as India. Akshaya and far more engaging than most prePatra, a foundation which promotes sentations he sees at boardroom meeteducation through running a school ings”. meals programme will benefit from the The scheme was developed as a funds raised through the first phase. result of the challenges experienced by They feed over the Founders, Aekta 1.3 million Mahajan and Divya underprivileged Talwar themselves. children daily Speaking at the in more than event, Divya 8,260 schools Talwar (Reporter across India. for the BBC) Speaking at noted that the event, “Britain is facD i p i k a ing unpreceKhaitan dented chal(UK presilenges, with dent of the Ashaya Patra) said “YASE is almost one in five 16 to 24 years olds an excellent scheme to help students in jobless. Competition for graduate placethese tough times. We are proud to be ments is higher than ever before so acaassociated with the scheme as it makes demic achievements alone no longer a win-win situation in both sides of the serve as their passport to land top gradworld. The funds raised will be matched uate positions – they have to do far by the Indian government, which more in order to stand out.” means that over 1,000 children will be Aekta Mahajan (Senior Manager at fed for an entire year through YASE”. the Cabinet Office) added that “for ethYASE will be launched at a larger nic minority communities, the chalscale this autumn. If you are a profeslenges are multiplied several fold. A sional and keen to sign up as mentor or lack of visible role models within the a student aged between 18-25 and community and the absence of mentorwould like to participate in the next ing support are just some of the conintake, email info@yase-uk.com or visit tributory factors. However, with the www.yase-uk.com for further informasupport of our mentors and corporate tion. partners, we hope that YASE will effec-

Front: Kamel Hothi (LTSB), Aekta Mahajan (YASE founder), Dipika Khaitan (Akshaya Patra), Divya Talwar (YASE founder) Kevin McCole (UKIBC) Back: Priyanka Singh, Sonica Mendiratta, Sabina Ranger, Jemini Gova, Chanal Griffiths, Veronica Ruddle, Mamta Ramgi, Vrunda Patel, Gorav Pallan, Raveena Nagaria, Thivjah Yoganathon, Jaskiran Kaur Sidhu, Janvi Shah, Nishil Shah, Uday Dattani

Nindy Kaur, more popularly known as the Bhangra Beauty, is not only a household name in the UK but also India. She was born and raised in the UK, and grew up listening to Bhangra music. She later moved to Canada and her singing career took off, after marrying Manjeet Ral, member of popular Bhangra band; RDB. Nindy began performing with the band, and soon hit the stage with Bollywood actor, Akshay Kumar, at the Toronto International Film Festival. She has since then found herself occupying the number one spot in the charts, after the release of her first two singles in India. When asked if she had any other ambitions before becoming involved in the music industry, she explained; “My parents used to always encourage me to be a doctor or have a career of that sort, but I enjoyed working with computers, and chose to study computing programming in college. My parents at the time didn't realise how much technology would take over.” Her musical talent was first recognised by her husband, Manj. “I used to be a huge fan of RDB; I bought their album in Canada and could not stop listening to their songs. One day I thought I'd drop them an email on their fan site to show my

appreciation, and luckily received an email back!” She added; “I went along to one of the RDB shows when they came over to Canada to perform, I was introduced and everything just started from there for me and Manj.”

Nindy Kaur

Nindy spoke about being involved in Bollywood; “At the tie Akshay actually got in contact with me while I was working in Canada and offered me the opportunity to be involved in his new film!” Nindy's new album is titled 'Nindypendent', and Nindy has stated that the album will consist of “nothing but dance tunes”. Nindy added that she wanted a “different flavour”, and so the album contains new collaborations. With all of the touring and releasing Nindy does, we asked her how she balanced her working life, and family life, with her hectic schedule. To this Nindy agreed, and explained; “If we have a show in India on Saturday , we fly out on friday and come back on Sunday. While we're away, Anoop (son) stays with my in

laws, so when the touring is finished all I want to do is just get home and see my son and relax!” Even with the very little leisure time Nindy has, she explains that her favourite thing to do in her spare time is using the Gym. She added; “In the morning before doing anything else I have to go gym. I also have gym equipment at home so when I don't get a chance to go out to the gym, I do it at home.” As to who Nindy's inspiration is, she replied “It would have to be Shazia Manzoor. I used to listen to all of her songs, and when I went to Pakistan I bought all of her CD's.” She continued, enthusiastically saying that she would love to work with Rihanna. “I love all of her songs and productions. She comes out with hit after hit.” A growing percentage of the younger generation are now aspiring to become a musical sensation, like Nindy. Nindy's advice to youngsters who dream of becoming like her some day is to “Come forward, and show your talent.” Along with her new album 'Nindypendent', the singer added, “I do have a few Bollywood songs lined up for upcoming movies but I cannot say as of yet!” Nindy reminded her fans to keep their eyes peeled for her upcoming projects.

KK showBIZ makes contribution to The British Epilepsy Association

Epilepsy is currently defined as a tendency to have recurrent seizures (sometimes called fits). A seizure is caused by a sudden burst of excess electrical activity in the brain, causing a temporary disruption in the normal message passing between brain cells. This disruption results in the brain’s messages becoming halted or mixed up. The brain is responsible for all the functions of your body, so what you experience during a seizure will depend on where in your brain the epileptic activity begins and how widely and rapidly it spreads. For this rea-

son, there are many different types of seizure and each person will experience epilepsy in a way that is unique to them. During the last twelve months KK showBIZ media and with the support of Lloyds Banking Group plus media promoters & International/UK artist have amazingly generated a total of £1'828.00 for 'The British Epilepsy Association'. The funds will be part of the Sunflower fund to celebrate the life of Daxa Solanki who sadly passed away on the 3rd June 2011 due to a epilepsy

seizure at her home in Leicester. Every penny donated to the Sunflower Fund will help 'The British Epilepsy Association' to provide crucial support to those who are recently diagnosed, are concerned about medication or who just need to talk to someone through the freephone and e-mail Helpline service. KK showBIZ media are proud supporters of 'The British Epilepsy Association.' You can also show your support by contacting 'The British Epilepsy Association' on 0113 210 8800 or 0808 800 5050.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

f ashionista

Last few days to nominate inspiring members from the community Nominations for the public to nominate local heroes and inspiring members of their communities for the esteemed Asian Achievers Awards 2012 is closing on 12th July, 2012. Taking place on 14th September, 2012 at Grosvenor House Hotel, the Asian Achievers Awards will recognise the outstanding work of individuals from across all businesses and professions and acknowledge the accomplishments of the finest of the UK’s Asian community. by Asian Hosted Business Publications Ltd (ABPL), the event is now into its 12th year and promises to be bigger and better than ever before as 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the publishing group’s iconic newspapers, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. The ceremony will welcome a who’s who of high profile dignitaries, cross party politicians, celebrities and high achievers from the Asian community. Previous attendees include: Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable, Tony Blair, Jack Straw and David Blunkett. The Asian Achievers Awards salute individuals who are singularly responsible for bringing the Asian community to the centre stage of British life, and celebrate the exceptional and exemplary achievements of community members that are truly inspirational. The coveted Awards were first envisioned as a standard of excellence that would create role models and encourage

younger generations to follow in their footsteps. An independent panel of judges is given total freedom to select a shortlist and then the winner in each category. Not only subscribers and readers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar but also the wider community is invited to nominate across the various categories. Each year, Asian Achievers Awards receive a record number of nominations and the calibre of candidates continues to go from strength to strength. Asian Achievers Award categories comprise: Sports Personality of the Year; Business Person of the Year; Professional of the Year; Achievement in Community Service; Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture; Award for Entertainment; Woman of the Year; Young Entrepreneur of the Year; Uniformed and Civil Services; International Personality of the Year; and Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr. CB Patel, Chairman, Editor, Publisher ABPL Group, “Asian Achievers Awards is a unique award ceremony where nominations are made by members of the public and the selection is done by an individual panel of judges – truly the ‘People’s Awards’.” Nominations can be registered via Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar newspapers, as well as online at: www.asianachieversawards.com

Community members receive special St Luke’s 25th anniversary awards Community groups, organisations and individuals receive special awards for their significant contribution to St Luke’s work in their 25th anniversary year. St Luke’s 25th anniversary celebrations culminated with a special afternoon tea event at the Harrow District Masonic Centre in Kenton on Sunday 8 July 2012. Over 200 people came along to celebrate 25 years of free end of life care provided by St Luke’s Hospice in the Borough of Harrow and Brent. Each guest was welcomed with a special commemorative book, a silver supporter badge and a welcome drink. They also had the chance to

L George COO receiving an award on behalf of Asian Business Publications Ltd from Mike Redhouse, Chairman St Lukes’s Hospice

mingle, eat, drink, enjoy music and to find out more about the Hospice’s services and activities and about St Luke’s plans for

Mrs Kadu Shah president of Lions Club of Milton Keynes receiving an award from Mike Redhouse, Chairman St Lukes’s Hospice

the future. An array of exhibition stands were on display to represent the different areas of the Hospice’s work. This included patient and family care, fundraising events, volunteering work and an archive stand highlighting St Luke’s key moments and achievements over the last 25 years. St Luke’s Chief Executive, Mike Coward talked about the Hospice’s achievements to date, the plans for the future and the importance of community involvement. St Luke’s Chairman, Mike Redhouse presented special silver supporter award plaques to representatives

by Debasree Ghosh

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

Jeans in vogue I own about twelve pairs of jeans, seven of which I never wear. The rest consists of my precious decade-old Tommy Hilfiger, a Tesco one for dog-walking, Topshop skinnies for black err..skinny days, J Brand darkwash that I bought with some wedding gift money, and a pair of Gap straight legs that I live in. They’re all various shades of blue. I also have a pair of green jeans close to my heart but I find very few occasions for them. They make my thighs feel a bit self-conscious. So all my ‘working’ jeans really look the same and I am forever thankful for that. They work for all occasions, with everything and are rarely inappropriate. Here are a few ideas on how to wear your jeans for any occasion. Mix and match, take some risks, create your own style and have fun with these funky jean looks.

neck a silk scarf and tie in a knot. A blazer is versatile and cute teamed with a preppy polo tee and flat ballet pumps.

Sunday Lunch A vest and jeans will always be in trend, team with a chunky knitted scarf and oversized fisherman cardigan to keep warm. Sensible heels and a silky blouse turns this causal number into lunch with the in-laws. Never under-estimate the power of a white tee and ballet pumps. Toughen this girly ensemble with a leather jacket and scarf for Parisian cool.

Work

leave out depending on what suits your figure best. Wear embellished flat ballet pumps with your skinny leg jeans. Tuck a shirt into your jeans, thread a belt through the loops and why not try tying your favorite silk scarf under the collar in the shape of a bow.

Team your jeans with an oversized T-shirt. Jazz up this look with a fedora and a cropped trench or leather jacket. Jeans can be part of a layering equation so slip into ballet flats and a gypsy tunic. Throw round your

Tuck into your jeans a crisp white shirt. Thread a thin red belt through the belt loops and slip on chic black pumps. A well fitting blazer slipped over the top takes this ensemble from the office to after work drinks. Tuck your jeans into boots by all means, but be mindful of the height of the boots. Petite women look better in calf-length boots instead of knee-highs that threaten to overwhelm them. Team your Bootcut or Flared jeans with comfortable high heels and a cute pussy bow shirt. Tuck in or

Team your Flares, Bootleg, and Skinny leg jeans with sky-high pumps for instant glamour. Tuck in your shirt, this shows off your curves, add bow shaped belt and braces for old school charm. Top with a well-fitted peacoat if the seasons are not favourable. Slip into a silk vest or throw on a lace or chiffon riffly shirt. Keep the jewellery delicate and accessorise with a gorgeous statement clutch.

from community groups and organisations who have made a significant contribution to the Hospice’s work over the past year. This includes 25th anniversary media partner, Asian Business Publication who have provided a vast amount of press coverage and support in Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. Long service awards were also presented to volunteers and staff. Other organisations who received an award at a 25th anniversary event hosted by Lord Dolar Popat on Friday 6

July include: Anandi Ladies Group, Asian Foundation for Help, Maa Krupa Foundation UK, Shree Jalaram Mandir, Anandi Ladies Group, Charotar Ladies Group, Mandhata Youth and Community Association, Asian Foundation for Help, Santoshi Maa Foundation UK, Charotar, Ladies Group, Blue Ginger Peaches Bar and Restaurant. A special recognition was given to the Midnight Walk committee who helped to organise St

Luke’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Over £188,000 has been pledged by our 2012 walkers. St Luke’s would like to thank all the people who came along to the event and to everyone who supported St Luke’s during their 25th anniversary year. Over £280,000 has been raised from the generosity of the community. The support has been overwhelming and St Luke’s hope this will continue to ensure the Hospice can be there for future generations.

Casual

Glamorous

Guests at the event

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Sanjay Dutt in Jiiva's film?

The division between north and south cinema is diminishing. While south actors are keen on setting a pan Indian image, those in B-town seem to be open in doing roles down south. Recently we saw Jackie Shroff foraying in Tamil cinema, he also bagged a role along with the Superstar in 'Kochadaiyaan'. Now the latest buzz is that another ace star, Sanjay Dutt, will debut in Kollywood! It was recently reported that ace cinematographer Ravi K Chandran will be wielding the megaphone for the first time. The film is set to be made in three languages, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu with leading Tamil actor Jiiva as the lead. It is said that the makers are keen on casting Sanjay Dutt for a pivotal role in this flick.

‘Kochadaiyaan’ breaks ‘Sivaji's’ record! Rajinikanth's forthcoming movie “Kochadaiyaan” has broken the record of his earlier movie “Sivaji!” Well, the satellite rights of his latest film has been acquired by Jaya TV for a huge price, which is said to be the highest for a Rajini film till date. The buzz is that “Kochadaiyaan” satellite rights have been sold for more than Rs 55 million, thereby breaking the record of Rajinikanth's earlier movie “Sivaji,” which was sold for Rs 50 million to Sun TV. Though there is no confirmation on the price, rumour mills are rife that the film has set a new benchmark.

Venkat Prabhu zeroes in on Richa Gangopadhyay Director Venkat Prabhu has finally roped in female lead for his “Biriyani.” After considering quite a few A-list actresses, he has chosen Richa Gangopadhyay to play the love interest of Karthi in the upcoming movie. Reports say that Venkat Prabhu wanted to cast a top actress and considered actresses like Ileana D'Cruz and Samantha but finally decided to rope in Richa Gangopadhyay. The director offered the film recently and the actress grabbed it in both hands. However, she is yet to sign on the dotted lines. Richa has confirmed the news. She will be seen in the role of a mischievous girl in the movie.

Hot Garam masala New star kid raring to go

There is a new star kid in B-Town raring to take the showbiz plunge. Suniel Shetty's daughter Athiya, all of 18, is making heads turn with her traffic-stopper looks and the buzz is that it is only a matter of time before she makes her Bollywood debut. The buzz about Athiya gearing up for a Bollywood debut has also gained ground because dad Suniel was spotted having a chat with Ranbir Kapoor a few days ago. Athiya recently returned from the US after finishing a course in filmmaking and liberal arts at the New York Film Academy. Two years ago, Suniel and his wife Mana had visited the US to choose the best university for their daughter's admission. Reported to be strict parents, the Shettys were extremely watchful about their daughter's education. Now that she is back, they are said to be planning Athiya's Bollywood career.

Ranbir Kapoor shows his funny side Ranbir Kapoor showed off a range of expressions at this filmi do that was held last week. His antics had co-stars Ileana D'Cruz and Priyanka Chopra in splits. And it looked like Ranbir along with his co-stars has formed a mutual admiration club. While the girls couldn't stop gushing about RK, he too showered them with a lot of attention. The guys - Ranbir and Anurag - bonded big time, while Priyanka and Ileana were seen giggling in a corner. Looks like these two ladies had a point to prove to the naysayers, who insist that two actresses can't be friends.

Ayesha and I have separate lives: Jackie Shroff Jackie Shroff was asked why he is not seen with his wife Ayesha anymore. There are even rumours of a separation. Regarding this he says, “Our friends are different. We both hang out with different people and have separate lives. Only if there's a family function do we go together. I tell her, you've been a doormat for a long time, now go ahead and enjoy yourself. That's why we've been together for 35 years. We've been friends, and courted for 10 years before marriage. I remember telling her, I don't love you, I lust you. Today, we understand each other on a totally different level. Her trust is unnerving.”

Kalki Koechlin asks fans to adopt -not buy-animals Smiling brightly while holding her beloved rescued cat Dosa, Filmfare Award–winning actor Kalki Koechlin stars in a brand-new ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The ad reads, "Adopt, Don't Buy", and goes on to say, "Even the Little Tigers Need You", a reference to conservation groups' efforts to save tigers. Koechlin wants her admiring fans to know that every time someone buys a cat or a dog from a breeder or a pet shop, a wonderful animal living on the streets or languishing in an animal shelter loses a chance of finding a loving home. "Dosa is a super cat – he's cuddly, affectionate and good-looking", says Koechlin. "With so many homeless animals suffering on the streets or waiting to be adopted in animal shelters, breeders only add to the problem by bringing yet more cats and dogs into the world. I am so happy that I adopted Dosa." Koechlin studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, and toured the UK last year with Rajat Kapoor's production of “Hamlet: The Clown Prince.” Her debut role Hindi film “Dev D” earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009. She was also nominated for Screen and Stardust awards for best actress this year for her work in the Hindi thriller Shaitan. Currently, Koechlin is starring in the film “Shanghai.” Across the UK, stray cats and dogs struggle to survive on the streets. Many of them starve to death or are injured, abused or hit by vehicles. Countless others are left to languish in animal shelters because there aren't enough good homes for them. PETA and Kalki Koechlin want people to know that they can bring joy into the life of a homeless dog or cat – and into their own lives – by adopting a lovable and loving homeless animal. In order to take a bite out of the homelessanimal crisis, PETA encourages everyone to have their animal companions sterilised.

Ajay replaces Akshay on 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' The fifth season of 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' will not be hosted by Khiladi Kumar but Bollywood's other action hero - Ajay Devgn. Reason: Akshay has blocked his dates for the new entrant in his family. According to reports, Akshay Kumar turned down the show as wife Twinkle is expecting their second child around the same time of the show. Therefore, Akshay won't be seen in Season 5. There were buzz of John Abraham or Ajay Devgn to replace Akshay Kumar on the show. John is busy shooting back to back for “Shootout At Wadala,” “Race 2”, Shoojit

Sircar's next and Farah Khan's “Happy New Year.” Finally, the makers of 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' signed Ajay who is known for his action image. Ajay Devgn is the right replacement to host the celebrity stunt show! Dream comes true: Devendra Pal Singh from Ludhiana is one of the strong contenders for Indian Idol season 6 and an ardent Ajay Devgn fan. When the latter came to Patiala, Devendra tried to catch a glimpse of the super star, but was not successful. But his dream came true when Ajay Devgn and his team visited the sets of Indian Idol 6 to promote their flick Bol Bachchan. Devendra was all smiles. This also put a smile on Ajay's face and he immediately complied with Dev's wishes and posed for a picture with him.

I am single right now: Isha Sharvani Isha Sharwani sets the record straight about her alleged romance with cricketer Zaheer Khan. There have been a whole lot of rumours in the media about Isha Sharwani’s relationship status. While some have written tales about her steady relationship with Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan, others have even reported on them buying their dream house together. However, Isha sets the record straight. The dancer-actress says, “I am single right now.” Despite rumours about her and her alleged beau Zaheer, Isha says that she has chosen to stay mum on the matter. She points out, “I have never reacted to it in the past. I do not have any plans of getting married soon. That is all I want to say right now. ”

Akshay Kumar scared of dance, says Prabhu Deva

Filmmaker Prabhu Deva, who directed Akshay Kumar in hit film “Rowdy Rathore,” says the latter is comfortable with action and acting, but he feels stressed out when it comes to dancing. Prabhu Deva made the startling revelation about Akshay on a television chat show. He had to assign and judge a task for young contestants on the show, and in the meantime, he narrated interesting anecdotes straight out of the sets of “Rowdy Rathore.” That's when he told the contestants about Akshay's apprehensions about dance. He said the actor remains stress free as long as he doesn't have to shake a leg. But when asked to groove, he used to hardly talk. In fact, Prabhu Deva said he had to indulge in pep talks with Akshay before shooting any dance sequence. The filmmaker, an accomplished dancer himself, said that Akshay used to say: "Everything else is fine but when the song starts and I have to shake myself, I go blank! It really scares and stresses me!"

Veteran actor Dara Singh critical Bollywood's he-man of the 1960s, Dara Singh, who was hospitalized recently after a cardiac arrest, is still in a critical condition. Doctors attending the veteran said he was on ventilator and extremely critical. Dara Singh, who was born in 1928 in Dharmoochak in Amritsar district of Punjab began as a wrestler but soon became a popular actor in Indian cinema and played several roles opposite yesteryear's actresses like Mumtaz in the 1960s. He played in films like “King Kong,” which were inspired by Hollywood movies. He had a successful career in television also and was a popular face in many of the TV serials since the 1980s. But with the role of Hanuman in “Ramayan” on TV, he reached every household.

Bollywood star Katrina Kaif has been named as the world's sexiest woman for the fourth year in a row in a magazine poll. The 27year-old actress beat Hollywood stars like Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie and Blake Lively as well as her Bollywood contemporaries, in a magazine poll which was based entirely on online and SMS voting. "I am really excited with the news since it means people are not voting for me only based on my physical looks. They are looking at me in entirety," Katrina said. When asked what sexy means to her, she said, "Being sexy is not about the clothes. The sexiest thing is not trying. For me to wear a cotton sari, be without makeup and to still be desirable is sexy." The most Googled actress with the maximum downloads, also joined the group of world divas like Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross and Beyonce Knowles when she became the Indian face for the Barbie at the iconic doll's 50th Birthday celebrations of in 2009.

Nargis Fakhri stuns on magazine cover She has been on two seasons of America's next top model, has even posed for the Kingfisher calendar and later in 2011, she made her Bollywood debut opposite current heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor in “Rockstar.” She is none other than Nargis Fakhri. Nargis, who is by now famous for her pout, sizzles on the cover of the latest issue of Hi Blitz. Clad in a black dress, accessorised with a silver necklace, Nargis portrays the quintessential gypsy queen. With an entire article delving into the phenomenon that is Nargis, the free and beautiful gypsy, expect more than just eye candy as she opens up about herself.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Banks give 15 days to Kingfisher for revival plan Dear Financial Voice Reader, This column will be increasingly about finance from the perspective of the entrepreneur, not the markets alone. A few years ago as part of the UKTI Global Entreprenuer Programme we launched UKIBAN – the UK India Business Angel Network, connecting, UK and India angels to land India companies in the UK. One of the members of UKIBAN provided this data. On average, this is what happens to business plans presented to investors: • 60% are rejected after a 30 minute review • 25% are rejected after a 3 hour appraisal • 10% are rejected after a full day evaluation • 3% are rejected following failed negotiations • 2% succeed in raising funds Yes, read it again, only 2% of businesses seeking private equity are successful. Thankfully there are other sources of finance. To get a deal, despite the Internet, nothing but nothing beats a personal meeting. Video conference and skype are rubbish for building relationship. They are better than nothing but only just. Plus when you meet, you show you are prepared to make the effort. You will learn things about the client outside of business. Make notes of their interests. It may sound like stalking but it’s not. It’s giving a damn about a potential client. But then post meeting increase your touchpoints. Are they on twitter and linkedin? If so connect. Don’t do Facebook unless you are sure they don’t keep Facebook for just family and friends otherwise they will think you’re a stalker. When I am on Governement business and trying to find companies to land in the UK with their IP and global HQ I have to be in the countries I am responsible for – Malaysia, Singapore, India. I have to meet them. Its tiring. Of course email video confs and linkedin helps. But press that flesh. I was doing a trip to Qatar Oman Saudi with tier one bankers. But how to access? It annoys the hell out of me how few use LinkedIn properly. If you don’t know how then don’t ask me for leads. You’re an amateur and should be taken out and shot. People on linkedin are expecting contacts and know that’s why they are on there. So use that. Instead most lazy people will email me for leads. I presume such people who do that are lazy or stupid or both. In which case I immediately put them in my ‘muppet bucket’. For trade shows find out two weeks ahead who exhibiting then set a meeting at exhibition to meet so they are expecting you. Trying to sell to an exhibitor otherwise makes them unhappy as they’ve invested in a stand and you’re trying to sell to them! Alpesh Patel (alpesh.patel@tradermind.com) www.InvestingBetterBlog.com www.alpeshpatel.com • www.TheDealDaddy.me

India's downgrade to 'junk' unlikely: Standard Chartered Global banking major Standard Chartered said the possibility of India’s sovereign rating downgrade to the junk status is unlikely given the recent revival in sentiment. "We do not see a high probability of an immediate downgrade but rating agencies will closely monitor the appetite for corrective action," a report by the bank's economists said. Policymakers will have to show concrete steps to help restore growth and consolidate the fiscal balance in the next few months, it warned, saying no action on the twin fronts can result in adverse action. "We believe the rating agencies will monitor macroeconomic data points for at least two to three quarters before making a move," says the StanChart report. The possible factors which can lead to a downgrade include lack of

revival in investment demand which can lead to sustained lower growth rates and no progress on reducing the fuel, food and fertiliser subsidies which are leading to wider fiscal deficit, it notes. It, however, says from the rating point of view, the widening current account deficit and the drop in forex reserves do not pose much of a problem given the country's low gross external debt and robust external liquidity profile. Conceding that big bang reforms will be difficult, the report gives a quick checklist for the government, suggesting action on hiking diesel/cooking-fuel prices, passage of the insurance and pension bills, completion of coal fuel supply agreements and progress on implementation of the DTC and GST will be the big positives which can revive confidence.

Lenders to Kingfisher Airlines have given the beleaguered airline 15 days to come up with "concrete steps" to improve its operations, a senior executive at its lead bank said. Kingfisher, controlled by liquor baron Vijay Mallya, has never made a profit in a struggling Indian airline industry and has seen its domestic market share fall from second to last among India’s six big carriers after grounding most of its fleet. "They have to give us a report on what steps they have taken so far, what challenges they are facing," an executive with State Bank of India said after meetings between the air-

line and banks last week. SBI is the leader of a consortium of lenders to Kingfisher, which had $1.4 billion in debt at the end of March. "They will have to come up with concrete steps to improve operations in 15 days, otherwise we will have to take some other actions," said the banker, who declined to be named or give specifics. The executive also said banks expected to recover about $25 million from the sale of Kingfisher properties in Mumbai and Goa. "We told them you have to put these on the block and they have agreed," the SBI executive said, referring to the Mumbai and Goa proper-

ties. "There is no point in keeping non-core, unused assets." He said the proposal to sell the two properties was made about seven to eight months ago. Kingfisher said in a statement that it is "patently wrong and false to claim or state that banks have started recovery proceedings" and said there was no such discussion at the meeting. Kingfisher House in Mumbai has been vacant after staff moved to new offices, the company said. "At that time itself, on our own accord, we approached the banks with a proposal to liquidate this unutilised asset

and at the meeting we raised the issue of this pending approval," it said in a statement. Earlier, bankers said they were losing hope the carrier would be able to bring in an outside investment anytime soon and may sell assets held against their loans.

9% growth not possible in ONGC to buy US co’s assets where, besides deep water what could be termed next 5 years: Montek Singh Inas India's opportunities off the eastbiggest acquisi-

In view of deteriorating global economic situation over the last one year, achieving average growth rate of 9 per cent in the next five years is not possible, and it may be 8-8.5 per cent, India’s Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said. "It is not possible to think of an average of 9 per cent (in 12th Plan, 201217). I think somewhere between 8 and 8.5 per cent is feasible," Ahluwalia said on the sidelines of a conference of state planning boards and departments. Last year, the Planning Commission got the approval for the 9 per cent annual average economic growth target under the Approach document for the 12th Plan from the country's apex decision making body, the National Development Council (NDC), headed by the Prime Minister with all the chief ministers and cabinet ministers on board. "When I say

feasible...that will require major effort. If you don't do that there is not God given right to grow at 8 per cent," he added. He further said, "I think given that the world economy deteriorated very sharply over the last year...the growth rate in the first of year of the 12th Plan (2012-13) is 6.5 to 7%." He also indicated that the soon he will share his view with other members of the Commission to choose a final number (economic growth target) to put before the country's NDC for its approval. Work on 12th Plan document is on track and the voluminous document would be tabled before NDC headed by the Prime Minister for approval by September.

tion in recent years, government-owned ONGC is in an advanced stage of negotiations to buy out half-a-dozen oil sands assets owned by US major ConocoPhillips in Canada. The potential size of the deal is pegged at $5 billion as the assets currently produce 12,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and have the potential to produce 5,00,000 bpd, said a source with knowledge of the development. "We are working on it and the deal is yet to be finalized. We will be in market to raise funds as soon as the deal is sealed. We may look at ECB and other options available with us," said a senior ONGC official without divulging more details. ONGC had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with H o u s t o n - b a s e d ConocoPhillips in March for cooperation in exploration and development of shale resources in India, North America and else-

ern coast of India. This deal is the result of such broader MoUs and may result in ONGC divesting stake in some of its deep water blocks with discovered gas reserves to bring them to production in line with RIL divesting 30% stake in 21 oil blocks in favour of BP for $7.2 billion.

"ConocoPhillips has extensive experience in the field of shale gas exploration and exploitation in the US and holds large acreage position, while ONGC's endeavour in shale gas is at a nascent stage. The cooperation between the two majors is expected to accelerate the learning's in shale gas for the mutual benefit of both the companies," said an ONGC statement at the time of signing of the MoU.

Firms see India 3rd mostfavoured destination: UN report Major global companies consider India their third most favoured destination after China and the United States, a UN report said, and investment inflows could increase by more than 20 per cent both this year and next. Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into India leapt 30 per cent to nearly $32 billion in 2011, though held back by slow pace of reforms, it still remains a long way down the league table of FDI recipients. China drew $124 billion last year, while Brazil attracted nearly $67 billion and Russia $53 billion. "The FDI inflows into India can go up by 20-25 per cent this year and by about 20 per cent next year, if the present trend

continues," said Nagesh Kumar, Chief Economist, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, while releasing the UNCTAD's World Investment Report 2012. Some 179 global companies - from the manufacturing, services and primary sectors - were surveyed between February and May, on their favoured investment destinations for 2012 to 2014. Kumar said FDI growth seems to be keeping its momentum in 2012, referring to furniture maker IKEA and Coca Cola's recent announcements to pump nearly $5 billion combined into India over the long term. Though India's economic growth slowed to 5.3

per cent in the March quarter, its slowest in nine years, its trends still compared favorably, Kumar said. "Compared to many other places, India is doing better in terms of growth," he said, adding global investors were looking at the long term prospects and wide market in Asia's third largest economy. The report said worldwide FDI flows exceeded the pre-financial crisis average in 2011, reaching around $1.5 trillion, despite turmoil in the global economy, and is projected around $1.6 trillion this year. Global companies are sitting on hefty cash reserves and waiting for the euro zone situation to stabilise before investing, he said. Earlier this year

India allowed full foreign ownership of single brand retailers, although late last year it backtracked on a plan to allow in foreign supermarkets. Many investors are hoping it revives that plan soon, after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently took over the finance portfolio and talked about the need to address problems in the insurance and mutual fund industries, as well as taxation. Kumar said corporate investors look at long term prospects and recent controversies over retroactive tax proposals broadly aimed at taxing companies like Vodafone, or proposed general anti-tax avoidance rules (GAAR) would not hurt India's prospects as an investment destination.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

How Hard Is Your Property Working For You? Recently we completed on a deal for a client who was interested in developing a property portfolio. He had already dipped his toe into property having purchased a couple of properties around the Harrow area. These properties have remained pretty much stagnant in price and are not really producing any income due to the high level of service charge associated with the block they’re in. They have been on the market for sale but not surprisingly no one has been rushing to purchase them. He needs to achieve a certain price to get his costs and get his money back.

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Thou gh his mon ey has been invested in pro pe rty, this is no t en ough, it is no t working as hard as it shoul d be . It is very difficult to remortgage this property as the loan to value given by mortgage lenders has dropped to 75% LTV, pre credit crunch times the LTV was as high as 89%. This coupled with a stagnant/reduced sale price means remortgage is out of the question. Currently times are great for you if your mortgage product is tracking the base rate by a small margin, but those on standard variable rates are forced to stay with the current lender, unless of course they can pour funds into their investment. It is said buying a bad property is like having a bad haircut, if you wait long enough it will always grow back. This seems to be the case with these properties. When the management of a block is terrible, there comes a point when the landlords and residents cannot stand it anymore and they get together and change the management company, then the block starts to recover and increases in value.

Our clien t spe nds a lot of time abroad and t here fore is ve ry time po or. He e arns a strong sal ary but realises this is not a pace he c an ke ep up forever, he nce he was k een on devel opin g streams o f inco me apart from his main sal ary. A g ood decision t o make. A few years ago he indicated he wished to start building a property portfolio, as many people say, but he called me up in January of this year and said he’s ready to start. In mid February we called him up and presented the figures of a property we had in mind for him and he took a visit to the property. The property was in an excouncil block and actually looks pretty unattractive. When a client says he wants to visit the property it is not always a good thing as many investors judge the investment by first appearances, for example they may say it’s ugly and hence they do not wish to purchase. If this was a marriage proposal I might understand this type of reasoning. This however is an investment, and whether it’s ‘ugly’ to the purchaser or not is irrelevant, one should consider the numbers: the yields, future growth prospects, the location and how the market perceives the property. One client a few years back came to see a property in Westbourne Park W2, and this was the exact feedback he gave, that the property was in a block which looked ugly. The property in question was a £275,000 three bedroom flat, rented for £720pw, thus yielding about £37,000 pa. He was from Sussex, in a part where the properties were spacious and had character. In the end we sold this property to a seasoned property investor who never even saw the property but went purely by the numbers.

Luckily our client didn’t say that this property was ugly or anything of the sort, being a busy man he simply texted to say he wanted to go for the property. So we took over and got the wheels moving. The long term aim from this client’s point of view is to use us to start and develop his property portfolio from now until he retires, funded through a combination of remortgaging properties to extract their growth and adding his own funds, but never selling. The property in question was in an ex-council block in Camden, close to Kings Cross, thereby benefitting from the £1bn regeneration programme underway in the area. With ex-local properties the service charges tend to be very low and the lease tends to be a good length typically over 100 years. The property was situated on the first floor of the block and was a duplex consisting of 712 sq ft. A generous square footage given it has only two bedrooms. The property was agreed in February and completed in late June. Due to this time lag the property actually increased in value over this time period. Though the property was purchased for £275,000, an estate agent gave it a current valuation of £350,000. We felt this was a bit optimistic and place the realistic value at £325,000. Not only has the property got a built in equity of £50,000, we rented this property to a company for £450 pw thus giving a yield of 8.5%. The return on our client’s investment is a lot higher as only 25% of the purchase price was required for the deposit, therefore only £68,750 was required for the purchase, the rest was funded by the mortgage company. If we allow a generous £25,000 for purchase and resale costs this is still a very good return on his funds given the short time period. In this situation the client wishes to use his own builders as he has a long standing relationship with them. The refurb and furniture only costs £3,000. The builder was so amazed with the numbers he now wants to purchase a similar property. The problem is, given the rise in price it will be even more difficult to find a deal with similar numbers, as the prices have increased and this has now become a historical price. I have heard from some of our readers that the investments we write about appear too good to be true, we are happy to provide full proof of this and any other example we have written about to the serious investor. The purchase price is recorded on the land registry, and for the rental figure we have a tenancy agreement, so the current valuation is the only variable. A call to a couple of agents and you will get a fair idea of the validity of the valuation.

The yield in retrospect was a temporary hon eymo on bu t the investor earne d this le ve l of in come fo r th ree years, hence he already made his de posit back purely from the ren tal income.

Central London Property Seminar 17th July 2012 Seminar Highlights: This will be a great opportunity for you to see how Sow & Reap can add value and help you to invest in property. At the seminar you will learn: l Why Central London is the best place to invest in every economic climate l Important factors to consider when investing l How Sow & Reap can help you expand and look after your property portfolio There will be a live deal on the day to invest in If you would like to attend this event, call us now on 0207 096 1354 or email info@sowandreap.co.uk Further details will be provided on registration Seats are limited - so early registration is recommended!

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

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

Tips of the Week l Investing in bricks and mortar means the investment is real, hence it cannot simply disappear, like non tangible investments such as stocks and shares. l Your tenants are your customers, treat them well and they will treat your property well.

financial VOIce

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Building the framework for growth – top business tips for tough times Businesses today are facing a tough and unforgiving set of economic conditions. With so many companies battling just to stand still, the idea of growing a business in the current climate may seem more than a little optimistic. But it can be done – and is being done by many businesses in a wide variety of sectors. Here we look at what it takes to survive in these turbulent economic times, with some top tips to support you along the way.

troughs. Often a company’s cashflow problems are caused by mismanagement of client payments. Accounts departments can help by invoicing earlier and agreeing payment dates up front. There are alternative sources of funding for SMEs who are looking to grow too. Private, or angel investors are one source of capital. Other firms seek investment through “crowdfunding” – pitching to thousands of small investors via the web.

Current climate

Listening to your clients

It is tempting to see the almost daily barrage of bad economic headlines as an omen of impending financial apocalypse. Certainly there is clear evidence that the economy is doing more than simply struggling. GDP growth was stagnant for much of last year, and even shrank in the final quarter of 2011. And both business and consumer confidence remain at rock bottom. In the face of such difficult economic headwinds, many businesses are struggling to make ends meet. Even the best run businesses can find it hard to maintain a steady cashflow. Even the best run businesses can find it hard to maintain a steady cashflow.

Quality customer service We work with entrepreneurs and long established businesses and whatever a company’s plans for growth, if its customers’ experience tails off, so will the profits! The tough economic climate means that competition is more intense than ever, and if a client feels let down by the service received, it’s the easiest thing in the world for them to switch to a rival who’s already offering them incentives to win their business.

Cashflow and funds for growth In March the Government launched the National Loan Guarantee Scheme, a £20 billion initiative to boost lending to SMEs. But the fact remains that banks’ lending criteria are stricter than ever, and few businesses can rely on bank credit or overdrafts alone as a means of ironing out their cashflow peaks and

Another critical piece of advice in times of economic hardship is never stop listening to your clients, responding to their concerns and tailoring your company processes accordingly. Used correctly, this feedback should help you improve customer satisfaction and identify the aspects of your service that your clients do not appreciate or want. You must be flexible and responsive, and avoid the temptation to overcomplicate your company processes. If something is not adding value to your bottom line or improving the customer’s experience, cut it out.

Cost control Clearly you must also take a long hard look at your costs, and trim them where you can do but without damaging the fabric of your business. When times are tough, anything that is not directly contributing to the business must be called into question. But becoming more competitive is rarely as simple as just wielding the knife. While streamlining and cost saving are important, there may be areas where you need to spend more in order to increase income.

Navin Thaker

Investment in improving your product or processes is seldom money wasted. Ditto a marketing campaign that delivers measurably better sales figures. The greater revenue generated should offset the cost and the extra cash should be reinvested to help with future growth.

Use your contacts Never be afraid to ask for advice either, or to discuss the challenges you face. Your business contacts may well have reserves of knowledge and experience that you can tap into, simply for the cost of a phone call. You can learn from both their successes and their mistakes. Running a business in a tough environment can feel lonely, but the challenges you face have been encountered and overcome by countless others. Talking to someone who has been through the same mill can be a great source of inspiration. And at the most basic level, a problem shared is a problem halved. While these are far from boom times, businesses that concentrate on their core strengths, keep on top of their cash flow and actively chase opportunities should be able to both thrive and grow. Navin Thaker, Audit Partner Tel: 020 7874 7958 E: nthaker@hwfisher.co.uk

Top tips for tough times ● Take a long hard look at your costs. Anything unnecessary, CUT IT OUT ● Ensure your service levels remain high - if not higher than ever ● Listen to your customers/clients, so you are offering them exactly what they want ● Investigate your funding options – cash is king ● Don’t immediately switch off marketing. It is often the one thing that can make a difference in a difficult economy ● Ask for advice from other businesses you know, especially those who have survived hard times before ● Keep on top of cash flow ● Stay focused, stay cheery, stay positive.

Maria Fernandes

maria@abplgroup.com

Another U turn on students? For the past year Universities have warned about the fact that the new restrictive rules would impact adversely on foreign students. This clamour appeared to have no effect at the time. The Government droned on about the need for the brightest and the best numbers. However the Government are now finally waking up from their long sleep to the reality of the irreversible damage that this policy will cause and articles are appearing in the press undoubtedly to lay the foundations for a change. A Conservative MP has expressed concern that this may lead to the opposition accusing the Government of massaging the figures and invites consensus in dealing with this issue. What he fails to say is the incompetence of holding on to a policy that made no sense at all. And if there are plans for the rules to be changed it is essential that they are not tinkered with at the edges. Students need to work and they will not come unless this area is

opened up. Furthermore there has to be more flexibility to the rules preventing students for being penalised for minor infractions. Last of all Universities and Colleges must be brought in line too. They should not be allowed to withhold a whole years fees where the student is unable to continue studying for circumstances beyond their control. There is simply no justification for this. The argument that educational institutions cannot be held accountable by regulations simply does not wash. It is not surprising that a U turn is on its way. I suppose the Government will face the “I told you so” adage. In other news, from October any out of time applications will be refused regardless of the merit of the case. The problem with this rule is that applicants run out of time because cases take around 6 months in some cases to be dealt with. By this time, inevitably, the applicants time has run out. Before introducing new rules it is imperative

in future that the UKBA first examine their own wrongdoing. It is hardly fair to penalise the applicant because the UKBA cannot get their act together. MPs correspondence is likely to increase dramatically. As appeals are restricted more and more, legal aid is cut, applicants cannot make fresh applications there will be nowhere to go but to contact their MPs. The changes to the family rules have been hotly debated but appear to be destined for the rule book. Another Conservative MP has warned about the effect of this on communities. So far it has fallen on deaf ears. Watch this space in a year as this is about the time it takes for U turns in immigration. Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

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

The First Qualification for Leaders His Holiness Yogiji Maharaj, a great saint and spiritual leader of BAPS once met the State Minister for Indian Railways. During the discussion, Yogiji Maharaj asked him, ‘Do you know how to drive a train?’ The minister was astounded. No one had ever asked him if he had any actual knowledge of trains. It was a simple yet profound question. As minister for railways, he was responsible for buying and maintaining trains and yet he did not actually know how to drive one. This is a valuable lesson for all leaders and in fact for anyone in a position of responsibility. It is essential to engage with staff and demonstrate a willingness to understand their jobs and the challenges they face. When making decisions that affect the way in which people work it helps if you have some idea of what those peoples’ jobs entail. Obviously a Leader cannot possibly do every single job in their organisation they can ‘walk the floors’ – they can ensure that they

at least see for themselves what the people who work for them are doing. There is another benefit in doing this – by taking the time to go and see others at work and trying to understand what they do gives those people an increased sense of importance and worth. By not doing this, one can create the impression of being detached from the staff and only making decisions based on numbers. And while numbers are important, a fact many leaders overlook is that it is people who ultimately make the numbers good or bad. I often wonder how politicians can set policy for state schools when most of their children study privately or at least at the best state schools. How can they say how many police officers are needed on the streets when they will never have faced a frustrated group of protestors? The lack of first hand knowledge and understanding weakens one’s ability to engage staff and make effective decisions. It is said that the emperor Akbar would walk

By Amit Patel

through the streets in disguise to try and gain an understanding of what everyday life was like for his subjects. What he saw and learned would then be considered in the laws he enacted. Gandhiji learned to spin cotton and make his own clothes before he asked his countrymen to do the same. King George IV had ration cards for everyone at Buckingham palace during the war, the same as his subjects. To be accepted and embraced as a leader of people, one must be willing to stand with the people, celebrate with the people and suffer with the people. This is the first qualification for a leader. Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management. He provides consultancy services and ideas on issues such as Leadership, People Management and Development. To contact Amit, email amitpatelmail @gmail.com

financial VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

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

Eurogroup set to discuss ways of shoring up the euro The Eurogroup will further discuss the previously agreed upon direct recapitalization of Spanish banks as well as the conditions of the second Greek bailout and the creation of a common EU banking supervisory body. EU officials will also debate about the possible EFSF/ESM purchases of bonds on the secondary market. Negotiations on this matter might be difficult as the Netherlands and Finland have already expressed their opposition in this respect. France and Germany will also try to sort out the difference of opinion on the issue of joint Eurozone debt liability. At a meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande during the weekend both leaders pledged to tighten the friendship between the two nations in order to more effectively combat the Eurozone debt crisis. In German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said Spainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s troubled banking industry has specific issues and recapitalization should be provided via the European stabilization fund,

known as EFSF, when the time is right. The appropriate interpretation of the funds destined to recap Spanish banks was classified by Schaeuble as loans and not donations, a sum that would count towards Spanish debt despite the more flexible terms. Spanish and Italian 10-year bond yields have been rising ahead of a summit of Eurozone finance ministers on Monday. The yield on Spanish 10-year bonds, which are taken as a strong indicator of the interest rate the government would have to pay to borrow money, rose above 7%, while Italian bond yields rose to 6.1%. Yields above 7% are considered to be unsustainable in the long term. Details of the bailout of Spain's banks are expected from eurozone ministers. The summit of eurozone leaders on 29 June said it expected the finance ministers "to implement these decisions by 9 July". Leaders have already agreed to lend Spain's banks up to 100bn euros ($123bn; ÂŁ79bn) and independent audits have said that they will need up to 62bn euros. The finance ministers are also likely to confirm

which conditions will be applied to the loans, both for the banks and the government. Greece's new coalition government has won a vote of confidence in parliament, ending months of political uncertainty. It won the approval of all MPs of the three parties backing the coalition, which wants to keep Greece in the euro. Eurozone ministers are due to meet in Brussels to discuss how to carry out measures agreed at a summit in June to tackle the debt crisis. It comes amid renewed fears that Spain and Italy could struggle to pay the interest on their debt. Divisions have emerged, between the northern and southern eurozone on how to implement the decisions of the June

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summit. At the summit, EU leaders agreed to use the eurozone's planned bailout fund to support struggling banks directly in a manner that does not add to government borrowing. A U.K. output index fell in June to a level indicating the economy will continue to shrink, while business confidence dropped to the lowest this year, according to BDO LLP. The gauge estimating output over the coming quarter declined to 94.8 from 96.7 in May, while the sentiment measure fell to 93.5 from 95.5, the accountancy firm said in a report publishedin London. The output index is below the 95 mark that points to positive growth in three months, â&#x20AC;&#x153;suggesting more difficult economic terrain is ahead,â&#x20AC;? BDO said. The Bank of England expanded its bond-purchase program last week as it stepped up efforts to lift Britain out of recession. The economy shrank for a second straight quarter between January and March and the central bank said recent indicators â&#x20AC;&#x153;point to a continuation of that weakness in the near term.â&#x20AC;?

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 10th July 2012 @ 4pm GBP - INR = 85.81 USD - INR = 55.40 EUR - INR = 68.80 GBP - USD = 1.55 GBP - EUR = 1.26 EUR - USD = 1.23 GBP - AED = 5.69 GBP - CAD = 1.58 GBP - NZD = 1.94 GBP - AUD = 1.52 GBP - ZAR = 12.76 GBP - HUF = 364.58

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

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Pak MPs pass bill exempting PM from contempt

Islamabad: Pakistani lawmakers have passed a bill that would exempt senior government ministers from contempt of court proceedings, a move seen as a bid to save the new prime minister from disqualification. The Supreme Court has given Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf until Thursday to indicate whether he will obey an order to ask Swiss authorities to reopen multimillion dollar corruption cases against the president. The court dismissed Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister on June 19 after convicting him of contempt in April for refusing to reopen the cases against President Asif Ali Zardari. The bill passed by the

lower house of the Pakistani parliament on Monday night said senior government figures, including the president, prime minister and ministers could not be found guilty of contempt for acts performed as part of their job. The bill must be passed by the Upper House and signed off by the president before it becomes law. The main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League-N headed by former

prime minister Nawaz Sharif boycotted the proceedings. Ashraf defended the bill, saying it would not obstruct anyone from doing their duties, nor would it make anyone a "holy cow". Law minister Farooq H Naek, who introduced the bill, said confusion in the existing contempt law had been removed and insisted the amendment was not made in haste. Minister for information Qamar Zaman Kaira said the move would help remove ambiguities in the existing contempt law. Talking to reporters outside parliament house, he said: "The powers of the superior judiciary have not been curtailed but the confusion in the power of the

Supreme Court has been removed. The Supreme Court still enjoys immense power." The allegations against Zardari date back to the 1990s, when he and his late wife Benazir Bhutto are suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder $12 million allegedly paid in bribes by companies seeking customs inspection contracts. The Swiss shelved the cases in 2008 when Zardari became president and the government insists the president has full immunity as head of state. But in 2009 the Supreme Court overturned a political amnesty that had frozen investigations into the president and other politicians, ordering that the cases be reopened.

US designates Afghanistan Bill seeking ISI's as major non-Nato ally accountability submitted Washington: Amid swirling drone attacks was one of controversy over the price for the reluctant apology-of-sorts it extracted from the United States, Pakistan's pride suffered a double blow last week. The US launched a major drone attack inside Pakistan signaling that its policy of exterminating terrorists through unmanned air strikes would continue despite the apology and in the face of parliamentary resolutions. This was followed by the US naming Afghanistan as a major non-Nato ally, a status that was bestowed on Pakistan in 2004 during the more blameless phase in the war on terror. The drone attack was the first since Pakistan re-opened the so-called ground lines of communications (glocs) forming the Nato supply route to Afghanistan earlier last week. It was reported to have killed between 17 to 24 people, a typically high toll. But more than the body count, it was a body blow to Pakistani hopes that the US would not continue its policy of eliminating militants in areas where Islamabad's writ does not run. Stopping of

Bilawal Bhutto fails to appear for law exams in UK Islamabad: Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been studying at a top London law college but has been unable to appear for examinations due to his hectic schedule and an inability to focus on demanding subjects. The 23-year-old nominal chief of Pakistan's ruling party took admission in BPP University College in January last year after obtaining a degree from Oxford University. Bilawal is currently a student of the Graduate Diploma in Law course, which is normally finished in nine months by full time students. The GDL is a law conversion course where graduates study all core subjects of an LLB (Honours). Bilawal has already paid fees for two terms but missed exams last year and this year due to political commitments, The News daily quoted a source as saying.

Pakistan's pre-conditions to open glocs, but the US has evidently decided to ignore it. The major non-Nato ally designation to Afghanistan, announced during a surprise visit to Kabul by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was an even sharper diplomatic rebuke, since it placed the two antagonistic countries on equal footing, rather than recognize Pakistan's long sought parity with India, now a fading idea across the world. The designation facilitates closer defense cooperation between the US and its allies, and in this case it signals the Washington will continue to be deeply engaged in Afghanistan long after a majority of its troops are withdrawn, even as Pakistan is falling off the US radar as an ally and is widely seen as an outright adversary. Afghanistan is the 15th country to be designated a MNNA, a list that includes Australia, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, South Korea, Argentina, New Zealand, Philippines, and Japan.

to Pakistan Senate

Islamabad: A bill has been submitted in the Senate as part of efforts by Pakistan's presidency to tame the spy agency InterServices Intelligence through parliamentary oversight and to make it answerable to Parliament and the government. The 19-page draft bill was submitted in the Senate or Upper House of Parliament by Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for President Asif Ali Zardari, a few days ago and may be taken up for discussion soon. Sources in the ruling Pakistan People's Party said that the important legislation had been discussed with partners in the federal coalition. The proposed InterServices Intelligence Agency (Functions, Powers and Regulation) Act of 2012 suggests that the powerful spy agency should be answerable to Parliament and the prime minister, a daily reported. It recommends internal accountability within the agency and a better discipline

system to end enforced disappearances and victimisation of political parties. This is the first time that a serious effort is being made to streamline the affairs of the ISI, which faced severe criticism in the wake of the unilateral US military raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistani territory last year. The legal fraternity praised the effort to make the ISI subservient to Parliament and to address the issue of "missing persons" or those detained without charge by security and intelligence agencies. "If this serious effort has been made by a parliamentarian, it should be backed by all political parties, including opposition parties like the PML-N," said Tariq Mehmood, a retired Supreme court judge.

Pakistan courts made mistakes in Sarabjit's trial, says his lawyer

Lahore: The lawyer of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh has highlighted flaws in his trial for alleged involvement in a string of bombings in 1990 and demanded that the Pakistan government commute his death sentence to life imprisonment. Lawyer Awais Sheikh said there were many mistakes committed by the courts during Sarabjit's trial and while deciding his appeals against his death sentence. "In the presence of many flaws in Sarabjit's trial, he was not given the benefit of doubt, which local accused are mostly given by the courts," Sheikh told reporters. "Firstly the case of Sarabjit Singh is of mistaken identity as he was presented by the intelligence agencies before the court with the name Manjeet Singh, who was the actual person responsible for committing acts of terrorism

in Pakistan," he said. Sheikh said the Lahore high court, while deciding Sarabjit's appeal against his death sentence, ruled that the "name makes no difference and it is enough that he has made confession of his crime." Presenting a statement recorded by a special judge, Sheikh said Sarabjit had never confessed to his crime before any court of law or any investigation agency. He was made to confess his crime before a TV camera, which has no legal value.

Giving details of Sarabjit's questioning by the judge, Sheikh said he totally denied the charges levelled against him by the prosecution. According to Sarabjit's statement, it was "incorrect that he was prepared and trained by RAW for terrorist activities in Pakistan. I was neither given training to pose as a Muslim nor to prepare bombs." Sarabjit denied the prosecution's allegations that he had a Pakistani national identity card in the name of Khushi Muhammad, son of Allah Bakhsh. He said the card had been prepared by one Major Abbas, a prosecution witness in the case. In the statement, Sarabjit further said he crossed the border into Pakistan on August 29, 1990 in connection with smuggling of liquor but not with the intention of committing acts of terrorism.

In Focus 20 dead, 180 injured in Kabul fire

Kabul: At least 20 people were killed and more than 180 others were injured in two deadly fires in the Afghan capital Kabul. A huge fire erupted following a blast at a propane gas reservoir at an industrial park in Pakita Kot area of eastern Kabul. Police have ruled out terrorist activities. An electrical short circuit is believed to be the cause of the explosion in the gas reservoir. In another incident, a gas cylinder explosion caused another fire at a five-storey building that houses several pharmaceutical companies in Khair Khana area in Kabul, leaving three people dead and around 30 injured.

Six US soldiers killed in Afghan bomb attack

Kabul: Six American soldiers serving with Nato forces were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, an American official said. "Six International Security Assistance Force service members died following an improvised explosive device attack in eastern Afghanistan today," ISAF said in a statement, without naming their nationalities or giving any further details. In Washington, an official said the dead were Americans.

Lankan court orders release of 10 Tamil Nadu fishermen

Colombo: A court in Sri Lanka ordered release of 10 Tamil Nadu fishermen who were taken into custody by Sri Lankan Naval men on July 1. The fishermen and their boats would be handed over to the Indian Coast Guard at the International Maritime boundary line. The fishermen, who put to sea from here, had strayed into the Lankan waters due to strong winds and rough sea. Mannar Judicial Magistrate Anthony Pillai Jutesen warned the fishermen to be careful in future before ordering their release, he said.

Taliban to target NATO supply to Afghanistan

Islamabad: Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has termed the resumption of NATO supply line as coward act of Pakistan and has said that Taliban would target any kind of supply going to Afghanistan via the routes of Pakistan. Talking from an undisclosed location via phone TTP central spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan said, "the resumption of NATO supply line shows the slavish nature of Pakistani government; the resumption is a disrespect to the blood of those soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Salala check post while guarding the borders." Ihsanullah Ihsan said, "We already knew that the NATO supply line would sooner or later be resumed; that's why we have also completed our strategies and will attack each and every container of the NATO going to Afghanistan via the routes of Pakistan."

Pak shuns its physicist linked to discovery of 'God particle'

Islamabad: The pioneering work of Abdus Salam, Pakistan's only Nobel laureate, helped lead to the apparent discovery of the subatomic " God particle" last week. But the late physicist is no hero at home, where his name has been stricken from school textbooks. Praise within Pakistan for Salam, who also guided the early stages of the country's nuclear program, faded decades ago as Muslim fundamentalists gained power. He belonged to the Ahmadi sect, which has been persecuted by the government and targeted by Taliban militants who view its members as heretics.

Pak mob kills man â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;for burning Quranâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Multan (Pakistan): A 2,000-strong Pakistani mob snatched a mentally unstable man from a police station, beat him to death and torched his body after he allegedly burned pages from a Quran, police said. The mob ransacked the police station in a village on the outskirts of central Pakistan's Bahawalpur city, after officers refused to hand him over. Local police station chief said Ghulam Abbas, in his early 40s, was taken into custody after people said they caught him burning pages of the Muslim holy book. After some time, more than 2,000 people surrounded the police station and took the accused with them and killed him.

world 23

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

ANC slams new Zuma penis cartoon

Johannesburg: South Africa's ruling ANC picked a fight with one of the country's most celebrated political cartoonists over the portrayal of President Jacob Zuma as an erect penis. The cartoon by Jonathan Shapiro in the influential Mail and Guardian weekly also refers to Zuma as "a dick" and ridicules his attempts at racial reconciliation in the apartheid-scarred country. The incident comes weeks after the African National Congress (ANC) held street rallies and went to court seeking the removal from public display of a painting called "The Spear." The painting in a Johannesburg gallery showed Zuma in a Leninist pose with his chest thrust out and penis exposed. It was removed after it was defaced.

36 World War II British fighters found in Myanmar

Yangon: The remains of 36 British Spitfire aircraft, which were secretly buried during the World War II in what was then Burma to prevent them from being seized by the Japanese, have been discovered in the country. The remains of the fighter aircraft were found through radar. They will be dug by experts from Leeds University in cooperation with their counterparts from Myanmar. After the planes are unearthed, they will be shipped to Britain to be kept in museums. Myanmar agreed to hand back the aircraft during an official visit to the country by British Prime Minister David Cameron in April.

Indian UN peacekeeper killed in Congo fighting

Kinshasa: Rebels in Congo said that they had seized the eastern town of Bunagana on the border with Uganda after days of fierce fighting with government troops during which an Indian UN peacekeeper was killed and thousands of residents displaced.

Israeli court clears ex-PM Olmert of major charges

Jerusalem: An Israeli court on Tuesday cleared former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of the major charges in a corruption trial that forced him from power. Olmert was found guilty of a lesser offense, and it was not clear whether that verdict could send him to jail. If that crime, breach of trust, does carry a prison term, he would become the first Israeli prime minister to serve time. Olmert, 66, appeared claim and relieved as the verdict was delivered in the Jerusalem court.

Global climate is changing, earth warming up There is now overwhelming evidence that the global climate is changing and the earth is warming up. Even there is consensus among scientists that it is happening and human-induced. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns. Research has shown that air pollutants from fossil fuel use make clouds reflect more of the sun’s rays back into space. This leads to an effect known as global dimming whereby less heat and energy reaches the earth. At first, it sounds like an ironic savior to climate change problems. However, it is believed that global dimming caused the droughts in Ethiopia in the 1970s and 80s where millions died, because the northern hemisphere oceans were not warm enough to allow rain formation. Flood kills 171 in Russia: Earth's deadliest flood of 2012 hit the Black Sea area of Russia recently, where 300 mm (11.8") of rain fell in less than 24 hours. The resulting flood waters swept through the

town of Krymsk in the Krasnodar region, killing at least 171 people. The heavy rains were caused by a low pressure system that tracked just north of the region. The counterclockwise flow of air around the low brought moisture-laden air from the Black Sea northwards over the mountains bordering the Black Sea. As the air was forced upwards by the mountains, its water vapor cooled and condensed into heavy rains. The rains were increased due to ocean temperatures in the Eastern Black Sea that were more than 2°C (3.6°F) above average. The extra heat in the ocean allowed much more water vapor than usual to evaporate into the air. Rare one in 20 year heavy precipitation events like the one that caused the Krasnodar flood are expected to increase in

frequency due to climate change, as the waters of the Black Sea warm. 67 killed in China: Since early May 2012, torrential rains have been lashing regions across China. In Gansu, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong provinces, rivers have broken their banks and landslides have caused high human and economic losses. The meteorological office has forecast that the rains will continue for some time. As of 10 June 2012, a total of 5.89 million people have been affected. In Hunan, Gansu and Guangxi provinces alone, over 4.64 million people have been affected by the flood waters and around 67 people have lost their lives. More than 60,878 houses have been seriously damaged, and over 101,523 people have been relocat-

ed and 26,170 hectares crop lands have been destroyed. More woe for floodfatigued Britain: Residents across the UK are bracing themselves for further flooding with heavy downpours predicted to heap more misery on raindrenched areas of Britain. Large swathes of the country are expected to be lashed by spells of further rainfall in the coming days as the ground remains heavily saturated and river levels teeter close to bursting point following a prolonged spell of wet weather. The Met Office has issued an amber warning of rain for the Midlands, while yellow warnings are in place in south-west England, north-west England and east Scotland. Met Office weather expert Michael Lawrence said: "Although the amounts are not that

exceptional, river catchments are already very full and the ground is quite saturated so there could be problems." Officials urged communities up and down the UK to remain alert over the threat of flooding. The agency said parts of northern England and Dorset were facing a significant risk of surface water and river flooding, with the Midlands and East Anglia also at risk. US has hottest year since 1895: The last year in the continental US has been the country's hottest since modern record-keeping began in 1895, say government scientists. The National Oceanic and A t m o s p h e r i c Administration (NOAA) also said the US had broken its record for the hottest six months in a calendar year. One of the agency's weather experts suggested climate change was playing a role in the hot temperatures. A recent 11-day heat wave in the US has claimed at least 46 lives. A cold front moved in to the US Midwest and East Coast late on Sunday, ushering in much-desired cooler weather across the region. But forecasters say hot weather could now affect the western US and Canada, where Ontario has been experiencing record-breaking temperatures.

Australian jailed for life for killing 3 Indians Melbourne: An Australian man, who killed his Indian girlfriend and her two siblings, was sentenced to life with a minimum 35 years of jail without parole, the longest sentence handed down in Queensland history. Supreme Court judge John Byrne handed down the life sentence to Massimo 'Max' Sica, 42, for what he described as

"brutal, horrific crimes in the worst category of murder". A jury of eight men and four women found Sica guilty of killing his former 24-year-old girlfriend Neelma Singh, and her siblings - Kunal, 18 and Sidhi, 12, in 2003. The three were found dead in the spa of their parents' home at Bridgeman Downs, on Brisbane's northern fringe.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Time magazine calls Manmohan Singh 'underachiever', Congress counters charge India’s urban development minister Kamal Nath countered the Time magazine's description of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as an 'underachiever'. "Everyone has their own opinion. But, Time magazine, first see what is happening in US and Europe, and then compare with India," Nath told media. Earlier, expressing his party's utter displeasure, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari questioned the magazine's logic in arriving at such a ridiculous view. "In the past eight years, the UPA government under the leadership of Dr Manmohan Singh has provided political stability, social cohesion, internal amity, economic development and a greater role for India in international affairs. This by no stretch of imagination can

Hindi makes debut in China

Hindi, one of the foreign languages gaining popularity in China, will be making its debut in South China as Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou is set to open a Hindi chair to teach the language. A Memorandum of Understanding for establishing a Hindi Chair at the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), was signed recently between the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the University. This is the first Hindi Chair established by the ICCR in South China. A number of Chinese universities, including the prestigious Peking University, the Beijing Foreign Studies University as well colleges in different parts of China are teaching Hindi. Lecturers say the language is gaining currency in China as many see it as a career-making proposition in view of rapid increase in India-China trade which touched $ 74 billion last year and is expected to cross $ 100 billion by 2015.

be called or characterised or labelled as an underachievement," he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used the Time magazine story dubbing Manmohan Singh as an 'underachiever' to laud the achievements of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. It may be recalled here that cover of the Time magazine's March 26 issue featured Modi, with the caption: "Modi means business, but can he lead India". The Time magazine has also raised questions

on Manmohan Singh's ability to act in the face of slowing growth, widespread charges of policy inaction and the unpopularity of business reforms. "India needs a robot. Is Prime Minister Manmohan Singh up to the job?" asked the weekly magazine. "The laws that could help create growth and jobs are stuck in parliament, sparking concerns that politicians have lost the plot in their focus on short-term populist measures that will win votes," said the magazine, while criticizing the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre. "India is stalling. To turn it around, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must emerge from his private and political gloom," the magazine said, while calling the Prime Minister 'a man in shadow'.

Floods kill over 500 animals in Kaziranga The famed Kaziranga National Park has lost 559 animals, including 14 rhinos, in the ongoing floods so far. Park authorities said the number of casualties is like to increase as carcasses are being found inside the park everyday. Park director Sanjiv Kumar Bora said, "As the water level began receding in the park, our officials found carcasses of animals. So far, 559 animals have been killed. But the toll is likely to rise. Many areas in the park are still under water and animals taking refuge in higher lands are yet to return. According to reports, carcasses of 14 rhinos, 475 hog deer, 30 wild boars, 5 porcupines, 1 wild buffalo, 1 elephant, 2 hog badgers, 10 swamp deer, 2 pythons, 18 sambers and a fox have been found so far. Besides, two rhinos were killed by poachers. The hunters, taking advantage of the floods, killed the pachyderms at Haldhibari and Karbi hills and chopped off their horns. On the other hand, altogether 70 animals -2 rhino calves, as

many elephant calves, 63 hog deer, 2 barking and 1 swamp deer - have been rescued by forest officials. Kaziranga Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre incharge Abhijit Bhawal said, "We have rescued 70 animals from floodwaters and later released them in the park after providing treatment. However, the rhino and elephant calves are still under the observation of veterinarians here.'' Due to the rising of water level of the Brahmaputra, floodwaters entered the park on June 26. Almost 80 per cent area of the World Heritage Site was under water for about five days and animals faced a tough time to survive inside the park. Many of them escaped to the nearby Karbi Anglong hills, while some others got drowned. The Golaghat district administration has imposed prohibitory orders along NH-37, which passes through the park, and barricades have put up at regular intervals to check the speed of vehicles, said an official of Golaghat district.

Muslim girl tops 10th Sanskrit exam in Tamil Nadu It was not just that Anjala Beegum has secured the first rank in the Class X examination, she also achieved the unusual distinction of a Muslim student topping the Sanskrit exam in Tamil Nadu. With a score of 497 out of 500 in Sanskrit, Anjala Beegum in a way emulated her brother Gulsar Ahamed by getting on the toppers list for Sanskrit. She not only secured highest marks in Sanskrit, Mathematics and Science but also secured 99 per

cent in Social Studies and 98 per cent in English. This meant she also secured the first rank in Science and Mathematics. With any subject of her choosing at her call, Anjala says she is going to choose Biology, to further her ambition of becoming a doctor. Anjala says simply, “I chose Sanskrit as my second language since my brother secured the second rank in the state in Sanskrit in 2008.” She takes the opportunity to

thank her Sanksrit teacher, Sridhar Venkatramani, for coaching her. Anjala adds that she regularly attended the yoga sessions, two hours a week, at her school to improve her concentration and focus. “I used to meditate daily, especially during my exams. I had yoga class at school twice in a week,” she says. Anjala’s father Abdul Hameed, a senior engineer at ICF, was quick to give all credit to his wife, Saira Banu, a housewife.

In divine light By Rajen Vakil

The Slaying of Jatasura When the Pandavas were staying in Badrikashram, a Brahmin came to their ashram. Only Yudhishthira, Draupadi, Nakula and Sahadeva were present in the ashram. Bhima, his son Ghatotkacha and all the others had gone out. The Brahmin was actually a demon in disguise but his appearance was very pleasing. Everyone took a liking to his manners and actions. He started living there and taking care of the Pandavas. His aim was to steal away Draupadi and the weapons of the Pandavas. Yudhishthira was unaware of his intentions. The name of the demon was Jatasura. One day, seeing an opportunity, he picked up Draupadi, the three brothers and all their weapons and fled. As he ran away with them, Sahadeva was able to free himself from the demon’s grip. Using his sword called Kaushik, Sahadeva stabbed the demon and kept shouting loudly for Bhima. Yudhishthira, who was still in the demon’s grip, told Jatasura, “You have deceived us. Even a rakshas follows the path of Dharma but you have cheated us. You will now die as you have lived in our shelter, eaten our food and now you betray us. By

touching the pure Draupadi you have invited destruction.” Yudhishthira then made his body very heavy, making it difficult for the demon to run fast. Bhimasen, who was returning to the ashram, heard Sahadeva crying out for him and reached the scene. He saw Draupadi and his two brothers in the hands of the rakshas, and he saw Sahadeva shouting to Yudhishthira that he would rather fight the demon and die than run away. Bhima was filled with anger and shouted at the demon, “I had suspected that there was something wrong with you but you were in the guise of a Brahmin, so I could do nothing. But now you have invited your death, so get

ready to fight.” The demon replied, “I have been waiting for you. You have killed many demons who were my relatives. Today, by killing you and shedding your blood, their souls will be appeased.” Jatasura and Bhima then attacked each other, both of them slapping their thighs and chests to frighten the other. Then a great battle began and they started using different tackles to overcome the other. Both Nakula and Sahadeva ran to Bhima with their weapons to help him but he stopped them and laughing loudly, said, “I am more than he can swallow. Just watch and enjoy the fight.” Jatasura and Bhima then engaged in a terrible fight. Both started creating terrible sounds to upset the other. They started uprooting huge trees and throwing them at one another. After some time, not a single tree was left standing and all of them lay in a huge heap, looking like cut grass. They then began picking up and throwing huge rocks at each other. To be continued...

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Air-India strike called off after court order The 58-day protracted strike by Air India pilots was called off on last Tuesday night after the Delhi high court asked them to join duty within 48 hours and the management to sympathetically consider their grievances. The decision to end the strike was announced by the Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) after a meeting of its managing committee in Mumbai. In the late night statement, the IPG thanked the Indian judiciary, especially the Delhi high court, "for mediating in this issue, which is critical to the survival of Air India and is in the national interest"."We the pilots of Air India and members of the Indian Pilots Guild, on the intervention of Hon'ble Justice Ms. Reva Khetrapal of the Hon'ble Delhi high court have started the procedure to resume work," the IPG statement issued after the meeting said. It said that as directed by the high court, the IPG looked forward to negotiations with the AI management on all pending issues in the presence of the chief labour commissioner. "We sincerely hope that the AI management and the civil aviation min-

istry will be as sincere on their part. On this understanding, we are commencing the process of restoring normalcy of operations," said IPG general secretary E A Kapadia. The IPG statement came after its counsel, Geeta Luthra, told the high court that the striking pilots numbering 434 will join their duties in 48 hours. During the twohour-long court proceedings, the judge said the pilots are not "goondas or criminal elements. You consider their grievances after talking to them." "The senior counsel (Luthra) appearing for the pilots has said that her clients will immediately call off the strike and join their duties in 48 hours, by giving joining reports or the report expressing their willingness to join the duty. Justice Khetrapal said while disposing of the pilots' plea for a direction to the AI management to take back the 101 sacked pilots, including 10 IPG office bearers. Earlier, the IPG welcomed the high court's order. "The court has made very positive observations. It has said that all pilots should be

taken back and no distinction should be made between those sacked and others. We are happy with the court's observations," IPG joint secretary Tauseef Mukadamn said. The pilots went on strike on May 7 over demands for better career progression. The airlines management took a tough stand sacking 101 pilots including 10 office bearers of the IPG which was also derecognised. Justice Khetrapal, who also sought a report from the conciliator by July 9, was hearing an application of the IPG which had alleged that the management has created a "hostile environment" by sacking the striking pilots and also derecognising it. The court directed the pilots as well as the management to appear before the conciliator, chief labour commissioner N K Prasad, on July 6 at 4.30pm. Appearing for the management, Bhasin said the court should not entertain the pilots' plea as they are in contempt. He submitted the management is ready to talk to the pilots once they call off their strike. To this submission, the court asked the pilots to call off their strike.

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Narendra Modi and the Muslim vote bank

Virendra Parekh

Before, if ever, Narendra Modi becomes India’s prime minister, he will have to break the stranglehold of the Muslim vote bank on Indian politics. His sadbhavna yatras (goodwill missions) to win the confidence of Muslims are good as far as they go. However, even hundreds of such yatras will not take him even an inch closer to the throne of Delhi. Hindus and Hindus alone can propel him to power at the Centre, if they choose to. For BJP’s central leadership, Narendra Modi poses a dilemma: he is viewed as a great asset and also as a great liability. Modi’s popularity crossed the borders of Gujarat long ago. He emerged as a national leader on the back of resolute leadership, efficient administration and a clean image. He enjoys a good deal of support from the RSS, which in BJP is a trump card. With ears close to the ground, easy accessibility and a sound track record of delivering on promises, Modi has acquired a measure of credibility and charisma which none of the BJP’s central leaders possess. Shivraj Singh Chauhan of Madhya Pradesh and Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh have also earned popularity on similar strengths, but neither appears to be keen, as of now, to play a leading role at the Centre. Modi is a different case. BJP bigwigs cannot ignore him or his ambitions. However, if Modi is selected to command BJP forces in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election, many BJP leaders will have to forget their ambitions and rein in their lust for power. The pull of such lust should not be underestimated. These leaders want Modi to campaign for the party, not only in Gujarat, but also in other states where his presence can make a difference, while expecting him to confine his own ambitions to Gujarat. Modi is unwilling to oblige them, unless he

could augment his own political capital by campaigning outside Gujarat. He wants to be the commander, not a foot soldier. This subtle tug of war is slowly becoming visible and will emerge out in the open by the time of the Lok Sabha election. It is equally certain that if BJP selects Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, it will have to forget not only about the few (if any) Muslim votes it gets, but also about allies who are mortally scared of annoying Muslim vote banks. Therein lies the rub. Barring the Akali Dal and the Shiv Sena, all other parties in the NDA are enamoured of the ‘secular’ label. The hypocrisy of leaders like Nitish Kumar is infuriating. By insisting that the NDA candidate for prime minister must have a ‘secular’ image, he is playing to the green gallery while trying to keep a powerful rival off the field. The ploy is too transparent to be missed, but, unfortunately, it threatens to work. Muslims are naturally amused to watch the game. In their view, their security (actually, political clout) lies in keeping out of power any party or leader who enjoys any credibility - real or fake - among the Hindus. And if Hindu leaders can articulate that position for them in as many words, so much the better. This is a decisive moment, not just for the BJP or NDA, but for Hindu society. The modern Hindu intelligentsia has failed to grasp a basic fact: clout, influence, power or authority is central to human relations. Power that is not exercised eventually wears off and vanishes. Hindu intellectuals rarely examine any issue, development or trend in terms of Hindu influence or power. For most of them, such an exercise is weird and antisecular if not anti-national. They think it is beneath them to indulge in it. Hindu society has paid, and continues to pay, a

heavy price for this failure of its intelligentsia. In the post-independence period, Hindus have never asserted primacy of their civilisational identity at the political level. They have never claimed to be the essential national society, the fulcrum of the polity around which every institution and organization must arrange itself. In contrast, Muslims realize the centrality of power in relations with non-Muslims. They can and do use their votes as an effective political weapon. I do not criticize Muslims for doing so, just as I do not applaud Hindus for neglecting power equations in post-independence India. Hence it is that Hindus have become political orphans in the only country they can call their own. Hence it is they are still maligned for Gujarat riots 10 years after the event, while the original provocation (burning alive of 59 Hindus by a Muslim mob without any provocation) is all but forgotten. Hence it is that heartrending tales of Kashmiri Pandits, who have suffered far greater atrocities for much longer, hardly ever evokes any sympathy at all from any political party - not even the BJP. Hence it is that Hindus can speak as Dalits, Adivasis, Jats, Yadavs, Kurmis, Lingayats,

Reddys, Vanniars and Nairs, but not as Hindus. Hence it is that 12 per cent Muslims, without uttering a word, can frighten mighty Hindu politicians into rejecting anyone with Hindu credentials. In the pre-independence period, a con game was played in the name of nationalism. Only that party, that leader was national (and could speak for the whole country) which was not opposed by the Muslim League. In this reckoning, the Congress was an organization of Hindu Banias, but the Communist Party of India was a national organiza-

tion. After independence, the same game is played in the name of secularism. Only that party, that leader, that programme or proposal is secular which is not opposed by Muslims. The name has changed, participants have changed, but the game remains unchanged. And so does its objective: to keep the Hindus on the defensive. How history repeats itself! Congress is now saying about BJP whatever Jinnah used to say about Congress in 1940s: that it is a party of Hindu Banias, that Muslims can never expect justice from it, that if it ever came to power then Muslims will have to fear for their lives and so on. Again the object is the same: to use Muslims as political pawns to delegitimize and checkmate nationalist sentiments. Narendra Modi has the power to break this game. Without a single Muslim vote, without making any special or specific gesture to Muslims, he has swept assembly elections, not once, but twice, in Gujarat. He has demonstrated that if Hindus stand solidly behind any leader, he does not have to flatter Muslims. This is why he is regarded as a mortal enemy by most Muslims, all brokers of Muslim votes, and all parties hankering after the

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Gandhi-Kellenbach archive bought by India Indian government has signed a contract with auctioneers Sotheby's to purchase a large archive related to Mahatma Gandhi that was scheduled to go under the hammer on July 10. Since the contract has been signed, the auction will not be held. The archive contains thousands of letters, documents and photographs throw light on the controversial relationship between Gandhi and architect Hermann Kallenbach, and is expected to be a rich resource for

researchers and historians. The archive was recently examined by a team of experts from the Union Ministry of Culture, who reportedly described

it as “very well preserved and of inestimable value”. The archive was expected to fetch a price between 500,000 and 700,000 pounds, but the price paid by the Indian government for the archive could not be ascertained. The auctioneer's Catalogue Note on the archive said it “is richly informative of the important (and occasionally misunderstood) friendship between the two men, and is a key biographical source for Gandhi”.

Muslim vote bank. If Modi can replicate at the national level what he has done in Gujarat, it will decisively break the stranglehold of Muslim vote banks on Indian politics, breathe a new self-confidence in Hindu society and force a rethink among Hindu politicians in nonBJP parties. Muslims will become just one of the many groups in Indian politics and thus join the national mainstream. Whether Modi is interested in attempting this feat, whether BJP will give him an opportunity to make such an attempt is, of course, another matter. His sadbhavna yatras have aroused speculation that he, too, may be craving acceptability among circles that want BJP to shed every trace of Hinduness. As to BJP, it does not deserve a single Hindu vote as of now as a party of Hindu nationalism. But that does not affect the position outlined in the earlier passages. If the BJP really regards itself as a party of Indian nationalism, it should distance itself from those hankering after the 12 per cent vote bank and announce Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for 2014 Lok Sabha election. The author is Executive Editor, Corporate India, and lives in Mumbai

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INDIA - UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Abu Jundal, 26/11 dominate Indo-Pak talks; In Focus 150,000 immigrants stay in Pak denies state role in Mumbai attacks the UK illegally

Armed with evidence gathered from arrested LeT terrorist Abu Jundal, India made it clear that taking action against the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks will be the "biggest confidence-building measure of all" by Pakistan, which rejected involvement of its state agencies in the 26/11 carnage. Pushing Pakistan to take action against the guilty in Mumbai attacks, New Delhi asserted that the ongoing interrogation of Jundal, the LeT handler of the terrorists who carried out Mumbai terror strikes, has added "urgency" to this matter. "I emphasised that terrorism was the biggest threat to peace and security in the region and bringing the guilty to justice in the Mumbai terror attacks would be the biggest CBM of all....The ongoing interrogation of Abu Jundal has now added urgency to the matter. "I did take up the matter with (Pakistan) foreign secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and shared information with him," foreign

attacks, Jilani said, "I would very strongly reject any insinuation of any involvement of any state agency in any acts of terrorism in India." However, on Jundal's revelations that Pakistan was involved in Mumbai carnage which killed 166 people, Jilani said he has assured Mathai that whatever evidence that India has should be shared with Pakistan and it will investigate the matter. Pakistan is even willing to offer "a joint investigation" in the whole affair, Jilani said.

Noting that he has shared the outcome of the ongoing investigation of Jundal provided to MEA, Mathai said India was looking forward to Pakistan for taking action on the information "conveyed". Asked if Jundal's revelations will impact on the positive strides the Indo-Pak bilateral ties have made so far, Jilani said, "We hope not. There should definitely be no setback because setback is something we are not for." Briefing reporters on their two-day parleys on peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir, including CBMs and promotion of friendly exchanges, Mathai and Jilani said both countries recognise that terrorism poses a continuing threat to peace and security in the region. "They reaffirmed the strong commitment of the two countries to fight and eliminate terrorism in an effective and comprehensive manner so as to eliminate the scourge in all its forms and manifestations," a joint statement said.

no other name came up during the discussion," Ali said. He also said that it is very natural for incumbent VicePresident to get a second term. Ansari's name was also discussed by the Congress for President's post along with that of Pranab Mukherjee. However, Mukherjee was chosen as the UPA nominee for the presidential election. The name of Ansari was doing the rounds for the vicepresidential election for quite a few days. A section in the Congress feels that Ansari's second term as VicePresident will send a good signal to minorities. The vicepresidential election is slated to be held on August 7.

BJP to field its own candidate The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Monday it would field its own candidate for the post of vice president and would not support the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) nominee. "It is natural that the BJP will itself fight the vice president election. We will discuss it with our allies in NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and decide," BJP's national spokesperson and general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad said. Prasad, however, did not comment on who the candidate would be. Insiders said the party is yet to zero in on a candidate.

Jalil Abbas Jilani (left) with Ranjan Mathai

secretary Ranjan Mathai said at a joint press interaction with Jilani. Noting that extensive information on perpetrators of 26/11 has been provided to Pakistan during home secretary-level talks in Islamabad in May, Mathai said, "We will continue to pursue this matter with determination to its logical conclusion." Asked about home minister P Chidambaram's statement that Jundal's has revealed that Pakistan state actors were involved in the Mumbai

Congress keen on Ansari's second term as Vice-President Congress has propped up Vice-President Hamid Ansari's name for a second term with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh beginning the exercise to solicit support for his candidature. Singh discussed Ansari's name with former Prime Minister and JD-S leader HD Deve Gowda on Saturday. JD-S has supported Ansari's candidature. "Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called our leader H D Deve Gowda and discussed the vice-presidential election. Hamid Ansari's name came up during the discussion. Our party fully supports Ansari's candidature," JD-S spokesperson Danish Ali said. Ali made it clear that no

Hamid Ansari

other name was discussed during the meeting. "Hamid Ansari's name was the only name that was discussed and

Osborne, Balls clash over banking inquiry Continued from page 1 Mr Balls said there was "massive public anger" following the disclosure of Barclays' attempts to rig the benchmark Libor rate and the revelation that major banks were involved in mis-selling interest rate swaps to small firms. "A price which is measured in billions of pounds of loans gone and debts written off but is felt in the everyday lives of citizens in jobs lost, in small businesses gone bankrupt, in living standards undermined. "Mr Balls said that even if Labour lost the vote in the Commons, his party would continue to argue for a full public inquiry. Treasury Select Committee chairman Andrew Tyrie has insisted he will only chair a joint parliamentary committee if all sides are in agreement. Mr Balls told the Commons: "As for the Government motion - I've said we will vote for our motion, I've said if it fails we will continue to press for a full public inquiry, we think that is the only way to do this properly. "As for the

Government motion, the Leader of the Opposition (Ed Miliband) and I will be voting against the Government proposal for a limited Parliamentary inquiry... as currently proposed, this is an inquiry not even remotely up to the task. "What will we do if we lose? On the basis of the debate so far, and the Attorney General's comments, I would say all members of this House, including the Liberal Democrats, think hard, do the right thing, ignore the whips and vote for the inquiry that will work. The Chancellor told him: "The idea that I am going to take lessons in integrity from the man who smeared his way through 13 years of Labour government, who half the people who ever served with him think he was a disgrace in his post is another thing." He challenged the Labour benches to admit to the conversation with the Bank of England's Paul Tucker about Libor. Labour MP John Mann, who sits on the Treasury Select Committee, called for a judge to lead an inquiry, believing MPs on the

committee would spend up to 18 months investigating banking. He said: "That's the biggest reason why the joint inquiry isn't going to work; it simply isn't feasible that the chair of the Treasury committee could be seconded for that period of time. The market for determining one of the world’s key interest rates was a “cesspit” and banks cannot be trusted to be honest in several other major markets, the deputy governor of the Bank of England has warned. Paul Tucker told MPs that Barclays’ abuse of the Libor system may be only one part of the banks’ dishonesty over crucial financial information, suggesting that other markets should now be investigated. An official inquiry into Libor – which helps determine interest rates for householders and businesses – should be broadened to include several over markets where banks are trusted to report their own data, he said. Mr Tucker’s evidence to the Treasury Select Committee also reignited the political row over the Libor scandal as he insisted that members of the

last Labour government had not “absolutely not” put pressure on him to reduce Libor. Osborne has said that that the last government was “clearly involved” in the banks’ dishonest under-stating of the interest rates they were paying to borrow on money markets. Labour demanded Mr Osborne withdraw his claims, but Treasury sources insisted that question remain about Labour’s direct dealings with dishonest banks during the 2007-08 financial crisis. Mr Tucker faced intense questions from the MPs about why the Bank had not acted on abuse of Libor earlier and had not apparently been aware of abuses until a few weeks ago. He admitted that the Bank had been concerned about the integrity of the Libor process during the financial crisis, but did not suspect deliberate wrongdoing. “We thought it was a malfunctioning market, not a dishonest market,” he said. The Bank had opened the door to changing the way Libor was calculated in 2008, but did not act because of the turmoil in the global financial system, he said.

A report has revealed the UK Border Agency has a backlog of more than 150,000 immigration cases. But border officials have no idea if they have actually left the country or are still living here illegally. And inspectors found the beleaguered UK Border Agency has no plan for finding out how many remain, or taking action to remove those who are still here. In 40 per cent of cases examined by inspectors, the migrants had not even been sent a letter telling them they must quit Britain. The 'significant' new backlog emerged in a report by John Vine, the chief inspector of the UK Border Agency. Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: 'I am astonished that the UKBA has no idea where 159,000 individuals – the size of a city like Oxford – have gone since their application was rejected. This is yet another group of cases we did not know about.'

PM prepares for immigration U-turn?

PM Cameron is considering removing foreign students from official immigration figures amid mounting fears that government policy is costing the economy billions of pounds. The prime minister is concerned that visa restrictions designed to help meet a pledge to bring net migration below 100,000 a year are deterring wealthy foreigners from outside the European Union from studying at British universities. Britain currently attracts one in 10 foreign undergraduates and postgraduates who study outside their home country, generating about ￡8 billion a year for the nation. In May Damian Green, the immigration minister, rejected calls to stop counting foreign students as migrants, claiming he would be accused of “fiddling” immigration figures. However, No 10 accepts there is a real risk that international students will turn their backs on Britain if they face too many immigration hurdles.

Chapatti brand joins the ranks of Associated British Foods

The owner of Kingsmill bread has placed a ￡34 million bet on the future popularity of chapatti, the Indian unleavened flatbread, by taking Britain’s biggest ethnic flour brand off the hands of Premier Foods, its debt-laden rival. Associated British Foods, whose groceries division is a big competitor of Premier, said that the purchase of Elephant Atta would complement its other Asian brands, such as Raja spices and Patak’s curry pastes. Premier will continue to manufacture Elephant Atta at its Southampton mill under a co-packing agreement.

Al-Qaeda terror suspect caught at Olympic Park

A suspected terrorist who MI5 believe is a would-be suicide bomber was found repeatedly near the Olympic Games venue. The alleged al-Qaeda militant was caught crossing through the Olympic Park five times, breaking a ban imposed by the Home Secretary, The Sunday Telegraph reported. The 24 year-old has previously tried to get to Afghanistan, allegedly for terrorist training, and is suspected of fighting for the Somali Islamist group al Shabaab, which has been responsible for thousands of deaths, including those of Western aid workers. He is accused of trying to recruit other Britons to its cause. A Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman said: “CF has been charged with five offences of breaching his Tpim. He is next in [criminal] court on July 27.”

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

An ordinary Ahmedabad boy flying high in space By Purvi Apurva Shah An ordinary Ahmedabad boy Rushi Ghadawala who used to struggle with his daily mathematics and a problem child in school later stretched his wings so high that at present he is a leading space scientist and has won a number of international aeronautical awards. He is the first Indian to be on the board of The British Interplanetary society. He founded and initiated the first ever private space sector in India. And this all he did at a very young age. At present he is in his late twenties and has won many international awards and shines as one of the topmost space scientists. He has launched India’s first private space sector, Aryavarta Space Organization (ASO), and entered into an industrial partnership with Central American Association of Space and Aeronautics (ACAE ). This young man had mesmerised some of the wellknown scientists with the concept of Aryavarta and his views in space field. Aryavarta is a design of the space vehicle to shift satellite orbits for interplanetary mission for the greater economy and energy efficiency. He is developing this project under the guidance of former Indian President Dr Abdul Kalaam and will go a long way in reducing space debris which is of great concern for the scientists all over the world. Rushi says, "registration of Aryavarta with UN gives a lot of encouragement as we can get technical support and assistance from the scientists worldwide.” The laurels came after Rushi's visit to various international conferences and presentation of papers at 59th International Astronautical Congress and 18th International Astronotical Federation Workshop. He is a honorable member of space organizations all over the world like International Space and Society Committee, The Planetary Society, The International Lunar Observation Society, The Space Generation Advisory Council, South Asia Pacific and an elected member of Aeronautical Society of India. In 2008 he received Best Inventor's award from India Intellectual Right Commission and in 2009 he received Sir Issac Newton Award. He was an average and naughty child in school. He was not faring well with his studies, mainly in Maths. He says, “Maths is like a wife, whom we hate yet cannot do without it.” He was never a scholar in school but after getting admission in an aeronautical college, he changed his colours. Aeronautics was his real interest and found it challenging and he was selfmotivated to reach the sky. Flying aircraft and rocket always excited him and his aspiration was to fly once. His passion and innovative mind took him to space exploration in later life. After passing 12th board exams, when everyone was opting for engineering and medicine, he was sure that he wanted to take aeronautics. He grabbed the last seat of aeronautical engineering at SVIT, Vasad, Gujarat. First year was ordinary but in the second year he started discovering his hidden passion and started exploring and doing research. Once he did a presentation on space-shuttle innovation which impressed the college authorities a lot and his research papers were also published. He got the biggest break when he was specially invited for a meeting while the former Indian President Dr Abdul Kalaam was visiting Ahmedabad. Kalam was impressed by Rushi’s project of designing aircraft that runs on solar energy. Though Rushi was told not to take more than 9 minutes for the meeting but it was extended by another 9 minutes by Dr Kalam. And later under the guidance of Dr Kalaam he developed the aircraft project. He also

Rushi Ghadawala

initiated the project Aryavarta and presented it the International Aeronautical

Congress in Hyderabad. His project got a breakthrough with lot of international support. In 2008 he was called for United Nations working group committee meeting. There he presented papers on space debris and environmental pollution. Later he was invited to attend international scientific assembly in Germany. In 2008, he received Best Inventor's award from India Intellectual Right Commission and in 2009 received Sir Issac Newton award from International Aeronautical Society and in 2010 he and his organisation received award for completing research work on international level. In 2009, he moved to UK to pursue further research in Space engineering. He contributed in research work in Cranfield

Space Research Centre, Cranfield University in removing debris particles from the low earth orbit and served as mission baseline, risk assessment and communication specialist. He was also invited to chair and address 38th COSPAR scientific research assembly at Bremen, Germany in 2010. Later he was invited to participate in United Nation’s International Astronautical Federation Workshop at Prague, where he addressed interesting space work. His says, “Do not chase money, chase your dreams, your bills will be paid automatically.” He says, “Sky is not the limit as the footsteps are already on the moon!” He believes in stretching his limits to maximum.

Presents

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Please tick the appropriate category Sports Personality of the Year............................................

Woman of the Year ................................................................

Awarded for excellence in sports.

The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

Business Person of the Year .............................................. Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year ......................................

Professional of the Year ......................................................

Uniformed and Civil Services ............................................

Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Achievement in Community Service................................

Awarded to those who have acclaimed popularity internationally for his/her contribution in any particular sector and is recognised for their timeless philanthropic activities.

In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture .................... Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Award for Entertainment .................................................... For outstanding performance by Asians in the field of Dance and Music.

Awarded to an young entrepreneur (less than 35 years) with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

International Personality of the Year ............................

Lifetime Achievement Award ............................................ To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Application Form

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NOMINATION AND SELECTION PROCESS This is a unique event where readers nominate and an independent panel of judges comprising of eminent personalities selects the winner. Judges’ decision is final. ABPL Group will not entertain any dialogue with members of the public regarding the judging process. In order to ensure a high degree of transparency and fairness, the management and members of the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will play no role in the nomination or judging process. You may use an additional sheet if the space provided is insufficient. The winners will be announced at the AAA Awards ceremony in 14th September, 2012. Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar will publish the names of the short listed candidates and winners after the event. The winners names will also appear in our e-edition www.abplgroup.com You can nominate yourself if you wish to. Nominations and entries must follow the prescribed format. All nomination forms must reach our offices on or before 12th July, 2012

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travel & women

asian voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Purvi’s travel bag By Purvi Apurva Shah

women achievers The multi faceted young talent:

Mauli Dave

Ayurveda is the medical side of yoga. It’s India’s traditional natural healing system, which has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Ayurvedic resorts have become popular destinations for relaxation and rejuvenation in India, while ayurvedic hospitals cater for people seeking ayurvedic treatment for more serious health problems. People from all over the world want to visit India for the purpose of taking the ayurveda treatment as ayurveda mainly deals in maintaining the health of the individual and providing relief from various diseases. When is the Best Time to Receive Ayurvedic Treatment in India: The rainy season, during the monsoon from June to September, is an ideal time for Ayurvedic treatment because the atmosphere remains cool, moist, and dust free. This helps the body’s pores to open up, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy. Where is Ayurvedic Treatment Available in India: Most places that offer Ayurvedic treatment are located in the southern state of Kerala, due to the climate and abundant supply of medicinal plants and herbs there. You’ll also find quite a few Ayurvedic centers in Goa and Karnataka. Another innovative option is to book an Ayurvedic houseboat and explore the picturesque Kerala backwaters while receiving treatment. What are the Best Ayurvedic Resorts in India: These top Kerala Ayurvedic resorts are all well managed, and have an excellent range of properly administered Ayurvedic treatments. In Goa, the Ayurvedic Natural Health Centre near Calangute is good. In Karnataka, try Ayurvedagram or the Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre (IVAC). K a i r a l i Ayurvedic Health Resort: At Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort, Ayurvedic treatment is also about getting back to nature. The resort is set amongst 50 acres of lush land in the Palakkad district of Kerala. There's even a stream running past each cottage! Although it's a resort, Ayurveda is treated seriously there.

By AV Correspondent

Travel to India for Ayurveda experience S o mat h eer a m Ayurvedic Beach Resort, Kovalam: The world's first Ayurvedic resort and also one of the top hotels in Kovalam, Somatheeram Ayurvedic Health Resort offers a range of yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation programs for complete mind and body restoration. Guests can enjoy cultural performances in the evenings as well. The nearby beach is an added attraction. Beach and Lake Ayurvedic Resort: Intimate and private, the Beach and Lake Ayurvedic Resort has only eight rooms nestled on an island between the Arabian Sea and the Karamana river near Trivandrum. As its name implies, there are backwaters on one side and beach on the other. And all rooms have a view. Magical! Room rates start from $105 per night, including breakfast. Seven night rejuvenation packages start from around $1,080. Kalari Kovilakom: If money is not a problem, head straight to Kalari Kovilakom - the palace of the ancient Vengunad Kingdom in Kerala, now converted into a palace for Ayurveda by CGH Group. It's quite out of this world. No meat, leather footwear, or alcohol are allowed at

Kalari. There's no TV, or any entertainment for that matter. Hymns are chanted in the evenings. Every therapy is personal and customized, often combined with yoga and other methods to provide deep healing from within and without. Even the food is served according to individual requirements. The aim, according to the resort, is to give guests a chance to start their lives over again and be reborn. Sarovaram Ayurvedic Resort: If you're on a budget, try escaping to the tranquil Kerala backwaters for your Ayurvedic treatment. The very serene Sarovaram Ayurvedic Resort is a simple place that's spread over three acres of garden, right on the water's edge near Kollam. Family owned, it's run by third generation Ayurvedic doctors. Ideal Ayurvedic Resort: Another affordable option for Ayurvedic treatment in Kerala, the Ideal Ayurvedic Resort is located in Kovalam. It's situated on the edge of a small village within a canopy of coconut palms, five minutes walk from Chowara Beach. Although not as luxurious as other Ayurvedic resorts, treatment is still of a high standard and is administered by doctors. Shin Shiva Ayurvedic Resort: Another budget option, Shin Shiva is comfortable and informal, but also extremely professional. The resort was founded by a doctor whose family has a 400 year old tradition in Ayurvedic treatment. It's located on top of a cliff at Chowara, overlooking the ocean and close to Kovalam beach. It's around 30 minutes drive from Trivandrum airport.

Mauli Dave who was born on 3 June 1987 is a singer, actor, dancer, and television host. She was a finalist on Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007. She was also a finalist in Sony Entertainment's “Chalo America Boogie Woogie” in 2003, and was crowned Miss Teen India Texas 2007. Mauli then decided to move to Mumbai at the age of 19 to pursue a career in music and acting. She hosted a family dance show on the Zee Network titled “Rock n Roll Family” in 2008, lead role in a Zoom TeleFilm “Ek Anhonee”, participated in “Fear Factor India: Khatron Ke Khiladi” season 4 and made it to the top 2. She also acted in one episode of the Zee TV serial, “Parrivaar.” Her towering personality gives her the additional advantage of a massive screen presence. It is no wonder, that, the famed music director Bappi Lahiri called her “Indian Shakira.” When Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a popular music reality show in India, announced to have auditions internationally in countries like America, Canada, UK, South Africa, UAE and Pakistan; Mauli decided to audition to represent the USA. She went through five to six rounds of auditions in the US and later in Mumbai and finally chosen to represent the US after her famous rendition of the song “Mayya Mayya.” Mauli became a reality pop-icon overnight and soon had thousands of fans in the South Asian community all over the world. She eventually reached the top 10 and had a surprising The recipe for Sabakki Vada/Sago Patties can be used for starters, bitings and also for the Hindu fast. Vada/Patty Ingredients: Sago or Sabudana/ Sabakki-1 cup, Potatoes-2 Large sized, Roasted Peanut powder-2 Tbsp, Red Chilli powder-1 tsp, Curd/Yoghurt-1 tsp Cumin Seeds/Jeera-1 tsp, Salt, Oil to fry. Method: Wash Sabudana and drain out the water from it. Keep the washed Sabudana aside in a vessel for about 1 hr 30 min. This helps Sabudana turn soft. Do not try to soak Sabudana/Sabakki in water to soften it. This makes it turn into a paste. Wash the Potatoes and cook them until they become soft. Peel out the skin from the Potatoes, mash them and keep aside. Roast the peanuts and grind it in a mixer grinder and keep the powder ready. Once the Sabudana has turned soft (Step 1) : In a mixing

elimination after reaching the top 7. Born in Ahmedabad to parents Hemant Dave and Dipti Dave, she started singing before she could talk when she was only 10 months old. Her grandparents who were both ‘Visharath’ in music gave her the coaching. Her parents moved to Houston , Texas USA in 1990 when Mauli was only 2 and half year old. Her mother was the main push and influential factor for her and her elder brother Omkar. She made it a point to teach them everything from sports, martial arts, classical dance, classical music, instruments, fine arts, performing arts etc. to make sure they had a number of opportunities in life. Mauli and Omkar were sent to India to live with their grandmother after their grandfather’s death. From 1995 to 2000 she learnt Hindustani classical music from Mr Divyang Thakur in Ahmedabad, Kuchipudi (classical dance) from Sri Radha Menon and received a diploma in it at an early age of 12. Mauli learnt to read, write and speak in Hindi, Gujarati and a little bit of Sanskrit as well. After returning to the USA in 2000 Mauli started doing professional singing performances in small events at the young age of 12. Mauli began teaching classical music, tabla and classical dance in her mother’s music and dance academy. Mauli also learnt Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Hip Hop during this period. She was also a tennis player during her high school days. Since her interest was in fine arts,

she continued taking classes like drawing, painting and graphic designing from 8th grade to 12th grade. It was during this period that she continued her study of North Indian Classical music under Chandra Courtney. Mauli graduated from high school with a distinguished degree as a Magna Cumlaude. Mauli decided to attend the University of Houston and study Graphic Communications to receive a Bachelors Degree in Arts. Being a straight A student all her life, she managed to be on the Dean’s list all two years. In February 2007, due to her mom’s persuasion, Mauli decided to participate in the Miss Teen India Texas Pageant and was crowned with the title. Later in March that year, Mauli’s childhood dream was fulfilled when she was selected to be a part of “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2007.” After becoming a youth icon through her singing, Mauli started looking into other types of challenges. The next big project was hosting a family based dance show titled ‘Rock n Roll Family’ on the Zee Network. Since each episode opened with her dance performance, more people learned of her dancing background. She later got an offer for playing the main protagonist in a Tele-Film “Ek Anhonee” for the Zoom Network. Mauli was well appreciated for her role in this thriller as Divyani Mitra. Besides films, Mauli has also rendered her voice as a singer and voice over artist for ad companies like Del Monte, Fastrack, Fructis Garnier, TVS Scooty etc.

Sabudana vada/Sago Patties

bowl, have mashed Potatoes, Sabudana, roasted Peanut powder, Curd, Red Chilli powder, Jeera, Salt and mix well. Do mix to obtain a thick dough. If you feel that the dough is too soft, add peanut powder to make thicker. A softer dough can make the Vada to crack while frying in oil making frying Vada difficult with a messy oil. Now take a small lemon sized ball of dough and press with hand to obtain round shape. See that the sides of Vada is properly pressed to obtain the right shape. Heat oil in a frying pan, place the dough balls

into the heated oil to fry in the pan. Deep fry in medium flame to ensure that Sabudana Vada/Sago Patty is cooked sufficiently. Sabudana/Sabakki Vada is now ready. Serve this appetizer with Tomato sauce. Health benefits: Sabudana is full of starch or carbohydrates and is great for a quick boost of energy, and hence often served in India for breaking fasts.

HealtH Watch

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Don't eat anything when really hungry ings and long gaps between meals, hunger cues get out of sync, leading to severe hunger pangs," says clinical wellness expert Namita Jain. A simple solution: Firstly, understand your body clock. Know the difference between actual hunger and stomach contractions. Also, at times you may be misguided by people around you. "You may feel that eating less is better but it isn't true," says John Gloster, fitness expert. "Starvation is never a great survival strategy. Eat less but eat more often," he adds. Is it hunger or thirst? Figure out whether you are hungry or thirsty? Sometimes your body can send off signals to the brain that you are hungry. This is because food has lots of fluid contained within it. However, you don't want to be confused with taking on-board unwanted calories when you simply haven't had

It's in our basic nature to reach for a large portion when hungry. Therefore, workouts apart, it's a must to keep high-satiety food options available at hand, simply for the times when you feel those hunger pangs. With all the energy you devote to shedding kilos, you might actually know very little about why most diets fail - hunger pangs. It's never easy to resist that third serving of pizza even if you are bursting out of your seams. The guilt always strikes after the damage is done. Know the signs of hunger, the cues for stress eating, and what triggers your cravings to tame yourself when hunger strikes. The culprit: You've been working since 10 in the morning and consistently thinking about the deadline. Too busy to eat, there is a chance you would suffer from starvation. "Hunger is your body's cue to eat. Due to habits such as erratic tim-

Living alone raises risk of death

Continued Health (REACH) Registry. Among 44,573 Reach participants, 8,594 (19%) lived alone. Living alone was associated with higher four-year mortality (14.1% vs. 11.1%) and cardiovascular death (8.6% vs. 6.8%), according to the study results. Based on age, living alone was associated with an increased risk of death among those patients 45 to 65 years old compared with those living with others (7.7% vs. 5.7%), and among those participants 66 to 80 years old (13.2% vs. 12.3%). However, among patients older than 80 years, living alone was not associated with an increased risk of mortality compared with those living with others (24.6% vs. 28.4%). “In conclusion, living alone was independently associated with an increased risk of mortality and CV death in an international cohort of stable middle-aged outpatients with or at risk of atherothrombosis,” the researchers concluded. “Younger individuals who live alone may have a less favorable course than all but the most elderly individuals following development of CV disease, and this observation warrants confirmation in further studies,” they noted.

Living alone may increase risk of mortality, cardiovascular death, according to a new study. Social isolation may be associated with poor health consequences, and the risk associated with living alone is relevant because about 1 in 7 American adults lives alone. Epidemiological evidence suggests that social isolation may alter neurohormonal-mediated emotional stress, influence health behavior and effect access to health care, which may result in association with or acquisition of, cardiovascular risk, according to the study background. Jacob A Udell, M.D., M.P.H., of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues examined whether living alone was associated with increased mortality and cardiovascular (CV) risk in the global REduction of Atherothrombosis for

enough to drink. The key is to ensure you keep your fluid intake up over the course of a day. What to eat and when If you're following a particular diet, you will always prefer to carry a lunch box to work. A wheat bread sandwich, idlis (four to five), unpolished rice (a bowl) and curd, a roti roll filled with vegetables or two to three fruits are apt options for the day. For mid-night hunger pangs, foods like salad sandwich are a big no-no. Instead, eat a fruit and drink a glass full of water. The bottomline: To make sure you don't experience hunger pangs when on a diet, use top quality meal replacement drinks

like coconut water, green tea and butter milk and get your hands on whatever snacks are allowed in the diet programme like soy nuts or energy bars. Eat a healthy balanced meal that doesn't leave you feeling hungry, and this way you'll get to snack on some treats when you want to! To avoid severe hunger pangs: Skipping breakfast is a sin. Don't skip breakfast, or you'll be starving and cranky by mid-morning. A breakfast with low fat protein will help stave off snack attacks. Plan ahead. Make sure that you have low calorie snacks and drinks with you. Take note of what times of day you become hungry and plan your

meals and snacks accordingly. If you always cave in around 4 pm, schedule a snack for 3.30 and drink a big glass of water, too. Your body requires a certain amount of fat. Choose healthy fats, like olive oil. Do not take drastic steps. Cutting your calories too drastically will make your metabolism slow down and cause you to be plagued with hunger all of the time. Eat volumes of low-cal food. Broccoli, cauliflower and veggie salads will fill you up and help stave off hunger. Stay away from sugary snacks and simple carbohydrates like sticky buns, cake and donuts. If you eat them your blood sugar will soar, and then crash and you'll find yourself irritable, jittery and famished. Eat sufficient protein. Scientific studies show that protein leaves people feeling full longer than carbohydrates. To keep those hunger pangs at bay, distract yourself and divert your mind from food by getting involved in a task or a hobby you enjoy doing the most.

Eat desserts for breakfast, get slim

Those with a weakness for sweets can now include cookies and cake in a 600 calorie breakfast menu with some proteins and carbs to shed weight in a pleasurable way and also stay slim. Attempting to avoid sweets entirely can create a psychological addiction to these same foods in the long-term, explains Daniela Jakubowicz, professor at Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, who led the study. Over the course of a 32-week-long study, participants who added dessert to their breakfast - cookies, cake, or chocolate - lost an average of 40 pounds more than a group that avoided such foods, the journal Steroids reports. What's more, they kept off the pounds longer. A

meal in the morning provides energy for the day's tasks, aids in brain functioning, and kick-starts the body's metabolism, making it crucial for weight loss and maintenance, according to a statement. And breakfast is the meal that most successfully regulates ghrelin, the hormone that increases hunger, explains Jakubowicz. While the level of ghrelin rises before every meal, it is suppressed most effectively at breakfast time. These findings were based on 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults, who were randomly assigned to one of two diet groups with identical caloric intake - the men consumed 1,600 calories daily and the women 1,400.

However, the first group was given a low carbohydrate diet, including a small 300 calorie breakfast, and the second was given a 600 calorie breakfast high in protein and carbohydrates, always including a dessert item (i.e. chocolate). Halfway through the study, participants in both groups had lost an average of 33 pounds per person. But in the second half of the study, results differed drastically. The participants in the low-carb group regained an average of 22 pounds each, but participants in the group with a larger breakfast lost another 15 pounds each. At the end of the 32 weeks, those who had consumed a 600 calorie breakfast had lost an average of 40 pounds more per person than their peers.

Brushing soon after meal damages teeth Brushing your teeth within half an hour of having a meal or drinking a cup of coffee could seriously damage them, dentists have warned. After drinking fizzy or acidic drinks, the acid burns into the enamel of your teeth - and the layer below the enamel, called 'dentin'. Brushing at the 'wrong' time - particularly within 20 minutes of finishing a meal - can drive the acid deeper into your teeth, corroding them far faster than they would have rotted by themselves. "With brushing, you could actually push the acid deeper into the enamel and the dentin", Dr Howard R. Gamble, president of the Academy of General Dentistry was quoted as saying. Study has shown that teeth corrode faster if they are brushed in the half hour after consumption of an acidic soft drink, which 'stripped' them, thereby demineralising them. Volunteers wore human dentin samples in their mouths, and tested different brushing regimens. Brushing in the 20 minutes after a soft drink damaged teeth noticeably. For those who have just eaten a spicy meal, waiting an hour seems to be enough to avoid the negative effects. "However, after intra-oral periods of 30 and 60 minutes, wear was not significantly higher than in unbrushed controls", the researchers said. "It is concluded that for protection of dentin surfaces at least 30 minutes should elapse before toothbrushing after an erosive attack," they added.

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...

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Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

CB Live is the only Gujarati live programme in UK on Television This week in CB Live, Rami Ranger will discuss with CB Patel how he has won 4 consecutive Queen's Awards for Exports and his involvement in Hindu Forum of Britain and with Conservative Party along with his his several other initiatives. Anila Shah, a legal advisor, specialising in immigration and benefits at Sangat Community centre will be discussing about health related issues as well as some current topic in political and social front. If you do not have a SKY, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500 Take some time out to reflect. Try and work out where you want to make changes in your busy life. Once you know, don't hesitate to implement it systematically. A tremendous amount of planetary activity in your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as well as personal issues to be dealt with.

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Attacker likes prison, told to Court A man who killed a student in a random attack has told a court he likes prison because he gets to watch Coronation Street. Kiaran Stapleton, pictured, admits gunning down Indian student Anuj Bidve on the grounds of diminished responsibility but denies murder. Brian Cummings QC asked him during cross examination if he had hoped the psychiatric reports considering the issue of diminished responsibility would be in his favour. 'To be honest, I’m not bothered,' he said to the court. 'I love prison. I watch Coronation Street. I have got a fat canteen. Lock me up for 65 years.' A defence psychologist told the court Stapleton

had difficulties in expressing his emotions. Dr Sanya Krljes said he had also experienced behavioural problems at school where he was expelled on a few occasions and had got into fights. Dr Krljes said he had no idea or insight into what had caused him to shoot dead Mr Bidve. The trial continues.

Woman blames mother-inlaw for provoking 'killing' A woman who beat her mother-in-law to death with a rolling pin claims she was provoked by name-calling and her unkindness towards her, daily Mail reported. Rajvinder Kaur, 37, is accused of inflicting multiple head, neck and body injuries on Baljit Kaur Buttar in a sustained attack in the family’s bathroom. She then called an ambulance claiming her mother-in-law had suffered a heart attack. Mrs Kaur has admitted killing her mother in law but denies murder as she

claims her mother-in-law’s behaviour towards her provoked her into losing her self-control. Mrs Buttar had been staying with the family for six month and according to Rajvinder Kaur she would call her names, threaten her and behave unkind to her. The court was told that Kaur’s two sons, aged nine and 18 months were at home at the time of the killing. A previous trial, at which Mrs Kaur denied having anything to do with the death, was halted earlier this year when she admitted the killing.

Coming Events l Shree Khadsupa Kachhol Parivar (UK) has arranged a friendly family gathering on Sunday 29July 2012, 125pm. St Chad's Parish Centre, Coleman Road, Leicester. Contact: Sureshbhai 0116 2835080 l Ananda Utsav in London, 17-19 August, 9am-6pm, SKLPC, Northolt, UN5 6RE, Contact: A K Basra 07977 201 226 l Vishwa Hindu Mandir is celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Saturday 14th July, 7pm to 9.30pm. Dinner after the programme. 2 Lady Margaret Road, Southall UB1 2RA. Contact: 07817 364 716 l Mrs Vant Sehgal, mother of Rajan Sehgal ( Skylord Travel), passed away on Monday 2nd July 2012 in Delhi. Havan & Shantipath will be held for Mrs Vant Sehgal on Saturday, 14 July 2012 at Sri Ram Mandir, 2 Lady Margaret Road, Southall, Middlesex, UB1 2RA. Havan: 11:00 a.m. Bhojan: 1:00 p.m. If you are able to do so please join them on the day at the Mandir. Contact: 07932 620 868

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Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent. The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

With Venus, Mars well placed in your chart, this is a good time for your social as well as your love life. If you’re single you are likely to meet the person of your dreams and this could lead to a permanent relationship for some of you. You could also benefit at work through a promotion.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

If lately you have had all sorts of demands being placed on you from all sides, don't despair; take some time out to reflect. Try and work out your priorities. Once you know, don't hesitate to implement it systematically. A tremendous amount of planetary activity in your chart signals a time for change.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in such things as meditation, yoga and therapies that help you. This will prove to be highly beneficial for your physical and psychological well-being.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

You will progress by focusing your mental and physical energies on what you want to achieve. The underlying trend seems to be pulling you into a much wider social circle now. This will enrich your life and give you a deeper sense of purpose. The prevailing pattern of planets gives you a marvellous opportunity take advantage.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Having all the major planets above the horizon in your solar chart shows that the general pattern of events will focus your attention on the need to make an impact on the world. Although the very practical affairs of life continue to be highlighted, you will be very much in demand socially. SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Your attention turns to money and finance this week. You are satisfied with your love life, but now you’ve got to get busy making cash. You have much professional territory yet to cover, with planets in your financial sector, there is not reason why you should not get there. Good period for communications.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

It is a good time for dealing with financial interests with a long-term basis, such as investments, insurance and all jointly held resources. You will be able to sort out any difficulties by taking immediate action. Therefore you will need to adopt a fairly flexible policy to accommodate the odd twists and turns of everyday life.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Business partnerships are tested, some of them could challenge your authority. 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 stay the course no matter what obstacles you encounter. AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The accent’s very much on relationships. The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires. The general pattern of things continues on a progressive and buoyant theme.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

This week you will be mentally alert and have the ability to sort out any practical problems. Matters of the heart are not favoured this week, so expect some setbacks. Plan ahead for the long term where finances are concerned as this is a good time to invest. The atmosphere at home is likely to be convivial and joyous.

SpORT worLd

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Kevin Pietersen ponders one-day return

Kevin Pietersen has said there is still a chance he could play 'white ball' cricket for England again despite retiring from limited overs internationals. However, the South Africa-born batsman -who remains a Test cricketer - said it would need a drastic change to England's packed schedule for him to consider a return to one-day and Twenty20 matches for his adopted country. "I've had my wife, mother, dad, mother-inlaw, brothers and my best mates all saying to me 'don't you wish you were out there batting against Australia (in the on-going one-day series)?' Pietersen said "And I've said to them I haven't missed it at all. But maybe all I needed was a break. Who knows? I've played a lot of cricket in the last seven years." Asked if he would reconsider his retirement from international cricket's two shortest formats, the 32year-old said: "Never say never. I'm a lot older and more mature than a few years

ago, so you never know. "Anything can happen. I'll never say no, but the schedule would have to be a hell of a lot different for me to come back. Wait and see. "Pietersen, one of the undoubted 'box-office' stars of world cricket, called time on his international limited overs career when the England management denied him his wish to carry on playing Twenty20s while quitting 50 overs per side one-dayers. They said he had to make himself available for both formats amidst concerns that, otherwise, the 50-over side would be weakened by several players following

No plans to retire from ODIs: Sachin Tendulkar He might be skipping ODIs with regularity but Sachin Tendulkar says he does not plan to quit the format altogether just yet and will continue as long as he enjoys the game. Tendulkar, who has played just two ODI series after the World Cup last year, most recently opted out of the tour of Sri Lanka later this month, fuelling speculation about his future in the format. But the 39-year-old star batsman insisted that he rarely gets affected by what is speculated about him. "It's not what XYZ think, it's what I feel and I feel as long as I am enjoying and I feel like being part of it, I'll continue (playing ODIs)," he said. "I felt I shouldn't be part of the Twenty20 squad in 2007 and I had been asked (to

stay on) but I felt I should not be part of Twenty 20 squad because the team did well. When I get that feeling in oneday cricket may be I would take that decision," he said. Tendulkar said he decided to opt out of Sri Lanka tour as he wanted to spend time with his children. "I just wanted to spend time with my family, as simple as that. I spoke to the BCCI and requested them. To be able to spend time with my children is also important. "Because once we go back they will go to their schools then you won't get quality time which any family man expects from his family and that is something which will keep me going for next 10 months," he said.

Pietersen's lead. Pietersen, man of the tournament when England won the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean two years ago, still harbours hopes of helping the side defend their title in Sri Lanka in September. "I still hope there might be a compromise for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka," he said. "The squad hasn't been announced. "I would love to play in that and defend our title with England. If it happens, great, but I'm not holding my breath." England's geography means that, uniquely among cricket countries, they are guaranteed a near year-long programme of international cricket. However, Pietersen's critics insist he could have kept playing for England in all three major formats and still have given himself a break if he'd opted out of the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League. But Pietersen said expecting him, or other world stars, to miss the IPL was unrealistic and that his partic-

ipation wasn't simply a matter of cash. "Okay, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) may say me playing in the IPL makes it hard to rest me but what annoys me is that, with every other board the IPL is a matter of fact. It's not going away," he said. "It's going to be there and players want to play in it. Players want to go and earn their money and unless you let them decisions will have to be made."Big players want to play in front of big audiences. You want to hear your name chanted by 50,000 people. It's amazing. It makes you feel so good. "The window for that has been created by the other boards but unfortunately not ours." England have so far coped well without Pietersen and lead Australia 3-0 in a five-match one-day series ahead of Tuesday's finale at Old Trafford. In particular Ian Bell, since being recalled to the one-day side in Pietersen's place as an opener, has scored 364 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 72.8.

Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan selected for Lanka tour India opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan returned to a 15-member Indian cricket squad even as senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar decided to skip the limited overs tour of Sri Lanka starting on July 21. Sehwag, Zaheer, along with young pacer Umesh Yadav, had sat out of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh in March due to fitness issues. Tendulkar, who has played only two ODI series since 2011 World Cup and is now a Rajya Sabha MP, made himself unavailable for selection for the Lanka tour which will have five ODIs and a Twenty20 international. Young Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane has replaced Tendulkar in the side. The other change from the Asia Cup side is the inclusion of left-arm spinner Pragyan

Ojha in place of out-of-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. The committee, which picked the squad, also decided to include Umesh at the expense of Praveen Kumar. "We have the best available team. Sachin is not available. I think it is a very good side which has very strong batting line-up and good bowlers and we are confident that it will do well in Sri Lanka," chairman of selection committee Krishnamachari Srikkanth told reporters after announcing the squad. There was no place for feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who endured indifferent form during the IPL and has now signed up with English county side Essex, as the selectors continued to ignore him while Rahul Sharma was retained in the side.

Tests may be in danger in 10 years: Rahul Dravid Rahul Dravid cautioned that Test cricket will face a stiff survival challenge in a decade's time since children, who are growing up now, may then prefer easy bucks in Twenty20 format over the traditional form of the game. "I think today's youngsters like Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary have grown up watching and idealising the Test cricket. It's (about) kids of my son's age, who have grown up watching T20 and IPL, and what those kids want, will be the challenge in 10 years' time," said Dravid at a book launch function that had taken place last week. "I don't see that as an immediate problem, I see it as a longterm issue. That challenge is going to arise in 10 years' time and we need to address that problem right now," said the batsman who was the proverbial rock at no.3 for India in Tests for more than a decade and a half.

Dravid, who holds the record for second highest runs scored in Test matches, said while the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) provides the opportunity for players to earn big bucks, the children growing up with the game should be told that the real satisfaction comes by playing Test cricket around the world. "I had gone through a Commerce degree and not very successfully. So I knew that the only option

for me was to be a successful Test cricketer at that stage. Today the options are a lot more. People have the option of not playing Test cricket but still making money out of the game. Who is to blame kids for taking that option? I won't judge them on that. "I want to tell kids that the greatest satisfaction you are going to get is by playing Test cricket across these wonderful stadiums in the world. So don't sell yourself short," the former Indian skipper said. Dravid, who took over the reins of the national side when Greg Chappell was the coach, said he always had felt in command of the team contrary to the general belief that it was the controversial Aussie who ran the show. "It was always my team. There is no doubt about that. Because Greg was a strong personality and because he himself was a great cricketer, because of the fanfare and publicity at times

it could come across as it was his team," said Dravid about a tumultuous phase in Indian cricket. "He (Chappell) can polarise a team with his strong personality. But I always thought it was my team. I never felt that he took a hard position when I wanted to do things differently," said the man nicknamed "The Wall". Dravid conceded that while he took up the leadership role with enthusiasm over the years he started to see it as a burden probably because of excess cricket combined with bad results, like India's early exit in the 2007 World Cup, and that forced him to quit the highprofile job. "I took it up (captaincy) with enthusiasm, energy, passion and desire to do it. I felt at the stage when I gave it up that somehow over the period, it (desire) had gone, maybe because we played too much cricket then or some of the bad results we had.

Action at a Glance BCCI to nominate Dravid for Khel Ratna, Yuvraj for Arjuna

The cricket board has decided to recommend recently retired stalwart Rahul Dravid for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Yuvraj Singh, the player of the World Cup, for the Arjuna Award. "We will be forwarding the names of Dravid for Khel Ratna and Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna Award next week (to the government)," BCCI's CAO Prof Ratnakar Shetty said. The government had recently extended the deadline for the nominations till July 20. The 39-year-old Dravid retired from all forms of the game at the international level following the Test series in Australia last year after having accumulated over 23,000 runs in Tests and ODIs combined since making a spectacular debut at Lord's in 1996. If awarded the highest sports award in the country that was instituted in 199192, former India captain Dravid would follow the footsteps of his illustrious ex-teammates Sachin Tendulkar (1997-98) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (2007-08) as the third cricketer to win the coveted award.

56 foreign players in Sri Lanka Premier League

The inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League will feature 56 foreign cricketers, not one of them Indian, after the seven franchises made their choices in a closed-door players' draft system. Australia, with 18, provided the most players for the franchises with 13 Pakistani players being the next highest. Not a single English or Indian player figures in the lists. The non participation of Indian players in last year's inaugural SLPL had forced the cancellation of the event. The foreign players to participate in the SLPL: Uthura: Shakib Al Hasan, Brendan Taylor, Kevon Cooper, Imran Farhat, Fidel Edwards, David Miller, Dillon du Preez, Samuel Badree. Nagenahira: Mitchell Marsh, Imran Nazir, Travis Birt, Ahmed Shahzad, Ben Laughlin, Elias Sunny, Mushfiqur Rahim, Nasir Hossain. Ruhuna: Shahid Afridi, Daniel Harris, Ryan Harris, Aaron Finch, Jerome Taylor, Nathan McCullum, Ryan McLaren, Richard Levi. Wayamba: Azhar Mahmood, Umar Akmal, Tamim Iqbal, Colin Ingram, Kemar Roach, James Faulkner, Abdul Razzaq, Brad Hogg. Kandurata: Saeed Ajmal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Chris Lynn, Dane Vilas, Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Adam Voges. Basnahira: Brad Hodge, Marlon Samuels, Daniel Smith, Dirk Nannes, Robin Peterson, Tim Southee, Clint McKay, Cameron Borgas. Uva: Andrew McDonald, Umar Gul, Shoaib Malik, Callum Ferguson, James Franklin, Abdur Rehman, Hammad Azam, Chris Gayle.

Azarenka reclaims world number one spot

Belarusian Victoria Azarenka returned to the world number one spot in tennis in the latest rankings released on Monday thanks to American Serena Williams' victory over Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the Wimbledon final. WTA Rankings: Radwanska needed to win Saturday's final to take the world number one ranking but had to settle for a move up from third to second. Australian Open champion A z a r e n k a reclaims the ranking that she lost to Maria Sharapova after the Russian's French Open success last month. Sharapova's fourth round defeat in Wimbledon meant she would lose her number one ranking to either Azarenka or Radwanska. Williams moves up two places to fourth after winning a fifth title at the All England club.

Asian Voice - Saturday 14th July 2012

Roger Federer downs Andy Murray for seventh Wimbledon crown

In the end the strokes of an artist silenced the will of a nation that was urging, pleading, begging its hero, 25-year-old Andy Murray, to bring home the title. Roger Federer, unmoved by the tide of hysteria that was closing in around him, sang his song like only he can on a bitter-cold London evening to claim his 17th Grand Slam title with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win. The win gave Federer his seventh Wimbledon crown and the world No. 1 ranking, which will take him past Pete Sampras' record of 286 weeks at the game's top. Federer then told the crowd, "I played my best tennis in the last two matches... I've missed playing the final. Feels good to have this trophy in my hands after three years, it feels like it never left my hands." A weeping Murray, who took the runner-up plate, said: "I am getting closer. I want to thank all the people in my team. We did great. And the crowd, you make it easy here. After my semifinal I heard people say, this is your best chance, Federer is 30, he's old. He's not bad for a 30-year-old!" The host nation was looking for its first champion since Fred Perry in 1936, and Federer was aiming for a slice of history. Federer started nervously after electing to serve. An over hit drive volley rewarding the world No. 4, playing his fourth Grand Slam final, with a break. With every passing point, it looked like the six-time champion, in his eighth Wimbledon final, was hitting his stride. Then, in the 12-minute eighth game, Federer had a chance to tip the balance. Three opportunities, but each time the Swiss came up short. Murray charged the baseline, scrambling back and forth to hold his own in

the face of a stirring onslaught by his opponent. As the clouds gathered over centre court, a sunny cheer spread in the crowd. Murray responded by breaking Federer's serve in the ninth game before serving out the set to log his first set in a Grand Slam final. If Murray felt any nerves at all at the start of the match, they had more than steadied as he forced his opponent to play every ball. Federer, on the other hand, was beginning to look edgy. The Swiss superstar appeared a step off the pace, especially in the long rallies. Games then went with serves and just as the set seemed to be heading into tiebreak, Federer tightened the reins in the 12th game. A daring drop shot giving the Swiss break-point, Federer made no mistake on the next point, powering through on a flood of ground strokes to lock the set. After splitting the first two games of the third set, Federer was up 40-0 in the third game when the skies opened up. The players returned on court 35 minutes later with the roof firmly drawn over centre court. In what was a virtual second part of the match, played in near-perfect conditions, the Swiss master held serve at love. The 30-year-old artist, who broke in

the sixth game after setting up nearly halfdozen breakpoint opportunities, sealed the effort with a screaming backhand. Federer then served out the set in the ninth game. The Swiss master, who by now was swinging freely, got ahead in the fifth game of the fourth set, breaking Murray with a single-fisted backhand crosscourt that could've threaded a needle. Federer then didn't put a foot wrong as he served out the match on his second championship point.

beset by recession, banking scandals, the Leveson inquiry, national frictions and a deepening obsession with celebrity. Leaders from all sections of society were present to witness the royal duel. So inside Centre Court we had the perfect cross-section of the nation. Inside, there was a certain purity to the battle between one man striving for the top (Murray) and another trying to stay there at a time when Nadal and Djokovic have tried to steal the show. Sixteen grand slam titles played zero grand slam titles here. And it showed, in Federer’s tactical mastery. Murray won the first set but was unable to take his chances in the second. Symbolically, that one ended with the most subtle of Federer drop shots. In this form he could hit a butterfly across the

Leander Paes-Vesnina end runners-up

Serena proves her dominance Knees bent, feet apart, Serena Williams swung through her backhand in classic fashion, outpacing Agnieszka Radwanska to close out the 122-minute final. The American then tossed aside her racket and fell on her back, covering her face with her broad palms. Up in the players' box, older sister Venus, a five-time champion here, was on her feet, clapping, cheering, tears streaming down her face.

A few minutes later after the trophy presentation ceremony, Serena looked up at Venus and said, "I must have everything you have, Venus and now I have five just like you. I copied you again." On a day when the temperature dipped and the rain didn't quite stay away, Serena swept to her fifth Wimbledon

Andy we are proud of you Andy Murray need not be ashamed of his defeat in the Wimbledon final in the face of an irresistible performance from perhaps the greatest exponent of the grass-court game. Roger Federer enters the record books as a seven-time champion at the All England Club; Fred Perry’s status as Britain’s most recent victor in the men’s singles remains untouched. In the end, it was not the British temperament but the British weather that did for Andy Murray. When the rain came down, and the roof slid on, we saw precisely why Federer is reckoned the finest indoor player in the world. Yet the response of the crowd suggests that, even in defeat. Murray’s skill and gallantry captured the nation’s heart. “Getting closer,” was his wry, exhausted observation in his oncourt interview, before briefly breaking down in tears. Some day soon, surely, his courage will be rewarded. Talent does what it can. Genius does what it must. Murray was as good as he could be. Federer was the master we always knew he was. Murray played at the edge of an aptitude that has taken him much further than Tim Henman but still not to the grail of a first British grand slam title since 1936. Murray offered grounds for the nation to unite around its television screens on a wet summer Sunday. The land that staged this struggle is in a curious state,

crown and 14th Grand Slam title, beating the third-seeded Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. It was Serena's first grand slam victory in two years, after major illness and serious injury threatened to derail her career.

net and not harm it. He won much of the outdoor match but lost the indoor one, when Federer developed a lethal rhythm. The defining game was a 20-minute marathon in the third set, in which Murray fought through six break points to save his service game but finally succumbed. In those moments you could feel him drifting back towards the boyish, bedraggled state we know so well. But it was not the start of an implosion. He lost the third 6-3 but redoubled his efforts in the fourth. The break against him came from another slice of Federer sorcery: a whipped backhand cross, hit with sadistic fizz. Murray endured it well. He spread hope around the place. Playing this well, he would win a grand slam title in most eras. Yet the old conundrum remains. It is almost inconceivable that he will make it through to a final without having to face one of the three amigos: Federer, Djokovic or Nadal. Say Federer retires in two or three years. Murray might be 28 by then. No wonder Murray’s tears burst their dam. “You feel like you’re attention seeking, but it’s not like that at all,” he said. No, it was not like that at all. A man who avoids the attention of the masses is unlikely to start seeking it in defeat. It was perhaps a useful step to show an ambivalent British public his tender side.

Leander Paes and Elena Vesnina will have to wait for their first Grand Slam title together as they lost the closely fought Wimbledon mixed doubles summit clash to Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond on Sunday. The fourth seeded Indo-Russian pair suffered a 3-6, 7-5, 4-6 defeat at the hands of second seed Americans after battling for two hours and four minutes. It is for the second time in this season that Paes and Vesnina have ended runners-up at a tennis Major as they had lost the final of the Australian Open in January to Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Horia Tecau. Nevertheless, it was creditable performance by Paes after a stormy build up to the Wimbledon, caused by selection drama for London Olympics. In Sunday’s match, Vesnina served brilliantly and Paes too played well but the margin of error was little against the strong pair of Mike Bryan and Lisa Raymond, who had a superb all round game.

Sangakkara beats Don Bradman’s record

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara has been on a record-breaking spree in the second Test against Pakistan at the SSC grounds in Colmbo. Sangakkara scored his 30th career Test century and ninth against Pakistan in the rain-hit Test match and was involved in a 200-run partnership with opener Tillakaratne Dilshan. During his innings, the former Sri Lankan captain went on to score the most number of career Test runs against Pakistan, beating the 2,089 runs scored by Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. Sangakkara's ninth Test century against Pakistan was also the most number of Test centuries scored by any international cricketer against Pakistan. Scoring his 30th Test hundred Sangakkara also joined an elite list of cricketers who haves scored 30 or more Test centuries. Sangakkara went ahead of Australian legend Sir Don Bradman who scored 29 Test hundreds and is the second Sri Lankan on the list after captain Mahela Jayawardena who has 31 Test hundreds. Indian master batsman Sachin Tendulkar heads the list with 51 Test hundreds.