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16 - 22 NOV 2019 - VOL 48 ISSUE 28
LABOURLABOURS FOR INDIAN VOTE
inside: SC paves way for Ram mandir SEE PAGE 17
- Priyanka Mehta
British Indians join The Jewish Chronicle in attempts of The Labour Party now appears to be in a damage control mode as the UK heads for a general election stopping the general election on December 12. In a recent letter issued by Ian Larvey, the Chair of Labour Party has clarified that from religious polarisation the Party “will not adopt any anti-India or antiPakistan position over Kashmir”.
Continued on page 2
History marks Kartarpur opening SEE PAGE 26
2 UK
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LABOUR LABOURS FOR INDIAN VOTE Continued from page 1 This letter follows widespread social and print media campaigns run across the country where more than 100 British Indian faith-based, religious, and community organisations stood united in the face of the motion passed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In recent times, WhatsApp messages were also circulated in the Hindu diaspora wherein keyboard warriors urged British Hindus to vote against Labour accusing the Party of being “anti-India” and “anti-Hindu”. Some reports also indicate that the Labour Party stands at the risk of being isolated from both the Indian and Jewish communities in the UK. In a similar front last week, Labour's “antisemitic” image was also contradicted by The Jewish Chronicle. The paper called upon non-Jews to support
interfere in our internal affairs with regards to Northern Ireland and Scotland?” asked Lord Rami Ranger CBE, Co-Chairman, The Conservative Friends of India. Labour has now distanced itself from the conference motion after criticism from a major Hindu charity. Earlier, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Labour's candidate in Slough, urged people of Hindu and Sikh faith not to "fall for the divisive tactics of religious hardliners, trying to wedge apart our cohesive community, circulating lies on WhatsApp". Official figures suggest that there are more than a million Hindus in comparison to more than three million Muslims here in the UK. According to research published by the Runnymede Trust in 2015 and 2017, Labour remained the most popular party among ethnic minority voters (77% of them voted
In the meantime, The Guardian, recently published an article titled “British Indians warn Hindu nationalist party not to meddle in UK elections”. The journalist reportedly visited Harrow East, Leicester and Blackwell. But according to the publication, none of those the Guardian spoke to said they would cast their vote based on UK policy towards India and all rejected BJP interference. “They don’t have to interfere in the politics here,” said Suresh Morjaria, a 67-year-old shopkeeper. “They can do what they want in India. I am happy for them to do what they want with [Indian prime minister Narendra] Modi, but this is a different country.” “It’s wrong,” said 34-year-old hairdresser Kamlesh Nayee. He shook his head when it was suggested the BJP were angry over Labour’s stance on the disputed territory of Kashmir. “Labour is good,” he said. “I got my [British] passport under Labour. They helped me, they understand.” them in their fight against anti-Semitism, especially from within the Labour Party. “Sadly, the Labour Party has become anti-Semitic and anti-India under the current Labour Leader, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn. By dividing our nation with such divisive politics will not only damage our social cohesion but also prove a huge setback to our fragile race relation. How would we like it if India started to
Labour in 2017). When a political party seeks to harm UK-Indian relations; when it proclaims that India does not protect human rights; when it turns a blind eye to terrorism against India in Kashmir which is the greatest threat to human rights; and when it portrays Kashmir as ‘Palestine’ then we are also compelled to take a stand and stop the danger to British Indians from this ill-informed and
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partisan attitude. “To be clear, we believe the Labour Party is showing signs of being captured by an extreme minority, inadvertently supported by an ignorant majority, keen to shore up their vote base and willing to sacrifice their traditional support from British Indians. This is not good for Britain or the health of our democracy,” said Lord Jitesh Gadhia.
Lord Jitesh Gadhia
Now, the Chair of Labour Party in his letter has opposed external interference in the political affairs of any other country” stating that “Kashmir is a matter for India and Pakistan to resolve together by means of a peaceful solution which protects the human rights of the Kashmiri people and respects their right to have a say in their own future". Earlier last week, a UK support group for the BJP, said it was campaigning for Tories in the 48 marginal seats. Oversees Friends of the BJP (OFBJP) claims that an estimated 900,000 Hindu and Sikh voters of British-Indian origin could play a decisive role in as many as 40 constituencies. Among the marginal seats that OFBJP activists will canvas for is Harrow East, where Bob Blackman, the Tory candidate, has a majority of 1,757. “We are planning a lot of stuff in that area — my team and other community leaders,” said Kuldeep Shekhawat, the group’s president. According to Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, a think tank specialising in integration and migration, one in five first-time voters in next month’s election will come from an ethnic minority, emphasising the need for political parties to broaden their appeal. As the British politics appears to be divided over religious vote and at a time when places of worship have become implicit campgrounds for British politics, Labour appears to be re-thinking its strategy towards the Indian vote.
Dear Mr Lavery, I�welcome�your�attached�letter�giving�assurances�to�the�British�Indian Community�that�the�Labour�Party�will�not�take�sides�over�Kashmir. Sadly,�the�Labour�Party�has�become�Anti-Semitic�and�Anti�India�under�the�current�Labour�Leader,�Mr.�Jeremy�Corbyn.�By�dividing�our�nation�with�such�divisive�politics�will�not�only�damage�our�social�cohesion�but�also�prove�a�huge setback�to�our�fragile�race�relation.�How�would�we�like�it�if�India�started�to interfere�in�our�internal�affairs�with�regards�to�Northern�Ireland�and Lord Ranger CBE Scotland? Co-Chairman The�effects�of�’Divide�&�Rule‘�policies�in�India�which�lead�to�the�partition�in 1947�are�still�being�felt�in�the�Subcontinent.�Before�the�partition�India�was one,�everyone�lived�together�for�centuries�in�perfect�harmony.�They�enjoyed common�heritage,�food,�language�and�folklores.�They�even�shared�common�religions.�There�are more�Muslims�living�in�India�today�than�they�do�in�Pakistan.�I�fail�to�see�what�has�been�achieved except�creating�hatred�amongst�people�who�were�and�are�one.� The�rivalry�created��by�the�partition�resulted�in�the�death�of�over�a�million�innocent�people�including my�illustrious�father�www.shaheednanaksingh.com�who�was�against�the�breakup�of�India.�Sadly, the�religious�fanatics�could�not�appreciate�his�vision�of�a�united�India�free�from�rivalries�and�assassinated�him�when�he�was�trying�to�save�students�who�had�taken�out�a�peaceful�procession�against the�division�of�India�and�got�caught�in�communal�riots.� Over�15�million�innocent�people�became�refugees�in�their�own�country�including�our�family.�The death�and�destruction�did�not�end�there.�Indian�and�Pakistan�have�fought�4�bloody�wars�since�they were�divided�without�plebiscite�or�a�referendum.�Now�they�are�nuclear�rivals.�Their�next�war�could destroy�many�more�countries�along�with�their�own.�By�bringing�the�politics�of�the�Subcontinent�in to�the�UK�will�only�succeeded�in�dividing�us�in�the�UK�too,�where�we�now�living�in�big�numbers�as British�Citizens�and�also�have�the�same�Queen. It�is�worth�remembering�that�India�is�a�secular�and�democratic�country�with�equality�for�all�which�is enshrined�in�its�constitution�regardless�of�race,�religion�and�gender.�There�are�no�human�rights abuses�in�India�where�there�is�a�rule�of�law�and�judiciary�is�totally�independent�and�human�right abuses�can�be�challenged�in�the�courts.�We�should�encourage�Kashmir�to�become�a�catalyst�of peace�between�the�two�countries�for�the�greater�good�of�mankind. Incidentally,�India�is�no�longer�a�struggling�country.�It’s�GDP�is�about�to�surpass�that�of�the�United Kingdom.�Indians�in�Britain�have�done�exceptionally�well�because�they�are�the�products�of�a�secular India.�After�Brexit,�it�will�be�India�who�will�the�right�partner�for�Britain.�As�a�result,�Labour�Politicians should�look�at�a�bigger�picture�and�put�the�interests�of�Britain�above�else.�Lets�not�bite�our�nose�to spite�our�face. Regards,� Lord Ranger CBE Co-Chairman The�Conservative�Friends�of�India 4�Matthew�Parker�Street London�SW1H�9HQ www.cfindia.co.uk
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16 - 22 November 2019
RCEP conditions unacceptable The launch of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the ASEAN summit in Cambodia was one of promise – a free trade bloc stretching from ASEAN [South East Asia], Australia, New Zealand, China, South Korea, Japan, India – 16 countries in all - would have constituted the world’s largest free trade bloc with impressive numbers: 39 per cent of global GDP, 30 per cent of global trade,26 per cent of global foreign direct investment, 45 per cent of the global population. This appeared to gel with India’s Look East policy. The devil, however, lay in the detail. Having subjected the terms anf provisions to close critical scrutiny, Prime Minister Modi decided that it was not in India’s best interest to join the RCEP, at least not for now - a view endorsed by the captains of Indian industry, by the country’s farmers and by India’s mainstream opposition parties. The first key sticking point was the deep cut of almost 90 per cent or elimination of duties on imports. India feared a surge of Chinese imports, including the re-routing of Chinese goods via other RCEP countries. The absence of safeguards to check this import surge, the lack of credible commitment on nontariff barriers; plus the inadequate attention to the services sector, provided the sum of Indian objections. Addressing the Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: ‘Our farmers, traders, professionals and industries have stakes in such decisions. Equally important are workers and consumers, who make India a huge market
and the third biggest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. When I measure the RCEP agreement with respect to the interests of all Indians I do not get a positive answer. Therefore without the talisman of Gandhiji, nor my own conscience permit me to join RCEP.’ The Indian refusal brings to an end negotiations initiated way back in 2012. The Chinese state media were clearly miffed at the Indian decision, so too were the other major players, hoping for easier access to the buoyant Indian market. The door may not have shut permanently. It would be premature to rule out further talks. Geopolitics, in a nutshell, provides hope that this may not be the endgame. ASEAN, coupled with the broader ASIA Pacific neighbourhood have long been pressing for a more active Indian presence to counter China’s heft (See Media Watch, P12) is the crux of India’s East Policy. The India-ASEAN partnership is grounded in the templates of geography, abiding trust and enduring suspicions of China’s regional and global goals. The US strategic thinker, Edward N. Luttwak, in his book, China’s Rise versus the Logic of Strategy, is dismissive of Henry Kissinger’s awe of Chinese diplomatic skills, which Luttwak, with India and Vietnam in mind, labels quixotic. Andrew Small, in his book, The China-Pakistan Axis: Asia’s New Geopolitics, is equally sceptical of China’s vaunted diplomatic prowess. The pride of the Chinese mandarin trascends human understanding.
Supreme Court dispenses justice for all It was refreshing, even exhilarating, to bear witness s to concord amidst the accustomed cacophonies of discord. Mainstream political parties of every hue welcomed the verdict that a Hindu temple be constructed at the disputed site in Ayodhya, with five acres of land nearby reserved for a new mosque. There was understandable mix of jubilation and measured approval at the verdict. Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: ‘ While respecting the court’s decision, we all have to maintain mutual harmony This is the time for bonding , faith and love among all of us Indians.’ Following the announcement of the court’s judgement, Sunni spokesman Zufar Faruqi explained: ‘We want to make it clear that the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board will not go in for any review of the apex court’s order or file any curative petition.’ However, there were discordant Muslim voices too, the loudest that of Asaduddin Owasi, who said the court was ‘supreme but not fallible.’ The five members of the bench, Chief Justice Rasnjan Gogoi, Justice Arvind Bohde, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud , Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Abdul Nazeer, who pronounced an unanimous verdict, would undoubtedly agree.. No human court or body, however eminent or distinguished can lay claim to infallibility. Indeed, the judges declared clearly that no court could judge or evaluate events in the distant past. Common sense, opined the late great the Lord Denning, among the giant jurists of the last century, is two-thirds of the law applied.
Compromise is its essence. The past cannot be brushed aside, but neither can current ground realities be ignored. The Supreme Court’s 1,000-page verdict is surely eloquent testimony to the labour and dedication of the judges. They performed admirably in a difficult and volatile situation. Their verdict may not have risen to heights of immaculate conception or perfection but it is the next best thing. An emollient Prime Minister Modi declared that there were no winners and losers in the case. Indian democracy stood vindicated and peace and social harmony assured. Riding the swell of optimism, he thanked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani workers for their untiring efforts to get the Kartarpur Corridor ready on time for Sikh pilgrims from India travel to the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, linked to the other Sikh shrine, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India. The commemoration of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was canvas to the venture. Mr Modi flagged of the first party of 500 Sikh pilgrims, which included Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amerinder Singh, former Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Union Cabinet Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. Wrote John Milton centuries ago: ‘...peace hath her victories/ No less renowned than war...’
Cold war triumphalism at Berlin Wall The 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, was the prelude to the disappearance of the Soviet Union, described by Russian President Vladimir Putin as ‘the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century,’ perhaps of the twenty-first century too. There were the usual homilies on democracy, human rights, European values and much else from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and huge economies of the truth peddled dutifully by preening western TV channels. Tales of German derring-do as Germans from East and West tore down the infamous structure brick by brick to the lofty strains of Beethoven’s immortal Ninth Symphony. Critical facts were artfully concealed. At the time there were 300,000 Soviet troops in East Germany armed with a formidable array of conventional and nuclear weaponry, whose intervention would have put paid to heroics described. Then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev decided on measures to end the Cold War, ushering in a peaceful, stable global order underwritten by deep cuts in nuclear weapons and missiles on land, sea and air in partnership with the Reagan administration in the United States. The unilateral withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany under the Gorbachev dispensation, and the undertaking to then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Soviedt support for German unification and possible membership of Nato has, in the fullness of time, turned out to be a false, even an unmitigated disaster. The wiser course would surely have been a phased, mutually agreed withdrawal of Soviet bases and forces across Eastern Europe with cast iron
treaty guarantees against unilateral reversal. The Gorby mania in the aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal was an inebriating experience for Gorbachev but its unforeseen consequences of broken Western promises and Nato expansion to Russia’s borders led to the Soviet leader’s fall from grace back home in Russia. He doesn’t even rate passing mention in the Western media. Cold War stalwarts, the late George Kennan and Paul Nitze had beseeched their successors to refrain from the folly of needless procation to Russia.. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo - a brutish lookalike of Hitler’s closest aide Martin Bormann was free with jibes and insults at President Putin and Russia at the Berlin celebrations, lying through his teeth on America’s fable commitment to human rights and freedom across the world. Atom bombing the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, carpet bombing and chemical defoliation of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, followed by the desolation visited upon on the peoples of Greater Middle East and North Africa. In the hallowed words of the American ‘in pursuit of happiness,’ to quote the hallowed American Constitution beggars belief. The past should give pause to American triumphalism. A traveller in a desert came across ruined hulk ruin of a once eminent ruler with an inscription that read: ‘My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:/ Look upon my works ye Mighty and despair.’ (Shelley, Ozymandias). All is not well with Germany. The East is now the seedbed of Nazi xenophobia and anti-Semitic terrorism, the West undecided on the best way forward.
Change your thoughts and you change your world.
- Norman Vincent Peale
Alpesh Patel
Telegraph headlined an article ‘Pakistani spies’ in the Houses of Parliament”. Has anything changed today? That headline, “‘Pakistani spies’ in the Houses of Parliament” is not mine. It’s from the Telegraph Security Correspondent, Duncan Gardham. Although it was written in 2011, has anything changed now in 2019 as we look to elect new members to the Houses of Parliament? The article talks of a group, The Justice Foundation, promoting "Pakistani interests in the long-running conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan over the disputed border region of Kashmir, using millions of dollars of covert funding.” In the same year, "the FBI arrested Syed Nabi Fai, a US citizen from Fairfax, Virginia, accusing him of running an organisation called the Kashmiri American Council while acting as an agent of a foreign power." Fai was a director of London based Justice Foundation. As the Telegraph reported, "US prosecutors claim that three “Kashmir Centers” in Washington, London and Brussels, are run on behalf of “elements of the Pakistani government, including Pakistan’s military intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).”" The Justice Foundation hosted events about Kashmiri ‘Human Rights’ in Parliament attended by Labour Party speakers. Does that sound familiar? So, have things changed from the date of that article? They’ve definitely got worse. More events in Parliament uncover of ‘Kashmiri Human Rights’ using complicit or well-meaning fools like Liam Byrne, Lord Ahmed to proclaim a fake case. Pakistan’s strategy is clearly to conflate Kashmir and Khalistan, to fund both issues, and as with its own existence, create a fictional name for a fictional country and to carve it out of India as in 1947. To do this, the Pakistani High Commission in the UK openly supports twin issues as their Twitter feed alone shows. Pakistan is reaching out to show a new found respect for Sikhs not shown to minority faiths before (which is good) in a change of strategy. But this General Election has shown a disturbing new development. Not only has there been an increase in Labour candidates professing to support the Pakistani line on Kashmir and ‘Khalistan’ but as with the Labour Party conference, you can expect more events and more ‘fundraisers’ campaigning for ‘human rights’. We must ensure the stated views of candidates, and it is Labour candidates, on these issues are clear and stated openly. As the Telegraph revealed this is not a long standing human rights issue, it is a terrorist funding issue. Thankfully laws on funding of terrorism have improved over the past decade. To those thinking of attending such events masquerading as ‘human rights’ know that funding of terrorism is a strict liability imprisonable offence ie it is no defence to say you did not know the funds were being used for terrorism. Association with a terrorist group, marching with known members is a criminal offence. Ignorance is not a defence. And do not think the names of such organisations are as obvious as ISIS. These are some names of proscribed terrorist organisations in the UK: Islam4UK, Babbar Khalsa, Global Islamic Media Front, Sipah-e Sahaba Pakistan. At the time of writing this article the Pakistan High Commission in London has not responded for a comment. Editor: CB Patel Asian Voice is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com INDIA OFFICE Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad-380 015. Tel: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: gs_ahd@abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications
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16 - 22 November 2019
Academics protest after Cambridge fellow told to leave UK More than 1,200 academics have signed a letter protesting to the Home Office about the "distressing" case of a research fellow told to leave the UK. Asiya Islam, a sociologist based at Newnham College, University of Cambridge, has lived in the UK for 10 years. Her application for indefinite leave to remain was denied because of the amount of time she has spent overseas. But the open letter said the ruling was "unfair" because this was for research. The letter said that the academics are "calling upon
the Home Office to reconsider the decision". It said: "Her case is distressing, but it also sends a foreboding signal that UK universities will continue to lose the talented PhD researchers that they have invested years in training." Dr Islam, 31, originally from Aligarh in India, studied for a Masters at the London School of Economics. She then gained a prestigious Gates scholarship at Cambridge, and after completing her PhD was awarded a three-year junior research fellowship at the university this year. Dr Islam said: "I provided several letters to present the case that fieldwork is a
crucial aspect of my work and should not count towards my days out of the country." But she explained the letter from the Home Office said she had "failed to provide any exceptional reasons" why she was overseas. She said: "I think in the last 10 years the immigration system has evolved into chaos." "It's something I'm definitely going to challenge," she added. The Home Office said each immigration application was considered on a case-by-case basis. It said indefinite leave to remain was normally refused under a Tier 4 visa if
University of Cambridge junior research fellow Asiya Islam was told she did not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
an individual was out of the country for more than 540 days over the course of a decade.
Cocaine worth £200,000 raided at Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School Cocaine worth more than £200,000 was seized after police swooped on a staff accommodation at a top public school. Justin Terry, 45, was charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamine following the raid on the £21,000a-year Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School in Elstree, Hertfordshire on October 31. Police found nearly 8lbs of cocaine and drug-dealing paraphernalia at the caretaker's residence located on the grounds of the leading boys school - whose alumni include David Baddiel, Sacha Baron Cohen and businessman Sir Martin Sorrell. Martin Walsh, 53, of Watford was also arrested
in Liverpool in connection with the operation after cocaine and £37,000 in cash were found by police. Walsh, has been charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine and amphetamine, possession of cocaine with intent to supply, and possession of criminal property. Both were remanded in custody.
The raids on October 31 were carried out as part of Operation Relentless, set up by Hertfordshire Constabulary to tackle organised crime. A force spokesman said the school had been ‘fully supportive’ of the investigation and added: ‘The force is committed to relentlessly pursuing individuals and
networks involved in organised crime.’ A school spokesman said: ‘A member of our nonteaching staff has been charged on drugs-related offences. Police have confirmed the alleged offences do not relate in any way to other members of the school community.’ The school confirmed Terry was suspended from his role at the school amid the investigation. Haberdashers' Aske's was The Sunday Times Independent School of the Year in 2017, and frequently tops exam league tables. Also among the school's notable alumni is comedian Matt Lucas, MP Sir David Lidlington and Pink Floyd band member Richard Wright.
Fraudster, 34, jailed for five years after illegally obtaining passports for 11 migrants A fraudster who used the stolen IDs of two dead fathers to help 11 migrants get British passports and visas has been jailed for four years and nine months. Mohammed Asif, 34, claimed the applicants were children of the two deceased Britons of Pakistani heritage as part of a scam that charged customers up to £10,000 for the service. Asif, originally from Pakistan but living in Oldham, Greater Manchester, admitted fraud and assisting unlawful immigration at Manchester Crown Court. He was one of 10 people convicted for their roles in the scam after a sixyear Home Office investigation. Also convicted was corrupt immigration adviser Shareen Akhtar, 41, who assisted with the applica-
tions and provided countersignatures. Asif, said to be the 'driving force' behind the scam, stole naturalisation papers and other ID documents after telling the families of the deceased men - who died in 2004 and 2006 - he was an immigration adviser. He obtained his own British passport using the same method in 2010 and also helped four other people obtain visas supported by fake sponsors. Manchester Crown Court heard customers were charged up to £10,000 for the service. Akhtar who has been struck off the list of registered immigration advisers, assisted with four of the applications. She provided counter-signatures for passport applications submitted by three clients who had been referred by Asif. Akhtar also coerced a
Mohammed Asif, 34
Shareen Akhtar, 41
woman brought to her by Asif to use a false identity on a fraudulent passport application, the court was told. The passport was later issued to the woman, but was by retained by Asif who used it to open bank accounts and support further fraudulent passport applications. Akhtar was jailed for three years after being found guilty of four counts of fraud. The scam was
uncovered when HM Passport Office noticed 'anomalies' in a number of applications, sparking a probe by the Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigations (CFI) department in 2013. Investigators spoke to the men's families and discovered their ID documents had been stolen. Family trees were then drawn up which proved the applications were fraudulent.
in brief 50TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS INCLUDE GENEROUS DONATION TO MUCH LOVED HOSPICE
Their 50th birthday celebration provided a great opportunity for the ladies of the Slough Indian Women’s Association (IWA) to support a favourite charity. The ladies commemorated their association's half century with a charity dinner at Upton Lea Community Centre presenting a cheque for £1,200 during the evening to Ann Geer, who is a volunteer at Windsor's Thames Hospice. The hospice in Hatch Lane is due to move into a new building near Bray Lake soon. Margaret Thomas, hospice relationship manager, said “We are thrilled and honoured to receive such a generous amount of money from this amazing organisation. The hospice relies on donations from the local community and we thank the Indian Women’s Association for their support." Over 100 people attended the dinner on Saturday, among them the Mayor of Slough, Councillor Avtar Kaur Cheema who congratulated the Indian Women’s Association, telling members: "You provide an important service for local women and are an inspiration.” Also there was Sarita Sabarwal, a well known presenter on DilSe Radio who provided music and entertainment. The Slough Indian Women’s Association meets on the first Saturday of every month from 4.30 to 6.30 pm at the Upton Lea Community Centre, enabling women to come together to socialise over food and music. It provides information and advice, organises trips and social activities as well as organising weekly exercise classes. Pushpa Kharbanda,one of the organiser’s of Saturday’s event said: “We are a grassroots community organisation in Slough and have been working for 50 years to support local Indian Women." Hindus disappointed at England church banning yoga
UBER DRIVER JAILED FOR SEXUALLY ASSAULTING FEMALE PASSENGER A Uber driver who sexually assaulted an "utterly defenceless" woman passenger as she leaned out of his cab door to vomit has been jailed. Temur Shah, 45, groped the 27-year-old woman after picking her up from a West End address in the early hours of the morning of January 2018. Isleworth Crown Court heard Temur Shah his passenger said she felt unwell during the journey, and that Shah had stopped the car, asking her to move into the front seat. When she told him she was about to vomit he stopped a second time, then leaned over to open the door and put his hand under her bra. He then continued the assault, touching her genital area over her clothes, while she was sick into the gutter. Afterwards she told Shah not to touch her, but was forced to stay inside the vehicle as she had no money or battery on her phone to call for help. She reported the incident to police after she was dropped off near her home. Kate Blumgart, prosecuting, said that since the incident the victim had difficulty getting into taxis and was fearful that Shah knew where she lived. Officers from the Metropolitan Police's taxi and private hire policing team used a combination of CCTV and GPS data from Uber to identify Shah as the suspect, and he was arrested in February 2018. He was charged and convicted of sexual assault in January 2019, following a trial that lasted one week. Hugh D'Aguilar, defending, told the court that Shah was "fearful of going to prison" as he looked after his three children and his elderly mother during the day while his wife was at work. Shah's mother sat in court alongside other members of his family, who wept as the sentence was read out. He was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment.
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16 - 22 November 2019
JOURNALIST STRIPPED OF HIS OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP
What is the financial and political cost of Kashmir to the UK? Panelists discuss the missed opportunity for a political solution in Kashmir, urging Pakistan to crack down on homegrown terror, and the conditions for resuming bilateral Indo-Pak talks. Priyanka Mehta
Aatish Taseer
A British Indian Journalist has been stripped off his Indian Oversees Citizenship (OCI). This has reportedly followed after Aatish Taseer in his article for Time magazine labelled Prime Minister Narendra Modi “India's divider-in-chief”. The decision to remove his OCI means he is blacklisted from India and may never be able to return. “Within India, the Modi government has completely altered the media climate, everyone critical has been muffled or silenced. And now my case shows that even those who think they are protected because they write abroad or for a foreign publisher, they are not going to be safe either,” said Taseer.
On Thursday, 7th November Sir Mark Lyall Grant, National Security Advisor to former British prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron briefly mentioned an internal government survey that assessed the financial cost of Kashmir to the UK over a decade ago. Three months after the revocation of Article 370 by the Indian Government, Sir Grant spoke of the "missed opportunity" of a solution during the talks between former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in 2001. "The political stars never quite aligned but a solution similar to the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement, with a soft border allowing locals to travel freely from one part of Kashmir to the other, will have to be the outcome of any peaceful solution," he said. Besides the financial cost, Sir Grant also expressed concerns about
the risks to security challenges and radicalisation. Denouncing the new Labour Party and its present leader Jeremy Corbyn, British Labour politician Jack Straw spoke about the international implications of Kashmir. "Pakistan has always tried to internationalise Kashmir whereas India maintained that it is a bilateral issue. What Prime Minister Modi has done [by revoking Article 370] is outrageous...but the reason Pakistan has far less traction on this issue internationally is precisely because of the role of the ISI and its sponsorship of state-funded terrorism," said Jack Straw. The panel discussion titled 'The Cost to Britain of the Kashmir Crisis: Is There a Solution?' was also attended by former Permanent Pakistani Ambassador to the UN, Maleeha Lodhi, and Indian J ournalist Nidhi Razdan. "Nobody wants to see a further escalation in the region. We are on the cusp and brink of a much bigger crisis and the international
(L-R) John Elliot, Maleeha Lodhi, Jack Straw, Nidhi Razdan and Sir Mark Lyall Grant
community must stop being a fire brigade and intervene to find a peaceful solution,” urged Lodhi. The diplomat stressed that Pakistan stands ready to resume an unconditional talk with India. However, highlighting the leap of faith that Indian Prime Ministers including Narendra Modi have taken in past whilst holding talks with its western neighbour, Razdan stressed how “dialogue cannot take place with a gun held to your head”. Enlisting the years of insurgency in the region after Pakistan had failed to grab Kashmir since 1948 she said, "Pakistan is a breeding ground for terrorists and it
is acknowledged by none other than its prime minister, Imran Khan, who candidly said during a visit to the United States in July this year that were 40 different militant groups operating within Pakistan. Therefore, serious concerns remain in India concerning terror groups operating from Pakistan. “This is not an apocalypse in Kashmir, no hospitals are turning into graveyards and no food shortages. The Indian government maintains that ending the special status is all for the good of the people and the development of the region. But, ironically, the people in whose name this has been done were not
consulted at all.” Organised by CTD Advisors at Chatham House, Abdurehman Chinoy, a London-based entrepreneur said, "We need to have a dialogue to resolve this Kashmir issue, so the South Asian community continues to live in a more friendly way outside India and Pakistan. "My humble message to prime minister Modi and Prime Minister Khan is that both leaders represent around 1.5 billion people globally; while it is easy to head towards confrontation, the dialogue could bring more stability and eventually prosperity in both countries."
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16 - 22 November 2019
As I See It
Southall Sisters intervene in BIMARU : A Sick Man of Europe, again landmark Akhter v Khan case CB Patel
Dear Readers,
For those who do not understand the parlance BIMARU, let me explain. In India, up until recently, the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh were called Bimaru- meaning sickly, as these were the least economically developed states of India. UK politicians, academicians and media spare no efforts in establishing Britain as the oldest democracy. It is not exactly true. The longest running and consistent parliament is that of a large island state called Iceland. Its population is less than that of two London boroughs- at 400,000. If we want to talk about facts, Iceland has a longer-running parliament. The advent of democracy as we know now began in Britain after the Magna Carta. Between then and now, time saw very many strong leaders. Some of their memories have frozen in time, like that of Oliver Cromwell. But it is the restored monarchy of modern Britain, especially in the reign of present Queen, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I consider her to be the real custodian of democratic norms in this great country. For the last 100 years, Britain is ruled mainly by a two-party system, which is distinct in ideologies and types of leadership. Elections are very important. Their results in a way harbinger necessary reforms predominantly in internal politics, economics, social welfare, taxation, etc. Post-coalition government of 2010 gave us the EU referendum; an unnecessary, divisive, and self-harming move. It was supposedly expected to rectify the previous government's extravaganza and over-expenditure and put into place a so-called economic restraint and costcutting into effect. It has inadvertently resulted in severe hardships and dangers, especially in the maintenance of law and order and reduction in provisions of basic needs of the lower-income groups. Many of the present ills are the outcomes like knife crimes, social deprivations and divisions. Then came Brexit, accompanied by added confusion and multiplied by contradictions and rife with uncertainties. Lets not talk too much about David Cameron or Theresa May's governments. But for the forthcoming general elections on December 12, about five weeks away, what are the choices for the electorates? On one hand, there is Boris Johnson who has used his limited set of skills to ward off dangers so far. He also made a deal of sorts with Brexit leader Nigel Farage, who announced on Monday that his Brexit party will not endorse any candidates in the 317 seats from 2017 polls. Many twists and turns are on the way. Finally, the Labour Party. Sadly, it is going to face some more added difficulties. The Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has failed to exploit weaknesses of three Conservative governments in the last five years. Mr Corbyn and the Labour Party leadership has off late appeared to have made choice to depend upon the votebank of Muslims, fundamentalists, and anti-India groups of Pakistani Muslims and Khalistanis. Their agenda is anti-Indian, anti-Hindu, and antiSikh. Their wish is to unashamedly divide the BritishAsian community and secure votes of a certain group of people. Such a Britain would experience more economic downturns, international isolation, and will have trouble forging visually beneficial relationships with several countries and most importantly, promote dangers on the streets of London or all over Britain. All the same, the Hindus, Sikhs, and other Indians are cultivated by Tories to garner more support from them. In a way, upwardly mobile citizens lean towards the Conservatives. At the same time, there are Indians and non-Indian members of the Labour Party within the House of Lords or House of Commons, London Assembly and local councils who deserve support of British-Indians for what they have done what they stand for and because of their genuine commitment to India. Leaders like Virendra Sharma and Seems Malhotra to name a few have dedicated their years of service in Parliament to campaign for the causes that concern the Indian community. Let me put it on the table. It is important to vote, without fail. However, the correct choice is the lesser of two evils and it is not up to me to guide you which is which. Today, the Labour Party may seem like a burden to the British-Indian community and India, but who is to say it won't make a drastic U-turn and rotate 180 degrees in our favour? All I can say is, choose wisely, and make sure your vote counts. With the current state of chaos in the country, it is up to us to make the right call now.
On 13 November Southall Black Sisters (SBS) intervened in an important Akhter v Khan case which has far-reaching implications for minority women’s rights. As part of the One Law for All campaign, a number of women will be holding a protest outside the Court of Appeal to let the government and the public know that minority women will not tolerate being trapped in marital captivity and treated as subjects of their so called religious communities rather than as citizens with equal rights. On 31 July 2018, Mr Justice Williams, a family court judge decided that Ms Nasreen Akhter was entitled to a decree of nullity of marriage, following the breakup of her 18 year old marriage. She had had a nikkah ceremony resulting in a Muslim marriage contract between herself and her husband, Mr Mohammed Khan. The couple were recog-
Pragna Patel, Southall Black Sisters
nised as married in Britain and the UAE. Although Ms Akhter wanted a civil marriage and believed one would take place, it never happened because Ms Akhter’s husband refused to also have a civil marriage. When the marriage broke down, (it is suggested that he wanted to take another wife) he said that he owed his wife nothing because their relationship constituted a ‘non-marriage’. In court, the judge concluded that in the interests of human rights and justice, the marriage should be recognised as ‘void’. He granted Ms Akhter a decree of nullity which allows her
Ms Nasreen Akhtar
to claim the financial remedies such as maintenance to which she may be entitled to following the break- up of her marriage. Surprisingly, the Attorney-General on behalf of the government has intervened in this case and will argue that Mr Justice Williams was wrong to recognise the marriage as ‘void’. “If this appeal is upheld, it will force Muslim and other women to turn to Sharia ‘courts’ that already cause significant harm to
Mr Mohammed Khan
women and children. If this appeal succeeds then the government will succeed in outsourcing justice to unaccountable and fundamentalist inspired community based systems of arbitration. This amounts to an endorsement of parallel legal systems and an abrogation of its own legal obligations to uphold principles of the rule of law. This is not about recognising religious marriages; it is about the state guaranteeing equality to all before the law," said Pragna Patel, SBS.
UK government promises to fast track ‘NHS visa’ for migrant doctors and nurses Boris Johnson will promise a fast-track "NHS visa" for foreign overseas doctors and nurses if the Conservatives win the general election. Ministers say the scheme will allow the NHS to continue to attract medical staff after the UK has left the EU. Yet Labour accused the Tories of "tying themselves in knots" and using "dog whistle anti-immigrant rhetoric" while still trying to attract foreign workers to keep public services ticking over.
Labour's drive on Friday will focus on supporting women in the workplace, introducing measures to raise statutory maternity pay. The Conservatives' pitch on a new NHS visa will form part of the party's points-based immigration system which it plans to introduce after Brexit. The move is part of a drive to tackle the concern the NHS will struggle to attract the staff it needs when the UK leaves the EU. There are currently 100,000
vacant jobs already in the public health service. Under the scheme, the visa cost of health professionals would be halved from £928 to £464, while applicants would be guaranteed a decision within two weeks. Applicants coming to work in the NHS would receive preferential treatment with extra points under the points-based system, and no cap on numbers entering through the NHS route. Yhey would also be
able to pay back the cost of the immigration health surcharge through their salary if the charge is not already covered by the NHS trust offering the job. The Tories have already announced a fast-track visa route to attract specialists in science, engineering and technology. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) was critical of the Conservatives' plan, saying "more ambitious plans" were needed to fill job vacancies in the NHS.
Conservatives marred by Islamophobia scandal According to a dossier obtained by the Guardian newspaper twenty-five sitting and former Conservative councillors have been exposed for posting Islamophobic and racist material on social media. The dossier has been sent to the party’s headquarters. The disclosure that Tory councillors have posted, shared or endorsed Islamophobic or other racist content on Facebook or Twitter will increase pressure on Boris Johnson after he backtracked on a pledge to hold an independent inquiry into the issue. Inflammatory posts in the dossier includes calls for mosques to be banned and claims the faith wants to “turn the world Muslim”, referring to its followers as “barbarians” and “the enemy within”. The dossier was com-
piled by @matesjacob, an anonymous Twitter user who campaigns against racism. After being presented with the posts the Conservative party suspended all those who are still members pending an investigation. The news come days after Johnson made a U-turn on a pledge for the Conservative party to hold an independent inquiry into Islamophobia, instead saying the party would have “general investigation into prejudice of all kinds”. The cabinet minister
Michael Gove had previously said the party would “absolutely” hold an “independent inquiry into Islamophobia … before the end of the year”. It follows repeated warnings about prejudice against Muslims being perpetrated in the party’s ranks and investigations by the Guardian shedding light on Islamophobia in the Conservatives. Meanwhile Sajid Javid confirmed on Sunday that a long-promised Conservative inquiry into Islamophobia will now be broadened out to include "all types of prejudice". The Chancellor - who made headlines in the Conservative leadership campaign by getting all fellow contenders to sign up to a probe on anti-Muslim
abuse in the party - said it now "makes sense" to broaden the inquiry out. During the Tory leadership race, Mr Javid forced his rival candidates to back "an external investigation into the Conservative Party on Islamophobia" after a string of councillors and selfdeclared Conservative members were suspended over anti-Muslim remarks on social media. His confirmation of a broader inquiry comes after Health Secretary Matt Hancock came under fire for appearing to dismiss longstanding complaints about the Conservatives' handling of anti-Muslim abuse from a senior Tory peer. Baroness Warsi, who cochaired the party from 2010 to 2012, said the decision not to hold a specific probe into Islamophobia was "disappointing" and "predictable".
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16 - 22 November 2019
Boosting investment for a “green economy” On Thursday 7th November, over 100 British and Indian leaders gathered together at London's Guildhall to address the pressing concerns around the “world's environmental challenges”. The UK-India Sustainable Investing Forum was convened by the India Professionals Forum, the City of London, the High Commission of India, and supported by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Eminent dignitaries at the event included the Lord Mayor of London, Rt. Hon. Peter Estlin, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Her Excellency Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Minister of State for Commonwealth, United Nations and South Asia, Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon, Lord Jitesh Gadhia among others. Speaking about increasing investment to combat the climate crisis and urging “greater private investment”, Lord Ahmed of Wimbledon said, “UK is already a world leader in international climate finance, and at the UN Climate Summit in September our Prime Minister announced that we
(L-R) Dr. Mohan Kaul, Dr. Param Shah, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin, Tariq Ahmad, Baron Ahmad of Wimbledon, Her Excellency Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam and Sir Roger Gifford
would be doubling our investment - to over £11 billion over the next five years. But public funds alone will not be sufficient, which is why we are also stimulating private investment.” He also spoke about India's role in harnessing solar energy through the International Solar Alliance and supporting other upcoming Infrastructure projects. He said, “India has also played an
important role through its leadership of the International Solar Alliance. India can count on our support in working together to mobilise more than $1 trillion of investments in solar energy by 2030. We also strongly support India’s proposed new Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. “Our joint Green Growth Equity fund is also showing great promise, drawing in up to £500 million in green
infrastructure investment from global markets through the City of London. Its first investment was in Ayana Renewable Power in Andhra Pradesh, which is currently constructing 500 megawatts of solar generation capacity.” Other subjects discussed included:Sustainable investment in India’s emerging environmental industry, Social and Governance (ESG) asset class, sustainability strategies for Indian trade
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and infrastructure investment, India’s Clean Ganges (Namame Gange) Sustainable Infrastructure Programme among others. At a time when the “green economy” appears to be booming,Rt. Hon. Peter Estlin, Lord Mayor of London, said, “Green Finance is an exciting new area where the City of London has real expertise. $25 billion of green bonds are listed here in London. We are extremely
well positioned to drive our commitment to support the greening of India’s economic growth story and strengthen the historic ties between our two countries.” A joint report with FICCI about India was also launched. Speaking about deeper UK-India collaboration, Her Excellency Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam said, “The UK-India Sustainable Investing Forum is a great commitment, bringing together leaders from India and the UK to deepen our collaboration and relationship – it is not only a win-win for both our countries, but a model for global partnership in tackling the world’s environmental challenges.” President of the India Professionals Forum, Dr Mohan Kaul, concluded, “India is demonstrating world leadership in combating climate change, and Indian business is leading in delivering on corporate social responsibility initiatives to tackle the global green agenda. I welcome the bold commitment given today by the leaders who attended the event, and the Forum will work with both partners to build on this solution and bridge any gaps.”
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16 - 22 November 2019
A stalwart takes a bow Cecil A Soans One of the UK’s most prominent British Asian political leaders Keith Vaz, has announced his retirement as the MP for Leicester East. A Parliamentary Candidate for Richmond in Surrey at the age of just 25, he has been in active politics for almost 40 years. Keith first arrived in Leicester in 1985. At the 1987 election, he first became an MP in Leicester East when he defeated the sitting Conservative MP Peter Bruinvels with a majority of 1,924. This election was a landmark as Mr. Vaz was part of the first four BAME MPs elected to the House of Commons since 1924 along with Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant. Keith is the British Parliament's longest-serving British Asian MP ever and was the first Asian MP at Westminster for over 50 years. Keith was first appointed to a Government post in 1997 during Tony Blair’s Government, as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Attorney General and Solicitor General. In May 1999, he was promoted as Parliamentary Secretary (Minister) to the Lord Chancellor, before being made Minister of State for Europe in October that year – the UK’s first Asian-origin Minister. While at the Foreign Office he dealt with the Enlargement of the EU. In Parliament, he served as Chair of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee from 2007 to 2016, scrutinising Government policy into crucial areas such as British security, policing and immigration. His achievements as Chair of the Committee were hailed as a model for others. At Westminster he founded Diwali At Westminster with, the Westminster Children’s Party and the Annual Tiffin Cup Curry Competition. All three events are still carried on today. His Musical recitals saw Ravi Shankar perform in the Members
Keith Vaz with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi
Dining Room. But it is for his devotion to Leicester that he will count as his greatest achievements. A passionate supporter of Leicester City Football Club, he founded the Diabetes Charity Silver Star and brought to Leicester amongst others, Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty and Kapil Dev. Keith acted as coordinator for the campaign for BCCI's victims after its collapse left millions without money and jobs. He led the campaign to help borrowers and depositors. In 1994 thousands of Hare Krishna devotees marched through the streets of London to protest against a ban on them worshipping at a Hare Krishna temple. Keith lent his support to the protest by declaring that he was joining hunger strikers by going on a 24-hour fast. In 2017 Keith represented the family of Evha Jannath a 11-year-old girl from Leicester who died after falling from a water ride at a theme park. He led a campaign to get the EU to raise the ban on Alphonso Mangos coming to the UK by sending a box of Mangos to the then Prime Minister David Cameron. He has also campaigned on a number of issues as Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Groups for Diabetes, Yemen and on
Visas & Immigration. His family became Labour royalty with his Mother Merlyn becoming Leicester’s first Asian woman Councillor and his sister Valerie still serving as Labour MP for Walsall South and a Member of the Shadow Cabinet. His other sister Penny is a lawyer in Leicester. The plight of BAME communities was a driving force behind Mr. Vaz. Since 2007 he has been the BAME representative on Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee, and has served as Chair of Labour’s Ethnic Minority Taskforce. Keith has also played a prominent role in the IndiaUK relations and hosted numerous Indian ministers and MPs during their visits to Britain. He was chosen to welcome Prime Minster Modi when he arrived in Westminster on an Official visit. In 2016 Keith was subjected to a Standards Committee inquiry following an incident that was widely reported in the media. The complaint against him was made by a Tory MP Andrew Bridgen. Keith was subjected to a critical report from the Commons standards watchdog. According to sources from his office Keith has been unwell for a while. In a statement posted on
his website, the 62-year-old MP of Goan origin said,“I have decided to retire after completing 32 years as the Member of Parliament for Leicester East. In that time, I have won eight general elections. “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve my constituency since I came to the city in 1985. I want to thank the people of Leicester East for their absolute loyalty and support. Leicester and especially the people of Leicester East will always be in my heart.” Commenting on Keith's exceptional contribution in the parliament and to his constituency, Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn said, “He has helped to pave the way for more BAME people to become involved in politics. “His work in Parliament has been exemplary, as Britain’s first Asian origin minister, Chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, a campaigner on Diabetes issues and most recently trying to help the peace process in Yemen. And our work together to combat racism and bring our diverse communities together is far from over.” Keith married Maria Fernandes in a ceremony in Parliament and they have two children Luke and Anjali both Cambridge graduates and now trainee lawyers. There is no doubt that Keith put his head above the parapet for the causes he believed in making him a target during his remarkable political career. A brilliant parliamentarian, an excellent orator, an outstanding networker, and a hard working public servant who was totally dedicated to his constituency, it remains to be seen what role Keith might play in public life in the coming months and years. He will find no difficulty occupying his time with a contact book full of names. But Leicester East will sorely miss Keith's services. The Asian community its first political champion.The Labour Party one of its most effective campaigners. His will be a tough act to follow.
in brief EVHA JANNATH DIED ACCIENTALLY, INQUEST CONCLUDES On Monday 11th November, an inquest into the Evha Jannath case found that the 11-year-old died accidentally after she drowned when she fell from a theme park ride. Evha from Leicester, was unsupervised on a ride at Drayton Manor when she died on May 9, 2017. Evha Jannath She fell from the Splash Canyon ride when it hit a barrier. The Jameah Girls Academy student was on a end-of-year school trip. The inquest heard that Jannath and her friends were repeatedly standing up and reaching into the water before the circular vessel hit a barrier and sent her into the water. One of the teachers who was on the trip told the inquest that Jannath and her friends had been on the ride earlier and their behaviour had been "responsible enough" for them to be allowed to go again on their own. After Jannath fell into the water, she was seen wading through the water before trying to climb up a moving travelator. However, she slipped and fell 12ft into deeper water as it was covered in algae. Some 11 minutes after staff was alerted to Jannath's fall she was spotted face down. It took another six minutes to pull her out. Less than two hours after the accident, Jannath was pronounced dead at Birmingham Children's Hospital. In a statement, Jannath’s family said, "We entrusted Evha's care and safety to the school and to Drayon Manor. It has become apparent that Evha was not supervised on the Splash Canyon ride as it went down the rapids. Teachers were on a different boat a long way back and, while Drayton Manor said the ride was supervised from the CCTV cabin, no member of staff saw Evha fall into the water. Tragically, it was over 10 minutes before any member of staff found Evha in the water. "We have been very upset to learn that Drayton Manor had no life-saving equipment on the ride and no one knew how to rescue Evha. We would like to thank the coroner for recommendations she is making as to the safety for this and similar rides in the hope that no other family will have to go through what we have had to endure.”
KICK IT OUT LAUNCHES INTERNAL REVIEW TO COMBAT RACISM On 12th November, New Chairman of Kick It Out, Sanjay Bhandari have launched an internal review into its organisation to establish the best strategy to combat racism in football. Sanjay Bhandari As part of the review Bhandari, who has replaced Lord Herman Ouseley, will also speak to the Premier League, the FA, the EFL, the PFA and people from across the professional and grassroots Football. A former lawyer and member of the Premier League’s independent panel on equality, Bhandari believes football has the ability to lead on racism in society. But he says it also remains a real problem for the game, and admits having never reported an incident at a match for fear of the consequences. “We will be led by what the football community needs,” said Bhandari. “I do not want to second guess the outcome of the strategic review, but feel I can confidently make three key observations. “This is a societal problem, not just a football problem. But football has a unique ability to influence social attitudes and can effect positive social change. What I believe is that, for football, the answers will lie in collaborating and diving into the detail where the devil resides,” he said.
Labour appoints Webbe for Leicester East A former Islington councillor and a defender of Ken Livingstone has now been chosen as the next candidate for Leicester East, where she will take the place of Keith Vaz. Claudia Webbe, who defended Ken Livingstone after he likened a Jewish reporter to a concentration camp guard, has been chosen as Labour's candidate after Vaz resigned from the seat. In 2006, Ms. Webbe wrote a letter to The Guardian, saying Mr. Livingstone's four-week suspension as London Mayor “smacked in the face of true democracy. His history of work in the antiracist movement is unquestionable.”
Claudia Webbe
Navin Shah
Webbe is currently a local party representative on Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and the council cabinet member for the environment and transport
in Islington. She is also on Labour’s London regional board and the executive of a leftwing group the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD). In the meantime, Labour appears to be embroiled in another controversy wherein a London Assembly Member has suggested a “breach in the process” of appointment of candidates to the Leicester East constituency. Navin Shah, currently an Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, had applied for the said constituency. Although, his application was formally acknowledged the councillor had not been notified if he was
shortlisted for the next round of interviews as the nomination process explains. “Congratulations to Claudia in landing this seat. However, I am most disgusted that the Party did not even have the common courtesy of writing back to me and informing me if I had been selected for the interview process scheduled this afternoon. It is only through social media that I gathered that Webbe had been selected as the candidate for Leicester East instead. This lacks complete transparency and is a breach of the selection process,” said Shah.
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16 - 22 November 2019
A silent Empire pays tribute to the silenced This year marks 100 years since the two-minute silence was first observed on Armistice Day on November 11, 1919. Armistice Day, also known as Remembrance Day, is observed every year on the eleventh day of the eleventh month to commemorate the signing of the Armistice between the Allies and Germany to end the First World War. This year Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been to the Cenotaph to lay the wreath on the Remembrance Day.
War veteran not invited to Remembrance parade ‘because he was in the Indian army’ A 99-year-old World War Two veteran, Inayet Ali has spoken about not being invited to British commemoration events. Speaking to Channel 4 News ahead of Armistice Day, he said: “When they have their march, when they celebrate on the day, the British Army, we just look on. "At that time I feel sad, why don’t they ask me to come?” Born to a family of farmers in Kashmir, Mr Ali explained that he served 16 years in the forces and won various medals. Reports suggest that he served in the British Indian Army Parachute Regiment from 1941 to 1945. According to The New Art Exchange, nearly 4 million Indians were ‘volunteers’ in the British Army during the two World Wars. The Great Wars were truly global events, yet
the process of public remembrance is often performed through the prism of national identity.
Jeremy Vine's agent urged BBC bosses to 'stop bullying’ presenter In the on-going Samira Ahmed’s gender pay case against BBC, latest documents disclose Jeremy Vine’s 2007 pay talks with the corporation. Jeremy Vine’s agent urged BBC bosses to stop “bullying” his client and treating him “like a child” during talks to renew the presenter’s pay deal. Reports indicate that Alex Armitage sent “a rather colourful email” to reject an initial offer during contract negotiations at the end of 2007. Details of behind-thescenes talks for Vine were revealed in evidential documents before an employment tribunal over an equal pay claim brought by the television and radio presenter Samira Ahmed. In an email sent in December 2007 by Armitage to Roger Leatham, the then head of operations and business affairs for entertainment at BBC Vision, said: “The BBC must now stop bullying this artist and pushing him around on this deal and listen to him. Stop treating him like a chattel and pay him properly … stop
Jeremy Vine
treating Jeremy Vine like a child as he is sick of it now.” Ahmed, the presenter of Newswatch on the BBC News channel, is facing the BBC at the tribunal claiming she was paid “a sixth” of what Vine earned while he was presenting BBC One’s Points of View, a programme she argues is similar. She is seeking nearly £700,000 in back pay between November 2012 and February 2019, saying she and Vine did similar work. The BBC rejects the claim and says the work was not comparable. Evidence from Leatham, who is now the director of business
affairs for BBC Studios, provided an insight into his negotiations with Armitage in 2007 and 2008 as the corporation tried to keep Vine in their employment. In his witness statement provided to the media on Monday, Leatham said Armitage “wanted a threeyear contract, rather than the usual two years”. He added, “Financially, Alex stipulated that the total remuneration had to be close to the offer that ITV had apparently made. We were told that offer was close to a seven-figure amount.”
The tribunal continues.
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AsianVoiceNews
16 - 22 November 2019
The Labour Party and India It is a great feeling to see the various Indian community organisation unite in opposition to the emergency motion on Kashmir passed at the Labour Party Conference of 2019. I sincerely hope that this unity will be maintained to ensure that the interests of the Indian community on other important issues are articulated and subsequently addressed by holding the politicians accountable for their actions or inactions. This united front should help make the decision makers take notice of our community rather than take us for granted just because we tend to be less vociferous in making our case. Personally, I am not surprised by the stance of the Labour Party. It is worth reminding ourselves that when India tested a nuclear device in 1998, both the Labour Govt (under Tony Blair) and the Democratic Administration (under Bill Clinton) were at the forefront in calling for sanctions on India at the UNSC. It was also the same Labour Govt that had decided to shun the then Gujarat Chief Minister Mr Narendra Modi, after the 2002 communal violence sparked by the Godhra train burning incident. This was despite an investigation which cleared Mr Narendra Modi of any involvement. In my opinion, the hostility of the Labour Party in the last 20 years or so to India and Indian interests is nothing new. Sad but true. Dinesh Rai By email
Role of women in the history of India There is lot of information available on internet through google and how far this information is correct , it is hard to comment. Recently I was reading a book on Maharana Pratap Singh of Rajasthan India. His father Uday Singh had 20 wives and Rana ji was the eldest son with 24 brothers. This made me to check for our other great leaders , - Maharana Pratap Singh had 11 wives. - Shivaji Had 8 wives - Ranjit Singh Last King of Punjab had 20 wives - Maharaja of Patiala 365 wives. This stopped my further studies. Is there any one who can comment that this information has got any truth in it or not. Dharam Sahdev By email
Don’t turn our NHS into a political football Our NHS is the envy of most nations, especially America, where they have to pay high insurance premium many could not afford. While in employment, their employers pay their premium but when they retire, it becomes their responsibility. No wonder many of our friends and family members in America are still working well into their seventies, some part time, if their employers allow. But that does not mean our NHS is perfect, far from it. Some 1:7 million patients are on waiting list, appointments with hospital consultant are so often cancelled, sometimes at short notices and waiting time even for prearranged appointments may exceed two hours before patients are seen. A & E are so much under pressure that one may easily spend half a day before being seen, treated and discharged. This is particularly unacceptable for chronically sick, fragile and old for whom waiting time is murder! At election time, both main parties outbid each other as the only protector of NHS. But they have nothing beneficial to say that will improve NHS, except spending billions more. Could money improve, save NHS from becoming a political football! Some 1:5 million patients are treated in private hospitals, NHS footing the bill that Labour wants to abolish. This will only lengthen waiting list which is already unacceptable. The real answer, solution is to allow as many patients as possible to go private; NHS to provide funding in the region of what such an operation would cost NHS, the balance being paid by patients themselves. Main argument for such arrangement is that it would create tow-tier system, wealthy OAPs avoiding long waiting list. But if someone has worked hard, lived well within their means and saved for rainy days, why not! After all we all do not live in detached, semi-detached houses with attached garages or drive Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar cars, some of us have to do with Toyota, Honda and Nisan! Kumudini Valambia By email
NHS and the general election The general election has started in full swing with the main item on the agenda being Brexit, but it seems now National Health Services has overtaken it, as Boris Johnson and Jermyn Corbyn are battling over it robustly. Everyone knows the pressure under which NHS is operating with shortage of doctors, nurses and medicines. This will be really heavy during the winter time when the patients demand will increases substantially. Boris Johnson claims he will build 40 new hospitals whereas Jermyn Corbyn says that is not true it will be only 6 hospital. Jermyn Corbyn says that the Tories were secretly plotting “a sellout deal with Donald Trump” that would “mean more NHS money being siphoned off into private profit” whereas Boris Johnson denies that is not so and says “record” sums being ploughed new hospitals and new treatments under his Government. There is hardly any truth what he says, because he is using it as a general election gimmick. Playing ducks and drakes with NHS will not do, proper action, proper funding and proper medical staff is required as a matter of urgency and not the election rhetoric we are getting. Boris Johnson said he will fast track visas for doctors, as if doctors are sitting on the shelf to be picked up. This should have been done much earlier and not at the last moment because nothing will happen in such a short time. The main sufferer are the patients who are on the long waiting lists, and those not getting GPs appointment in time because of shortage of doctors and nurses. Credit should go to the doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are working hard under great pressure to keep the NHS going against heavy odds. Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow
Could India become an educational hub for Asia and Africa! Raghuram Rajan; well respected ex-Governor of Reserve Bank of India, who is now advisor to Governing and Academic Council of Krea University in Chennai, earnestly believes that democratic India could become educational hub for Asian and African students. Indian University education may not match yet to the glamorous university names like Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick and London School of Economics in Britain and Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, ranked first in the world; yet India has one of the best universities in Asia. India also has the advantage over China and Japan, who can compete with India, as India being ex-British colony, English is widely spoken throughout India, especially in South Indian States like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. On economic front, Indian University education may cost a fraction of what student has to pay in above mentioned top Western universities, thus putting Indian higher education within reach of middle class families in Africa and Asia where students are hungry for education in the field of medicine, science, economics, commerce and legal profession. These students are courageous, responsible and eager to learn, as they know the sacrifice their families have made to send them to top Universities in the Western world. For India to compete with Western nations like Britain, US, Canada and Australia, it has to build educational system second to none, with highly acclaimed professors students could learn from, as well as latest technology in the field science, medicine and information technology. India already has one of the best space research and missile technologies, widely used by the West to launch their communication and weather satellites, at a fraction of a cost in the West. Moreover India is trusted by the West, unlike China with totalitarian communist government. As India has one of the most polluted cities in the world, India should make pollution free cities as their top target, with all electric vehicles by 2030 and harvest hydro-power, beautiful sunny weather to generate pollution free electricity solar energy. Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email
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UK NEWS
Security guard found guilty of raping and sexually abusing four teenage girls A Primark security guard raped and sexually abused four teenage girls he caught shoplifting in south-west London. Zia Uddin was employed by Brooknight Security to work at a Primark store in Kingston upon Thames and colleagues said he kept condoms in the control room. The 27-year-old forced the 15-year-old girls to perform sex acts in return for not telling their parents they had attempted to take items from the store. During a trial at Kingston Crown Court, Uddin accused the victims of lying after they said he attacked them in the control room of the store and threatened to call the police if they did not comply with his demands. He told them they would get criminal records if the police were called and that they could be locked up for a considerable amount of time. Uddin was found guilty of rape and four counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity following the trial, he will be sentenced on November 19. Jurors were told that colleagues noticed that
Zia Uddin
Uddin had not completed shoplifting paperwork properly and had asked for CCTV to be deleted. On taking the victims into the store room, they would offer to pay for the items or to work in the store in order to make amends. Uddin made it clear that he wanted sexual acts and one victim said 'there was no other choice'. Mr Partridge also said that telephone evidence ashowed that Uddin had made a number of personal phone calls to other girls accused of shoplifting after acquiring their phone numbers through the incidents. In response to trial an NSPCC spokesperson said: 'Uddin's victims have shown a tremendous amount of bravery in recounting the actions of a man who cruelly exploited their vulnerability.
UK has fewer doctors than most of developed world The UK and US have among the fewest doctors of all the world's developed nations, a report has revealed. With just 2.8 and 2.6 doctors for every 1,000 people, the UK and US's health services are worse staffed than countries such as Costa Rica, Russia and Lithuania. Greece has the most doctors (6.1) of all developed nations. Austria, Portugal, Norway and Lithuania also ranked among the highest. Indonesia, India and South Africa were worst off, with none of the nations having a single doctor for every 1,000 patients. Experts said health staff shortages were 'not new' for countries in the report, and doctor numbers are dropping as older generations of medics retire without enough young replacements. The figures were based on 2017 data published today in the Health at a Glance 2019 report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development. The OECD is an international organisation with 36 member states, and studies the economies and populations of developed countries. The average number of doctors per 1,000 people was 3.5 for all of the countries in the report. More countries fell below the average than above it, including some of the world's most powerful nations in the US, Canada, UK, France, Japan and China. Canada was on par with the UK and US, with 2.7, while Australia had more than average, with 3.7. The UK, which ranked 30th out of 44, is known to be in the midst of a GP recruitment crisis. Figures released in August showed the NHS has lost almost 600 GPs in the last year. Almost as many family doctors left the health service between June 2018 and June 2019 as did in the entire three years to March.
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16 - 22 November 2019
Labour and Lib Dems pledge extra childcare support Both Labour and the Lib Dems have pledged extra money to support the parents of young children. Labour vowed to spend £1bn on opening 1,000 new early years centres in England, saying they would get parents back to work and help children achieve. The Lib Dems are promising working families subsidised care for children from the age of nine months. Lib Dem education spokesperson Layla Moran said the £14.6bn policy was "an investment in the country's future". The Conservatives say they are already "investing record amounts in high-quality childcare". Childcare providers have expressed scepticism at the lack of funding details and warned of an "electoral arms
race" on childcare promises. On a visit to Leeds with shadow Labour education secretary Angela Rayner, Mr Corbyn will promise to open a new generation of Sure Start centres, which provide health, welfare and education services for pre-school children. Ms Rayner said she was proud of the policy, since she went to a Sure Start centre when she had her son at the age of 16 that she said taught her to "love and nurture and read to my child". Asked whether all parents, regardless of income, should be offered help from Sure Start centres, she said they were about more than a household's financial situation. She said the UK could afford to invest more in support for young children. According to a report
Students more likely to vote tactically on Brexit in election
from the Sutton Trust last year, up to 1,000 Sure Start centres have closed in the past decade, with funding pressures being blamed. Labour says it will "reverse the cuts" in the centres which were originally launched when Tony Blair was prime minister. An analysis from the Institute of Fiscal Studies earlier this year said Sure Start had made a positive impact, with evidence that the health advice had "significantly reduced" the numbers of children being admitted to hospital. But the financial think tank said it had been a story of a "fast roll-out followed by deep spending cuts", with spending peaking at £1.8bn in 2010 and then being cut to £600m by 2017-18.
More than half of students are ready to vote tactically in the general election, with Brexit the key factor, according to research. The analysis from the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) says 53% will vote in a way to maximise the chances of their side of the Brexit divide. The poll of more than 1,000 undergraduates shows 74% oppose Brexit. Hepi director Nick Hillman says for many students it would be "full-on tactical voting because of Brexit". The 12 December election date means many students will be back in their family home for Christmas but they will still have the option to vote in their university constituency, or from their home address. But the polling analysis from Hepi, using data from YouthSight polling firm,
In 2017, there were 47% ready to vote tactically. Tactical voting for students could be choosing in which seat to vote or whether to back a candidate more likely to win, who otherwise might not be their first choice. Mr Hillman says rather than student-focused issues
- such as tuition fees - Brexit seems more influential on voting intentions. According to the pollsters, Brexit seems to be intensifying as a factor for student voters, rather than diminishing. Among student voters, 70% want another referendum and 75% expect Brexit to have a negative impact on their future prospects. For student voters, 71% said Brexit would have an influence on their voting. In the 2017 general election, the student vote was seen as delivering some big swings to Labour, helping them to take seats with a significant student population, such as Canterbury and Portsmouth South. But Mr Hillman, a former special adviser to a Conservative universities minister, says this is now a different student electorate.
A record number of 23,710 students have applied to study medicine at UK universities next September. New figures from the admissions service Ucas show a 6% increase in the number of people applying for a degree in medicine, compared to last year. The deadline for applications to begin medicine, as well as dentistry and veterinary science courses, next autumn, was 15 October. This was also the deadline for students to apply to Oxford and Cambridge. Ucas figures show that 18,500 applicants are from the four countries of the UK - up 5% on last year. Applications from EU students for medicine degrees are up 1% to 1,680, while
applications from students outside the EU have risen 10% to 3,530. There has been an expansion in the number of medical school places available at English universities for the third year in a row, Ucas said. Overall, 68,680 students have applied for all degree courses with an October 15 deadline, up 4%
on last year, the admissions service added. Ucas chief executive, Clare Marchant, said: "I'm inspired by the record number of students who are ready to take on the challenge of demonstrating they have the knowledge, skills, and potential to succeed on these ever-competitive courses.
shows more students expecting to vote tactically than in the previous election, with Brexit driving much of the decision making. The polling shows 53% would vote tactically, 15% would be unwilling and 33% were "neutral".
Fifth of young people have been victims of bullying in past year More students apply to study medicine A fifth of young people in the UK have been bullied in the past 12 months, an annual report has found. Three out of four people who were bullied said it affected their mental health and nearly half became depressed as a result, according to the study by charity Ditch the Label. These figures were almost identical to those from last year's survey. Children's commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, said "more needs to be done" in light of the "worrying" data. More than 2,000 young people aged between 12 and 20 provided responses for the survey about their experiences of bullying and the impact it has had on their
lives in the past year. It also assessed prejudice-based views including racism, sexism, homophobia, disablism and transphobia in an effort to better understand bullying behaviour. Ditch the Label is an international charity supporting young people aged 12 to 25 to help tackle the "root issues" around bullying. Its annual survey has become its "flagship" piece of research, chief executive officer Dr Liam Hackett said. The seventh annual survey found: - The most common type of bullying was verbal, with cyberbullying the least common - Of those bullied, 33% said that they had suicidal thoughts, while 41% were
left feeling anxious - Some 62% were bullied by a classmate and 37% by someone at school they did not know - Nearly two-thirds (59%) believed attitudes towards their appearance were the likely cause of bullying - In the majority of cases, male respondents were more likely to exhibit negative attitudes than females Ms Longfield said the impact bullying has on children can be "enormous", affecting their confidence, self-esteem and mental health. "More needs to be done at home and in schools to help those who are the victims of bullying and also, crucially, to prevent children from bullying in the first place," she added.
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12 MEDIA WATCH
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16 - 22 November 2019
SCRUTATOR’S Delhi was blanketed by yet another debilitating smog at the weekend – now shamefully a routine occurrence – with its citizenry, men, women and children masked against the possible threats to life and limb through slow poisoning of their respiratory systems. The various science bodies monitoring the crisis pressed their red buttons of alarm The Supreme Court, one of India’s declining moral assets, was scathingly dismissive of politicians and administrators and their ‘gimmicks’ passed off as serious environmental measures.
Domestic institutional investors sold net Indian stocks worth Rs 1,117.25 crore. Shares of property developers were among the principal gainers with the Nifty Realty Index rising 2.4 per cent (Economic Times November 7). Army’s new Dhanush regiments Indian Army has begun the induction of its advanced upgraded Dhanush long distance artillery systems with a range of 38 kilometres. The first regiment will have its Dhanush systems in place by March 2020. The process to equip all the 114 guns to the designated regiments will be completed by March 2022 (Hindu November 4). India, Uzbekistan sign defence MoUs
India to produce AK 303 rifles
India and Uzbekistan have signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance cooperation in military medicine and military education during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s recent visit to Tashkent (Hindu November 4). New Delhi seen engulfed in a thick layer of smog
Police strike As if these health hazards were not enough, a monster demonstration of around 3,000 of the city’s police force and their families took to the streets in protest at the physical assaults they were subjected to by lawyers near the courts (Hindu November 4, 6). The ‘whiff of grapeshot’ recommended by Napoleon Bonaparte centuries ago as a solution to pacify unruly mobs was out of kilter with the pliant Arvind Kejrival and his Aam Aadmi rabble. The irony of the rule of law undermined by practitioners of the law was not lost on India as a whole. BJP leaders, much given to ritual deification of India’s first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, must ponder his sobriquet, ‘The Iron Man’, revealed also an eminently civilised man, who must be turning in his grave at the swelling accolades coming his way from those whose likes he cordially despised as a living soul. He was a proud, lifelong member of the Congress Party and a close associate of Jawaharlal Nehru, subjected to the crudest vilification, day after abysmal day, by men and women unfit to clean his shoes. One hears the timeless echoes of Cicero, noblest of Romans, ‘O tempora! O mores!
as colonial imports from a decadent West out to subvert ancient Hindu culture! (Times of India November 7). Slowdown temporary: Mukesh Ambani Speaking at the desert Davos in Saudi Arabia before an audience of global investors, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Ltd, Mukesh Ambani stated that India’s economic slowdown was temporary, and that the government’s measures to revive the economy, as outlined in detailed presentations by the country’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had started to take the desired effect (Hindu October 30). RIL to create digital giant
for his part, emphasised that the ‘special and privileged partnership’ between India and Russia had been further strengthened at the Vladivostok Economic Forum and the annual Indo-Russian Summit last September between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin. Minister Singh highlighted the significance of the InterGovernmental agreement on the manufacture of Russian military spares, components and aggregates in India through joint ventures that would reduce costs, timelines of supply, leading to progressive indigenisation. His counterpart General Shoigu assured Minister Singh of robust Russian participation in DefExpo 2020, to be held in Lucknow from 5-8 February.
Deepening India, Russia strategicpartnership India and Russia have decided to set up specific groups for aftersales support of key defence platforms, and also to work for an early conclusion of a reciprocal logistics support agreement. At the 19th meeting of the IndiaRussia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation co-Chaired in Moscow by Defence Ministers Rajnath Singh and General Sergey Shoigu, the two sides agreed to intensify efforts to finalise a cooperation deal for the 2021-2030 decade. Welcoming the Indian minister, General Shoigu, termed India as an exclusive strategic defence partner. Rajnath Singh,
The Russian side affirmed their commitment to speed up preparations for the manufacture of Russia’s lethally famed AK 203 rifles in India under the IndiaRussia Rifles Private Ltd joint venture. There was an in-depth discussion between the two ministers on a range of international issues, ranging from Syria and Russian involvement, and to the counter-terrorism policy of India, its security concerns which Russia fully appreciated. General Shoigu underscored Moscow’s commitment to extend all possible assistance to enhance India’s defence capabilities, including cooperation in advanced and cutting-edge technologies. Modernisation an imperative Minister Singh said India offered attractive terms for inward investments. ‘India is ready to explore opportunities for coproduction of high-end defence equipment with Russia. We have set up defence corridors in Uttar
Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.’ He assured Russia that India would provide orders for procurement of agreed numbers of equipment at mutually agreed prices. The modernisation of India’s armed forces was a national imperative (Statesman, November 7,8). Lecture from Finland Finland Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto breezed into the Delhi smog to lecture to his hosts on human rights violations in Kashmir and the need to reverse India’s refusal to permit a US delegation to visit the State. He dismissed the prior visit of an European MEP group’s visit to Kashmir and gauge the situation at firsthand. Their recognition of jihadi terrorism upset the minister. A roadmap for Kashmir’s return to normalcy was required, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel rightly suggested during her visit to India for an IndiaGerman summit. However, Finnish Foreign Minister went a step further telling India loftily to settle differences with Pakistan in order to avoid a damaging military escalation. There was no thought given to Pakistan’s export of crooborder terrorism. Word hadn’t reached His Excellency of the ethnic cleansing of the valley’s Hindu Pandit population in the late 1980s and early 90s. This was their ancestral homeland for millennia and more. Terrorism as an instrument of statecraft is presumably acceptable if restricted to the lesser breeds without the law. Investing in India, he said, was a risk So be it. Fortunately Finland is not on India’s radar as a power much consequence. It is worth recalling that Finland was a close military ally of Nazi Germany. Finnish troops and auxiliaries fought alongside Hitler’s armies in Russia. Nazi smog, it would appear, still hangs heavily in the skies over Helsinki. (Hindu November 8).
ASEAN for Indian regional role
In a bid to make Reliance Jio almost debt-free, its parent Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is setting up a subsidiary for its digital intuitive, with a total capital infusion of Rs 1.73 lakh crore. Under this arrangement Rs 1.08,000 crore of RJio’s liabilities will be transferred to RIL. The company is to house all of RIL’s digital entities including RJio and other technology-based initiatives in education, healthcare and agricultural services (Business Line October 26).
Imbecility on show
Sensex hits all-time high
West Bengal BJP, Dilip Ghosh, proclaimed with solemn absurdity that a cow’s milk, being of yellowy tinge, was blessed with gold. Prominent members of the Bengali intelligentsia, among them actor Soumitra Chatterjee, physicist Bikash Sinha and fellow physicist and former director of the Bose Institute, Sibaji Raha ridiculed Ghosh as an medieval obscurantist. Expect a call for the abolition of science curricula in schools, colleges and universities
The Sensex in Mumbai last week hit an all-time high, with investors and traders weighing the situation arising from the current tariff war between the US and China. Foreign portfolio investors pumped Rs 1,011.49 crore into equities continuing their purchases of local shares. During the last 10 trading sessions, they have invested Rs 13,650 crore in India including block purchases in Housing Development Finance Corporation and Standard Life.
PM Modi with ASEAN leaders
In a clear signal of support for an enhanced Indian role in the Asia Pacific region the Association of South East Nations have issued a declaration to that effect during their meeting in Bangkok. In an address to the ASEAN summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dwelt on the coordination in facing challenges in development, stability and security, referring to cross-border terrorism and tensions in the South China Sea. India’s Look East policy signalled a reorientation in India’s regional and global mindset. The takeaway from this 16th summit of these 10-member states, said observers, was acknowledgement of India’s emerging heft in the region. Its geopolitical subtext is the general anxiety about China’s muscular behaviour and the need to have a balancing power such as India in the neighbourhood. Within this matrix India and Thailand have set in motion greater connectivity and closer bilateral defence ties (Statesman November 4).
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16 - 22 November 2019
Asian Business Association hosts their annual gala dinner
(L-R) Tony Matharu, Richie Mehta, Mihir Bose, and Alpesh Patel
On Wednesday 6th November, the Asian Business Association (ABA) hosted a dinner evening at the Berkeley Hotel, London with over 200 guests attending the event. Eminent dignitaries included Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Rushanara Ali MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, Nadhim Zahawi Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon, prominent hotelier Lawrence Geller and Jennie Churchill, greatgranddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill among others. Veteran sports stars
including cricketers Allan Lamb, Mark Butcher, Matthew Hoggard, Paul Nixon and French rugby legend Serge Betsen were also in attendance. The dinner was hosted by entrepreneur and renowned hotelier Tony Matharu, chairman of ABA, London Chamber of Commerce of Industry (LCCI). Matharu also arranged a panel discussion where he conducted a Paxman-lite discussion with dealmaker Alpesh Patel, veteran journalist Mihir Bose, and filmmaker Richie Mehta. Lloyds Bank,
Members of the LCCI at the ABA event
was the headline sponsor for the event. It was co-sponsored by UHY Hacker Young with Asian Voice as the media partner. The event is the premier gathering in the Asian business calendar which brings together people from a range of industries and is open to Asian and non-Asian businesses. The ABA was set up 25 years ago to achieve the following goals. • Give the London Asian business community a voice and represent their views to the media, local and central government
• Provide business networking events that enable companies to make new business connections and to enhance their business skills and competitiveness • Facilitate cross border trade and investment particularly with areas where the Asian community has historic links.
Boris and Brexit – an investor’s perspective There is a strong feeling from property investors that the UK is still heading for a no-deal Brexit, new research has found. According to MT Finance's latest Property Investor Survey, over three quarters (76%) of property investors believe that no matter what amendments or extensions to the deadline are made, no agreement will be reached. Despite the lack of confidence in a deal being reached the results of the survey were encouraging, as 81% of investors believe that the conclusion of Brexit will lead to a bounce back of the UK property market. The MT Finance survey then polled investor sentiment towards Boris Johnson and what his stance on the property market might be. When asked if they believe that the property market would be a priority for the prime minister, the results were as close as the 2016 referendum itself, with ‘no’ winning a 58/42 per cent split. When asked if the prime minister would follow through with his proposals about stamp duty, over 60% of investors did not believe that he would. The remaining weeks before the general election will see many promises and pledges from all parties concerning the UK housing market. Labour have already announced their intentions to make all new homes carbon zero by 2022 and the Lib Dems have pledged the introduction of a rental regulator. The upcoming Christmas election will be watched closely by property investors and the party getting in could have a big sway in the direction of the market.
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14 COMMUNITY
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16 - 22 November 2019
LIVING BRIDGE Sona Tours hosts diwali dhamaka India continues to improves
On Thursday, 31st October Sona Tours Ltd had arranged a Diwali Dhamaka event at Kadwa Patidar Hall where over 550 guests saw the launch of the travel company's 2020 brochure. The event was attended by the Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Nitin Parekh and the Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar Mr C B Patel. All those who attended the event received discounted vouchers up to £50 per person on various tours. Sona tours have been running their business in the UK for over 20 years. A legacy built by Mrs Kanchanben Nemchand Shah, Sona Tours is now driven forward by her children and company directors- Mr Chetan Shah and Mr Divyakumar Shah alongside their team. Mrs Kanchanben was previously a teacher in
(L-R) Puja Trivedi from the Metropolitan Hindu Police Association, CB Patel, Nitin Parekh and team of Sona Tours
Kenya and has imbibed her motivation and leadership qualities in her children. Since their inception,
Sona Tours have been instrumental in facilitating members of the Asian community to visit unexplored
travel destinations. From assisting them with their documentation, to conducting ground research with regards to the topography and geography of the destination to catering for Vegetarian, Jain, and Swaminarayan meals on all their tours, Sona Tours has been at the pulpit of the UK's tourism industry. One can browse through the latest group and customised tours organised and operated by them in their 2020 brochure launched at the event. All the customers at the event had a lovely vegetarian meal followed by tea and biscuits. Both the Mayor and Mr C B Patel awarded prices for appreciation to various communities for the dedication to their members in helping and encouraging them to travel. The event was concluded with a live music band and dance performance.
Dhiren Katwa This year’s World Music Conference has once again been hailed a huge success. The festival attracted expert speakers, over 100 school children from all specialties from across the West Midlands and representatives from over 12 countries. It was organised by the British Carnatic Choir (BCC) and hosted by Aston University in Birmingham on 8th November, Friday. The core objective of this year’s event was to raise awareness of links between music and mental health and well-being. The whole day event, now in its third year, featured interactive workshops, stage performances and panel discussions, concluding with the popular BCC concert and conference dinner. Introduced this year were the Midlands Young Ambassadors of Music Awards where educationalists, parents and guardians were encouraged to nominate children and young people for their flair for singing, playing instruments, dance, or anything related to music. Winners of these inaugural awards were: Anupama Harish – She
has won the BCC’s Patrons Award for three successive years and is a Grade 3 violinist. Maisie Stewart – A member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. A violinist, Maisie is currently at Solihull Sixth Form. Sami Rao - A Year 11 student at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls, Sami is a viola player. She is an inspiration to her peers. Ankita Sai Ananth Kumar - Music is her passion and she enjoys entertaining audiences. Her passion lies in music from both East and West. A second set of awards, the BCC annual awards, were presented to those who have demonstrated excellence in the Arts & Culture sector, through innovation, passion and pride in the work that they undertake to make a positive difference to the lives of individuals and communities. Winners were: Ben Parry – Artistic Director & Principal Conductor, National Youth Choirs Great Britain Stuart Birnie – Head of the Music Services, Services For Education Nikhil Kapoor – Dance instructor, Shiamak Midlands This year’s event was
Bilete Bengali, a community organisation for NRI Bengalis in the UK organised Jagadhatri Pujo on 9 November at the Zoroastrian centre, in Harrow, London. It was attended by around thousand people. The pujo included Chandi path, stalls and several cultural programmes like Radhuni and Shera Juti competition. They gave an award called Shera Bangali award to Dr Pratibha Chakraborty, for her contribution to medicines and charity and presented the Shera Durga Pujo award to Adda Slough. Adda Slough organised their first Durga puja this year.
Picture Courtesy: S M Irfan Tahir
World Music Conference promotes Mental Health
John Crabtree OBE, winner Nikhil Kapoor, Deputy Consul General of India Happy Guptan, Cllr Stephen Reynolds
supported by Aston University, West Midlands Combined Authority and the Consulate General of India. The keynote address was given by Professor Martin Levermore MBE DL, Chief Executive of MDTi Limited. Event chief organiser, Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan FRSA said, “Music has a phenomenal effect on mental health and this conference aims to offer practical ‘hands on’ musical experiences for everyone, particularly young people.” Andy Street CBE, Mayor for West Midlands, had this to say: “The festival is unique in its aim of bringing together artists, academics and music educators from across Africa, Europe, the USA and India.” The World Music
Conference, launched in 2017, aims to promote and bring together academics, musicians, experts, children and young people of all abilities representing all facets of multicultural Britain under one platform.
its rank in the 'Ease of Doing Business' Index Rohit Vadhwana The real effect of reforms is visible when the result improves in continuity. Recently, India has made a noteworthy progress in improving the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ rank. This is conducted by the World Bank for 190 nations. In the recently published Index, India reached 63rd place, jumping from the previous rank of 77th in 2018. 'Ease of Doing Business' Index primarily assesses the business environment in Delhi and Mumbai. Some key performance indicators where progress is quick and noteworthy are in achieving a construction permit, getting an electricity connection, resolving insolvency, payment of taxes, starting a business and trading across borders. Let me provide a brief breakdown of the country’s performance Index: India’s rank in getting construction permits has improved from 184th in 2014 to 24th in 2019. It has become much more systematic and easier to start new construction projects. Getting an electricity connection in India is also much easier now. Its rank used to be 137th in 2014, now it is 22nd in 2019. It is also remarkable that all villages are now electrified in India and the pace of giving a connection to rural households is unprecedented. In resolving insolvency, India has jumped to 52nd rank in 2019 from its erstwhile 137th in 2014. The passing of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) 2016 has established a system and helped improve the environment. Ease of paying taxes improved to reach 115th in 2019 from 156th in 2014. With many facilitations for businesses, it has become much easier to do an Export-Import business in India. It has resulted in an improvement of rank in trading across borders indicators from 126th in 2014 to 68 in 2019. Another improver was in the starting of a business, where India’s rank has moved to 136th from 158th in 2014. With overall improvement in 7 out of 10 indicators measured for ranking a country under the Ease of Doing Business Index by the World Bank, India improved by 14 ranks in 2019 to reach 63rd position. It may be noted that India was ranked 142nd in 2014. India remained in the world’s top ten improvers for three consecutive years in this index. During the year, India improved in 7 out of 10 indicators taken into consideration. The nation is ranked first amongst the South Asian countries. India ranked 142 in 2014, 130 in 2015 & 2016, 100 in 2017, 77 in 2018 and now 63 in 2019. Continuous improvement in the ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’ has helped the country to attract foreign investment. Entrepreneurship amongst the youth is also increasing.
(Expressed opinion is personal) Do you have a story or suggestion for this column? Email at: livingbridgeasianvoice@gmail.com
Jalaram Baja’s Temple in Leicester Promotes Organ Donation On Saturday 2nd November, at the eve of Jalaram Jyanti over 450 attended a presentation delivered by Mr Kirit Modi chairman of Jain and Hindu Organ Donation Steering Group (JHOD) about the details of the change in law on Organ Donation in England. He enlisted the reasons for the change and how the Hindu community can help save lives by registering to become organ donors. “I say Ang Daan (Organ Donation) is a part of Seva in which every Hindu should participate. May I urge all Hindus to the call for organ donation? Come join us in this service to mankind,” said Pramod Thakkar, Chairman of the trust board of Jalaram Charitable Trust.
Around a 1000 people of Asian background are waiting for an organ transplant in the UK and in 2018/19 there were 56 organ donors after death and 83 living kidney donors in the UK some of whom in Leicester were inspired by devotees of Jalaram Bapa.
Jalaram Charitable Trust has secured funding from NHSBT recently to continue its excellent work on organ donation under its slogan “Jalaram Bapa leads the way on Hindu Organ Donation” and a number of events will take place over the next 12 months.
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16 - 22 November 2019
Sikhs celebrate Gurupurab Prince Charles hails the 'inspiring principles' of Sikhism
On Friday, 8th November to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, London mayor Sadiq Khan praised the contribution of Sikhs to the UK’ social and economic fabric.
The Prince visits a Sikh temple in New Delhi to mark the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak and said, “The principles on which Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, and which guide your lives to this day, are ones which can inspire us all – hard work, fairness, respect, and selfless service to others."
Celebrating their entrepreneurial spirit and contribution, Khan said, “All across the UK and the world there are gurdwaras which open their doors to people who want to be fed irrespective of their background. No one asks your religion or how rich or poor you are. Thank you for the seva you do. You live Guru Nanak's teachings, which are as rel-
UK Sikhs visit Kartarpur Corridor
Loomba Foundation celebrates Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 550th birthday at House of Lords Lord Loomba donates 550 sewing machines to 550 brides in Punjab On 4th November, the Loomba Foundation hosted an event at the House of Lords to celebrate the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The event was held in association with Rt. Hon. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minster of State for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia. Other dignitaries included Rt. Hon. Lord Paul PC, Manmeet Singh Narang, Minister of Co-ordination of Indian High Commission, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Tim Jones, Tata Ltd, Chairman of Pontaq, Mr Loknath Mishra MD & CEO of ICICI Bank, among others. The event was compered by Loomba Foundation Trustee, Mrs Shaminn Lalji. Inaugurating the event, Lord Loombaspoke about the virtues of Guru Nanak whilstemphasising on creation of a gender equal society. His Loomba Foundation has been consistently supporting the plight of the widowed women across the world. This year in Punjab as part of the 550th birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji there will be 550 marriages of young ladies. The Loomba Foundation has pledged to donate 550 sewing machines to all these poor brides. Lord Ahmad also delivered a keynote speech to mark this special occasion and noted the contribution that Sikh community have made in the UK. Their con-
Lord Ahmad with Lord Raj Loomba
tribution includes fighting in the Second World War and noted that a “community barely half a million strong contributes over £8 billion to the UK's economy every year”.
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evant now 550 years later as they were when first given. They are as relevant to non-Sikhs and people in London as they are to Sikhs and those 5,000 miles away. When we have people trying to divide communities, you have demonstrated we have far more that unites us than divides us." As part of a series of commemorative events to celebrate the 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Gurupurab was also celebrated at the Embassy of India, Berlin in collaboration with Gurudwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Berlin. The event also included the screening of “Sarbat Da Bhala (Good of Humanity)”, a short digital video on the life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji who travelled far and wide and founded an egalitarian faith based on brotherhood and service of humanity. Berliners got a glimpse of the teachings and ideals of Guru Nanak Dev Ji through the video.
The annual celebration has been given extra significance this year with the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor, a secure, visa-free passage between archrivals India and Pakistan that gives Indian Sikhs access to the place where the guru died in 1539, now one of the religion's holiest sites. Devotees from all over the world, including the UK and Canada, are also visiting for the celebrations.
In the meantime, some British Sikhs spent Gurpurab in front of the Royal Courts of Justice with banners demonstrating “Stop discrimination of Sikhs”, “Sikhs are invisible to 40k public bodies” and “Census matters for Sikhs”. Inside the building, Mrs Justice Lang was hearing a judicial review brought by Bhai Amrik Singh, the chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) (SFUK), against the Cabinet Office and the UK Statistics Authority,over their failure to recommend a tick box for Sikhs in the ethnicity section of the 2021 UK census, a decision the claimants say is unlawful and leading to discrimination. “Sikh” is currently an optional answer to the religion question— which is voluntary. The options to the compulsory ethnicity question include “Indian”, “Pakistani” and "other Asian”, but there is no tick box stating “Sikh”.
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16 - 22 November 2019
Kapil’s Khichadi
Barnardo's celebrates Diwali with Masterchef semi-finalist
12/12 DDay for the UK? Kapil Dudakia My dear readers, I know, I have been absent for a few years, but I am back now and so is Kapil’s Khichadi. May I take this opportunity to thank the huge number of people who have shown their support for my column over the past decade or so. What has been happening in my absence? At one level, not a lot given the impasse of Brexit. However, at another level we have seen some dramatic revelations that impact our community markedly. The most important date now for all of us is 12 December, i.e. DDay or Decision Day. What we as a nation decide will either make us or break us. This election is not only about Brexit which affects every citizen, it is fundamentally also about who we elect to govern us and their fitness to do so equitably. Brexit is a people’s mandate. The EU Referendum was very clear, and it was a once in a generation vote. Whilst we have seen many MPs mislead the public with their claims that the EU vote is only ‘advisory’, let us be clear, each and every MP and Party accepted before the vote took place that they would honour the result. In effect, it was not ‘advisory’, it had become ‘mandatory’. Brexit has to be delivered and to that extent the choice between all the parties is very clear. Vote for the Conservatives if you still want Brexit, vote for the LibDems if you want to revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU. Or vote for the Labour Party if you wish to remain in limbo. However, there is something even more important than this Brexit issue. Is the current Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn fit to govern? That is a fundamental issue that should tax your mind when you assess the political parties and decide which box to tick. The Labour Party is embroiled in one of the most disgusting racist antisemitic free for all that we have seen of any political party for more than a century. The rampant antisemitism that seems to be prevalent in Labour has made even the independent commentators to conclude that it is institutionally antisemitic and racist. This is an incredibly grave charge on any political party; however, it is not without foundation. On the 1st of August 2019 the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) launched a formal investigation into the Labour Party. The vast majority of the Jewish Community has abandoned the Labour Party now. Equally remarkable, the Jewish Chronicle on 7 November 2019 splashed on
their frontpage an open declaration against the Labour Party and their total mistrust in Jeremy Corbyn and his fitness to be the Prime Minister. This is unprecedented. I salute the Jewish community, its leaders and its media for having the guts to come out and call a spade a spade. I salute them for telling the whole nation, don’t put this Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn in power. All too often in history we have seen that minority communities appease too easily hoping that everything will work out in the end. I have never believed in that concept. This brings me to our community, on 25th September the Labour Party passed a motion with regard to Jammu and Kashmir. Essentially for most observers it was a pro-Pakistani and an anti-India motion. Surprisingly when I approached a number of Labour Party members/councillors of Indian origin, they seem to suggest that all of this was a huge surprise to them. However, when Jeremy Corbyn was asked about the motion, he indicated that it had gone through the due process within the Labour Party before it was brought to the floor of the Party Conference. I sense someone somewhere is lying about what they knew and when! Contrast this with the Pakistani community who seemed to be aware not only of the motion but were waiting in readiness to exploit it as soon as it was passed. I have to commend them for the grip they have on the Labour Party. They have clearly worked very hard to make sure that when it comes to any matters related to their community, the Labour Party will bend over backwards to accommodate. So I ask myself, are we witnessing the Labour Party now targeting Hindus, Sikhs and Jains? Has the anti-Israel faction of Labour now turned its aim at India and Indians? To me it is very clear that this Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn is not only anti-India, but also anti-Hindu. That is my personal view and a genuine belief. You don’t have to agree with my conclusions. However, I do ask each and every citizen that you should look at the evidence emerging with regard to antisemitism as well as the anti-India rhetoric emanating out of the Labour Party now. On 12th December you the voter have the power. You decide what happens to this great nation of ours. It will be your vote that will determine whether this country rises on the world stage and prospers, or will it descend into the gutter of racism and prejudice that belittles and undermines many of the minority communities? I applaud the Jewish community for nailing their colours to the mast. Is it time we did the same?
On Tuesday 5th November, Barnardo's hosted its annualDiwali celebrations at the Victorian Bath House, London, to raise vital funds for the charity. The Diwali dinner at the event was organised by Masterchef 2018 semifinalist and Barnardo’s supporter Nisha Parmar. The event began with a prayer, spectacular fire show and Bollywood dance performances, and guests were also invited to light a diya for all the vulnerable children across the world. A number of the charity’s celebrity Ambassadors and supporters attended the event, including TV presenters Sonali Shah and Anila Chowdhry, alongside actors Nina Wadia and Ameet Chana. One of the young people supported by Barnardo’s is 19-year-old Neha, a young carer from Leicester, who looks after her parents and her two younger siblings. She is currently studying for
Javed Khan, Barnardo's
a degree in Biomedical Sciences. She said, “Trying to juggle everything on a normal day is difficult. On special occasions like Diwali, it’s even harder as we have loads of guests who visit us and I have to cook a lot of food for everyone and serve them all tea, coffee and snacks. “I do feel blessed that I am able to help my family and spend time with them,
but it can get overwhelming and sometimes I wish could enjoy Diwali like everyone else instead of worrying about how I will cope.” Since joining Barnardo’s Carefree service in Leicestershire, Neha’s support worker has helped her in various ways including liaising with her college, applying for grants and offering her a safe space to talk about her concerns. Barnardo’s CEO Javed Khan said, “For children supported by Barnardo’s, celebrations like Diwali can be a difficult time. Children with mental health problems, those caring for a family relative and children in care are facing huge challenges all year round and some may also feel cut off from their culture and background.It’s vital that agencies, charities and local communities come together to support young people to achieve a positive future.”
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh celebrates UK parliament week On 2-8th November, the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh official partner of UK Parliament Week, hosted Parliament Week activities at 26 shakhas across the country. From the youngest 5 year old to the oldest 86 year old, there was something for everyone to participate in. It was an opportunity especially for the youth to ‘have their say’ on the issues that matter to them the most. It aimed at engaging the entire population, including members of the Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh community. A planned format included showcasing activities of the HSS including Khel (Sport) and Surya Namaskar (Yoga) to the invited guests and debates on topics ranging from voting age, Diwali a public,
global warming and Brexit. A number of shakhas held Quizzes, and presented talks on UK parliament. Invited guests from across the political spectrum included local Mayor, local councilors, Ex-Members of Parliament and members of a local Hindu Temple Trust at Bromley. A letter of support for our UK Parliament week activity included one from Lord Jitesh Gadhia in which he stated that it is vital for all Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists to forge a deeper understanding of
our democratic process in the UK. HSS (U.K.) spokesperson said, “We are excited that so many shakhas across the country got involved in UK Parliament Week 2019 and demonstrated how they can play a vital role in their democracy. From Sale in the North West to Bromley in the South, Southend in the East to Cheltenham in the West, over 26 branches participated with a total of more than 720 participants.” In 2018, UK Parliament Week reached almost 1 million people, with more than 8,100 activities. This year’s UK Parliament Week festival is expected to be the largest ever.
University of Birmingham celebrates Gurupurab On 1st November as part of the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, a function was organised by the University of Birmingham and Consulate of India, where India’s Union Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri formally announced the launch of the Guru Nanak Chair (supported by the Government of India). This academic Chair will promote research into the life and philosophy of Sri
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the revered first Sikh Guru. In his key note address, the Minister spoke about Guru Nanak's powerful and eternal message to the world, and its relevance in the 21st Century. Drawing upon the tenets of the Sikh religion, he exhorted the three principles of Naam Japo (meditation), Kirat Karo (honest living) and Vand Chakho (sharing with others), which are inspiring the followers of Guru Nanak even today. Other dignitaries
included H.E. Indian High Commissioner Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea, CBE, DL, Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, University of Birmingham, Bangladesh High Commissioner to the UK, H.E. Ms. Saida Muna Tasneem, Mr. Charanjeet Singh, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK, Mr. Samantha Pathirana, Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the UK, Prof Robin Mason, among others.
(L-R) : High Commissioner of India, Mrs. Ruchi Ghanashyam, Chancellor Lord Bilimoria, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Consul General Aman Puri & Prof Nathu Puri)
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16 - 22 November 2019
SC paves way for Ram mandir Bringing down curtains on the Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid case, one of the longest running title disputes in India, the Supreme Court has given the entire disputed 2.77-acre land to the Hindu parties with a trust to be formed by the Centre within three months to monitor the construction of a Ram Temple. The Sunni Waqf Board will be given 5 acres of alternate land, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled in the unanimous verdict. The five-judge bench concluded hearing the land dispute after a marathon 40 days of arguments and reserved the judgment on November 9. The Constitution bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi put an end to the more than a century old dispute that had been in courts for 70 years. The court heard appeals and cross appeals filed by the Sunni Central Wakf Board and the Hindu side against a 2010 Allahabad High Court ruling that had partitioned the land among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram
Lalla. The SC bench settled the Hindu-Muslim dispute through a unanimous verdict and handed over the disputed land for construction of a Ram temple. It also allocated five acres at a “prominent place” in Ayodhya for a mosque. The bench said the verdict weighed in favour of deity Ram Lalla because the Hindu parties could produce better evidence to substantiate their right over the disputed land. However, the bench was also unanimous that the Muslim parties too had established a competitive right over a part of the disputed land. Hence, it used its inherent powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to direct the Centre/UP government to allot five acres of land at a prominent place in Ayodhya for construction of a mosque. The bench ordered framing of a scheme and its implementation through a trust, to be set up by the Centre, within three months for the construction of the temple and its management. The bench of Chief
Justice Ranjan Gogoi, CJIdesignate Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justices Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer took just 23 days to
to the otherwise smooth process. The SC set aside the September 30, 2010, verdict of the Allahabad high court, which had divided the disputed area of 1,487 square
author a common judgment running into 929 pages. The bench had reserved its verdict on October 16 and delivered it on November 9. CJI Gogoi read out a 26-page summary of the judgment for close to 40 minutes in a packed courtroom. “Jai Shriram” chants from advocates in black robes echoed immediately after the pronouncement of judgment, inserting a discordant note
yards, included the disputed 2.77 acres of plot, into three equal parts and allotted one part each to Ram Lalla (the area under the central dome of the demolished mosque), Nirmohi Akhara (outer courtyard including Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi) and the rest to Sunni Waqf Board. Nirmohi Akhara became the biggest loser on the day as the SC dismissed its 1959 suit staking claim to
the site as time barred and refused to even recognise its right as a ‘shebait’ (priest), thus robbing it of any major role in the to-be-constructed temple. The apex court ordered that it would get “appropriate representation” on the trust, but that would be like a participation certificate, with the court leaving it to the Centre to determine what would constitute “appropriate representation.” The directive that construction of the temple be assigned to a trust to be set up by the Centre comes at the cost of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, which was set up by the VHP in 1985 to construct and manage the proposed Ram temple. However, the Sangh Parivar constituent, which spearheaded the temple movement, should still get to play a key role in the matter, considering that the court has given the Centre a decisive say in determining the composition of the proposed trust. The verdict was celebrated by temple votaries. Those arrayed on the opposite side
were, obviously, not satisfied, but there were signs suggesting an acquiescence, if grudging, into the outcome: something that raised the prospect of an awkward closure of the vexed mandir versus mosque question that has left an indelible imprint on politics and society. Political parties also restrained their impulse. BJP and Sangh Parivar, starting from PM Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and BJP chief Amit Shah, exercised restraint. Political parties and other outfits, who had opposed the mandir campaign, also calibrated their reaction to suit the need for peace. However, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi said the Supreme Court judgment on the Babri Masjid-Ramjanmabhoomi land dispute is a “victory of faith over facts” and suggested rejection of the alternative five-acre plot given for construction of a mosque. Owaisi said the Muslim side was fighting for legal rights and does not need charity from anyone.
Temple construction may THE FIVE JUDGES WHO DELIVERED THE VERDI CT begin from Ram Navmi A senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader said that there is no better date to start initiating the Ram Janmabhoomi temple other than Ram Navmi. "There can be no better date for initiating the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. The three month deadline for setting up a trust ends in February and by then, all preparations would be completed. However, we will discuss with the government before we commit on the date," he said. The pre-construction work is likely to commence from Makar Sankranti in January. The VHP wants the temple to be as per the design prepared by architect Chandrakant Sompura in 1989. A model of the temple is kept at Karsevakpuram in Ayodhya. "We expect the new temple to be built accordingly," said VHP Working President Alok Kumar. He also said that work on the temple, including carving stones and building pillars, has progressed and those should be used in the construction. According to the VHP, 125,000 cubic feet of stone has been carved and 175,000 cubic feet of sandstone will be required for the full construction. The VHP also plans to soon hold a meeting of the
'Margdarshak Mandal' who will draw the modalities of the construction as well as gather funds. As per sources, the construction would need four years to complete Kumar said they are expecting that while setting up the Supreme Court mandated trust, the government will incorporate members of the existing Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, who had been looking after preparations for temple construction so far. “Once the trust is formed, which has to be done within three months, temple construction will start immediately,” a senior functionary, privy to the developments, said. While Adityanath will be in the forefront of overseeing construction work as chief minister, he was a frequent visitor to Ayodhya after taking over. Yogi visited the holy town 18 times in two-and-half years. His last visit was to celebrate “Deepotsava” on the occasion of Diwali, which has been celebrated in a grand way since he took over as CM.
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi The present Chief Justice of India will be remembered for bringing the centuries-old Ayodhya land dispute to a close. Justice Gogoi held daily hearings beyond the working hours of the court, thereby ensuring that the hearing was concluded within the stipulated time and verdict delivered before his retirement on November 17. Justice S A Bobde He will take over as CJI on November 18. Justice Bobde practised law at Bombay high court and Supreme Court for over 20 years before being elevated as additional judge of Bombay HC in March 2000. He became chief justice of Madhya Pradesh high court in
October 2012 and was elevated as SC judge in April 2013. Justice Ashok Bhushan Justice Bhushan’s expertise in dealing with civil suits got him to the bench. A 1979 law graduate from Allahabad University, he was elected senior vicepresident of Allahabad HC Bar Association. He was elevated as permanent judge of that high court in 2001, and was made chief justice of Kerala HC in 2015. He became an SC judge on May 13, 2016 and will retire in July 2021. Justice S Abdul Nazeer He practised law in Karnataka high court for over 20 years and was appointed HC judge in 2003. He was elevated to SC on February 17, 2017. He
and Justice Bhushan came in after Justices N V Ramana and U U Lalit recused. He is known to be very soft spoken. Justice D Y Chandrachud A law graduate from Delhi university and a doctorate in juridical sciences (SJD) from Harvard Law School, Justice Chandrachud was appointed additional solicitor general of India in 1998. He was elevated as judge in Bombay HC in 2000 and was appointed chief justice of Allahabad HC in 2013. He became an SC judge in 2016. He was also a visiting professor at University of Mumbai and Oklahoma University School of Law, USA. He is in line to become CJI and will retire in 2024.
Ayodhya case: Chronology of events 1528: Mughal emperor Babur's commander Mir Bagi came to Ayodhya, and is believed to have destroyed the pre-existing temple dedicated to Lord Ram to build Babri Masjid. 1853: The first recorded incident of violence between Hindus and Muslims over the holy site took place during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. 1859: The officials from British colonial administration erected a fence at the site to separate the places of worships. 1885: Mahant Raghubir Das filed the first case, seeking permission to build a canopy on the Ramchabutra (a raised platform) outside the mosque. 1949: Lord Ram's idol appeared inside the mosque. Muslims claimed that the idol was placed by Hindu groups. Both sides file civil suits following which the government declared the area as disputed and locked the gates to the premises. 1950: Gopal Singh Visharad and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das filed suits at the Faizabad court seek-
ing permission to offer prayers to the idols in the janamsthan. 1959: The Nirmohi Akhara filed a third suit seeking possession of the site and claimed to be the custodians of the Ram Janmabhoomi. 1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf filed a case against the placing of idols inside the mosque and claimed that the mosque and surrounding land was a graveyard. 1989: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) laid the foundation of a Ram temple on the land next to the Babri Masjid. 1990: BJP leader L.K. Advani launches Rath Yatra from Somnath in Gujarat. 1992: The disputed Babri Mosque was razed to the ground by karsevaks on 6 December which led to countrywide communal riots killing more than 2,000 people. 2002: In an attack on a train from Godhra in Gujarat, believed to be carrying karsevaks to Ayodhya, at least 58 people were killed. Riots erupted across the state and about a thousand
people were said to have been killed during it. 2010: The Allahabad High Court ruled that the disputed land be divided into three parts - where one third will belong to Ram Lalla, represented by the Hindu Mahasabha; one third to the Islamic Waqf Board; and the remaining third to the Nirmohi Akhara. 2011: In May, the Supreme Court stays the High Court order to split the land, stating that the status quo will remain. 2017: The Supreme Court said that the matter is sensitive and the rival parties should settle it out of court. 2019: In March, SC appointed a mediation panel headed by Judge (Retd.) FMI Kallifulla for an out-of-court settlement. In August, the mediation panel failed to reach an amicable settlement. The top court began day to day proceedings of the case on 6 August. On 9 November, the Supreme Court granted the entire 2.77 acre of disputed land in Ayodhya to deity Ram Lalla.
18 FINANCE - UK 16 - 22 November 2019
Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you from Singapore and the world’s largest financial technology conference. And I am in heaven. This is my thing. I have a lot of friends over the years who have gone on to become millionaires, and in some cases billionaires. I have seen then go from banged out cars to private jets. Friends like Hilton Nathanson and Peter Cruddas. I’ve helped ordinary entrepreneurs along their way too. I have seen friends go from pre-business idea to billion dollar valuations such as Rishi Khosla. Other friends I didn’t invest in and their companies are now worth millions such as Rajesh Aggarwal. Of course, I am a professional investor. Making money for others and myself is my job. Building my own company as I now openly state in my talks around the world into a ‘Unicorn’ ie a billion dollar valuation fintech (financial technology) company is my goal. That business, Pipspredator.com helping traders make money from knowing when to buy and sell and spun out from my hedge fund, will become a Unicorn – because the daily market it operates in turns over half a trillion dollars. Indeed, helped so many companies have I over the years, I looked for a bigger purpose and easier way to assist them reach their riches. I did this in two ways. First, through TheEinsteinChallenge.com I have listed every conceivable source of funding for entrepreneurs in the UK – from grants, to loans, to venture capital – sorted by size, sector and contact details. And I’ve even included resources on getting introductions and writing the perfect business plan and pitch. Second, I found a female founded SME startup to take from zero to £1m in turnover in 12 months through my mentoring. Why female founder? Well, I wrote a book for women entrepreneurs after co-founded the Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) UK Chapter of the largest Global entrepreneur mentoring network. So that explains the women and mentoring part. Why SME? Why start-up? That’s the area I work in in both my TIE role and Government role. Okay, so who did I settle on to help and document the journey? To show how and if it can be done? I chose a female founder where I was comfortable I would have a high degree of success (I’m not stupid). But how can you be sure of success with a start-up? I chose a franchisee starting up of a global brand. What’s in it for me? Well, I chose my sister’s new business. I’ll share my know-how and diary my achievements and failures throughout the year as I did with my trading diary in the Financial Times too. If you want to help in this journey – this is her business: For any printing at all, please consider their business – they have the high quality backing of a global brand, with the low price of a local UK small business. http://www.huddersfield.minutemanpress.co.uk/ ; 01484 430 550; huddersfield@minutemanpress.com Let the journey to entrepreneurial success begin for a new generation of female founders! Oh, her name…Archana!
UK employers' hiring plans lift off from 18-month low - CIPD A survey showed that British employers’ hiring plans have risen from an 18-month low, contrasting with other less upbeat signs from the labour market that prompted two Bank of England policymakers to call for a cut in interest rates last week. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said its quarterly net employment balance rose to +22 from +18, bringing it back in line with its average over the past year. “Despite the political uncertainty, employers have held their nerve and adopted a ‘business as usual’ approach to their hiring needs,” CIPD economist Jon Boys said.
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Chinese firm poised to buy British Steel for £70m British Steel is set to announce a rescue deal with China’s Jingye Group, potentially safeguarding up to 4,000 jobs in the UK. Jingye has reportedly offered £70m, in addition to the promise it can access up to £300m in loans, indemnities and grants to back its plan to boost production at the plant by 10 per cent. Jingye Group emerged as the leading contender to buy the steelmaker out of liquidation after talks stalled between government officials and Ataer Holdings, a subsidiary of Turkey’s military pension fund with ties to the country’s autocratic government. Reportedly, staff at
company’s Scunthorpe facility have been told in an email that contracts between British Steel and Jingye have been exchanged. Nic Dakin, the Labour MP for Scunthorpe, said: “The workforce at British Steel have done an outstanding job continuing to make and sell steel through this difficult few months. It looks as if we’re coming to a point where a new owner may well be determined and that would
be very good news for the business and the communities that are around it.” A spokesperson for steelworkers’ union Community said: “If this [the sale] is confirmed, then we welcome this positive step towards securing British Steel under new ownership. The fact that there has been ongoing interest from both Ataer and now Jingye, rightly demonstrates that potential buyers believe that British Steel can have a sustainable future. Any new owner would not just be acquiring a steel business, they would be taking on a dedicated and skilled workforce, who even through
the uncertainty of recent months have been breaking production records to give the business a chance.” High energy costs, fierce Chinese competition, global overproduction and a lack of investment and state support have all been blamed for the challenges facing the company and its competitors in the UK. British Steel was forced into compulsory liquidation in May and since then the company has been kept running by the government. Employing 4,000 people at its Scunthorpe and Teesside sites, British Steel supports an additional 20,000 jobs in the supply chain.
UK economy escapes recession amid growth slump The UK economy has avoided falling into recession in the third quarter, but official figures show annual growth has dropped to its lowest pace in almost a decade. New estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show British GDP rose 0.3% in Q3 from July to September. Chancellor Sajid Javid welcomed “solid” growth, but business leaders warned it was “nothing to celebrate” and highlighted the disruption for firms caused by two missed Brexit deadlines this year. Economists had forecast 0.4 per cent growth, partly thanks to a temporary lift from companies stockpiling goods ahead of Boris Johnson's "do-or-die" Brexit deadline on 31 October - which has now been postponed. Gross
domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2 per cent in the second quarter of the year and a further contraction between July and September would have meant a recession and dealt a blow to Johnson's hopes of winning a Conservative majority in next month's general election. The latest official data contains further signs that will worry the prime minister and his chancellor, Sajid Javid. Much of the thirdquarter growth came in a strong July, with the economy then slowing down to a 0.1 per cent contraction in September. Monthly figures are more volatile than longer-term measures but the Office for National Statistics said that the underlying momentum in the UK economy "shows some signs of slowing".
Over the year, growth came in at just 1 per cent in the third quarter, compared to the same period 12 months ago - the worst annual performance since early-2010 in the wake of the Great Recession. The service and construction sectors provided positive contributions to GDP growth, despite recent surveys indicating that they were flat or shrinking. An ONS spokesperson said: "Services again led the way with construction also performing well. Manufacturing failed to grow as falls in most industries were offset by car production bouncing back following April shutdowns." The figures came after ratings agency Moody's warned that it could cut the UK's credit rating because, "The increasing inertia and,
at times, paralysis that has characterised the Brexit-era policymaking process has illustrated how the capability and predictability that has traditionally distinguished the UK's institutional framework has diminished." Moody's added, "The decline in institutional strength appears to Moody's to be structural in nature and likely to survive Brexit given the deep divisions within society and the country's political landscape." Last week, two Bank of England policymakers signalled their own worries for Britain's economic prospects by unexpectedly voting to cut interest rates from 0.75 per cent to 0.5 per cent. The rest of the BoE's rate-setting committee voted to keep rates level.
HSBC and RBS set to launch new digital banking platforms British banking giants HSBC and RBS are coming up with new digital banking platforms, as the competition for digitally savvy customers steps up in the face of a wave of online startups. HSBC rolled out a new app-based business banking service previously known internally as ‘Project Iceberg’ and now named ‘HSBC Kinetic’ - in beta testing mode, while RBS is giving the final touches to its new digital bank 'Bo' ahead of a public roll-out later this month. Britain’s high street lenders are investing billions
of pounds in new or refreshed digital services to meet growing customer demand. But they are playing catch-up when it comes to matching the technology of fast-growing startups like Monzo, Starling and Tandem. HSBC Kinetic will offer small businesses mobile-managed current accounts, overdrafts and spending and cashflow insights generated by the app crunching data on a compa-
ny’s spending habits. Peter McIntyre, head of UK small business banking for HSBC, said the bank hoped to sign up hundreds of thousands of customers to Kinetic and to roll it out to other countries where HSBC operates. The service has been developed by around 150 staff in London working away from HSBC’s Canary Wharf corporate headquarters. McIntyre said he was undeterred by launching
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Kinetic in choppy economic conditions in Britain, with recent official data showing company insolvencies hit a five and a half-year high in the third quarter this year. “I think this is the best time to do it, to bring more financial insight to customers at a difficult time,” he said. A full launch of the service, which links into HSBC’s existing back-end banking system, is expected in the first half of next year. RBS’s standalone bank Bo is preparing for a public launch by this month from offices in London’s West End.
Buy To Let Mortgages
From 1st time buyer landlords to large portfolios. IT contractors accepted even with umbrella companies.All employment types, residency types and domicile types considered
REAL ESTATE VOICE
WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER
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We had a client who signed up with us a few weeks ago. He had some cash and some properties. He had just re-entered the UK after several years abroad. He wanted to invest so that he could develop plenty of residual income in the future. He’s in his 30s and loves his job. However, his job will never pay as much as properties do.
Suresh Vagjiani
Sow & Reap London Property Investment
Investing will give him the flexibility to choose what kind of work he wishes to do rather than be a slave to income. Of course it will be a consideration, but its importance diminishes if you have money growing on the side. He wanted to tuck away the funds for about 5-7 years, and wanted the whole process managed. I recommended that he purchase three properties in a growth area we have identified in South East London. We have identified some flats in a block where we have purchased for a couple of clients previously. It is only a minute walk from the station. Some may consider this worryingly close. Indeed, a previous client asked me to video the inside of the apartment whilst a train was going past. The apartment was on the 4th floor and therefore the noise was minimal. Our confidence in this location is backed by an 18 page in house report which contains a firm analysis on why this area will grow year on year for the long term. This is the kind of location which will start getting the spotlight in 3-4 years. But by this
AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Q: Do I need to be worried about Japanese Knotweed? A: Japanese Knotweed could end up costing £1,000s in damages, drop a property’s value or even result in refusal of a mortgage. If you have Japanese Knotweed, it is imperative that you act quickly to have this removed. But “what am I looking for?” you may ask. If you prefer to carry out your own search of your garden then the plant can be recognised by its lime-green bamboolike stem, that is speckled purple and
time the wave will have already risen.
Once the cash element has been tucked away for long term investment, we can then concentrate on more ‘lumpy’ returns.
In order to avoid this and get more certainty, it is perhaps better to go for permissions which can be obtained under the PD rules. This does not just apply to office to resi conversions, which every man and their dog knows about. There are also PD rules around High Street commercial, industrial units etc. The rules around this are more binary and less open to the subjective whims of the council planners.
He was happy with this broad plan. In property you cannot be too prescriptive. Coincidently, the seller is selling three flats in this block as one lump. We have closed the deal, and the client is going through the motions to exchange on this deal, hopefully this side of Christmas. It’s rare when the exact strategy which was prescribed actually occurs. But it has in this case.
red. The leaves are heart-shaped with sprouts having a reddish tinge and turning a lime green. In the summer they produce lots of little cream flowers. Once you have had a look over your garden it might be worth popping your head over both your neighbours’ fences, as although your garden may be ok, Japanese Knotweed can grow up to 10cm per day! This means there is a high chance of it spreading into your garden, very quickly. So, keep a watchful eye on theirs too.
BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY
Over the years, I have become more prudent when going for ‘lumpy’ investments. The time involved for obtaining planning is never set in stone, also even once granted there can also be time bombs which go off. We are dealing with a few at the moment.
Currently, these properties are attracting a yield of circa 5%, which is a rarity anywhere in London. This is testimony this area is still an under valued and under appreciated location.
When investing there are only two components, the returns and the time. The longer the time period stretches the return diminishes.
paths, driveways and boundary walls! Now, this plant can be very resilient as its roots can grow to a depth of 2m - 3m, and can spread up to 7m from a parent plant. Even after you have had a go yourself of removing it on the surface, the roots may still be there and can remain capable of growing still; and may do so for up to twenty years! So, like any other weed it can come and re-grow at any time. If Japanese Knotweed is left to grow untreated, it has the potential to cause structural damage to a property, drains, paving,
The best and easiest way to deal with this destructive plant is to first identify if you have it. Take a picture of what you think maybe Japanese Knotweed, and send it across to a professional. More often than not, there will be no charge for information, or just to look at a picture at this point. They will then advise you on a course of treatment. If this has already entered your garden or started to grow up your walls, then you will urgently need to take action.
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Qatar Airways may invest in AI if they get right partner Qatar Airways said it is open to bid for divestment-bound Air India or pick up a stake in IndiGo once the dispute between its founder promoters is sorted out. With a right Indian partner and “flexible” labour conditions for AI selloff, Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said he does not see “any reason why AI cannot become the best airline in the world (again).” However, he also warns that a strong investor for AI will mean labour unions massively hiking their demands. Simultaneously, the cash-rich aviation baron says he remains very keen on
Akbar Al Baker
starting a new airline in India. To IndiGo’s warring founderpromoter, his advice was not to “be ungrateful to have an opportunity to be a stakeholder in the largest Indian carrier from being an employee of (another) airline” - a clear reference to
Govt wants to exit oil business: minister Pradhan The BJP government desires to withdraw from the oil business and bring in market competition for the benefit and convenience of consumers, said oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan. “Oil (and) products are commodities and should be left to the market and regulator to deal with. The government has to get out. The Prime Minister’s energy justice is based on four consumer parameters affordability, accessibility, sustainability and supply security. These are the government’s priority and it is meeting the objectives through transparent, process-driven policy,” Pradhan said. This is the first categorical statement from the government on the guiding principle behind the proposed sale of the country’s third-largest fuel retailer Bharat Petroleum (BPCL). The proposal is likely to be cleared next week and will mark the Modi government’s first strategic disinvestment in the oil sector, considered the administration’s key public interface with people. Simultaneously, Pradhan’s ministry is also readying a rejig in other state-run blue chips under its wings - splitting gas utility GAIL into pipeline and marketing arms and allowing flagship explorer ONGC to decide whether to keep Hindustan Petroleum, the country’s second-largest fuel retailer, or find a buyer for it.
Rakesh Gangwal. Qatar has been trying to get more flying rights from India but the Modi government in the last 5.5 years has not hiked bilaterals of foreign countries with big presence in Indian skies like Dubai, Singapore and Qatar. Due to this, Qatar Airways has not been able to add flights to and from India and is now looking at inorganic ways to do so. “My interest in IndiGo has always been very strong. It has been a solid airline and I hope it stays that way. We have lot of confidence in (Rahul) Bhatia’s capabilities to own and run this
company. We would be very keen (to pick up a stake) in the future (once Bhatia-Gangwal dispute is resolved),” Al Baker said. Asked if he has a word of advice for IndiGo’s warring founderpartners, he said: “It is very sad (they) are now having argument on trivial issues..… not healthy for the airline…. It is not my business to comment on this but I know the history of how one shareholder invited the other shareholder to become his partner. Then to have this disagreement after benefiting so much from this performance of IndiGo (is sad).”
China ready to address RCEP issues raised by India Seems like China has climbed down from its tough stand over India’s withdrawal in the trade block RCEP, while New Delhi kept the doors open for negotiations with its Asian neighbours. “RCEP is open. We will follow the principle of mutual understanding and accommodation to negotiate and resolve those outstanding problems raised by India and we welcome an early joining by India,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said. India is worried that the trade agreement will open the floodgates of cheap Chinese imports and farm products from other nations in the block and will lead to closure of Indian factories and job losses. PM Narendra Modi had announced India’s decision to opt out of the trade bloc in Bangkok and China had reacted strongly at India’s decision to opt out. “In international engagement and relations, the doors never shut with anybody... If they make a sincere effort to resolve our concerns, to give us confidence and help us to balance this trade inequality, then I think every nation should talk to their friends,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal told reporters on his return from the RCEP Summit in Bangkok. He made it clear that India wants other countries to open their markets, while ensuring that there was adequate protection from a flood of imports. China said India will gain by signing the
agreement. “If it is signed and put into implementation it is conducive for Indian goods entry into China and other participating countries. In the same vein, it will also help Chinese goods to enter the markets of India and other participating countries,” said Geng. “This is two-way and complementary (deal) and I should point out that China and India are both emerging major developing countries. We have a huge market of 2.7 billion people and there is a big potential in the market.” RCEP is seen to be crucial for China as it is seen as an answer to Trump’s trade tantrums. For India, the bottomline is protecting the interests of farmers, dairy sector, small businesses and domestic industry, which experts believe have not benefited from the earlier trade pacts. Goyal said the government is now looking to fix the imbalances through a review of trade treaties with Asean and Japan. A decade after the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Asean was signed, India has finally managed to convince the 10member trade bloc to review the treaty. While Indonesia had offered to lower or eliminate duties on close to 95% of the items, just around half the products will see tariff elimination. In contrast, India had agreed to shift 74% of the goods to zero duty as part of the deal.
in brief MOODY’S CUTS INDIA OUTLOOK TO NEGATIVE Global ratings agency Moody's Investors Service lowered India’s sovereign credit rating outlook to negative from stable, citing rising risks to economic growth and increased probability of a more entrenched slowdown due to prolonged financial stress among rural households, weak job creation and credit crunch among non-bank financial companies (NBFCs). The agency affirmed the Baa2 foreign-currency and local currency long-term issuer ratings. A change in outlook to ‘negative’ is at times a precursor to a sovereign ratings downgrade unless things turn for the better. It is also perceived negatively by both investors, global and domestic. Moody’s had upgraded India’s sovereign ratings in November 2017 to Baa2 from Baa3. The negative outlook indicates that an upgrade is unlikely in the near term, the agency said, adding that it would likely change the rating outlook to stable if the likelihood that fiscal metrics would stabilise and improve over time increased significantly.
CHINESE BANKS SUE ANIL AMBANI Three Chinese banks are suing Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani in a London court for failing to pay back $680 million in defaulted loans. The Mumbai branch of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China agreed to lend $925 million to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications (RCom) in 2012 with a pre-condition of providing a personal guarantee, ICBC’s lawyer Bankim Thanki told the court. Some repayments were made by RCom but in February 2017, it defaulted on its payment obligations. The embattled tycoon says that while he agreed to give a nonbinding “personal comfort letter,” he never gave a guarantee tied to his personal assets to any “extraordinary potential personal liability.” Anil Ambani's personal fortune dwindled over recent years, losing his billionaire status.
INDIGO SIGN CODESHARE PACT WITH QATAR AIRWAYS India’s largest private sector airline Indigo has signed a codeshare agreement with Qatar Airways. Under this agreement, Qatar Airways will use its airline code “QR” on flights operated by Indigo originating from Doha to Indian destinations of Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. The airline has filed a copy of its media statement to regulatory authorities as part of its compliance. The codeshare agreement comes into effect immediately and the ticket sales on this basis began on November 7, 2019. This is the second codeshare agreement for IndiGo as part of its growth strategy for international markets. It earlier signed an agreement with Turkish Airlines. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker said, “We are extremely proud to secure this strategic partnership with IndiGo, the largest airline in one of the world’s fastest growing aviation markets.”
Using Interest Rate CAP’s in an uncertain World
Tony Piggott
Globally we are in challenging times, both politically and economically, specifically, in the UK where the imminent general election on the 12th of December is a major factor contributing to the uncertain domestic outlook. This backdrop adds to the difficulty in forecasting
and hedging the near term development of interest rates here in the Uk, where, depending on who is elected, this will determine the path of both short and long term interest rates for the foreseeable future. To address the above issues: a number of clients are using interest CAP’s as a flexible hedging tool to reduce the interest rate risk in their business. What is a CAP? A derivative contract with similar characteristics to an insurance policy where a premium is paid upfront or by instalments, which allows the buyer of the CAP to limit the interest cost for a “given period” at
a specific rate, the “Strike Rate”, for a “predefined term”. Example of using a CAP Consider a property developer with a debt of £3m from their bank at a variable rate of interest linked to 3-month LIBOR. The developer can buy a CAP with a strike rate of 2.00%, with reference to 3-month LIBOR, for a term of 5 years. The current cost for this CAP would be circa £23k. In this example for each 3-month period when LIBOR fixes above 2.00%, (for example 2.65%) the buyer of the CAP would receive a compensation
payment from the bank equivalent to the difference 0.65% in this example. Thus limiting the cost of the debt to the “Strike Rate” of the CAP, 2% plus the normal lending margin. How a “ CAP Works” Payoff diagram
Advantages The main advantages of a CAP are it allows the buyer to limit adverse rate increases up to the CAP
strike rate, in the above example at 2.00%. It also allows the borrower to pay lower rates when they are below the “Strike Rate”. Also, there are no breakage costs with a CAP if the initial premium paid is written off at the outset, in contrast to a swap where there is always the potential for adverse breakage costs going forward. Disadvantages The main disadvantage is the premium paid upfront and that you have no protection between the current market rate for 3-month LIBOR 0.75% in the above example and the “Strike
Rate at 2.00%. As the UK’s largest FCA authorised provider of hedging advice, we are continually helping our clients succeed by delivering individually tailored solutions and advice to achieve their desired hedging profile, consistent with the appropriate level of risk for their business. You can monitor key market rates by subscribing to our FREE market rate sheet, updated daily, or alternatively download by visiting our website.
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in brief 2 INDIANS DIE IN FREAK UAE ACCIDENTS An Indian woman and a four-year-old Indian girl have died in two separate freak accidents in the UAE, according to media reports. The woman died after she was run over by her 17year-old son in Sharjah’s Muweilah area. The grade 12 student of an Indian school did not have a licence and was taking driving classes, his friends said. According to the family, which is from Uttar Pradesh, the student was trying to park his car when he hit the accelerator instead of the brake and ran over his mother. In another incident, a 4-year-old girl died and her mother injured at a school area in Dubai’s Jebel Ali when a motorist reversing his car accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of brake and hit the duo.
INDIAN FAMILY TO BE DEPORTED FROM ISRAEL Four members of an Indian family, including two children, detained in Israel for staying illegally are likely to be deported soon after the completion of formalities, officials said amidst a crackdown on illegal migrant workers. Inspectors from the Population and Immigration Authority broke into the home of Tina and Minin Lopez and arrested them along with their kids - daughter Eliana (7) and a one-year-old toddler, Ha’aretz Online reported. The family from Karnataka was taken to a detention facility but were released later. They are likely to be deported soon, authorities said. The couple came to Israel to work as nurses 12 years ago. The kids were born in Israel.
MAN KILLS WIFE BECAUSE SHE LOVED HRITHIK ROSHAN! In a bizarre incident, a man killed his wife in New York because he couldn’t tolerate her crushing on Hrithik Roshan. He later committed suicide. Donne Dojoy (27) was killed by her husband Dineshwar Budhidat (33), because he couldn’t tolerate his wife liking Hrihtik Roshan. Donne’s favourite movie was 'Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai', Hrithik’s debut movie. One of her colleagues said: “She told me when she was at home watching a movie or listening to a song [with Hrithik in it] he would ask her to take it off because he would get so jealous.” Donne, who had moved out went to watch a movie at Dinehswar’s place and it’s not known what they were doing but in the evening, Dineshwar messages his wife’s sister saying he had killed her. He left his wife’s mutilated body in the building and then hanged himself from a nearby field.
LANKA PREZ PARDONS MAN WHO KILLED SWEDISH TEEN Just a week before he leaves office, Sri Lankan president has pardoned a death-row prisoner who murdered a Swedish girl, a move that sparked national outrage. Convicted killer Jude Jayamaha, from a wealthy, high-profile family, walked out of prison following the amnesty granted by President Maithripala Sirisena. Sirisena is about to step down after Saturday’s presidential election in which he is not a candidate. Yvonne Jonsson, then 19, was holidaying in Sri Lanka. She was beaten to death in Colombo in 2005 after she and Jayamaha had a fight. The court was told that her skull was fractured into 64 pieces. Many people speculated on social media that Sirisena may have pardoned Jayamaha to test the waters ahead of possibly pardoning another high-profile death-row inmate whose family owns radio and TV stations that support him.
Pak Hindu girl student raped and murdered: autopsy report Islamabad: Nimrita Chandni, a final-year student of Bibi Asifa Dental College in Sindh province, was found dead on a cot by her friends on September 16 with a rope tied to her neck. The final autopsy report revealed that the Pakistani Hindu girl was raped before being murdered. The final postmortem report, which was issued by Chandka Medical College Hospital (CMCH) Woman Medico-Legal Officer (WMLO) Dr Amrita, revealed that the girl was sexually abused before being murdered, the local media reported. According to the autopsy report, her death was caused by suffocation. Asphyxial signs caused by a ligature on the neck were seen during the autopsy. 'Such signs are produced either in strangulation or hanging and are to be ascertained through circumstantial evidence as corroborative at the crime scene by state investiga-
tion authorities,' the WMLO said. A DNA test confirmed the presence of male DNA profile indicated from semen residue on the deceased's clothes, whereas a vaginal swab tested positive for a forced sexual act, the report said. A previous autopsy report, which stated it to be a case of suicide, was questioned by several medico-legal experts. Experts and officials of the medico-legal section of the health department in Karachi believed that the earlier autopsy report carried many flaws and missed key facts. They said the ligature mark in picture was not due to a dupatta. The postmortem findings show suicide but ligature mark shows strangulation, the experts had said. They also said it was also questionable as to how a five-feet-tall girl managed to hang herself from the ceiling fan, which was 15 feet high. Earlier, Larkana Shaheed
Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University's (SMBBMU) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Aneela Atta Ur Rahman had claimed that the 25-year-old student committed suicide. However, her brother Dr Vishal, a medical consultant in Dow Medical College in Karachi, had said that the marks around her neck suggested that Nimrita did not commit suicide. Following a massive protest over the girl's death and demand for a 'transparent investigation' into the incident by her family, the Sindh High Court on September 18 ordered a judicial inquiry into the matter. The probe is being supervised by the Larkana District and Sessions Judge.
Probe into ‘joint suicide’ of 2 Hindu women Police in Pakistan have started investigation into the apparent joint suicide of two young Hindu women in Thar district, one of the country’s poorest and most-neglected districts, in the
southern Sindh province. The locals had informed police after spotting the bodies of Nathu Bai and Veeru Bai on a farmland in Kehri village, where they lived. Both were in their early twenties and were married to two brothers, Chaman Kohli and Pehlaj Kohli, who worked on the farms of a local landowner. While police have yet to ascertain the cause of their death, campaigners say there has been a spate of suicides in the area. “It was apparently a suicide, though we are still looking into it,” Kabeer Khan, a local police inspector, reportedly said. “It’s hard for me to say why they did it. It’s the harvest season, so we can’t say hunger could be a reason... Can’t rule out domestic tensions caused by overwork or negligence,” he added. Dr Pushpa Ramesh, who examined the bodies said: “There were no injuries or signs of trauma on the bodies to suggest any other cause of death.”
Pak govt invites 'Azadi March' prostesters for talks Islamabad: The Pakistan government asked the opposition leaders, spearheaded by firebrand cleric-cum-politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman, to end their agitation, even as the protesters demanding resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan refused to call off their massive sit-in strike. Dubbed as 'Azadi March', the massive protest led by right-wing Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader is held to topple the Khan-led government. The opposition leaders accuse Khan of "rigging" the 2018 general elections. Addressing thousands of protesters, Rehman said the government negotiators should not come for talks if the prime minister's resignation was off the table. Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, during a National Assembly session, told the opposition parties to "come to the table" to resolve all differences. "Keep sitting [on protest], but do not harm the country," Khattak, who is leading the government's negotiation committee, was quoted as saying. Khattak has alleged that Rehman considered negotiations with the government committee as "time pass. They [opposition] are not even ready to listen. Maulana sahib says that this jirga is a time pass. Fine, then we are also passing time with you," Khattak said. Members of the Opposition, however, threatened that the JUI-F sit-in will continue. The opposition parties are protesting in the assembly against government's move of passing 11 ordinances without holding a debate. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif said the passing of laws through ordinances was not a "good omen" and warned that if the government continued with the practice, it would "ruin democracy". Addressing Khattak's remarks during the session, he said: "[Your party] sowed these seeds. You were the one who danced on top of a container." The opposition leaders gave Prime Minister Khan a 48-hour ultimatum to resign, saying the massive anti-government protest will take a new direction after two days. "The Azadi March will take a new direction after two days," said senior JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani. Rehman warned that chaos will ensue if their demands were not met. The opposition parties, including the (PML-N) and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), have thrown their weight behind the massive anti-government rally in
Islamabad. The protest in the capital is the first concerted opposition challenge that Khan has faced since he won the general election last year. In its list of demands, the Opposition's Rehbar Committee has sought Khan's resignation and fresh elections in the country without the supervision of the armed forces. The government, on the other hand, has demanded that the com-
mittee end the sit-in. The Pakistan Army said that it is "too busy" in matters of national security to get involved in any political issue, apparently referring to the protest. Pakistan Army spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor made the comments in a TV interview when asked if the Army chief will mediate in the ongoing demonstration by the cleric-cum-politician.
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Sri Lanka presidential election on Nov 16 Colombo: Sri Lanka will go to the polls on November 16 to choose the next president of the island nation, as its $87bn economy struggles to recover from a political crisis and the aftermath of the deadly Easter bombings in April. The Election Commission chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said almost 16 million people in the country are eligible to vote in the election. President Maithripaa Sirisena is not contesting the election. The next president will have fewer powers than his predecessors, following a 2015 constitutional amendment that will hand more powers to the prime minister and Parliament after the election. Slow economic growth, national security, endemic corruption and deep ethnic and religious divisions in the South Asian nation will be key issues at the polls, political analysts say. The main contenders are Podujana Peramuna party candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's centre-right United National Party candidate Sajith Premadasa. Gotabaya, 70, is widely seen as the frontrunner due to his popularity among Sri Lanka's Sinhala Buddhist majority - but is feared by minorities and victims of human rights violations.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Sajith Premadasa
As campaigning enters the final stretch, Sajith Premadasa is staking his hopes for victory on the country's first-time voters. He aims to garner support from those who came of age after the strategically located South Asian island ended a decade of increasingly authoritarian rule. The youth vote accounts for 1.5 million votes out of the country's 16 million registered voters. Analysts include them in the decisive "undecided voter" group, now an estimated 20% of the ballot. Others in this demographic are educated urban voters
and large swathes of the linguistic and religious minorities in the predominantly Sinhala-Buddhist country. Sri Lanka "needs a cleanup," Premadasa said. But not by "sacrificing our cherished democracy and individual freedoms ... It is time to go beyond party politics, the politics of greed," he said. Gotabaya, a hawkish member of the authoritarian former government, is facing off against Premadasa. Gotabaya is relying on his image as a toughtalking former defense secretary to court the strict law-and-order vote.
26 die as cyclone Bulbul batters Bangladesh Dhaka: At least 26 people were killed in nine southern districts of Bangladesh as Cyclone Bulbul ravaged through those in the past two days. Most of the victims were killed when trees fell on them. Some of the deaths were also attributed to drowning and collapsed homes, according to officials. Meanwhile, the coast guard, with the help of police and locals, recovered the bodies of nine fishermen from the Meghna river in Barishal. Apart from the loss of lives, the cyclone damaged over 100,000 houses, uprooted thousands of trees and flooded many fisheries in Khulna, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Patuakhali, Barishal, Barguna, Bhola, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Chandpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur and Gopalganj districts. Around 300,000 hectares of cropland was damaged in these coastal
districts, the lower parts of which were inundated as the cyclone whipped up tidal surges four to five feet higher than usual tide. With memories of past cyclones still fresh, some experts had feared much worse, but improved early warning systems and a large number of shelters helped the authorities lessen the
cyclone’s impact. In 2009, Bangladesh was hit by Cyclone Aila, which left over 200 people dead. Two years prior to that, Cyclone Sidr had ravaged the country, leaving a trail of nearly 4,000 bodies. State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman said the government’s prompt response
minimised the damage from “Bulbul”. “As part of the immediate response, for the first time in the country’s history more than 21,60,000 people were successfully evacuated and moved to 5,587 cyclone shelters in coastal districts,” he said. Bulbul was initially categorised as a “very severe cyclone”, but it lost strength when it entered Bangladesh around midnight on Saturday. The cyclone had earlier made landfall at Sagar Island in the southern tip of India’s West Bengal. The full scale of the destruction, however, cannot be measured yet as electricity supply and telephone connections have not been resumed in the southern districts hit by the calamity. “Due to disruptions to power supply, we couldn’t collect complete data on the damage yet. We are working on it,” Rahman said.
Sharif's travel to London in limbo as his name figures in no fly list Islamabad: Uncertainty over the withdrawal of Nawaz Sharif's name from Pakistan's Exit Control List (ECL) has affected the medical treatment of three-time former Prime Minister of Pakistan in Lahore, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader and his daughter Marriyam Sharif said. "The uncertainty of the ECL withdrawal process has created problems for doctors. It is difficult for doctors to decide whether or not to give more steroids to increase platelets," she said and added that Sharif's life was at great risk. "Increasing steroids may endanger Sharif's life. As time goes on, his health may become irreparable. The high dose of steroids can complicate his health," she said. Sharif was expected to leave for London on Sunday to seek further treatment, however,
there is uncertainty over the withdrawal of his name from the ECL. His name was placed on the ECL since he is an accused in high profile cases of corruption. The Imran Khan government is working to clear the decks to allow its political rival to leave Pakistan. Sources said Sharif is likely to leave for London to seek further treatment, but his daughter Maryam may not be able to travel with him. However, Sharif’s brother Shehbaz Sharif is free to go out of the country. A source in the Pakistani government said that “only Mian Nawaz Sharif’s name is under consideration” for travel clearance out of Pakistan. Maryam’s request to travel with her ailing father may also be considered, although the source refused to confirm whether it will be taken up formally. Since she is an accused in the
Nawaz Sharif
Chaudhary Sugar Mills (CSM) corruption case, she has had to submit her passport in the Lahore High Court. Shehbaz is all set to travel with his brother. In fact, he has taken upon himself to arrange the medical facilities for Nawaz in the UK. A Pakistan government source said, “His (Shehbaz Sharif) name is not in the ECL and he is free to move. He is arranging all the medical facilities (for his brother) in the UK and he is definitely going with MNS (Mian Nawaz Sharif).”
in brief HK CRISIS ESCALATES AS PROTESTER SHOT BY POLICE
Hong Kong police opened fire and wounded at least one protester during a fracas that was broadcast live on Facebook, as chaos erupted across the semi-autonomous territory. Antigovernment demonstrators angered by the shooting of a Hong Kong demonstrator fanned out across the city and disrupted the morning commute and brought parts of the central business district to a standstill around lunchtime. At the gates of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, they set a giant blaze and threw gasoline bombs at police lines under a barrage of tear gas canisters. Antigovernment demonstrators angered by the shooting of a Hong Kong demonstrator fanned out across the city on Tuesday, blocking major transit arteries and staging a fiery standoff against riot police officers on the fringes of a university campus. Since early June, Hong Kong has been rocked by protests triggered by a bill that would have allowed the extradition of accused individuals to mainland China to stand trial..
IRAN DISCOVERS MASSIVE NEW OILFIELD Iran discovered an oil field containing the equivalent of 53 billion barrels, potentially boosting its reserves as the Opec member struggles to overcome the effects of sanctions on its energy industry. It wasn’t immediately clear how much of the oil discovered in southern Khuzestan province is new, or how much of it can be developed commercially. Iran currently ranks fourth in reserves worldwide behind Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Canada with almost 156 billion barrels, according to 2018 data. However, the Islamic republic’s exports of crude have plunged since the US re-imposed sanctions in 2018. “What is important in this field is the rate of recovery, that is, how much of that we can extract and sell,” President Rouhani was quoted as saying.. his New York residence in December 2002.
APPLICATION FEE FOR H-1B VISA HIKED BY $10 As part of its revised selection process, the US has hiked by $10 the application fee of the H-1B work visa, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals. The H-1B programme allows companies in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent. This nonrefundable fee will support the new electronic registration system to make the H-1B cap selection process more efficient for both petitioners and the federal agency, said the US Citizenship and Immigration Services.
AFTER HIS SISTER, BAGHDADI’S WIFE NABBED: TURKEY Turkey has captured a wife of the slain chief of the Islamic State terror group, Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. Erdogan made the announcement but did not give details. He did not say when or how the woman was captured or identify her by name. Al-Baghdadi was known to have four wives. “We caught his wife, but we didn’t make a fuss about it. I am announcing this today for the first time,” Erdogan said, while criticising the US for leading a “communications campaign” about Baghdadi’s slaying.
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in brief CHINESE PILOT BANNED AFTER FLYER’S COCKPIT PIC A Chinese pilot has been banned from flying after a photo went viral showing a female passenger in the cockpit, media reported. The incident took place on January 4 on an Air Guilin flight GT1011 from Guilin city to Yangzhou city. But it was brought to the airline’s attention after screenshots of the alleged traveller’s post started being shared on microblogging site Weibo. The post showed the woman making a ‘V’ sign with her fingers with the photo captioned: “Thanks to the captain. So happy.” Air Guilin said that the pilot had “violated (regulations) by allowing irrelevant personnel into the cockpit”. Other staff members involved have also been “suspended indefinitely” while further investigations were underway.
HIDDEN BANKSY MURAL UNCOVERED IN LONDON AREA A Banksy mural, covered up by builders’ hoarding and scaffolding for almost a year, was uncovered in the heart of London’s Notting Hill. Drawn on the corner of Acklam and Portbello Road in 2008, the artwork had been obscured after developer Enstar Capital began refurbishing the property to make luxury flats. The work - known variously as the Graffiti Painter, The Painter or Velazquez - shows an artist, thought to be Spanish painter Diego Velazquez, with an easel writing “Banksy” in large red letters.
US MAN FATALLY STABBED AFTER SANDWICH ALTERCATION A man was stabbed to death in the US state of Maryland at an outlet of fast-food chain Popeyes after a fight apparently over the restaurant’s popular chicken sandwich, which was back on the menu after a hiatus, reports said. A fight erupted between two men. Police believe the altercation might have arisen over someone cutting in line at the restaurant.
SNOW CRAB SELLS FOR $46,000 AT AN AUCTION IN JAPAN A Japanese bidder may be feeling the pinch after forking out $46,000 at auction for a snow crab - a price that “probably set a new world record”, local officials said. The winter seafood delicacy is in season from this week in the western Tottori region, where the crustacean was snapped up for a final price of five million yen. In Japan, buyers often pay eye-watering sums to secure a seasonal first at auction, from tuna to melons, with media attention guaranteed. “I was surprised it went for such a high price,” local government official said of the crab that weighed in at 1.2kg and measured 14.6cm across.
ITALIAN HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, 89, GETS DEATH THREATS Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre has been placed under police protection after she received threats from far-right fanatics, security sources said, highlighting concern about rising extremism in Italy. Segre, 89, called last month for the creation of a parliamentary commission to investigate hate, racism and anti-Semitism after she was the subject of a daily barrage of abuse on social media. Italy’s right-wing parties did not back her proposal and the resulting controversy has only added to the abuse, with a neo-Nazi group this week hanging up a banner to denounce antifascism close to where she was making a public appearance. Segre declined to comment on getting police escort.
Four Indian Americans win state, local elections in US Washington: Four Indian Americans, including a Muslim woman and a former White House technology policy advisor, have won state and local elections held in the United States. Indian-American Ghazala Hashmi, a former community college professor, created history by becoming the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Virginia State Senate, while Suhas Subramanyam, who served as the White House technology policy adviser to former president Barack Obama, has been elected to the Virginia State House of Representative. In her maiden attempt, Hashmi, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Republican State Senator Glen Sturtevant for the Virginia's 10th Senate District, drawing national attention. "This victory is not mine alone. It belongs to all of you who believed that we needed to make progressive change here in Virginia, for all of you who felt that you haven't had a voice and believed in me to be yours in the General Assembly," she said after her historic victory. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who was the first woman presidential candidate, congratulated Hashmi. Hashmi, who had moved to the US from India as a young girl with her family 50 years ago, responded, saying, "I am deeply honoured by your words, Secretary Clinton. You broke so many glass ceilings for women in public
and regulatory attorney. Former US president Barack Obama had named him his White House technology policy adviser. In California, IndianAmerican Mano Raju won his election to remain San Francisco's Public Defender. Raju attended Columbia University as an undergraduate where he researched Critical Race Theory under Professor Kendall Thomas. After an Ghazala Hashmi (top left), Suhas Subramanyam (top right), influential fellowship at the Mano Raju (bottom left) and Dimple Ajmera (bottom right) Oxford Center for African service." Hasmi currently serves as the foundStudies, he relocated to Berkeley in the 90s to ing director of the Center for Excellence in pursue his Masters in South Asian Studies and Teaching and Learning (CETL) at Reynolds later his JD at Berkeley School of Law, where Community College. he interned in the San Francisco Public Subramanyam, meanwhile, entered the Defender's Office. Virginia State House of Representatives from In North Carolina, incumbent Dimple the Indian-American-dominated district of Ajmera won a convincing re-election to Loudon and Prince William. "My promise to Charlotte City Council. A former Certified the people of Loudoun and Prince William: I Public Accountant, Ajmera immigrated to the will always listen to you, work tirelessly for US from India along with her parents when you, and do everything I can to empower you. she was 16. At that time, she spoke no English. The campaign is over, but my work for you Proving her tenacity, she went on to graduate has just begun," he said. Subramanyam served from the University of Southern California on Capitol Hill as a healthcare and veterans (USC) and later became a Certified Public policy aide, and spent time as a technology Accountant (CPA).
Canada turns down 36% of Indian student visas in 5 months New Delhi: Canada has become every Indian student’s favourite college destination. However, rejection rates for study permits have soared lately. In the first five months of 2019, 36% of all Indian applicants aspiring to study in Canada had to face rejection by immigration officials, hiked up from 29% during the previous year. Global numbers show Canadian immigration rejected over half the international students admitted to undergraduate programmes in the country’s universities between January and May. Data released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada shows 39% of study permits worldwide
were rejected in the first half of 2019. “Canadian authorities are tough on visa permits. Their documentation requirement is huge. The number of people applying has also gone up and visa officers don’t want to let anyone just go,” said foreign education counsellor Karan Gupta. “Also, you may meet all minimum requirements but not get a visa. For instance, people in their mid-20s applying for a bachelors will not get a visa. Or someone in his mid- 30s wanting to pursue a diploma will also get rejected.” Canada also does not encourage track changes. “Also, if you are applying to a course not related to what you’ve done,
your visa could be rejected. One needs to justify the career change,” said Gupta. Another foreign education expert echoed this. “If there is no clarity on how the course is relevant to the career path, visa is refused,” said Pratibha Jain, a counsellor. A Canadian study permit allows international students to stay in the country for the entire duration of their study programme. A permit is not required for under sixmonth courses. Canadian officials can turn down applications on several grounds - insufficient proof of financial support for the study programme, if a student is a health or security threat to Canada or if the
details are incomplete or suspected to be fraudulent. In 2018-19, Canada upstaged the US in terms of the count of fresh Indian students who travelled out for a degree. Canadian government data shows it issued 50,060 study permits by July 2019; similar data for the previous year showed around 44,000. While the US will continue to host the largest population of Indian students, those making a fresh choice, are opting for Canada, say experts.
China accuses US of using UN to 'meddle' in Tibet BEIJING: China has accused the US of using the United Nations to "meddle" in Tibet, as Washington intensifies its bid to prevent Beijing from handpicking the Dalai Lama's successor. Last week, Sam Brownback, the United States' ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, said the US wanted the UN to take up the succession issue of the Tibetan spiritual leader. The choice of the Dalai Lama's successor "belongs to the Tibetan Buddhists and not with Chinese government", Brownback said. But Beijing, irked by the comment accused the US of attempting to "meddle in China's internal affairs under the pretext of religious freedoms". "It is doomed to fail and will certainly be met with
opposition from the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing. China - which argues it has brought modernisation and development to the Himalayan region - has increasingly hinted it could name the next Dalai Lama, who would presumably be groomed to support Chinese rule. The Chinese government has also indicated it is waiting out the Dalai Lama, believing his campaign for greater Tibetan autonomy will end with him. At 84, Dalai Lama who once travelled incessantly has slowed down and earlier this year suffered a chest infection, although he is not known to have serious health issues. In 1995, the officially atheist government selected its own
Panchen Lama and detained a six-year-old identified for the influential Buddhist position whom rights groups called the world's youngest political prisoner. Mindful of Beijing's plans, the 14th Dalai Lama has mused about breaking with the centuries-old tradition in which wandering monks look for signs that a young boy is the reincarnation. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has said that he could pick his own successor, possibly a girl, or even declare himself the final Dalai Lama. The US wants the United Nations to take up the Dalai Lama’s succession in an intensifying bid to stop China from trying to handpick his successor, an envoy said after meeting the Tibetan spiritual leader. Brownback said he spoke at length about the succession
issue with Dalai Lama in the monk’s home-in-exile at Dharamsala. Brownback said he told the Dalai Lama that the US would seek to build global support for the principle that the choice of the next spiritual chief “belongs to the Tibetan Buddhists and not the Chinese government. I would hope that the UN would take the issue up,” Brownback said after returning to Washington. He acknowledged that China, with its veto power on the Security Council, would work strenuously to block any action, but he hoped countries could at least raise their voices at the United Nations. “I think it’s really important to have an early global conversation because this is a global figure with a global impact,” he said.
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Disqualified Karnataka MLAs move SC to postpone by-polls NEW DELHI: The Karnataka Congress-JD(S) disqualified MLAs approached the Supreme Court seeking further postponement of the Assembly by-polls which are scheduled on December 5. A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana on October 25 had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions filed by the 17 MLAs, challenging their disqualification as lawmakers ahead of the trust vote by the then HD Kumaraswamy government. Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the disqualified MLAs, mentioned the matter and said the by-polls for the Assembly seats are scheduled on December 5 and candidates are required to file their nomination papers between November 11 and November 18. He said the disqualified MLAs will not be able to file their nomination and moreover the verdict is yet to be pronounced by the top court. Rohatgi sought postponement of the by-polls till the top court delivers its verdict on the petitions challenging the disqualifications. The Supreme Court asked the counsel for the
MLAs to file a fresh application in this regard. Earlier, the Election Commission had postponed the by-polls, which were scheduled on October 21, to December 5 in view of the pendency of the petitions filed by the disqualified lawmakers. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Karnataka Congress, had earlier told the top court that the legal challenge to the disqualification of the MLAs needs to be referred to the Constitution Bench. He had contended that the then Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, who was the
Master of the House, exercised his jurisdiction to disqualify the MLAs and his decision cannot be questioned. Some of the disqualified MLAs had told the apex court that they have an "indefeasible right" to resign as members of the Assembly and the decision by the then Speaker to disqualify them smacks of "vengeance" and "mala fide". HD Kumaraswamy had resigned after losing a trust vote, which paved the way for the BJP-led government in the state under BS Yediyurappa.
PUNJAB
Allow kirtan by women at Golden Temple: Punjab Assembly Amritsar: The Punjab Assembly which met for the special commemorative session to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, passed a resolution urging the Jathedar of Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for allowing women to perform kirtan in the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib. The resolution was moved by Rural Development Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa. Bajwa said Guru Nanak Dev fought against caste and gender inequality throughout his life and this discrimination against women should also end on his 550th Parkash Purab. He said the resolution was aimed at the ‘baani siddhant virodh’ that led to gender discrimination. Only Sikh men perform kirtan at the Golden Temple as of now. The resolution, which was endorsed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) members, was passed by the Assembly by voice vote. The SAD, which earlier objected to the wording of the resolution, later came out in support. Akali Dal MLA and leader of the party in the House Parminder Singh Dhindsa had objected the resolution saying it was
“sarkari”. The resolution would now be sent formally to the Akal Takht and the SGPC. Bajwa, earlier, rejected an Akali leader’s claim that according to Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ (religious code of conduct), Sikh women are not allowed to perform ‘kirtan sewa’ at the ‘Darbar Sahib’. Bajwa pointed out that even Akali leader and former SGPC chief Jagir Kaur too had sought permission for Sikh women to perform kirtan sewa at the shrine. “There was no mention in the Sikh history of any discrimination against women,” he said ruing that Sikh women were not allowed to perform Kirtan Sewa till now. Dhindsa intervened, saying that through the resolution efforts were being made to depict that the Akal Takht or the SGPC are deliberately refusing women to sing hymns at the Golden Temple. He further said he agreed with the feelings of Bajwa, but asserted the Akal Takht was already aware of this issue. To
this, Bajwa said he was not challenging the authority of the Akal Takht but just requesting it and the SGPC to allow Sikh women to perform ‘kirtan sewa’. To this, Dhindsa asked if it was a government resolution or individual resolution. Meanwhile, AAP members Kultar Singh Sandhwan criticised Akali leaders for raising questions over the resolution. The issue was raised at various platforms in the past. The Sikh leadership of the state usually gets questioned on the issue during political meetings abroad. Jagir Kaur, a former Akali MLA, after taking over as SGPC chief in 1999 had announced to treat baptised women on par with men for discharging religious duties at the Golden Temple.
WEST BENGAL
Bengal Governor flays Mamata over her phone tapping charges Kolkata: A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that her phone was being tapped as part of surveillance by the Centre, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar lashed out saying that only she knows what evidence she has to substantiate her claims. He instead said that several political leaders and businessmen in the state told him that their privacy was also compromised. “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself knows what she has said. She only knows what evidence she possesses (to back her allegation of phone tapping). But I can tell one thing that a large number of people, including political leaders and businessmen, have told me that
their privacy is compromised,” Dhankhar said on the sideline of an event. The governor’s statement comes after Mamata claimed that her phone was also being tapped and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take serious note of it. Mamata was reacting to reports of alleged surveillance of phones through WhatsApp. Reacting to the Governor's statement on Mamata's privacy breach claims, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee, said, “Governor is acting like a spokesperson of a political party. Let him release the list of people whom he met and alleged that their privacy is being compromised here in Bengal. You will see most of the
people belong to the BJP. Why he always reacts to the statement made by our Chief Minister. Why doesn’t he comment on BJP leadership including Dilip Ghosh. People in Bengal are intelligent enough to understand why he is making such statement.” Meanwhile, in an apparent reference to TMC over the issue of Article 370, Dhankhar asked political parties not to politicise violence there. “A prolonged illness was cured after 70 years in Kashmir. It is painful that some people are doing politics over this issue. I would like to tell them that if you want to do politics, then look at yourself also. I am pained when I see violence in the state of West
in brief ANOTHER RAJIV GANDHI ASSASSIN GETS LEAVE Perarivalan, one of the seven persons serving life imprisonment in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, has been granted a one-month leave, a top Tamil Nadu Prison official said. Perarivalan, alias Perarivalan Arivu, who is in prison since 1991 and serving life imprisonment at the Vellore Central Prison will be released after compliance with norms for leave. The leave is granted by the prison department in accordance with the Tamil Nadu Suspension of Sentence Rules, 1982 following a plea from the convict citing the health status of his 76-year old father Gnanasekaran. "The 30-day leave will be reckoned from the day he leaves the prison," the prison official said. Perarivalan will be released from jail after a bond was furnished affirming compliance with rules including keeping peace, he added..
CYANIDE SERIAL KILLER ‘POISONED’ 10 IN AP In a case that may turn out to be more sinister than Kerala’s ‘Cyanide Jolly’, Andhra Pradesh police have caught an alleged serial killer who murdered 10 people using potassium cyanide in just 20 months. Jolly is accused of killing six of her family members over 14 years. Police believe that Vellanki Simhadri, alias Siva, had planned to kill at least 20 more people. The police arrested Siva (38) for allegedly killing all his victims using cyanide. He allegedly murdered one person every two months since February 2018. Among Siva’s victims were his own grandmother, his sister-inlaw, his landlady and a local religious preacher. Siva, a watchman-turned-real-estate-dealer, lured his victims by claiming he possessed magnetic rice grains, magical coins and a two-headed snake that would help them double their money and cure chronic ailments like diabetes.
HONEYPREET GETS BAIL IN DERA VIOLENCE CASE A Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Panchkula granted bail to Priyanka Taneja alias Honeypreet Insan, a close aide of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Honeypreet is an accused in the case of conspiracy behind the violence by Dera followers after Ram Rahim's conviction in August 2017. The order comes four days after charges of waging war against the government were dropped from the case against Honeypreet and 39 others. The Haryana police failed to prove its allegation that the rioting by the Dera followers was also aimed at overthrowing the Government of India and the Haryana government. Honeypreet, who was arrested in October of 2017, has spent almost two years in Ambala jail. The accused will now face trial only for offences related to unlawful assembly, violence and criminal conspiracy.
12 KILLED AS CYCLONE HITS BENGAL
Jagdeep Dhankar
Bengal and the violence executed with political motives.” The Governor also expressed his dismay over not being invited to the International Film Festival in Kolkata this year. He said, “Your Governor so far has not been invited to a single government function. I am probably the only Governor in India who was not greeted by the state government on Diwali.
At least 12 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed as cyclone Bulbul made a landfall in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal on Saturday night. According to reports, 10 people died in West Bengal, while two others died in nearby Odisha state. Hundreds of trees were uprooted by the winds gushing at a speed of more than 100 km/hour. More than 20 mm of rainfall has been recorded. Kolkata witnessed a snarling traffic with the movement completely disrupted in the surrounding areas too. State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the control room and spent several hours monitoring the situation along with Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha. Around 200 people have been moved to a shelter in the Sagar Pilot station of the Kolkata Port Trust. A local resident, Sujata Sanyal, said, "Due to the cyclone all our houses have been damaged. All the food grains are damaged. All our farm animals have died. We are in much pain. We are worried about what we will do about food now." Cyclone Bulbul also smashed into the low-lying areas of Bangladesh on Sunday.
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HERITAGE & HISTORY
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25
16 - 22 November 2019
Lala Lajpat Rai, a Great Patriot
• Bhagat Singh planned to kill the SP as revenge for Lajpat Rai’s death • No separation in his mind of Hindu revivalism and the independence Lala Lajpat Rai, one of the chief leaders of the Indian Independence Movement, was born on 28 January1865 in Punjab. He was an author and a politician and was associated with many nationalist activities of Banks including the Punjab National Bank and Lakshmi National Bank. Popularly known as Punjab Kesari, Rai was a part of the Lal-Bal-Pal triangle. As a follower of Arya Samaj, he was one of those who evolved the Hindu Nationalism and one responsible for mass awakening against the British. He rose to preside over the Indian National Congress at Kolkata in 1920. Years before Mahatma Gandhi entered the national political arena, Rai, along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal, laid the foundation of a militant, assertive nationalism within the Indian National Congress that Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru later built upon. Known as the “Lal Bal Pal” trinity, these three figures are held responsible for the radicalisation of the Indian National Congress.
A Trinity: Lal, Bal and Pal
“Hindustan “Revolutionaries Socialist Republic have to die,” 23 year old Army Bhagat Singh had said, Notice “because the cause they J.P. Saunders is represent is dead; Lala Lajpat Rai strengthened by avenged” sacrifice- not by an appeal in court.” Karl Bhagat Singh Marx was his guru. wrote multiple When the wardon thought pieces in Charit Singh Indian newspapers whispered into his ears under various pento pray to Wahe Guru names. His thoughts after his last bath, his awakened the need reply was : “All my life I to revolt against the have never prayed. As a Lala matter British-raj amongst the youth of India. He LajpatofRaifact, I have many a time abused God for the became popular amongst the youth and a miseries of the poor. If I have to ask for person of interest for the British forgiveness, He will say, ‘Here is a coward government. He shaved off his bear and cut who seeks forgiveness because his end has short his hair to avoid his arrest for the come.” He declined praying and smiled killing of the Assistant Superintendent. before being hanged along with Sukhdev In 1929, Bhagat Singh resurfaced, and only and Rajguru on 23 March 1931 at Lahore later it was understood that he didn’t want to Central Jail. escape that time. To protest the formulation Bhagat Singh had an of the Defence of India Act, he abiding respect for Lala Lajpat along with Batukeshwar Dutt Next Column: Rai. On 30 October 1928, Lala An Institution Builder bombed the assembly premises took out protest march in Dattopant Thengadi where the ordinance was in Lahore against the Simon motion. The blast was not Commission and Bhagat Singh rallied meant to harm anyone but further the behind him. Suprintendent of Police J.A. revolution, both Bhagat Singh and Scott ordered a lathi-charge. Scott spotted Batukeshwar Dutt surrendered later. Lala and his men attacked the venerable He believed the regeneration of the leader till he fell down bleeding profusely. glorious Hindu spirit was essential for Even after such injuries, Rai said, "I declare attaining independence from the British. In that the blows struck at me today will be fact, it was Rai who much before Muhammed the last nails in the coffin of British rule in Ali Jinnah or the Muslim League proposed India." that Hindus and Muslims were different Singh was determined to avenge the nations and there should be a partition to attack on Lajpat Rai and make Scott pay for separate the two. For him, the Indian National the insults he had heaped up on the Congress was an extension of his political Indians. Rai died on 17 November 19 28. On ideology. There was no separation in 17 December 1928, two youths mistook his mind of Assistant Superintendent of Police J.P. Hindu revivalism Dr. Hari Desai Saunders for Scott and shot him down. and the (The writer is a SocioPosters appeared at several places in independence political Historian. Lahore: of India. E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com)
My day in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashamir - Manoj Ladwa I recently did a day trip to Srinagar. It was my first time. I was fascinated to see how the region, and especially the people were doing following the abrogation of Article 370. I went independently as a private tourist without any security and government guides. I toured around the famous Dal Lake, had Kawa (a traditional tea brew) at the local market, met and spoke with various local people about their current situation. It had been snowing the previous few days, so I was unsure if my flight from Delhi would take off. It did, and it was full. In fact, there are several flights every day to and from Delhi, and also from Mumbai aside from some other cities in India. It was bitterly cold at 3 degrees when I landed in Srinagar and yet, I was struck by how busy the airport was. To my surprise, I also noticed a group of about 15 other tourists from Japan. I was told by my driver that a steady flow of tourists had started in the past few days. As we drove into the city, we passed a hospital. It was clearly open, but so too were the medical stores and other shops around it. I enquired if after the ‘lockdown’ there had been any problems regarding medical supplies (which we had been hearing in the western media). I was told that there had never been any issues of supplies of medicines. In fact, food and all other supplies had been available from the very start. There had also been no rationing as had been reported. Yes there was clearly a significant security presence, mainly around the airport. But nothing which seemed intimidating or worrisome for people going about their daily routine. The security people were doing their job in keeping
(Manoj (right) with local residents)
key installations like the airport secure, and the people were clearly going about their daily business. As reported in the media, there had been a grenade attack by terrorists in a market place last week which tragically killed one person and injured around 40. These were all local people. As I wandered around the markets feeling quite relaxed myself, I had a sense of anger and perspective that the terrorists who claim to be freedom fighters, are the ones who are spreading fear amongst their so called “own people”. Why would they want to kill and maim their own people??? I stopped at several places to meet with local people, and to speak with them. There were certainly mixed reactions to the removal of Article 370. There were many who felt that this would bring development and jobs to the state, but some were more sceptical. The arguments for and against were interestingly all economic and nothing ideological. I found all the people I met to be friendly and in good spirits. Shops are opening for longer each day. Schools are opening and where children aren’t coming to school, virtual classes have also been used! But ironically some militant groups are apparently
forcing shop keepers and schools to stay closed as they don’t want to see the state return to normalcy (as this clearly defeats their agenda). I was told that there are only a few hundred of such people in the valley now, and they have largely been isolated by local people themselves. The downside is that though mobile phones are working absolutely fine, there are restrictions on mass messaging platforms such as WhatsApp. Again, under the circumstances, I found this a tolerable restriction and heard more complaints about jobs and business than about WhatsApp or FB not working! I just returned back to Delhi. I am really glad I pushed myself to see the situation first hand. I came away with a feeling of Kashmiri warmth and affection from all the people I met. They are a truly wonderful people living in a most remarkable place. Mine was not a political visit in any way, but out of personal interest. I am more convinced than ever that the people of Jammu & Kashmir want nothing more than lasting peace and a prosperous future for themselves and their families. There is a broad acceptance that the removal of Article 370 could just be that opportunity that has eluded them for decades.
India mulls a free trade pact with US After opting out of the China-backed RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), the Indian government said it was exploring an agreement with the US, a move many see as a strategic shift. “At present, India is exploring trade agreements with the USA and the European Union, where Indian industry and services will be competitive and benefit from access to large developed markets,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said. For years, India has shot down suggestions of a free trade agreement with the US and had denied that there was any move when President Trump hinted at it in a tweet a few months ago. Goyal, however, said the government was in no rush and would only sign a trade agreement which safeguarded its interests. Amid signs that China seemed to have climbed down from its tough stand over India’s non-participation in the trade bloc
RCEP, New Delhi said that doors for negotiations will remain open. The statement comes at a time when India and the US are seeking to cover the gap that separates the two sides on high tariffs on several products - ranging from HarleyDavidsons to fruits - and a possible restoration of a part of the preferential duty benefits for Indian exports under the generalised system of preferences (GSP) scheme.“We should look at an FTA with the US. We have a trade surplus with them,” an official source said. Another source said India was pitching for restoration of the entire GSP benefit, although the Trump administration has so far indicated a partial reinstatement of the concessional duty regime. In recent years, the US has emerged as a crucial ally for India though differences over trade issues often cast a shadow on the burgeoning partnership.
26 INDIA
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16 - 22 November 2019
History marks Kartarpur opening A surge of emotions blurred the border, as over 500 Indian pilgrims crossed a 4.2km stretch from Gurdaspur to the Durbar Sahib gurdwara in Pakistan’s Kartarpur to mark the historic opening of the corridor to one of the holiest Sikh the of shrines community. The Kartarpur Corridor, connecting the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur, Punjab to the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Pakistan was inaugurated on November 9, in a rare and landmark people-to-people initiative amidst strained bilateral ties over Kashmir between the two neighbours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first jatha led by Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, and prominent leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, from near the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur. In Kartarpur, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan opened
and corridor the unveiled a kirpan as the the for symbol gurdwara complex in Narowal district. “It was a good beginning to normalise relations two the between countries. It is a big day said us,” for Singh. Manmohan Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he was “overwhelmed to be a part of the first jatha as a humble devotee” and to see the Prime Minister Narendra Modi opens Kartarpur Corridor fulfillment of a 70-year Rangers Minister demand of the Sikh personnel. “It is as if we are Parkash Singh Badal, and his community. meeting after the Partition. son and former Deputy Chief “The Berlin Wall came We are the same people. It’s Minister Sukhbir Singh down on this day, November just that two generations Badal. On the Pakistan side, 9, and the LoC too can come have passed with the pain of the ceremony was attended down. PM Modi said thanks Pakistani a Partition,” by Foreign Minister Shah to Imran Khan for the immigration official said. Mehmood Qureshi, Pakistan Kartarpur corridor. Apart Welcoming the Indian Punjab province’s Governor from Manmohan Singh and Mohammad pilgrims, including his Chaudhry Amarinder Singh, the Indian cricketing friend and MLA Sarwar and Chief Minister delegation included Union Navjot Singh Sidhu, Imran Usman Buzdar. ministers Harsimrat Badal Khan said that if the Kashmir As soon as the pilgrims and Hardeep Puri, and issue was resolved, borders crossed into Pakistan, they Punjab ministers and MLAs. could open and trade would were greeted by Pakistan It also included former Chief
take place. “When I was elected Prime Minister, I told Modi biggest our that problem was poverty. I told him that if we open our borders, then trade will eliminate poverty,” he said. The Prime Pakistan Minister said that he the “see could happiness on the faces of Sikh pilgrims”. “Kartarpur is like Medina for the Sikh Think community. how a Muslim would feel if he were able to see Medina from 3 km away but not able to visit it,” Khan said. Qureshi termed as "historic" the opening of the corridor but made it clear that the initiative was not an indication of Pakistan's willingness to engage in dialogue with India. Gurudwara The Kartarpur Sahib is located across Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four km from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine
in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. Apart from the gurdwara itself, one of the main attractions for pilgrims from India was “Guru Nanak’s well”. “This is a corridor of hope. We have come from Italy to be a part of the first jatha,” said Jagwant Singh, who reached India on the government’s invitation. Notwithstanding their strained ties over Kashmir, India and Pakistan signed an agreement last month, paving the way for the inauguration of the corridor. According to the pact, Pakistan will allow 5,000 Indian pilgrims daily to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib. India 5, August On announced the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir''s special status under Article 370 and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Pakistan reacted angrily to the decision and even expelled Indian High Commissioner to Islamabad.
President's rule imposed in Maharashtra Maharashtra has been placed under President's rule. President Ram Nath Kovind has approved the cabinet decision to impose Central rule in the state following the deadlock over government formation even after almost three weeks since the election results came out. The President took the decision following the recommendation of state Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. On Monday, Governor Koshyari invited the third largest party in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), to express willingness to form the government. NCP has 54 MLAs and a party or alliance has to have 145 MLAs in the assembly to prove majority.
Ram Nath Kovind
Earlier, the Shiv Sena failed to stake claim to form the government with 56 MLAs and
BJP refused saying they do not have the required numbers as they have only 105 MLAs in the 288-member assembly. Now, after a Cabinet recommendation, President has approved imposing Central rule in the state. The Union Cabinet recommended President's rule in the state even as top leaders from the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena held hectic discussions and consultations in a bid to gather enough numbers to form a government in the state. The impasse, however, was nowhere near an end. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the cabinet in the afternoon to discuss the stalemate in the state where no party has been able to form government after
Obituary
UK firm gets govt nod to build port near Bhavnagar The Gujarat government formally approved a proposal of the UK-headquartered Foresight Group and Ahmedabad’s Padmanabh Mafatlal group to construct a new port (terminal) adjacent to the Bhavnagar port. The consortium will set up a CNG and other terminals at the site with an investment of Rs 1,900 crore. The proposal was given formal nod by the executive committee of Gujarat infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) headed by chief minister Vijay Rupani. The proposed port is expected to have capacity of about 6 million metric tonne per annum (MMTPA). The London-based Foresight Group had signed an MoU with Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) during the 2019 edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit for development of a CNG terminal on the Gujarat coast. The existing port at Bhavnagar is managed by GMB and handles 3 MMTPA, of which 2.5 MMTPA is Nirma cargo, coal, lime stone, rock phosphate. Commissioning of the additional port facility at Bhavnagar will increase capacity considerably. GMB will continue to operate the southern section of the Bhavnagar port. Sources meanwhile said that development of CNG and other terminals at the north side of Bhavnagar port will require considerable modification of existing marine
infrastructure including dredging in port basin and channel, construction of two new lock gates, onshore infrastructure and land development. State government officials said the consortium has proposed an investment of Rs1,900 crore in two phases with Rs 1,300 crore in the first phase and Rs 600 crore in the second phase through the ‘Swiss challenge’ method. “The state government has approved the group’s proposal. A detailed concession agreement will be signed with the entity shortly by GIDB to allow the company to start ground work to construct the new port facility,” an official said. Foresight Group Services Limited (FZCO) had submitted a proposal to GMB for development of the CNG terminal and other terminals which include liquid cargo terminal, containers, white cargo terminal, Ro-Ro terminal for cars & trucks) at the northern side of Bhavnagar port under the BOOT Policy 1997. Foresight Group and Padmanabh Mafatlal Group plan to diversify into port development by setting up Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) receiving (import) infrastructure at Bhavnagar Port. The consortium has already achieved preimplementation requisites like pre-feasibility project report, site selection study for CNG import terminal, gas supply agreement, CNG vessel development study and the like.
the assembly polls last month. The cabinet decided to recommend Central rule in the state, sources said. The Governor who gave the Nationalist Congress Party time till 8.30 pm on Tuesday to express its "willingness and ability" to form government and time being of the essence, submitted a report to the President recommending Central rule in the state. Elections were held in the state on October 21 and results were announced on October 24 when the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance were given a clear mandate with 161 seats, which was way past the majority mark. However, the two parties couldn't agree to each other's demands and failed to form the government even after two weeks.
Hansaben Jogia
Hundreds gathered in Harrow last week to pay tribute to Hansaben Jogia who passed away on 31st October after a short battle with cancer. Hansaben, originally of Mwanza, Tanzania was the mother of Councillor Ameet Jogia – a leading Conservative politician – and mother in law to Priya Jogia (daughter of Deepakbhai and Premaben Jatania). Hansaben passed away less than six months after
her husband Narottambhai passed away in May 2019. She was a fit and healthy lady who was suddenly diagnosed with mouth cancer in July – despite having never drunk, smoked or chewed pan. Her cancer was extremely aggressive and despite major surgery and radiotherapy, Hansaben passed away within just 4 months of being diagnosed. Many paid tributes to Hansaben last week for the way she accepted her illness and faced cancer so courageously. Before her passing, she sorted out all her personal affairs and bills, including sorting out her saris for loved ones and planning her own funeral service. Her wish was to pass away at Karuna Manor Nursing Home – where her husband Narottambhai had
passed away just a few months ago. She wanted to follow in Narottambhai’s footsteps and chose to have all the same funeral arrangements as him. Hansaben stayed for the birth of her first grandchild – Jayani – who was born on 9th October. She got to see and play with her granddaughter, before passing away peacefully just three weeks later on 31st October. Hansaben left this world content after seeing her Ameet get married in December last year. She gave her blessings to her family and said she had no more desires after having seen her son well settled and was looking forward to being reunited with her husband Narottambhai who she devastated to lose earlier this year.
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
AsianVoiceNewsweekly
27
16 - 22 November 2019
High tech lung saved a tiny premature baby Doctors have used a hightech artificial lung to save the life of a tiny premature baby – the smallest in Britain ever to have the treatment. Reva Malvankar was just a few weeks old and seriously ill with a chest infection when experts at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital performed the last- ditch procedure. It had been thought that babies this small – Reva weighed just 4 lb 10oz, the equivalent of two bags of sugar – were too fragile to have the treatment. It involves draining blood from the neck, removing the carbon dioxide and adding oxygen, before pumping it back in again via the groin. The procedure is commonly used for desperately sick older children and adults whose lives are at risk because their lungs are not working properly. Now Reva, who celebrated her first birthday in August, is a happy, healthy toddler. Although she was born very premature, Reva was initially in good health and spent six weeks in the neonatal ward of her local hospital before being sent home. But shortly afterwards, she developed a chest infection, and when her lungs did not respond to treatment, she was admitted to St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London. After six days, doctors warned her parents that her condition was deteriorating rapidly. With her life ebbing away, it was decided to call on the expertise of intensive care specialists at the Evelina Hospital. They took the ground-breaking decision to try the artificial lung therapy – known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO.
With Reva's life ebbing away, it was decided to call on the expertise of intensive care specialists at the Evelina Hospital. They took the ground-breaking decision to try the artificial lung therapy – known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO
from and returned to the same site – a vein and an artery in the neck. But in small babies, this technique carries a high risk of stroke, as clots forming in the machine or in tiny blood vessels in the neck can travel up to the brain, blocking its blood supply. Research shows that one in five newborns treated with this form of ECMO suffers Reva Malvankar (pictured with dietician neurological complicamum Parnika Bhor, was just a few weeks old tions, such as a stroke. and seriously ill with a chest infection when The alternative experts at the Evelina London Children’s method – pumping Hospital performed the last-ditch procedure blood back into the During the procedure, body through the groin carried out under local rather than the neck – is anaesthetic, doctors insert a considered safer because fine plastic tube called a although clots can form cannula into a vein in the here too, they are more likeneck. Blood flows out ly to trigger swelling in the through the tube into an leg, rather than a catasoxygenator, a device that filtrophic stroke. ters out carbon dioxide and Reva remained connectadds oxygen, just as the ed to the man-made lung for lungs do. Here, it is also two weeks, giving her own heated back to body temperlungs a chance to recover. ature of about 37C, before Dr Jon Lillie, a consultant in being pumped back into the paediatric intensive care and body – in Reva’s case, part of the team that piothrough another vein in the neered the treatment, says: groin. ‘This had never been Blood is usually taken attempted on a baby so
small as it was assumed it wasn’t possible. But without it, Reva wouldn’t have survived.’ ECMO is used in intensive care units around the world to care for seriously ill patients whose lungs or hearts are not working normally due to severe illness. Some may be awaiting heart or lung transplants. Children have been treated with this technique, but British doctors had never attempted it on very small babies as it was thought the tiny blood vessels in the leg would not be able to cope with having a tube the width of a straw inserted into them. However, the Evelina team proved that it could be done without permanently damaging the leg. They have also helped a further nine babies with this type of ECMO, although none was quite as small as Reva. Hundreds more infants could benefit in future. ‘This could change the way we treat sick and very small premature babies with respiratory failure,’ says Dr Lillie. ‘It’s already being used in a few other centres around the world.’
Scientists discover the mysterious reflex helps babies learn to control their breathing For anxious new parents, a hiccupping baby can be another source of worry. But it is normal for newborns to hiccup for eight minutes at a time, and scientists now suspect they do it to learn how to control their breathing. When babies hiccup, researchers have discovered they have two brainwaves likely linked to the feeling in their chest, and a third thought to be a reaction to the ‘hic’ sound occurring together with the contraction. For anxious new parents, a hiccupping baby can be another source of worry. But it is normal for newborns to hiccup for eight minutes at a time, and scientists now suspect they do it to learn how to control their breathing.
When babies hiccup, researchers have discovered they have two brainwaves likely linked to the feeling in their chest, and a third thought to be a reaction to the ‘hic’ sound occurring together with the contraction. Babies in the womb begin hiccupping as early as nine weeks into pregnancy, and premature babies can spend 15 minutes a day doing it. Researchers looked at babies ranging from 30 to 42 weeks old, of whom 10 hiccupped while they were awake and three hiccupped during active ‘wriggly’ sleep. The study put a sensor on each baby’s abdomen, to record their hiccups, and electrodes on their scalp to monitor their brain activity. It detected three brainwaves in the infant cortex,
in brief MORE THAN ONE MILLION PATIENTS ARE NOW BEING ADMITTED TO NHS HOSPITALS WITH OBESITY-RELATED ILLNESSES SUCH AS TYPE 2 DIABETES More than one million people a year are now being admitted to hospital with obesity-related conditions, NHS figures have revealed. Statistics show the number of obese patients admitted in England has jumped from 884,000 in 2017/18 to almost 1.1million last year. The burden has also doubled in just five years, with 442,000 cases in 2013/14. Simon Stevens, head of NHS England, described the trend as 'startling'. The figures from NHS Digital show a sharp rise in the number of babies and children receiving hospital treatment. In total, 9,196 of the admissions involved those under the age of 18, a doubling in five years, with more than 600 cases involving children under the age of five. Almost two in three cases are women, with an average age of 54, the figures also revealed. Britain has one of the highest rates of obesity in western Europe, with rates rising even faster than those in the US. Two in three adults and a third of children leaving primary school are overweight or obese, with UK rates now twice the level of 1993. The statistics from NHS Digital involve all admissions with a diagnosis of obesity. In more than 12,000 cases, it was classed by clinicians as the primary reason patients were in hospital.
2 IN 5 MISDIAGNOSE THEMSELVES WITH 'SERIOUS DISEASES' AFTER CONSULTING 'DR GOOGLE' ABOUT THEIR SYMPTOMS Two in five Americans have falsely convinced themselves they have a serious disease, after turning to 'Dr Google' – according to new research. A survey of 2,000 Americans found that 43 percent have looked their symptoms up online and ended up believing they had a much more serious illness than in actuality. Sixty-five percent of respondents have used the internet to self-diagnose themselves, but the results show typing your symptoms into the search bar might do more harm than good. Instead of alleviating concerns, 74 percent of those who have self-diagnosed online say searching for their symptoms made them worry MORE about their health. That may be due to the answers given by Dr Google, as the internet's medical advice was found by respondents to be reliable less than 40 percent of the time. Commissioned by LetsGetChecked and conducted by OnePoll, the survey found that searching the web isn't everyone's first choice for a diagnosis – when respondents feel ill, half (51 percent) say they turn first to a health care professional. At the same time, a quarter of those surveyed (26 percent) don't have a primary care physician and six in 10 actively avoid visiting the doctor. This avoidance is due in part to the cost of medical care (47 percent), doctor(s) not believing them when they talk about symptoms (37 percent) and not having time to go to an appointment (37 percent). But the survey also found a variety of factors that would encourage respondents to see a professional – including having results explained in a way that makes sense (47 percent), less expensive care (46 percent) and if it better fit into their schedule (43 percent). That's in addition to having the ability to choose which parts of their health they can test (41 percent) and taking tests in their own home (38 percent).
MUSHROOMS COULD STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
with the authors believing the first two show a baby detecting the physical properties of the hiccup, like where in the body the hiccups are coming from. This is valuable information because a hiccup may provide a baby with what is
needed to control breathing. Inhaling means contracting the diaphragm, like a syringe, to enlarge the chest cavity so its pressure drops and air can come into the body. Exhaling relaxes the diaphragm so the air is forced out.
Mushrooms may boost your immune system, a study suggests. Scientists discovered a special blend of shiitake, reishi and maitake can boost the response of white blood cells. Griffith University, Queensland, scientists picked three commercially available types of mushroom with high levels of beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are a type of carbohydrate found in the cell walls of fungi. They are also in other foods such as oats. Humans cannot make it themselves. When ingested, the immune system sees beta-glucans as foreign, stimulating a heightened defense against pathogens, Australian scientists say.
To Our Readers
We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...
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16 - 22 November 2019
It's a golden jubilee for Big B The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan has completed glorious 50 years in the film industry on November 7. On the big day, his son Abhishek Bachchan penned a heartfelt note for his dad. The 'Guru' star took to Instagram to share a lengthy message along with an old monochromatic picture of his father. "Not just as a son, but as an actor and a fan... We are all blessed to witness the greatness! There is so much to admire, to learn and even more to appreciate," wrote Abhishek. Several generations of cinema lovers get to say we lived in the times of BACHCHAN!!! Congratulations Pa on completing 50 years in the film industry. We now you. Love 50! next the await #50yrsofSaatHindustaani #50yrsofBachchan #GiveItUpForBachchan," added the 43year-old actor.
Filmmaker Karan Johar was not far behind in echoing the sentiment. Karan, who has worked with Big B in a handful of films, called Bachchan the most inspiring story in the world of entertainment. "He will remain the most inspiring story in the world of entertainment! Words alone cannot describe his achievements...we are all honoured to be able to watch his genius unravel in front of our eyes! Congratulations to the proud son," tweeted Karan. Popularly known as the Bollywood's 'Shahenshah', the 77-year-old megastar began his career in Bollywood with 1969 'Saat Hindustani'. He gained popularity in the 1970s after working in films like 'Zanjeer,' 'Deewaar,' and the blockbuster 'Sholay'. The actor, who recently bagged the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, has worked in over 190 Indian films in his fivedecade-long career. Last seen onscreen in 'Badla', Bachchan is also the recipient of four National Film Awards for his roles in 'Agneepath', 'Black', 'Paa' and 'Piku'. He was honoured with Padma Vibhushan in 2015.
Ayushmann Khurrana's hair raising tales
Sidharth Malhotra falls in love with all actors Sidharth Malhotra has maintained to be 'single' after breakup with alleged relationship with Alia Bhatt. But he is no stranger to being linked up with his co-stars. Time and again, the 'SOTY' star has hit the headlines for his relationship rumours. While doing the promotions of 'Marjaavaan', Sidharth was again asked about his constant linkup rumours with Tara Sutaria and Kiara Advani. Reacting to it, he said "I am a method actor so I fall in love with all the actors. I am a very friendly person and I am mostly seen in love stories, so some energy of that romance may be seen oozing into real life." Sidharth's name was constantly linked to his 'Shershaah' co-star Kiara Advani in the beginning of this year. This buzz fizzled out of the news soon, however, Sidharth hit the headlines again. Now, the rumours are doing rounds about his relationship with 'Student Of The Year 2' actress Tara Sutaria. Tara had earlier confessed on Koffee With Karan 6 that she had a crush on Sidharth. Her statement added fuel to their dating reports. When asked about the kind of girl he is looking out for, Sidharth revealed, "I don’t have any girl on my mind and neither have I dreamt about her. There should be a connection, no matter what background. Connecting on a personal level is very important." He further added that he would prefer love marriage over an arranged one. 'Marjaavaan’ is scheduled to hit the screens on November 15. The film is directed by Milap Zaveri and also features Rakul Preet Singh and Riteish Deshmukh. The actor will also be seen in Captain Vikram Batra’s biopic ‘Shershaah’. Directed by Vishnuvardhan the film is produced by Karan Johar under his banner Dharma Productions.
In an era where unusual story-lines are being welcomed with open arms, Ayushmann Khurrana doesn't find it unnatural for several filmmakers to bring in the same concept. "I was offered five scripts on the same subject. I did not read any, apart from this," he says, making a case for himself against allegations that he took his script to 'Bala' producer Dinesh Vijan to work on. "Quirky scripts are raking in good money, so writers are seeking out such stories." Ayushmann and the film's makers are facing accusations of plagiarism from two independent filmmakers. Having courted similar controversies in the past, Ayushmann says, "There were a lot of scripts on the same subject and I chose the one involving the best director and producer." While Kamal Kant Chandra, who is working on his debut film 'Marksheet', approached the Supreme Court against the makers, filmmaker Naman Goyal has knocked on the doors of the Jaipur district court. One to keep an arm's length from controversies, Ayushmann asserts that he wasn't offended by the claims, but puts forth a crucial point. "In the past, I have fought with producers to give credits to writers on posters, when it was due. I will continue to do so. My conscience is clear. I have worked my way up with a lot of hard work and dignity. I am not capable of doing something like that."
Shraddha Kapoor's social media booms Shraddha Kapoor has been on her toes with continuous releases this year. The young actress has acquired a huge fanbase, and the testimony of the same is her social media handle which is clocking 36 million followings. Owing to her popularity the actress' Instagram account is growing at fast pace marking a new milestone each time. Shraddha featured in 'Teen Patti' (2010) with Amitabh Bachchan and 'Luv Ka The End' (2011). However, 'Aashiqui 2' (2013), helped her map her presence in Bollywood. After three consequent hits, 'Stree', 'Saaho', and 'Chhichhore' at the box office, where Shraddha plays the female lead, the actress now is in a comfortable space. Shraddha has eventually proved her mettle with these varied roles and has changed things around for her own good. 'Stree' started the trend of content-driven films ruling at the box office, while 'Saaho' and 'Chhichhore' smashed many of the box office records. On the other hand, Shraddha has not had time to celebrate the success of her films as she has had a pretty busy year. The actress has been juggling between shoot of her several projects as she wants to work more on her films. She will be next seen in 'Street Dancer 3D' with Varun Dhawan and 'Baaghi 3' opposite Tiger Shroff. While 'Street Dancer 3D' is currently in the postproduction stage, the shooting for 'Baaghi 3' began last month. While the first instalment of 'Baaghi' had Shraddha as Sia paired opposite Tiger, 'Baaghi 2' had Disha Patani play his love interest in the film. In an earlier interview, Shraddha said that she is excited to be a part of this movie. Shraddha said, "I am super excited to be back with the Baaghi family. I had
such a memorable time being a part of Baaghi and this is my third film with Sajid sir, second with Tiger and first with Ahmed sir. The script is amazing and I'm excited to be a part of this movie."
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16 - 22 November 2019
Ananya Panday talks about her huge crush on Varun Dhawan Ananya Panday is a one of the budding stars of Bollywood. The 21-year-old actress made her debut with 'Student of the Year 2' along with Tara Sutaria. Ananya is currently gearing up for 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' in which she plays the character of 'Woh', that is, Tapasya. Recently, in a talk show, she opened up about having a huge crush on Varun Dhawan. Ananya revealed that she watched the prequel of her debut film, for like 50 times! "To be honest, I am. Varun Dhawan fan and I love him," she said enthusiastically. Her father, Chunky Panday who also made an appearance as co-guest on the show went on to reveal that she skipped lunch for a day while shooting for the show, so she could meet Varun who happened to be shooting next door. Back when Ananya's 'Student of the Year' was inching closer to its release, both Ananya and Tara had expressed their disappointment when Tiger Shroff got to share the screen with a former pass out, Alia Bhatt. The actresses complained that even they wanted a song with Varun and Sidharth Malhotra. This is not for the first time, Ananya has spoken about her crush. The actress has been making headlines for her admiration towards her 'Pati Patni Aur Woh' co-star, Kartik Aaryan. Chunky went on to say that, Ananya is very demanding and that he'd worried for her future husband. He said that the chirpy actress keeps saying, "I want this, I want that," while Ananya said that she loves being in the water, be it in a pool or in a bathroom! Towards the end of the show, Ananya grooved on 'O Lal Dupatte Wali' from her father's film 'Aankhen.'
Ajay Devgn and son Yug Arshad Warsi, Sanjay mobbed at Ajmer Sharif Dutt to reunite again Dargah Ajay Devgn and his son Yug recently visited the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, the shrine of sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti. However, it wasn't a very good experience for him as his fans went crazy that led to the actor getting a little agitated. In the video, Devgn can be seen coming out of the shrine and the pandemonium that follows. He is trying to protect and guide his son Yug, who is walking in front of him. The actor can also be seen escorted by policemen, who cannot keep the fans and paparazzi away from the actor, resulting in an extremely uncomfortable experience. The viral video shows an agitated Devgn snapping at an onlooker before finally making his way through the gates of the shrine. Devgn is extremely busy these days with back-to-back films lined-up. His first release next year would be the period drama, 'Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior', releasing on January 10, 2020. Next in line would be 'RRR', where he has a special appearance, and the film is directed by SS Rajamouli. He also has 'Maidaan', directed by Abhishek Sharma, and
'Bhuj: The Pride of India'. He's also in talks with Sanjay Leela Bhansali for 'Gangubai Kathiawadi', but no official confirmation about the same has been made yet. All in all, 2020 seems to be the year of Ajay Devgn. And not to forget, he also has a cameo in Rohit Shetty's 'Sooryavanshi'. Isn't it a blockbuster year already for him?
Arshad Warsi and Sanjay Dutt are known for their camaraderie in the 'Munna Bhai' series. Recently, Arshad confirmed that he is teaming up with Sanjay Dutt in an upcoming comedy flick. The Munnabhai-circuit duo will reunite in a new film about a blind gangster and his accomplice. Giving details about the movie, Arshad revealed, "Sanju and I will start working on a film next year. It's a crazy script, a project by Sajid-Farhad. The film is likely to go on floors by March-April next year. We'll probably head to Budapest for the first schedule of the film." Talking about the movie's plot, the actor further shared, "Sanju plays the role of a blind don. I am his eyes. The challenge is that nobody knows that he is
Radhika Apte gets audition calls for Bond and Star Wars films Radhika Apte is a vivacious new-age artist who has been successful across the independent, commercial and international domains. She has dotted in various box office hits and has been acclaimed for her stupendous performances. In a recent interview, she revealed, “I got audition calls for the new James Bond film and for Star Wars. I taped it at home and sent it across.” She went on to
add that, “The very fact that they are looking at actors like me, and not restricting it to a certain kind of actor, is good news.” Radhika has become the face of OTT for the masses and is sought after for her acumen on the entertainment industry. Her unique and bold choices bear the results in the form of getting nominated for Emmy after her films 'Andhadhun' and 'Padman' won national awards.
blind, and I cannot tell anyone that he is blind. I am actually directing him throughout the film. It's quite a fun script." Sanjay and Arshad first collaborated on 'Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.' (2003). The duo reprised their roles in the sequel, 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', which was released in 2006. There have been talks about a third part of the franchise, but nothing has been confirmed. Currently, Arshad is busy promoting his next film 'Pagalpanti' which also stars John Abraham, Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Ileana D’Cruz, Urvashi Rautela and Anil Kapoor in leading roles. The comic caper is scheduled to hit the silver screen on 22nd November, 2019. It is directed by well-known filmmaker Anees Bazmee.
30 KOLLYWOOD
AsianVoiceNews
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16 - 22 November 2019
Amala Akkineni to comeback in Kollywood ing at full-time acting. I wear many hats and I am Amala Akkineni, who made her digital debut with extremely satisfied with what I am doing right the web series 'High Priestess' this year, is all set to now.” Amala’s last Tamil movie was 'Karpoora make her comeback in Kollywood. The senior actor Mullai' (1991). She was also seen in Dulquer will star in the untitled Tamil-Telugu bilingual, feaSalmaan’s 'Karwaan' in 2018. turing Sharwanand and Ritu Varma in the lead roles. The senior actress is thrilled to be a part of the project and shared her exciteTV Listing ment on the micro-blogging site Twitter. TUESDAY NOV 19, 2019 Amala shared pictures with her team of 01:39 FILM: YEH HAI JUDGEMENT the movie which has recently hit the floors. HANGED TILL DEATH She captioned the image as, “It's been heart06:00 FILM: MANZIL warming playing Amma to Sharwanand. 08:18 FILM: AASMAN SE OONCHA Working in a Tamil/Telugu bilingual after 11:18 FILM: DASTAK 14:09 FILM: SAMAY - WHEN TIME STRIKES many years.” Directed by debutant Shree 16:56 FILM: THE SHAUKEENS Karthik, known for his short films 'Vyugam' * Schedule is subject to change 19:32 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP and 'Childhood Diaries', the shooting of the SATURDAY NOV 16, 2019 20:00 FILM: TEEN PATTI 02:03 FILM: RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 film is underway in Hyderabad. 23:00 FILM: HOUSEFULL 06:00 FILM: DAMM 999 While Amala is excited about the pro- 08:12 FILM: GANGSTER WEDNESDAY NOV 20, 2019 01:54 FILM: BIWI.COM ject, it is reported that she gave it a nod only 10:26 FILM: HERO 06:00 FILM: WAKE UP INDIA because of the importance of her character 13:50 FILM: BANJO 08:21 FILM: KRISHAN AVTAAR 16:41 FILM: TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS in the movie as it is not a regular mother 11:19 FILM: MELA 19:16 LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP character. Apart from Amala, Ritu, 20:00 FILM: JAZBAA 14:47 FILM: FAREB 17:15 FILM: WELCOME BACK Sharwanand, this yet to be titled project will 22:30 FILM: MASTI EXPRESS 20:18 FILM: DEEWANE HUYE PAGAL also star Ravi Raghavendra, Nasser, Sathish SUNDAY NOV 17, 2019 23:30 FILM: TEEN PATTI 00:49 FILM: MADHOSHI and Ramesh Thilak in pivotal roles. The THURSDAY NOV 21, 2019 FILM: BLUE ORANGES movie, which was originally written for 06:00 02:12 FILM: JEET BORN TO WIN 08:15 FILM: RAM BALRAM 06:00 FILM: BEZUBAAN ISHQ Vijay Deverakonda, will hit the screens next 11:42 FILM: MAIN TERA HERO 08:33 FILM: NAARAAZ 14:17 FILM: BESHARAM year. 10:55 FILM: KASOOR Meanwhile, the veteran actress has no 17:09 FILM: HOLIDAY-A SOLDIER IS 14:12 FILM: NASEEB OFF DUTY plans to return to acting completely as she 20:22 NEVER 17:56 FILM: ENGLISH VINGLISH FILM: THE SHAUKEENS is happy with her other projects. Explaining 22:58 FILM: RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 20:45 FILM: ENTERTAINMENT 23:33 FILM: JAHAN TUM LE CHALO her decision, Amala stated, “I am not look- MONDAY NOV 18, 2019
Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan' to go on floors soon After the critical and commercial success of Mani Ratnam's lasthelmed film, the ensemble gangster epic 'Chekka Chivandha Vaanam', the shooting plan of 'Ponniyin Selvan' has been revealed. The ace director is currently busy with the pre-production process of his upcoming flick which is a silver screen adaptation of the five-part Tamil novella written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Produced by Lyca Productions and Madras Talkies, the film has a star cast that includes Aishwarya Rai playing as one of the leads. Other members of the star-cast include 'Chiyaan' Vikram, Jayaram, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, R.Parthiepan, Ashwin Kakumanu apart from Aishwarya. The film is jointly scripted by Mani Ratnam and 'Kaatrin Mozhi', 'Kurangu Bommai' fame actor Kumaravel. The cinematography of
01:29 06:00 08:00 11:26 14:09 16:42 19:39 20:16 23:20
FILM: JISM - 2 FILM: PRITHIPAL SINGH... A STORY FILM: INSANIYAT FILM: ZEHER - A LOVE STORY FILM: JAZBAA FILM: HOUSEFULL LIFESTYLE : STAR STOP FILM: WELCOME BACK FILM: GUNAAH
MON 18TH NOVEMBER - FRI 22TH NOVEMBER
18:30 VIGHNAHARTA GANESHA 19:00 MERE SAI
19:30 TARA FROM SATARA
20:00 ISHAARON ISHAARON MEIN 20:30 PATIALA BABES * Schedule is subject to change
SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 17:30 ZINDAGI KE CROSSROADS 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 20:00 INDIAN IDOL 21:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER TIME TV PROGRAM NAMES 17:30 ZINDAGI KE CROSSROADS 18:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW 20:00 INDIAN IDOL 21:30 THE KAPIL SHARMA SHOW
the film will be handled by the ace cinematographer, Ravi Varman. It is now learnt that the team is planning to fly to Thailand a week before the film starts rolling on
December 12th. The shoot is being planned for 40 days. Looks like the ace director has indeed found a great place in Thailand as it is also popular for its exotic locations! * Schedule is subject to change
Nayanthara gives a nod for Balaji's next Last seen in home invasion thriller Kolayuthir Kaalam, Nayanthara has a few interesting projects up her sleeve. And the latest is that Nayanthara has signed up for RJ Balaji's next titled Mookkuthi Amman for the well-written role and the good rapport she has with the actor. The film has been touted to be a satirical comedy and is being scripted by the popular radio jockey turned actor himself. RJ Balaji’s latest movie LKG turned out to be a commercial hit. He was seen as the lead actor in the film as opposed to playing hero’s side kick. Balaji wrote the story and script for LKG and it had worked out well. Priya Anand, Nanjil Sampath and late. J.K. Ritesh played important roles in the film. Meanwhile, the actor is currently gearing up for his next project which
FRIDAY NOV 22, 2019 02:14 FILM: HAIR IS FALLING 06:00 FILM: PATTH 08:13 FILM: JOHNY I LOVE YOU 11:08 FILM: JURM 13:43 FILM: LAKSHYA 17:28 FILM: DEEWANE HUYE PAGAL 20:44 FILM: BADLAPUR 23:21 FILM: WELCOME TO KARACHI
will be produced by Isari Ganesh under his banner Vels Film International – the same production house that bankrolled LKG.
Mukkuthi Amman is in its pre-production stage and will soon start shooting. Details of the rest of the cast and crew are expected to be announced soon. P r e v i o u s l y , Nayanthara and RJ Balaji featured in director Vignesh Shivan’s comedy Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and director Mohan Raja's Velaikaaran. With a combo that has proven its mettle by delivering successful outings, one can expect a fun-filled entertainer in the making.
MON 18TH - FRI 22ND NOV 2019 13:00: SWARAGINI 13:30: BHARADWAJ BAHUEIN 14:00: TERE NAAL ISHQ 14:30: BEPANNAH 15:30: SIRF 30 MINUTES 16:00: THE GREAT INDIAN GLOBAL KITCHEN 2 16:30: RASOI SHOW 17:30: CHHUTA CHHEDA 18:00: TUM KAUN PIYA
* Schedule is subject to change
MON 18TH - FRI 22ND NOV 2019 15:00: THAPKI PYAAR KI 18:30: VIDYA 19:00: RAM SIYA KE LUV KUSH 19:30: CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:00: SHAKTI ASTITVA KE EHSAAS KI 20:30: KITCHEN CHAMPION 21:30: BIGG BOSS - SEASON 13 22:30: BAHU BEGUM 23:00: BEPANAH PYAARR 23:30: CHOTI SARDAARNI
21:00 KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI 22:00 MERE DAD KI DULHAN 22:30 TARA FROM SATARA
23:00 CRIME PATROL SONY MAX 2 PRIME TIME
19:00
MONDAY
19:00
TUESDAY
19:00
THURSDAY
19:00
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19:00 FRIDAY
JULIE
PATI PATNI AUR TAWAIF
MAJBOOR
AKHIYON SE GOLI MARE JEET
18:30: DIL KA RISHTA 19:00: JAHAANARA 19:30: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 13) 20:30: MOHE RANNG DO LAAL 21:00: BALIKA VADHU - LAMHE PYAAR KE 22:00: RED ALERT SAT 23RD NOV 2019 11:00: MAHAKALI 14:30: JUDWAA 17:30: DIVINE DESTINATION 18:00: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 13) WEEKEND KA VAAR 19:30: RISING STAR (SEASON 3) GRAND FINALE 21:30: JAAGTE RAHO SUN 24TH NOV 2019 11:00: SHRIMAD BHAGWAT 17:30: DIVINE DESTINATION 18:00: BIGG BOSS - SEASON 13 WEEKEND KA VAAR 19:30: RISING STAR (SEASON 3) 21:30: JAAGTE RAHO
0:00: GATHBANDHAN SAT 23RD NOV 2019 19:30: DESI BEAT RESET 20:00: CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:30: KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 21:30: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 13) WEEKEND KA VAAR SUN 24TH NOV 2019 11:00: GATTU BATTU 11:30: RUDRA 14:30: AIRLIFT 17:30: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 13) 19:00: CHOTI SARDAARNI 20:30: KHATRA KHATRA KHATRA 21:30: BIGG BOSS (SEASON 13) WEEKEND KA VAAR
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Mahant Swami at Bochasan
Mahant Swami is currently in Bochasan. Earlier, various programs were organized in the presence of his holiness during his stay in Rajkot. Mahant Swami imparting his blessings in the assembly said, 'Salvation is the paramount achievement. Nothing else can be compared to it”. 130 devotees along with 12 saints from Gondal did Dandvat Yatra to Rajkot. They had performed 20,500 Dandvat. On 6th November, the coach of Indian cricket team, Ravi Shastri as well as physiotherapists met Mahant Swami while Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan received blessings on 7th. Mahant Swami installed the idols in Sanskardhaams of Dolatpura in Junagadh and Jargali in Mahuva district as well as performed the ground breaking ceremony of the residential school in Junagadh. On 8th, a spread of exotic fruits and vegtables was served to Thakorji. A magnificent kirtan was held on 9th. The musicians of the institute and satsangis who came from Mumbai performed the hymns. Mahant Swami also sang 'Akshar Purushotam Dayalu Akshar Purushotam Prabhu'. Mahant Swami welcomed chief Minister Vijay Rupani with a floral garland on 9th. Mahant Swami came to Bochasan from Rajkot on 10th. A grand celebration on Kartik Purnima was held in Bochasan on 12th.
Coming Events
l Sangam ,at 210 Burnt Oak Broadway ,is holding a talk on different aspects of Arthritis by highly qualified Physiotherapist On Tuesday 19 th November at 1.15 pm . Free admission to all. Contact Sangam for further information on 0208 9527062 l Vachanamrut Dvishatabdi Mohotsav Saptah Parayan at Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Willesden From 24 November, Sunday to 30 November, Saturday Pothi Yatra: 24 November at 8am, Katha: 9:00am to 11:00am, Mahapooja: 30 November at 7:00am Contact: 020 8459 4506 l Events at The Bhavan - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan International Kuchipudi Dance Festival Date: 16 November, Time: 5:00 pm, Carnatic Music Concert Date 17 November, Time: 5:30 pm, Venue: 4A, Castletown Road, West Kensington, London, Contact: 020 7381 3086 l Bhagwad Geeta Festival and Concert by Chinmay Mission UK, Date: 16 November, Saturday and 17 November, Sunday Time: 10:00am to 6:00pm, Venue: Chinmay Kirti, 2 Egerton Garden, Hendon, NW4 4BA. Contact: 020 8203 6288
l Rasanubhavam – Nehru Centre A creative and versatile artist from India, Rupesh K C has established himself with an experience of 27 years in the field of Dance. He will be presenting his choreographic works in a solo Bhratnatyam recital titled ‘ Rasanubhavam’. This will be a thematic presentation that focuses on certain handpicked emotions in dance, woven into interesting episodes from the Indian Mythology. Date: Wednesday 20th November Time: 6.30pm Venue: South Street Arts Centre, 21 South Street, Reading, RG1 4QU Tickets (www.eventbrite.com) l The Odyssey of Nanak: Tracing the Earliest Artistic Expressions of the
EVENTS
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16 - 22 November 2019
Gandhi statue unveiling On the 25th November a statue of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled outside Manchester Cathedral, in a public event which will be attended by distinguished guests from the UK Government and the Government of India. To mark the 150th anniversary of Gandhi’s birth, a 9ft high bronze statue has been crafted by renowned Indian artist Ram V Sutar. Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD), a worldwide spiritual movement headquartered in India, is behind the initiative, which is supported by Manchester Cathedral, Manchester City Council, Manchester India Partnership and the High Commission of India. The unveiling is at 12:15pm on Monday 25
November, and will be preceded by an interfaith service on Non-violence, Peace & Unity from 11am at Manchester Cathedral. What’s On information - Gandhi statue unveiling schedule - 11am: Interfaith service of Non-violence, Peace & Unity hosted by Manchester Cathedral (Invitation only). Readings, poetry and songs. Open to the public - events inside the Cathedral will be shown on a large screen outside. - 12 noon: Unveiling Ceremony, Cathedral Approach. Celebrations with dance and music from Manchester University students, The Voice finalist Natasha Seth of the Parrs Wood School choir, Indian dancers, before the statue is unveiled.
In The Forest - Poem by Sarojini Naidu HERE, O my heart, let us burn the dear dreams that are dead, Here in this wood let us fashion a funeral pyre Of fallen white petals and leaves that are mellow and red, Here let us burn them in noon's flaming torches of fire. We are weary, my heart, we are weary, so long we have borne The heavy loved burden of dreams that are dead, let us rest, Let us scatter their ashes away, for a while let us mourn; We will rest, O my heart, till the shadows are gray in the west. But soon we must rise, O my heart, we must wander again Into the war of the world and the strife of the throng; Let us rise, O my heart, let us gather the dreams that remain, We will conquer the sorrow of life with the sorrow of song.
Melodies of the Maestros Venue: The Nehru Centre Date: Friday 22nd Nov Time: 6pm Featuring the popular and forgotten musical creations of noted Bengali lyricists and composers Dwijendralal Roy, Atul Prosad Sen, Rajanikanta Sen, Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Nazrul Islam. Jayanta Ray – trained in Tagore music from the age of 7, Jayanta is a noted Tagore music exponent in London, and is currently Artistic Director of The Tagoreans (since 2014). Sujoya Ray –trained in Hindusthani Classical and Rabindra Sangeet from a young age, with performances in All India Radio and Doordarshan, Kolkata from the age of 6. A noted
Tagore exponent in London, she has performed in various stage shows across India and the UK over the years Bithi Purkayastha – an established singer and music teacher in London, she has 2 CD albums to her credit and has trained in Indian Classical music and Tagore music since the age of 6, with extensive stage performances across the UK, India, the USA and Europe to her credit All three performers are active members / lead performers of The Tagoreans, and alumni members of Nupur School of Rabindrasangeet, from where they obtained their Diploma in music with Distinction.
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What’s on
Founder of the Sikh Way - SOAS Date: Wednesday 20th November Time: 7pm till 9pm Venue: Brunei Gallery, SOAS South Asia Institute, 10 Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG Contact email: ssai@soas.ac.uk l Ganey Ganey Mahanayak – Film songs of Uttam Kumar - Bhavan Centre Air India and Eastern Euphony present ‘ GANEY GANEY MAHANAYAK’ - reliving the film music of Bengali Movie icon Uttam Kumar. The program features London based musical platform Eastern Euphony. Artists of the evening are Ani Joy, Rukma Riddhi, Gouri Chowdhury, Debashis Golder Date: Saturday 23rd November Time: 5.30pm till 9.30pm
COURTESY: AJIT NINAN FOR TOI
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Venue: The Bhavan, 4a Castletown Road, London, West Kensington W14 9HE l Darbar Festival 2019 - Sadler’s Wells The Darbar Festival 2019 is set to bring an unforgettable fusion of classical Indian dance and music to London theatre this autumn in a special programme that transcends both Sadler's Wells and the Barbican. For the third consecutive year, Akram Khan, Associate Artist of Sadler's Wells, is set to return to the Darbar Festival to curate a special compilation of music and dance workshops and performances. Date: Saturday 23rd November - Tuesday 26th November Time: TBC Venue: Sadler's Wells, Rosebery Avenue, Islington, London, EC1R 4TN
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16 - 22 November 2019
AsianVoiceNews
India take T-20 series against Bangladesh Deepak Chahar took six wickets for seven runs as India beat Bangladesh by 30 runs in their third and final Twenty20 match to win the closely fought series 2-1 on Sunday. Chasing a winning target of 175, Bangladesh was bowled out for 144 in 19.2 overs as India rallied after losing the opener. Medium-fast bowler Chahar needed only 3.2 overs to destroy Bangladesh, including the last three wickets. Bangladesh opener Mohammad Naim smashed 81 off 48 balls with 10 fours and two sixes before he was bowled by Shivam Dube (330). Earlier, Shreyas Iyer and K L Rahul smashed halfcenturies to propel India to 174 for five. It was a maiden T20 half-century for Iyer (62 off 33) and the sixth one for Rahul (52 off 35). Iyer’s entertaining knock came after he was dropped on 0. Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah followed the template set in the series by winning the toss and opting to field. India made an unexpected call by dropping a bowler in Krunal Pandya for middle-order batsman Manish Pandey. The hosts were dealt a body blow in the second over
Monty’s Spin
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Monty Panesar
Pink ball makes Indian debut Which way will it spin? when pacer Shafiul Islam removed their skipper Rohit Sharma (2), who had made a sublime 85 in the serieslevelling win in Rajkot. Rohit tried to whip a length ball but only managed to get an inside edge on to the stumps. Rahul joined Shikhar Dhawan (19 off 16) in the middle and with both the batsmen under pressure having not made an impact in the first two games, the situation provided them an ideal platform to deliver. Dhawan, who has found it tough to accelerate of late, got going with successive boundaries off Al-Amin Hossain. Rahul too began his innings in similar fashion, going for the aerial straight drive before punching Islam through point.
However, Dhawan could not last long after hitting four boundaries, mistiming a slog to be caught in the deep by Mahmudullah. India once again could not get to a good start batting first, struggling to 41 for two in six overs. It would have been three down at that stage if Aminul Islam had not dropped a regulation catch off incoming batsman Iyer at backward point. Rahul and Iyer gave a much needed boost to the Indian innings with a 59-run stand. Rahul completed his 50 off 33 balls before getting caught at midoff two balls later, leaving India at 94 for three in the 13th over. Iyer, who made a sedate start to his innings, went ballistic after Rahul’s departure. He was especially
brutal against the spinners and hit three successive sixes over long-on off Afif Hossain. Rohit breaks another Dhoni record Rohit Sharma was in tremendous form in the second T20 as he smashed 85 off just 43 balls to help India level the three match series 11. During his knock, Rohit Sharma smashed 6 sixes taking his tally to 37 sixes in 17 innings, the most by an Indian captain in T20I cricket. The record was previously held by MS Dhoni. The former Indian captain had 34 sixes in 62 innings. Virat Kohli, who is not playing in the ongoing series, trails behind Rohit Sharma with 26 sixes in as many innings.
India to host men’s Shooters ensure record 15 hockey World Cup Olympic berths in 2023 India will host the Men’s Hockey World Cup for the second consecutive time after the country was picked to host the game’s showpiece event in 2023 by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). According to the FIH, the Men’s Hockey World Cup will be held in India from January 13 to 29. In another decision made by the Executive Board during the FIH’s final meeting of the year, Spain and the Netherlands were named as the co-hosts of the 2022 Women’s World Cup scheduled to beheld from July 1 to 22. The venues will be announced by the host nations at a later date. India will, thus, become the first country to stage four men’s Hockey World Cups after having hosted the showpiece in 1982 (Mumbai), 2010 (New Delhi) and 2018 (Bhubaneswar). The Netherlands had hosted three men’s tournaments. The country will be completing 75 years of independence in 2023 and so Hockey India wanted to host the World Cup to showcase the growth of the sport in the country on that occasion. India was among the three nations - Belgium and Malaysia being the other two - to have presented bids. For the Women’s World Cup, five countries - Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Malaysia and New Zealand had presented their bids.
Indian shooters surpassed their Rio de Janeiro figure of 12 quotas by clinching three more 2020 Olympic berths at the ongoing Asian Championships in Doha. Aishwary Pratap Sing Tomar, 18, sealed a berth in men’s 50m rifle 3 position event, while Angad Singh Bajwa and Mairaj Khan opened the account for shotgunners by sealing two skeet berths in the last quota event. While Bajwa defended his title, Mairaj bagged silver after a shoot-off in the gold medal round with his teammate, to clinch two of the three quotas available in the event. In men’s 3P, young Aishwary took bronze for the quota place as five out of eight shooters in the final were vying for three Olympic berths. Aishwary, who had won gold with a world record in the Junior World Cup in Germany in July, decided to participate in senior events this year. This was his first international participation as senior. “After his gold in the junior World Cup, we decided to shift gears and aim for the quota place. That was possible only if he made it to the senior team, so we decided to field him in the Minimum Qualification Score (MQS where scores don’t count for medals) category of the senior World Cups. His scores pushed him to the senior team,” Aishwary’s coach Suma Shirur said. “When I was asked to pick one from junior and senior, I went for the
latter. I took it as a challenge,” the Madhya Pradesh boy, who shot 1,168 in the qualification round and 449.1 in the final to take bronze. In 2016, India had won 12 quota places and had 17 shots at medals (with a few shooters starting in more than one event). For Tokyo, India has 15 individual quota places and the shooters will have 21 medal opportunities. Indian marksmen have shown real progress in the rifle-pistol events, as out of 10 events, they have won quotas in nine events. The only event that India doesn’t have a quota is men’s 25m rapid fire event. While in shotgun, Bajwa and Mairaj saved the face for shotgunners despite bad weather. “It rained first and there was a bad dust storm, and the play was stopped for some time. The conditions were bad for all of us but I am glad I could pull it off,” said Bajwa, 23, who had clinched gold in the last year’s edition.
There is much euphoria around the landmark change in Indian Cricket with the introduction of the first ever day/night Test match. The pink ball will be played for the first time in the India vs Bangladesh match commencing on Friday, 22nd November at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. And the stadium is expected to receive an audience of about 50,000 spectators on the first three days of the Test match. In my view, this is a good move for Indian Cricket and if it is a success it will change the concept of day/night test cricket. The SG pink ball will play a huge factor in how the test will go. The hardness and durability of this pink ball will also be instrumental in the Day-Night test match. In the Duleep Trophy (India's domestic firstclass cricket competition), the Kookaburra ball wasn't received very well. This was because the colour, the seam and hardness of the ball were not durable for the 90 overs format. The BCCI officials have been working on the pink ball for the last three years. The Kookaburra ball has a lower seam in comparison to the SG pink ball. The former stays at swinging and seaming position till 20 overs only. After this stage, the seam starts to fade away and the ball becomes difficult to grip for the spinners. The Indian fast bowlers have found the ball swings more than the red ball but once the hardness goes the movement and swing is not the same as the SG red ball. Spinners may find tha the pink ball skids more than it turns but if the wicket has extra grass then it will help with movement and spin of the pink ball. Movement of the ball will be important because you don't want the pink ball to favour the batsman because the fans will switch off from day/night cricket. Dew is also likely to play a factor at Eden Gardens and may determine how many overs are bowled in the day. To eliminate the due factor, Eden Gardens groundsman Anand has mooted the idea of starting the game an hour earlier than scheduled. Everything seems to be a success for day/night cricket in India except the dew factor. I hope that it doesn't play a huge part for we need this new format to be successful. In the meantime, it appears that Saurav Ganguly the new president of BCCI has started imposing his decisions on the Indian Cricket Team. He has already got Virat Kolhi to accept his decision that the first Day-Night cricket match should be played at Eden Gardens. Ganguly was the president of the Bengal Cricket Association where they have played with the Kookaburra pink ball. He appears to be well aware of how to make day/night cricket a success in India. But is this start of an era where Saurav Ganguly is seen to be imposing his authority over Kohli and the beginning of a dictator style leadership? Only time will tell!
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