Asian Achievers Awards 2013

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3-PM Cameron_A4 Temp 02/09/2013 16:37 Page 3

10 DOWNING STREET LONDON SW1A 2AA www.number10.gov.uk

This evening’s prestigious Asian Achievers Awards celebrates the very best of Britain’s diverse Asian community. Tonight we recognise their outstanding contribution in just some of the many areas they excel in: public service, media, the arts, culture and sport.

We commend the highest achievers in legal and uniform services, and showcase international figures who have helped make a difference around the world.

And of course we recognise those who have succeeded in those vital areas of business and enterprise. From large, international corporations to small and medium sized enterprises, Britain’s Asian businessmen and women and entrepreneurs are at the forefront of our economic recovery.

I’m delighted that this year the awards are highlighting the achievements of Asian women. From creative director Simrin Choudhrie and child rights campaigner Kanwal Ahluwali to RAF officer Nosheen Chaudry and executive dean Dr. Sonia Minocha, the list of succeeding Asian women in Britain today goes on and on.

I’m sure that the story of tonight’s winners and other British Asian achievers will continue to be celebrated on the pages of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for years to come.

This Government sincerely values the immense contribution of Britain’s Asian community and as Prime Minister I’m extremely proud to lead a truly diverse nation where people of all backgrounds live and work so well together.

Have a great evening.

Rt Hon David Cameron, MP Prime Minister

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

I want to congratulate the winners of this year’s Asian Achievers Awards. These are high achievers and the dedication shown in order to be commended is truly admirable. The award winners’ stories are testament to the vast contribution made by the people of the UK to society.

The awards continue to be a fantastic tribute to the immense talent and wide ranging accomplishments of members of the Asian Community.

These Awards should inspire everyone to achieve their full potential and continue to contribute to making Britain the fantastic country that it is today. I would like to wish everyone a very enjoyable evening.

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Leader of the Labour Party

I warmly welcome you to the 13th annual Asian Achievers Award. This is an evening of recognition for many inspirational figures in the Asian community who are making a dynamic and positive impact both across the UK and internationally, in all sectors, and reflects the rich contribution the Asian community make to our society. I would like to congratulate everyone who has been shortlisted and the Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar on organising this prestigious ceremony.

Boris Johnson Mayor of London

HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

Now in its 13th year, the Asian Achievers Awards ongoing endeavour to recognise and encourage excellence has been invaluable. British Asians continue to make huge contributions to numerous fields in the UK. Their hard work and drive have enabled them to turn adversity into opportunity.

I regularly meet British Asians whose entrepreneurial spirit and drive has improved the lives of people in the UK and abroad.

The Asian Achievers Awards, nominated by the public, serves to highlight not only the prominence of British Asians in British Society, but also to provide role models to inspire young British Asians to excel.

Women are intrinsically important in all communities but often their achievements are taken for granted or stunted by inequality. It is heartening to see the Asian Community, as everyone should, truly celebrating their contribution and achievements tonight.

I would like to pay tribute to CB Patel one of Britain’s legendary editors and to the staff of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, now in their 41st year, for their dedication to recognising outstanding British Asians. I would also like to congratulate all those nominated for the awards and wish them all the best in their inspirational endeavours.

Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP Chairman Home Affairs Select Committee

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Chief Guest t is a great honour to be your Chief Guest at the 13th Asian Achievers Awards.

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As a lifelong campaigner for women's rights, it is a particular privilege to be a part of this year’s awards which celebrate the achievements of women.

I strongly believe that empowering women economically brings a brighter future for themselves, their families and their society as a whole. That belief is what motivated me to set up my Foundation. Women who are financially independent have greater control over their own and their children’s lives, and economic clout gives women a more influential voice in tackling injustice and discrimination both in their communities and more widely.

Studies show that women – unlike men - tend to invest 90% of their income back into their families, making sure for example that their children have proper health care and education. And empowering women economically also helps drive much needed economic growth, not only here in Britain, but in every country in the world where women have the opportunity to participate in their economies.

Our vision is a world where women not only have equal opportunities, but also the necessary capability, confidence and capital to establish and grow businesses. Yet women entrepreneurs around the world still struggle to get businesses off the ground.

They face barriers, often cultural, to acquiring the business skills, technology, networks and access to capital they need to be successful in the long term.

Awards like this are a pleasure. They celebrate the progress women have made, and serve as a reminder that the Asian community is playing its part in helping to make sure women have the opportunities and the recognition that men often take for granted. But there is still a long way to go, both in the Asian and the wider community, before all women receive equal treatment and respect in every profession they choose to follow.

The Asian Achievers Awards also reminds us of the exceptional contribution that British Asian communities make to Britain. The 'new generation' of entrepreneurs play a role in British industry that cannot be underestimated. They generate more than £60bn every year, and create thousands of jobs, helping to strengthen both society and the economy.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the nominees and winners this year, and the organisers whose hard work makes these awards such a success. May you have a wonderful evening.

Cherie Blair QC, CBE

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Celebrating Women's Achievements A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture, and transform - Diane Mariechild, author of 'Mother of Wit' ince Adam's age, men and women have shared a unique bond. We all are aware that the role of a woman is manifold. The most unique and the greatest being that of a mother. But she is also a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, and every bit of her role has its unique significance in a man's life. Where will we be without them?

Scriptures have their own way of describing a woman's place in our society, but whether in Britain or America, are women treated equally? As a man, naturally I would have liked to say, 'yes'.

India or many other developing countries of course have different circumstances. You have young girls exploited with the consent of family members, acid thrown at and even shot in the head for refusing to give up their basic rights.

Even in some of the British Asian communities, women suffer unfathomable torture- and as a man, and especially as a father, I feel terribly angry to read about them.

Media raises its voice, campaigners hold widespread protests all across the globe, but what has been done to change the mindset or the habits that are ingrained in generations feigning ignorance, boasting arrogance and believing woman to be an easy prey?

The charity for tonight- Lily Foundation, highlights many gruesome experiences a girl or a woman has suffered and their efforts to bring back those unfortunate people into a life of normalcy.

The charity's efforts are praiseworthy and I strongly believe its our duty to give those unfortunate girls or women that little push to win back the confidence they have lost in themselves.

This year Asian Achievers Awards are dedicated to Women's Emancipation. It is betrothed to those who have fought the odds, broken that existing glass ceiling, and reached that mountain top- or are helping and are eager to assist others to overcome the challenges they face.

We are delighted that the Guest of Honour tonight is Cherie Blair CBE, QC. She is one of those success stories- a beacon of strength, power and achievements- a role model for aspirants, beating the odds.

It was her network that helped Tony Blair to go to the Chamber. And the rest is history.

This year in this souvenir magazine, Rupanjana Dutta, our Associate Editor and her team of journalists have featured various key men

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and women from different walks of life, who have shared some very interesting life stories, and some have also very elaborately talked about glass ceilings, and that about an inspirational woman, who has motivated them to achieve so much.

We believe that this magazine has been our modest effort to highlight the variety and vibrancy in our community. The list of nominees is extremely impressive and I am sure the judges must have had a real hard time to pick the winners.

I must admit that though there is only one winner per category, every one of you who have been shortlisted or nominated deserve a great round of applause.

Our Chief of Operations L George and our Business Development Manager Rovin George with Business Manager Alka Shah and many other colleagues have put together a fabulous evening.

I must thank all the sponsors, advertisers and supporters who have made this awards such a grandeur.

Thank you very much for joining us tonight.

Yours sincerely, CB Patel Publisher/Editor

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Your efforts are noteworthy Your achievements deserve to be celebrated We are proud to support The Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Congratulations KPMG is proud to support Asian businesses and communities.

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9-Judges Panel_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 17:59 Page 9

PANEL OF Lord Navnit Dholakia - Chair

JUDGES

Newspapers serving the needs of our diverse communities have been here since the early days of their migration to the United Kingdom. They serve two specific needs.

For the first generation migrants, news and views from their homeland are important. For the subsequent generations it is the knowledge of their culture and values reflected in their media, which helps to build their character in their new homeland.

But the ethnic media excel in one other aspect as well.

They identify the achievers in their community and honour them for their successes. The Asian Achievers

Awards reflects this philosophy.

I feel deeply honoured to be asked to Chair a Panel of Judges to identify the excellence in our different communities. The significant impact women make is fully recognised. We also identify those, whose contribution is unique.

For all this, I want to thank my fellow judges. Also to those who did not make to the top, there is always the next time. I know because the margin between winners and losers was so small.

Rt Hon Lord Navnit Dholakia PC OBE DL Deputy Leader, Liberal Democrats House of Lords

Nina Amin MBE

Seema Malhotra MP

Nina Amin is a Tax Partner at KPMG, one of the Big Four professional services firms in the UK and also heads up their Asian Markets.

Nina is a qualified chartered accountant and started her career in auditing with a medium sized firm. She joined Andersen's to specialise in tax in 1981 and has been with KPMG since 1997. She has over 25 years of experience in providing commercial tax and financial advice across a broad range of areas including corporate Governance, M&A transactions, due diligence, transfer pricing, reorganisations and financing.

Seema Malhotra was elected Labour and Co-operative MP for Feltham and Heston in December 2011. She was promoted in July 2012 to be a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Yvette Cooper (Equalities and Home Affairs) and also chairs the Parliamentary Labour Party Business Group. She has also been a member of the Justice Committee since February 2012. Prior to entering Parliament, Seema was a freelance business and public service adviser and has over ten years experience with leading firms Accenture and PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Bhanu Choudhrie Bhanu Choudhrie is a dynamic young entrepreneur, based in the UK. Born in Delhi in 1978, he studied International Business and Marketing at the University of Boston in the US. On completing his studies in 2001, Bhanu moved to London to become the Executive Director of C&C Alpha Group Ltd (CCAG), a UKbased holding company with a diverse range of investments within hospitality, healthcare, real estate, utilities, agriculture, aviation and cuttingedge technologies.

Perween Warsi CBE Perween Warsi CBE, is Britain’s ‘Curry Queen’, a passionate foodlover, one of the UK’s most successful business women and founder of S&A Foods in Derby. A kitchen table start-up, Perween began making samosas on an initial investment of £2.50. Some 25 years later, her company S&A Foods (named after her sons Sadiq and Abid) manufactures a wide range of delicious ethnic ready meals for UK and overseas customers, making up to 1 million meals a week in busy weeks, under one roof at her purpose-built factory in Derby. Perween has also appeared on an episode of The Apprentice: You’re Fired as the business expert.

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Shazia Mirza

hazia Mirza is an award winning British stand up comedian and writer originally from Birmingham, England.

She works all over the world and has toured the US, Sweden, Denmark, France Holland and Germany. She has appeared on CBS 60 Minutes, NBC's Last Comic Standing, and Have I got News for You (BBC).

Earlier in her life, Mirza was a science teacher in a high school and her students included Dizzee Rascal, now a rapper and song artist.

About a year into her stand-up comedy career, Shazia gained UK-wide publicity in the months when the world was coming to terms with the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was because at this time she would perform her act in recognizable hijab dress and begin with the deadpan remark, "My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that's what it says on my pilot’s licence". In April 2007, she also presented a documentary on BBC 3 called 'F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman'.

Shazia is an acclaimed writer and has been a columnist for The Guardian newspaper.

In 2006, she also began writing fortnightly columns in The New Statesman magazine, for which she won Columnist of the Year 2008 at the prestigious PPA Awards. She has been a shish Joshi is an award-winning international correcolumnist for the Dawn spondent and news presenter. With more than 20 News and a regular years experience in television journalism he has covered many panelist on the of the world’s major news events.

Channel 5 topical He is currently a reporter and presenter for the award winning discussion 24-hour channel Sky News. series The In 2009 Ashish was appointed Sky’s first Gulf Correspondent. Since Wright moving to Dubai, Ashish has covered the Iranian Presidential elections, Stuff. reported from Afghanistan and joined the hunt for Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean. He also reported from Indonesia following the Sumatra earthquake.

Before opening Sky’s Gulf bureau Ashish covered many of the world’s major news events. These include the Boxing Day Tsunami, the Pakistan Earthquake, the Lebanon War and the Mumbai Terror Siege.

Ashish has also covered the 7/7 London bombings, the Lebanon War and the 2006 Football World Cup in Germany. He covered the abduction of Madeleine McCann from Portugal and reported on the fall of Silvio Berlusconi during Italy’s 2006 general election.

He was a New York Television Festival Awards 2005 finalist in the Best News Reporter/Correspondent category and winner of a silver award for a series of documentaries on the aftermath of the Tsunami.

Before joining Sky News in 2004, Ashish spent 10 years at the Asian broadcaster Zee Tv, where he was Head of News and Current Affairs (Europe).

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RAF_A4 Temp 31/01/2013 14:08 Page 1

My family have always encouraged me to put education first. I wanted to do interesting things.

By joining the RAF as a medical officer, I am able to do both.

My job means that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m responsible for everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health on the base.

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Outside of work, I have a few hobbies. Beating my little brother at cricket is one of them.

My wife agrees with me on this, living on an RAF base is like staying with extended family.

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People around us are warm, friendly and constantly looking after us.

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Gold Award for Achievment in Media, Arts & Culture Navin Kundra has made his mark as an achiever in media, arts and culture through his singing, songwriting, composing, producing and performing. At 19, he was chosen to represent the UK in an exclusive World Series of Zee Tv's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa'. He then went on to win the BBC Asian Network's Unsung & the Audiences’ Favourite

Award. He was the first British Asian artist to perform at the Buraj-al-Arab Hotel in Dubai and he is an ambassador for the British Asian Trust. Added to his accomplishments is a Guinness World Record for the largest Bollywood dance at the Manchester Mega Mela to his song Mehbooba.

The Finalists

Navin Kundra

Seeta Indrani Seeta began her career in the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s international hit, Cats, going on to work with companies as esteemed as The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Royal National Theatre and, Rambert dance Company.

A familiar face on our tv screens, Seeta is best known for her nine year stint as WPC Datta in The Bill, Lily Hassan in Doctors and more recently, The Cafe and Eastenders. Seeta founded

MashMosh Films in 2006 with Chris Bishop.

They have had commissions from Sony Entertainment Television Asia, DJ Swami, as well as short films The Goodbye Girls with Nina Wadia, Friday and their most recent work, The Sweeney – The Life and Work of Jim Sweeney.

Seeta is also the Festival Director of The Clare Valley Film Festival.

Kiran Shah Kiran Shah is an actor, stuntman and performer, he has been in the entertainment industry for over 40 years and is renowned in the film industry. He has been involved with epic films such as The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia. Though small in height (4ft1in), Kiran has overcome many challenges in his life. He has bro-

ken the barriers for other aspiring actors. He's an inspiration to all who know him and have worked with him. He holds two Guinness World Records for being the smallest stuntman in the world. He's the only small person on the prestigious stunt register. He is also a published poet.

Amol Rajan Amol Rajan was appointed as the Editor of The Independent in June 2013 - the first Asian Editor in Fleet Street. Previously he was the Editor of Independent Voices, (a comment, campaigns and community platform across print and digital), Deputy Comment Editor, Sports News Correspondent and a News Reporter. He writes a restaurant column for The Independent on

Sunday, and has a column in the Evening Standard (Mondays), and Independent and i on (Fridays). He used to work on Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, and at the Foreign Office; and is a trustee of Prospex, a charity for young people in Islington. He also wrote a book called Twirleymen: the Unlikely History of Cricket’s Greatest Spin Bowlers.

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Gold Award for Achievment in Community Service Working with many charitable organisations & faith groups, Charan played key role in raising over one million pounds for over 20 charities. First Asian to run London Marathon to raise funds for UK’s leading disability charity Papworth Trust, Cambridge. Town Councillor, Regional Coordinator for UK’s leading Yoga charity & qualified yoga teacher conducting free classes for many years promoting healthy living. He has

received ‘British Asian Pride of Britain’ award at the UK Parliament and Bedford Mayor’s Award for ‘Citizen of the Year’ for his outstanding charity & community work. He helped in setting up youth clubs prompting sports and is the minority to be appointed as Senior District Environment officer and played key role in resolving sensitive environmental issues for Asian communities.

The Finalists

Charan Kanwal Sekhon

Dorab Erach Mistry OBE Dorab Mistry was the President of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe from 1997 to 2005. He has served the UK Zoroastrian community for almost 20 years from 1993 till today. This year he is once again their Honorary Treasurer, having served in that position for 6 years previously. Under his leadership the Zoroastrians established their

beautiful award-winning Zoroastrian Centre in Harrow. Dorab has also served as the community’s Interfaith representative. Last year he served as Co-Vice-Chair of the Interfaith Network of the UK and this year he is its Honorary Treasurer. In the 2013 Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Dorab was conferred an OBE.

Piara Singh Aulakh MBE A Mathematics teacher for over 30 years who, especially since taking early retirement in 1994, has fully devoted his energies to serving the local community. Instrumental in the development of the Gurudwara in Hounslow, raising funds and lodging his own property as collateral for the initial loan to secure the current site in 1981 (formerly 2 scout huts). He subsequently held several positions on the committee, including Treasurer,

and initiated the development of many popular community services. He is currently a Director for the Sikh Human Rights Group and has previously been an active member of the Hounslow Race Relation Council. His services to Punjabi culture in Britain were recognised by Parliamentary group in 2010. Awarded MBE in Queens 2013 honours list.

Professor Naina Patel OBE Naina Patel is the founder of Policy Research Institute on Community and inter-faith relations (PRIAE) in the UK. She founded the institute in 1998 to meet a large gap in ageing an ethnicity research, engagement of elders to service information and innovations. In 2001, Naina received an OBE from her Majesty the Queen as recogni-

tion of her pioneering work to improve the quality of life of ethnic elders. She accepted this award saying it was in recognition of the area it's self and not just her, she also paid tribute to all the elders and organisations who work with little resources to provide much-needed service support.

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Gold Award for Sports Personality of the Year Ruqsana Begum is an English kickboxer who is currently British female Atomweight (48–50 kg) Muay Thai boxing Champion and captain of the British Muay Thai Team. She is also coach at “Fight for Peace,” a charity which uses boxing as a prevention and rehabilitation model to confront the problem of child and youth participation in

crime. After being selecting to be an Olympic torchbearer in recognition of her sporting achievements and community work, helping young people to engage in sports and giving them a focus in life in the East London community. On 21 July 2012, she carried the Olympic Torch in Greenwich, London.

The Finalists

Ruqsana Begum

Kiran Matharu 21 year old Kiran Matharu is one of the most exciting female golfers to emerge from England since Laura Davies and experts predict she will dominate women’s golf for many years. Yorkshire born Kiran started golf at the age of 11 and hasn’t looked back since. She is the only female British Asian professional golfer and her profile

already extends well beyond the golf course.

Following her victory in the 2006 English Amateur Championship, Kiran represented Great Britain and Ireland in the Curtis Cup versus America. She then turned pro with a handicap of +4, the lowest in the UK.

Saddiqa Shan 21 years old Saddiqa Shan is a Muslim girl, with keen interest and passion in football. From her younger years she pursued it through playing for some renowned clubs, such Aston Villa and Birmingham city, and still continue her participation. When she turned 18, she was handed an opportunity of a lifetime- a scholarship to play

football in America. However, due to unfortunate circumstances at the time, she could not pursue it. Now, as an ambassador for Sporting Pathways, she works alongside her good friend Salma Bi, to push and promote participation, to provide others with the opportunities that she has been fortunate enough to experience.

Vishal Ladwa Vishal M Ladwa is the captain of the England Men’s Kabaddi team. Titled the ‘David Beckham of Kabaddi’ Vishal has popularised and pioneered the growth of kabaddi in the UK after captaining not only the University of Manchester and the University College London kabaddi team but also founding the National Universities of Kabaddi League (NUKL). After breaking his nose three

times and fracturing his pelvis with a crack spanning one inch the chance of walking let alone playing any sport was very slim but Vishal has worked his way to see his childhood dream come true. The team continue to train as they look to cause an upset at the Kabaddi World Cup in early 2014.

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Gold Award for Uniformed & Civil Services Surjeet is the highest ranking Asian officer in West Midlands Police and has dedicated 29 years serving in uniform and CID roles. He has commanded one of the most challenging areas in Birmingham and led the force on preventing extremism - working with the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit to help stop terrorism. Surjeet revolutionised the way the force

develops policies and plans operations to ensure the policing style is sensitive to the impact on communities. In 2011, he led the planning of the open air memorial service for the three men who died on Dudley Road during the summer disorder that shocked the nation. He was recognised in the New Year Honours and awarded the Queens Police Medal.

The Finalists

Chief Superintendent Surjeet Manku

Shami Chakrabarti CBE Shami Chakrabarti has been Director of Liberty since 2003. A Barrister by background, she worked as a lawyer in the Home Office from 1996 until 2001. Since becoming Liberty's Director she has written, spoken and broadcast widely about Liberty's work on equality, human rights and the rule of law. She is Chancellor of

Oxford Brookes University, a Visiting Fellow of Nuffield College, Oxford and a Master of the Bench of Middle Temple. She was one of six independent assessors advising Lord Justice Leveson in his Public Inquiry into the Culture, Practice and Ethics of the UK Press.

Satya Minhas Satya is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors in London. He has excellent leadership, management, problem-solving and communication skills. Until recently, he was an Audit Manager in the office of Mayor of London Policing and Crime, where he managed reviews within the Metropolitan Police Service. He has

contributed significantly to influence changes in the Policing policies for better service to employees and Hindu community such as recruitment, development, promotions, vegetarian catering and dress codes. Satya has been striving in promoting professional standards, compassion for human beings and sense of community service.

Ravi Chand CBE Ravi is a senior civil servant in the role of Head of Capability, Talent and Diversity, supporting Home Office Ministers and the Home Office Executive Management Board. He leads on the capability and talent strategies for the Home Office, to bring on talent, identify leaders of the future, build pro-

fessionalism and ensure the department has the right mix of skills to meet future challenges. He is also responsible for delivering the departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diversity Strategy, which covers both its internal workplace responsibilities and those that relate to the delivery of its services to the public.

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Gold Award for Professional of the Year Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE, BPharm, PhD FRPharmS, Head of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Hertfordshire has over 20 years academic experience in pharmacy education and research. Professor Dhillon works nationally and internationally developing education and research in Clinical Pharmacy, Patient Safety and Clinical Pharmacokinetics. Her management and leadership experience also spans her role as a

Non-Executive Director in the NHS from 1991.

Most notably Chair Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 1999-2010. Currently, she is General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Registrant Member. She was awarded an MBE for Services to Healthcare in the 2007 New Years Honours and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society Charter Gold Medal for outstanding services to the Profession.

The Finalists

Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE

Arun Batra CEO, National Equality Standard Director, UK&I Advisory (Ernst & Young) - Arun is currently leading a groundbreaking initiative which involves developing a single National Equality Standard for the UK. Arun has been responsible for the management and delivery of the Diversity Works for London, the UK’s largest private sector equality ini-

tiative. Under his leadership, the programme grew significantly attracting 4,000 registered users. He also helped shaped the content of several key pieces of legislation including the Equality Act and led the LDA to the level 5 of the Equality Standard in local Government.

Nandita Parshad Nandita Parshad is the Director of the Power & Energy Utilities Team at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) where she heads a team of 40 professionals covering 33 countries with a portfolio of over EUR 5 billion, doing an annual business of over EUR 1 billion.

Nandita has over 25 years’ experience in financing and investing in the power sector in diverse

emerging economies such as India, Eastern Europe, former Soviet Union, Mongolia, Turkey, Middle East and North Africa. Since joining EBRD in 1992, Nandita has led several complex power project financings involving debt, equity, syndications and intensive policy dialogue at the highest level in Governments and with reputable domestic and international strategic investors.

Dr Ajay Gupta Dr Ajay Gupta is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon with a specialist interest in Lower Limb Arthoplasty in London. He is Director of the UK India Healthcare Corporation-UKIHC. He is currently leading a project on ‘Affordable Healthcare’ in India and is working in collaboration with the

British and Indian Dignitaries on ways to promote a self sustainable healthcare model in India which is affordable, available and appropriate for all individuals irrespective of their socio-economic status (like the National Health Service in UK).

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Afro Asian2013_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 17:59 Page 1

Congratulation to all the winners of the Asian Achievers Awards

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Gold Award for Young Entrepreneurof the Year Aruna Seth is a luxury shoe company with designs hand-crafted in Italy from the finest quality materials. A range of over 50 pairs of Swarovski inspired evening shoes, glamorous day—time ballerinas, classic office shoes and boots. Only the finest quality materials are chosen to adorn each design. The sole has a special plush leather padding inside for cashmere like

comfort for feet. Aruna studied at the London College of Fashion and was brought up in a family with a 50 year heritage in the shoe industry.

Aruna Seth has over 50 stockists worldwide from Harrods London to Kleinfelds in New York. Aruna Seth shoes are worn by Pippa Middleton, Kate Hudson and Royalty.

The Finalists

Aruna Seth

Faiza Seth Faiza Seth, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and founder of London based bespoke luxury interior design and architecture firm Casa Forma, leads the strategy and development initiatives at the company. Her expertise lies in managing, finance and marketing. Faiza has enjoyed living all over the world, including America, India, Hong Kong and the UK. She began her career as an Analyst on the Equity Capital Markets team at Lehman

Brothers. Following this, she established her own international apparel manufacturing, sourcing and trading business, Norwest Industries Ltd, in Hong Kong. Her passion for entrepreneurship and management mixed with her creative flair led to the creation of Casa Forma in January 2007 – a bespoke luxury architectural and interior design firm headquartered in London.

Nick Madhavji Nick (Nitin) Madhavji is the Founder and Managing Director of the Joskos Group of companies. A dynamic and passionate leader, at the age of 32 and armed with over 15 years of hands-on entrepreneurial experience, Nick is dedicated to ensuring Joskos’ continued success as one of the fastest growing Education technology service companies in the UK. Nick’s multiple award-winning companies are

leading the way in which technology solutions and IT training are delivered and supported. With further unprecedented growth in 2013, Joskos has also nurtured longstanding partnerships with the world’s largest technology companies including Dell, Toshiba, Microsoft and Intel.

Nick is a Stem Ambassador, school governor and will frequently be found in schools speaking to learners about their many options in life.

Rajeeb Dey Rajeeb Dey (27) is the founder & CEO of Enternships - a platform for students and graduates to find internships and jobs in over 5000 startups and SMEs for which he was awarded the O2 X Young Entrepreneur of the Year accolade and named the world’s youngest Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2012. Rajeeb is also a co-founder of Start Up Britain; the national campaign to inspire, cele-

brate and accelerate entrepreneurship in Britain, launched by the Prime Minister in 2011. He was recognised by The Evening Standard as one of the “1000 Most Influential People in London” and earlier this year honoured with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in recognition of his work in the entrepreneurship sector for over ten years.

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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John Cumming2013_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 16:44 Page 1

JOHN CUMMING ROSS LIMITED CHARTERED CERTIFIED ACCOUNTANTS

Congratulations to the winners of the Asian Achievers Awards

to

Directors : B B Patel Dilip Unarket Vasanti Patel

1st Floor, Kirkland House 11-15 Peterborough Road Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2AX Telephone: 020 8864 6689 Fax: 020 8423 6956 Email: post@jcp.uk.com www.jcp.uk.com

13-31Finalist_A4 Temp 02/09/2013 11:54 Page 25

Platinum Award for Business Person of the Year Today, Designer Parfums is a new emerging leader in fine fragrance and fashion under the creative, entrepreneurial and visionary leadership of CEO Dilesh Mehta. He founded the Shaneel Group in 1983, in order to redefine the world of luxury goods. Designer Parfums success stories include a combination of owned brands such as

Jean Patou, House of Worth and Ghost and licensed brands such as Etienne Aigner. Its strength lies in its ability to build brands through fashion and to translate that same image into the world of fragrance through storytelling and product excellence. Designer Parfums products are sold in more than 130 countries.

The Finalists

Dilesh Mehta

Thembalath Ramachandran Thembalath Ramachandran (known as TR), a first generation entrepreneur runs a successful pharmaceutical company, Bristol Laboratories Limited.

Established in 1997, the company is engaged in development and manufactures of pharmaceutical products and markets over 300 formulations throughout the United Kingdom.

His passion for taking on challenges backed by 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical

industry led him take over a loss making unit in Bedfordshire in 2004 . His dedicated leadership and experience, has converted it in to one of the leading pharmaceutical companies, in the process creating employment for over 350 people.

His Vision is shared by his equally dedicated team and the future looks just as promising.

Mumtaz Khan Mumtaz Khan is founder and owner of the Mumtaz brand and has since become one of the richest men in Yorkshire and Lancashire, with a personal wealth of £85 million (2013). Mumtaz Khan is the Governor of the first bank to open in Azad Kashmir and the founder of Halal Baby Food and Mumtaz group of Industries. Mumtaz

Khan has opened up factories in Spain, Switzerland, Pakistan, Malaysia, France, and Singapore due to high demand. Mumtaz group of Industries have now built a new state of Art factory in Bradford costing £15 million which will create 250 jobs within the first year.

Firoz Tejani Firoz Tejani is Chief Executive of the Lenlyn Group and one of the founding family shareholders who established the business in 1973. Originally the business was dedicated to the operation of foreign exchange concessions on London’s main high streets and railway stations. It is now one of the largest retail currency exchange operators in

the world and also offers a comprehensive range of financial services following the acquisition of Raphaels Bank, a private bank founded in 1787 and regulated by the PRA and FCA. He is an active member of his local Lions Club and has over many years sponsored a number of charities both in the UK and overseas.

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Platinum Award for Woman of the Year Meena Pathak is today widely heralded as the woman who brought Indian cuisine to the masses. After receiving a degree in catering and food in India, Meera started experimenting with tikkas and tandooris – the popular Indian flavours - trying to find a new way of preserving them in Britain. After three months, she finally created a

paste which could be manufactured in a jar, sparking off a revolution in Indian food in Britain.

The Patak’s company never looked back. Today Patak’s is a household name not only in Britain but also across the globe and Meena is still considered a leading authority on Indian cuisine.

The Finalists

Meena Pathak OBE

Kamal Basran Kamal Basran is the owner and non-executive director of the £35m-turnover Authentic Food Company, which she founded in 1985.

Employing 248 staff, it has its headquarters in Wythenshawe, supplying frozen Indian, Oriental, Mediterranean and British dishes to retail and food outlets. Customers include Co-operative and the famous Asda, as well as pubs, restaurants

and hotels/travel agencies. Her food business began with a test batch of samosas at a local delicatessen in Poynton, where she was living. She made lamb, vegetable and chicken samosas in her kitchen to deliver to the shop on Friday and Saturday mornings but they used to sell out by the end of the day.

Farida Gibbs Farida Gibbs is the CEO of GibbsS3, a globally certified woman-owned business enterprise.

Gibbs S3 has become an international provider of IT Staffing, Business Change and Project Solutions with operations in the US and Europe.

Farida began her career more than 15 years ago and has extensive experience in the Banking, Telecommunications, Energy and Retail industries.

er inspiring career and rise to the top has led her to direct the UK's efforts and become one of the fastest growing staffing providers posting sales revenues of $30,000,000 in the UK after 3 years of trading. Farida has been asked to support the Women of the Future Ambassadors Programme, which mentors the next generation of female talent.

Baljinder Boparan The 2 Sisters Food Group is a Birmingham based food-manufacturing company, established in 1993 by Chief Executives, Baljinder and Ranjit Boparan, as a frozen retail cutting operation. It has grown rapidly through acquisition and expanded to cover 36 manufacturing sites in the UK, 8 in the Netherlands, 5 in Ireland and 1 in Poland. It is listed 19th on the 2013 Sunday Times Top

Track 100. The Boparans are very keen on training and developing their workforce and are proud of their record of putting employees through NVQs on factory and farm production. They are also proud of the high standards of animal welfare and food safety among their partner companies and suppliers.

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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Platinum Award for Lifetime Achievment Award Srichand & Gopichand Hinduja are UK-based billionaire brothers who have a net worth of $8.3 billion. Often refereed to as the Hinduja brothers, they run the global conglomerate The Hinduja Group, which is currently headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Founded back in 1914, the company was initially operating in Mumbai, India, and then set up its first

international operation in Iran in 1919.

Sixty years later, the brothers moved to London to develop their father's export business. Their group incorporates manifold companies with operations in automotive, financial services, ITES, oil and gas, media and telecom among others. Overall, it employes more than 4000 people.

The Finalists

The Hinduja Brothers

Fauja Singh Fauja Singh (age 102) is a British centenarian marathon runner of Punjabi Sikh descent. He is a world record holder in his age bracket. His current personal best time for the London Marathon (2003) is 6 hours 2 minutes, and his marathon record, for age 90-plus, is 5 hours 40 minutes at the age of 92, at the 2003 Toronto Waterfront

Marathon. In 2004, Singh was featured in an advertising campaign for sportswear manufacturer Adidas alongside David Beckham and Muhammad Ali. At 89 years, he took seriously to running and ended up in international marathon events. In July 2012, Fauja Singh carried the Olympic torch.

Anil Agarwal Anil Agarwal (born 1954, Patna, Bihar, India) is an Indian businessman and the founder and Executive Chairman of the United Kingdombased Vedanta Resources Corporation. Vedanta's oil subsidiary produces 175000 barrels a day from Rajasthan. Agarwal started as a metals trader. In 2003, he floated Vedanta on the London stock Market. Agarwal's stake is worth ÂŁ2.05 bil-

lion. Seven years a go he said he would give $1 billion to start a university in India. With a ÂŁ20 million home in mayfair and other interests, he is worth ÂŁ2.2 billion. Agarwal himself has turned his attentions to more philanthropic challenges in recent times and has issued a rallying call for business in India to do more.

Nasser Hussain OBE Nasser Hussain OBE (born 28 March 1968) is a former cricketer who played for Essex and England. In first-class cricket from 1987 to 2004 Hussain scored 20,698 runs in 334 matches at an average of 42.06, including 52 centuries. A right-handed batsman, Hussain's highest Test score was 207, scored in the first Test of the 1997 Ashes at Edgbaston. Hussain is

regarded as one of the best England Test Cricket Captains of the era for his part in transforming the side from a habitually under-performing team to one of the top teams in world cricket. Simon Barnes of The Times wrote that "Hussain is the most significant cricketer to have played for England since the war and perhaps the finest captain to hold the office.

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The Sky is the limit s an instrumental part of the Highlighting this Roma said, “I creation of The Shard, Roma think definitely there is a stigma. I Agrawal has become a popthink we're losing such a massive ular name amongst Britons. The taltalent pool of people that could ented, structural engineer from potentially be amazing scientists WSP Group, a company providing and engineers. For some reason, I property engineering and managedon't know why we have this idea ment consultancy services, Roma that engineering appeals less to has worked her way up from being women. I've been trying to address a graduate engineer to Associate young girls and boys, through preStructural Engineer in just eight sentations about my job, career and years. She is the only Asian woman projects, to make engineering more who worked on creating this iconic appealing. We don't have enough building in London and in her interengineers in the UK. So we need to view, Roma discussed with us the get more men and a lot more image problems that are connected women on board.” to her field. She also focused on the Speaking about her own jourcareer opportunities available to ney however, Roma believes she has engineers, particularly aspiring and been lucky and chooses to see her ambitious women. gender as an advantage. “WSP has Explaining on how she got into a very professional environment and we have women as technical direcStructural Engineering, Roma said, tors, executives, who are doing very “When I was younger, I always well, with families and so on. I think wanted to be an architect. I'm quite when you work on site, it is very diffascinated with how buildings stand ferent. There are more men, but I up, so I think many years later, when I was trying to choose what find they tend to remember you to do, it played quite a big part in my because there are very few women Roma Agrawal choice. I also felt it was the type of on site, which can work to your job that would provide fantastic advantage.” employment opportunities for someone interested in Roma was awarded 'Young Structural Engineer of tall buildings, refurbishments and foot bridges.” the Year 2011' by the Institution of Structural Engineers, After doing a Physics degree at the Oxford ‘Best in Science & Engineering’ at the British Indian University, Roma started on the graduate proAwards 2013 and was a finalist for the 'Young Woman gramme at WSP which trained her to apply her theEngineer of the Year' run by the Institution of oretical knowledge to actual design work. Rather Engineering and Technology. than feeling at a disadvantage, Roma highlights A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, and avid believer that her company was very keen on her broad in yoga, Roma's message to aspiring engineers is, background. “Since I joined, I’ve found I look at “Absolutely 100% go for it. It is very rewarding. I problems in a slightly different way to others. It's encourage you to do a lot of research in your field, just about bringing lots of different ideas to the find out what other people are doing and get some table. With engineering, if you’re a good problem work experience. Just really go for it and don't be solver and good at maths, then you can be an afraid of anything.”

When asked what is next for Roma Agrawal, engineer.” she added with a smile, “Well I would love to conWhat drives Roma is the realisation of her tinue working on a wide range of projects and projects from start to finish. “My favourite part I really want learn as much as I can about engineering. I'm of engineering is when I get to see my projects also very keen on continuing my schoolbeing built. We spend a long time designing to see an engagement programme and mentoring. I things in the office on paper, so seeing it increase in the really want to see an increase in the number coming to life, many times bigger than the of people taking science-based degrees. I'm drawings, is rewarding.” number of also quite keen on getting more people It is no secret that engineering is tradipeople taking involved with the industry as a whole.” tionally a male dominated industry and, according to a WSP report, fewer than 1 in science-based Interviewed and Written by 10 engineers in the UK are female, while degrees Rupanjana Dutta & Tanveer Mann 1 in 5 engineers at WSP are female.

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33-Amit Bhatia,_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 18:01 Page 33

A Young Entrepreneur inspired by his Moms mit Bhatia, 34, is the Chairman of Amit is married to Ms. Vanisha Hope Construction Materials, the Mittal, daughter of steel magnate and UK’s largest independent supplier Chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, Mr. of concrete, cement, aggregates and Lakshmi Mittal. asphalts. Hope’s assets include the “My mother and my mother in law largest cement works in the UK at Hope are my two greatest inspirations,” Amit Valley in Derbyshire, 172 ready-mix told me exclusively for the 2013 AAA plants, four railheads, five major quarmagazine. “I’d really like to discuss my ries, seven national offices, a fleet of admiration for my moms and how they over 400 vehicles and 800 employees. inspire us as role models. My mom dedHope Construction Materials is the first icates her life to her family and her social UK construction company to have been work. She is deeply involved with a characcepted into the World Economic ity called Savera which was set up in Forum’s Global Growth Companies 1997 by a group of 16 women. My moth(GCC) community. Hope is just one of er in law has tirelessly tried to champion two European construction firms to meet initiatives for women, health and educathe membership criteria. tion. They are the most selfless and givAmit Bhatia is the founder and sening women and are an inspiration to me ior partner at Swordfish Investments LLP, Amit Bhatia and my entire family.” a private equity fund, and Swordfish Perhaps the examples provided by Capital Management, an investment management the senior ladies of the family subtly influenced Amit’s company. He owns and manages both these Mayfairdecision to set up the Mittal Champions Trust, in which based firms. He is the founder of the Mittal Amit’s father in law Lakshmi Mittal and his brother in Champions Trust. He is also co-owner and vice-chairlaw Aditya are also involved. The Trust administrator is man of QPR Football Club. In January 2009 he was Manisha Malhotra. The MCT works on providing 33 talappointed Chairman of the charitable organisation, ented Indian athletes with the facilities to win on the QPR in the Community Trust. Furthermore, in 2010, world stage. “We do this by getting the athletes coachAmit Bhatia set up a grant-awarding charity, called the es, trainers, equipment, mental trainers, physiotheraGlobal Relief Initiative. In 2011, Mr Bhatia donated pists and anything else they need. The aim is to give money to the Cornell University Library System to supeach of our athletes the best possible platform to preport its café space in the first floor of the library. pare them for the Olympic stage,” Amit explained.

Additionally, he is involved in a number of private The support to the athletes, who are often from businesses spanning the education, media, telecom challenging socio-economic backgrounds, paid off. and real estate sectors.

Abhinav Bindra, won India’s first gold medal Amit has won many awards including one in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. recently given at a ceremony by the Home I am a glass In the 2010 Asian Games at Guangzhou, Secretary Theresa May and has been the China, MCT athletes won three gold, five silhalf full kind of ver and eight bronze medals. Prior to this, winner of the Outstanding Young Executive category at the Global Business Excellence guy. An optimist. at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Awards.

New Delhi, MCT athletes won 16 medals.

I don't see things India Amit is an alumnus of Cornell won six medals at the London University, Ivy League School, Ithaca, New as challenges but Olympics 2012.

York, where he studied Economics and Mr Amit Bhatia seems set to just conrather as Investment Management. Prior to starting tinue winning, whether professionally or in opportunities the social sector.

Swordfish Investments, Amit also worked with Mergers and Acquisitions at Morgan Stanley in But has he ever been checked by a glass ceiling along the way?

New York and Credit Suisse First Boston in London, England.

No, Amit told me.

Born in 1979 in London to Arun and Renu Bhatia, “I am a glass half full kind of guy. An optimist. I Amit was educated at St Columba’s school in Delhi, don't see things as challenges but rather as opportuniwhere he showed himself to be sporty as well as clever. ties. I prefer to tackle issues head on and try and solve He then won a cricket scholarship to Dulwich College them.” in London.

Interviewed and Written by Rani Singh

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A bloody trade that dishonours us all ily did not choose to become a child prostitute.

How could she? She was only 4 years old. It was her mother who sold her into sex slavery; her mother was a prostitute with a drug habit. The price was Rs.5000 (about £50). The cost of buying a child is less than that of buying a buffalo in India; whereas a buffalo could Lady Mohini Kent Noon cost £200 and more, the average cost of a child seems to be £50.

Shocking as that is, it’s not a unique story. There are an estimated two children in brothels in India alone.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing global crime and valued at an estimated $32 billion, of which about $10 billion is in Asia. One sex slave can bring in a profit of about $30,000 annually, and cost just $2000 to maintain. Everybody is making money from those little bodies. About 4 million people are trafficked every year, and victims of 136 different nationalities have been discovered in 118 countries. An estimated 12,000 Nepalese girls under the age of 18 are trafficked into India alone each year, which has become a country of source and transit, as well as a destination.

The LILY anti-trafficking charity is named after the little girl. She had been raped in a Delhi brothel before she could be rescued but she is now 19 and has completed school, so hers is a story of hope. Our dream is that the millions of Lilys trapped in brothels can be rescued, with your help. President Kennedy said: ‘Our problems are man-made; therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings’.

No community and no religion are safe. Hindu girls, Muslim girls, middle-class girls, poor girls – and boys as well – are tricked, kidnapped or sold into the bloody trade. Haima, a Muslim from Banaras, was sold to a Delhi brothel. She had a baby son who was separately sold to a childless couple for adoption. Globally, one boy is trafficked for every two girls, but in India the number of girls is much higher. Prema is a desperately poor Hindu girl from Jharkhand who was rescued in Delhi. She said: ‘After that day, I was a different person.

I didn’t believe in anything or anyone. I was raped and beaten every day, almost every moment; I was just a body with a dead soul.’ These are real girls with real lives. Both were rescued by a charity we support in Delhi.

There are many reasons why the flesh trade flourishes in India.Grinding poverty, the sort that compels

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

families to sell their daughters, is a blot on the face of a modern democracy. Often, family debts are thus settled. The gender imbalance is huge and with girls in short supply, trafficking has become ever more profitable. Lack of education and lack of future prospects also compel people to turn to prostitution. Caste and social structure too have created circumstances where families have no alternative; tribals are often marginalized and turn to prostitution as a means of survival.

Brothels are violent places where drugs and alcohol go hand-in-hand with prostitution. If victims resist, they are killed and disappear without trace. There’s no police record, no proof that they ever existed.

It is we who have rendered them invisible by not caring about what happens to them. We must help the girls who are enslaved because poor, illiterate children have no one else to help them. They’ve been let down by all the adults in their lives and have nothing – no care and affection, not even a smile.We must work until we extinguish every trace of this bloody traffic. That we have allowed it to flourish for so long is a disgrace and dishonour to us all.

Let’s never forget the face of the 4-year girl

The LILY Foundation works with partner projects who run rescue and rehabilitation shelters. They tackle the issue at all levels in the trafficking cycle – from prevention, to rescue and restoration, rehabilitation and livelihood, campaigning and advocacy. That includes medical care, education, employment and eventual reintegration in society.

No amount is too small to give. It takes 15 to 18 years to raise a child and we have to support the rescued girls until they complete their education and are settled. You can help to make the difference to one girl such as Lily. To us, she might be a tiny dot in the millions, but to her it’s her whole life.

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36-Shelina Permalloo_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 18:02 Page 36

From Platter to Prominence helina Permalloo made cookspecial seasoning in all her dishes. ing reality headlines when Even Shelina’s name suggests a warm she took the crown of tantalising fusion of ethnic cuisine; a Masterchef in 2012. The first mixture of South-East Asian shallots, female chef to win in seven years it Parma ham and Indian aloo (potato)! really was a fresh and exciting This passion has spilled over, quite litachievement. Serving up a narraerally, into the next chapter of her life tive blend of cultural and culinary with her aptly named book ‘Sunshine colour, with a dollop of professionon a Plate’. “The book is an ode to al know-how, the SouthamptonMauritian food. I compiled about 60 born cuisiniere treated us to an home-cooked recipes (including sonexclusive biographic platter: experiin-law eggs!) before Masterchef went ence on the programme, influlive.” She is also opening a signature ences growing up, and new-fanrestaurant, announcing the venue in gled exposure in the business.

November.

“It is difficult to become a Other culinary projects include chef as a woman. It’s a demanding private and pop-up dining, and our independent career, sometimes in personal favourite, a cooking school the kitchen from 7am to midnight, conducted from luscious Mauritius and you do need to think about itself: “It’s a three day course, and part family and children. There are less of a package trip. The first day we’ll go female chefs by default. However I to local markets giving an idea of the find that at the end of the day, if produce found. We’ll also have lunch your trade is excellent, that is what Shelina Permalloo at a lodge together. I’ll teach six differis seen regardless of gender or ent dishes; the essence of our cuisine race.” As well as a promising pioneering step for and little tricks. One is red snapper on banana leaves women, Shelina's triumph in the cooking world has on the beach, another is tropical sago pudding. We also been a huge personal feat. The BBC’s widely emphasise fresh vegetables. Pulses are key, and we watched show was her first proper foray into the cateruse all types of meat so Mauritian food is very baling industry: anced. A lot of gluten and dairy-free preparations are “I did not expect to win” she bubbled, “I had showcased in the cook book”. moved to South London, working in charity-project As if the healthiness and exotica were not management, and was cooking mainly from enough, Shelina’s vibrant background sprouts yet home. It was always a dream that I didn’t know another appeal, “It’s affordable. While growing up how to approach. I applied to Masterchef around here good fish was expensive. So there are many the same time as other catering jobs and it all tinned fish recipes etc. My favourite is the simple just happened.” The experts were certainly classic rougaille; a tomato sauce infused with happy she brought her long simmering thyme, garlic, and coriander and can be used ambition to the boil, stating ‘her dishes as a base. Egg rougaille is wonderful.

At the end were amongst the best they’d tasted.’

Supermarkets stock many spices now, and Her furtive but flavourful cookery has of the day, if your obtaining rice is easier.” been the product of a rich and diversified Here, managing to battle the hunger trade is excellent, history, "About being Mauritian in the UKpangs so far, we are able to rasp one final that is what is Mauritian people are African, Chinese, question; “My icon?” Shelina beamed. “My Indian and European. We may have a seen regardless mother. In fact my biggest challenge in cookChinese stir-fry noodles alongside Indian ing is that somehow, it never quite tastes like of gender or style curry, or a slow cooked European mum’s.” With that, we left her to prepare for race stew with some pickles. I learnt by watchthe Halal and Battersea food festivals while ing my mum and auntie. It was an oral trawe, not quite so glamorously, scurried off to dition; being told to peel onions, chop garget a sandwich. lic etc. Mum also adapted recipes because we didn’t (Sunshine on a Plate by Shelina Permalloo is availget access to certain ingredients in Britain. For example able now – (Ebury Press). For more information visit I loved mangoes, but they were scarce. Recipes are www.shelinapermalloo.com and @shelinacooks) nostalgic; Mauritian cuisine I remember tasting."

As we can see through lobster curry and mangoInterviewed and Written by: Rupanjana Dutta & cream cake, a big sentimental heart is definitely the Sunetra Senior

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Encouraging those who have faced glass ceilings

Sir Suma Chakrabarti

ince his appointment last May to take charge of the multilateral European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Sir Suma Chakrabarti has made significant strides by shaking it up and bringing it into the 21st century whilst ensuring it is truly representative of society.

The Financial Times hailed Sir Suma as somebody who “embodies the modernising, shirtsleeved culture that swept through parts of the UK civil service over the past decade or so” and credited him with bringing this same quality over to the EBRD. When questioned on what this means in precise terms, he lead us over to a Human Resources dashboard and says: “It is amazing that an organisation as big as this never had such a thing. So this will tell you staffing and recruitment trends, turnover and gender mix – it’s now 55 per cent female and 45 per cent male across the organisation,” he says pre-empting the inevitable question I was about to ask. “It’s shifting in the right direction but it’s the senior ranks where it’s not like that.”

Originally from West Bengal, India Sir Suma progressed rapidly up the career ladder in the UK and at the age of 42, he became the youngest and first Asian-born Permanent Secretary since the Second World War. A decade later, he has progressed even further to become the President of the EBRD and the challenges of heading an organisation with member countries from all five continents across the globe are vast. But there is one in particular which Sir Suma encounters on a daily basis. “Finding a well-pressed suit!” he says jovially before revealing the biggest test. “There are 66 shareholders who all have completely different views but unlike in a company, they are representative of the board and so managing

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66 different points of view about the same issue is quite a tough thing to do."

It is often thought that a person from an ethnic minority background will hit the glass ceiling during the process of securing a position in the civil service followed by a high-ranking position in a large organisation, but never failed to deter Sir Suma who thinks otherwise. “I think the glass ceiling I ever faced quite honestly is more of a self-imposed as I wouldn’t do certain things if it didn’t suit my ethics or values,” he says uniquely. " But then have I faced glass ceilings in terms of my own career? No, not really, but then I did specialise in areas where it would have been quite hard to have a glass ceiling as I’m a development expert and international development is an area which has always been leading the way in terms of breaking glass ceilings for both ethnic minorities and women.

“What I really wanted to do is encourage those who have face glass ceilings – particularly women in the civil service to try and smash through it.

What I did in the civil service was to encourage those women to apply to get to the starting line because often they would rule themselves out before the competition had even started whereas men always ruled themselves in because they’re so self-confident, egocentric and vain that they think they can win every competition even if they’re not qualified.”

To achieve the height of success as Sir Suma has done requires an insatiable desire to succeed coupled with hard work. But it also takes a mentor to unlock potential and turn it into success and Sir Suma attributes this to three very special ladies in his life. “My mother would be number one without a doubt. She brought me up on her own because my father was working in India and we were here and she was a role model because she did have to break through the glass ceiling in her profession in the education sector in the 1960s.

“She was an extraordinary role model and very liberal person which was unusual for many Indian families generally. Now I live with a wife and daughter so they have played a part too – not so much in terms of forming my character because I think my mother did that, but in helping me be able to achieve.” Women are performing an increasingly critical role in all aspects of personal and professional life but perhaps this is best reflected in EBRD’s gender mix, which shows just how vital they are to a global organisation.

I wouldn’t do certain things if it didn’t suit my ethics or values

Interviewed and Written by Rupanjana Dutta and Romil Patel Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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38-Kiran Tawadey_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 18:03 Page 38

Making Waves in the Tea Trade So I became a tea-broker in a very hands-on way.

I had knowledge in economics, working as a banker.

Eventually I took a tea-broking course in the City of London too.” Really pouring integrity into the tea came with the emergence of Kiran’s own brand “the packers were mixing the product with other things, and we still weren’t offering what I knew was possible. With a little seed money from my husband, I began buying from Rajah and handling the tea myself, packing loose leaf tea from my own home and going to local places like Camden Market to sell it”.

Her first major break was the Organic Food Award for Taste in 1998 “It was given by Prince Charles and our start-up got a lot of attention. I was always about high-standard and felt more confident about approaching bigger stores.” This led to the next big step; marketing “Waitrose said the product was good but that our packing was too simple. People needed to want to buy.

So with the help of another small design company we designed something that resonated emotionally and remained true to the ideal.”

Kiran Tawadey Here the principled entrepreneur also interjected iran Tawadey created Hampstead Tea in 1995. her massive gratitude to tea pioneers in Europe OTG The first brand to distribute biodynamic tea, it is “They helped make our tea gardens more biodynamic,” marching ahead to become one of Britain’s most and to all her customers “they’re the reason to get up valued infusion-drink companies. As we talked to Kiran in the morning.” Although it has been hard-work, Kiran about tea, taste and trading, we realised that this does not view it to her detriment “Business was trickiground-breaking accomplishment was only going to be er when I started, no internet or email, but I finally have the natural conclusion with such an open and ebullient control over the end-product.” Allowing her to balance individual as the driving force: family obligations, the gradual pace has worked out for “Our tea is not blended” Kiran explained. “Purity the better “I travelled with my husband when he did his distinguishes our brand. People think all tea is organic MBA, and having our first child, moved with him to and it’s not. Coming from abroad, 80% from East Africa London. Now the kids are 26 and 28 and I couldn’t be in tea-bags, conventional tea was intensely culhappier!” tivated with chemicals like DDT. We were The positivity extends to politics “If I ever the first Darjeeling estate to be certified hit a glass ceiling I wouldn’t know. I use obstaI use organic, and we will never compromise the cles to learn as there is not point being judgeobstacles to product.” The concept of an unalloyed tea mental about these things. I don’t pretend that that would be available to all-now boasting learn as there is failure comes from hitting a glass ceiling – huge markets in Italy and Japan-first began there is always a good reason for it." brewing in 1989, from an everyday domestic not point being Kiran’s self-made familial journey shows setting “It started through Rajah Banerjee’s that the traditional work ethic can survive and judgemental Makaibari Tea and a chance conversation. thrive in modern times. Even the children are about these I was interested in the organic food as autonomously following in the commercial my son had eczema which was irritated by things world, her youngest with an internet business food additives. I knew about tea having spent and the eldest in banking. They must think for time in Cochin near Tea gardens when my themselves, but also go with the flow; an idea father was in the Indian Navy. Well, I went to that is chirpily summarised with Kiran’s parting the Tea Board to make enquiries and ran into comment on the competitor coffee “it is tea’s sexy Rajah. He was visiting Europe and mentioned his tea cousin. It’s done a great job but the comfort of tea is was grown without chemicals. This was a time when regarded well too, like my favourite Muscatel the word organic didn’t exist, and I thought he should Darjeeling, and I think the younger generation apprecitell people what he was doing. He challenged me to ate both respectively too.” take on the role and I made calls to Holland, the U.S and East Germany. The latter bought two years crop Interviewed and Written By Rupanjana Dutta and on the spot!

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39-Rumi Verjee_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 18:04 Page 39

Building Tomorrow rom the traumatic experiquite a formidable lady.” ence of his family being Like many ambitious migrants expelled from Uganda and minorities, Lord Verjee has under the Idi Amin regime to observed the glass-ceiling which making millions in business and still persists and he cites it as one being appointed as a Liberal of the reasons he decided to walk Democrat peer last month, Lord away from law and into business.

Rumi Verjee has witnessed the “They’re called glass ceilings for a many highs and lows of life and reason – because sometimes you he reveals the various forces that don’t see that they’re there, so have driven him to the pinnacle you’re jogging along and think of success. you’re doing well but you don’t Originally from a well realise that they exist,” he says. respected family of lawyers in “I think in this country the East Africa, Lord Verjee was no glass ceiling still exists. It’s fundadifferent and like other family mentally wrong that the geography members; he too attended the of where you’re born or to whom prestigious Downing College at you are born to determine how sucCambridge University. After senscessful you’re going to be in life. I ing corruption in the legal system hope I can contribute to having a more representative society. I don’t in Kenya followed by rather disilthink there are enough women, lusioning experiences in the disabled people and minorities genworld of investment banking, erally in the governance of the Lord Verjee turned his attention country and that’s something that I to entrepreneurship. will fight hard for.”

He introduced the worldAlthough the glass-ceiling famous Domino’s brand of pizza may be there, Lord Verjee feels it is to the UK aged just 27 despite Lord Rumi Verjee vital not to let it overshadow what can be achieved in not having the prerequisite two years’ experience of working in a pizza store which would allow him to quala land brimming with talent and opportunity. “A lot of ify for his own franchise. Although the business execupeople see the East African Asians as victims of Idi tives at Domino’s flatly rejected his proposal of setting Amin and what happened – and of course we suffered up in the UK, Lord Verjee was not to be deterred. great trauma and a great injustice and we were victims, “I found out that Tom Monaghan [the founder of but actually the people who suffered in the end were Domino’s Pizza] was doing an expo in Texas and I borthe local African community who didn’t have an opporrowed some money from a friend, got on a plane tunity to make it somewhere else,” he says pensiveand said: ‘Ok I’ll meet him’”, he explains. “After ly.

I was the the talk I went through the crowd and said: ‘Mr In the meantime however, the newly Monaghan your people are not letting me appointed peer is pouring his time into philanideal model: thropic efforts with The Rumi Foundation. He meet you and I want to meet you.’ I think that young, impressed him and I was the ideal model: is very interested in attracting more and more young, hungry and ambitious.”

Asians minorities in British politics, while he is hungry and tirelessly working on a project known as In spite of not having any business expeambitious “Building Tomorrow”, which constructs schools rience whatsoever, Lord Verjee points to a determined entrepreneurial thread that runs in his famfor children in the rural parts of Uganda and his ily. “The most inspirational woman in my life has desire to give back to a country with a turbulent relabeen my maternal grandmother, Mithibai, who was a tionship with Asians is striking. Yet his father’s legacy – fascinating lady,” he says triumphantly. “She died when of building multi-denominational schools in Kenya to I was 12-years-old but she was actually a business facilitate community cohesion – lives on. matriarch in those days and she ran a watch shop in a “Once I was fortunate enough to be successful place called Tanga in Tanzania. But she was a real here, it was a natural transition to ask what I can give matriarch in the community so she fulfilled her familial back. I have found that the more I give, the more I get duties very well. She was a great mother but also she back,” he says sentimentally. was a patron of the family in terms of earning the bread, which was pretty unique in those days. Even Interviewed and Written by Rupanjana Dutta and now she is still known and talked about, so she was Romil Patel

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40-41 Aplha_A4 Temp 30/08/2013 18:05 Page 40

Redefining the roots and routes of development in India lpha G:Corp is one of the fastest growing and most felicitated developers in the Indian real estate industry.

Established in 2003 with the industry’s top 5 professionals at the helm, the company received panIndia opportunities for unprecedented growth following Morgan Stanley’s investment of $65 million in the company in 2006.

Alpha G:Corp is also one of the few Indian real estate companies in which a professional team manages the entire scope of operations.

The company encourages our constituents, cus- From R-L: Dr. Prodipta Sen (Executive Director), Mr. S.K. Sayal (Director & CEO), Col R.S. Sodhi (Managing Director), Mr. Mukul Kumar (Executive Director), Mr. Ashish Sarin tomers and the fraternity (CFO & Executive Director) to ‘Expect the finest’, ability or the capacity to pioneer industry-best practices from us, be it in terms of delivery standards, sustainin real estate development and management. With quality and environment friendly real estate develop-

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Alpha G:Corp’s Delivered Projects:

Category of Project

Name of Project

Residential

GurgaonOne, Sector 22, first premium eco-friendly 10-acre residential habitat in Gurgaon.

‘Listed with Distinction under Sustainable Projects’ from across the Asia-Pacific at the Asia Pacific Real Estate Awards 2008; ‘Best Residential Property in Northern Region’ at the CNBC AWAAZ-CRISIL & CREDAI Real Estate Awards’ 2010 and ‘Environment Friendly Residential Project of the Year – North India’ at the Estate World Awards 2011.

Commercial

Golf View Corporate Towers, a state-of-the-art commercial project.

‘Highly Commended’ in the Best Developer – Commercial/Office (Built) Category at Cityscape Asia Real Estate Awards 2008.Leased to Ernst & Young for their Corporate Office in India.

Retail City Centre AlphaOne, Amritsar, a mixed-use mega development and the biggest retail, lifestyle and entertainment destination of Punjab.

AlphaOne, Ahmedabad, a mixeduse development, Gujarat’s largest shopping and entertainment destination.

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Achievements

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

2 million sq. ft. comprising of retail and entertainment. Felicitated with 27 prestigious Awards for best practices and responsive CSR activities by CNBC Awaaz – CRISIL & CREDAI, World Brand Congress, Cityscape Asia Real Estate, Images Group, Asia Retail Congress, CMO Asia, Asian Leadership and Star News Brand Excellence.

1.2 million sq. ft., comprising of retail and entertainment. Felicitated with 14 prestigious Awards for best practices from leading national and global Apex and Media bodies.

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ment being the focal point of all thoughts, concepts and achievements, the team has a vision: To be acclaimed as a socially responsible corporate citizen, providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions in all areas of Real Estate.

Alpha G:Corp pioneered the Real Estate Asset Management (REAM) model in India, which helped the company to initiate and deliver developments that have won numerous prestigious Awards and Accolades for best practices from global apex and media bodies.

With projects spread across the country including, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Delhi NCR, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Goa, Karnal, Bhatinda, New Chandigarh, Zirakpur, Ludhiana, Jaipur, Meerut and Indore, our developments encompass an area of more than 100 million square feet. Each project is planned with a sense of responsibility to the environment and the long term sustainability of the development.

Alpha G:Corp has successfully completed a number of projects and entered a fast growth phase with mega projects including, city-centre projects, mixed-use developments, integrated townships, industrial parks and group housing. Our endeavour will be to establish each forthcoming project as a benchmark for quality and sustainability in its respective category.

(See page 40) Projects Ready for Booking: I. Alpha International City, Karnal, a post-modern,

330 acres fully integrated township built with contemporary eco-friendly practices. The 1st phase was handed over as per schedule and has appreciated 300% from the time of launch. Awarded ‘Integrated Township of the Year’, during the Real Estate Awards 2012 at the Asia Realty Congress.

II. Mainland Meerut, as a premium mixed-use development, will be a landmark and hub for residents of Meerut and surrounding areas. Spread across 19 acres, with ultra-modern, low-rise group housing, this development includes our renowned signature retail and entertainment brand, AlphaOne on an area of 350,000 sq ft. with multiplex, shopping mall and business hotel. Mainland Meerut was Awarded ‘Best Upcoming Project – North India’, at the Estate Avenues’ Awards 2013. The project’s strategic location and world class amenities will set new standards of quality and opportunity in Meerut and surrounding areas. Expected delivery in 2015.

III. Model Industrial Park, Amritsar, is Punjab’s first state-of-the-art Mega Industrial Park Project approved to house Red, Orange and Green Category industries. This project will catapult the much-needed growth of organized industrial development in the region. The project will create approximately 5,000 direct jobs in Punjab.

Expected delivery in 2015.

Written by Dr. Prodipta Sen, Executive Director, Alpha G:Corp & MRICS (UK)

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From Shame to Fame ication to this cause will only nstrumental in getting forced continue. Most recently, she marriage to become a criminal has been honoured with a offence in Britain, Jasvinder CBE: “It’s such an honour, but Sanghera's service to the commufor me this is the greatest nity is unparalleled. A defiant awards of the awards activist for the rights of those because I do believe in it. experiencing forced marriages, Proud of it because my chilher dedication to the cause has dren are proud of it, and it led to the creation of Karma also enables me to highlight Nirvana, a charity for victims of the issue more. It’s overhonour-based abuse, and the pubwhelming but I’m looking forlication of two books: Shame and ward to it. And I know my Daughters of Shame, which father is very proud of me chronicle her life-story and others in the same position. somewhere up there.”

After facing the prospect of a However, despite the forced marriage to a man much success she has received older than her when she was 14, exposing the issue of forced Jasvinder was taken out of school marriage, Jasvinder has not and kept prisoner in her own been blind to the fact that she home. It was not until she was 16 is hated by many and has that she was able to escape. faced many barriers that have Speaking about her ordeal, hindered her along the way.

Jasvinder said, “The view was that Challenges have included if I didn't marry who they wanted finding enough funding for Jasvinder Sanghera me to, I was dead in their eyes and the charity as well as engagso they disowned me. After that, I could only see my ing communities to start accepting and talking about the issue. “There are loads of barriers all the time, it family on their terms, even when my mother was dying of cancer, I was not able to stay in the hospital.” was difficult even getting one or two people to hear Her decision all those years ago is remembered what I had to say, because of the ignorance and the every day, because of her inability to help her sister sheer power of communities who try to hide it. For me, escape from the confines of her abusive marriage. Only those things still exist and you only have to keep on when her sister set herself on fire, was striving. I've had hate mail, I had death threats.

Jasvinder provoked in to speaking out You just fundamentally do what you believe is against the horrific experience of forced right. I accept that this is a democratic marriage. country and we can disagree and agree on Impelled to make a change, the things. But equally, we have to accept the charity Karma Nirvana was born out of things that are not working.”

Jasvinder's healing and acceptance for In any case, Jasvinder remains positive I will what had happened. “I set up Karma for the future and defiant that she will continue fight for Nivana because I felt very strongly about saving lives. “I hope that Karma Nirvana will justice because go from strength to strength. The team is very what had happened and also finally accepted it because whilst I was waiting passionate and we have a lot of work to do.

I fundamentally for my family to accept me, I was acting I would like to see it resourced and secure. I believe in it like I was the perpetrator, the bad person would like to hope that there would not be that did this to them. Once I accepted Karma Nirvana in the next 20 years because that I had done nothing wrong and that domestic violence would be eradicated. For me, they had done this to me, I finally went I'm writing my fourth book and I would like this from being a victim, to being a surgovernment to give a memorial day for all of the vivor. I started to talk about my experiwomen that have been killed - that's what I would ences. In 1993, I started to tell people like to see. I will continue to do what I will do. for the first what had happened to me, Fight for justice because I fundamentally breaking the silence, telling mine and Rubena's story.” believe in this.”

Today, the charity receives over 600 calls a month, mainly from British-born school girls or women.

Interviewed and Written by Rupanjana Jasvinder's efforts have been recognised, and her dedDutta and Tanveer Mann

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Sacrifices, Desires and Determination to succeed s far as overcoming the impossithrough your body – it’s an amazing ble goes, only a handful of peofeeling you can’t replicate. Once you ple have managed to do it quite taste it, you want more.” as emphatically as Mandip Sehmi, Team Although Sehmi’s life has taken GB Paralympic rugby athlete. some unexpected turns, he is a rarity in In 2000 Sehmi was involved in a that he is a British Asian athlete, but he horrific car crash in which he broke his insists that he has been fortunate neck and suffered a spinal cord injury, enough to have never encountered the leaving him with the daunting prospect glass ceiling. “There’s a real lack of of spending life in a wheelchair. He was Asians in sport but I think that comes just 19-years-old when he was condown to the [previous] generation’s demned to a year in the spinal cord unit mind-set,” he explains. in Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

While he empathises with the “It was a massively life-changing youth who face the unenviable decision event,” he says reflecting on the experiof choosing between academia and ence. “It’s one you can’t plan for but I’m sports, Sehmi does see a greater numlucky that I have a very strong family ber of British Asians getting involved in around me and a good set of friends. It Mandip Sehmi the latter and he places a real emphais difficult getting used to it all because sis on the desire and determination to life is stripped away from you.” succeed and all of its associated sacrifices. Just after While he was in hospital Sehmi met former capthe accident, Sehmi went on to complete the final year tain of Team GB’s Paralympic rugby team, Bob O’Shea of a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Engineering. who was preparing for the Paralympic games in “It is difficult when your parents want you to be a Sydney at the time and inspired him to get involved in doctor or a lawyer but with the younger generation the sport. there will be a change. You see the young lads playing “Bob gave me the number of my local team and sports like football but to get to that level and be that said: ‘If you’re interested, get involved.’ I went and fingood, you have to start at a young age, put the hours ished off my course at university and one day after that in to practice and develop the skills. You can’t decide I came across this number and remembered wheelto do that when you’re 18 or 19, it has to be instilled chair rugby. I eventually started to go, and started to from a young age. enjoy it.”

“Follow your dreams,” he says without a hint of He began touring in 2002 hesitation in his voice. “If you are good at after being scouted as a potential something and you think you can make talent and he made his debut for it, you have got to put the hard work in Britain at the European to see where it goes, it won’t just There’s a Championships in Denmark in come on a plate. You can have talent real lack of Asians 2005 where he got his breakbut if don’t refine it, you’ll never get in sport but I think through and pledged that he would better.” It is precisely this steely continue to represent his country at attitude that has propelled Sehmi that comes down elite level. He went on to secure to the very top of his game and to the [previous] two successive gold medals at the earlier this year, he was named generation’s European Championships and comas one of the seven wheelpete as part of the team that finchair rugby Ones to Watch mind-set ished fourth in the 2008 athletes for the next Paralympics in Beijing. As the sayParalympic cycle. ing goes, the rest is history, but the But for all the ultimate highlight of Sehmi’s hard work, dedicacareer came during last year’s games where he pertion and sacrifice that Sehmi has put in, there is one formed in front of his home crowd. force which drives him all the way – his mother. “She “Beijing was my first Paralympics,” he recalls. has got strength like nobody else, I think she’s the “Nothing can prepare you for the scale of it but London biggest inspiration in my life. She held the family was mind-blowing. To have that many people cheering together [after the accident] and she’s my mum!” he for you…it was just…” he says, lost for words. exclaims glowingly.

“The roars are deafening and the sound just goes Interviewed and Written by Romil Patel

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Being a woman is a blessing or over twenty years, Mira Kaushik porary UK South Asian dance artists.”

OBE has been the director of Mira directed part of the Queen’s Akademi, formerly known as the Golden Jubilee Parade, which was directed Academy of Indian Dance. But she’s overall by Keith Khan. It was a watershed done a great deal more in her life. Mira moment for Akademi. The parade was worked as an audience researcher for attended by 800 of the best dance students the BBC World Service and as a alongside senior artists. Mira said it required researcher and translator working on clear communication, meticulous planning, documentaries for the BBC and management of expectations and technical Channel 4. When asked about her role disappointments. in media, a smiling Mira added, All this is symbiotic with Mira’s wom“Broadcasting, television and film are anhood. She said; “Being a woman is a electronic communication bound by blessing. I am a daughter, sister, wife and time limit and structure, excelling mother of two children. These roles allow through content. My work with these me to be a director, manager, strategist, mediums coincided with their evolution motivator, negotiator and creative visionary.

Mira Kaushik in late 70s India. I have learned to edit Womanhood has trained me to keep calm, succinctly and relevantly to the needs positive, self motivated, patient and remain of the audience. The world of dance reflects the above persistent. I practice these virtues while planning, three mediums.” fundraising and implementing Akademi’s work, comFrom 1986 to 1989, Mira worked for the plying with regulations and codes of practice. I juggle Greenwich Women’s Arts Group, developing arts proand meet deadlines, like my own mother. grammes for local Asian women, residents of the Asian There are many like me. What you see exists in women’s refuge and Senior Citizens’ Shelter in you – that is my principle. I’ve watched crowds but Greenwich. She told us that gritty social organisations rarely followed them. We learn from our mistakes and like Greenwich Asian Women Arts Group helped her make them our stepping stones to progress. When we focus. “I needed to be reliable and trustworthy for trip, we laugh and make it part of the celebration of our women, have an awareness of social, political and genchoreography.” der based issues. This has informed the education and Mira has no concept of a glass ceiling. She told community work at Akademi where we work with chilus, “I am an Asian woman in London who has worked dren not in education, employment or training, older in the world of arts by thinking differently. At Akademi people, the young, mental/physical health and I created a framework of aesthetics, creativity issue based projects. and work ethics, on its artists’ terms, for the We believe "Akademi has one of the best boards, past 35 years. As an organisation we conSouth Asian arts are an team infrastructure and the intention to stantly evolve, reinvent, and challenge. infiltrate mainstream dance. We helped We believe South Asian arts are an intrinsic part of British set up the Classical Indian Dance Facility intrinsic part of British creativity, and creativity, and that at the Imperial Society of the Teaching that positive base gives us the fearless of dance and a BA honours course at motivation to ‘conquer the world’. Glass positive base gives us the The London Contemporary Dancer ceilings? What are they? We have a fearless motivation (University of Kent). clear sky to fly and this naivety works We regularly select the best artists to most of time!” to ‘conquer the work with, train, and nurture. Choreography Her list of inspirational women is world’ is rarely encouraged in dance teaching; thereextensive; Mother India (the concept), fore most of Akademi’s projects create opportuniVandana Shiva (environmentalist), Zaha Hadid ties for dancers to experiment.” (artist), Aung San Suu Kyi, Indira Gandhi (politician), Mira has directed large scale events. From 2000, Margaret Thatcher (politician), Maya Angelou (literathey include Coming of Age and Escapade (South Bank ture), Germaine Greer (academic), Shabana Azmi (cineCentre), Bells (Trafalgar Square), Olympics Showtime ma), Shobana Jeyasingh (artist) and Malala Yousuf (various locations) “Our outdoor work gave political vis(youth), “all for their vision, courage, determination, ibility to a large number of invisible dancers in a profesthoughtfulness, attention to detailed thinking and sional show presented in central London. The achievements. Also many of my female teachers, colCommonwealth Games Baton Relay at Buckingham leagues, artists and of course my daughter Kavya Palace needed a lot of patience and persistence while Kaushik; for being themselves.” negotiations took place with representatives of the Indian Government. We showcased the best contemInterviewed and Written by Rani Singh

F

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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2010

Professional of the year Winner Vijay Goel

Shortlisted nominees Prof S homer Vanniasinkam Dr Nora Vyas Dr Sandeep Mane

Woman of the Year

Winner

Pavani reddy

Shortlisted nominees Jasuben Mistry Shalina Alabaksh Shashi Kiran Gossain

Young Entreprenuer of the Year

Winner

Riz Navsarka

Shortlisted nominees Abhishek Varma Jason and Dennis Singh Digwa Sujan Shah

Asian voice Special Award for Ingenuity in Business Sanjiv Mehta

Young Business person demonstrating sustained business growth Amit Patel

2011

Professional of the year Winner

Bhupendra Jasani

Shortlisted nominees Anuj Chande Dalip Puri Sujata Sharma

46

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Achievement in Community service

Media Arts and Culture

Winner

Winner

Anjali Bulley

Ranjan D Manek OBE

Shortlisted nominees

Shortlisted nominees Cllr Filly Maravala Darshan lal Kalhan Maneck A Dalal OBE Sanjay Jagatia

Burjor J Avari Mark Sumariwalla Rajini Vaidyanathan

Business Person of the year

Sports Personality of the Year

Winner

Winner

Arun Panchariya Shortlisted nominees Dr Vijay Patel and Dr Bhikhu Patel Hemang Shah Raj K Aggarwal OBE

Ravi Bopara

Shortlisted nominees Ashpal Kaur Bhogal Michael Chopra Zesh Rehman

Business in Community

Uniformed And Civil services

Winner

Winner

Sukhpal singh Ahluwalia

Bala Mahendran

Shortlisted nominees Aliya Rashid Aswin rana Zaheer Ahmad

Shortlisted nominees Sanjiv Mehta Subir patel Anil Sehgal

Overall Business Performance and Innovation

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Vision and enterprise Dr Vijay Patel and Dr Bhikhu Patel

Jason and Dennis Singh Digwa

Best Overall Enterprise

Leadership in Professions

Subaskaran Allirajah

Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture Winner

Bobby Singh

Shortlisted nominees Nasif Ali Shiamak Davar Surjit Singh Ghuman

Bobby Karia

Achievement in Health care Dr Nora Vyas

Sports Personality of the year Winner

Rajiv Ouseph

Shortlisted nominees Ashpal Kaur Bhogal Isa Guha Manjit Singh

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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46-50 Look Back-2013_A4 Temp 02/09/2013 11:45 Page 48

Achievement in Community Service Winner

Major Tikendra Dal Dewan Shortlisted nominees Fauzia and Nooruddin Aftab Kamleshben Patel Anjum Anwar

Woman of the year Winner

Ruby McGregor - Smith

Shortlisted nominees Cllr Mimi Harker OBE Yashmin Mistry Devi Kolli

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner

Mitesh Patel

Shortlisted nominees Shazia Awan Nina Kabra Abhishek Varma

Business in Community Winner

Professional of the Year Winner Prof Sunil Shah

Shortlisted nominees Abhishek Sachdev Rajay Naik Dr Minaxi S. Desai CBE Prof Alimuddin Zumla

Achievement in Community Service Winner Kishan Devani

Shortlisted nominees Chelliah Yogamoorthy MBE Asif Iqbal Param Singh

Woman of the Year Winner

Shahnaz Hussain

Shortlisted nominees Urvasi Naidoo Mishal Husain Dr Sonal Minocha

48

Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Media, Arts and Culture Winner

Nileeka Gunawardene

Shortlisted nominees Ray Panthaki Rishi Rich Dr Sathi Ludhianvi

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner Shamir Shah

Shortlisted nominees Ishil Mehta Zima Parmar Priyesh Rawal

Business Person of the Year Winner Subaskaran Allirajah

Dr Rami Ranger

Shortlisted nominees Rajan Amin Ruby McGregor - Smith Ali Kurji

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Research and Compilation

Dinesh Patel & Savitaben (Cofresh)

2012

Shortlisted nominees Dalwardin Babu PC Asif Sadiq Hitesh Oza

Winner

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Winner

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Business Person of the year

Shernaz Engineer

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Award for Vision and Enterprise

Uniformed & Civil Services

Shortlisted nominees Ashok Rabheru Mansoor Popat Dr Diwan Rahul Nanda

Winner

Dr. Kusoom Vadgama

Lifetime Achievement Winner

Lord Gulam Noon, MBE

Shortlisted nominees Baroness Shreela Flather Sir Anwar Pervez Nadir Lalani

Sports Personality of the Year Winner Akaash Bhatia

Shortlisted nominees Netan Sansara Mandip Sehmi Bulbul Hussain Gaz Choudhry

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Uniformed and Civil Services Winner

Amjad Mazhar Hussain

Shortlisted nominees Tejinder Ajimal Gurcharan Singh Dhesi MBE Darra Singh Lt Bhavna Parmar

46-50 Look Back-2013_A4 Temp 02/09/2013 14:08 Page 49

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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46-50 Look Back-2013_A4 Temp 03/09/2013 11:56 Page 50

International Personality of the Year

International Sporting Personality of the Year

Smt Hema Malini MP

Kevin Pietersen MBE

Special Editors Award for Outstanding Services Through Legal profession HH Judge Sir Mota Singh QC

Editors Award for Vision & Enterprise

AAA 2012 Talent Hunt

Samrat Bhandari

Winners Meera Tailor and Nisha Halai with Dr Merul Patel, Director, ABPL

Dear Readers, Diwali is now just couple of months away. The New Year is knocking at the door, waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as every year will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself.

This year within the English section, we are doing something very special for our young readers.

-If you are between 10-25 years of age, write an article in English on 'how you celebrate your Diwali

every year' or 'your most memorable Diwali' in no more than 700 words, along with a suitable photo (resolution: no less than 300dpi). Or - if you an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 500-600 words with 2 pictures (resolution: no less than 300dpi).

Last day of entry is Sunday 6th October 2013.

Please email your article to aveditorial@abplgroup.com with your full name, age and contact number.

- Editorial Team

Congratulations to all the Asian Achievers.

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Asian Achievers Awards 2013 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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