AV 08th April 2023

PM Rishi Sunak has attributed ‘sex grooming’ to “cultural sensitivities” while Home Secretary Suella Braverman has singled out British Pakistani men among Asians as ‘predominant’ sex groomers Is the community being targeted while there is little evidence to prove that? Has Britain’s vote bank politics really failed the vulnerable? Asian Voice speaks to the experts and leaders to understand the pulse of the community

Wave of anger among passengers against Air India

Community disappointed after diversion of Ahmedabad-London Heathrow direct flight

L o n d o nA h m e d a b a d - L o n d o n d i r e c t f l i g h t f r o m Heathrow Airport has generated a wave of a n g e r a n d a n x i e t y a m o n g s t t h e I n d i a n d i a s p o r a , e s p e c i a l l y i n t h e G u j a r a t i Community. Instead, Air India has shifted t h i s f l i g h t t o G a t w i c k A i r p o r t a n d t h i s r e c e n t d e v e l o p m e n t h a s d i s a p p o i n t e d most of the passengers who mainly travel to Gujarat and Western India.

Continued on page 17

Shefali Saxena

As Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set out plans for a police task force, he has said that victims of grooming gangs have been ignored because of political correctness. The government has said that specialist officers supported by the National Crime Agency will be sent to help forces with their investigation And better ethnicity data will help ensure abusers do not evade justice due to "cultural sensitivities", it added

When asked if the focus on British-Asian grooming gangs was appropriate, Prime Minister Sunak said, “All forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific and wrong, but with the specific issue of grooming gangs we have had several independent inquiries look at the incidents here in Rochdale, Rotherham and Telford.

There are strong objections and fury in the c o m m u n i t y a b o u t t h e u n p r e c e d e n t e d i n a u g u r a l m e e t i n g a n d t h e p r o p o s e d launching of the All Party Parliamentary Group for British Gujaratis This is being c i t e d a s m i s c h i e f t o d i v i d e t h e I n d i a n c o m m u n i t y i n t h e n a m e o f a s e p a r a t e APPG

Questions are raised on the creation a n d s e l e c t i o n p r o c e s s o f i t s c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s a n d p o s t s I t i s b e i n g a r g u e d whether they consult the community and who authorised them to insert vindictive vendetta in the name of APPG.

in Surat court against conviction

Home Secretary Suella Braverman

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

with Keith Vaz

SI MON E-DE- GA L E

Simone de Gale is the CEO and director o f Sim one d e Gale Arch itects, who se style is g rounded in math em atical principles; each p roject is an exploration of Rhythm, Pattern, and Repetition tectonic, shap ing innovativ e paths to advance architectural fo rm through out Central Lo nd on and Internationally Winner of ‘Architect of the Year’ U K Wom en in Construction Award s, RIBA Ho norar y Treasurer and Board Trustee, CEO, and named inventor o f next-gen patented materials technolog y, develo ped with UK Ministry of Defence at TRL6 transform ing material usage into sustainable constru ction systems

Simone's portfolio consists of super-prime residential, mixed-use schemes, luxur y retail, and commercial interiors in Central London and Internationally The company is developing an international portfolio, with two masterplan projects under way in T bilisi, Georgia The company is expanding further with international projects, in Croatia, and the Caribbean, as well as developing business opportunities in the USA, Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Hong Kong

1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?

I feel most at home in my City of London, UK I was born and raised in London, completed my university education in London, and now run my company headquartered in Belgravia, London It will always be my favourite place to be

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My proudest achievement is becoming a C h a r t e re d A rc h i t e c t a n d s e t t i n g u p my company straight after university I am proud because of the growth journey that has made me the person I am today

3) What inspires you?

People inspire me I am always inspired by human nature and relationships, how people work together and strive for certain initiatives When people work together for a cause, the whole world can change in a moment

4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?

The biggest obstacle in my career has been the operations of the construction industr y and the standard of our profession

It is imperative that we as Architects continue to enhance building safety standards and create buildings where people are safe

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

T h e b i g g e s t i n f l u e n c e o n d a t e i s

Architect Norman Foster In my lifetime he i s t h e m o s t s u c c e s s f u l a rc h i t e c t i n t h e world, both artistically and f inancially I ver y much respect his journey, design philosophy, and attitude

'Lived realities' of ethnic minorities outside of the city to be studied

T h e E ng l is h c o u n tr ys ide will be studied by h ate c rime experts to establis h whether it h arbo urs "rural racis m"

6) What is the best aspect about your current role?

The best aspect about my current role(s) is that generally I am a decision maker and in particular with our architecture, this means that I can steer the terms and conditions of our contracts and can demand high standards for constructing our designs

7) And the worst?

The worst aspect of my role(s) is that with each decision comes responsibility and c o n s e q u e n c e s D e c i s io n s mu s t b e w e l l thought through and benef icial to all stakeholders

8) What are your long-term goals?

My long-term goals are to build an international corporation with over 1,000 employees working on architectural projects across the world It is ver y satisfying to give someone a job and to see that person grow through their work and enhance their career

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

If I were prime minister, I would accelerate the levelling up policies to build a better equitable UK across the UK and not just London-centric The quicker we mobilize our other cities and towns, the better standard of living for ever yone

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

I w o u l d l i ke t o s p e n d t i m e w i t h Muhammed Ali He was a beautiful man and his attitude toward life was always concerning sacrif ice, dedication, and striving for the best I would like to learn from him

Probe into five-year-old boy's death at Sheffield Children's Hospital

A griev ing fa ther of a f iv e-yea r-old b oy who pa ssed a way i n She ff ie ld Children's Hospi ta l cla ims tha t if doctors ha d he eded his worrie s, his son would hav e ha d a f i ghtin g chance

After being hospitalised on March 5 for breathing issues, Ayaan Haroon passed away eight days later In addition to a histor y of respirator y issues,

he has the exceptionally rare genetic disease Hace 1 Ayaan's father, Haroon Rashid, 41 said he pleaded with medics for certain treatments but felt they "didn't want to listen" and he was treated as a "nuisance parent "

The Sheff ield Children s Hospital has opened an internal investigation concerning Ayaan s care a f t e r re c e i v i n g a fo r m a l c o m pl a i nt from Mr Rashid

In a statement, Dr Jeff Perring, m e d i c a l d i r e c t o r a t S h e f f i e l d C h i l d r e n ’ s N H S Fo u n d a t i o n Tr u s t , expressed his "deepest condolences" to Ayaan’s family

He further stated "The loss of a c h i l d w h i l e t h e y a r e a p a t i e n t a t Sheff ield Children’s is something we take ver y seriously Our colleagues pride themselves on providing the best clinical and pastoral care for all children and young people who need it ”

"We have received Mr Rashid’s complaint, which is ver y detailed and complex There will be a thorough internal investigation of the care and treatment Ayaan received at the hospital between 5 and 13 March which will c o v e r t h e c o n c e r n s r a i s e d i n M r Rashid’s complaint

A c a d e m ic s s p e c i a l i s i n g in British colonialism and hate studies have been comm i s s i o n e d t o r e c o r d t h e “ l i v e d r e a l i t i e s ” o f e t h n i c minorities living, working, or hiking in the countr y The study will gather evidence of “rural racism" in villages in England and the great outdoors, establishing h o w m i n o r i t i e s m i g h t b e excluded and which policies could prevent this in future

The project is funded by t h e L e v e r h u l m e Tr u s t , a c h a r i t y e s t a b l i s h e d b y a p l a n t a t i o n - o w n i n g s o a p

m a g n a t e b e h i n d Un i le v e r, w h i c h v o w e d fo l l o w i n g Black Lives Matter protests i n 2 0 2 0 t o h e l p “ r i d t h e world of the systemic injustices of racism” A statement on the new Rural Racism Project from the trust said it will “explore the lived realities of those encountering racism within the English countr yside whose experie n c e s a r e r o u t i n e l y o v e rl o o ke d , m i n i m i s e d a n d unchallenged”

It is understood the project will examine how ethnic minority hikers may face o p e n h o s t i l i t y w h e n o u t walking, and how other visi t o r s a n d r e c r e a t i o n a l groups might feel excluded

from enjoying the countr ys i d e T h e s t u d y w i l l a l s o canvas ethnic minority residents to see how those livi n g a n d w o r k i n g i n r u r a l England may be made to fe e l u n w e l c o m e , i n w h a t ways this “rural racism is e x p r e s s e d ” , a n d h o w t h i s might differ from place to place

The project launching in October 2023 will be led by criminology expert Prof Neil Chakraborti, director o f t h e Un i v e r s i t y o f Leicester's Centre for Hate Studies, along with fellow h a t e c r i m e s p e c i a l i s t D r Amy Clarke, and coloniali s m e x p e r t P r o f C o r i n n e Fowler

Humza criticised for new ministers’ track record

Hu m z a Yo u s af h a s b ee n c ri ti ci s ed for p u tt in g a n MS P in gov ernment who prev io usly m ad e a series of o f fe ns i v e re m ar ks ab o u t minority grou ps

G i l l i a n M a r t i n w a s made energy minister on We d n e s d a y a s t h e F i r s t Minister unveiled his new cabinet Opposition politicians have questioned the appointment of the MSP, who previously missed out o n a g o v e r n m e n t r o l e u n d e r Ni c o l a St u r g e o n because of the remarks In a blog post written i n 2 0 0 7 , M a r t i n j o ke d about “hair y-knuckled, lipstick-wearing transgender laydees” She also claimed that college PR staff would “froth at the mouth with excitement if anyone in a

wheelchair does anything t h a t c a n b e r e m o t e l y d e s c r i b e d a s a n a c h ie v ement” In another post, she a l s o j o ke d a b o u t Je w i s h people and black people in America, saying the latter group should be “avoided”

T h e To r i e s l a b e l l e d t h e j o ke s “ b e y o n d t h e p a l e ” , s a y i n g M a r t i n h a s b e e n shown to be “unsuitable” fo r g o v e r n m e n t w h i l e

L i b e r a l D e m o c r a t M S P W i l l i e R e n n i e p r e v i o u s l y called the remarks “transphobic”

But speaking after his d e b u t F M Q s , Yo u s a f defended the appointment

I n 2 0 1 8 , M a r t i n responded to the outrage over her remarks, saying she would not stop apologising for them She said: “I will apologise ever y time they come up, and I’ll be genuine in that because I can’t bear discrimination –whether it takes the form o f r a c i s m , t r a n s p h o b i a , sexism or intolerance It is regrettable that my writing skills could not always convey my aversion to such discrimination, but I hope that my actions have and always will ”

Anugrah Abraham took his life after being let down and discriminated

Parents of a stu dent police off icer who took h is ow n life claim h e was "let d own" an d "d i s cr i m in at ed " against by the very force h e was w orking fo r Anu grah Abraham, w ho was training to be a police off icer with West Yorksh ire Police, was "stressed", "under pressu re" an d "di d n't recei v e any sup port", d espite raising issues w ith his managers, his fam ily allege T h e 2 1 -ye a r- ol d w e nt missing on 3 March and was found the next day in woodlands near his home i n G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r

Anugrah's parents are now calling for an independent investigation by the police watchdog after they claim h e f a c e d d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , bullying and a lack of support from West Yorkshire Police and Leeds Trinity University, where he was studying Sonia and Amar A b r a h a m s a i d A n u g r a h t o l d t h e m t h e r e w e r e a

number of incidents where he felt he was "singled out" and the job was "too much" for him to deal with T h e y a l l e g e o n o n e occasion he cried in front o f h i s b o s s e s w h e n explaining how he felt and was placed on a managem e n t p l a n i n r e s p o n s e

During one incident early o n i n h i s t r a i n i n g , Anurgrah's parents claim he was forced to carr y out a f u l l b o d y s e a r c h o f a c o r p s e fo u n d i n a r i v e r alone Anugrah is said to have vomited in shock at

witnessing the body, but h i s f a m i l y c l a i m a c o lleague told him to "just do the search" with no peer support or debrief

West Yorkshire Police said it had referred itself to the Independent Off ice for Po l i c e C o n d u c t " w h o deemed it appropriate that a l o c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n i s undertaken" But Anugrah's family want his death and h i s t i m e w o r k i n g a t t h e p o l i c e fo r c e i n v e s t i g a t e d independently They said they have no trust in West Yorkshire Police

Let the taskforce do its job first?

When Rishi Sunak was asked if the focus on British-Asian grooming gangs was appropriate, he reportedly told reporters, “All forms of child sexual exploitation carried out by whomever are horrific and wrong, but with the specific issue of grooming gangs we have had several independent inquiries look at the incidents here in Rochdale, but in Rotherham and Telford

“What is clear is that when victims and other whistleblowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness That is not right ” (Full story see p1)

It is a fact that in many cases, when information on the ethnicity of grooming gangs were discussed or debated, there was no clear data available Whether it was due to political correctness or simple votebank politics in affected areas, it remains to be seen

When it was told that “Asians” were overrepresented in t h e s e g r o o m i n g c a s e s , C h i l d E x p l o i t a t i o n a n d O n l i n e Protection Centre (CEOP) highlighted that the data was too inconsistent, needed more research and results may have been affected by unconscious bias, demography or issues within communities

Fullfact org, a team of independent fact checkers wrote that in 2011, CEOP reportedly published an analysis of “possible offenders” who had been reported for “street grooming and child sexual exploitation” CEOP said offenders in these cases often acted in groups

When analysed, over 1,200 of possible offenders, the vast majority were found to be male Around 30% were white, 28% Asian and 3% black and 38% were unknown When CEOP

looked only at a group of around 940 offenders, whom they had more information about, found around 38% were white, 32% were unknown, 26% were Asian and 3% were black

Another study by CEOP in 2013 pointed at data collected from 31 police forces, and around 300 offenders whose ethnicity was provided and who were part of groups targeting vulnerable children according to fullfact org In that 75% had been categorised as Asian and 17% as white, 5% were listed as black and 3% as Arab

According to data published on defendants by CPS in child sex abuse cases, 98% were male in 2015/16, but no information about the ethnicity was published After fullfact org submitted a request for right to information, the number of defendants prosecuted for sex offences in cases flagged as relating to child abuse in 2015/16, showed out of 6,200 or so defendants, 67% were white, 4% were Asian, 3% were black, 1% were mixed race and 1% were other For 24% of defendant’s there was no information on their ethnicity

While Suella Braverman has been attacked for singling out one community and saying that the exceeding numbers of British Pakistani men operate in such gangs, in August 2017, Naz Shah MP, were of the same view She had reportedly said, “Yes Pakistani men are disproportionately involved in grooming gangs and this particular model of abuse And no that is not a racist statement Neither is it racist to say that when it comes to wider child abuse nearly 90 per cent of those convicted and on the sex offenders register are white men ”

The Government needs to highlight that the fight is not against “ a community” but against the “failings by vote bank politics" It is time to ensure the innocent are protected and politics doesn’t destroy the lives of the young and vulnerable

India achieves a milestone in defence exports

Making its presence felt in the highly competitive global defence market, India exported military hardware worth £1 59 billion in the financial year 2022-23, the highest ever and a notable 10-fold increase since 2016-17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi attributed the surge to enthusiasm for Make in India, and key reforms to spur growth in the sector India is currently exporting military hardware, including missiles, the advanced light helicopter (ALH), offshore patrol vessels, personal protective gear, surveillance systems and a variety of radars to around 85 countries Weapons and systems that hold export potential include the light combat aircraft Tejas, different types of helicopters, artillery guns, Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missiles, Akash surface-to-air missile systems, tanks, sonars and radars India knows well that depending on other countries for military requirements is time consuming, costly and also give rise to corruption

India has a good strategy and action plan in place, backed by forward-looking policies, to ensure self-reliance in defence, and boost the country’s status as a net exporter of weapons in the coming years India is in talks with Egypt and Argentina for the possible sale of LCA Tejas to their air forces as the country sharpens its focus on increasing its share in foreign markets Egypt has projected a requirement for 20 aircraft while Argentina needs 15 new fighters Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is also looking at exporting Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) to the Philippines Last year, BrahMos Aerospace and the Philippines signed a deal

worth almost $375 million for the Philippine Marines to buy three batteries of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, and Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited won an export order worth $155 5 million for supplying 155mm artillery guns

The focus on boosting exports comes alongside a big thrust on the indigenisation of weapons and systems Categories, where imports have been almost replaced by domestic products, include warships, artillery guns, LCA, basic trainer aircraft, a variety of helicopters, radars, and different types of ammunition India has earmarked 75% of this year ’ s defence capital procurement budget for locally made weapons and systems, a move aimed at unlocking new opportunities for achieving self-reliance targets and ramping up the country’s defence exports The government has also notified hundreds of weapons and systems that cannot be imported, a move aimed at boosting indigenous defence manufacturing India’s arms imports have fallen over the years, but the country is still the world’s biggest importer of military hardware, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute The Indian industry has also shown its ability to innovate and there are many categories of products where the domestic industry has significantly worked and developed improved designs from existing equipment There are several other reasons where the commitment from the government can be seen Despite the several encouraging steps, there is a lot of ground to cover Despite the challenges, the defence manufacturing industry in India is the beginning of an optimistic tale

Testing time for BJP, Cong and JDS

The assembly election in Karnataka will be crucial for Congress, BJP and JDS For BJP, victory will fire up its southern ambitions, for Congress, it will mean regaining its relevance in the south JDS, as usual, is looking to remain relevant in state politics Political parties will again target group votes, most determinedly of the dominant L i n g a y a t s a n d V o k k a l i g a s w h o h a v e a f i r m g r i p o n K a r n a t a k a ’ s p o l i t i c s a n d e c o n o m y I n a r e s e r v a t i o n swithin-reservations move, the BJP government increased the quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas only to have other caste groups protest This election, a year before the next Lok Sabha polls, is crucial for all but most so for Congress

a test for party president Mallikarjun Kharge, a Dalit from the state leading a party after bruising run-ins at the Centre Congress needs an electoral win to show it means business Anti-incumbency is not insignificant, thanks in part to graft charges, not least one by a contractors’ association that alleged state officials must be paid 40% of project value to secure contracts A BJP MLA’s arrest is fodder for the opposition but anti-corruption rhetoric during campaigning seldom ends in action With Bommai in the back seat, BJP brass hit the ground earnestly weeks ago – the party is likely to ride the election on the Centre’s performance The state had three CMs in four stints between 2018 and 2023 In 2018, BJP was the single largest party Congress allied with Deve Gowda’s JDS post-poll BJP’s BSY Yediyurappa formed government only to quit 10 minutes before a trust vote Gowda Jr became CM in a JDS-

in Karnataka

Congress government but within 14 months exited after 16 MLAs jumped ship, making way for BSY’s return, who again gave up his post for Bommai after two years In 2008, BSY with Independents had formed southern India’s first B J P g o v e r n m e n t – t h a t s t i n t t o o s a w t h r e e C M s : Y e d i y u r a p p a , S a d a n a n d G o w d a a n d J a g a d i s h S h e t t a r , pitted as BSY’s opponents’ choice Which brings us to the next challenge for parties – infighting Factionalism thrives in both Congress and BJP Uneasy is the compact between BSY and BJP; and there are questions whether the peace between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will hold Expect a high-voltage, expensive campaign – and a spicy finish BJP, in a stunning rejig of the contentious reservation issue, managed to woo both the major electoral vote banks – L i n g a y a t s a n d V o k k a l i g a s – b y o f f e r i n g t h e m 2 % additional reservation This has, of course, come at a cost to the Muslims, as their 4% reservation has been removed They are now subsumed in the 10% EWS category which isn’t pleasing them much How the newly disaffected Muslims, who in Karnataka are a formidable 10% plus of the population and have decisive votes in over 100 of the 224 seats, decide to exercise their franchise will have a massive bearing on the prospects of both Congress and JDS If their voters split, as they do between these two, then it’s status quo Congress undoubtedly hopes there will be a huge sympathy wave for Gandhi Jr as his Bharat Jodo Yatra drew a very good response in the state Whether this will trump BJP’s argument of entitled dynastic scions expecting to rule forever will be revealed on May 13

Thought for the week

Mahatma Gandhi

Unity to be real must stand the severest strain without breaking. –

Political Sketchbook

Alpesh Patel

The British Indian Diaspora and the RAF

I was 17 when I first took the controls of a plane It was a Piper Warrior Cadet and the flight school was just next to an RAF base in North Yorkshire The really exciting thing about that was not the exercises where you practice recovering from a stall (where you turn the engines off, and then keep raising the nose, u n t i l t h e p l a n e d i p s f r o m p o i n t i n g s k y w a r d s t o pointing in a diving spiral to the ground) or practising emergency landings, or where as you hurtle down the runway the propeller stops as you realise as you ’ re about to lift the nose to clear the power station chimney beyond the runway, that you were using the empty left fuel tank

No, the most exciting is when the air traffic controller tells you have a ‘gaggle of fast planes’ coming your way at your ‘ 12 ’ and you should maintain a floor of 500 feet What they are actually telling you is that half a dozen supersonic Tornado fighter jets are about to tickle your fuselage as they pass under you at their ceiling of 500 feet That is exciting

So it was at Oxford I applied to join the RAF cadets – only to discover that by then I was too old! My grandfather was in the British Army in the Second World War – albeit his mother – a lady who in the streets of Karamsad, from where Sardar Patel planned the map of post 1947 India, threw bangles at the men who momentarily cowered during police raids in the village during the freedom movement, dragged at gunpoint behind a military jeep for her troubles (Yes, I am the great grandson of Heeraba Patel for those who remember her)

So am especially pleased to be moderating for Asian Voice and the RAF the Climate Change panelindeed anything with the RAF

When we think about Libya and the work of the Armed Forces, or Afghanistan, or as I often mention i n m y A s i a n V o i c e c o l u m n t h e h e r i t a g e o f t h e Commonwealth soldiers in the two world wars, you come to the realisation that the armed forces remain even in peace time a place for all Britons, ethnic minorities too

Our greatest threat in years to come will not come from Libya, or Syria or Iran It will come from within, our own complacency, our own lack of willingness to serve, to pass the buck to someone else All great civilisations depend upon their citizenry to have a sense of responsibility Without it we fail not only o u r s e l v e s b u t o u r n a t i o n a n d t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l community of civilised nations

And if you want to know why people join the Armed Forces, look no further than the insignia of some of the crests – RAF Waddington says it best for me, ‘For Faith and Freedom’ In a multi-faith society –it holds true regardless of your ethnic background

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Harrow man to run for fundraising his son’s medical expenses

A software engineer from Harrow is raising m oney for h is son Jinansh, who h as faced num erous h ealth challeng es in h is young life

Ujas Doshi, 36, who lives in central Harrow has said that his young son Jinansh was born a premature at just 23 weeks Following that, he spent 153 days in the hospital and faced a variety of health issues such as pneumothorax, meningitis, and anaemia Despite these challenges, Jinansh has come out stronger, and his father wants to celebrate his upcoming 3rd birthday by running 26 miles to raise money for other brave children who are facing difficult challenges

Ujas will be running 26 miles in Harrow’s parks, not only celebrating his son ’ s life but also raising money for the development of new cancer care facilities at Great Ormond Street Hospital, where Jinansh underwent surgery Every week, around five children in the UK lose their lives to cancer, and Ujas hopes that

NHS launches photograph competition to celebrate 75 years of NHS staff and volunteers

Th e N H S , in p a r t n e r s h ip wi t h F uj i fi lm , h a v e t o d a y laun ched a na tiona l photography competit ion to ma rk 75 ye ars of the NHS

The competition is an opportunity for NHS staff and volunteers to share –t h r o u g h p h o t o s – t h e i r unique stories of what the NHS means to them

UK tourist to India dies of electrocution

Dame Ruth May

The competition, which opens today, explores what the NHS means to staff and volunteers across five categories

Winning photos, along with 70 commended entries, will be displayed in a dedicated exhibition in Fujifilm’s

A "d early lov ed " form er p ub land lo rd d ied instantly after being electro cu ted wh ile on holiday in India, his family hav

e said

I v a n B r o w n , w h o r a n p u b s a c r o s s N o r w i c h , f e l l and grabbed a live electrical wire while taking a picture in the town of Dalhousie

Norwich He and Mr Linder

the funds raised through his run will help build a better future for children with cancer

Ujas is calling on the Harrow community to support his cause, as any amount donated will go towards better care for children facing health challenges He recognizes that the journey is not an easy one, but the resilience and strength of his son and other brave children have inspired him to take on this challenge

Through this run, Ujas hopes to spread awareness about the struggles that families with sick children face and raise funds to support research and development of better care facilities for sick children His efforts are a testament to the power of love, perseverance, and the human spirit

More than 500 migrants to be housed at barge

M ore than 500 m igrants are set to be housed o n a barg e yards from w here international ho lid aymakers arriv e o n cruise ships to explore the Jurassic coast Asylum seekers are to be p u t u p o n a h u g e v e s s e l moored at Portland docks, o u t s i d e W e y m o u t h i n Dorset, in plans set to be announced as early as this w e e k T h e g i a n t f l o a t i n g a c c o m m o d a t i o n b l o c k i s expected to be located next to a new quayside that has been revamped so that the p o r t c a n w e l c o m e m o r e tourists

It will take the number o f p l a c e s t h a t t h e Government has secured at l o w - c o s t s i t e s , t o w h i c h m i g r a n t s w i l l b e m o v e d from expensive hotel rooms, to just over 5,400 It comes a s , S u e l l a B r a v e r m a n refused to commit to stopp i n g t h e m i g r a n t b o a t s crossing the Channel this year, despite Tory election s t r a t e g i s t s w a r n i n g t h e p r o b l e m m u s t b e s o l v e d within six months

T h e H o m e S e c r e t a r y also said she could not guarantee that flights to Rwanda will take off this summer given that the policy is still

Entries will be judged by a p a n e l i n c l u d i n g T h i s Morning’s resident GP Dr Ellie, award winning journalist Victoria Macdonald, e m i n e n t p h o t o g r a p h e r Lewis Khan, Dr Habib Naqvi M B E , F u j i f i l m ’ s T h e o G e o r g h i a d e s a n d C h i e f Nursing Officer for England,

H o u s e o f P h o t o g r a p h y i n L o n d o n d u r i n g J u l y a n d August, opening on 4 July

T h e f i v e w i n n e r s w i l l also have their photo disp l a y e d a t t h e N H S 7 5 t h a n n i v e r s a r y s e r v i c e a t W e s t m i n s t e r A b b e y o n 5 July

T h e c o m p e t i t i o n w i l l close on 31 May

Nepalese staff of UK embassy in Kabul face detention

N e p a le s e se cu r i t y g ua r d s wh o p r o t e ct e d Br i t i sh e m ba s sy s t a ff i n Afg hanista n, a nd who we re airlift ed to safet y in t he U K in August 2021, ar e now in det ent ion an d facing deportat ion

Thirteen security guards – 11 Nepalese and two Indian – were brought to the UK as Kabul fell to the Taliban Some were granted indefinite leave to remain while others have been awaiting decisions

A t l e a s t t w o o f t h o s e r o u n d e d u p a n d d e t a i n e d had been granted indefinite leave to remain by the government

J a m i e B e l l o f D u n c a n Lewis solicitors, who is repr e s e n t i n g G u r u n g a n d another Nepalese man in the same situation, said: “These men risked their lives working to protect the British

f a c i n g l e g a l c h a l l e n g e s M i n i s t e r s a r e p o i s e d t o announce that a deal has been done with Portland, one of the biggest private dockyards in the country, to host the first asylum barge

The port was previously h o m e t o t h e p r i s o n s h i p H M P W e a r e , w h i c h h e l d 400 prisoners, mostly at the e n d o f t h e i r s e n t e n c e s , b e f o r e b e i n g d e c o m m i ssioned in 2006

It is expected that the a s y l u m b a r g e w o u l d b e located in the same place, given that it would require access to services, in particular electricity and running water Portland’s main quay, which is in the process of being upgraded so that it c a n w e l c o m e t w o c r u i s e ships up to 350 metres long, is around 300 yards across t h e w a t e r T h e w o r k i s scheduled to be completed by the end of this month, with the company that owns the dock saying it will allow the site to welcome more international tourists

This year, 55 liners from E u r o p e a n d t h e U n i t e d States are set to stop off at the port between March and November, bringing up to 130,000 visitors to the area

embassy in Kabul They were lawfully evacuated to the UK and were led to believe that they were to be granted permanent residence in the UK Instead, after being allowed to build a life in the UK, they h a v e b e e n b e t r a y e d a n d detained Those responsible should be ashamed of how they have been treated ”

A g o v e r n m e n t

s p o k e s p e r s o n s a i d : “ W e remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far have brought around 24,500 people impacted by the situation back to the UK ”

Temple murder: Two sentenced for life

Two men have been given li fe sentences for stabbing a ma n t o de a th w i th a machete outs ide a H indu temple

M o h a m m e d R a f a q i t K a y a n i , 2 4 , f r o m S l o u g h , was found seriously injured in the car park of Slough Hindu Temple in August 2 0 2 2 H a s s a n A l - K u b a n j i , 22, of Pimlico, London, and drug dealer Riaz Miah, 21, of no fixed address, were found guilty of murder following a trial last month

Reading Crown Court heard they inflicted "multiple, serious wounds" Miah was described in court as carrying out "serious criminality" in running a drugs line in Slough At the same t i m e , A l - K u b a n j i w a s o n license at the time of the a t t a c k , f o l l o w i n g a 3 0month sentence for supplying Class A drugs

T h e c o u r t h e a r d t h e pair had no previous connection with the victim, but t h e r e h a d e a r l i e r b e e n a

o n f r o n t a t i o n b e t w e e n

His daughter Natalie Brown said his death would leave "a massive hole in everyone's life"

The family has been told police are investigating why the wire was live Mr Brown, 71, was six weeks into an e i g h t - w e e k t r i p w i t h h i s friend David Linder at the time

The pair had been sending photos and stories back to family and friends in the UK documenting the "fantastic time" they were havi n g , M s B r o w n s a i d S h e told: "He was very into photography and he was taking a photo of the Himalayas a n d a s h e s t e p p e d b a c kwards we think he fell, he grabbed a live wire beside him which shouldn't have been live "We've had information from police and the embassy of a few incidents at this place "

The father-of-three had been the landlord of pubs i n c l u d i n g T h e M u r d e r e r s , The Eagle and The Jubilee in

b e c a m e f r i e n d s w h e n M r Brown sold him The Eagle Ms Brown said: "He was a very well-known character around Norwich and loved my many He helped many people in so many ways It's a great loss to the whole of Norwich and as a family we are all distraught and devastated And this should never have happened; he should be coming home to us We loved him dearly"

She said travelling was a " h u g e p a s s i o n " o f M r Brown's, and that he loved "anything adventurous" He also loved fishing and golf, h i s f a m i l y s a i d H i s w i f e Jackie, Ms Brown and her siblings Doug and Danielle, have been inundated with hundreds of phone calls, visitors and messages from the local community and across the world, including South Africa, where the couple had a home

"He was loved by everyone He's left a massive hole in everyone's life; we haven't stopped having people come around," Ms Brown said A F o r e i g n , C o m m o n w e a l t h a n d D e v e l o p m e n t O f f i c e spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in I n d i a a n d a r e i n c o n t a c t with the local authorities "

Afghan refugees told to leave London claim they lost employment and school places

them in the Concorde Way children's playground on 30 August at which Miah had a machete Mr Kayani, had been wearing a facemask and was in all probability also armed with a machete, the court heard

He ran from the playg r o u n d b e f o r e b e i n g attacked by Miah and AlKubanji outside the nearby temple He died later in the hospital During the trial, they claimed to have acted in self-defence Passing sentence, Her Honour Judge Heather Norton said Miah and Al-Kubanji had acted j o i n t l y t o " p u r

Af gh an refu gee fam ilies say their ch ild ren's edu catio n and h ealth are be in g a d v er se ly harmed by the Home Of fi c e' s o r d er t o u p ro o t th ei r li f e i n L o nd o n a nd re lo c ate 200 m iles away

They contend that after m o v i n g f r o m a b r i d g i n g hotel in Wetherby, close to Leeds, in February, children as young as five years old a n d t h r e e G C S E s t u d e n t s have not been able to find school placements, contrary to claims made this week by the veteran minister, Johnny Mercer

Mercer said to his colleagues and MPs this week that the needs of Afghan families in terms of health and education were being satisfied “ O p e r a t i o n W a r m W e l c o m e h a s e n s u r e d a l l those relocated to the UK t h r o u g h s a f e a n d l e g a l r o u t e s h a v e b e e n a b l e t o access the vital health, educ a t i o n a n d e m p l o y m e n t support they need to integ r a t e i n t o o u r s o c i e t y , ”

u

,

a t c h , attack and kill" Mr Kayani Miah previously pleaded guilty to supplying heroin and cocaine and possessing a blade in public He w

S o m e o f t h e r e f u g e e s , w h o i n c l u d e f o r m e r e l i t e s o l d i e r s , i n t e r p r e t e r s a n d p o l i t i c a l a d v i s e r s w h o w o r k e d a l o n g s i d e t h e U K a u t h o r i t i e s i n K a b u l , s a y d o c t o r s ’ a p p o i n t m e n t s , o p e r a t i o n s a n d j o b s h a v e b e e n l o s t b e c a u s e o f t h e move

After the government's a n n o u n c e m e n t t h i s w e e k that up to 8,000 Afghans living in hotels or other types of catered housing may be given three months' notice to depart as of April, they r i s k b e i n g t h r o w n o u t o f their most recent lodging

The refugees’ testimony appears to go against what

Mercer told the Commons Hamidullah Khan, a former parliamentary adviser in Kabul who was evacuated to the UK with his wife and t h r e e s o n s , s a i d h i s f i v eyear-old son Ibrahim had no school place in Yorkshire

“Before we left London for Wetherby, we kept asking t h e H o m e O f f i c e a b o u t schools for our children,” he said “We have now moved a n d l o o k , w e w e r e r i g h t ; there were few school plans in place Ibrahim and others must be given a chance to become part of this society” he added

Did vote-bank politics fail Britain’s grooming victims?

“What is clear is that when victims and other whistle-blowers came forward their complaints were often ignored by social workers, local politicians, or even the police The reason they were ignored was due to cultural sensitivity and political correctness That is not right ” He said the new measures would “make a big difference in helping us root out the evil perpetrated by grooming gangs ”

This was followed by comments from Home Secretary Suella Braverman in which she cited scandals, including Rotherham and Rochdale, as evidence that grooming gangs involved groups of men of mainly Pakistani ethnicity Number 10 stressed the Government would take an “evidence-based” approach to tackle “all aspects” when challenged over Mrs Braverman’s comments singling out British Pakistani men

Although previous Home Office research has failed to show Asian gangs were likely to groom, Mr Sunak said that was why it was vital that ethnic data was collected to guide police in their investigations, The Daily Telegraph reported

Joining the dialogue, Labour Party Chief Sir Keir Starmer said, “I think the Government needs to be clear about the full extent of the challenge “Ethnicity is not a reason not to come down hard, and it shouldn’t be So, the Government is right about that But on the other hand, the Government needs to recognise that that’s a small proportion of the cases we ’ re dealing with ”

He added: “If you look at the overall figure that is, you know, a relatively small element of it That doesn’t mean it’s not to be dealt with, don’t get me wrong, but if we are not clear about the full picture, then we won’t have a proper response

“I want a government that recognises the full response that’s needed here ”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the Prime Minister and Home Secretary need to look at evidence rather than using one ethnicity into some sort fo cultural war to try and win votes He also mentioned that the evidence lies in the Home Office’s 2020 report itself that said that majority of cases of child sexual exploitation were from white men According to him, the government needs to invest more in council services, social services

Downing Street has denied using dog-whistle generalisations to launch a crackdown on grooming gangs after the NSPCC and experts warned that framing the issue as one based on ethnicity could hamper efforts to tackle it

An independent inquiry found at least 1,400 children had been subjected to sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, with the perpetrators pre-

dominantly men of Pakistani heritage The racial profile of these cases resulted in the issue becoming a cause-celebre within far-right politics With this, the dialogue and investigation around ‘ sex grooming’ have forever been moving in the same

key challenge is to ensure that those who groom vulnerable individuals are punished appropriately but a linked-up approach between education, employment, poverty, housing etc is crucial in dealing with this scourge As a society, we have a

children

Further cementing the discrepancy and inaccuracy of data around sexual grooming, a paper titled ‘Cultures of Abuse: ‘Sex Grooming’, Organised Abuse and Race in Rochdale, UK’ by Michael Salter, Selda Dagistanli

the Home Secretary has put the interest of the vulnerable girls above her popularity “We can only root out such horrendous practices by bringing them under the spotlight without fear

It is not helpful to be politically correct when real lives are affected We have to call a spade a spade As they say, for evil to flourish all it takes is for good people to do nothing As a result, it is the duty of every community leader to take steps to curb this scourge in our society where a particular community is committing out-of-proportion crimes against young and vulnerable girls,” he told us

vicious circle for decades

A Home Office report in 2020 on group-based child sexual exploitation found that the majority of offenders were young white men, and said it was not possible to conclude whether any particular ethnic group was disproportionately represented

Sir Peter Wanless, the chief executive of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said, “It’s also vital we remember that any child can be a victim of child sexual exploitation and adult perpetrators do not just come from one background Sexual predators will target the most vulnerable and accessible children in society and there must be a focus on more than just race so we do not create new blindspots that prevent victims from being identified ”

Sabah Kaiser, former ethnic minority ambassador for the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse led by Alexis Jay, which reported last year, said it was “ very, very dangerous for the government to turn child sexual abuse into a matter of colour” She told Today Show: “It is really important that we do not turn this very, very important issue into an issue about colour Because let’s be frank, let’s be serious: that grabs headlines, but that is not helpful for this topic ”

The psyc he behin d sex groom ing Dr Din esh B hugra C BE, profess or of menta l health and diversi ty at the I nstitute of Psychi atry at Kin g's College Lon don told Asian Voice, “Grooming is hideous activity and must be strongly condemned People from all walks of life and groups do try and take advantage of vulnerable boys and girls for sexual and control purposes We need accurate data on the numbers groomed by respective groups otherwise it is likely that further stereotyping and anti-Asian feelings and racism will exaggerate reactions against certain groups It is important to look at the possibilities of vulnerabilities and educating people Grooming is a social issue and society must tackle it as a matter of urgency and also for the wellbeing of those who have been or are being groomed The

moral obligation to see what makes people vulnerable and help develop their resilience ”

Drugs and alcohol were reportedly frequently used by grooming gangs to incapacitate girls or coerce them into sex, with the criminality later discouraging victims from going to the police

There are several methods of grooming, with the best-known “boyfriend” model seeing an abusive relationship used to force victims into sex with others Children can also be trafficked, befriended online or – in the socalled party – targeted by groups of men who lure them to gatherings with offers of drinks, drugs, money and car rides According to The Independent, some sexual exploitation has been linked to criminal gangs, who also pay or force girls to run drugs or keep them in their homes In highprofile cases such as Rotherham and Rochdale, perpetrators have been much older than their victims, but police say peer-on-peer abuse by teenagers from the same school or area is more common in some areas Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for child protection, said officers were “committed to doing all we can to pursue and prosecute criminals who exploit and abuse young people”

Un cons cious b ias

According to a study from 2017, titled ‘What do we know about the ethnicity of people involved in sexual offences against children?’, Full Fact reported, “At first glance this would seem to suggest that the group identified as Asian are overrepresented (compared to the proportion of Asian people in the general population) but CEOP said that the data was too inconsistent to draw “national conclusions” from It said more research was needed to see whether the results were affected by “unconscious bias” in child protection agencies, the demographics of local areas or if there were issues in the community that needed to be addressed ”

(See P3 for more data)

Little information is available on the ethnicity of those convicted of sexual offences against

the University of Western Sydney, Australia, said, “There are important cultural and normative antecedents to sexual violence but these have been misrepresented in debates over organised abuse as racial issues and attributed to ethnic minority communities In contrast, the colonialist trope promulgating the fictional figure of the rational European has resulted in the denial of the cultural and normative dimensions of organised abuse in ethnic majority communities by attributing sexual violence to aberrant and sexually deviant individuals whose behaviours transgress the boundaries of accepted cultural norms ”

Salter further concluded, “Fundamentally, the racialisation of organised abuse represents a limited way of addressing the issue Even though the issue of culture has been key to bringing to light organised abuse by South Asian and Pakistani men, it narrows the focus of media and public attention and serves to conceal similar abuses by ‘white’ perpetrators This creates room for speculation on whether the racialised publicity surrounding the Rochdale and other racialised child abuse cases is really driven by an interest to protect and redress the harms suffered by vulnerable young women and children Locating the perversity of sexual exploitation in non-Western, non-white cultures enables issues unrelated to victim interests to be aired and justified in a public arena In racialised cases of sexual abuse, these are normally politically sensitive issues around nonWestern immigration and racially loaded debates about the acceptable boundaries of multiculturalism in Western cultures ” Real problem brushed un der the ca rpet

Lord Rami Ranger CBE told the newsweekly, “It is the duty of every Home Secretary to keep citizens safe and secure The Rt Hon Suella Braverman MP is no different when she is expressing her concerns for the safety of young vulnerable girls Their lives are equally important if not more ”

According to Lord Ranger,

Lord Ranger further added, “Sadly, the prison records show that British Pakistani men have been targeting white girls for decades I recall the former Home Secretary the Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP was also thinking of commissioning an enquiry into such practice It shouldn’t be considered wrong to speak the truth in the UK If people get offended by the truth then it is their shortcomings and an indictment of their own morality How long can one sweep the real problem under the carpet out of fear of offending any community? The lives and future of our young generation must be paramount and not politically correct ” Childre n suff er the unt hinkable pr ice

Ahead of the findings of a major inquiry, it’s clear we ’ re not even getting the basics right, Sonia Sodha an Observer columnist wrote in her column five months ago “As long as we avert our gaze from sexual abuse, we will continue to fail children,” she wrote According to her, the more time you spend looking at government policy, the more you realise how much of its intervention is recklessly shortterm, ignores the evidence and attempts to fix the problem when it’s staring us in the face, rather than prevent it escalating

She also mentioned in her OpEd that a conservative estimate is that 15% of girls and 5% of boys experience some form of sexual abuse before the age of 16 – half a million children every year It’s as common as physical and emotional abuse, yet just a fraction of this abuse is picked up by the authorities: fewer than one in 10 children experiencing sexual abuse are assessed as at risk and just one in 200 is on a child protection plan for child sexual abuse And it’s going in the wrong direction: the number of child protection plans for child sexual abuse has fallen significantly since the early 1990s, even as the total number of plans has rocketed

Amid all political correctness, Sodha touched the right nerve by pressing that there is an urgent moral imperative to drop the myths about child sexual abuse that make adults more comfortable because it is children who suffer the unthinkable price

Dr Dinesh Bhugra Lord Rami Ranger CBE Sadiq Khan

Historic moment as a student at Oxford University recites Sikh

prayer instead of the Latin Grace

Shefali Saxena

Serene Si ngh, Graduate Presi dentE lect of the O xford Si kh Soci ety and a St Peter’s W elfare Offic er reci ted the Mool Mantar, a Si kh prayer, with participati on from all i n the hall, as a blessing on the meal Mool Mantar translates to ‘ ro ot c ha n t ’ a n d i n c lu de s t he opening li ne to the Sikh holy text, the Guru Granth Sahi bi, which is ‘ Ek O nkar’ (‘ One Shared Light’ ) Although St Peter’s has regularly included prayers from different faiths and languages at the formal hall, the Oxford University Sikh Society has noted that this may be the first time a Sikh prayer has been used Serene said, ‘It was a big moment for me to help share a fraction of my identity and faith with others who might not have ever known about it otherwise It opens doors for questions to be a s k e d , f o r c o n v e r s a t i o n s t o b e started, and for humanity to be b r i d g e d i n i m p o r t a n t w a y s f o r years to come ’ S p e a k i n g t o A s i a n V o i c e , Serene further added, “It is easy to come to a place like Oxford and to fall into a complete acceptance of “ t r a d i t i o n ” B u t , t h a t i s n o t enough for me Doing things for the sake of “tradition” only means so much when only one “tradition” prevails and has the chance to be shared So, this was a big moment for me to help share a fraction of my identity and faith with others who might not have ever known about it otherwise It opens doors for questions to be a s k e d , f o r c o n v e r s a t i o n s t o b e started, and for humanity to be b r i d g e d i n i m p o r t a n t w a y s f o r y e a r s t o c o m e M o o l M a n t a r translates to “root chant” in Sikhi, t h e 5 t h l a r g e s t r e l i g i o n i n t h e world The opening line to the Sikh holy text, the Guru Granth Sahib which is “Ek Onkar ” The translation of “Ek Onkar,” is “One Shared Light ” This guiding philosophy has transformed my life –not just my faith but how my way of leadership, as well From the communities I work with to the ways I work towards challenging biases I have, I strongly believe in the power “Ek Onkar” has to connect and unite our human race ”

Could you be a Stroke Saver?

signs

than 1 in 4 people (29%) South Asians wouldn’t be confident in recognising the signs of a stroke And fewer than 2 in 3 (64%) said that they would dial 999 as a first step if they noticed one of the key signs

The NHH’s F A S T campaign has reportedly helped to save many lives, so it is being relaunched by N

Other medical issues that are common in the South Asian community can also increase the likelihood of having a stroke

A c c o r d i n g t o D r S r e e m a n A n d o l e , E x e c u t i v e M e d i c a l Director and Stroke Consultant at Liverpool University Hospital, “We need to be aware that particular conditions that we see in the South Asian community – such as high blood pressure and diabetes - are strongly linked to risk of stroke Ensuring that we are on the lookout for the symptoms of stroke in ourselves and others is therefore all the more important in saving lives ” Visit www nhs uk/ActFAST for more information

“

The 26-year-o a proud Sikh Ame passionate about cating people on Sikh tenets and w life She has publ research on her c o m m u n i t y t “

T r a c k i n g

Reflecting on Hat

D i s c r i m i n a t i o n : M e t a - A n a l y s i s S u r v e y E x p e r i m

Depicting Percep of Sikh American the Sikh Faith in United States” and spearheaded the in tion of the inau

C o l o r a d o S i k h which was supp b y C o l o r a d o ’ s

L e g i s l a t u r e i n home state

A t O x U n i v e r s i t y , S brought the first b a n e d S i k h s p e w h o w o u l d s specifically on the f a i t h t o t h e O x Union in its 200+ history last June S also wrote a child

b o o k i n 2 0 2 1 c

The Queen Mac

In the book, the character is “Amrita w h o , a s a S i k h g i r l , goes through a journey of developing self-conf i d e n c e a m o n g

Amrita’s friends

b o o k , B r o o k e

Michaela

Two arrested for assaulting mosque visitor

T wo teenage bo ys have been a rre s ted af te r a m an w as a s sa u lte d w h i l e w a lk i ng h o m e f ro m a m o s q u e i n Birmingham

I n a t w e e t , W e s t M i d l a n d s P o l i c e s a i d t h e boys, both aged 16, had been taken into custody for questioning The victim, aged 73, w a s l e f t i n j u r e d a f t e r t h e attack as he walked home from Kings Heath mosque It occurred as he was walking along York Road at around 11 00 pm, police said

The man fell as a result of the attack, hitting his head on a display board, and was taken to hospital with cuts to his face and a broken hand It

f o l l o w s a n a t t a c k i n

Edgbaston last week, where Mohammed Rayaz, 70, was set on fire as he walked home from Dudley Road mosque

M o h a m m e d A b b k r , 2 8 , h a s b e e n c h a r g e d w i t h a t t e m p t i n g t o m u r d e r M r R a y a z a n d a n o t h e r e l d e r l y

man in London who was also s e t a l i g h t a f t e r l e a v i n g a

mosque

W e s t M i d l a n d s P o l i c e said the motive for the attack in Kings Heath "isn't clear at this stage, but there is nothing to suggest any connection at all to the recent attack on a man who was walking home f r o m a m o s q u e i n

Edgbaston "

Serene Singh

Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury puts community first this Easter

S h r ee S w am in ar aya n

M andir Kingsbu ry has com e together, in the true spirit o f com munity, by m aking h und red s of d onations to th e m ost v ulnerable in our society ov er the Easter period

On Tuesday 28th March

2 0 2 3 , v o l u n t e e r s a t t h e

M a n d i r t r a n s p o r t e d o v e r

2 0 0 s t a t i o n e r y g i f t p a c k s and Easter eggs to children’s hospices & hospitals including Noah’s Ark Children’s

H o s p i c e , T h e K E F K i d s

C e n t r e , W h i t t i n g t o n

C h i l d r e n s H o s p i t a l a n d

What happens to you when you are under any stress?

Rohit Vadhwana

Afriend called me from A irpo rt, asking if there was any way I could help with reg ard to the stamping o f the U SA v isa to the new passpo rt since the old one w as cancelled I cou ld n't h elp Disap pointed, th e family deferred their journey and returned hom e L ater in the afternoon, sh e apologised for not greeting me properly as they w ere und er stress I was not offended since I knew the situation Greetin g s w ere not exp ected f rom he r at th at ti m e

Understandable

I s l i n g t o n C o m m u n i t y

Nursing Team

Additionally,

6 l a r g e E a s t e r h a m p e r s c o ns i s t i n g o f b i scuits, chocolates and Easter eggs were donated to h o s p i c e s a n d care homes at St L u k e ’ s H o s p i c e , M H A

R i v e r v i e w L o d g e , K n i g h t s C o u r t C a r e H o m e a n d Ashton Lodge Care home

Each of these hampers and gift packs were generously donated by members of the Mandir community to help children, families and the elderly bring a bit more light into their lives during t h i s h o l i d a y s e a s o n A l l

i n s p i r e d b y t h e i r G u r u , Acharya Swamiji Maharaj s teaching of putting Society before Self"

In response to these acts o f k i n d n e s s , N o a h ' s A r k thanked the Mandir comm u n i t y w i t h , " [ T h i s ] g e nerosity will enable those we support make the most of every day, and this will mean different things to different people"

Chinmaya Mission UK celebrates Hanuman

Jayanti at the refurbished centre

On 2 April, Chinmaya

Mission UK welcomed devotees of all ages throughout the day to its annual major c e l e b r a t i o n o f H a n u m a n J a y a n t i w h i c h m a r k s t h e birth of Lord Hanuman

Led by a team of devotional singers, the melodious Hanuman Chalisa was chanted 108 times in a range of beautiful and soul-stirr i n g m e l o d i e s o v e r e i g h t hours H u n d r e d s o f p e o p l e a t t e n d e d t h e e v e n t a t

Chinmaya Mission’s newly refurbished modern spiritua l a n d c u l t u r a l c e n t r e ‘ C h i n m a y a K i r t i ’ w h e r e weekly classes ranging from Sanskrit and the Upanishads to devotional singing and children’s value education take place

The Hanuman Chalisa is f o r t y v e r s e s c o m p o s e d b y t h e 1 6 t h c e n t u r y S a i n t Tulasidas that detail the glories of Hanuman as the ideal devotee of Lord Rama and serves as an important chant for spiritual growth to devotees of Chinmaya Mission UK

M o t h e r o f t w o A n o l i planned her family’s easter travels around the occasion, “ H a n u m a n J a y a n t i a t Chinmaya Kirti fuses devotion, music and community together perfectly It uplifts us all,” she says S e v e n - y e a r - o l d S a a k s h i spent the entire day there, she adds, “It’s a really nice f e e l i n g o n s t a g e w i t h t h e m u s i c s u r r o u n d i n g y o u , sometimes fast, sometimes slow I love being there ”

Also playing an important role in the event is the o r g a n i s a t i o n ’ s r e s i d e n t A c h a r y a ( t e a c h e r ) B r a h m a c h a r i n i S h r i p r i y a C h a i t a n y a , w h o r e m i n d e d t h e c r o w d w h y L o r d H a n u m a n i s s o d e e p l y revered,

“ T h e c h a r a c t e r o f Hanuman being a monkey is s o m e t h i n g t h a t w e c a n relate to as the character of o u r m i n d s , w h i c h l i k e a monkey jumps from topic to topic and is difficult to control What Hanuman symbolises is that when we have an ideal to live for, then that m i n d b e c o m e s o b e d i e n t , and it becomes incredibly d y n a m i c a n d c a p a b l e o f achieving incredible things as Hanuman did ” One attendee described the event as a meditation w i t h n o i s e , “ I t ’ s q u i t e a s t r a n g e c o m b i n a t i o n , y o u expect meditation to be all calm and peaceful and this is c a l m a n d p e a c e f u l i n t h e middle of sound it’s actually a fabulous feeling ” Hap

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visit in person to join One woman whose health pre-

What happens to you when you are under any stress? How do you behave with everyone around you? Do you snap them? Or yell at them? Or create an atmosphere of tension around you? Are people able to offer you advice in this situation? Are you willing to listen to anyone at that moment? The answer to all these questions will be revealing your body language and behaviour when you are in a strained situation Think again, is it appropriate? How would it paint you in the eyes of those who do not know about your calmer and more peaceful side of behaviour? Is that how you would like them to keep your image in their mind? Such situations are tricky We forget all the lessons of mannerisms With forehead wrinkled, eyes widened, breath fastened, and heartbeat increased, we become an individual difficult to deal with Our logical brain doesn't work Nothing wise enters our minds This creates stress and tension in the atmosphere We exhume negative energy It makes others uncomfortable around us People avoid talking to us in such situations We all might have gone through such incidents in life and reflected the worse side of our personalities

v e n t s h e r f r o m l e a v i n g home said, “It was such a beautiful programme, I was g l u e d t o t h e l i v e s t r e a m since morning ”

C h i n m a y a M i s s i o n exists to provide individuals from any background with the universal wisdom

of Vedanta and the practic a l m e a n s f o r p e r s o n a l growth and development, enabling them to become p o s i t i v e c o n t r i b u t o r s t o society

How you deal with such stressful situations is an art, not easy to acquire Meditation and a deep understanding of the world - spirituality is certainly the final source of such wisdom But for those who do not incline to go that deep, easy steps might be: Don't say anything Just keep your mouth shut for the time being If you have to talk to someone, prefer writing a message Type a message but don't send it Read it again for its politeness of language Add usual greetings at the beginning and end - since under pressure you must have forgotten to use them Nothing changes in one minute Take this one minute to compose yourself and then decide whether you would like to send that message or speak on phone - in the same language you have finalised for your message If it is a request for help, be extra polite If it is a complaint, emphasise your grievance but make sure you do not raise your voice As soon as you raise your voice, everything goes out of your control Once lost, difficult to gain your calm back during the conversation It will offend other people and would avail no benefit to you This delayed communication and pre-decided language will help you tackle the situation in a better way

(Expressed opinions are personal)

Swaminarayan Jayanti and Rama Navmi celebrations

T h e lu na r d at e o f Chaitra Sh ukla 9 holds special sig nificance fo r m i ll io n s o f H i nd u s around the w orld It is the calend rical day o n w h i ch Bh a g w a n S w am i n ara ya n m anifested on earth in 178 1 The d ate is also know n as Ram a Nav mi because Shri Ram a also manife st ed o n th i s d a y, tho usands of years ag o

This year, this auspicious day fell on 30 M a r c h 2 0 2 3 a n d w a s m a r k e d w i t h v a r i o u s ceremonies and festivit i e s a t B A P S S h r i Swaminarayan Mandir, London

D e v o t e e s a n d w e l l -

wishers visited the Mandir throughout the day where they enjoyed a programme of devotional singing and d i s c o u r s e s f r o m s w a m i s during the morning, which provided an insight into his exemplary life of devotion and spiritual faith The cere m o n i a l o f f e r i n g o f f o o d

(annakut) and arti, marking the divine b i r t h o f B h a g w a n Rama, was held at noon

In the evening, youths and swamis further celebrated the life

a n d w o r k s o f B h a g w a n

S w a m i n a r a y a n a n d

B h a g w a n R a m a c h a n d r a , which included a series of devotional songs and dis-

c o u r s e s t h a t d e l v e d d e e p e r i n t o t h e i r impactful lives and the s p i r i t u a l l e g a c y t h a t they bequeathed T h e e v e n i n g c e l eb r a t i o n s c u l m i n a t e d w i t h a s p e c i a l a r t i a t

10 10pm, signifying the prec i s e t i m e B h a g w a n Swaminarayan chose to be born to mother Bhaktimata in the small north Indian village of Chhapaiya

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Why do we let our rivers turn into sewers?

England is a green and fertile land , with lakes, riv ers and free flow ing w aters ev eryw here, a sig ht for the sore eyes! S o w hy our politicians let our rivers turn into sew ers wh ich are extrem ely h azard ous and unp leasant to ev eryo ne, especially to th ose wh o may be living w ithin the catchment area!

The recent announcement by government that on average water industry lets untreated sewage flow into our rivers some eight hundred times a day is beyond belief Ultimately the sewage ends up in our seas where our children, as well as sea mad holiday makers swim and enjoy the sun on a hot summer ’ s days, after enduring our cold, wet and chilly winter months that take its toll on elderly and disable people

Could this happen in countries like France, Germany and Scandinavian nations? If not why not! The answer is simple First of all such utilities are owned by their own people or governments while our utilities are in the hands of overseas conglomerates, even overseas nations who could not care a hoot for our environment and our health Their prime concern is to make as much profit as possible for their shareholders so as to pay rich dividends and raise share prices

At last our government has come out of hibernation and promised to impose unlimited fines, the money raised will go to environment projects to keep our rivers and countryside clean and tidy rather than a health hazard to our citizens

It would even be better if we can renationalize these utilities, as is the norm in most EU countries I do not have much trust in our politicians who are quick to legislate but lazy, even incompetent to act decisively, whether they are dealing with uncontrolled, illegal migration, fly-tipping, rogue builders or any such issues Even our Financial Ombudsmen are toothless, as it has no power to compel rogue businesses to attend It is voluntary and if businesses feel they will lose, they refuse to attend! What a wonderful nation we live in!

Bhup

endra M Gand hi

Kindness during Easter

It was the Easter Sunday morning of April 2019 and I was watching news on tv as usual and to my disbelief I was shocked to see the bombing in Sri Lanka that rocked hotels and churches, especially when Christian devotees were attending Sunday Easter services

If the fanatics are so courageous then why do they kill innocents and can’t instead go and engage in a combat with the army and military to show their valour?

So, to calm myself down, I offered my Hindu prayer for all those who lost their lives and for the speedy recovery of those who were injured I also prayed for strength for the victims’ families

On the same afternoon my wife Bhavna and I went to watch the Canadian musical production Come From Away at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto The t w o o r c h e s t r a s e a t t i c k e t s w e r e g i f t e d t o u s b y o u r d a u g h t e r s a n d t h e i r s p o u s e s o n o u r 5 0 t h w e d d i n g anniversary

It was a beautiful musical show and it gave us comfort and solace to learn about the true story of how during the 9/11 terrorist attack in the US, about 200 planes with about 7,000 passengers were diverted to the small remote airport of Gander, Newfoundland (population 9,000) The people l i v i n g i n G a n d e r a s w e l l a s t h e s u r r o u n d i n g t o w n s welcomed total strangers with open arms, fed them, gave them shelter, medicines, cared for them in their houses , churches and community centres Many grocery stores and drug marts gave whatever people needed free of charge An ocean of love, kindness, sense of brotherhood poured in for three days and when people departed, they all felt that they were leaving behind a true family behind

Let me also refer to another instance of kindness and love shown by the same Gander town, almost around the Easter time in 1983 My wife’s maternal uncle Shivabhai Patel and his cousin Chhaganbhai Patel and their wives were flying by Air India from Bombay (Mumbai now) to New York to Canada In mid air, Chhaganbhai had a massive heart attack, a few thousand kilometres away from Gander The plane crew and some medical personnel tried to revive him and the plane had to be diverted to Gander where he was admitted in a hospital It was the first time they were travelling abroad and it was cold and a totally strange place for them But Shivabhai being a businessman w i t h k n o w l e d g e o f E n g l i s h m a n a g e d i n t h i s t r a g i c situation One Punjabi family of Indo-Canadian origin, upon learning about this incident, came to the hospital and gave them comfort and helped them As Chhaganbhai didn’t survive, with the help of the Toronto funeral home and accountant Vasudevbhai Vyas his body was brought to Toronto for cremation

Every Easter we always think of this small town Gander and it’s kind people

Su resh and Bhavna Patel

Avoid wearing gold jewellery

With gold prices on an upward spiral, women in the city are under constant threat from chain-snatchers Keeping in mind rising cases of chain-snatching, I feel that women themselves must avoid wearing gold jewellery, and if at all they wear them, they must be alert The best way to curb such incidents is that women should start wearing imitation jewellery for daily use They must keep their original gold jewellery for special occasions like weddings or parties and be cautious whenever they wear them Though mostly women are targeted, even men are falling prey to such crimes We cannot expect the police to remain ever vigilant to curb such incidents across the city I have no idea of what punishments are awarded to those who are caught for gold thefts, but considering the gold prices, it has become an easy way of making money, and anyone who wears gold -- be it men or women- becomes an easy target for the criminals Self-restraint is the best measure to avoid being a victim of gold theft

Jubel D'Cruz

Bandipur Tiger Reserve

A p r o p o s B a n d i p u r t i g e r r e s e r v e c o m p l e t i n g 5 0 y e a r s Project Tiger was started during PM Indira Gandhi's tenure in April 1973 World Tiger Day(July 29) draws attention to dwindling population of tigers We need to take adequate steps to conserve our national pride or else only this generation can say Tiger Zinda Hai and show the future generation, tigers only in Madame Tussauds museum and say Ek Tha Tiger!'

T S Karth ik

Proud of the Lohana Samaj's Business Conference

I am delighted to read the news coverage of Lohana Samaj's Business Conference held in Uganda which was published in Asian Voice for the last few weeks As a community member, it was matter of pride for me Lohana Maha Parishad is a very old and venerable organisation whose foundation was laid by our forefathers and today it has grown like a huge tree This organisation has become a useful link connecting community members settled within India and outside India Be it business or searching matrimonial for children, such contacts have indeed proved useful in building relationships

We are very thankful to Lohana Maha Parishad President Satishbhai Vithalani, Convener Subhash Thakrar, Sudhir Ruparelia and others for organising this business conference

By inviting and with the presence of Reverend Brahmavihari Swamiji of BAPS to this conference, the conference earned further glory Swamiji, who is known as a skilled orator, is incharge of the Swaminarayan Temple which is under construction in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Chunilal M ansukh

Golden achievements in the golden jubilee year

A special thanks to the Editor and his team of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for providing us with intensive and u s e f u l i n f o r m a t i o n I n d e e d , A s i a n V o i c e a n d G u j a r a t Samachar should be a part of every home The subscription also comes with attractive benefits

All members in our family are avid readers of these publications Our children and their children too have been able to learn about their glorious past heritage through Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar It is like a sea of information at just 10 pence This sea of knowledge also saves us from ignorance and abject superstition The more you bathe in it, the more you get enlightened

Surya kant Shah

Lohana Kampala Conference

Our special congratulations to the Lohana community which has a very small population We read Asian Voice about this business conference The reports were indeed enlightening Other communities also have a lot to learn from such programmes

It is undeniable that such news and reports will inspire and encourage other communities When I was in a school in Kampala, some of my classmates were from the Lohana community Today many of them have become highly successful businessmen and industrialists Many have made significant progress as accountants, pharmacists or doctors

Well done Lohana brothers!

M any readers h av e sent messag es asking w hat has happened to Kapil and his Khichadi, and wh en I would be back Well folks, I have been on a long v acation to India and then S pain I saw a lot, learnt a lot, and of course enjo yed a lot as well

In the few months I have been away, it seems all hell broke loose in the UK as well as across the world The number of important issues is quite long, so what I will do is share my first thoughts on a few of the most recent ones AP PG Gujarati:I was flabbergasted to learn that some MPs, with some very bad advice from a few self-interested Gujjus, decided that they would create an All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gujaratis One of the silliest ideas I have come across in a long while I informed all the MPs concerned of my objection and I hope that they see sense and terminate this grave error of judgement that is more to do with dividing Indians So let me make this clear, we already have the APPG for British Hindus which s e r v e s a l l o u r n e e d s L i k e w i s e , t h e r e a r e o t h e r s f o r Muslims as well as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh The sheer stupidity in creating one for Gujaratis (by the way, as far as I can make out, most leading organisations don’t support this travesty) suggests that you’ll end up having one for every state in India! India was once divided and oppressed It took Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Gujju, to unite more than 500 princely states to make India one nation and one people And today, we have a Gujju PM, Shri Narendrabhai Modi ji who continues to lead a united India in the 21st C

I have also been alerted by people in the know that there is a plan by Labour politicians to hijack the APPG so they can condemn the BJP and PM Modi about the Gujarat riots It seems this is the playbook of the left in the west to influence the elections in India in 2024 It’s time to stop this madness in trying to divide us in the UK to profit some politicians I say to each MP concerned, stop this madness, you do not do this in my name or that of any true Indian

AP PG British Hind us: Had its relaunch and celebration of Holi event on 20th March The Chair of the APPG, Bob Blackman MP comments: “I have been working towards the creation of a strong forum for British Hindus to interact with Parliament since being elected, so I am delighted that this cross-party group has now formed and is receiving a lot of support across the board” I support this group wholeheartedly For those who wish to foll o w i t s w o r k , p l e a s e c h e c k o u t t h e i r w e b s i t e : https://www appgbritishhindus com

Leicester Labou r and Racism: Last week I came to know that the vast majority of Hindu Councillors in Leicester were summarily deselected by the local Labour Party These councillors have been with Labour for decades Their loyalty rewarded by being thrown out of the party because they finally challenged it when Islamists attacked Hindus in Leicester They dared to take on the Labour Mayor of Leicester who appeared to have compromised his own position with respect to the investigation into how Islamists attacked Hindus in Leicester Am I surprised with what Labour has done? Not really I have been warned about the inherent Hinduphobic nature of the Labour Party Today, hopefully even the diehards in the Indian community who vote for Labour will realise that they are just slaves to their white masters It’s time for people in Leicester (and nationally) to wake up and kick this racist party where it hurts Enough is enough, surely

An il Mistry

I end by congratulating Humza Yousaf in becoming the First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party In the UK we now have our Prime Minister who is of Indian heritage, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and of course Humza who are both of Pakistani heritage We even have the PM of Ireland, Leo Varadkar who is also of Indian heritage So, whilst we have issues in this country, and yes, we have much to do with equalities and stamping out racism in all its forms, we can be proud of Britain and the British people One wonders though, are we going to see the First Minister ask the Prime Minster for the partition of the UK (the Jinnah effect!)? Let’s hope they put our nation and its people first, before any ideology of division

We are grateful to all letter writers for more and more versatile letters well within word limit Please keep contributing as always

If you are new, then write to Shefali at shefali saxena@abplgroup com

Another attack on the Indian High Commission

Indian flag bef ore it could fall i nto the hands of the miscreants below and, thus, preventing the un holy act from being perpetr ated by the intruders

Ruchi Ghanashyam

Mrs Ruchi Ghanashyam is the former High Commissioner of India to the UK

With a career in Indian Foreign Service for over 38 years, she has been posted in many countries including South Africa, Ghana, before arriving in the UK She was o n l y t h e s e c o n d w o m a n H i g h Commissioner to the UK since India’s independence and during her tenure, she w i t n e s s e d a n u m b e r o f s i g n i f i c a n t developments in the UK-India relations

@RuchiGhanashyam

A mob of pr otestors holdi ng yellow Khali stani flags descended on India House, home to India’s High C om mission to the UK, on 19 F ebr uary 2023 Videos of the attack cir culati ng on social m edia show a man climbin g onto the balcony of India H ouse, attempti ng to bring down the Indian tricolour f lyi ng on the building and r eplace it with the Khalistan f lag This invi di ous and obnoxi ous attempt was foi led by a securi ty official of the H igh C ommi ssion , who can be seen rushing brav ely on to t he balcon y, retri ev ing the

The first time I saw the report of the incident was after disembarking from a ship in San Antonio, Chile We had not had access to Wi-Fi for some time I, thus, looked with surprise and horror at the headline ‘Indian High Commission attacked by Khalistanis’ that stared at me from my phone, as we got connected to WiFi ‘Why didn’t the Mission alert the Police to provide security!?’

That was my first reaction, as I recalled similar attacks that we had faced at India House in 2019 Our experience with London’s Met Police was that they would be present when informed, though on almost every occasion, their numbers would be grossly inadequate!

Subsequently, I saw reports in the media indicating that the High Commission had alerted the authorities of the planned protest In a bizarre replay of Bollywood movies, the Met police arrived after the hero had already saved the situation In this case, even the offenders had run away As

per reports that I saw, the police could only find one protestor to detain The heroes of the episode were undoubtedly the Indian security personnel who saved the day by preventing the tricolour from being desecrated and, in all probability, burnt after the insult

Perhaps the horrifying humiliation of 19 February, prompted a strong presence by the Met Police a few weeks later, when a similar protest was held outside India House in March The strong presence kept the protestors at a safe distance from the India House building The so-called ‘democratic right to protest’ was exercised on this occasion without impinging on the rights of the representatives of a friendly, sovereign nation to perform their legitimate official functions

The attack on India House was roundly condemned by UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Minister Tariq Ahmed and the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan UK’s HC to India, Alex Haley also conveyed the sentiment clearly Unlike the past, there was no ambiguity in condemning the attack Phrases like, ‘largely peaceful’ were not used this time to describe the attack

The attack on the High Commission enraged public opinion in India as well as amongst Indian diaspora abroad No one can under-

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stand how a friendly nation like the UK could show such wanton disregard for the safety and security of the Indian Mission, which had been subjected to a series of violent protests less than four years back The situation of the UK High Commission in India, as also the residence of the High Commissioner, has been very different in terms of security arrangements in India Security barricades had been in place on the pavements outside their premises in Delhi, much to the discomfort of the average Indian walking on these pavements These security barriers have since been removed, though Delhi Police has clarified that there is no letting up on the security to these premises

I have often struggled to understand the casual approach of the London Police to the security of the Indian Mission in the UK India House is located in a popular area on a fairly busy street of London Its doors and windows open on the pavement with not even a few feet of set back from the road There is no manifest security presence outside. The tendency of the London Met Police to dismiss or underestimate the security assessments shared with them by the Mission is, therefore, quite perplexing! It is hoped that the authorities have finally woken up this time and will

seriously prioritise the safety and security of India’s diplomatic representatives in the UK

I can not conclude this column without some words about the protesters The behaviour of those on the streets outside India House on 19 February did no credit either to themselves or to the proud Sikh community Anyone watching the videos would see ruffians like rowdy behaviour. Such morally defunct conduct can not inspire any social movement

There can be no moral authority of people whose intent is solely to intimidate and generally create mayhem

The Sikh Gurus taught peace and harmony Spirituality combined with fearlessness is the hallmark of the Sikh faith The conduct of those who attacked India House on 19 February could not be the work of those taking inspiration from the conduct of the holy Gurus

There are plenty of positive role models for young Sikhs to follow The latest is Ajay Banga, who is set to lead the World Bank, the first Indian origin person to do so! There are many in the UK and across the globe who have distinguished themselves in different fields Hopefully, youngsters within the community will take inspiration from them

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Namasté France 2023

Immerse yourself in the Indian experience

Celebrating 25 years of India-France Strategic Partnership

The Emba ssy of Ind ia in Pa ris, with t he s u pp o r t o f t h e Mi n i s t r y o f C ultur e, G over nme nt of India is o r g a n is i n g t h e N a m a s t é F r a n c e fest iv al from 07 - 12 A pril, 2023 in or der to ce le bra te 25 y ea rs of In diaFr an ce St ra teg ic Par tn ership

Namasté France 2023 comes in p u r s u i t o f t h e c o m m i t m e n t t o reciprocal cultural festivals made during the joint declaration of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India S h r i N a r e n d r a M o d i a n d H E P r e s i d e n t E m m a n u e l M a c r o n o f France when the Hon’ble Prime Minister visited France in August 2019 N a m a s t é F r a n c e 2 0 2 3 i s a c e l e b r a t i o n o f t h e h i s t o r i c a n d friendly relations between India and France, and the multi-faceted India-France Strategic Partnership, a n d a i m s t o c e l e b r a t e t h i s landmark moment in the history of Indo-French relations by bringing together leading performing and v i s u a l a r t i s t s a n d a r t i s a n s f r o m India to provide an extraordinary feast of the senses through all of India’s rich cultural diversity

Convinced by the formidable power of culture to bridge people

t o g e t h e r a c r o s s n a t i o n s a n d generations, Namasté France also aims to further advance people-top e o p l e t i e s b e t w e e n I n d i a a n d

France The events of the festival have been thoughtfully curated not only to present a window into the best of this ancient culture but also to reflect the India of today and now

In a span of six days of the f e s t i v a l , N a m a s t é F r a n c e w i l l present an eclectic mix of the very b e s t o f I n d i a ’ s l i v i n g c u l t u r a l traditions and contemporary arts Through an array of performing and visual arts – from classical to f o l k , f r o m y o g a t o B o l l y w o o d w o r k s h o p s a n d s e m i n a r s , f r o m p h o t o g r a p h y a n d e x h i b i t i o n s t o h a n d i c r a f t s a n d g a s t r o n o m y ,

Namasté France promises to offer an immersive experience of the Indian cultural landscape Special attention has been paid to curating Namasté France 2023 w i t h a r t i s t s o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l renown – with awardees of the Padma Shri, the Padma Vibhushan and the Grammy Award scheduled to perform Veritable maestros in t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e d o m a i n s ,

including Amjad Ali Khan, Bombay Jayashri, Ricky Kej and the Shakti b a n d , w i l l c o m e t o g e t h e r t o p e r f o r m f o r t h e a u d i e n c e s o f

Namasté France 2023 This edition o f N a m a s t é F r a n c e h a s b e e n imagined as a festival doted with a u n i v e r s a l , i n t e r g e n e r a t i o n a l appeal Namasté France 2023 also owes i t s s c a l e a n d g r a n d e u r t o t h e g e n e r o u s c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f o u r p a r t n e r s b o t h i n I n d i a a n d i n F r a n c e O u r p a r t n e r s i n c l u d e LVMH, Saint Gobain, Capgemini, Safran, GMR, Naval, Airbus, Anju and Air India, all of whom have chosen to come together to make N a m a s t é F r a n c e a s u c c e s s T h e festival is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, Government o f I n d i a , M a i s o n d e l ’ I n d e a n d Seher Heralding a newer chapter of d e e p e r r e l a t i o n s a n d r i c h e r e x c h a n g e s b e t w e e n o u r t w o p e o p l e s , i t i s w i t h a l o t o f excitement that the Embassy of I n d i a i n P a r i s p r e s e n t s t h e Namaste France 2023 to mark 25 y e a r s o f I n d i a - F r a n c e s t r a t e g i c partnership

Impressions Gallery presents Zaibunnisa by Maryam Wahid

A new exh ibition at Impressions Gallery tells the story of Maryam Wa h i d ’ s rem a rk abl e j o u rn ey t o d i s co v er h e r P ak i st ani i d en ti ty w h i le v i s i ti ng h er m o th e r ’ s childho od hom e for the first time Z a i b u n n i s a , a n U r d u w o r d meaning ‘the beauty of women ’ r e f e r s t o M a r y a m W a h i d ’ s M o t h e r ’ s b i r t h n a m e p r i o r t o emigrating from Pakistan to the U K i n 1 9 8 2 f o r a n a r r a n g e d marriage The photographs tell the story of Wahid and her mother’s journey to Lahore in 2019; Wahid’s first ever visit to Pakistan and her mother’s first visit in 20 years Saturday 8 April to Saturday 1 July 2023 Open Tuesday to Saturday, f r e e e n t r y A n e w e x h i b i t i o n a t Impressions Gallery tells the story o f M a r y a m W a h i d ’ s r e m a r k a b l e journey to discover her Pakistani identity while visiting her mother’s childhood home for the first time

Maryam Wahid, Zaibunnisa, A M i d l a n d s A r t s C e n t r e T o u r i n g Exhibition Courtesy the artist and Midlands Arts Centre © Maryam W a h i d E x h i b i t i o n a n d e v e n t s

Zaibunnisa Maryam Wahid The artist documented their time spent together during this journey of d i s c o v e r y a s h e r m o t h e r reconnected with old friends and family They spent time exploring her family home, where Wahid r e i m a g i n e d w h a t h e r l i f e c o u l d have been, had she grown up in t h i s h o u s e W a h i d f e l t a d e e p , s p i r i t u a l c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e building and particularly to her maternal family whom she had never met The work addresses t h e m e s o f l o s s , m e m o r y , d i s p l a c e m e n t , i d e n t i t y a n d m i g r a t i o n w h i l s t i m p o r t a n t l y c o u n t e r b a l a n c i n g a c e l e b r a t o r y future and the positive married life that the artist’s parents made for themselves in Birmingham

“ I a m c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t now I lived in Pakistan between 1962-1982, I feel I can’t live there

Sell-out stage show Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding returns

anymore because the atmosphere of the place and the people have changed so much Pakistan will always be in my heart because it is the country I was born in, where

my parents were born and where my parents rest in peace But the UK, this is where I live, this is where my husband is from and it is where my children were born, said Nargis Wahid, formerly known as, Zaibunnisa

Following 57 sell- out U K sho ws and ro ar in g re v i ew s o f M rs Kap oor ’ s 1 s t d a u g h t e r ’ s w e d d i n g t h e Bollywood-inspired, British Asian stage spectacle, M r s K a p o o r ’ s D a u g h t e r ’ s W e d d i n g i s b a c k f o r t h e 2 n d daughter’s wedding

With already 12 sell-out shows and being hailed as one of the best British Asian theatre productions of recent years, championed by audiences and critics alike, Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding 2 Mauritius heads on a UK tour with p e r f o r m a n c e s i n L o n d o n ,

B i r m i n g h a m , M a n c h e s t e r , Leicester and Bradford

Nominated for the best stage production in 2019 and 2022 at the Asian Media Awards, audiences are taken on a kaleidoscopic journey

i n t r u e B o l l y w o o d s t y l e , w i t h h e a r t y m e a s u r e s o f r o m a n c e , d r a m a , c o m e d y a n d a c t i o n , through the highs and lows of a typical Asian Destination wedding, f r o m t h e a i r p o r t a n t i c s t o destination dramas Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding 2 Mauritius p r e s e n t s t h e r o l l e r c o a s t e r m e l o d r a m a s o f p a c k i n g a n d travelling to go abroad for a family wedding, meticulously transferred from home to stage

The production is packed with c u l t u r a l r e f e r e n c e p o i n t s a n d n u a n c e s , b u r s t i n g w i t h c o l o u r , energy and live comedy that will r e s o n a t e w i t h a u d i e n c e s o f a l l a g e s B o l l y w o o d d a n c i n g t h a t s h o w c a s e s t h e c r a f t o f A K Bollywood dancers is harmonised with live singing and Rhythm ‘ n ’ Bass dhol players to create a stage extravaganza unique to the UK stage T ou r V enues and Dates:

�� 22nd April Fairfield Halls

CROYDON

�� 14th May RNCM Theatre

MANCHESTER

�� 4th June Alexandra BIRM-

INGHAM

�� 11th June Beck Theatre Hayes

LONDON

�� 16th June De Montfort Hall

LEICESTER

�� 17th June St George’s Hall

BRADFORD

T h e c a s t i n c l u d e s a c t o r , c o m e d i a n , a n d w e l l - r e n o w n e d author Manoj Kerai, social media influencer, actor, comedian Gillie V a r s a n i , a n d w e s t e n d s i n g e r Shahid Abbas Khan Also starring are online comedian and curator Rupal Maru and public figure and radio presenter Vallisa Chauhan Archana Kumar is the director and producer

Song Geet Choir on the hunt for new members in Kirklees

L aw rence Batley Theatre is proud to su pport the launch of a brand new South Asian Women’s ch oir

W o r k i n g w i t h a c t o r , s i n g e r

a n d L a w r e n c e B a t l e y T h e a t r e

Community Ambassador, Madiha

A n s a r i a n d S o b i a B a s h i r , f o o d author and content creator, the theatre will launch a dedicated South Asian women ’ s choir This would be only the third choir of its kind in the UK

The act of singing has been proven to lessen stress, depression

a n d a n x i e t y a n d r e l e a s e endorphins The choir aims to provide a safe creative space for local people and reduce loneliness and isolation

Over the next few months, c h o i r l e a d e r s w i l l t o u r t o c o m m u n i t y v e n u e s a c r o s s

K i r k l e e s o f f e r i n g f r e e t a s t e r s e s s i o n s T h e y a r e l o o k i n g f o r w o m e n o f H i n d u , S i k h a n d

Muslim backgrounds to sing in

U r d u , P u n j a b i , G u j r a t i , P a s h t o and Bengali To join in, you do not n e e d t o b e a b l e t o s p e a k a l l languages listed No need to book for the tasters, just be there and join in

Following the taster sessions, t h e l e a d e r s w i l l i n v i t e participants to rehearse together r e g u l a r l y i n L a w r e n c e B a t l e y

T h e a t r e ’ s n e w d e d i c a t e d c o m m u n i t y s p a c e T e n Q u e e n

Street They will work towards a h e a d l i n e p e r f o r m a n c e i n t h e theatre’s courtyard on Sunday 6 August T h a n k s t o s u p p o r t f r o m K i r k l e e s Y e a r o f M u s i c a l l sessions are free to participants and the performance will also be free to attend B e c k y A t k i n s o n , C h i e f E x e c u t i v e o f L a w r e n c e B a t l e y Theatre, said: “Here at Lawrence Batley Theatre we are committed to making a difference to people’s everyday lives This new choir will celebrate diverse talent from a c r o s s o u r a r e a a n d h e l p Huddersfield to be an amazing place to live We are striving to be t h e c r e a t i v e h e a r t o f H u d d e r s f i e l d a n d t h i s opportunity will give those who are often excluded the chance to come together in a welcoming s p a c e a n d e x p l o r e h e r i t a g e through music ”

Colorful, mesmerizing and powerful Bollywood dance segment from MKDW2

Edgbaston finance boss helps with Pakistan flood relief effort

Shefali Saxena

A n Ed gbaston Stad ium em plo yee

w ho sp ent five weeks in P akistan h elping flood d isaster victims has sp oken of th e d ev astation he witnessed and h ow he h opes to hav e p layed a sm all part on th eir road to reco very

Abraham Khan – Edgbaston’s Head of Finance – visited some of the villages worst hit by last year's catastrophic flooding which cost 1,700 lives and left more than two million people homeless

He raised thousands of pounds for the relief effort through a combination of an online appeal and his own savings which he used to buy food, clothing and life-saving equipment

The 39-year-old, who's worked at Edgbaston for nine years, helped establish water purification systems so communities could access clean water and spent time working in schools for homeless children

“The welcome we received was t r u l y h u m b l i n g , ” s a i d A b r a h a m

“Through the tragedy we still came across many smiling faces People s e e m e d t o t a k e c o m f o r t s i m p l y knowing we cared, that we’d travelled over to do whatever we could to help

“I couldn’t just look on from home and see the news unfolding So I started to save money and raise funds Then in February, I flew out with a friend We went out there independently, not as part of a humanitarian mission or charity

“We flew to Karachi and then

on to the wider area called Sindh which was one of the worst affected by the floods There were places that had been completely under w a t e r f o r t h r e e m o n t h s ; t h e r e s i d u e o f w a t e r o n t h e f e w remaining buildings was at around nine feet

H e ’ s n o w r e t u r n e d t o Birmingham to be reunited with his family in Moseley

Here’s Abraham Khan's exclusive Q&A with Asian Voice What are the challeng es of raising funds fo r a natural calam ity?

My focus was not on raising funds from my contacts and more on my own and my family’s savings We began saving in August 2022 and this element made up over 90% of the total funds which were donated to the various projects Once my friends and work colleagues learnt about my intentions to go out to Pakistan they wanted to contribute and so I set up a go fund page I saw the project as a personal objective and so did not actively try to raise external funds I am very grateful to those who did contribute, it just meant the impact was that much bigger How d id you navigate th e floo ds w h i le h elp i n g th o s e w h o w ere affected by them ?

There were a number of charities with local knowledge of the areas most affected who we got in c o n t a c t w i t h o n c e w e r e a c h e d Karachi We also had an existing lead with Islamic Relief UK We went out on fieldwork visits daily with the different organisations, participating where we could in the fantastic work they were doing and we also contributed financially The charities we worked with i n c l u d e I s l a m i c R e l i e f , S h a h i d A f r i d i F o u n d a t i o n , J D C F o u n d a t i o n a n d B a i t u s s a l l a m Foundation In your observation, w hat can be d o ne in P ak is ta n o r a ny o t h er co u n try , v u lne rab le t o n atu r al calam ities to be prepared fo r crisis management, and also p repare to av ert a crisis in the first place?

It was very evident those who were already in poverty had suffered the most due to the floods in Pakistan with weak houses being completely wiped out There is a bigger challenge in Pakistan which is to tackle poverty by building houses which can withstand such disasters The sewage infrastructure needs a complete overhaul in certain parts of Pakistan Certain

villages are situated too close to dangerous areas Certain villages are completely forgotten where citizens are not registered A lot of work is needed to prevent mass destruction from such events and then to reach t h o s e i n r e m o t e a r e a s i f a n u n f o r t u n a t e n a t u r a l d i s a s t e r does occur We visited villages that did not have anyone reach them for 3 months after the floods and those who did visit were charities

Please tell us about your relief effo rts in Pakistan Fo r how long will they be a bl e to su s ta in th o s e affected?

W e c o n t r i b u t e d financially to many projects apart from helping practically on field days with local charities this involved distributing food, cleaning, construction work, teaching school children and mental health sessions

The project we financially contributed to include: Water purification, Livestock distribution projects, orphan rehousing projects, orphan and street children schooling equipment, widows back to a work project, clothing, and food banks These projects vary in sust a i n a b i l i t y f r o m a d a y t o m a n y years to hopefully lifetimes Do you think developing countries in South A sia need external assistance or better d isaster m anag em ent plans?

I think both I don’t want to get political but it’s evident Pakistan has its governance challenges and

much more could have been done around disaster management My philosophy was to do what I could personally and not get too wrapped u p w i t h w h o s h o u l d b e d o i n g more Global warming aside each country should be concerned with natural disasters in other countries and provide what assistance they can This does not necessarily need to be financial and could be expertise to prevent or manage disaster relief efforts

Wh at is the em otio nal im pact of such calamities on people? Do you th ink there’s any solace for them?

This is a huge concern for people who lost family and possessions The toll was evident when speaking to the affected individuals We could see the pain they had suffered and how it was still affecting them mentally after 9 months Also, the fear of repeat floods was a major worry for those we spoke to We participated in mental health sessions with villagers where simple breathing exercises were being taught The villagers were very thankful to the charities and valued everything that was being done Not being forgotten is their solace, charities and people like us visiting makes a huge difference in their morale

The road ahead for queer unions in India

An interview with lawyer Utkarsh Saxena Paramita Purkayastha

On A pril 18 2023, the Sup reme Co urt of Ind ia w ill hear mo re th a n te n p eti ti o n s p en d i ng before it is filed by Utkarsh Saxena and others challeng ing th e Special M arriage A ct 1954 T h e S p ec i al M ar ri ag e A c t, despite being regard ed as progressiv e and ruffling conservati v e fe ath e rs i n it s c u rre nt fo rm, u ses term s like ‘ m ale’ an d ‘ f em a le’ , ‘ m an ’ and ‘ w o m a n ’ , ‘ bri d e ’ a nd ‘ bri d eg r oo m ’ I t, t h ere fo r e, l i m it s m arri ag e, interpreted by the S u p rem e C o u rt as a fu nd am e nta l ri g h t i n v a ri o u s i ns ta nc es , t o h et ero s ex u al unions only, thereby exclud ing sam e-sex co uples and transgender coup les Not only that, a few sections of the SMA stipulate that th ose seeking to be m arried u nd er it, w ho ev en now are often vulnerable co uples from d ifferent castes or religions, have to info rm the Marriag e Officer of their d istrict and put up a pu blic notice abou t their marriag e at least th irty days before the intend ed date of marriage, w hich can th en be contested by absolutely anyone Not only does this invade th e priv acy o f tw o consenting adults, but it also furth er endang ers and discrim inates against th ose w ho m ight not enjoy larg er social protectio ns, based o n arbitrary o bjectio ns

As we wait for the Court to hear the petitions, Asian Voice spoke to Utkarsh Saxena to make the matter more lucid for our readers Utkarsh is curr e n t l y p u r s u i n g h i s P h D i n public policy at the University of Oxford He has also been an attorney at the Supreme Court of India for over a decade He and his partner Ananya Kotia h a v e j o i n t l y f i l e d a p e t i t i o n before the Supreme Court of I n d i a t o m a k e t h e S p e c i a l M a r r i a g e A c t , 1 9 5 4 a n d t h e F o r e i g n M a r r i a g e A c t , 1 9 6 9 , non-discriminatory regarding the gender, sexual orientation, a n d s e x u a l i d e n t i t y o f t h e respective partners, and to do a w a y w i t h t h e n o t i c e - a n dobjection regime enabled by c o m p u l s o r y p u b l i c d e c l a r at i o n s r e q u i r e d b y b o t h t h e Acts

O n J a n u a r y 6 2 0 2 3 , t h e Supreme Court transferred to i t s e l f a l l p e t i t i o n s t o H i g h Courts seeking legal recognition for queer marriages, for t h e i m p e n d i n g h e a r i n g

Considering the strong words that the Government of India continues using to justify its claims on legislating the procedure, it is imperative to clear doubts regarding the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court This Saxena gladly does for our readers

The petition

“Firstly, the overall structure governing marriage and families in India is divided into personal laws and secular laws T h e p e r s o n a l l a w s i n c l u d e Hindu Marriage Act, Muslim Marriage Act, and succession and inheritance laws, among others, whereas the secular Act is the Special Marriage Act We have challenged only the secu-

l a r l a w b e c a u s e t h e w h o l e point of the secular law is to a l l o w p e o p l e w h o c a n ' t g e t married within the personal law framework to be married u n d e r t h i s s p e c i a l m a r r i a g e f r a m e w o r k S o , t h i s i s n o t going to come into conflict with any of the personal, relig i o u s o r c o m m u n i t y f r a m ew o r k s ( w h i c h i s o n e o f t h e objections of the Indian gove r n m e n t ) N o w w i t h i n t h i s s p e c i a l m a r r i a g e f r a m e w o r k , e v e n t h o u g h t h e S p e c i a l

Marriage Act was passed by Parliament, it is not in conformity with the Constitution as i t w i t h h o l d s f u n d a m e n t a l rights based on people’s sexuality The way judicial review works is that if the Supreme Court observes that there are some aspects of a statute that conflict with certain constitutional values, then it will either strike them down, or it will interpret them as to resolve that conflict so that they no l o n g e r a r e v i o l a t i v e o f t h e

Constitution Those provisions o f t h e S p e c i a l M a r r i a g e A c t which have gendered words or have indications of sexual orientation should be interpreted in a way that they are agnostic of gender or sexual orientation, and are only about any two persons And when the S u p r e m e C o u r t d o e s t h a t interpretation, then there's no role of Parliament ”

Necessity o f p ursuing the rig ht to marry

As for the necessity of pursuing the right to marry in a country where the number of single people is rising by the day, Saxena says that that is part of the point “Marriage is a prerequisite for the range of rights in Indian society that flow from the state, whether it is the right to inheritance of the properties and assets of your partner, the right to file j o i n t p r o p e r t y t a x e s a n d income taxes and have a joint bank account, or the right to m a k e m e d i c a l d e c i s i o n s o n behalf of your partner Right now, it is only next of kin and today in the law, queer partn e r s a r e n o t n e x t o f k i n , because that's how all of these different regulations and laws are formulated So, marriage is a pretty fundamental prerequisite to access a range of rights

If I adopt a child, it will only be my child and not my partner's You could go after each and every law that governs couples in this country, but that would be enormous Whereas if you go after the prerequisite, that w o u l d b e a m u c h m o r e straightforward way to do it

And secondly, yes, traditionally, marriage is an act between a husband and wife But that's exactly the point- that these t r a d i t i o n a l d e f i n i t i o n s h a v e changed Once upon a time, child marriage used to be legal in this country And as things

progress and society advances, we believe this is also a change that needs to be built into the definition of marriage so that the rights available to heterosexual couples in the society are also available to queer people ” Wh at will a change in law d o? A change in the law alone will not change mindsets, but it will at least stop people from pulling up and debasing rational and capable adults which the SMA at the moment facilitates, to begin with “Our simple plea right now is that the rights which are available to straight people should also be available to queer people For legal lawsuits, we have to be very specific And today our specific claim is that the curr e n t l a w i s d i s c r i m i n a t o r y because it allows only some people a right to choose So we a r e f i g h t i n g a l e g a l b a t t l e , w h e r e w e a r e i n t h e Constitutional Court of India, which is a court of law, and asking it to interpret things differently We are not foregrounding the social and politi c a l i m p l i c a t i o n s a t t h e moment For instance, parts of Section 377 were decriminalized in 2018 But that doesn't mean that the social or politic a l b a t t l e h a s b e e n w o n T h e r e ' s s t i l l m a s s i v e p h o b i a and bigotry While the hope is always that litigation would catalyze some of the social and political changes that we want to usher in, our priority now is to ensure legal change so that p e o p l e c a n n o l o n g e r h i d e behind the law with their bigotry The stigma of the law has to be taken away ” T he future

So what does the future look like for the LGBTQ+ petitioners like Utkarsh, who at the moment are deprived of multiple legislations available to straight people?

“If it s in our favour, that will be great news for the community as it will ensure our civil rights for the first time I'm sure many queer couples will now legally get married and be more involved in and a c c e p t e d b y s o c i e t y A n d d e p e n d i n g o n h o w t h e Supreme Court defines it, it might take care of all related rights- inheritance, adoption and surrogacy, wages and gratuity And if it takes care of those, then I guess a big chunk of the litigation ends there But if it doesn't, then we follow on the legislation for secondary rights Whether we start off the decision tree depends on whether or not the judgement is favourable If it goes against us, then, you know, so be it T h e b a t t l e f o r c i v i l r i g h t s a l w a y s h a s u p s a n d d o w n s With the Section 377 litigations, we were first unsuccessful before we were successful And in this case as well, if we are unsuccessful, we will go back to court when we think it's a better time But the civil, social and political struggle for queer rights will continue And hopefully, there will be another day when the Court will be more considerate, if not this time ”

Hundreds of Afghans eligible to come to UK, stranded in Pakistan

Th e scandal surro undi ng the treatment of Afghans wh o se rv ed al o n gs i de British forces has intens i fi e d, as h u n dr ed s o f men, women and ch ildren eligible to co me to the UK have been abandoned in Pakistan

T h e g o v e r n m e n t stopped charter evacuat i o n f l i g h t s f r o m Islamabad in November, and new data shows that only a handful of people who have been approved to come to the UK have b e e n b r o u g h t h e r e o n commercial flights since F a m i l i e s h a v e b e e n t o l d t h e y c o u l d f a c e waits of up to a year to be

brought to safety unless

t h e y c a n s o u r c e t h e i r place to live, because of a l a c k o f H o m e O f f i c e accommodation A backlog in processing cases is also causing delays

There are currently more than 1,000 people, including 500 children, waiting for relocation to hotels in Pakistan paid for by the British gove r n m e n t W h i l e i n P a k i s t a n t h e y h a v e n o right to work, and child r e n c a n n o t g o t o school P o l i t i c i a n s c o ndemned the situation as “farcical”, while an army c h i e f w h o f o u g h t i n

Afghanistan said it was “utterly disgraceful”

It comes after it was revealed that an Afghan pilot who worked with

B r i t i s h f o r c e s f a c e d deportation to Rwanda after fleeing to the UK in a small boat because there were no safe and legal routes for him to take to seek refuge here

A g o v e r n m e n t s p o k e s p e r s o n c o nf i r m e d t h a t r e l o c a t i o n to the UK would only be f a c i l i t a t e d w h e r e a c c o m m o d a t i o n w a s secured ahead of arrival, i n c l u d i n g w h e r e i n d ividuals had sourced it themselves

Police still searching for driver in Solihull car crash

West Midland s Police are ap p e al in g fo r i nf o rm atio n after a car crash in Solihull led to a preg nant wom an lo sing h er baby T h e c o l l i s i o n h a ppened between a BMW and a Toyota on Cooks Lane last year The force has issued an image of a man they would like to speak to in connection with the collision, who t h e y b e l i e v e m a y h a v e

b e e n t h e d r i v e r o f t h e

BMW An 18-year-old man f r o m t h e B M W w a s arrested on suspicion of t h e f t o f m o t o r v e h i c l e but has been released on p o l i c e b a i l w h i l e enquiries continue D e t e c t i v e C o n s t a b l e R a c h a e l J o h n s o n , f r o m F o r c e C I D , s a i d : " T h i s has had a lasting impact on the family who were

left devastated that day at the loss of their unborn b a b y W e h a v e c a r r i e d out CCTV enquiries and spoken to witnesses and our investigation continu e s I w o u l d a p p e a l directly to the suspect to do the right thing and get in touch with us Anyone who has any information o n h i s w h e r e a b o u t s o r about the incident please get in touch "

NAO reveals several billion lost due to fraud since the pandemic

Te n s of b i l li o n s of pounds have been lost to fraud sinc e the start of t he C ov i d p an d e mi c , a c c or di n g t o t he N a ti o na l A ud i t O f f i c e (NAO ), with li ttle chance of th e m a j or i ty b ei n g reclaimed

Of the £21bn identified by the NAO to have been lost by the government, more than £7bn is linked to schemes introduced during the pandemic And it says it is "very unlikely" that the b u l k o f t h e t a x p a y e r s ' money will be recovered

L e v e l s o f f r a u d r o s e a l m o s t f o u r f o l d f r o m

£5 5bn two years before the pandemic to £21bn i n t h e f o l l o w i n g t w o years

The NAO said many p u b l i c b o d i e s a r e unaware of the amount of fraud they face, with a host of Covid employment scheme fraudulent claims being chased up by the HMRC The NAO said that HMRC expects to have recovered £1 1bn o u t o f a n e s t i m a t e d £4 5bn by the time its t a x p a y e r p r o t e c t i o n

t a s k f o r c e - a b o d y o f more than 1,200 tax specialists that responds to e r r o r a n d f r a u d - i s scaled down

The report says: "The Department for Work & P e n s i o n s g e n e r a t e d fraud and error savings of £500 million through its retrospective review o f U n i v e r s a l C r e d i t c l a i m s m a d e o v e r t h e height of the pandemic, b u t a t l e a s t £ 1 5 b n o f f r a u d u l e n t c l a i m s t h a t started during that period were still being paid in 2021-22 ”

Sunak says, schools to receive advice on gender issues after an alarming report

Ac c o r di n g t o R i s h i Su nak, h e is " extremely concerned" by a repo rt th at cl aim s sc h oo ls d o not immediately i nfo rm p a re nt s wh e n a c h i ld ch allenges thei r gender identificatio n T he p rime minister emphasised the s i gni f i ca n ce o f p are nt s " k no wi ng wh at' s go i ng o n " a nd p r o mi s e d t o releas e new government i ns t ru c t i o ns " f o r t h e su mmer term" o n h ow edu cators sho uld handle transgender issues According to a paper b y c e n t r e - r i g h t t h i n k

t a n k P o l i c y E x c h a n g e , s a f e g u a r d i n g p r i n c i p l e s

are being "routinely disr e g a r d e d i n m a n y s e condary schools" when it comes to gender identity

As stated in the article, some schools argue that telling parents when t h e i r c h i l d e x p r e s s e s a wish to change gender or questions their identity breaches their confidentiality

A s k e d a b o u t t h e findings during a visit to Oxfordshire, the prime minister said: "I'm very

c o n c e r n e d a b o u t t h e s e r e p o r t s ” F o r m e , t h e safety and well-being of o u r c h i l d r e n i s o f paramount importance

And I've also been clear that parents must be able to know what is being taught to their kids in s c h o o l , e s p e c i a l l y i n these sensitive areas" he added

M r S u n a k s a i d t h e g o v e r n m e n t i s a l r e a d y r e v i e w i n g i t s r e l a t i o nships and sex education guidance "to make sure it i s a g e - a p p r o p r i a t e f o r children"

Aligning religion and environmentallyfriendly practices

Ketan Dattani

Th e common va lues t hat all of the wor ld’ s r eligions h old in re lat io n t o t h e n a t ur a l w or ld might be summ a r is e d a s , r e v e re n ce , r e sp e c t , r estr aint , re distribution, a nd r esponsibilit y

There is no doubt that religious principles and environmentally-friendly practices are linked in some way or another I believe that religious traditions place a strong emphasis on the need to protect the environment

So, how are religious principles and environmental benefits linked? One of the oldest texts in existence, The Vedas concentrate on a cosmic rule and a natural code of conduct that governs every aspect of the universe, from a microscopic ant to the largest galaxies

The Vedic view of the environment not only describes the eternal principles and the unified ontology of humans, gods, and nature but gives prescriptions for living, which then translate themselves into various devotional and ritualistic practices

The most fundamental principle of this view is that there is no separation between the Divine and the natural world

From the Vedic perspective, the protection of the environment is essential to all life The ancient scriptures and texts talk about the responsibility and preservation of Mother Nature: from trees, animals, water, air, and land

Environmental protection, ecological balance, weather cycles, rainfall phenomena, hydrologic cycles, and environmental impacts have been referenced in the Vedas records

In Buddhism, there is great stress on truth, non-violence, and love for all living creatures including trees, plants, and animals Buddhists understand that nature is alive and is partly conscious, it is therefore strictly prohibited for any kind of hunting a n d k i l l i n g o f a n i m a l s , b i r d s , o r l i v i n g organisms

In Islam, teachings promote peace with nature and the protection of biodiversity

The protection of the environment against

pollution has been a cardinal principle of Islamic religious philosophy The Qur’an states that the human population must coexist with nature to ensure that everyone and everything live together harmoniously By maintaining a balance between nature and natural resources we can preserve our world from destruction or pollution

In Sikhism, the duty to respect all living creatures and the preservation of the environment is important to Sikhs The Sikh scripture, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji states that “Air is the Guru, water is the Father, and earth is the Great Mother” encouraging the people to respect and live in harmony with the environment

In Jainism, followers are taught that the path to enlightenment is through nonviolence The main principles involve compassion for all life and self-restraint where people should learn to respect all gifts of nature and not to waste natural resources

What can we South Asians do as a community? We can support environmental causes: Religious groups can help the environment by volunteering to environmental charities or by taking part in activities like tree planting and beach clean-ups You can also help to recycle, install energy-efficient lighting and appliances, consume enough food to prevent wastage and conserve water where possible

It is beneficial to encourage sustainability and take care of our environment by aligning religious principles and environm e n t a l l y - f r i e n d l y b e h a v i o u r s R e l i g i o u s groups may improve the environment and make it a better place for everyone by putting an emphasis on these ideals in their teachings and promoting sustainable behaviours Ultimately, it is the active duty of every person to protect the environment which is the natural source for human existence and life on earth

Ketan Dattani is a multi-award-winning environmental entrepreneur He is the Founding Owner and CEO of Buckingham Futures, a specialist awardwinning Environmental Health consultancy that provides bespoke permanent and temporary talent acquisition and consultancy solutions to public andprivate sector employers

North London supermarket fined £78k by hygiene inspectors

A North London supermarket has been fined £78,000 a f t er hy g i en e i n s pe c t or s dis covered rotting dead rats and mi ce as well as their droppings all over the store and a fly infestation

Y a s a r H a l i m

Supermarket, at 2B Hedge Lane, Southgate, is a large, c o n t i n e n t a l - s t y l e s u p e rm a r k e t w i t h a n o p e n cooked food area, a bakery, a butcher’s counter and a supermarket area with prep a c k e d f o o d s , o p e n c o ntainers of olives and fruit and vegetables Its owner o w n e r M e h m e t Y a s a r

Halim received several visi t s a n d w a r n i n g s f r o m c o u n c i l E n v i r o n m e n t a l O f f i c e r s t o a d d r e s s f o o d safety and pest control conc e r n s , b u t t h e s e w e r e ignored leading to an invest i g a t i o n A t H i g h b u r y Corner Magistrates Court t h e c o m p a n y w a s f i n e d £ 4 8 , 0 0 0 w i t h M r H a l i m also ordered to pay £26,000 in individual fines, a £190 victim surcharge, and the

High Commission of India in London along with IPF hosts a virtual roundtable on FinTech

The FinTech se ctor in the UK and India is evol ving r apidl y with ne w in novat i on s a n d a d v a n ce m e n t s a cr oss Pay men ts, l e ndin g, N e o b a n k in g a n d B A AS

Re cent reports have pegged India t o be t he third l argest Fintech mark et behind US & UK wit h over 7000 finte ch fir ms with 22 Unicor ns as of 2022 and investment s of $24 b il lion bet we en 2014 to 2022

With the rise of digital payments and the growing adoption of blockchain technology, It is noted that India i s e m e r g i n g a s a h u b f o r b l o c k c h a i n d e v e l o p m e n t , with several FinTech startups working on blockchain solutions for various industries The event was hosted by Mr Vikram Doraiswamy at t h e I n d i a n H i g h C o m m i s s i o n , L o n d o n w a s organised by Mr Mohan Kaul & anchored by Udayan Guha of IPF Fintechs at different stages of the journey from the Early stage to the Growth stage were present to share their plans for India & UK corridors Reeudo, a crossb o r d e r p a y m e n t s s t a r t u p f r o m I n d i a f o c u s i n g o n building a global cross-border payments Fintech startup represented India and 4 other startups from the UK namely Manigo, TCKER, All street Sevva, Bitcoin Suisse

A G & M o n e y n m o r e w e r e present T h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n o f I n d i a i n L o n d o n along with IPF hosted a v i r t u a l r o u n d t a b l e o n F i n T e c h , b r i n g i n g together representatives from the UK and Indian F i n T e c h i n d u s t r i e s t o d i s c u s s o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r c o l l a b o r a t i o n T h e event which was attende d b y m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 participants, focused on several topics such as regulation, investment, and innovation The participants also d i s c u s s e d t h e c h a l l e n g e s faced by the industry and how they can be addressed t h r o u g h c o l l a b o r a t i o n between the two countries

T h e e v e n t w a s w e l l received by the participants, who praised the efforts of t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n o f India and IPF in London for b r i n g i n g t o g e t h e r t h e FinTech communities from b o t h c o u n t r i e s T h e e v e n t provided an opportunity for participants to network and explore new avenues of collaboration

T h e c o l l a b o r a t i o n between the UK and Indian FinTech sectors is expected to continue to grow in the c o m i n g y e a r s , w i t h b o t h countries recognizing the potential of the industry to drive economic growth and create jobs The partnership between the two countries is expected to result in the development of innovative s o l u t i o n s t h a t w i l l b e n e f i t

C o u n c i l ’ s c o s t s t o t a l l i n g

£4,400 62 This brings the f u l l s e t o f f i n e s t o

£78,590 62 M r H a l i m w a s f o u n d g u i l t y o f n o t h a v i n g a H a z a r d A n a l y s i s a n d C r i t i c a l C o n t r o l P o i n t

(HACCP), which is a way of managing food safety hazards, no control over pests and no protection against contamination After council visits the supermarket was given a detailed report f r o m t h e c o u n c i l o n t h e improvements that needed t o b e m a d e t o , h o w e v e r ,

both rat and fly infestations including droppings were still obvious during followup visits from officers T h i s i n c l u d e d a d e a d mouse on a sticky trap in a f o o d p r e p a r a t i o n a r e a a s well as a dead rat in the store's warehouse, with rat d r o p p i n g s f o u n d o n t h e shop floor I n s p e c t o r s a l s o f o u n d that food preparation areas w e r e n ' t c l e a n a n d s t a f f p r e p a r i n g f o o d w e r e n ' t w a s h i n g t h e i r h a n d s

between tasks with soap for hand washing not provided

both the countries and the global FinTech industry as a whole

In conclusion, the UKI n d i a F i n T e c h s e c t o r i s evolving rapidly, with new i n n o v a t i o n s a n d a d v a n c ements being made every day The meeting organised by t h e H i g h C o m m i s s i o n o f India in London and IPF has highlighted the potential for c o l l a b o r a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e two countries and the benefits it can bring to the industry With continued efforts a n d i n v e s t m e n t , t h e U KI n d i a F i n T e c h s e c t o r i s poised to shape the future of finance

Female entrepreneur's innovative invention revolutionises roti making during Ramadan

M aid enhead , Berkshire, UK

Sop hia Cho udry's invent i on , th e ro t ib o x, h as become an essential kitchen item du ring the holy m onth o f Ra m ad an f o r M u s li m s w h o m ake th e trad iti on al f la tb rea d ro t i, m o re th a n ever

This innovative kitchen gadget simplifies the process by containing all the floury mess inside the box, which means one less chore of no cleaning, making life easier f o r t h o s e w h o o w n o n e With the popularity of rotibox growing by the day, rotiboxes have been shipped to the USA, Canada, Bahrain a n d S i n g a p o r e ! S o p h i a C h o u d r y h a s c r e a t e d a

Shefali Saxena

must-have product for anyone looking to make fresh roti quickly and without any of the usual mess

Since launching her successful invention, in January 2020, Sophia hopes to put an end to food poverty and ensure no child ever goes hungry Sophia has adopted a policy of, “You buy, We

Donate” to help achieve this goal by donating £1 from the sale of each rotibox to various charities across this impoverished land Recently, rotibox funded a bakery i n L e b a n o n a n d f e d over 11,000 families in refugee camps E n c o u r a g i n g p e o p l e i s part of the fiber of the rotib o x e x p e r i e n c e S o p h i a ’ s d e d i c a t i o n t o h e l p i n g w o m e n e v e r y w h e r e t o a c h i e v e t h e i r d r e a m s i s a n o t h e r e x a m p l e o f h e r desire to give back This lead h e r t o r e c e i v e t h e p r e s t igious “Highly Commended I n s p i r a t i o n a l R o l e M o d e l ” award at the She Awards in

Shakespeare’s Globe welcomes Ramadan tent project for 10th-anniversary open iftar 2023

S ha k e s pe a r e ’ s G lo be i s d e li g h t e d t o we lc om e R a m a d a n T e n t Pr oj e c t t o br e a k fa s t on M on d a y 1 0 April at 7 pm, in the icon ic, open -air G lobe T hea tr e a s part of t he 10th Ann iver sa ry Open Ifta r 2023

2022! A c c o r d i n g t o entrepreneur Choudry, “We are passionate about bringing out the best in people B y h e l p i n g o t h e r s a n d encouraging people to follow their dreams and ambitions, we support our ethos to share and care Let’s make a difference in this world together ”

Biryani is a timeless classic dish

I n t e r n a t i o n a l f oo d br a n d

Behr ouz Bir ya ni has expa nde d t o t h e U K m a r k e t , o ff e r i n g B r i t s t he a ut he n t i c t a st e of I n d i a ’ s po p u la r r i c e d is h , biry ani

Biryani is a celebrated dish made from long-grain basmati rice, tender marinated meat or v e g e t a b l e s a n d i n f u s e d w i t h spices, which is then slow-cooked, a process which is also known as Dum pukht Biryani is a preferred choice of dish for an indulgent meal at home and also often served at special occasions, such as dinner parties, weddings and festivals in India and beyond

Behrouz Biryani has 25 partnered restaurants offering its biryani dishes t h r o u g h D e l i v e r o o , U b e r E a t s a n d

JustEat as well the brand's website

Drawing on its rich Indian heritage, the brand is on a mission to educate the British public on the flavours, history and culture of the world-celebrated layered rice dish

B i r y a n i i s b e l i e v e d t o h a v e originated from Persia and was brought to India by the Mughal empire in the 15th century The dish has been adapted t h r o u g h o u t h i s t o r y , w i t h d i f f e r e n t c o u n t r i e s p u t t i n g t h e i r s p i n o n t h e r o y a l d i s h E v e n w i t h i n I n d i a , e a c h region has its variation, and each city has its twist T o d a y , b i r y a n i c o n t i n u e s t o b e India’s most popular dish, with 186 biryanis ordered every minute in 2022, according to food delivery company Zomato

K a u s t u b h K h a r e , b r a n d c o u n t r y head for Behrouz Biryani UK spoke to Asian Voice about it

1 W h y d o y o u t h in k B ir y a n i is a n un der rep resen te d dish in t he UK?

C u r r y i s o n e o f t h e U K ’ s m o s t popular dishes, however, biryani has been misunderstood for some time T h e r e i s a l a c k o f e d u c a t i o n surrounding the dish, which has a rich heritage In fact, it’s a dish Brits may not have tried at all so wouldn’t choose it on the menu There is also confusion about how to eat the dish, or if it should be eaten alongside a curry since this is typical of rice, however, it is a dish to be savoured by itself We are here to help bridge this gap and educate the public on a much-loved dish

2 W hat is th e re cipe for a quin tessen tial biry ani?

Biryani is a timeless classic dish

T h i s r i c e d i s h e v o l v e d w i t h t h e c h a n g i n g r e g i m e s , p r e f e r e n c e s , a n d r e g i o n s a s t i m e w e n t o n , a d d i n g n e w l a y e r s t o t h e biryani Now, it has g r o w n b e y o n d i t s culinary origins and h a s b e c o m e a f a v o u r i t e m e a l

consuming the product, but also to a g l o b a l a u d i e n c e w h o h a v e c o m e t o appreciate the intricate flavours of a dum-cooked Biryani

We want to celebrate India’s mostloved dish and have it be seen as a staple for the dinner table as a standalone dish f o r a n y c e l e b r a t i o n , o r e v e n t o b e enjoyed alone

5 W hat a re y our plans to e xpa nd in t he UK?

We started scaling up in the UK f r o m 2 0 2 2 a n d h a v e 2 5 l o c a t i o n s currently being served through a virtual brand partner model across major cities s u c h a s L o n d o n , M a n c h e s t e r a n d

B i r m i n g h a m W e h a v e a m b i t i o u s growth plans and project to have 60+ locations in and around the UK by the end of the year

Open Iftar is a series of events organised as part of the Ramadan Festival 2023 b y t h e R a m a d a n T e n t Project Events will be hoste d a c r o s s l e a d i n g c u l t u r a l a t t r a c t i o n s a n d v e n u e s , i n v i t i n g p e o p l e f r o m a l l f a i t h s a n d n o n e t o j o i n together during Ramadan to break fast, creating spaces of d i a l o g u e , e x c h a n g e , a n d e n g a g e m e n t T h e e v e n t s include speeches, opportunities to pray, and a free meal shared by all attendees

Since 2013, Open Iftar has c o n n e c t e d o v e r 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e d u r i n g t h e h o l y month of Ramadan through free events that are open to all In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Iftars will be held at leading cultural venues in 10 cities across the UK The event is free and o p e n t o a l l , r e g a r d l e s s o f faith Attendees can expect engaging speeches, commun i t y , f r e e f o o d , s p i r i t u a l reflection, prayers, and great conversations

brate our 10-year anniversary with the return of our renowned Open Iftar events at some of the UK’s landm a r k v e n u e s O p e n I f t a r f i r s t s t a r t e d o n u n i v e r s i t y grounds inviting people of all faiths and none to share the breaking of the fast, to build bridges and increase awareness about the month of Ramadan To celebrate this work and our 10-year j o u r n e y , t h e t h e m e o f ‘Belonging’ quintessentially c u l m i n a t e s e v e r y t h i n g Ramadan Tent Project repr e s e n t s T r u e b e l o n g i n g should not require you to change who you are – rather, it is to celebrate who you a r e W e a r e d e l i g h t e d t o showcase that Ramadan is open to all, and that our Ramadan Festival and Open Iftar events is home to a c o m m u n i t y o f c o m m u n ities ”

globally The lengthy "dum" cooking method, the intricately layered flavour m i x t u r e , a n d t h e w a y t h e s t r o n g e r flavours ascend from the bottom to the top are what set biryani unique Biryani has not only been ingrained in Indian

c u l t u r e b u t h a s a l s o b e c o m e a representation of regions in the food offerings Biryani is not only about a recipe which needs to be followed to achieve its optimal tastes but it has now m o v e d t o c r e a t e a n e x p e r i e n c e f o r c u s t o m e r s w h i c h s t r i k e s a c h o r d , making it memorable 3 Is t he r e a se cr et in gr e di en t ? A n d what's t he be st cook ing met hod, a stov e or a han d-built chulha?

Biryani is an ‘emotion’, a satisfying experience on a plate Apart from it being one of the most popular dishes, B i r y a n i a l s o b r i n g s t o g e t h e r t h e traditional roots At Behrouz, we are proud to place India’s biryani on an i n t e r n a t i o n a l p l a t t e r F o r u s , t h i s a m a l g a m a t i o n o f e m o t i o n s a n d handcrafted royal experience is the key ingredient that we want our customer to experience

Best biryanis are cooked with a Dum pukht method The slow cooking process is traced back to the royals w h i c h b r i n g s t o g e t h e r t h e r i c h ingredients of the dish and imparts incredible flavour and aromas

4 How do y ou wish to course-corre ct the con sumpt ion a nd un der st and ing of tra ditiona l bir ya ni in the U K?

A t B e h r o u z B i r y a n i , w e ’ r e o n a mission to educate the British public on the delectable flavours and rich history of a much-loved Indian dish We believe Biryani has a potential to appeal not only to south-Asians who have grown

T h i s e n t i r e b r a n d g r o w t h i s powered by a Rebel Operating System which consists of culinary innovation and technology From inventory and k i t c h e n m a n a g e m e n t t o d e m a n d management and fulfilment, our fullstack technology allows for expansion and growth, while maintaining food quality and authenticity

6 W h y i s bi r y a n i a sa c r e d d i sh i n ancien t India n cultur e?

B i r y a n i i s a n e m o t i v e d i s h , a n everlasting relic of the royal era that lives in our kitchens It is the perfect indulgence for any celebration and is the meal to help lift your mood when you ’ re away from loved ones, but also while you share your happiness with them

The dish is a timeless classic and has not only been ingrained in Indian culture but every region has its own specialties, cooking styles and unique flavours At Behrouz Biryani, we truly b e l i e v e t h a t t h i s o r i g i n a l a u t h e n t i c biryani, will never lose its prominence in the years to come

7 Why is it essential for the west to u nd e rs tan d c las s i c I n d i an r ec i p es , especially w hen they still th ink India is all about curries?

Indian food is renowned for its m o s t v i b r a n t a n d d i v e r s e c u i s i n e s ,

w h i c h a l s o c a t e r t o p e o p l e w i t h different dietary requirements Since curry is so loved in the UK, it is only right that other Indian dishes such as biryani are given the same education and appreciation Even with curry in the UK, the offering is more catered to the British palette, which is why dishes such as chicken korma are popular We’re hoping to offer dishes that are representative of the country and true to its heritage

O m a r S a l h a , F o u n d e r and CEO of Ramadan Tent Project, said: “For the past d e c a d e R a m a d a n T e n t Project has connected and convened over half a million people from all backgrounds through its annual Ramadan Festival and flagship initiative Open Iftar It is with great pride and joy to cele-

Michelle Terry, Artistic D i r e c t o r o f S h a k e s p e a r e ’ s Globe, said: “The embrace of our wooden ‘O’ is emblema t i c o f t h e v a l u e s s h a r e d b e t w e e n R a m a d a n T e n t P r o j e c t ’ s O p e n I f t a r a n d S h a k e s p e a r e ’ s G l o b e : a democratic space for conv e r s a t i o n , r e f l e c t i o n , a n d connection, to foster community, understanding, and empathy for all This project has connected hundreds of thousands of people during the holy month of Ramadan, and we couldn't be prouder, or more grateful, that on their 10th anniversary, we will play host for one of their Open Iftars, celebrating our communities and our connections ”

Ramadan prayers at Bute House for the first time

Hu m z a Yo u s af l ed Ramadan prayers with h is family on his first nig ht in th e S c o tt is h F i rs t M i ni s ter s o f f ic i al r es idence

T h e 3 7 - y e a r - o l d tweeted a picture of himself with his wife, stepd a u g h t e r , d a u g h t e r a n d parents in Bute House, a G e o r g i a n t o w n h o u s e i n

E d i n b u r g h A s e c o n d image he posted showed him leading prayers after i f t a r , t h e f a s t - b r e a k i n g

e v e n i n g m e a l e a t e n b y

M u s l i m s d u r i n g t h e

month of Ramadan

However, it was not known whether he managed to watch any of the Scotland football team s s h o c k 2 - 0 v i c t o r y o v e r Spain at Hampden H e d i d t w e e t a b o u t t h e m a t c h , p o s t i n g : M r

Y o u s a f , t h e G l a s g o w

P o l l o k M S P , i s a n a v i d

Celtic fan His first night at Bute House came hours

a f t e r t h e S c o t t i s h

P a r l i a m e n t e l e c t e d h i m

the new First Minister He is thought to be the first M u s l i m l e a d e r o f a n a t i o n a l g o v e r n m e n t i n any Western democracy E a r l i e r , N i c o l a S t u r g e o n t e n d e r e d h e r resignation as first minister to the King and left the official residence for the final time At the Court of S e s s i o n t h e L o r d President, Lord Carloway, administered the oath of office before another declaration to Mr Yousaf as K e e p e r o f t h e S c o t t i s h

Seal

A s K e e p e r o f t h e Scottish Seal, Mr Yousaf will have the authority to make decisions on behalf o f t h e C r o w n , w h i c h effectively means the First M i n i s t e r c a n l e a d t h e country with the support o f t h e S c o t t i s h P a r l i a m e n t F i n a l l y , t h e Lord President administered the declaration of a l l e g i a n c e t o t h e K i n g , although Mr Yousaf is a self-professed republican

Kaustubh Khare

Wave of anger among passengers against Air India

Continued from page 1

Asian Voice has learned that

t h e c o m m u n i t y i s d i s h e a r t e n e d b e c a u s e t h i s d r a s t i c c h a n g e w a s d o n e without proper consultation or consideration

65% of British Gujaratis live in the M 25 range of Greater London This is also g o i n g t o a f f e c t t h e t r a v e l cost for the passenger If a passenger residing in North London travels to Gatwick a i r p o r t , t h e a p p r o x c a b charge will be £250 to £300 d e p e n d i n g u p o n t h e distance to the airport So, airport pick up and drop, to and fro will cost a minimum o f £ 3 0 0 t o £ 6 0 0 f o r passengers travelling from the North or Midland parts Over that, passengers will have to leave their houses 5 to 6 hours before the flight T h i s w i l l c r e a t e m o r e d i s t r e s s f o r t h e e l d e r l y , c h i l d r e n a n d e v e n p a s s e n g e r s s u f f e r i n g f r o m certain health issues

Due to the higher travel c o s t a n d t r a v e l t i m e , i t would be more reasonable a n d c o m f o r t a b l e f o r passengers to opt for flights via Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Delhi or Mumbai

A l m o s t , 1 m i l l i o n G u j a r a t i s m a k e u p t h e B r i t i s h G u j a r a t i d i a s p o r a T h e L o n d o n H e a t h r o w -

Ahmedabad direct flight was the result of years of a long c a m p a i g n b y t h e c o m m u n i t y I n t h e beginning, there were four direct Air India flights to A h m e d a b a d w h i c h w e r e later on reduced to three flights The direct flight was reportedly generating good revenue It was very helpful

a n d c o m f o r t a b l e f o r B u s i n e s s m e n , t h e e l d e r l y and children as it saved a lot of travel time for them The d e m a n d f o r d i r e c t f l i g h t s was so high that people were u n a b l e t o g e t t i c k e t s f o r these flights and airfare was s o a r i n g d u r i n g t h e t r a v e l season There was an urgent need to increase the flight frequency from Heathrow but instead, Air India shifted the flight to Gatwick

Rather than shifting the flight to Gatwick Airport, they should have worked on i m p r o v i n g t h e i r f l i g h t booking system for LondonA h m e d a b a d d i r e c t f l i g h t which was properly set up The scheduled booking of return from January 2024 is n o t o p e n y e t P a s s e n g e r s often complain about the A i r I n d i a f l i g h t a m e n i t i e s a n d t h e f a u l t y e n t e r t a i n m e n t s y s t e m o n t h e f l i g h t T i c k e t s a r e a t their all-time high and the facilities are at an all-time l o w R e c e n t l y , m a n y incidents have popped up a b o u t A i r I n d i a s t a f f m i s b e h a v i n g w i t h e l d e r l y passengers

T h e n e w s w e e k l y h a s been approached by many r e a d e r s a n d c o m m u n i t y o r g a n i s a t i o n s w h o a r e s t r o n g l y d e m a n d i n g t h e restoration of the London ( H e a t h r o w ) - A h m e d a b a d direct flight They feel that the main cause behind the London-Ahmedabad direct flight campaign is ignored by Air India management

Readers of Asian Voice h a v e e x p r e s s e d s o m e c o m m o n c o n c e r n s a n d q u e s t i o n s f o r A i r I n d i a , asking whether any survey w a s d o n e r e g a r d i n g t h e

Community demands clarity on APPG for British Gujaratis

Continued from page 1

A ccord ing to testim ony in cou rt, the man was accused o f pushing his pregnant wife o ff Arthu r's Seat and killing h er in such a brutal m anner that his mo ther-in-law set u p a secret S MS cod e to call the police Kash if Anwar, 29, i s ac c u se d o f p u s h i ng F awziya Jav ed , 3 1, off a h ill in Holyrood P ark in Edinburgh in Sep tember 2021 , resu lting in her death

She died, along with her u n b o r n c h i l d , o f m u l t i p l e blunt-force injuries

A n w a r , f r o m P u d s e y , L e e d s , d e n i e s a l l c h a r g e s , including one of acting in a threatening and abusive way towards her at a hotel the d a y b e f o r e t h e a l l e g e d murder A t t h e H i g h C o u r t i n Edinburgh, his mother-inl a w N i g h a t Y a s m i n J a v e d p r o v i d e d t e s t i m o n y S h e s a i d t h a t A n w a r a n d h e r d a u g h t e r w e r e i n t r o d u c e d f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e a t a n optician's in the Leeds city centre, where he worked as

Diaspora’s convenience or inconvenience Our readers also wonder whether there is any data including facts and figures were concerned before taking this decision

If the majority of the traffic is from London Heathrow

A i r p o r t , w h y w a s f l i g h t airport suddenly changed?

W h y w a s n o t a n y c o m m u n i c a t i o n o r consultancy session carried out with the community?

The L ond on HeathrowAhm ed abad direct flight cam paign

T h e L o n d o nAhmedabad direct flight was a result of a long campaign initiated by the community Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice started this campaign in 1999 A petition was filed a n d m o r e t h a n 2 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e s i g n e d i t B e f o r e starting the campaign, we consulted 28 Travel agents In 2002, CB Patel met the t h e n C h i e f M i n i s t e r o f Gujarat Narendrabhai Modi T h r o u g h v i g o r o u s e f f o r t s , the direct flight was started by Vajpayee Government in 2 0 0 4 , b u t w h e n t h e U P A g o v e r n m e n t c a m e i n t o force, the direct flight was d i s c o n t i n u e d A g a i n , a petition was filed in 2005 a n d o v e r 3 0 , 0 0 0 p e o p l e signed it When the Modi g o v e r n m e n t c a m e i n t o p o w e r , o n 1 3 N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 5 , P M N a r e n d r a b h a i Modi announced to resume the direct flight during his v i s i t a t a g r a n d p u b l i c g a t h e r i n g a t W e m b l e y Stadium in London Thus, the flight started and it was v e r y p r o d u c t i v e f o r p a s s e n g e r s a s w e l l a s A i r I n d i a B u t t h i s s u d d e n p u l l b a c k h a s c r e a t e d a ruckus among travellers

C o m m u n i t y m e m b e r s wonder whether everyone is aware that, we already have the APPG for British Hindus which serves all our needs, then what was the need to c r e a t e t h i s n e w parliamentary group

T h e d e m a n d f o r p o s t p o n e m e n t o f t h e proposed launch on 25 April is soaring

A s i a n V o i c e c o l u m n i s t K a p i l D u d a k i a a l s o mentioned in his columnKapil’s Khichadi this week, “It is one of the silliest ideas I have come across in a long while It seems this is the playbook of the left in the W e s t t o i n f l u e n c e t h e elections in India in 2024 I t ’ s t i m e t o s t o p t h i s madness of trying to divide us in the UK to profit some politicians ”

N a t i o n a l C o u n c i l o f Gujarati Organisations UK (established in 1985) stated in their mail to APPG for British Gujaratis, “We seek a n u r g e n t f a c e - t o - f a c e meeting with the Chairman, V i c e C h a i r m a n a n d S e c r e t a r y o f t h e A P P G t o s e e k f u r t h e r c l a r i f i c a t i o n and listen to our views We would also suggest that you postpone the launch until t h e s e a n d m a n y o t h e r questions are answered ”

T h e A P P G i s u n d e r scrutiny to answer whether there was a consultation that was carried out for this If so,

t h e d e t a i l s o f t h e organisation and individuals must come to light If such m e e t i n g s / c o n s u l t a t i o n s happened, demands to share the details and any minutes

h a v e e m e r g e d I t i s b e i n g q u e s t i o n e d w h y m a j o r Gujarati Organisations are n o t a p a r t o f a n y consultation The aim of the APPG is under the spotlight to discover what it intends t o s e r v e t h e G u j a r a t i community There’s also a d e m a n d t o d i s c l o s e t h e

A P P G ’ s c r e a t i o n a n d s e l e c t i o n p r o c e s s o f i t s c o m m i t t e e m e m b e r s a n d posts President of the Hindu Forum of Britain, Mrs Trupti Patel has written to Gareth

T h o m a s M P & H o n B o b Blackman MP Co-Chair of the proposed APPG Gujarati Her letter reads as follows:

“It has come to our attention t h a t a n A P P G G u j a r a t i i s b e i n g c r e a t e d a n d t o b e launched shortly From our assessment, it has become clear that the vast majority o f H i n d u / G u j a r a t i / I n d i a n organisations have not been c o n s u l t e d H a d t h i s b a s i c first step taken place then it w o u l d h a v e b e c o m e a b u n d a n t l y c l e a r t h a t t h e s a i d A P P G G u j a r a t i commanded no confidence and is rejected by Gujaratis and the Indian diaspora in general I feel compelled to point out the obvious to you, t h a t w e a l r e a d y h a v e a n

A P P G B r i t i s h H i n d u s a n d APPG India which meet the n e e d s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y S i m i l a r l y , o t h e r f a i t h c o m m u n i t i e s a n d nationalities, have their own respective APPG In essence, there is no gap to fill since w h a t e x i s t s a l r e a d y s e r v e s t h e v a r i o u s c o m m u n i t i e s We are also astonished that any parliamentarian would think of creating an APPG to serve the interest of just one c o m m u n i t y f r o m I n d i a would be a good idea By that logic, one assumes in the not-so-distant future we will have one for every state And will this principle then apply to every nation and its states? It is our view (and that of our members) that t h e A P P G G u j a r a t i i s i l lconceived, that it serves to divide the Indian diaspora and that it seems to have a suspect political agenda that h a s l i t t l e t o d o w i t h t h e n e e d s o f t h e G u j a r a t i community, or indeed that of the Indian diaspora In light of this, we advise you to c e a s e i m m e d i a t e l y a l l o p e r a t i o n s o f A P P G G u j a r a t i I t s h o u l d b e disbanded and all reference to it in any parliamentary register should be removed forthwith We hope you take the contents of this letter w i t h t h e s e r i o u s n e s s i t d e s e r v e s T h e c o m m u n i t y w i l l n o t a c c e p t a n y p a r l i a m e n t a r i a n a b u s i n g their name ”

an optical assistant Mrs Javed told advocate depute Alex Prentice KC she was "very worried" about her daughter, and added: "I said if you feel that you are in danger, just text me I like c r e a m c a k e s ' , a n d I w i l l contact the police " S h e s a i d s h e d i d t h i s because of the "abuse, the violence, the aggression, and c o e r c i v e c o n t r o l " i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p A n w a r h a d t a k e n £ 1 2 , 0 0 0 f r o m h e r

d a u g h t e r ' s b a n k a c c o u n t while she was sleeping, she said

According to Mrs Javed, the accused monitored her daughter s calls and texts, and three to four months a f t e r t h e w e d d i n g ; s h e expressed a desire to break u p w i t h h i m T h e c o u r t heard a recording of Anwar's w i f e , a n e m p l o y m e n t lawyer, calling a law firm to a s k f o r h e l p i n f i l i n g f o r divorce

Pregnant woman had secret alert code before husband pushed her to death

Dear Financia

Voice Reader Alpesh Patel OBE

Y ou will have seen all the adverts to use your pension and ISA al lowanc es I want my c om munity to be weal thy and wis e when it comes t o finance It’s why I’ve written thes e weekl y c ol um ns for over 15 years That’s a lot And why I launched m y Campaignf or amillion com to teac h a m illion peopl e to be b etter inves tor s

I want to discuss a critical issue that impacts the financial security and future of millions of people around the world: the role of pension fund advisors and managers in the destruction of pensions

W h e n t h e s e p r o f e s s i o n a l s m a k e p o o r i n v e s t m e n t d e c i s i o n s , s u c h a s b u y i n g s t o c k s t h a t h a v e c o n s i s t e n t l y declined in value over the past decade, they n o t o n l y e r o d e t h e hard-earned savings of retirees but also do a g r a v e d i s s e r v i c e t o t h o s e w h o e n t r u s t t h e m w i t h t h e i r financial well-being

The image shows the performance of the b i g g e s t n a m e s i n s i d e p e n s i o n s a n d h o w they’ve done over the past 10 years

T h i s i s w h y i t i s crucial for individuals to educate themselves about investing and ask the right q u e s t i o n s t o e n s u r e t h e i r p e n s i o n f u n d s a r e m a n a g e d effectively

Firstly, let us examine the responsibility that pension fund advisors and managers have towards their clients These professionals are entrusted with the vital task of s a f e g u a r d i n g a n d g r o w i n g t h e r e t i r e m e n t s a v i n g s o f countless individuals

When they invest in stocks that perform poorly over an extended period, they fail to uphold their fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of their clients

This negligence can lead to devastating consequences, with retirees potentially losing a significant portion of their nest eggs and facing financial hardships in their golden years

Moreover, the decline in pension fund values due to mismanagement highlights the importance of financial literacy and education

B y a c q u i r i n g a d e e p e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f i n v e s t i n g , individuals can ask informed questions and hold their pension fund advisors and managers accountable

This knowledge empowers people to ensure that their retirement savings are being managed prudently and in line with their risk tolerance and financial goals

Furthermore, the failure of pension fund advisors and managers to protect and grow their clients' investments underscores the need for greater transparency and oversight in the industry

Increased scrutiny of their decision-making processes, performance metrics, and fees will enable retirees and other stakeholders to identify underperforming funds and take corrective action

It is essential that pension fund managers be held to the highest standards of professionalism and accountability to prevent the erosion of retirement savings

It is time for change Let us empower ourselves with knowledge and demand better stewardship of our pensions so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour and retire with the peace of mind that we deserve

UK economy performs better than initially predicted

Acc ording to up dated governme nt s tat is tic s, th e U K econom y did better th an initiall y predicted at the end of last year

I t w a s p r e v i o u s l y thought the economy had not grown in the last three months of 2022, but new O f f i c e f o r N a t i o n a l Statistics data shows it grew

b y 0 1 % T h e O N S s a i d t e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s

struction

manufacturing

finances had been helped by the government's energy bill support scheme A substantial increase for travel agents helped the services sector,

Pound rises to take the top spot among currencies this year

With the Bank of En gla nd ant icipa ted t o kee p raising in te rest r ate s, t he pound ha s sur ged to become the curr e n c y i n d e v e lo p e d e co n o m i e s t ha t h a s p e rfor med the be st this y ea r

Sterling has gained 2 3pc against the dollar this year, ahead of all others in the socalled G10 group of major economies The pound has increased 3 per cent in value against the dollar over the past month, outpacing even the currencies of developing markets and defying doubts a b o u t t h e U K e c o n o m y ' s prospects B o t h t h e B a n k o f E n g l a n d a n d O f f i c e f o r Budget Responsibility have i m p r o v e d t h e i r o u t l o o k s over the last month, with

the latter saying the UK will avoid a recession this year

F r a n c e s c o P e s o l e , F X strategist at ING, said: "The pound is set to be the bestperforming currency of the first quarter of 2023, having gained 2 5 pc against the doll a r " A l o n g w i t h t h e i m p r o v e m e n t i n t h e e c onomic outlook, sterling is definitely drawing benefits from the market’s convict i o n t h a t t h e B a n k o f England will need to continue raising rates " The probability that interest rates will r i s e b y 0 2 5 p e r c e n t a g e points in May is 75 per cent, according to traders A 52 per cent chance of another increase of the same sum in J u n e i s f a c t o r e d i n t o t h e pricing

Trade deals with Asia to boost UK economy

Three years after it formally lef t th e E ur o p ean U ni o n, the UK has agreed to jo in a tra d e ag r eem ent w i th 1 1 countries in A sia and th e Pacific By lowering tariffs o n p ro d u c ts li ke ch e es e, vehicles, ch ocolate, machinery, g in, and wh isky, joining the group will increase UK exp o rt s, ac co rd in g to th e gov ernm ent

H o w e v e r , t h e g o v e r nment s own estimates show being in the bloc will only add 0 08% to the size of the U K ' s e c o n o m y T h e t r a d e a r e a c o v e r s a m a r k e t o f around 500 million people

T r a n s - P a c i f i c P a r t n e r s h i p , or CPTPP

M e m b e r s h i p o f t h e CPTPP loosens restrictions on trade between members and reduces tariffs - a form of border tax - on goods Together, the 11 members account for about 13% of the world's income and after 21 months of negotiations, the U K h a s b e c o m e t h e f i r s t European country to join

its earlier

a 0 2% decline Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the figures "show there's underlying resilience in the UK economy" However, he added that "families up and down the country are facing real pressure"

Eat Out to Help Out fraudster gets prison time for defrauding £430k

A former C ou nc ill or w as sentenced to p ris on fo r attempting to embezzle £434,000 throu gh the government's E at Out to Hel p Out programme O n the p ro po sal o f the th en-Ch anc ellor Rish i Su nak, Moh ammed Ikram of Keighl ey s ubmitted 19 fals e claims over th e co urse of fo ur weeks in August and Sep tember 2020

The project let food outlets offer 50% discounts to aid the hospitality sector as Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said it was the first fraud conviction associated with the scheme Ikram was sentenced to two years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to tax fraud, fraud by false representation, and related money laundering He was also a member of Keighley Town Council until his resignation in 2022, HMRC said

The 36-year-old submitted 19 false claims totalling £434,073 for eight different food establishments through the programme, the majority of which, Bradford Crown Court prosecutor Timothy Jacobs said, were "completely fictitious "

Mr Jacobs told the court that eight of the 19 claims were paid by the government, with just over £189,000 being paid into bank accounts held by Ikram's wife The other 11 claims were rejected HMRC has recovered more than half of the money given out, but the court was informed that just under £93,000 is still owed

Mr Jacobs said Ikram registered with the scheme and used his own name and telephone number for each of his claims, with the computer IP address used later traced to his home in Springfield Court, Keighley

The Taxpayer Protection Team of HMRC conducted an investigation that resulted in the defendant and his wife's arrest on June 16 2021 Later, the charges against his wife were withdrawn

UK house prices fall at fastest annual rate since 2009

UK hou se prices hav e fallen at their fastest annual rate since the aftermath of th e financial crisis in 2009, with experts at Nationwid e warning that the squeeze on h ouseh old bud gets will make it h ard to regain mo mentum soon

The Nationwide Building Society's house price index shows that from March of last year to March of this year, the typical property's price decreased by 3 1% to £257,122 In contrast, February saw an annual fall of 1 1%

On a monthly basis, prices decreased as well, down 0 8% since February It was the seventh consecutive monthly decrease, and prices are now 4 6% below their August peak, which was before Liz Truss' terrible mini-budget rattled the property market

UK extends plan to sell off its shares in NatWest

£ 46 billion state rescue in

2 0 0 8 , U K Go v ern m en t Investm ents (UKGI), which m anages the shares for th e T reasury, said that the p lan to strategically sell some o f the British taxpayer's investm ent would now last u ntil

A ugust 2025

T h e i n i t i a l o n e - y e a r trading plan, published in the mid- 2021, was designed t o s e l l u p t o 1 5 % o f t h e shares by drip-feeding them back into the private market It was then extended through the middle of this

year's August

The government’s stake in NatWest Group – formerly known as the Royal Bank of Scotland Group –h a s f a l l e n f r o m 5 4 7 % t o

41 5% over that period

T h e g o v e r n m e n t g a v e no justification for prolongi n g t h e t r a d i n g a r r a n g em e n t T h e d e c i s i o n w a s made, nonetheless, as significant bank stocks, including NatWest, are currently experiencing volatility after last month s market panic

c a u s e d b y S i l i c o n V a l l e y

Bank's demise

I n 2 0 1 8 , A u s t r a l i a , B r u n e i , C a n a d a , C h i l e , J a p a n , M a l a y s i a , M e x i c o , N e w Z e a l a n d , P e r u , S i n g a p o r e , a n d V i e t n a m joined forces to form the R e c e s s i v e A g r e e m e n t f o r

T h e g o v e r n m e n t s a i d the agreement was the UK's " b i g g e s t t r a d e d e a l s i n c e Brexit" However, the gains for the UK from joining are expected to be modest The UK already has free trade deals with all of the memb e r s e x c e p t B r u n e i a n d M a l a y s i a , s o m e o f w h i c h were rolled over from its p r e v i o u s m e m b e r s h i p o f the EU

“Since then, activity has remained subdued – the number of mortgages approved for house purchase remained weak at 43,500 cases in February, almost 40% below the level prevaili n g a y e a r a g o , ” R o b e r t G a r d n e r , N a t i o n w i d e ’ s c h i e f economist, said Given the strain on household finances caused by rising expenditures and higher mortgage rates, he predicted that the price recovery would take some time F o ll o w in g Na tWes t' s o v er

UK supermarket inflation hits record high

U K' s s u p er m a r k e t pr i c e inflation has reached a new re c o r d hi g h , p u s hi n g average an nual household ex p e n s e s t o £ 83 7 a s c on s u m e r s i n c r e a s i n g ly brows e at s everal shops in search of the be st deals

Y e a r - o n - y e a r p r i c e increases for groceries hit an all-time high of 17 5% in the four weeks to 19 March c o m p a r e d w i t h a y e a r e a r l i e r , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e

latest figures from

T h e l a t e s t p r i c e r i s e s m e a n a n a v e r a g e a n n u a l h o u s e h o l d b i l l f o r

groceries is £5,617, Kantar said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at K a n t a r , s a i d , " U n f o r t u n a t e l y , i t ' s m o r e bad news for the British public, who are facing the n i n t h m o n t h o f d o u b l e -

digit food price increases

“However, shoppers are taking action and clearly h u n t i n g a r o u n d f o r t h e best value Footfall was up in every single grocer this m o n t h , w i t h h o u s e h o l d s going to the shops just over f o u r t i m e s a w e e k i n M a r c h A p a r t f r o m C h r i s t m a s , t h a t ’ s t h e h i g h e s t f r e q u e n c y w e ’ v e seen since the start of the pandemic” he added

Tata firm bags the Airbus cargo door contract

Tata Ad vanced Sys tems Ltd (T ASL) h a s b e e n g i v e n a co n t r a ct b y Eur ope an ae rospace gi ant Ai rbus to prov id e t he b ulk car go a nd carg o doors for the A320 neo aircraft fa mi ly

At a bra nd- new plan t in Hyd eraba d, TASL wi ll man uf acture the se doors with the a id of cutti ng- edge roboti cs and a utomati on technologie s Each shi p se t wi ll i nclud e two ca rgo doors a n d on e b ul k c ar g o d oo r A i r b u s prese ntly procures compone nts and servi ce s worth $735 million e very year

fr om more than 100 In dia n suppli ers

A i r b u s ( I n d i a a n d s o u t h A s i a ) president & MD Rémi Maillard said, “When it comes to supporting the d e v e l o p m e n t o f I n d i a ’ s i n d u s t r i a l capacities, Airbus is walking the talk

The latest contract underlines our continued commitment to ‘make-inIndia’ for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) In TASL, we have a most trusted and able partner that w i l l s u p p o r t t h e r a m p - u p o f o u r A 3 2 0 n e o f a m i l y a i r c r a f t t h a t h a s

b e e n t h e p o s t e r c h i l d o f democratisation and transformation of India’s aviation sector We will c o n t i n u e t o g r o w o u r i n d u s t r i a l f o o t p r i n t a n d t h e a v i a t i o n a n d aerospace ecosystem at a fast pace in India ”

Shipments of 'Made in India' iPhones jump by 162% in value

A pp l e ' s s h i p me n t s o f s ma r t p h on e s l a b e l l e d

Made i n Ind ia increas ed b y 6 5% in volume an d 162% i n va lue in 2022 compared t o t he p r e v i o u s y e a r , d emon stra ting the s iz e of th e manufa cturin g capacity t h e co mp a n y h a s e s t a b l i s h e d i n I n d i a

A ccordin g to r esea rch fi rm C o un te r p o i n t ' s d a t a , t h e b r a n d ' s v a l ue s h a r e i ncreas ed, ri si ng from 12% i n 2021 to 25% in 2022

The newest iPhones are being put together in this

location by a number of Apple partners, including F o x c o n n , W i s t r o n a n d P e g a t r o n A c c o r d i n g t o media reports, Pegatron is considering constructing a second facility in Chennai after opening the first one six months ago T h e C o u n t e r p o i n t r e p o r t s a i d i n c r e a s i n g e x p o r t s f r o m A p p l e , Samsung and other OEMs d r o v e t h e l o c a l l y m a n u f a c t u r e d s h i p m e n t s i n 2 0 2 2 a n d s o m e w h a t o f f s e t t h e i m p a c t o f t h e

l o c a l d e m a n d d e c l i n e O v e r a l l , ‘ M a d e i n I n d i a ’ s m a r t p h o n e s h i p m e n t s declined 3% year-on-year in 2 0 2 2 ( J a n u a r y - D e c e m b e r ) to reach 188 million units, the report said

C o u n t e r p o i n t ’ s s e n i o r r e s e a r c h a n a l y s t P r a c h i r S i n g h s a i d , “ T h e h i g h i n v e n t o r y , w h i c h h a s impacted the overall supply o f s m a r t p h o n e s , i s n o w b e i n g f e l t a t t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g l e v e l H o w e v e r , t h e p r e m i u m i s a t i o n t r e n d i s

b e n e f i t i n g s o m e o f t h e m a n u f a c t u r e r s A p p l e ’ s E M S ( e l e c t r o n i c s m a n u f a c t u r i n g s e r v i c e s ) p a r t n e r s F o x c o n n a n d Wistron were the fastest g r o w i n g m a n u f a c t u r e r s among the top 10 in the fourth quarter of 2022 The growth was also fuelled by i n c r e a s i n g e x p o r t s f r o m Apple ”

Recently, we met a client who had wh at most w ould consider a hig hly paid job Th e purpose w as to start off investing into prop erty; pro mpted partly by her fam ily into m aking this mo ve

They were in the midst of agreeing a deal in North West London, directly with the vendor, consequently they were getting the property at a very slight discount to market value The deal had not been agreed, it seemed there was some tussling regarding the final figure

The aim of the investment is capital growth, given that income with current yields are pretty much non existent When I asked what was the purpose of the investment, the answer was just to get the first step on to the ladder

O f t e n t h i s i s t h e v a g u e o b j e c t i v e , w h i c h i s t h e foundation for investing The aim was to go for a five year plan, which would provide good growth at the end of it

Just because you purchase a property, it does not mean it will go up in five years What’s going on in this location for prices to rise? There is often the conception it is better to invest close to where one lives, perhaps to deal with maintenance issues However, this is not the criteria to define how to invest a few hundred thousand pounds, but this is the yard stick which is actually used by many

Though the purpose of the meeting was to sort out the mortgage, I suggested she relooks at her investment, and perhaps considers a location which has more going for it I proposed an area that we are focusing on for our clients, which is backed by a very thorough inhouse report She was open enough to consider this option and took on board the spanner we threw into her plans

The aim for the investment was to obtain the most aggressive capital growth possible, in a riskless manner (well as low risk as possible) The proposed investment, whilst local, did not achieve this

The other consideration was the structure in which to do this investment, whether in a personal name or a company structure Being a high tax payer, the latter would likely be a better set up to get this done given the current environment

C o m m e r c e a n d i n d u s t r y m in ist er Piyush G oy al said In dia's ex ports of prod uct s a n d s e r v ic e s h a v e f or t h e f i r st t i m e s u r p a ss e d $7 50 billion a nd are on tra ck to sur pass $760 billion A $760 billion ex port amount would r e pre se nt a 12 4 % incr ea se o v e r t h e $6 76 bi ll io n e x p o r t e d in t h e p r e v i o u s y ea r

The government had set a target of $750 billion for the year and is upbeat, given t h a t i t h a s b e e n a c h i e v e d despite a slowdown on the goods side in recent months, and has been scaled with a few days of the financial year left E v e n t h o u g h t h e y a r e forecast to fall short of the initial government forecasts of $470-480 billion, goods e x p o r t s h a v e d e c r e a s e d during three of the last five months Yet, they are still a n t i c i p a t e d t o s e t a n e w

r e c o r d F o r t h r e e c o n s e c u t i v e m o n t h s , i m p o r t s h a v e d e c r e a s e d , which has reduced the trade imbalance S p e a k i n g a t t h e Assocham annual meeting, G o y a l n o t e d t h a t I n d i a i s doing well at a time when much of the rest of the globe i s e x p e r i e n c i n g r e c e s s i o n , rising inflation, and elevated interest rates He said several countries are keen to enter into free trade agreements (FTAs) with India to deepen ties, seeking to tap into the opportunity that is on offer

The minister said trade deals with the UAE and Australia, which have been welcomed by the industry, showed the s p e e d w i t h w h i c h t r e a t i e s were finalised did not come at the cost of compromising o n q u a l i t y o f a g r e e m e n t s , which were finalised after e x t e n s i v e s t a k e h o l d e r consultation

In a his t or ic dec i s ion, the Indian government decla red that al l medications and f ood im ported for personal us e in t he t r e a t m e nt of a l l r a re dis eases are now c om pletely exempt from bas ic c us toms charge

This is for the illnesses identified under the National S t r a t e g y f o r R a r e D i s e a s e s 2 0 2 1 t h r o u g h a g e n e r a l e x e m p t i o n n o t i f i c a t i o n , claims the government “ I n o r d e r t o a v a i l t h i s e x e m p t i o n , t h e i n d i v i d u a l importer has to produce a certificate from Central or S t a t e D i r e c t o r H e a l t h Services or District Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon of the d i s t r i c t D r u g s / M e d i c i n e s g e n e r a l l y a t t r a c t b a s i c customs duty of 10%, while some categories of lifesaving d r u g s / v a c c i n e s a t t r a c t concessional rate of 5% or

Nil,” the Ministry of Finance said in a statement

The government further stated that although certain pharmaceuticals needed to t r e a t D u c h e n n e m u s c u l a r d y s t r o p h y o r S p i n a l M u s c u l a r A t r o p h y h a v e p r e v i o u s l y r e c e i v e d exemptions, the government has received several requests for customs tax reduction for drugs and treatments used to treat other rare diseases

The pricey medications or specialised foods needed t o t r e a t t h e s e c o n d i t i o n s must be imported According to estimates, the annual cost o f t h e r a p y f o r s o m e uncommon disorders for a c h i l d w e i g h i n g 1 0 k g c a n range from Rs 10,00,000 to £ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 , w i t h t r e a t m e n t being lifelong and medicine dose and cost rising with age and weight

LS passes Bill giving more powers to CCI

T he C om petition (A mendm ent) Bill, 20 22 w as approved by the Lok Sabh a a nd i ns tr u ct s th e C o m p et it i o n C omm ission of India ( CC I) to assess p enalties against entities based on their g lo bal tu rnover rath er than the current p ractise of only taking into account p ertinent m arket turnov er F i a n c e m i n i s t e r N i r m a l a S i t h a r a m a n p r o p o s e d t h e b i l l f o r c o n s i d e r a t i o n , a n d i t w a s a p p r o v e d without discussion in the lower house a m i d s t c o m m o t i o n a s o p p o s i t i o n members continued to demonstrate and call for a JPC investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg issues

B e f o r e p a s s i n g o f t h e p r o p o s e d l e g i s l a t i o n , t h e g o v e r n m e n t m a d e

certain amendments to the original

Bill One of the changes is with respect to the turnover that will be considered for the imposition of penalty in case of competition law violations “ t u r n o v e r m e a n s g l o b a l

turnover derived from all products and services by a person or an enterprise,”

a c c o r d i n g t o t h e a m e n d m e n t s t h a t w e r e a p p r o v e d b y t h e L o k

S a b h a T h e C o m p e t i t i o n ( A m e n d m e n t ) B i l l , 2 0 2 2 , w a s i n t r o d u c e d i n

P a r l i a m e n t o n A u g u s t 5 l a s t y e a r I t w a s t h e n r e f e r r e d t o t h e p a r l i a m e n t a r y s t a n d i n g committee on finance The panel tabled its report in Parliament on December 13 The Act was introduced in 2002, and it was later amended in 2007 and 2009 The law's antitrust clauses went into effect in May 2009, and two years later, in May 2011, CCI began vetting mergers and acquisitions

There is a bigger picture to ultimately set up a portfolio as time goes on Perhaps even some small lease extensions and refurb projects

S i n c e w e h a v e b e e n f o c u s i n g o n t h e s u g g e s t e d location, rentals have increased from £900 per month to £1,400 per month, over a 50% increase We believe there is more growth to go, and this is one of the few boroughs in London where the yields are still peaking over 5% This combined with a purchase price of sub £300K for a two bed apartment means there are many boxes ticked when investing in this location

In order to make the investment even more secure, we suggest a rent guarantee insurance, which means if the tenant is unable to pay the rent, the insurance policy kicks in to cover the rental Doing this in such a way ensures the investment is as riskless as possible Therefore, the deal is simply reduced to how well the area performs, in the coming years

Adani reveals pledged stock positions in 4 cos

A ft e r a m e d i a r e p o r t in d ic a t e d t h a t t h e con glom era te's claim t hat it has r epa id all of it s loan s a g a i n s t p r o mo t e r s' sh a r e s may n ot be complete ly t rue, Ad a n i G r ou p d isc lo se d it s p r o mo t e r s' m o st r e c e n t st o c k p le d g e p o si t i o n s r e la t e d t o f ou r p u bl ic ly t r a d e d c om p a n i e s N o reg ula tory filin gs, according t o t h e r e p or t , s ho w a d e cr e a s e i n p r o m o t e r s ' p le d g e d s t o c k a f t e r t h e co m p a n y r e v e a le d t h e se tt le ment of shar e-ba cked loa ns t otaling more t han $2 billion

T h e p r o m o t e r s ’ s t o c k p l e d g e p o s i t i o n s i n f o u r c o m p a n i e s - A d a n i P o r t s ,

Adani Transmission, Adani Green and Adani Enterprises

- stood at 4 7%, 3 8%, 3 5% and 0 6%, respectively, as on

March 27, the conglomerate said Their positions, as on D e c e m b e r 3 1 , 2 0 2 2 , w e r e 17 3%, 6 6%, 4 4% and 2 7% in t h e s e f o u r l i s t e d g r o u p companies

A dan i mcap suffe rs worst slide

A d a n i E n t e r p r i s e s , t h e group's flagship stock, ended 7 1 % l o w e r a s t h e m a r k e t m e l t d o w n i n t h e A d a n i

Group continued with six of the group's ten stocks frozen at the 5% lower circuit level

The group's overall market capitalization decreased by £ 5 0 1 b i l l i o n a s a consequence, which was the worst decline in more than a month

S i n c e J a n u a r y 2 5 , t h e total mcap of Adani Group has more than halved to £89 b i l l i o n f r o m £ 1 9 2 b i l l i o n , BSE data showed

Suresh Vagjiani, Sow & Reap Properties Ltd

It’s not the size of the step, but the direction it’s taken

Indian exports at record $750 bn, may top $760 bn in FY23

No tax on imported medicines used to treat uncommon disorders

Hindus organise protest against forced conversions in Sindh

K A RA C HI : The threat o f forced co nversi ons and w ed di ngs of Hind u g irls and wom en in th e na ti o n w a s t h e f o cu s o f a p ro t es t m a rc h o rg a ni se d b y m an y m em be rs of P aki sta n's minority Hindu co mmunity

T h e p r o t e s t o u t s i d e t h e Karachi Press Club and at the entrance of the Sindh Assembly b u i l d i n g w a s o r g a n i s e d b y Pakistan Darawar Ittehad (PDI), a Hindu organisation “ W e w a n t e d t o h i g h l i g h t t h i s b i g p r o b l e m f a c i n g t h e Sindhi Hindus, especially in the rural areas where our young

girls, some as young as 12 and 13 are abducted in broad daylight, forced to convert to Islam and t h e n m a r r i e d o f f t o o l d e r Muslim men, ” a member of the PDI said

Although he acknowledged

they had anticipated a larger turnout, he said the demonstration had h a d s o m e i n f l u e n c e b e c a u s e m a n y p e o p l e w e r e u n a w a r e o f t h e i n c i d e n t T h e p r o t e s t w e n t o f f p e a c e f u l l y with a large number of policemen standing at a distance from the protesters

The protesters carried placards and banners which urged the government to pass a stalled bill against the forced conversion of Hindu girls and women Such cases have increased

in brief

significantly in recent months in interior Sindh, with a deluge of applications from devastated p a r e n t s f o r j u s t i c e a n d t h e return of their daughters, sist e r s , a n d w i v e s f l o o d i n g t h e lower courts

Unfortunately, no representative from the provincial government came out to listen to the pleas of the protesters who dispersed peacefully

In 2019, the issue of abducting and forcible conversion of Hindu girls in various districts of Sindh province was taken up in the Sindh Assembly

11 killed as people jostle for free flour in cash-strapped Pak

L A H O R E : A u th o ri ti e s in P akis tan's Punjab province said th at at least 11 p eo ple, including women, had recently peris hed whi le attemp ting to obtain free wheat fro m o ffi cial distribution p o in ts Ac c o rdi n g to r ep o r ts , c o untles s indi vi du als wen t to g o vern men t di s tri bu ti o n ce nt re s af te r P ak i s ta n' s c as hstrap ped government lau nc hed a free flo ur programme fo r th e u nderprivileged, parti cularly in P unjab p ro vince, to combat th e co untry's increasing inflation

The plan attempts to quell Imran Khan, leader of the PTI, from becoming too well-liked

In stampedes at free flour distribution sites in the south Punjabi d i s t r i c t s o f S a h i w a l , Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, and Okara, two elderly women and a man died and 60 others were hurt Fasailabad, Jehaniyan, and

Nepal to seek electricity deal with India during Prachanda visit

KA T HM A ND U : Nepal is keen to sig n a 25-year ag reem ent with Ind ia o n selling its su rplus power to the neigh bou ring country during PM P ushpa Kam al Dahal P rachanda’s expected v isit to New Delhi

Though the official date of Prachanda’s visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported that the PM is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April However, the two sides have yet to announce the dates, it said

Dinesh Ghimire, secretary at the ministry, said the long-term inter-governmental agreement was under discussion at the ministry but was yet to be forwarded to Nepal’s foreign ministry to make it an agenda item ahead of the PM’s trip He said such an agreement can be signed only if the Indian side gives its nod at the bureaucratic level before Prachanda reaches New Delhi, the report said

Nepal proposed such a deal during the 10th secretary-level meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) on energy cooperation in India in late February

Currently, Nepal is allowed to sell 452 6 MW of electricity generated by 10 hydropower projects in the Indian power markets

Pak assembly adopts bill to clip CJ’s power

IS L A M A BA D: A law th at will restrict the Suprem e C ourt ch ief justice's ability to issu e su o m oto no tice in an indiv idual cap acity and g ive that auth ority to a three-judg e com mittee o f senior judg es w as approv ed by Pakistan s National A ssem bly

The Senate, the upper chamber, will now consider the SC (Practice and Procedure) Bill, 2023, which was supposed to happen last week The lower house is the National Assembly The law was developed and advanced by the eight-party coalition government of PM Shehbaz Sharif after two judges on a five-judge SC panel questioned the chief justice's authority while debating a PTI petition challenging the Punjab electoral commission's decision to postpone voting in the province The judges had said the top court “cannot be dependent on the solitary decision of one man, the chief justice”

The situation began in April of last year when Imran and his government were overthrown in a National Assembly vote of no confidence Imran then launched a nationwide campaign to call for urgent national elections The Campaign failed to move the government and Imran reacted by dissolving the PTI governed assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces this January It was a pressure tactic as the constitution mandates elections within 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution

INDIAN ORIGIN BECOMES TREASURER OF AN AUSTRALIAN STATE

Daniel Mookhey has become the first politician of Indian-origin to become the treasurer in any Australian state Mookhey a Hindu, took his oath of allegiance on the holy Bhagavad Gita He was sworn in along with New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and six other ministers “Sworn in as treasurer of the great state of NSW Thank you to the people of NSW who entrusted us with this honour and privilege,” Mookhey, 39, said in a statement “I am incredibly honoured and humbled to be the first Australian minister, state or federally, to take my oath of allegiance on the Bhagavad Gita This is only possible because Australia is so open and so welcoming to the contributions of people like my parents who I was thinking about a lot as I took my oath earlier today ” he said Mookhey s parents migrated from Punjab to Australia in 1973

Multan are the other districts where fatalities have been reported

P o l i c e h a v e b e e n b l a m e d f o r c a u s i n g mayhem at the centres by m a n h a n d l i n g a n d b a t o nc h a r g i n g t h e c i t i z e n s waiting in long queues to g e t f r e e f l o u r S e c u r i t y forces also resorted to a h e a v y - h a n d e d a p p r o a c h

f o l l o w i n g t h e l o o t i n g o f f r e e flour trucks in Muzaffarghar and Rahim Yar Khan cities Punjab c a r e t a k e r C M M o h s i n N a q v i announced the opening of free f l o u r c e n t r e s t h r o u g h o u t t h e

p r o v i n c e t o r e d u c e overcrowding In a meeting held at the CM’s office, it was decided t h a t p r o v i n c i a l m i n i s t e r s a n d secretaries will visit flour centres over the next three days and assess the situation F o r m e r P r i m e M i n i s t e r Imran Khan criticised the PMLN administration for its poor management of the free flour centres and blamed PM Shehbaz Sharif and Naqvi for the fatalities According to Imran, the " g o v e r n m e n t o f t h i e v e s " h a s m a d e l i f e s o u n p l e a s a n t t h a t people will do everything to get their hands on a sack of flour

Wary of China, Pak opts out of US democracy meet

ISL AM AB A D: Accor din g to the media, Pa kista n has chosen not t o pa rticipate in the democracy confe rence t aking pl ace in Washin gton this we ek, pre fer ring inst ead to work bil ater all y wit h the US to promote democrat ic norms

It has been debated for a while whether Pakistan should attend the Second Summit for Democracy in the US, especially given the possibility that it may enrage its "all-weather friend" China Turkiye and China have not been invited to the summit, as reported by the media

The decision had been difficult because Pakistan had to weigh the benefits of participation against the potential risks to its diplomatic relationships China will closely monitor these proposals as the United States has already irked Beijing by inviting Taiwan, China’s long standing arch rival The decision to exclude Turkiye from the summit, according to the media report, was another cause for worry in Pakistan According to a statement from the Foreign Office, Pakistan values its friendship with the United States

The statement said, “Under the Biden administration, this relationship has widened and expanded substantially We remain committed to further solidifying this relationship for peace, stability, and prosperity in the region ”

Orphaned Afghan toddler finally reunited with family

D O HA: A Qatari orph anage h as reu nited a little Afghan girl wi th h er family after sh e was fo rced o n bo ar d a n evac u at io n f li gh t from Kabul in 2021 after her parents were killed in a bombing

The girl, now believed to be about 21 months old and given t h e n a m e M a r y a m b y t h e orphanage, saw her uncle Yaar M o h a m m a d N i a z i a n d h e r brother and two sisters again for the first time “I didn’t know if we would ever find her again, and now I am overcome ” with emotion, said Niazi, aged 40 and with four children of his own “When I held her, I told myself s h e w a s a l i v e ” M a r y a m h a d been the subject of a desperate search since the chaos of August 2021, when the Taliban seized over Kabul and caused a mass

INDIAN-ORIGIN MAN FATALLY STABS ANOTHER

A 32-year-old man of Indian descent has been detained and charged with the second-degree murder of a Canadian in downtown Vancouver Following a short altercation between two men outside the Starbucks restaurant at West Pender and Granville Street, Inderdeep Singh Gosal fatally stabbed Paul Stanley Schmidt, 37 Footage of the videos shared by by-standers on social media show the victim lying in a pool of blood outside the Starbucks cafe, and Gosal being taken into custody by police "We believe this homicide was witnessed by dozens of bystanders, and there may be people with information who have not yet come forward " Sergeant Steve Addison of Vancouver Police Department said

TWO YOUTHS ARRESTED FOR CHEATING ELDERLY WOMAN

Police arrested two youths who were suspected in stealing $109 000 from a 78year-old resident in Yarmouth USA The suspects were involved in a computer virus scheme and demanded funds from the victim to remove unwanted items from her computer The scam started when the victim called a tech support number to assist with an issue with her computer The suspects were arrested after they returned to the victim s residence to collect money from her and after they were observed at the victim’s house The suspects are identified as Nikit S Yadav 22 and Raj Vipul Patel, 21 from New Jersey Both are charged with Conspiracy and Larceny over $1,200 by false pretenses Police sought help from public relating to this incident

PAK TALIBAN

exodus When Maryam's parents were killed on August 26 in an explosion and gun conflict at Kabul airport, they were among those who were attempting to evacuate with their four children

The little girl, whose birth name was Aliza, was only weeks old at the time her mother and father died in the attack that was claimed by the local chapter of the IS group A teenage kid reportedly grabbed her in the midst of the mayhem and carried her onto a US military plane bound for Doha with Afghans and stranded foreigners, according to a Qatari official Her older b r o t h e r a n d t w o s i s t e r s remained in Afghanistan, while she found a new home at the Dreama orphanage in Qatar

MILITANTS KILL FOUR IN ROADSIDE BLAST

Militants in Pakistan targeted the country’s police force in two attacks in a volatile northwestern province, killing four officers and wounding six, officials said The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for both attacks In one attack, police say a roadside bomb struck a vehicle carrying officers, killing four of them The officers were reinforcements responding to an attack earlier in the day on a police station in Lakki Marwat, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan Six officers were wounded in the attack on the station Local police officer Ashfaq Khan said a search was under way for the attackers The Pakistani Taliban said in a statement that one of the slain officers Iqbal Mohmand was targeted as he was behind the arrest and killing of some of their fighters

in brief

LANKA REDUCES FUEL PRICE

Following the IMF rescue package and indications of economic stabilisation the Sri Lankan government announced considerable reductions in fuel prices The action was taken after Sri Lanka received a bailout of around $3 billion from the IMF on March 20 To unlock the initiative, the Lankan government had already implemented hard economic measures like tax and utility rate increases which prompted protests from labour unions and opposition organisations “Sri Lanka has slashed fuel prices with effect from March 29 midnight,” said power and energy minister Kanchana Wijesekera The price of different petrol will be lowered by 26 5% while diesel price will be reduced by 19 8% and kerosene by 3 3%, according to media reports

JUNTA DISSOLVES SUU KYI’S PARTY AS IT BOYCOTTS POLL

The ousted ruling party of Myanmar’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi was among 40 political parties dissolved after they failed to meet a registration deadline for an election set to perpetuate the military s dominance NLD is among dozens of parties that held parliamentary seats in the past decade that were weakened by the military s 2021 coup Many of the parties are unable or unwilling to contest the poll, which has widely been dismissed by critics as a sham State-run Myawaddy TV said 63 parties had registered for the election at local or national level and named 40 parties that were automatically disbanded for failure to sign up The polls, for which no date has been announced, are almost certain to be swept by Union Solidarity and Development Party, a military proxy that was trounced by NLD in the 2015 polls and in a 2020 vote the generals eventually voided citing irregularities

20 KILLED AS A BUS FERRYING PILGRIMS CRASHES IN SAUDI

A bus ferrying pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca burst into flames after a collision on a bridge, killing 20 people, Saudi state media reported The incident took place in Asir province “According to preliminary information, the number of deaths reached 20, and the total number of injuries was approximately 29 ” the state-affiliated AlEkhbariya channel reported It said the victims had “different nationalities” but did not mention them The channel said the bus had “car trouble”, without specifying, while the private newspaper Okaz said the accident resulted from an issue with the brakes The bus “then collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire”

TWO KILLED IN KNIFE ATTACK AT LISBON ISMAILI CENTRE

A knife attack at the Ismaili Centre in Lisbon left at least two persons dead and another injured The officers later shot the attacker after he refused to lay down his weapon and approached them with a large knife He was arrested and taken to hospital Ismailis are a minority within Shia Islam whose members have been attacked by extremist groups in countries such as Pakistan Portugal PM Antonio Costa said everything indicated that it was an isolated act, and it was premature to make any interpretation about the crime

The two women killed in the attack were Portuguese nationals who worked at the centre, media cited Nazim Ahmed leader of the Ismaili community in the country, as saying He said the attacker was an Afghan refugee

Indian American to lead Nasa’s Moon to Mars programme

W A S HI N G T O N : A s t h e fir s t dire ct or of NASA's ne wly esta bli sh e d M oo n t o M a r s

Progr amme , Amit Kshatr iya , a n Indian -Amer ica n softwa re an d robotics en gine er, will a ssist the sp ace age ncy in en sur ing a lon gter m lun ar pre sence n ecessary to get r ea dy for human it y's n ex t gre at lea p t o the R ed Plane t

The agency declared that Kshatriya will take over as the first head of the office as of r i g h t a w a y A c c o r d i n g t o a NASA press release, the new office seeks to carry out the o r g a n i z a t i o n ' s h u m a n e x p l oration efforts on the Moon and

Mars for the sake of humanity

“The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help

Indian origin donates $1 mn to Hindu University of America

W A S H I N G T O N : T he H i n d u Univers ity of Americ a, the only organisation i n the US whose goa l is to prov i de ed uc ati on b as e d on H i n du p hi l os op hy , has received a $1 million donati o n f ro m I n d i an Am e ri c a n bus inessman Ramesh Bhutada, who is based in Florida

T h e H i n d u U n i v e r s i t y o f America (HUA), was founded in 1989 and granted authorization b y t h e F l o r i d a S t a t e Government in 1993, has now gotten its largest donation

B h u t a d a , t h e C E O o f H o u s t o n - b a s e d S t a r P i p e P r o d u c t s , s a i d h e m a d e t h e donation so that the youth can gain the knowledge and unders t a n d i n g o f H i n d u i s m m u c h earlier in life, enabling them to live a happy and productive life

D e s p i t e b e i n g b o r n a n d raised in a traditional Hindu family and being a member of several prominent Hindu organ i z a t i o n s a n d t r a d i t i o n s , Bhutada claimed that he "did n o t r e a l l y u n d e r s t a n d t h e

essence of Hinduism"

I t t o o k h i m 6 0 y e a r s t o understand the true essence of H i n d u i s m " w h i c h t e a c h e s u s how to live in harmony within o u r s e l v e s , w i t h o u r f a m i l y , f r i e n d s , c o l l e a g u e s , a n d w i t h the entire world," the university said in a release

O t h e r u n i v e r s i t i e s m a y impart knowledge for students to earn a livelihood Only an i n s t i t u t i o n l i k e H U A c a n impart Hindu knowledge that teaches a student how to live their life," it said

K a l y a n V i s w a n a t h a n , t h e p r e s i d e n t o f t h e H i n d u University Association, urged t h e H i n d u c o m m u n i t y t o " c o m e t o g e t h e r t o b u i l d a Hindu university that lasts a t h o u s a n d y e a r s j u s t l i k e t h e B r i h a d e e s w a r a T e m p l e i n T h a n j a v u r w h i c h h a s s t o o d strong for over 1,000 years or l i k e t h e N a l a n d a U n i v e r s i t y which was a beacon of knowle d g e t o t h e w o r l d f o r 1 , 7 0 0 years before it was destroyed "

Another Gandhi statue vandalised in Canada

TO R ON TO : Day s aft er another st atue of the intern ational peace icon was atta cke d in this nat ion by support ers of Khal ista n, the st atue of Mahatma Gan dhi was defaced on a univer sity campus in t he Canadian province of B ritish Col umbia According t o the Indian consul ate gener al in Va ncouver, t he stat ue e rected at Simon Fraser Univer sity's Burnab y ca mpus was vandal ised in the most recent incident

“We strongly condemn the heinous crime of vandalising the statue of Mahatma Gandhiji, @SFU Burnaby campus, ” the consulate said in a tweet “The Canadian authorities are urged to investigate the matter urgently and bring the perpetrators to justice,” it added The incident comes after Khalistan supporters defaced the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the town of Hamilton in Canada’s Ontario province on March 23

t h e R e d P l a n e t , ” s a i d N a s a administrator Bill Nelson “The M o o n t o M a r s P r o g r a m m e Office will help prepare Nasa to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first h u m a n s o n M a r s , ” N e l s o n e x p l a i n e d T h e n e w o f f i c e resides within the Exploration Systems Development Mission D i r e c t o r a t e , r e p o r t i n g t o i t s a s s o c i a t e a d m i n i s t r a t o r J i m Free, it said

Amit Kshatriya

ensure that Nasa successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity’s next giant leap to

K s h a t r i y a ' s n e w p o s i t i o n entails designing and carrying out the programme for manned expeditions to the Moon and Mars

Georgia approves law denouncing Hinduphobia

A T L AN T A : T h e Ge o r gia

Assembl y in the United States has beco me the first American State to ado pt suc h a legisl ative mo ve, deno uncing Hindu ph obia Hinduism is one of the oldest and largest religions in the world, with more than 1 2 billion f o l l o w e r s i n m o r e t h a n 1 0 0 n a t i o n s T h e r e s o l u t i o n c o ndemning Hinduphobia and antiH i n d u b i g o t r y n o t e d t h a t Hinduism encompasses a varie t y o f d i v e r s e t r a d i t i o n s a n d b e l i e f s y s t e m s w i t h v a l u e s o f acceptance, mutual respect, and peace

The resolution was introd u c e d b y R e p r e s e n t a t i v e s L a u r e n M c D o n a l d a n d T o d d Jones from Forsyth County in the suburbs of Atlanta, home to one of the largest Hindu and Indian-American diaspora communities in Georgia T h e f i r s t - e v e r H i n d u Advocacy Day, held on March 22 at the Georgia State Capitol, was arranged by the Atlanta branch

of the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), who t o o k t h e i n i t i a t i v e i n t h i s respect A total of 25 lawmakers, i n c l u d i n g R e p u b l i c a n s a n d Democrats, joined the Hindu community to learn about their concerns, make a commitment to develop measures to protect them from discrimination, and f a c i l i t a t e t h e p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f Hindu voices in significant state decision-making processes

“It was a true honor to work with Rep McDonald and Rep Jones as well as other lawmakers w h o g u i d e d u s t h r o u g h t h e whole process of getting this County Resolution passed,” said R a j e e v M e n o n , C o H N A v i c e president

“We also heard that all the l a w m a k e r s h a d b e e n w o r k i n g r e a l l y l o n g h o u r s g i v e n t h e amount of legislative items on the agenda, but still decided to join us at the Advocacy Day to show how much they value the Hindu community,” he said

Ajay Banga to become World Bank chief unopposed

W ASH I N GT ON : Ajay Banga, an Indian- American entrepreneur, is in line to succeed J im Y ong Kim as Pres ident of the World Bank after the nomi nation peri od ended with no other candidates being put out by any nations In Feb ruary, Presi dent Joe Biden announced that the US would be nominating Banga to lead the W orld Bank because he i s “well equi pped” to lead the global institution at “this critical moment in history ”

A month-long window for nominations for the World Bank's next president has come to an end Banga, the former CEO of Mastercard Inc , currently holds the position of vice chairman of General Atlantic The bank’s board is expected to announce the next steps in its selection process, with a view to confirming a new leader by early May “Over the next few months, you will see the World Bank undergo an important transition We expect that Ajay Banga will be elected President of the World Bank,” US treasury secretary Janet Yellen told makers at a Congressional hearing

Kenya opposition leader Odinga halts anti-govt protests

N ai r ob i : In r es po ns e t o a r e q ue s t f r om Pr e s i d en t Wi l l i am Ru t o, t he h ea d of th e

K enyan oppos ition, Raila Odinga, c ancel led planned anti-government dem ons trations and decl ared that he was open to dialogue

Three marches against high living expenses and alleged election fraud have drawn thousands of participants over the past two weeks

All have been marred by violence, which resulted in at least three fatalities, 400 injuries, and some business looting

In response to Ruto's suggestion that they form a bipartisan parliamentary committee to address complaints about the electoral process,

Odinga declared that he was cancelling the fourth rally The opposition leader, who has disputed Ruto’s victory in 2022, said he saw the president’s statement as an olive branch and a “positive development”

“We stand down our demonstrations on April 3, 2023 But in doing so, we want to e m p h a s i s e t h a t t h e r i g h t t o a s s e m b l e , t o demonstrate, petition, and speak are iron-clad as provided for in our constitution,” Odinga said in a press conference

However, his party “reserve[s] the right to call for demonstrations should this process not bear fruit”, he said

“He will be charged with accelerating our progress to evolve the institution to better address 21st century challenges This evolution will help the Bank deliver o n i t s v i t a l p o v e r t y a l l e v i a t i o n a n d development goals,” Yellen said

If confirmed, Banga would become the first-ever Indian-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the IMF and the World Bank

B a n g a i s a n t i c i p a t e d t o s u c c e e d outgoing World Bank president David Malpass, who will retire in June, almost a year before his term is set to end Yet, m a j o r n a t i o n s a l l a r o u n d t h e w o r l d , including India, overwhelmingly backed Banga

India’s defence export touches an all-time high in 2022-23

T hr ou gh c o ns is t e n t po l ic y initiatives of t he governm ent and tremend ous contributio n o f t he d e f e n c e in d us t r y , I n d i a e x p o r t e d m i li t a r y ha rdwa re wor th £1 59 billion in t he fina ncial y ear 2022-23, a lm ost £3 00 mi lli on mo re t han th e pr evious fina ncial y ea r It a r ise of ove r 1 0 t ime s s in ce 20 1 6 - 1 7, w it h P r im e M i n i st e r N a r e n d r a M o d i a t t r i bu t i n g t h e s u r g e t o e n t h u si a s m f or M a k e in I nd ia , a n d k e y r e for ms t o spur g rowth in t he sector

“India is now exporting to over 85 countries Indian i n d u s t r y h a s s h o w n i t s c a p a b i l i t y o f d e s i g n a n d development to the world, w i t h 1 0 0 f i r m s e x p o r t i n g d e f e n c e p r o d u c t s a t p r e s e n t , " t h e M i n i s t r y o f D e f e n c e s a i d “ T h e r i s i n g d e f e n c e e x p o r t s a n d p a r t i c i p a t i o n o f 1 0 4 countries in Aero India 2023 are proof of India’s growing d e f e n c e m a n u f a c t u r i n g capabilities," it added

D e f e n c e M i n i s t e r Rajnath Singh termed it as a remarkable achievement of the country “Today, India, w h i c h w a s k n o w n a s a n importer about eight years b a c k , e x p o r t s m a j o r platforms like Dornier-228, 1 5 5 m m a d v a n c e d t o w e d a r t i l l e r y g u n s ( A T A G s ) , B r a h m o s m i s s i l e s , A k a s h m i s s i l e s y s t e m , r a d a r s , simulators, mine protected vehicles, armoured vehicles, Pinaka rockets & launchers, a m m u n i t i o n s , t h e r m a l imagers, body armours, line replaceable units and parts & components of avionics and small arms There is growing g l o b a l d e m a n d o f L C AT e j a s , l i g h t c o m b a t helicopters, aircraft carrier,

36 killed after falling into well as Indore temple floor collapses

MRO activities etc

To give a push to d e f e n c e e x p o r t s , government has taken a n u m b e r o f p o l i c y i n i t i a t i v e s a n d brought reforms over t h e l a s t 5 - 6 y e a r s E x p o r t p r o c e d u r e s h a v e been simplified and made industry friendly with endt o - e n d o n l i n e e x p o r t a u t h o r i s a t i o n c u r t a i l i n g delays and bringing ease of doing business

T h e g o v e r n m e n t h a s notified three Open General Export License (OGEL) for e x p o r t o f p a r t s a n d c o m p o n e n t s / t r a n s f e r o f technology/major platforms and equipment “OGEL is o n e - t i m e e x p o r t l i c e n s e , which permits the industry to export specified items to s p e c i f i e d d e s t i n a t i o n s , enumerated in the OGEL, w i t h o u t s e e k i n g e x p o r t a u t h o r i s a t i o n d u r i n g t h e validity of the OGEL," the ministry said

A rm y fo rc es r eco v ere d 22 m ore victim s fro m I nd ore tem p l e th e m urk y d e pt hs d u r in g a n i g h tl o ng o p er ati o n , b ri ng i n g t h e death toll to 3 6 T he office holders of the tem ple trust w e re a ls o ar res te d f o r c u lp a ble h o m i ci d e w h il e tw o ci ty o ff i c ia ls w er e suspend ed

T w e n t y - o n e o f t h o s e killed were women There were three children among the dead, including a one a n d - a - h a l f - y e a r - o l d b o y whose parents could only w a t c h i n h o r r o r a s h e plunged into the well just inches away from them His body was among the last to be found as the dead were stacked on top of each other in the 50-foot-deep well “ T h e w e l l w a s s h a p e d like a bucket - it was wide at the top but only 10x10 feet at the bottom, because of which people were stuck on t o p o f e a c h o t h e r a n d trapped under the debris,” said NDRF head constable C h a n d a n M i s h r a , a d e e p

d i v e r w h o s p e n t 2 0 r e l e n t l e s s h o u r s o n t h e r e s c u e o p A f t e r a l o n g pause, he said: “The hardest p a r t w a s t o r e t r i e v e t h e bodies of the children ”

A t t h e f u n e r a l o f t h e y o u n g e s t v i c t i m , 1 5 - y e a r old Hitansh, hundreds wept as his father carried his body i n a l i t t l e b u n d l e F a m i l y m e m b e r s a n d n e i g h b o u r s followed clutching his toys and tricycle

A Rs 200,000 assistance announced by PM Modi for families of Indore Temple f l o o r c o l l a p s e v i c t i m s

anguished by the incident

M a d h y a P r a d e s h c h i e f m i n i s t e r S h i v r a j S i n g h Chouhan met the bereaved f a m i l i e s a n d t h o s e i n hospital and assured them a l l h e l p f r o m t h e government He visited the accident site and ordered a s t a t e w i d e s u r v e y o f stepwells to identify those that have been covered and i l l e g a l c o n s t r u c t i o n s b u i l t on them, as in the Beleshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple All b o r e w e l l s w i l l a l s o b e inspected so that the open ones can be plugged

In a tragic inc ident, at leas t e i gh t t our i s t s w e re k i l l e d w hi l e 2 0 t our i s t s we r e injure d, when they were hit b y an aval anche in Sikkim , s t at e o f f i c ia l s s a id Th e inc ident happened on a road 1 4 t h m i l e on Ja wa h ar l a l N e hr u r oa d c on n ec t in g Gangtok with Nathula at the India -China border

According to an NDRF ( n a t i o n a l d i s a s t e r r e s p o n s e force) official, all tourists and t o u r i s t v e h i c l e s h a v e b e e n a c c o u n t e d f o r O p e r a t i o n s has been called off and there is no more requirement of NDRF However, according t o a r e p o r t r e c e i v e d f r o m S i k k i m S t a t e D i s a s t e r M a n a g e m e n t A u t h o r i t y , 1 2 t o u r i s t s a r e u n d e r g o i n g treatment at Sochaygang and

e i g h t a r e r e p o r t e d l y d e a d , NDRF official said I n d i a n A r m y p e r s o n n e l w e r e a l s o i n v o l v e d i n t h e rescue operations but it had t o b e c a l l e d o f f d u e t o a n o t h e r s l i d e “ T h e r e w a s a n o t h e r s l i d e a t t h e s a m e location at Gangtok-Nathula r o a d I t h a s a l s o s t a r t e d snowing, making the rescue o p e r a t i o n d a n g e r o u s Accordingly, the rescue and search operations have been c a l l e d o f f b y t h e d i s t r i c t administration due to fear of

m o r e s l i d e s T h e J N M Axis is closed now due to t h e s l i d e ” , a n I n d i a n Army official said S i k k i m h a s b e e n w i t n e s s i n g r e g u l a r s n o w f a l l s i n c e M a r c h a n d m o v e m e n t o f tourists was restricted up to 13th Mile, a point on JN Road which leads to the Nathula p a s s S i k k i m g o v e r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s s a i d a l t h o u g h tourists were permitted to go up to 13th Mile, many had gone up to 15th Mile when t h e y w e r e h i t b y t h e a v a l a n c h e A r o u n d 8 0 tourists were feared to have been hit by the avalanche

T h i r t y o f t h e m w e r e rescued till 3pm and taken to various hospitals in Gangtok, the state capital

Above-normal temps likely in April-June across country: IMD

T he maj ority o f northw est India m ay not experience a h eatw av e in Ap ril, at least not until th e midd le of the m onth However, the IMD s m o nth l y o u tl o o k f o r th e s u m m e r s eas o n p re d i c ted that conditio ns in eastern, central, and w estern parts of ( co astal areas) Gujarat and M ah ar as h tra w i ll be c h all eng i ng bec au s e th es e r eg i o ns w i l l e xp er i enc e " abo v e no rm al" tem peratures and more d ays w ith h eatwaves th is m onth

O v e r a l l , d u r i n g t h e A p r i l - J u n e h o t w e a t h e r season, most of the country are expected to experience “ a b o v e - n o r m a l ” d a y t e m p e r a t u r e s , f r o m m i dA p r i l S o u t h P e n i n s u l a r India and parts of northwest I n d i a w i l l , h o w e v e r , experience where normal to

below normal temperatures a r e l i k e l y “ A b o v e - n o r m a l h e a t w a v e d a y s a r e l i k e l y over many parts of Bihar, J h a r k h a n d , e a s t U t t a r

Pradesh, Odisha, Gangetic W e s t B e n g a l , n o r t h

Chhattisgarh, western parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and s o m e p a r t s o f w e s t U t t a r P r a d e s h , P u n j a b a n d Haryana during April,” said I M D d i r e c t o r g e n e r a l M

Mohapatra

The likelihood of rain in April in the entire nation is most likely to be normal (88-

o f t h e l o n g - t e r m

London court orders extradition of fugitive gangster Jayesh Patel to India

T h e J a m n a ga r g a n g s t er J a y e s h P a te l m u s t b e extradited to Indi a, where he will be tried for a slew of s u s p e c te d "s op a ri s " ( c on t r a c t k i l li n gs ) , i n c l u d i n g t h e m u rd e r of l oc al la w y e r K i r i t J o s h i , a c c o r d i n g t o a L o n d on judge's j udgm ent Patel, 43, also known as Jaysukh Ranpariya, said he w a s s u f f e r i n g f r o m depression, was in serious d a n g e r o f c o m m i t t i n g suicide if extradited, and had post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result o f b e i n g t o r t u r e d b y Gujarati police

A t W e s t m i n s t e r M a g i s t r a t e s ' C o u r t i n L o n d o n , d i s t r i c t j u d g e S a r a h - J a n e G r i f f i t h s

d e l i v e r e d t h e r u l i n g a n d s t a t e d t h a t s h e d i d n o t think the man had PTSD or that the Indian police had t o r t u r e d h i m S h e d e t e r m i n e d t h a t h e s u f f e r e d f r o m m i l d t o serious depression, that he h a d t r i e d s u i c i d e b y o v e r d o s i n g i n B e l m a r s h P r i s o n i n F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 2 , a n d t h a t h e h a d b e e n abused while incarcerated

But she said “I find that i t i s s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t t h e defendant only raised the issue of his mental health after his arrest in the UK and after he had been in prison for a time I find that t h e d e f e n d a n t d o e s n o t suffer from a mental illness that removes his capacity to r e s i s t t h e i m p u l s e t o

commit suicide I find that the defendant’s suicide risk is likely to increase should e x t r a d i t i o n b e o r d e r e d I find that the risk can be managed in both the UK, at the time of his removal and in India I find that should the defendant seek to end his life, then this would be a v o l u n t a r y a c t a n d I f i n d t h a t t h e d e f e n d a n t w a s capable of resisting such an i m p u l s e T h e d e f e n d a n t d o e s n o t s u f f e r f r o m a mental illness that removes his capacity to resist the i m p u l s e t o c o m m i t suicide,” she said, referring t o t h e c r u c i a l t h r e s h o l d needed to be met for the e x t r a d i t i o n t o b e c o n s i d e r e d “ u n j u s t o r oppressive” under UK laws

a v e r a g e ) W h i l e b e l o wa v e r a g e r a i n f a l l i s probable throughout east and northeast India and some locations along the w e s t c o a s t o f I n d i a , normal to above-normal r a i n f a l l i s a n t i c i p a t e d o v e r t h e m a j o r i t y o f t h e n o r t h w e s t , c e n t r a l , a n d

peninsular regions of India, according to the IMD

The periods of western disturbances that may cause occasional rain even until April 4 are to blame for the n o r m a l t o a b o v e a v e r a g e rainfall in northwest India, i n c l u d i n g D e l h i - N C R H o w e v e r , t h e m e t d e p a r t m e n t r e c o m m e n d e d farmers in Punjab, Haryana, U t t a r P r a d e s h , a n d J h a r k h a n d t o b e g i n h a r v e s t i n g m a t u r e c r o p s

"during clear weather"

Man sets train passengers on fire, 3 jump to death

In a compar tment o f the Alappuz ha-Kannur Express a s it wa s trav elli ng thr ough E l a t h u r i n K e r a l a ' s Ko zhi ko de, a suspect from U P ' s N o i d a i g n i t e d t wo b o t t le s o f c o mb u st i bl e l i q u i d , ki l l i ng t h r e e c o mm u t e r s , i nc l u d i n g a t w o -y e a r -o l d g i r l , a nd i nj ur i ng ni ne o t h e rs A ll th ree vi ctims jumpe d o ff th e moving tra in to esca pe th e fla mes, police quot ed e yewit ne sses as say ing

Police identified Shah Rukh Saifi as a potential suspect after studying the c o n t e n t s o f a b a g t h e y d i s c o v e r e d o n t h e t r a i n tracks close to the scene of t h e a r s o n a t t a c k T o

investigate the assault, a special investigation team ( S I T ) o f 1 8 p e o p l e w a s f o r m e d u n d e r t h e direction of Malappuram c r i m e b r a n c h S P P

Vikraman

An official said, “The a r s o n w a s p o s s i b l y p r e m e d i t a t e d W e a r e n ' t ruling out a terror angle y e t A l l p o s s i b i l i t i e s a r e

b e i n g l o o k e d a t ” S t a t e

D G P A n i l K a n t , w h o v i s i t e d K a n n u r , s a i d

A D G P ( l a w a n d o r d e r ) w o u l d s u p e r v i s e t h e investigation

S o u r c e s s a i d t h e

suspect arrived in Kerala recently, based on diarylike jottings in English and

H i n d i o n a n o t e b o o k f o u n d i n t h e b a g a l o n g with a mobile phone The p h o n e ' s S I M s l o t w a s e m p t y T h e b a g a l s o contained a bottle filled with a petrol-like liquid, sticky notes with names of s e v e r a l p l a c e s i n K e r a l a , clothes, a lunch box and s p e c t a c l e s T h e N a t i o n a l Investigation Agency (NIA) is involved in the probe, the sources said Police discovered the bodies of Rahmath M (45), h e r n i e c e S a h a r a , a n d N o u f e e k s e v e r a l h o u r s after the assault Razik, a relative who was hurt in t h e e p i s o d e , w a s w i t h

Rahmath and Sahara

8 tourists killed, 20 injured in Sikkim avalanche

Act against corrupt without any hesitation, Modi tells

CBI

P r im e Mi ni s ter N ar end ra Modi was adamant in h is s u p p o rt f o r t h e ce n tra l i n ve s ti ga ti o n a ge nc i es , asserting that the government h as th e " po litical will t o f i gh t c o r ru p t i o n" a nd t h a t o f f ic e rs s h o u ld ac t w i th o u t h o ld i ng b ac k against co rrup t individuals, n o m at te r h o w p o we rf u l they may be

He urged officers not to be discouraged by the past i n f l u e n c e o f t h e c o r r u p t and the environment they have made to tarnish the reputation of investigative agencies while speaking to a crowd at the CBI's diamond jubilee celebrations

“They have been part of the government and system

for years Even today they are in power in some states These people will keep distracting you, but you have to focus on your work No corrupt person should be spared There should be no laxity in our efforts This is

the wish of the country, this is the wish of the countrymen The country, law and Constitution are with you, ” he said

The PM has expressed support for central investig a t i o n a g e n c i e s ' e f f o r t s

twice in the past few days d e s p i t e c l a i m s t h a t t h e y serve as the Center's henchmen and days after some o p p o s i t i o n p a r t i e s m o v e d the Supreme Court against “misuse” of these agencies

He mentioned how CBI has instilled trust amongst common citizens through its work “CBI’s name is on everyone ’ s lips It is like a brand for truth and justice The agency s chief responsibility is to rid the country of corruption which is not a n o r d i n a r y c r i m e I t snatches the rights of the p o o r , b e g e t s m a n y o t h e r crimes and is the biggest obstacle in the path of just i c e a n d d e m o c r a c y , ” h e said

Cancer hospital in Vadodara gets world’s largest solar concentrator

R

Another Gujarati family missing after St Lawrence tragedy

T h e r e m a y b e m or e

G uja rat is who perished in t he St La wr ence at the Q ueb ec–Ne w York b ord e r T hr e e m or e

G ujar atis from Mehsana ha ve bee n report ed missi n g s in c e t h e t r a g e d y , a n d i t h a s b e e n co nfirmed that four of the eight whose remains were foun d in the r iv er bel on ged to a G ujar ati family

The Canadian Coast Guard and the police recovered the eight bodies on March 30 The Gujaratis were identified as Pravin Chaudhary, 50, his wife Daksha 45 and his two children Vidhi, 24, and Mitkumar, 20, from Manekpur-Dabhla village of Vijapur taluka in Mehsana

According to sources, the Chaudharys were joined by three members of another Gujarati family, including a man and his wife, both in their 30s, and their four-year-old child

c oncentrator

la r ge s t s o la r

It has been developed by t h e A u s t r a l i a N a t i o n a l

University and Sunrise CSP

A u s t r a l i a , a n d t h i s s o l a r c o n c e n t r a t o r w i l l p r o v i d e steam required for cooking m o r e t h a n 2 , 0 0 0 m e a l s every day apart from taking

care of the hospital's laundry and sterilization needs

The facility was inaugur a t e d b y D r J a n a k P a l t a M c G i l l i g a n , P a d m a S h r e e a n d d i r e c t o r o f J i m m y M c G i l l i g a n C e n t r e f o r S u s t a i n a b l e D e v e l o p m e n t T h e s o l a r c o n c e n t r a t o r –Bigdish – has been developed by Sunrise CSP India, a start-up established at the Ashram

“It is highly efficient and capable of providing steam r e q u i r e d f o r c o o k i n g f o r more than 2,000 meals a

d a y , b e s i d e s l a u n d r y a n d s t e r i l i z a t i o n t o o , ” s a i d Deepak Gadhia, one of the t r u s t e e s o f M u n i S e v a A s h r a m a n d c h a i r m a n o f Sunrise CSP India “ T h e t e c h n o l o g y w i l l also help in running 1,000 t o n n e s a i r - c o n d i t i o n i n g using solar steam instead of electricity for the 400-bed c a n c e r h o s p i t a l t h e r e b y reducing the cost that hospital incurs on electricity bills,” said Gadhia H e f u r t h e r s a i d t h e t e c h n o l o g y h a s v a r i o u s

a p p l i c a t i o n s i n t h e r m ochemistry and material proc e s s i n g , i n c l u d i n g h y d r ogen, ammonia, syngas production, sintering of metals, and ceramics

“This is the first part of a three-stage tri-generation s o l u t i o n f o r a s h r a m ' s healthcare vertical,” Gadhia said The Ashram has been a pioneer in using solar energy since 1984 and has been praised for its efforts by former late President A P J A b d u l K a l a m , G a d h i a added

China reiterates right on Arunachal, renames 11 places in border state

In a move seen a s a reit erat io n o f it s c la i m o v e r A r un a ch a l Pr a d e s h, C h i n a ha s stan dar dised t he name s o f 1 1 p la ce s i n t he s t a t e , which it calls “Zang nan , the southe rn par t of Tibet ” The c h a n g e o c cu r s ba r e ly o n e w e ek a ft er In di a h ost e d a G 20 summit in A runa cha l, which China sk ipped

The names were released by China’s ministry of civil affairs in Chinese, Tibetan a n d P i n y i n A c c o r d i n g t o G l o b a l T i m e s , t h i s i s i n

accordance with regulations o n g e o g r a p h i c a l n a m e s issued by the State Council Government sources in Delhi said this wasn’t the first time China had carried out such an exercise and that a s s i g n i n g m a n u f a c t u r e d names won’t change the situ a t i o n o n t h e g r o u n d “ A r u n a c h a l P r a d e s h h a s always been and will continue to be an integral part of India,” said a source

Additionally, the move occurs just weeks before the

Chinese defence minister is anticipated to attend a summit of the SCO, an organisation of Eurasian nations that India is now leading At the S C O c o n f e r e n c e i n J u l y , Chinese President Xi Jinping is additionally anticipated to travel to India

Elaborating on the nami n g p r o c e s s , G l o b a l T i m e s said: “Experts noted that it is a l e g i t i m a t e m o v e a n d China’s sovereign right to s t a n d a r d i s e g e o g r a p h i c a l names ”

Two land locations, two r e s i d e n c e s , f i v e m o u n t a i n summits, and two rivers are all listed with exact coordin a t e s T y p e s o f l o c a t i o n s , names, and their subordinate administrative districts have also been noted

“This is the third batch of standardised geographical names in Zangnan issued by the ministry The first batch of six places was released in 2017 and the second of 15 places in 2021, ” the newspaper added

India to monitor border as China building road in Nepal till Bihar

A rou nd 73 0 km of border is sh ared between Nepal and Bihar, and Ch ina’s intervention in Nepal h as increased, a lo ng w i th th i s , C h i na i s r ap i d l y d ev elo p i n g i n fra stru cture in Nepal near the Indian border A nd Indian agencies are keeping an eye o n s u ch a ct i v i ti es ta ki ng p lace in the nam e of develo pment S S B i s c o n s t a n t l y a n d rapidly working towards the b e t t e r m e n t o f t e c h n i c a l m o n i t o r i n g i n t h e b o r d e r areas And there is a plan to

strengthen it further with the help of database software S o o n , i n t h e s e n s i t i v e areas of open borders, CCTV cameras and lights will be put up in large numbers, and it is being planned to monit o r t h e s e z o n e s w i t h t h e h e l p o f d r o n e s a s w e l l Another plan is all set to work against Chinese propaganda through the radio It is noteworthy here that with Nepalese radio and media, China has fanned an antiIndia movement in Nepal

Soon, some FM stations will start working on the Indian b o r d e r t o t a l k c o n s t a n t l y a b o u t t h e c l o s e ‘ r o t i - b e t i ’ relationship shared by India and Nepal There is around 120 km of open border with N e p a l i n W e s t e r n Champaran I n t h e m e a n w h i l e , a bridge and even an industrial park are being developed in Indian territory on the b o r d e r A b r i d g e i s t o b e made on the River Gandak which will pave way to the Susta village of India, which

i s n o w b e i n g c l a i m e d b y N e p a l O n t h e f o u r l a n e b e i n g d e v e l o p e d f r o m Nepal’s Butwal to Narayan Ghat, boards of a Chinese development agency can be seen This four lane is merel y 2 5 k m a w a y f r o m t h e Indian border, and the twolane road ahead of this is getting joined to the Indian b o r d e r I t h a s a l s o b e e n r e v e a l e d i n t h e H o m e Ministry’s report that China is encroaching Nepal’s land by tampering with the flow of the rivers there

The St Lawrence case involves human smugglers who, according to police sources, were part of the same network as those responsible for the Dingucha tragedy, where four of a family froze to their death while trying to enter the US illegally through the Canada border last January as well as the St Regis case in which six illegal immigrants from Gujarat were rescued from drowning in the river during an unlawful crossing last April Jasubhai Chaudhary, a resident of Mehsana’s Manekpur village, said that his brother, sister-in-law and their two children had gone to Canada two months earlier on visitor visas He said that after he heard about Indians being among those who died along the United States-Canada border, he tried to contact his brother but failed

He said that his suspicion was confirmed after he found that his family members’ names were among the identities of the victims circulating on Whatsapp groups of his other relatives settled in Canada

BJP releases lists £482 bn scams in 70 years of Cong rule

The BJP fir ed a ne w shot a t t he Con gre ss before the Lok Sabha e le ct ions by relea sin g t he " fir st episode of Con gre ss Files," which "ex poses" a number of cor ruption inst ances tha t occurr ed d uring t he t wo ter ms of t he UPA while M anmoha n Singh ser ved a s t he na tion's pr ime ministe r

I n t h e v i d e o m e s s a g e o n i t s T w i t t e r h a n d l e t i t l e d “Congress means corruption”, BJP stated, “Congress has looted £482 billion from the public in 70 years of its rule That money could have been utilised for so many useful areas of security and development ”

“This much money might have been used to build or buy 24 INS Vikrants, 300 Rafale fighters, and 1,000 Mangal Missions Yet, the country must pay for Congress' corruption, and as a result, it has lagged behind in the quest for advancement”, the video message continued

“Keeping the whole 70 years aside, if we only look at the last tenure of 2004-14, it was a ‘Lost Decade’ The government was led by Manmohan Singh, who turned a blind eye to all the corruption that kept on happening under his rule

Senior lawyers criticise law minister over his remarks

Days a ft er law min ist er Kire n R ijiju a ccused "a fe w of t he r e t i r e d j ud g e s " of be lo n g i n g t o a n a n t i -I n d ia g a n g fo r criticisin g his gove rnme nt in a public ev ent , senior adv oca tes an d lawy ers pr actising in the Supre me C ourt a nd other high courts conde mned h is re mar ks, rem in ded him t hat criticising the gove rn ment is neit her a gain st the coun tr y nor unpa triot ic nor ant i-In dia, a nd urge d him to re tra ct his re mar ks

A joint statement issued by 323 lawyers from different parts of the country, including noted lawyers Iqbal Chagla, Raju Ramachandran, Janak Dwarkadas, Kapil Sibal, Arvind Datar, Shriram Panchu, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, said that it is the basic human right of every citizen to dissent, criticise and p e a c e f u l l y o p p o s e a n y g o v e r n m e n t a n d i t s p o l i c i e s a n d “criticism of the government does not authorise a high state functionary to besmirch any individual’s patriotism” and it was wrong on the part of a minister to threaten retired judges and send across a message to every citizen that no voice of dissent will be spared “We condemn remarks in unambiguous terms Such hectoring and bullying are unbecoming of the high office held by the minister We may remind the minister that criticism of the government is neither against the nation, nor unpatriotic, nor “anti-India” He must remember that the government of the day is not the nation, and the nation is not the government,” the statement said

Narendra Modi

Karnataka assembly election on May 10, results on

13

N EW DE LH I : The Electi on Commiss ion s t at ed th a t a s s em b ly e le c ti o n i n Karnataka wil l be held on May 10 to c h o o s e a n ew go ve rn me nt and repres entati ves to its 224- seat parliament

On May 13, the results wi ll be declared

T h e s t a t e m e n t c o i n c i d e s w i t h a high-stakes political contest between the BJP, which is in power, and the Congress and Janata Dal (JD-S), which are the opponents With accusations of corruption and racial polarisation on the rise, the BJP, led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, wants to hold onto power in the state The last assembly election in Karnataka was held in May

2 0 1 8 , w h i c h r e s u l t e d i n a h u n g a s s e m b l y T h e B J P e m e r g e d a s t h e single-largest party with 104 seats but fell short of a majority

Victory w ould be a big m orale boo ster for BJP

By running a vigorous campaign, making last-minute quota adjustments, a n d e x p a n d i n g H i n d u c o n s o l i d a t i o n outside of the coastal zone, Modi had five years prior turned things around The BJP would benefit greatly from a victory in Karnataka in its upcoming

EPS becomes AIADMK general secretary

c o n t e s t s w i t h t h e C o n g r e s s i n M P , Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh

JD-S, though no longer the force it used to be, is determined to make a three-legged horse by holding on to its constituency among the Vokkaliggas and cornering a slice of Muslim votes

Many of the regional formations, which are opposed to BJP but are loath to be conscripted into Congress’s ambition, would rejoice to see it throwing the spanner in Rahul's works To win a majority, both Congress and BJP must perform well in the old Mysuru region, which has 61 seats, as well as other regions such as Kittur-Karnataka and K a l y a n a - K a r n a t a k a I f B J P f a i l s t o p e r f o r m w e l l i n t h i s r e g i o n , i t w i l l struggle to reach the 113-seat threshold

Amritpal escapes again after reaching Punjab

H A R : F u g i ti v e K h a li s tan sympathiser Am ritpal Singh is said to have evaded capture on the nig ht of M arch 28 in Pu njab’s Ho shiarp ur, w h e re h e an d h is c o m p an io n P ap a lp r eet S i ng h d i tc h ed th e ir Toyota Innova car near a g urd wara at M a rna ia n K a la n v i l lag e, d u r in g a c ha se by co p s aft er ai d es al erted them about a barricade ahead Punjab police sources said that t h e y e x t r a c t e d i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t Amritpal’s latest movements from t w o m e n t r a v e l l i n g i n a l o o k o u t vehicle ahead of the Innova They w e r e c a u g h t a t a b a r r i c a d e a n d allegedly told the cops that Amritpal and Papalpreet had travelled from UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri and re-entered their home state on March 26

Cops also claimed to have found t h e c a r t h a t t r a n s p o r t e d t h e runaways from Lakhimpur Kheri to a dera near Phagwara, which was a distance of 750km “They stayed near K a r n a l i n H a r y a n a d u r i n g t h e i r j o u r n e y a n d r e a c h e d a d e r a n e a r Phagwara on March 26 They spent the night there and took off in an Innova to another dera in Nadalon

village of Hoshiarpur the next day,” a police source said After lying low there until March 28, they were again on the road to P h a g w a r a “ T h a t ’ s w h e n a p o l i c e t e a m c h a s e d t h e m ( o n t h e

H o s h i a r p u r - P h a g w a r a r o a d ) T h e y escaped once again after the vehicle a h e a d o f t h e m w a s s t o p p e d a t a police naka,” the police source said T h e s o u r c e s s a i d a c o u n t e rintelligence wing team chasing the Innova spotted four people inside T h e a b a n d o n e d c a r y i e l d e d a collection of clothes during a search, giving weight to the suspicion that Amritpal was frequently changing his guise Police had scoured each and every house and fields in and around Marnaian Kalan village, but he had vanished

C H ENNAI : Edappadi K Palaniswami popul ar ly known as EPS becomes t he general secretary of AIADMK unopposed in the inter nal elect ions last week The general secretary post was last held by t he ousted leader Sasikala in 2017 Earlier, EPS served as the int er im gener al secretar y of the par ty EPS took charge of general secretary minutes after the Madras High Court order paving way for his election Earlier, Madras High Court's single judge bench of justice K Kumaresh Babu rejected interim applications filed by O Paneerselvam and his supporters seeking stay on AIADMK general secretary polls

E P S ' t a k i n g o v e r o f t h e p a r t y i s s e t t o temporarily put an end to the leadership row of t h e p a r t y t h a t s t a r t e d a f t e r t h e d e m i s e o f

J a y a l a l i t h a a i n 2 0 1 6 T w o o t h e r l e a d e r s O

Panneerselvam and Sasikala also tried to take over the top post but in vain EPS removed OPS and S a s i k a l a f r o m t h e p a r t y i n 2 0 2 2 a n d 2 0 1 7 r e s p e c t i v e l y H o w e v e r , E P S w a s t h e o n e h a n d p i c k e d b y o u s t e d l e a d e r V K S a s i k a l a t o b e c o m e T a m i l N a d u C h i e f M i n i s t e r a f t e r O Panneerselvam held a 'Dharma Yudham' against her and her family members EPS was sworn-in as the CM with the support of Sasikala on February 17, 2017 Within a few years, EPS established himself as an able leader and gained the support of scores of party members

Cong mulls sending Sidhu to battleground in Karnataka

C H A N D I G A R H : Ev en as the P unjab

C ong ress is tread ing cau tiou sly as far as f o rm e r P P C C c h ie f Nav jot Sing h S idhu’ s p o l it ic a l r o le i s concerned, the party h i g h c o m m an d i s p l ann in g to eng a g e i ts f i reb ran d l ead er against the BJP in the Karnataka Assembly elections

Soon after his release from the Patiala jail on Saturday, the cricketer-turned-politician targeted the BJP and AAP f o r a l l e g e d l y p l a y i n g a f r i e n d l y m a t c h i n d e f a m i n g P u n j a b i s a n d h a t c h i n g a c o n s p i r a c y t o i m p o s e t h e President’s rule in the state Sidhu is expected to meet Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka in Delhi in a few days An emissary of the party leadership is learnt to have convinced Sidhu in seeing a common factor behind the disqualification of Rahul as MP and his spending 10 months in jail

In January this year, the party had sent an invitation for Bharat Jodo Yatra’s Punjab leg to his wife, who had joined Rahul in the absence of her husband In state politics, the party leadership is working on bringing Sidhu and other state leaders on same page ahead of the Jalandhar LS by-election

Bengal govt, BJP in tug of war over over Mamata's remarks

K OLK AT A: West Bengal Ch ief

Minister Mamata Banerjee tore i n to N ar en dr a M o di g o ve rn m en t, a c cu si n g i t o f bu lldozing the federal structure and running a Presidential form o f government, drawing sharp r ea c ti o n f ro m B J P " H as P re s id en ti a l f o r m o f g o vern men t s tar ted in I nd ia? T h i s i s a v er y s e ns i t iv e a n d i mp ortant questio n It happ ens i n Ru ss ia, Ch ina , Ameri ca If they ( BJP) want to do th at th en ch ange the Constitu tio n Ou rs i s a federal stru ctu re," Mamata told repo rters h ere

The state government, she said, had received a letter from

KARNATAKA CM BOMMAI TO CONTEST FROM SHIGGAON

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday confirmed he would seek re-election from his home town of Shiggaon in Haveri district in the Assembly elections Stating that there is "pro-incumbency" in the state Bommai said a lot of changes have taken place in the country after the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power He added that the ruling BJP was fully prepared to face the election We are seeking votes based on our performance The Chief Minister hit out at the Congress alleging that there was large-scale corruption and uncertainty in the country when the UPA was in power, which impacted the country's economy Bommai has been the state s Chief Minister since July 2021

RAHUL TO START CAMPAIGN FROM SITE OF REMARK ON PM MODI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will begin his Karnataka campaign for the state elections due on May 10 In what is seen as a mark of defiance, the April 5 rally will be held in Kolarthe place where Rahul made the comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi s surname that led to his two-year jail term and disqualification from parliament "Rahul Gandhi will return to Kolar and begin his Satyameva Jayate Rally from there said state party chief DK Shivakumar At a rally in Kolar in the runup to the 2019 elections Rahul had said How come all thieves have the common surname Modi in an apparent dig at the Prime Minister with a reference to fugitive businessmen Lalit Modi and Nirav Modi But it was seen by the BJP as an insult to Other Backward Classes and Purnesh Modi a party leader from Gujarat, had filed a case

ASSAM CM RECEIVES KHALISTAN THREAT

The security of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been tightened after a voice message issuing threat to him was received by a number of Assamese journalists based in Delhi and Assam from a person identifying himself as Gurpatwant Singh Pannu from the banned Sikhs for Justice Officials in the know claimed that the voice in the message was that of Pannu, who has been designated as a terrorist by the Union Home Ministry He is at present in the United States The caller claimed that Sikhs were being “tortured" in Assam jail and asked Sarma to desist from doing it After the crackdown on pro-Khalistan radical preacher Amritpal Singh the Punjab government had shifted seven of his close aides to Assam s Dibrugarh jail after slapping them with the National Security Act The voice message came from masked Indian phone numbers

t h e C e n t r e d u r i n g t h e d a y , saying the Centre -sponsored schemes are being rationalised w i t h e f f e c t f r o m t h e c u r r e n t financial year

"This is being done by force without taking the states into c o n f i d e n c e O n l y B J P - r u l e d states and some other smaller s t a t e s h a v e a g r e e d t o t h e recommendations of the subgroup of chief ministers in this regard," Mamata said She pointed out that state s u b j e c t s l i k e l a w a n d o r d e r , f i s h e r i e s , a g r i c u l t u r e , p u b l i c h e a l t h , s a n i t a t i o n , i r r i g a t i o n have been brought under the ambit of national development

agenda as per a circular of Niti

Aayog

" M o d i g o v e r n m e n t i s bulldozing the federal structure and violating Constitution It is interfering in the functioning of t h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s T h e y t a l k a b o u t c o o p e r a t i v e f e d e r a l i s m T h e y d o n ' t k n o w what is cooperative federalism," she said

The chief minister said the C e n t r e i s t r y i n g t o m o n i t o r expenses of the state treasury, giving direct orders to district m a g i s t r a t e s a n d l e a v i n g n o space for state schemes " I w i l l p r o t e s t b e f o r e t h e

P r e s i d e n t W e w i l l s e e k h i s

o p i n i o n i f t h i s i s constitutionally valid We will s p e a k w i t h h i m a n d w r i t e a letter Other states must also protest," she said S h a r p l y r e a c t i n g t o h e r remarks, BJP accused Mamata of presiding over an anarchist state government for the last five years "Mamata has presided over five years of an anarchist government in the state She has n o t s p a r e d e v e n a f a r m e r , s t u d e n t a n d c a r t o o n i s t f o r criticising for questioning her T h e r e f o r e , t o c a l l M o d i government dictator is far from truth," BJP national secretary Siddharth Nath Singh said

SHAH CALLS UP BENGAL GOVERNOR OVER RAM NAVAMI CLASHES

Home minister Amit Shah telephoned West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose as well as state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar over the clashes that broke out during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah even as I&B minister Anurag Thakur condemned the incident and lambasted the Bengal government for its being a mute spectator” Shah sources said sought information from the two on the circumstances leading to violence and the action initiated to curb it, besides seeking an update on the current law and-order situation The home minister was keen to know the exact situation on the ground, given that no formal update had come from the Bengal government until he spoke to Bose

Amritpal Singh

Navjot Singh Sidhu

Rahul files appeal in Surat court against conviction

Rahu l Gandhi was granted bail by the Su rat cou rt of t h e ad di t io na l se s s i o ns j udge pending the o utcome o f h is appeal co ntesting his Marc h 23 c onvic ti on in a criminal defamation ch arge brou gh t o ver hi s statement abou t the " Mo di surname" d u ri n g a 2 01 9 ca m p ai g n ra lly i n K arn ataka's K o lar district

Judge Robin Mogera of t h e A d d i t i o n a l S e s s i o n s c o u r t s e t t h e h e a r i n g f o r Rahul's appeal for April 13 a n d g a v e n o t i c e t o B J P Legislator Purnesh Modi of S u r a t ( W e s t ) , r e q u e s t i n g that he respond to the legal complaint by April 10 R a h u l , w h o a r r i v e d a t the sessions court accompan i e d b y a b u s l o a d o f

C o n g r e s s b i g g i e s t h a t included his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, three CMs and as many Rajya Sabha MPs, is exempted from personal appearance during the hearing of his appeal, party m e m b e r a n d l a w y e r Shaktisinh Gohil said T h e a p p e a l c o m p r i s e d two parts - suspension of

s e n t e n c e , w h i c h b a s i c a l l y translates into a plea for regular bail, and suspension of conviction Rahul was found guilty, but the chief judicial m a g i s t r a t e ' s c o u r t p o s tponed his sentence for 30 days so he could challenge the ruling in a higher court “ T h e b a s i s o f R a h u l G a n d h i ’ s d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n

Sharp rise in India's Covid cases since 3rd wave

f r o m P a r l i a m e n t w a s t h e (two-year) sentence Hence, our appeal to the court was to grant bail and stay the conviction (in which case the sentence automatically s t a n d s c a n c e l l e d ) , " G o h i l said As he had done on the day of his disqualification, Rahul declared on Twitter, “ T h i s i s a f i g h t a g a i n s t ‘ m i t r a k a a l ’ a n d t o s a v e democracy In this struggle, t r u t h i s m y w e a p o n a n d armour ” With Rahul there were t h e c h i e f m i n i s t e r s o f Rajasthan's Ashok Gehlot, C h h a t t i s g a r h ' s B h u p e s h B a g h e l , a n d H i m a c h a l P r a d e s h s S u k h v i n d e r S i n g h S u k h u , a s w e l l a s s e v e r a l o t h e r C o n g r e s s office-bearers

Violence, arson mark Ram Navami celebrations in India

V io l e n c e a n d a r s on ma r k R am Na vami cele brat ions in I n d ia A ft e r D e l h i P ol i ce de nied per mission t o hol d a p r o ce ss io n in n o r t hw e st D elhi’s Jahangirpuri are a –w h ic h ha d wi t n e ss e d communal violen ce last April – as many a s 1,000 people cla d in sa ffron walk ed wit h r e l ig i ou s fl a gs a n d r a is e d sloga ns on Ma rch 30

I n M a h a r a s h t r a , W e s t B e n g a l a n d G u j a r a t , i n c idents of stone pelting and arson were reported Both m e m b e r s o f p u b l i c a n d police personnel were said to h a v e b e e n i n j u r e d i n t h e incidents, leading police to make arrests in at least one case

Auran gabad

M e a n w h i l e , t w o i n c idents of Ram Navami-related violence were reported from Maharashtra As per a report, “A riot-like situation prevailed in Sambhajinagar city (formerly Aurangabad) of Maharashtra in the wee

hours of March 30 following clashes between two groups, w i t h a n u m b e r o f p o l i c e vehicles torched during the incident ” As per police, the arson continued for about three hours As many as 15 v e h i c l e s w e r e s e t o n f i r e Police thereafter resorted to baton charging and tear gas to bring the situation under control

Ja lg aon

E l s e w h e r e i n Maharashtra, violence was reported from Jalgaon News reports said a clash ensued between two groups after a religious procession accompanied by loud music was t a k e n o u t i n f r o n t o f a m o s q u e i n P a l d h i a r e a o f J a l g a o n “ T h e p o l i c e h a v e

r e g i s t e r e d t w o F I R s a n d arrested 45 people so far for the violence that broke out on March 28 ”

Mat hura

In Mathura, a viral video of men waving saffron flags from roofs near the Jama M a s j i d d u r i n g a R a m N a v a m i p r o c e s s i o n l e d t o communal tension The procession was stopped for 30 m i n u t e s a n d c o n c l u d e d a m i d s t p o l i c e p r e s e n c e M a t h u r a S S P S h a i l e s h Pandey said that police are in the process of verifying details and that the situation is peaceful

Howra h

Violence was also reporte d f r o m W e s t B e n g a l ’ s H o w r a h a r e a A s p e r a

report, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid the celebrations As per the state c h i e f m i n i s t e r M a m a t a Banerjee, the Ram Navami procession organisers took a route which was not authorised by the police Issuing orders to police to take strict action against the perpetrators of the clash, Mamata told media, “Those who have not done any wrong will not be arrested ” Meanwhile, the BJP has accused Banerjee of the violence

Vad odar a A n i n c i d e n t o f s t o n e p e l t i n g d u r i n g t h e R a m N a v a m i c e l e b r a t i o n s w a s r e p o r t e d f r o m G u j a r a t ’ s Vadodara city too “While some vehicles got damaged, no one was injured in the incident and the procession p a s s e d a l o n g i t s p l a n n e d route under police protection,” deputy commissioner of police Yashpal Jaganiya said

Trump pleads not guilty after arrest in hush money case

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 counts o f f a l s i f y i n g b u s i n e s s records in the first degree related to his alleged role in h u s h m o n e y p a y m e n t s toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign - the first time a former president has had to plead to criminal charges

T h e i n d i c t m e n t w a s unsealed in a brief proceedi n g b e f o r e J u d g e J u a n M e r c h a n T r u m p w a s flanked by his lawyers inside t h e c o u r t r o o m T r u m p arrived at the courthouse in Manhattan in a president i a l - s t y l e m o t o r c a d e f r o m Trump Tower in midtown, w h e r e h e ’ d s t a y e d overnight He was informed he was under arrest, fingerp r i n t e d a n d p r o c e s s e d ahead of his arraignment T h e l e g a l t r o u b l e s ,

media spectacle and pornstar-hush-money salaciousness at the heart of the case are a new chapter for the New York tycoon-turnedT V - s t a r - t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a n , whose career has careened from scandal to success for f o u r d e c a d e s T h i s t i m e , unlike his bankrupted casin o s o r f a i l e d m a r r i a g e s ,

many of Trump's supporters and detractors argue that

the fate of American democracy is hanging in the balance as the former president i n c r e a s i n g l y c o n f l a t e s a n y legal woes as an effort to i l l e g i t i m a t e l y d e n y h i m a return to power With the failures of Jan 6 US Capitol riot still fresh in officials' minds, security was high in the courthouse a n d n e a r b y a r e a s a s t h e p o l i c e d e p a r t m e n t , c o u r t

As infections soared in the last sev en days at the greatest rate since the third wave in January 20 22, India record ed o ver 3,8 00 new cases o f Cov id-19, th e highest daily total in six months A lm ost 18, 450 new cases w ere reported in India du ring the course o f the last sev en days (March 26–A pril 1) , a 2 1x rise over the p revious sev en-day total of 8, 781 C ase d oubling tim e has now decreased to under seven d ays T he brief third wave w as th e last tim e the daily to tal increased by m ore than d ouble in a week

The highest spikes in infections in the past week were seen in Kerala, Goa and the northern states such as Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh In most of these states, the last seven days’ total was three times higher than the previous seven-day tally

While the virus has been spreading for a few weeks in the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the number of new cases remained comparatively high there While indicating a reduction in Telangana and the beginnings of a surge in Andhra Pradesh, infections continued to climb steadily in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu

Indian student alleges anti-India rhetoric & Hinduphobia in London

Karan Kataria, a lawyer, pursuing a PG degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science alleges that he f a c e d t a r g e t e d h a t e d u e t o a n t i - I n d i a r h e t o r i c & Hinduphobia He alleged that he was disqualified from running for General Secretary of LSE's student union The London School of Economics Students' Union said that the body has ordered an external review of this year's elections Karan Kataria, who is from Haryana and is studying for a postgraduate law degree at the leading university in London, said he was motivated by the support of his peers to contest the post of General Secretary of the LSE Students’ Union (LSESU) However, he was disqualified last week over what he believes are baseless allegations and without being given a chance to fully state his case

Will drag Rahul to UK court, says Lalit Modi

R ahul Gandhi was viciously a ttacked by former IPL chief La lit Modi, who has be en cha rged with fina ncial fr aud in India, and was thre atene d wit h l egal act ion in t he UK for his re ma rk a bout t he " Modi surna me "

Lalit Modi, 59, also hit out at Congress for referring to him as a “fugitive of justice” even though he had never been convicted of any charges

Lalit Modi also touted himself as the brains behind the biggest athletic event in our world in a series of tweets that lacked punctuation and proper syntax, asserting that it had produced close to $100 billion

He also posted images of his grandparents to say that his family has done more for India than the Gandhi family “I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associate again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice why? How? And when was I ever convicted of the same, ” reads the tweet

“Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill-informed or just vendetta-prone I have decided to take @RahulGandhi to court in the UK right away I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself,” it adds

officers and Secret Service braced for protests amid the unprecedented arraignment of a former president

While police shut down streets and the sound of a helicopter buzzed overhead, news outlets from around the world set up cameras near long lines of spectators, some of whom had camped out overnight in the hopes o f g e t t i n g a c o v e t e d s e a t inside

The judge has barred TV c a m e r a s f r o m i n s i d e t h e courtroom but decided to allow some photographers, w h o w i l l c a p t u r e h i s t o r i c images likely to end up on newspaper front pages, in election-season ads and in future history books

"I think we ’ re on the eve of destruction It’s just like surreal to me, ” Trump attorney Joe Tacopina said

Donald Trump

SCRUTATOR’S

Cheetah cubs born in India after more than 70 years

I n a s i g n i f i c a n t d e v e l o p m e n t f o r I n d i a ' s c h e e t a h r e i n t r o d u c t i o n programme, Siyaya, one of the translocated Namibian cheetahs, gave birth to four pups in Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh The first cheetah cubs to be born in India in seven decades were captured in a picture by Indian Forest Service employee Parveen Kaswan “You are seeing first #Cheetah cubs born in India after decades. Siyaya has given birth to four #cheetos,” Kaswan tweeted The cubs were born over the past two days, s a i d f o r e s t o f f i c i a l s w h o d i s c o v e r e d t h e c u b s i n t h e m o r n i n g . U n i o n Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav also shared the news o n T w i t t e r . “ C o n g r a t u l a t i o n s . A m o m e n t o u s e v e n t i n o u r w i l d l i f e conservation history during Amrit Kaal! I am delighted to share that four cubs have been born to one of the cheetahs translocated to India on 17th September 2022,” Yadav tweeted. (Agency)

IPS officer swims from Gateway of India to Elephanta Caves

l e a v e t h e e v e n t f o r n o t d r e s s i n g

An IPS officer Krishna Prakash swam from Mumbai's Gateway of India to the E l e p h a n t a C a v e s H e b e c a m e t h e f i r s t person in history to finish the expedition's 16 20 km in just 5 hours and 26 minutes “Today I completed the daunting task of s w i m m i n g f r o m G a t e w a y o f I n d i a t o E l e p h a n t a C a v e s a n d b e c a m e t h e f i r s t person in the world to do so Contrary to the popular swimming route of Elephanta c a v e s t o G a t e w a y o f I n d i a , w h e r e a s swimmers ride the waves of the high tides towards the Gateway, I decided to do it from the reverse side against the waves I could swim a distance of 16 20 km in 5 hrs 26 minutes This expedition is dedicated to ‘Drowning Prevention Awareness’ Trust my adventure swimming will inspire young Indians to try their best to bag an Olympic medal in 10k open water swimming,” wrote Krishna Prakash while sharing a video on Twitter (Agency)

Angry rhino charges at safari car with tourists for over a km

It is a visual delight to see wild animals in their natural environment However, there have been a number of instances where safari cars have struck wild animals after getting too close and agitating them Video of a large agitated rhino charging at a safari vehicle was posted on Instagram by Latest Sightings - Kruger The rhino keeps running behind the vehicle at full speed throughout the whole of the video “He charged at us full speed for over a km, barreling at us for 3-4 mins straight Our g u i d e w a s d r i v i n g a s f a s t a s h e c o u l d through the extremely muddy and unstable roads to get us out safely This behaviour definitely isn’t normal and our guide said it was one of his top 5 most dangerous animal encounters to date,” read the caption of the original clip shared by a tourist named Anastasia Chapman (Agency)

Student leader barred from event for ‘inappropriate’ outfit

The head of the students union of Tata Institute of Social Sciences was forced to

"appropriately " As a representative of the students' union, Pratik Permey, a secondyear master's student from the Centre for Health and Mental Health, was invited to the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture and was expected to be on the panel on the dais “Just five minutes before the event, a faculty member told me that ‘for an event like this, you cannot wear something like that’,” said Permey The student leader was dressed in a black top and skirt along with boots The professor said Permey could change and be b a c k i n f o r m a l a t t i r e i n t h e n e x t f i v e minutes In a social media post, Permey, who hails from Gogamukh in Assam, said, “The village that I came from has a lot of tribal people and they were comfortable with very minimal clothing ” (Agency)

Lord Hanuman idol 'released' after court order

the vehicle Hoque told the media, “I run a small shop in the Boragaon area and it was my dream to buy a scooter I started to collect coins 5-6 years ago Finally, I have fulfilled my dream I am really happy now, ” he said “When my executive informed me that a customer had visited our shop to purchase a scooter using coins valued at about 90,000, I was shocked and thrilled as I had seen similar news on television I hope he purchases a four-wheeler in the future," the shop owner said (Agency) RPF constable saves passenger from falling under the train

A f t e r a w a i t o f 2 9 y e a r s , a L o r d

Hanuman idol that had been kept in the safe of a police station in the Bhojpur district of Bihar was finally freed After a protracted legal process, a court in Bihar decided to "release" the imprisoned idol The case began on May 29, 1994, when Lord Sriranganath Temple's Ashtadhatu idols of Lord Hanuman, a fervent follower of Lord Rama and Saint Barbar Swami, were taken f r o m G u n d i V i l l a g e ' s B a r h a r a b l o c k F o l l o w i n g t h i s , J a n e s h w a r D w i v e d i , t h e priest of the then temple in Krishnagarh O P , l o d g e d a n F I R a g a i n s t u n k n o w n t h i e v e s , a l l e g i n g i d o l t h e f t A f t e r a n investigation, police recovered the stolen idols from a well And, since then, the idol has been kept in the strong room of a police station in the area (Agency)

Assam man pays in coins to buy scooter worth Rs 90,000

Md Saidul Hoque, a resident of the Sipajhar area in Darrang district of Assam, purchased a scooter with a sack full of coins he saved ” According to a video, the opening scene of the video shows a man entering a showroom while carrying a green bag filled w i t h c o i n s H e c a n b e s e e n s i g n i n g documents as the video progresses and using the coins he had saved to purchase

Railway Protection Force (RPF) officers have repeatedly saved passengers' lives via their awareness and fast thinking RPF India s Twitter account recently tweeted another similar video showing a gallant policeman sprinting to save a passenger w h o f e l l w h i l e a t t e m p t i n g t o b o a r d a speeding train The clip begins to show a t r a i n d e p a r t i n g f r o m B a n d r a T e r m i n u s station On the platform, a travel bagcarrying individual can be seen running The passenger then tries to climb into the train by holding onto the door, but he fall because of the vehicle's speed RPF officer Sushil Kumar steps in at this point to save the passenger In the past two days, this video has been shared It has had over 1 8 , 0 0 0 v i e w s s i n c e b e i n g p u b l i s h e d Together with comments, the video has received over 700 likes (Agency) Part of 10-year-old boy’s lung cut for TB-free life

Mohammed Aman, 10, and his parents were faced with a difficult choice after a three-year fight with drug-resistant TB: risk l o s i n g t h e i r c h i l d , o r c h o o s e a r a r e l o b e c t o m y A m a n b e c a m e o n e o f t h e y o u n g e s t T B p a t i e n t s a t J J H o s p i t a l i n M u m b a i m o n t h a f t e r t h e y t o o k t h e agonising decision to have a portion of his l u n g r e m o v e d W h i l e l o b e c t o m y a n d pneumo-nectomy - procedures to remove a portion of the lung or the entire lung - are typically used to treat cancer or other lung conditions, they are sparingly used to treat paediatric TB But the fact that JJ surgeons had to perform two such surgeries recently, and have two other teens waiting highlights the severity of the childhood TB burden (Agency)

Bapu had just a diploma, no degree at all: J&K LG

only had a high school diploma and had no college degrees, much less a law degree His remarks drew flak from several quarters, including Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi, who tweeted on his educational qualifications “to educate” the LG Speaking at an event at ITM University in Gwalior, Sinha said: “I don’t think anyone can say that Gandhi ji was uneducated But did you k n o w t h a t h e d i d n o t h a v e a s i n g l e university degree or qualification? There are many of us who think Mahatma Gandhi had a law degree No, he did not His only qualification was a high school diploma He qualified to practice law but didn’t have a degree He had no degree, but look how educated he was! He became the Father of the Nation ” Sinha further said that it was “ a m y t h a m o n g e d u c a t e d p e o p l e ” t h a t Gandhiji had a law degree (Agency) Man gets 250 years in jail in chit fund case

A Madhya Pradesh court sentenced the head of a chit f u n d f i r m t o 2 5 0 y e a r s i n j a i l f o r d e f r a u d i n g over 35,00,000 investors in 20 states out of more than £400 million, leading to about 300 of them filing police complaints This is perhaps the longest prison term awarded i n I n d i a a n d t h e s e n t e n c e s w i l l r u n consecutively, one after the other The c o n v i c t , B a l a s a h e b B h a p k a r , i s t h e chairman of Sai Prasad Group companies T h e j u d g e a l s o s e n t e n c e d f i v e o t h e r defendants, including a father and son, to five years in prison The company allegedly t o o k m o n e y f r o m 1 0 , 0 0 , 0 0 0 v i l l a g e r s between November 17, 2009 and March 13, 2016 on the promise that it would double the money in five years, according to the prosecution (Agency)

Death row man found juvenile during offence, freed

A death row convict who had spent 25 years in the shadow of death was granted life after the Supreme Court determined that he was a minor at the time of the crime in 1994 and ordered his immediate release from custody In Pune, the convict and other suspects were given the death penalty in February 1998 for the murders o f f i v e w o m e n , i n c l u d i n g a p r e g n a n t woman, and two children, aged one and a half and two The trial court order was upheld by the Bombay HC and also by SC, which had in 2000 dismissed their appeal and held that it was a rarest of rare and an e x c e p t i o n a l c a s e t h a t w a r r a n t e d t h e a w a r d i n g o f m a x i m u m p e n a l t y T h e Rajasthani resident who was convicted had not brought up the matter of juvenility during the proceedings from the trial court to the SC He did so for the first time in 2013 by submitting a new petition in the S C , b u t t h e c o u r t a l s o r e j e c t e d t h a t argument (Agency)

Manoj Sinha, the deputy governor of J

when he claimed that Mahatma Gandhi

Traumatic childhood results in angry adults: Study

R es ea rc h h as d i s co v e re d that people su ffering fro m d ep ressio n and anxiety and w h o h a d a t rau m ati c ch ild hood often g row up to be angry ad ults Th e study p resented at the European C o ng ress o f P sychi atry in P aris fou nd that the m ore severe the trauma, the m ore enraged th e adult

T h e o n g o i n g N e t h e r l a n d s S t u d y o f

D e p r e s s i o n a n d A n x i e t y , which was created to look at t h e p r o g r e s s i o n o f d e p r e s s i o n a n d a n x i e t y disorders over a number of years, provided the data for the current study

Lead researcher Nienke

D e B l e s , s a i d , “ T h e r e i s surprisingly little research on anger in general The N e t h e r l a n d s S t u d y o f Depression and Anxiety is a w e l l - e s t a b l i s h e d s t u d y which has produced a lot of

g o o d s c i e n t i f i c d a t a , b u t t h e r e h a s n o t b e e n a n y significant work looking at t h e d a t a o n c h i l d h o o d trauma and seeing if this is linked to increased levels of anger We have now found

Study explores the mechanism that fuels antibiotic resistance

A n t i b io t i c r e s is t a n ce i s a g r o wi n g g l o b a l h e a l t h concern Antibiotic-r esistant b a ct e r i a l in fe ct io n s r e po r t e d l y ca u se d a n e st imat ed 1 3 million d eaths g l ob a l l y in 2 01 9 a l on e R e s e a r ch e r s a t t he B a y l or C o l l e g e o f Me d i ci ne ha v e b e e n e x a m in i n g t he m e ch a n i sm t h a t fu e l s a ntib iot ic re sista nce at the mole cula r le vel t o he lp find a solution T h e y d o c u m e n t important and unexpected i n i t i a l s t e p s t h a t s u p p o r t resistance to ciprofloxacin, also known as cipro, one of t h e m o s t f r e q u e n t l y g i v e n a n t i b i o t i c s , i n t h e j o u r n a l M o l e c u l a r C e l l C oc o r r e s p o n d i n g a u t h o r D r Susan M Rosenberg, Ben F L o v e C h a i r i n C a n c e r R e s e a r c h a n d p r o f e s s o r o f m o l e c u l a r a n d h u m a n genetics, biochemistry and m o l e c u l a r b i o l o g y a n d m o l e c u l a r v i r o l o g y a n d microbiology at Baylor, said, “Previous work in our lab has shown that when bacteria a r e e x p o s e d t o a s t r e s s f u l e n v i r o n m e n t , s u c h a s t h e p r e s e n c e o f c i p r o , t h e y initiate a series of responses t o a t t e m p t t o s u r v i v e t h e toxic effect of the antibiotic ” Rosenberg, also program l e a d e r i n B a y l o r ’ s D a n L D u n c a n C o m p r e h e n s i v e Cancer Centre (DLDCCC), s a i d , “ W e d i s c o v e r e d t h a t cipro triggers cellular stress r e s p o n s e s t h a t p r o m o t e m u t a t i o n s T h i s p h e n o m e n o n , k n o w n a s stress-induced mutagenesis, generates mutant bacteria, some of which are resistant t o c i p r o C i p r o - r e s i s t a n t mutants keep on growing, sustaining an infection that can no longer be eliminated with cipro ”

Cipro induces breaks in t h e D N A m o l e c u l e , accumulating inside bacteria and consequently triggering a DNA damage response to repair the breaks The lab’s

d i s c o v e r i e s o f t h e s t e p s i n v o l v e d i n s t r e s s - i n d u c e d m u t a g e n e s i s r e v e a l e d t h a t t w o s t r e s s r e s p o n s e s a r e essential - the general stress r e s p o n s e a n d t h e D N Adamage response

First author Dr Yin Zhai, a postdoctoral associate in the Rosenberg lab, said, “We w e r e s u r p r i s e d t o f i n d a n u n e x p e c t e d m o l e c u l e involved in modulating DNA repair Usually, cells regulate their activities by producing s p e c i f i c p r o t e i n s t h a t m e d i a t e t h e d e s i r e d function But in this case, the first step to turn on the DNA r e p a i r r e s p o n s e w a s n o t a b o u t a c t i v a t i n g c e r t a i n genes that produce certain proteins ” T h e y s a i d , “ W e d i s c o v e r e d t h a t R N A p o l y m e r a s e a l s o p l a y s a major role in regulating DNA r e p a i r A s m a l l m o l e c u l e c a l l e d n u c l e o t i d e p p G p p , which is present in bacteria

e x p o s e d t o a s t r e s s f u l environment, binds to RNA p o l y m e r a s e t h r o u g h t w o s e p a r a t e s i t e s t h a t a r e essential for turning on the r e p a i r r e s p o n s e a n d t h e g e n e r a l s t r e s s r e s p o n s e Interfering with one of these s i t e s t u r n o f f D N A r e p a i r s p e c i f i c a l l y a t t h e D N A sequences occupied by RNA polymerase ” " W e a r e e x c i t e d a b o u t t h e s e f i n d i n g s , R o s e n b e r g s a i d " T h e y o p e n n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s t o d e s i g n s t r a t e g i e s t h a t w o u l d i n t e r f e r e w i t h t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f a n t i b i o t i c resistance and help turn the t i d e o n t h i s g l o b a l h e a l t h t h r e a t A l s o , c i p r o b r e a k s bacterial DNA in the same w a y t h a t t h e a n t i - c a n c e r d r u g e t o p o s i d e b r e a k s human DNA in tumours We hope this may additionally lead to new tools to combat c a n c e r c h e m o t h e r a p y resistance ”

that there is a link ”

“We found that anxious or depressed people with a h i s t o r y o f e m o t i o n a l n e g l e c t , p h y s i c a l o r p s y c h o l o g i c a l a b u s e , w e r e b e t w e e n 1 3 a n d 2 t i m e s more likely to have anger p r o b l e m s W e a l s o f o u n d that the more traumatic the c h i l d h o o d e x p e r i e n c e , t h e g r e a t e r t h e t e n d e n c y t o w a r d s a d u l t a n g e r W e c a n ' t d e f i n i t i v e l y s a y t h a t the trauma causes the anger, but the link is clear

We found that children w h o s u f f e r e d e m o t i o n a l n e g l e c t h a d a n i n c r e a s e d t e n d e n c y t o g r o w i n t o adults who were irritable or

e a s i l y a n g e r e d , w h e r e a s t h o s e w h o h a d b e e n p h y s i c a l l y a b u s e d h a d a g r e a t e r t e n d e n c y t o w a r d s anger attacks or antisocial p e r s o n a l i t y t r a i t s S e x u a l abuse tended to result in a s u p p r e s s i o n o f a n g e r , possibly because of a greater sensitivity to rejection - but this needs to be confirmed”

S h e c o n t i n u e d , “ B e i n g e a s i l y a n g e r e d c a n h a v e several consequences It can make personal interactions more difficult, and it can have consequences for your m e n t a l h e a l t h a n d w e l lbeing But people who get a n g r y e a s i l y a l s o h a v e a g r e a t e r t e n d e n c y t o

d i s c o n t i n u e p s y c h i a t r i c treatment, so this anger may mean that it reduces their chances of a better life ” “ I f t h e p e r s o n b u t b o t t l e s t h e a n g e r u p , t h e therapist may not see it We b e l i e v e t h a t i t s h o u l d b e s t a n d a r d p r a c t i c e t o a s k d e p r e s s i o n a n d a n x i e t y sufferers about anger and p a s t t r a u m a , e v e n i f t h e p a t i e n t i s n o t e x h i b i t i n g c u r r e n t a n g e r P s y c h i a t r i c treatments for past trauma may differ to treatment for current depression, so the psychiatrist need to try to understand the cause so that they can offer the correct treatment to each patient”

Pack these healthy snacks on your next trip to avoid junk food

It’s almost that tim e of the year to pack your bag s and s et o u t to t rav el Wh il e travelling can be a lot of fun, i t c o m es w i th c ha lle ng es With fast fo od and v ending m a ch i ne s be in g th e m o s t convenient choices, th ey are no t alw ays th e h ealthi est Th e urge to snack or bing eea t i s c o m m o n w h il e tr av e ll in g an d s et s o f f a d ietary cycle o f unhealth y eating

T h i s a r t i c l e d i s c u s s e s s o m e h e a l t h y s n a c k a l t e r n a t i v e s y o u c a n t a k e while travelling Pack fruits and vegetables

Packing apples, bananas, g r a p e s , o r a n g e s , b a b y carrots, sliced bell peppers or sweet peppers, and celery sticks is advisable They are high in fibre, keep you fuller for longer, and provide a satisfying crunch

M ake energy balls

Energy bites, or balls -

Why you should soak mangoes before eating?

With the ad vent of sp ring, it i s o nly a m att er o f m o nth s b ef o re s u m m er knocks on our doo rs While th e r is i ng t em p e rat u re bri n g s it s o w n disad vantag es, it is also the hi g hli g ht of the year fo r mango lo vers The king o f fru i ts , m ang o es are a st o reh o u s e o f nu tr ie nts , antioxidants and fibre that ca n b o o st en erg y a nd prevent d igestive issues like co nstipation It is rife w ith vitam ins A and C and is kno w n f o r lo w e ri ng ch olestero l lev els

While many prefer to p u r c h a s e a n d r e f r i g e r a t e the fruit before consuming, o t h e r s s o a k t h e m f o r a c o u p l e o f h o u r s b e f o r e consumption This has led to several discussions on t h e b e n e f i t s o f s o a k i n g

m a n g o e s E x p e r t s b e l i e v e s o a k i n g m a n g o e s b e f o r e eating them would help get the right nutrition In this a r t i c l e , w e d i s c u s s t h e b e n e f i t s o f s o a k i n g mangoes Gets rid of phytic acid

M a n g o e s c o n s i s t o f phytic acid, which acts as a n a n t i - n u t r i e n t a n d reduces the absorption of n u t r i e n t s i n o u r b o d y S o a k i n g t h e m h e l p s i n c r e a s e t h e e n z y m e a c t i v i t y t h a t h e l p s b r e a k down phytic acid It also reduces the concentration

o f p h y t o c h e m i c a l s , m a k i n g t h e m a c t a s natural fat busters Prevents diseases I t r e m o v e s a l l pesticides and chemicals

Also, dirt, dust and soil

o n m a n g o e s a r e completely removed With the help of this, you can protect yourself from many d i s e a s e s E a t i n g m a n g o boosts the body’s immunity and improves digestion and intestinal health It is also seen as beneficial for eyes, hair and skin

Prev ents flatulence

S o a k i n g h e l p s r e d u c e t h e d e g r e e o f f l a t u l e n c e caused due to undigested o l i g o s a c c h a r i d e s I t a l s o h e l p s r e d u c e t h e t h e r m o g e n i c e f f e c t s o f m a n g o a n d t h e h e a t produced while eating

h o w e v e r , w h i c h w a y y o u want to call them, are small bite-sized snacks made of nutritious ingredients such a s o a t s , n u t s , s e e d s , a n d d r i e d f r u i t s T h e y c a n b e e a s i l y p r e p a r e d a t h o m e , have a decent shelf life and will keep your hands from straying into the chips aisle P ack yog urt

What’s summer without a cold yogurt parfait? Pack some unsweetened yogurt, a n d l a y e r w i t h y o u r favourite toppings such as

berries, chia seeds, granola, honey and cacao nibs Store w i t h y o u r i c e p a c k f o r a delicious treat Dried fru its, nuts and seeds Nuts and seeds pair well w i t h d r i e d o r f r e s h f r u i t T h e y a r e f u l l o f p r o t e i n , h e a l t h y f a t s a n d f i b r e Follow your grandmother’s footsteps and pack a bag of walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or any other nuts you p r e f e r f o r a l i t t l e e n e r g y boost

Tips to improve sleep cycle for diabetics

The impact of diabetes on a person's sleep cycle is a factor that is frequently disregarded despite the fact that it is a complex lifestyle illness that affects every area of the body a n d c a u s e s c o n s e q u e n c e s i n c l u d i n g n e u r o p a t h y a n d retinopathy Our physical and mental health, as well as the development of chronic disorders, depends heavily on sleep

Dr Neha Verma, Head - Department of Psychology and Wellbeing at Fitterfly, revealed, “Diabetes sufferers could have frequent urination and extreme thirst, which could keep them awake at night and interfere with their sleep C o n v e r s e l y , s l e e p d e p r i v a t i o n c a n l e a d t o c r a v i n g s f o r unhealthy food and nighttime snacking, increasing the risk of weight gain and diabetes Lack of sleep can also boost ghrelin and decrease leptin, making a person feel more hungry than usual ”

She suggested, “A good night's sleep is essential for enhancing eating behaviours and preventing metabolic disorders The quality of your sleep can be improved with simple measures including a nutritious diet, regular bedtimes, avoiding coffee and intense exercise, and establishing a relaxing environment Identifying the root cause of sleep d e p r i v a t i o n a n d m a n a g i n g i t p r o m p t l y i s e s s e n t i a l Innovative solutions like digital therapeutics are available to manage blood sugar levels and reverse them through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication adherence Yet, everyone should prioritise getting a good night's sleep because prevention is always preferable to cure ”

Sara is on the lookout for an 'andha-pagal' to marry her

ctress Sara Ali Khan has the quirkiest answer for her future marriage prospects Currently promoting her ming film ‘Gaslight,’ which also stars Chitrangda Singh Vikrant Massey, Sara opened up about her marriage . She joked that she is on the hunt for someone who is andha (blind) and pagal (crazy) to marry her She also aled plans to wait

Appearing on ‘Desi Vibes with Shehnaaz Gill,’ Sara asked about her other actresses like Alia Bhatt and a Adani settling down Sara shared that she was still hing She joked, “Not yet I’ll have to find someone ha and pagal who will marry me I’m searching ently Andha pagal mujhe lagta hai zaroori hoga, ke agar dimaag hoga aur jaan lega aur mukke

NMACC grand opening showcases stardom, fashion and culture

Celebrities from around the world made an appearance at the grand opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai. The centre opened for the public on April 3

The centre features an impressive G r a n d T h e a t r e w i t h a w o r l d - c l a s s i n t e g r a t e d D o l b y A t m o s S u r r o u n d Sound System and Virtua A c o u s t i c S y s t e m i n g e n i o u s s e a t i n g arrangement and a specia p r o g r a m m a b l e l i g h t i n g s y s t e m T h e l i g h t i n g s y s t e m i s f u r t h e r e n h a n c e d w i t h o v e r 8 4 0 0

Swarovski crystals, creating a multidimensional

arge for Vogue and editor-in-chief of The World of Interiors, the exhibit explores the m p a c t t h a t t r a d i t i o n a l I n d i a n d r e s s , e x t i l e s , a n d c r a f t h a v e h a d o n t h e international fashion sensibility since the 18th century The showcase features the works of

pehchaanga toh bhaag nani jayega (Someone blind and crazy will be necessary, because if she is sane, then he will recognise me instantly and run away) ”

marriage but everything happens in the right time Abhi woh samay nahi hai (Now is not the time) ”

On the work front, Sara also has Laxman Utekar’s film with Vicky Kaushal She also plays Indian freedom fighter and underground radio broadcaster Usha Mehta in the Prime Video period drama ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’ directed by Kennan Iyer The actress has been on a shoot for Homi Adajania’s ‘Murder Mubarak,’ which also stars Karisma Kapoor

Makers of ‘The Elephant Whisperers' meet President and PM Modi after Oscar win

Oscar winners Guneet Monga and director Kartiki

Gonsalves met President

Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week Makers of ‘The Elephant Whisperers,’ they won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short last month

President Murmu praised the duo for promoting the Indian “tradition of conservation and living in harmony with nature” with their film Guneet had previously co-produced the documentation ‘Period End of Sentence’ that won an Oscar award in 2019 Sharing pictures of the meeting, the official handle of the president's office tweeted, "President Droupadi Murmu met the makers of Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers She congratulated them on winning the award and praised them for showcasing

India's tradition of conservation and living in harmony with nature

Earlier in the day, union minister Anurag Thakur met winners at his residence in Delhi Anurag shared a video with them

Kartiki Gonsalves' 41-minute-long documentary movie talks about the bond that an orphaned baby elephant (Raghu) and his caretakers - mahout couple Bomman and Bellie - share Bomman and Bellie have devoted their lives to protecting him from poachers and raising him

e x p e r i e n c e T h a t ’ s n o t a l l , t h e

Grand Theatre also seats 2,000 people across three levels

The space aims to showcase the best of India across music theatre, fine arts and crafts to the world It is located in the heart o Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex

W h i l e t h e o p e n i n g n i g h f e a t u r e d t h e , w h o ’ s w h o o Bollywood, it also featured Tom H o l l a n d , Z e n d a y a , N i c k J o n a s

Priyanka Chopra, and Gigi Hadid in attendance

Poorna Jagannathan, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Cara Delevingne, Phakphum Romsaithong (Mile) and N a t t a w i n W a t t a n a g i t i p h a t ( A p o ) , E m m a Chamberlain and Karlie Kloss were also present at the gala Sonam gives a tour o f the g rand museum

A c t r e s s S o n a m K a p o o r g a v e t h e g e n e r a l public a virtual tour of an exhibit at the NMACC She took to Instagram Reels to share a glimpse inside a grand exhibition on Indian textiles titled ‘India in Fashion’ at the cultural centre Sonam walked around, dazzled as she saw an array of standout looks, including heavily embellished gowns inspired by India and vintage outfits fit f o r r o y a l t y - a l l s h o w c a s e d i n o v e r - t h e - t o p settings

Curated by Hamish Bowles, global editor-at-

I n d i a n d e s i g n e r s s u c h a s A b u J a n i S a n d e e p K h o s l a , A n a m i k a K h a n n a , A n i t a D o n g r e , A n u r a d h a V a k i l , M a n i s h A r o r a , M a n i s h

Malhotra, Rahul Mishra, Ritu Kumar, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Sanjay Garg, and Tarun Tahiliani as well as some global designers such as Christian Dior

Sonam said in the video about the exhibit and the museum, "I thought it was spectacular It is so well curated It is so beautifully designed I t ' s a t a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a n d a r d A c t u a l l y I

haven't seen something like this the museum space is so beautifully designed, they have done a spectacular job You can really feel each era, each inspiration, the music, the colours You never see such a colourful museum and I think that is the speciality being in India All the clothes still stand out despite the colour, it is a true homage to India-inspired fashion ”

Ranveer and Deepika

quash separation rumours

Actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika

Padukone put separation rumours at rest as they walked the red carpet at the grand inauguration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai They were seen smiling, holding hands and whispering to one another in front of the paparazzi, taking photographs, quashing all recent rumours of a tiff They also met and chatted with other A-listers like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Karan Johar, Priyanka Chopra and others

Deepika showed off her gorgeous I n d i a n o u t f i t f o r t h e e v e n t o n Instagram She posted the pictures along with the dizzy emoji The actor had on a detailed gold outfit with a flowing white cape She was wearing large diamond earrings and had a striking gold maang tika Ranveer w o r e a w h i t e s h e r w a n i t h a t complimented Deepika's royal gold o u t f i t T h e c o u p l e c o u l d n ' t s t o p

smiling at one another at the event On the work front, Deepika was recently seen in the blockbuster hit ‘Pathaan’ with Shah Rukh Khan She will be next seen in ‘Fighter’ in 2024 w i t h H r i t h i k R o s h a n a n d A n i l Kapoor Ranveer’s next is ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani’, where he reunites with his ‘Gully Boy’ co-star Alia for the Karan Johar film

L-R: Guneet Monga, President Dropadi Murmu and Kartiki Gonsalves

L-R: Guneet Monga, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kartiki Gonsalves Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC)

Mukesh and Nita Ambani

Saba Azad and Hrithik Roshan Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas Gigi Hadid

Zendaya Janhvi Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan

Janhvi

Kapoor and rumoured boyfriend Shikhar

Pahariya visited Tirupati recently. They were joined by Janhvi's sister and budding actor Khushi Kapoor They all wore traditional outfits Janhvi took to Instagram to share photos of herself with Khushi from their outing, and wrote in her caption, "Home (heart emoji) "

Janhvi wore a bright south Indian half saree with a green lehenga paired with a pink blouse and dupatta She also wore traditional gold jewellery Khushi wore a green and red half saree with a red

Khushi, Janhvi pay tribute to their south Indian roots

dupatta Both the sisters had tiny red tika on their foreheads In the first photo she posted, Janhvi and Khushi smiled for the camera They kept their heads together in the photo The other two photos showed them laughing and posing together Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar and Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives' Maheep Kapoor, who is also their aunt, dropped heart emojis on Janhvi and Khushi s latest photos A fan commented, "Simple, stunning sisters " A comment also read, "So beautiful " A fan also commented, “Love how they honour their south Indian roots ”

Parineeti calls herself

‘chashmish’ in new pic

ActorParineeti Chopra

recently posted a photo of herself in glasses In her caption post, she also called herself ‘chasmish’ Soon after it went live, fans started teasing her, in reference to her dating rumours with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha Some of them also questioned if the nickname was given by Raghav himself.

Reacting to the post, a fan commented, “AAP mai kuch toh baat hai!” “May be this name has given by Mr Chadda,” added another one Someone else said, “Both are chashmish,” referring to Raghav Chadha Raghav and Parineeti are rumoured to be dating and are believed to be tying the knot soon Their wedding speculations got even stronger after Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjeev Arora took to his Twitter account and congratulated Raghav and Parineeti for their rumoured "union" recently

He tweeted, "I extend my heartfelt congratulations to @raghav chadha and @ParineetiChopra May their union be blessed with abundant love, joy, and companionship

My best wishes!!!" However, when asked about it by Mumbai paparazzi, the actor only blushed, without commenting on it

Parineeti and Raghav reportedly studied together at the London School of Economics and have been friends for a long time now

They also follow each other on Instagram On Sunday, Parineeti and Raghav were seen arriving together at Mumbai airport

Aryan Khan following Salman's footsteps

Aryan Khan is winning hearts and his sweet gesture with Salman Khan went viral. The superstar kid posed with the actor and later expressed his gratitude towards him, and he gets hailed for his superb upbringing. And now this video of Aryan is going viral, showing that

b e a u t i f u l K h a n l a d i e s f r o m t h e family, where Aryan is seen not touching sister Suhana’s back but only doing the action of keeping his hand on her back to pose, and this g e s t u r e i s e x a c t l y t h e s a m e a s Salman, who does this with every girl he poses

Shah Rukh's son is following Salman when it comes to dealing with ladies

Aryan has been labelled as a ladies man due to his pictures often creating quite a stir online with beautiful ladies Aryan becomes the star of every party, and there are almost always girls who desire to take a selfie with the young lad, which he even happily obliges.

Aryan, who made heads turn along with mom Gauri Khan and sister Suhana at the NMACC event, w a s s e e n p o s i n g w i t h b o t h t h e

Aryan and Suhana share a great bond like buddies, and this gesture of the young boy has been getting mixed reactions from the netizens, where some are hailing him as a g e n t l e m a n a n d o t h e r s a r e wondering why he needs to do this gesture with his own sister and find it unnecessary While Aryan is all set to make his Bollywood debut as a writer-director with Red Chillies Entertainment, Suhana will be seen making her first appearance in The Archies', helmed by Zoya Akhtar

Ishaan Khatter all set to make his Hollywood debut

Eventhough Ishaan Khatter isn't having much success in Bollywood, people are starting to take note of his acting abilities He has bagged the project 'The Perfect Couple' with Nicole Kidman and Liev Schreiber The actor recently made an announcement on his Instagram about his Hollywood project The series is an adaptation of the novel Ishaan and the producers reportedly spoke for a while He bagged the role last month. Congratulatory messages poured in from family and friends. He will play the role of Shooter Dival who is the best friend of the Groom The role of the Groom is being played by Billy Howle The author of the book also extended him

welcome Mira Kapoor

Clouds' His performance received a lot of praise Ishaan also has a Bollywood movie “Pippa” waiting t o b e

Priyanshu Paniyuli, Rasika

Dugal also congratulated him

The young man made his debut with Majid Majidi's 'Beyond the

Brigadier Balram Singh Mehta, a pivotal figure in the 1971 IndoPakistan War, in the film Mrunal Thakur and Soni Razdan are also part of the war film

Samantha opens up on her struggle with myositis

Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently opened up on her struggle with the autoimmune disease myositis She spoke about losing control over how she looked during the diagnosis of her disease She said on some days, she would wake up with pins and needles in her eyes. Sam took a break from working last year when she received her diagnosis while shooting her Telugu film ‘Kushi.’

Speaking about the effects of myositis on her body, she said, “As an actor, you are always expected to display perfection, perfection on Instagram, and perfection in your films Earlier, I also could never let it go and just accept

yanka irks fans by ng ‘RRR’ a Tamil film

shared her in Bollywood ast interview. me buttons l film while who called it was originally the actor on chair Expert he compared lywood when os controlled everything, you are far from it I think g studios, five actors big ade by them; but the game so much now First of all, ing It has given access to people who are making content ” She further added t h a t B o l l y w o o d h a s

evolved, to which Dax i n t e r r u p t e d a n d m e ntioned ‘RRR ' Priyanka quickly corrected him, “That’s a Tamil movie by the way It’s like big, m e g a , b l o c k b u s t e r Tamil which does all of t h o s e i t ’ s l i k e o u r Avengers ” S e v e r a l T w i t t e r u s e r s e x p r e s s e d t h e i r disappointment at the faux pas One user tagged the actress in a tweet and wrote, “Lost all respect ” Another wrote, “IDK what’s the context She could have done some research before mentioning but could have just (said) Indian film This south vs south, north vs south is getting too much these days Feels like Stan Twitter fan wars ”

One more user said, “This sums up the entire issue, doesn't it? Some folks were upset SSR called it a Telugu film but isn't it annoying when every movie is called Bollywood and ppl can't differentiate between Tamil and Telugu? ”

Chiranjeevi hosts Naatu Naatu

lyricist Chandrabose on film's set

Actor

place where I have no control over this condition ”

Speaking about the side effects of the condition on her body, she said, “One day I am puffy, one day I am fat, one day I am sick I have no control over how I look As an actor, your eyes are a medium to express emotions and every day, I wake up with pins and needles in my eyes I am sensitive to light I don’t wear glasses just for fun and style, the light actually affects my eyes I have an intense migraine, and I have intense pain in my eyes, they swell from the pain and this has been the case for the past 8 months This is probably the worst thing to happen to an actor ” Samantha cter ter of hra The irected by released in yalam, and 4

Chiranjeevi gave lyricist

Chandrabose Chiranjeevi a grand welcome as he hosted him to celebrate his Oscar win for ‘Naatu Naatu’ from ‘RRR ’ He took to Twitter and said it was wonderful to know that the first-ever Telugu words to be heard on the Oscar stage came from him

Chiranjeevi shared pictures as Chandrabose was seen on the sets of the actor’s upcoming Telugu film

‘ B h o l a S h a n k a r ’ I n t h e f i r s t p i c t u r e , Chiranjeevi was seen holding the Oscar trophy and Chandrabose's hand as they smiled He also hoisted the trophy while hugging Chandrabose

Another photo showed the film's team posing for a photo with Chiranjeevi and Chandrabose, who held a flower bouquet and had a red shawl around him Chiranjeevi captioned the post, “What a wonderful feeling that you gave the first ever Telugu words to be heard on the Oscar stage in 95 years!! Elated to relive those moments through you & heartened to welcome you home after the victorious march to the #Oscars95 (sic) ”

Recently, the veteran actor honoured SS

Rajamouli and composer MM Keeravani for bringing home the Academy Award for ‘RRR’ at his son Ram Charan’s birthday bash A day later, he hosted Chandrabose at his home ‘RRR,’ directed by SS Rajamouli, is a fictional story set in the 1920s pre-independent era The film is based on the lives of two real heroes and well-known revolutionaries

Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem While Ram Charan played Ram, Jr NTR was seen as Bheem It grossed over ₹1200 crore worldwide during its theatrical run and was m a s s i v e l y c e l e b r a t e d f o r i t s a c t i o n sequences The film is currently running in Japan, where it has emerged as the highestgrossing Indian film of all time

Thalapathy Vijay makes his Instagram debut

Actor Vijay finally joined Instagram over the weekend. He shared a message with his fans and friends and uploaded a recent picture of himself. His fans were ecstatic and welcomed him with comments of ‘Thalapathy’ on his first-ever post

Vijay's first post was captioned, "Hello Nanbas and Nanbis (Hello friends) (smiling face emoji) " He shared a photo of himself wearing a white T-shirt and black jacket His dark sunglasses are tucked into the front of the white T-shirt

Actor Ramya Pandian wrote, "ThalapaTHEEE (fire emoji) Welcome to Instagram " One fan commented, "Within the 20 minutes Insta followers reached 120k followers the name is thalapathy " The comments section was filled with fans writing 'Thalapathy' for the actor

Vijay was last seen in Vamshi Paidipally s ‘Varisu’ with Rashmika Mandanna The film earned over ₹300 crores worldwide at the box office after its release this January

The actor is also slated to have a cameo in Atlee's Hindi debut ‘Jawan’ with Shah Rukh Khan

He is working on Lokesh Kanagaraj's ‘Leo’ which will be released in theatres on October 19, 2023 The movie

Cookbook Hall of F a m e i n 2 0 0 6 S h e h a s s i n c e r e l e a s e d m o r e t h a n 3 0 a w a r dw i n n i n g c o o k b o o k s , c e m e n t i n g her status as the “Godmother of I n d i a n C o o k i n g ” , s a y s t h e

announcement

A n I n v i t a t i o n t o I n d i a n

Cooking was reissued just earlier this year on its 50th anniversary by publisher Alfred A Knopf Jaffrey will collect the latest award in June at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards Ceremony

O r i g i n a l l y a n a c t o r , s h e p i v o t e d t o f o o d p o s t - d i v o r c e

Today, Jaffrey’s impact on how the W e s t e r n w o r l d v i e w s I n d i a n cuisine is undeniable She is widely c r e d i t e d w i t h b r i n g i n g m a s s attention to Indian cuisine in the US and the UK She has authored 30 cookbooks and hosted several television programs, most notably Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery, which premiered in the UK in 1982 S e t t o b e 9 0 s o o n , s h e continues to be an inspiration for young chefs and writers across the world

Freida Pinto, other celebrities attend the Dior show in Mumbai

Hollywood celebrities

Maisie Williams, Freida Pinto and others arrived in Mumbai to attend the Dior show at the Gateway of India The French fashion house’s Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection showcased the excellence of Indian craftsmen Those from the west include Poorna Jagannathan, ‘Bridgerton’ stars Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, Cara Delevigne, and Liza Koshy

S o n a m K a p o o r a n d A n u s h k a S h a r m a were spotted in the front row, as were Isha Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Mira Rajput and V i r a t K o h l i O t h e r I n d i a n a c t r e s s e s i n a t t e n d a n c e i n c l u d e d K a r i s m a K a p o o r ,

Ananya Panday, Diana Penty, and Khushi Kapoor D i

a Chiuri has been working for many years with artisans from India through the Mumbaibased Chanakya School of Craft, and she thought it was time to showcase India’s incredible range of embroidery and fabrics to an international audience She posted a long letter of appreciation on her Instagram page, thanking Chanakya’s f o u n d e r s f o r t h e i r c o m m i t m e n t t o “ p r e s e r v i n g I n d i a ’ s h i s t o r y a n d c u

u r e , portrayed by each embroidery technique ”

Hollywood sweetheart Jennifer Aniston had a great time on the sets of her film ‘Murder Mystery 2 ’ The movie, which features an Indian maharajah, allowed the actress to gorge on Indian food and wear a “beautiful” Manish Malhotra lehenga Aniston wore an ivory chikankari

lehenga created by the Indian fashion designer for a wedding sequence in the Netflix movie It took approximately three months to create and was picked by renowned Hollywood costume designer Debra Mcguire for the actress

Aniston described the attire as “beautiful” but heavy She said in a virtual roundtable interview, beautiful, beautiful dress It was extremely heav wasn’t expecting that So much respect for all the b women of India who have to not only wear it, bu their b** off We had a really good time ”

The new Netflix movie is a sequel to 2019 ’ s ‘M Mystery,’ which followed married couple Nick Sandler) and Audrey Spitz, who get caught up in a investigation on a billionaire’s yacht The second p off four years after the events of the first film in the mystery franchise The couple is now full-time de struggling to get their private eye agency off the gr when they are invited to celebrate their friend's wed the Maharaja, on his private island

Aniston said they shot the wedding scene for three days in Hawaii Aniston and Sandler, who are real-life friends and share great chemistry on

reen, also completed each other’s sentences in the roundtable terview She said, “We had five days to shoot that scene, ” ndler added, “And dance and eat Indian food ”

When asked if a third part would follow in the franchise, andler said they are yet to take a call on that but added that he would love to come to India someday "I've never been to India I would love to be there My friends have been there They show me pictures, videos, it looks incredible We'll talk (about 'Murder Mystery 3') once that (topic) comes, we'll figure it out But that would be fun," the actor said A l s o s t a r r i n g M a r k S t r o n g , M e l a n i e L a u r e n t , J o d i e Turner-Smith, John Kani, Kuhoo Verma, Enrique Arce, and Zurin Villanueva with Dany Boon, "Murder Mystery 2" began streaming on Netflix on March 31

Priyanka beats Kylie Jenner to claim secondbiggest celebrity beauty brand

Priyanka

Chopra’s Anomaly has become the second-biggest celebrity beauty brand in the world after Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty In a report published by UK-based beauty comparison platform Cosmetify,Priyanka’s haircare brand’s revenue stood at £429m, while Rihanna’s Fenty made £477m. Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics came in at third with £301m, followed by Ariana Grande’s R E M Beauty with £70m I n a s t a t e m e n t , C o s m e t i f y said, “There are many ways to measure the success of a brand, but revenue is arguably the most important Because of this, we have put together a list of the w e a l t h i e s t c e l e b r i t y b e a u t y b r a n d s b a s e d o n t h e i r m o s t recent annual revenue ” The list a l s o i n c l u d e d S e l e n a G o m e z ’ s

Rare Beauty and Halsey’s Aboutface Priyanka launched Anomaly haircare in the US in February 2021 The brand hit the Indian market in December 2022

Moeen fashions 12-run win for Chennai

Thousands of fans returning to Chepauk for IPL action after three years got everything they had asked for While they were treated to a dazzling array of six-hitting by Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway followed by a three-ball cameo of 12 by MS Dhoni that proved crucial, the second half was about the skipper’s brilliant manoeuvring of his troops in the face of adversities and some quality spin bowling by Moeen Ali and Mitchell Santner The end result was a 12-run win that got CSK going this season Chasing 218, Lucknow Super Giants opener Kyle Mayers threatened to run away with the game with a 22-ball 53 But braving the onslaught, Dhoni employed Moeen in the Powerplay and the offie bowled slow through the air and invited Mayers to clear the long boundary over deep mid-wicket The West Indies player failed and that started a mini-collapse with Moeen and Santner tightening the screws by picking up the crucial wickets of Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul that halted LSG in their tracks Koh li, Du P lessis take Bang alore to victo ry M u m b a i I n d i a n s p a c e r J a s o n Behrendorff, coming in as an impact player, m a n a g e d t o k e e p R o y a l C h a l l e n g e r s Bangalore openers Faf du Plessis (73) and Virat Kohli (82*) quiet only for an over, his first Kohli, with a fine flick off Arshad Khan’s inswinger, began an assault that left Mumbai bowlers bewildered At the packedto-the-rafters M Chinnaswamy stadium, the home team’s eight-wicket victory on was a dream campaign opener While the bowling at the death remained a concern, RCB will take heart from their openers ’ ruthless show of power hitting Du Plessis found rhythm in Behrendorff’s third over, dispatching him for a boundary and two consecutive maximums w h i c h l o o k e d e f f o r t l e s s T h e 1 4 8 - r u n opening association was highlighted by the versatility of the experienced superstars

Kohli took some time to get his eye in before taking command RR register emp hatic win

T h e r e w a s l i t t l e t h a t S u n r i s e r s H y d e r a b a d c o u l d d o t h a n p l a y m u t e spectators as Rajasthan Royals ran away with the IPL opener The emphatic 72–run win for the Royals was courtesy blazing halfcenturies by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and S a n j u S a m s o n a n d Y u z v e n d r a C h a h a l ’ s chokehold The Rajiv Gandhi International s t a d i u m w a s d e c k e d u p o n S u n d a y a n d nearly 37,731 faithful braved the afternoon sun in anticipation of a Sunrisers’ show but what transpired in the first 10 overs was a clear indication in which way the match was headed The Sunrisers were clearly rusty and the Royals took full toll of them once standin captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar put them in, probably confident of his team’s ability to chase down Rajasthan Royals’ 203 for five King s rule ov er slo ppy K nig hts

P u n j a b K i n g s ’ c o s t l i e s t r e c r u i t S a m C u r r a n d i s m i s s e d t h e d a n g e r o u s A n d r e Russell at the nick of time to ensure a sevenrun victory over Kolkata Knight Riders via D u c k w o r t h - L e w i s m e t h o d i n a r a i n - h i t a f t e r n o o n e n c o u n t e r o f I n d i a n P r e m i e r League Chasing a target of 192, KKR were left stranded at 146 for 7 after 16 overs when heavy downpour put spanner on their hard work The DLS par score at that time was 153

Prince Salim passes away at 88

Nischal Sanghavi

Salim Dura ni, the cr ick ete r who was the apple of ey e for Ind ia ns du rin g th e 60 s an d ea r ly 70s br e at he d his la st a t 8 8 On ce upon a t ime he was the Prince of Ind ian Cr ick e t How ev er , ve r y fe w people kne w tha t he liv ed in Guja rat 's J a m n a g a r wi t h v e r y m o d e s t f a ci li t i e s De spit e t he a ge factor , Sa lim wa s st ill ver y charmin g an d can did t ill his la st day s Sa lim was the first cricket er t o win t he Arjun a Awar d Salim’s nephew Shabbir who lived with h i m s a i d , “ S a l i m u n c l e f e l l a t h o m e l a s t month, after which he was operated for a leg fracture He had almost recovered from that, but fell sick 10 days ago For the last 10 days he was bed-ridden and passed away on Sunday morning My father and his two brothers including Salim uncle all live together in a joint family in our Jamnagar home ” S a l i m w a s b o r n i n A f g h a n i s t a n T o commemorate this fact, he was also invited to the first historical test between India and Afghanistan in Bengaluru His family shifted to Pakistan from Kabul when he was 3 After partition he and his mother chose India as homeland

Legendary Sunil Gavaskar had given the title of 'Prince Salim' to him for being well known for his deeds with a very big heart Salim was the most favourite among the audience as he is known to be the only cricketer in the history who hit 'Sixes on D e m a n d ' O n s i x t o s e v e n i n s t a n c e s , i t happened that the audience sitting in the stands cheerfully demanded for a 'six' and Salim immediately responded by hitting a ' s i x ' T h i s m a d e h i m t h e m o s t p o p u l a r cricketer among the audience in those days

Favou rite moment

Salim has had several achievements in his cricketing career, but, according to him, his

in brief

Had KKR not lost Russell (35 off 19 balls), who was looking to walk away with the game and then Venkatesh Iyer to Arshdeep Singh in the next over, the par score would have been lower before heavens opened up LSG hand Capitals a heav y defeat Mark Wood scarred the Delhi Capitals top-order with scorching pace as his fivew i c k e t h a u l b e a u t i f u l l y c o m p l e m e n t e d debutant Kyle Mayers’ superb 73 in Lucknow Super Giants’ comfortable 50 run win in their IPL opener Mayers, who got a chance to showcase his exploits because of Quinton de Kock’s absence, hit seven sixes in his 38ball knock which was largely responsible for s o l i d 1 9 3 / 6 i n 2 0 o v e r s I n r e p l y , D e l h i Capitals managed only 143 for 9 with David Warner (56 off 48 balls) fight hardly being any sort of consolation Wood (5/14 in 4 overs) bowled back-to-back lethal in-cutters at 147 clicks which Prithvi Shaw (12) and Mitchell Marsh (0) failed to even bring their respective bats down before the ball hit the ‘wood’ work

Gujarat Titans co rner opening glory

The template set by Gujarat Titans last season - allowing Wriddhiman Saha to go all out in the Powerplay overs and Shubman Gill to play himself in before going for his shots - was visible again as Gill’s sublime knock of 63 and Rashid Khan’s allround d i s p l a y h e l p e d t h e T i t a n s b e g a n t h e i r defence of the IPL trophy by easing to a fivew i c k e t w i n o v e r f o u r - t i m e c h a m p i o n s Chennai Super Kings on the opening night After Gill was out, the Titans needed 41 off f i v e o v e r s T h r e e t i g h t o v e r s m e a n t t h e Titans needed to score 23 off 12 balls Khan hit a six over long off before edging a four over third man in the penultimate over of Deepak Chahar before Tewatia smashed ten runs in the last over to seal matters in favour of Titans

YORKSHIRE RACISM CASE: VAUGHAN CLEARED OF CHARGE

favorite moment of life was when he was selected to play for the Indian t e a m a t t h e a g e o f 2 4 S a l i m represented India from 1960 to 1973, d u r i n g w h i c h h e p l a y e d 2 9 t e s t matches as an all rounder He has also played 170 first class matches for Saurashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan cricket teams

The highlight of the career for Salim came in 1972-73, when he was dropped from the p l a y i n g e l e v e n i n t h e f o u r t h t e s t a g a i n s t E n g l a n d i n K a n p u r H o w e v e r , p e o p l e p r o t e s t e d h i s d r o p p i n g w i t h s l o g a n s ' N o Durani No Test' So much so that the board had to include him in the fifth and final test in Mumbai

Bolly wood

Salim also starred in a Bollywood movie as a lead actor alongside Parveen Babi Not only that, he has also coached Salman Khan when he was a kid Salim used to take an autorickshaw for transit as he could not afford a car for himself But, as a true sportsman he used to say that I don't have a car, as I don t drive Salim was fond of meeting people and he invariably tried to m e e t a l l v i s i t o r s t o h i s r e s i d e n c e i n

Jamnagar

Jhingan, Chhetri score in India’s title win

India beat Kyrg yz Republic 2-0 to claim the T ri - Na ti o n T o u rn am e nt a t K h u m an Lamp ak Stadium in Im phal last week A nd to add to th e d elig ht of th e fans, Sunil C hhetri sco red h is 85th international g oal in the 84th minute after Sandesh Jhingan had giv en th em the lead in the 3 5th m inute

With India playing their best XI and Igor Stimac making six changes to the team that beat Myanmar and Kyrgyz Republic, too, bringing in four changes, both sides were aware of the importance of the fixture It was an edgy encounter from the word go with India dominating the first 15 minutes and showing the 30,000-plus crowd that t h e y h a d n o t c o m e f o r a t o u r n a m e n twinning draw The first five minutes, in fact, saw the hosts taking the game to Kyrgyz Republic and winning a corner or a freekick after every move

It was Brandon Fernandez -India’s setpiece wizard under Stimac – who took the onus of delivering them each time Although h i s s h o t s i n t h e f i r s t 3 0 m i n u t e s w e r e optimistic, they needed something more for a breakthrough

That was till the 35th minute when India won another free-kick some yards off the box Brandon stepped up again and was able to squeeze the ball in near the goal as an o n r u s h i n g J h i n g a n m a d e n o m i s t a k e o f guiding the ball in with his deft first touch

While the first half ended with India leading, Alexander Krestinin’s wards came back strongly after the change of ends and looked determined for an equaliser in the first five minutes of it However, the Indian defence, led by Jhingan and assisted by the brilliant Anwar Ali, kept withstanding the barrage of attacks

Before a Yorkshire match in 2009, former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan was found not guilty "on the balance of probability" of using racial slurs The 2005 Ashes-winning skipper was accused of calling a group of four Yorkshire teammates including Pakistan-born Azeem Rafiq of South Asian descent you bunch The Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) stated in a report that on the balance of probability, it was not satisfied that Vaughan had spoken the claimed comments It drew attention to "substantial differences" in the two crucial witnesses accounts of what Vaughan allegedly said, Rafiq and England spinner Adil Rashid But, it went on to say that its conclusions "do not in any way undercut the wider allegations" made by Rafiq In its concluding remarks, the CDC report said: “This is not a case which necessitated a conclusion from the panel that anyone has lied or acted out of malice Far from it The panel had to consider whether the case as presented to it by the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) in light of all the evidence was sufficiently accurate and reliable on the balance of probabilities to rule out mistake It was not ”Vaughan who personally attended a CDC hearing earlier this month to respond to the allegations stated that the procedure had taken a toll on him and his family and that hearing about Rafiq s experiences had been "upsetting " The outcome of these CDC proceedings must not be allowed to detract from the core message that there can be no place for racism in the game of cricket, or in society generally,” the 48-year-old said in a statement on social media The former batsman, who has worked as a TV and radio pundit since his retirement added: “I have never wanted to do anything that runs contrary to genuine efforts to clean up the game of cricket I truly hope people can understand why, on a personal level, I could not just accept, or apologise for, something which I know I did not do ”

SINDHU TROUNCED IN MADRID FINAL

Gregoria Mariska Tunjung trounced PV Sindhu 21-8, 21-8 in the final to win the Spain Masters BWF Super-300 Tournament in Madrid last week Tunjung won her first BWF World Tour title in style thrashing two former world champions in a row On Saturday it was Carolina Marin of Spain and on Sunday Sindhu was outclassed in just 29 minutes It was a sad spectacle to watch the Indian champion blown away in the final and not able to win at least 10 points in both the games against a player whom she had beaten seven times so far Sindhu was clueless in the final as a much improved Tunjung moved seamlessly on the court and toyed with the Indian

SL SEAL DRAMATIC SUPER OVER T20 WIN AGAINST NZ

Sri Lanka claimed a dramatic Super Over win in the opening match of their three-game Twenty20 series against New Zealand on Sunday to earn their first victory on tour The match went to a tie-break decider after both teams chalked 196 runs in a high-scoring thriller at Auckland’s Eden Park New Zealand only made 8-2 off a tight Super Over bowled by spinner Maheesh Theekshana before Charith Asalanka smashed a six off the second ball of Sri Lanka s response then sealed victory with a four

Salim Durani

Salim Durani getting lifetime achievement award from BCCI