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Blatant attack on businessmen Bhikhu and Vijay Patel – whither justice?

Cecil A Soans

Recent attacks on businessmen Bhikhu and Vijay Patel in The Times, a publication of international repute and arguably at the forefront of responsible journalism, and the Daily Mail, raise serious concerns about the nature of tactics employed to publicise alleged errors in NHS medicine pricing.

Unfortunately, and rather intriguingly, running

parallel to the story is a blatant attempt to publicly vilify the reputation of brothers Bhikhu and Vijay Patel. One cannot but wonder, and sadly so, if this is driven by a rabid love for sensationalism.

The story should have been confined to Atnahs, a company set up in 2013 by Bhikhu and Vijay Patel who bought the rights to branded medicines and sold them as generic drugs. The process involves moving the drug within the NHS pricing policy from category C, with a cap on profit margins, to Category A where the company can set their own prices. All this was done within the NHS guidelines. The allegation that prices were increased to

Vijay and Bhikhu Patel

46 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex, London HA7 4AH

email@travelinstyle.co.uk

unreasonable levels by a number of companies, leading to huge losses to the NHS is now being investigated by authorities. Atnahs confirmed that it is not aware of any investigation into its business and that it acquires the rights to make medicines at a significant upfront cost and Continued on page 7

Narendra Modi, Barack Obama: Washington, Tuesday

It is not mere politics that brings together two of the world's most powerful men together.

US President Barack Obama supported India's candidature for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, as he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to further boost bilateral ties.

Addressing the media in a joint statement, Obama said it was natural for two of the biggest democracies to "deepen and broaden" their partnership. "I indicated support to India being a part of NSG", Obama said.

Both the leaders discussed a wide range of topics, including terrorism, clean energy, climate change, regional security, and cyber security. They also welcomed the beginning of preparatory work on six nuclear reactors in India. They said that India and the US ExportImport Bank intend to work together toward a

competitive financing package for the project and will work to finalise contractual agreements

by June 2017. "Once completed, the project would be among the largest of its kind, fulfilling the promise of the US-India civil nuclear agreement and demonstrating a shared commitment to meet India’s growing energy needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels," the joint statement said.

The current face of globalisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi seems to be set to hit a world record with his constant engagements with other countries. His ongoing 5-nation tour covering Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico has the NaMo travelling for 140 hours, flying for nearly 44 hours, and covering almost 33,000 kilometres in just five days.

Continued on page 17

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |11th June 2016

www.asian-voice.com

to

Abdelaziz Benami

Abdelaziz Benami is currently Chief Executive of VIP AFRICA - a future tour company specialized in Luxury Travel and Events. Born in 1985 in Erfoud - a small city situated in the south eastern part of the Kingdom of Morocco. He graduated from the Higher International Institute of Tourism of Tangier.

Abdelaziz holds a masters degree in Economics and Legal Management of Tourism Organizations (University of Abdelmalek Essaadi - Tangier), and currently working to finish his PhD on Territorial Marketing in the UAE. He has been an ardent in the Moroccan tourism industry, accumulating years of academic and practical experiences in tourism. Abdelaziz is an exceptional tourism marketer, visionary business leader and effective public speaker.

He has a knack for easily recognizing opportunities and developing staff members to take advantage of unique situations. With almost 10 years of experience as an official tour guide serving visitors coming to Morocco, Abdelaziz considers himself as the actual ambassador of his country to the world.

1) What is your current position?

Chief Executive of VIP AFRICA – Luxury Travel & Events with a dedicated team of professional travel consultants and advocates to sustainable development offering personalized holidays to Morocco. I am also the president of the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta through which I and office members strive to principally promote the illustrate character of Ibn Batutta through auspiciously cultural projects.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Being born and raised in the desert of Morocco where opportunities of academic education

are almost unavailable, I am proud to have been successfully able to surmount the insurmountable by finishing my studies and obtaining university dreamlike degrees.

To save my mom and sister from the rough life by getting them settled in with me in Tangier to enjoy a better quality of life and make my dream childhood come true by becoming an official tour guide operating in all Morocco.

I am proud to be the pioneer and founder of the first association in the world that is mainly specialized in promoting the legendary character of Ibn Battuta.

I am always proud to have been a source of a smile back to many

Duo to fundraise for St Luke's Hospice during International Day of Yoga Yoga teachers from Harrow will be holding an event later this month in aid of charity.

Anjina Vekaria and Jaina Mistry-Patel are doing a Yoga Mala challenge in aid of St Luke’s Hospice, based in Kenton, on Sunday, June 26, as part of celebrations for the International Day of Yoga.

People of all abilities are welcomed to take part in the event, which will be held at Whitefriars School and involves participants completing 108 sun salutations, a set of 10 yoga poses combined to make a flowing sequence.

Ms Vekaria, a former trustee of the hospice, sees the challenge as a good way to raise money for the hospice whilst also offering people a fun way of improving their health and wellbeing.

“I’m passionate about volunteering and spreading the benefits of yoga within the local community. St Luke’s performs an important role in the community free of charge and does its work with utmost dignity and pays special attention to patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual needs. I know the hos-

Anjina Vekaria and Jaina MistryPatel

pice relies on fundraising for over £3 million each year so I wanted to continue helping through my love of yoga and collaborating with other yoga teachers to organise this event,” she said.

The teachers are aiming to take participants through a creative journey involving dance, martial arts and different styles of yoga.

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aging staff members at the office to reach the vision that has been drawn out as well as maintaining the productivity and cultural contribution of the Moroccan Association of Ibn Battuta.

people who lost hope in life.

3) What inspires you?

The main source of inspiration in my life is my mother whose wisdom and ongoing encouragements have played a great role in shaping my personality. The Sahara Desert where stillness prevails and where I was raised and brought up has enabled me to meet tourists visiting my hometown. Meeting people from different parts of the world inspired my soul and opened my eyes to another world of education and exploration.

4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?

Obstacles are numerous and unavoidable but conversely have powerfully given me strength and commitment to challenge them.

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

In fact, this can be summarized in a short story that happened to me in the middle of the Sahara Desert when I was 12 years old accompanying family members in a trading caravan. A nomad man woke up in the very early morning whom I surprisingly asked where he is going to and his answer has remained engraved in my soul since then.

He said I am going to work. I replied, what work can you do in the middle of nowhere? He said, even though there is nothing to do but I create an image of work

in mind and I work on it. The lesson I fully grasped is that one has to always work hard to achieve whatever goal one has.

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

I find myself when I interact with the dedicated team of multilingual professional travel consultants which I am part of and the best part is when we excitingly work hard to please and meet the special needs of our customers.

7) And the worst?

The worst part is to successfully manage numerous tasks and responsibilities at once particularly that I am doing another masters degree, finishing my PhD, assisting my clients during their daily trips to Tangier, man-

Arson-hit Sparkhill tyre boss back in business after £100k blaze A tycoon whose tyre-fitting business was destroyed by ‘jealous’ arsonists is to reopen again following a £100,000 makeover.

Zahid Khan, 29, has renovated and refitted his Bulls and Horses Auto Centre after the attack four months ago. His business was torched in the early hours of February 12.

Despite offering a £25,000 reward, no-one has been arrested.

Qualified pilot Mr Khan said: “It has been a tough few months and was absolutely devastating when it first happened.

There was a lot of damage and I did lose some personal items, business documents and cash."

Almost two years ago the businessman was ambushed by gun thugs as he sat in his £250,000 Rolls Royce. They demanded a £10,000 cash ransom from his relatives for his release.

Four men were later jailed at Birmingham

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Zahid Khan in cockpit of a plane

Crown Court for a total of 41 years for blackmail and firearms offences.

The multi-millionaire put his plush home in Yardley Wood Road, Moseley, up for sale at a cool £700,000 back in February saying he wanted to sell up and leave the area due to “jealous haters.”

The luxurious property is still up for sale.

Anyone with information about the arson attack can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

8) What are your long term goals?

My initial goal is to turn VIP AFRICA into a reputable and leading travel company, an excellent example of sustainability in Morocco and the world alike. My long term goal is to be elected as the minister of tourism of Morocco so as to help foster the development of the whole sector, which I believe I know its mysteries.

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

I would challengingly bring social, economic and cultural issues into reality and strive to efficiently solve them without being hindered by the opposed political parties.

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

I have been always haunted by the legendary personality of Ibn Battuta whose soul of adventure, exploration and devotion to knowledge are the features that have been of exceptional admiration to me.

Schoolboy fraudster jailed for selling fake car insurance policies on Gumtree

A schoolboy fraudster has been jailed for selling fake car insurance on Gumtree from his bedroom to unsuspecting customers - who were left driving illegally.

Azeem Investigators discovered Hussain, then aged just 16, was 'ghost broking' and selling false policies via adverts placed on the selling website.

Teams from three police forces worked together to uncover the full extent of his criminal activity.

Hussain, now aged 19, was jailed for 12 months at Wolverhampton Crown Court, having previously pleaded guilty to fraud by false representation. His deception first came to light in July 2013 when a driver who unwittingly used Hussain’s online service to insure his van was stopped by police in Northern Ireland.

Checks revealed it was uninsured, but the driver protested and said he paid £200 into a bank account for the Gumtree advertised policy.

The case was eventually passed on to the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department (IFED), part of the City of London Police, where officers identified the account as belonging to Hussain. https://editorial.abplgroup.com/content/download/33229/468818

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice |11th June 2016

Balanced journalism need of the hour By and large, today, British Asians lead fairly comfortable lives thanks to British values and environment.

Many from the community have built solid reputations in entrepreneurship, professions, art, culture, media, politics and sports. Turn the clock back half a century or so and the scenario looks different, at times grim. The Asian diaspora, from various corners of the globe, came to Great Britain for different reasons. Some of their own accord. Some with their backs to the wall had no choice but to flee or be consumed by the flames of war and persecution. When they arrived here they had two choices – wring their hands in despair and plead for handouts or roll up their sleeves, dig deep and prepare for the long haul. They chose the latter and in so doing spawned innumerable stories of rags and riches.

The success story of business tycoons Bhikhu and Vijay Patel is one such. By dint of sheer hard work and entrepreneurship they built a business empire comprising pharmaceuticals and property, spanning 40 years.

Their success story is one that must be celebrated. On the contrary it is, it seems, at the receiving end of ridicule in sections of the mainstream press – The Times and the Daily Mail in particular. Pray tell, when did wealth generation, job creation and profit making become synonymous with bad business practice ? On the contrary are they not the very bedrock on which the might of our economy rests ? Is the recent case of Atnahs representative of all that the Patel brothers have achieved ?

Crucially, The Times has pointed out that Atnahs

has done nothing illegal. The publication should have focussed on the NHS bodies whose responsibility it is to ensure due diligence in the procurement process.

Highlighting the lifestyle of the Patel brothers is indulging in tabloid journalism and hitting below the belt, something not befitting respectable publications. A large number of people have expressed disgust over such sensational and misleading reporting.

Various industry sectors have their representative organisations and umbrella bodies who stand up to misleading media coverage. CBI, Chambers of Commerce, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Board of British Jewry, have been the custodians of the well being and reputation of their respective constituents. On the contrary, British Indian entrepreneurs have very well integrated into the mainstream and have not felt the need for any such bodies to safeguard their interests.

Community newspapers, especially Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will always offer a platform and a voice for those feeling maligned or unjustly treated.

Fairness and transparency in all walks of life, including business are values the the UK has always championed. In the same way are not fair play and balanced reporting essential to objective journalism ?

The case of Atnahs is yet to come under official scrutiny but some sections of the press, in inexplicable exuberance and daggers drawn, are already baying for blood. One can be sure that the final verdict when it is delivered will be free and fair. Rest assured, not even the media can alter that. Until then, hold your horses.

Indian skills development a priority There is understandable satisfaction in the corridors of power in Delhi at the performance of the Indian economy. Early signs from the current fiscal starting April 1 are encouraging. For instant, May numbers of car sales show a sizeable increase, while the imminent good monsoon should presage higher agricultural growth and better rural demand for industrial goods and services and a possible GDP growth of 8 per cent or more. Jonathan Garner, chief Asia and emerging markets equity strategist at Morgan Stanley said, ‘India has risen to No 3 of 27 countries that we assess on as monthly basis…we see a gross domestic product (GDP) growth accelerating that is unfolding now and we see an earnings growth acceleration.’

With reasonable luck over the next three years or so, the good times overall should get better, creating an economic platform fit for 21st century purpose. The key, going forward, is surely skills development. India’s foremost asset will be its youthful human capital. The demographic dividend gives India a potential edge over its rivals in the international marketplace will be a well educated, skilled workforce. If Rome wasn’t built in a day, such a workforce will take time to build. Hence, a start has to commence without delay. Indian planners within government, it would appear, have made that start with the launch of the National Skill Development Mission (rejigged version of the previous UPA government’s policy paper) with a mandate to train 300 million Indians by 2022. Encouragingly, the programme has been making steady if unspectacular progress, but the task is humongous. Government estimates that an incremental requirement of 110 million additional skilled personnel across 24 sectors with the greatest demand coming from sectors such as retail, security, real estate, transport, health and wellness. The demography at first appears overwhelming, but given that 50 per cent of India’s population is below 27 years and 700

million in this age group will constitute part of the national population come 2030.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves credit for articulating the broad concept of the Skill Development Mission by projecting the vision of India as the ‘world’s human resource capital.’ He suggested that the country ready itself to replace the diminishing workforce of affluent countries with ageing problem arising from declining levels of population growth. Towards the realization of that goal the ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana’ skill loan scheme and the national policy for skill development and entrepreneurship 2015 were brought into being. In all, 25 organizations including key ministries are presently involved in the formidably difficult business of skilling youth for gainful employment. The entire process appears more visible in the rural hinterland where youth are less educated and skilled than their urban compeers. There is greater awareness of these issues and opportunities of betterment.

A skilling project of this scale will inevitably have its teething problems. Although there have been attempts to place all government schemes under a single umbrella, there is also a pressing need to standardize courses, inputs and outcomes.

Clearly, the mission faces myriad challenges. High dropout rate is one. This was true largely of rural youth unable to bear the stresses and strains of urban life, hence return home to their villages. Industry has yet to participate to the full in this ambitious endeavour.

Serious questions remain about the quality about some of the training imparted. To make its desired impact, the programme needs not only to be scaled up but to keep abreast of international norms. Only then will India acquire the skilling base from which it can move forward confidently into the future – a future that works.

David Warner, Virat Kohli stars of IPL 2016 IPL Twenty/20 2016 was arguably the finest, the most exciting since the tournament first presented itself some eight years ago. Since the spectacle has captured the imagination of the cricket aficionados throughout the world, with international stars lining up to demonstrate their skills before mammoth crowds across the subcontinent, with television taking the matches to every corner of the globe.

The spectacle this year was special. The unfancied Sun Risers Hyderabad, captained superbly by the Australian David Warner took the trophy, beating fancied rivals, Royal Challengers Bangalore in a pulsating final by 8 runs, both sides breaching 200, Sun Risers with an awesome 208.

Warner’s carried his side’s batting on his broad shoulders, round after round, piling up a record aggregate of over 800 runs, while the bowling, spearheaded

by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra and Bangladesh rookie Mustafizur Rahman, kept opponents in check. One of cricket’s oldest and truest adages is ‘Bowlers win matches;’ the Sun Risers trio did so to

perfection. Through it all, Warner led his team by example: never losing his head in the most stressful moments, encouraging, cajoling and, when required, scolding. The teamwork was terrific; and they emerged deserving winners.

The Royal Challengers, thrice runners-up, were at home before their adoring fans. But their bowling was indifferent, often poor and the lower order batsmen failed to measure up. Their stellar batsman, Virat Kohli, A. B. De Villiers, Chris Gayle, were outstanding.

Kohli’s bat yielded 973 runs including four centuries a tournament record that is likely to hold its own for many a long year. Especially pleasing to the eye was the style and panache with which these runs were compiled. Kohli’s range of strokes held spectators and players in thrall. His leadership skills, like Warner’s, were out of the top draw. The country looks to him to take India to the challenging heights in all formats of the game, especially Tests - the ultimate benchmark of a cricketer’s abilities. India’s Test performances against the best sides have been mostly below spar since 2011.

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Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

- Henry Ford

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Remain in the European Union

London Assembly has voted recently with a clear majority, supported by Labour LibDem and Green to support the membership of the European Union. See below some of the text of the motion debated at the Assembly “This Assembly supports the United Kingdom’s continued membership of the European Union and, in particular, the economic, workplace, security, and environmental benefits this brings to the people of London.

“This Assembly notes the advantages of remaining within the European Union in the following areas: Economic benefits to London of EU membership Trade: The EU’s single market is London’s most important trade relationship – responsible for 30-40% of the capital’s total exports; being part of the single market supports London’s status as an international economic hub; and 40% of the world’s largest 250 companies choose London for their headquarters, with almost half citing access to Europe as the core reason for investing.

Business: The Confederation of British Industry reports that “71% of CBI member businesses report that the UK’s membership of the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business, including 67% of SME members.”

Immigration: Despite the scaremongering and inflammatory rhetoric surrounding EU migration, European migrants to the UK are not a drain on Britain’s finances and, instead, pay £20bn more in taxes than they receive in state benefits.

Social benefits to London of EU membership: Maternity Rights: The EU Pregnant Workers Directive (1994) introduced a right to paid time off for ante-natal care; got rid of the qualifying period for unfair dismissal in pregnancy and maternity cases; and gave women the right to a suitable alternative job if they were made redundant while on maternity leave.

Security benefits to London of EU membership Extradition: The European Arrest Warrant allows the UK to extradite individuals from other member states to face prosecution or to serve a prison sentence for an existing conviction. In the period 2011-2015 the Met made 1,735 arrests under the EAW. It is because of this that Hussein Osman, a terrorist involved in the failed 21/7 London bomb plot, was sentenced to 40 years in prison after being returned to Britain from Italy.

Information Sharing: Although part of the Schengen information sharing area, the UK is not part of the Schengen passport free area. Security controls remain in place at UK borders and the UK can return migrants to the European country they first arrived to be processed. Under the Schengen Information System 11, it is possible to issue Europe-wide alerts for missing people and property.

“While far superior to the isolationist alternative offered by those campaigning for ‘Brexit’, this Assembly does not view the current European Union a ‘finished product’. Rather, the EU is an evolving institution, which is a product of those nations that actively participate in it.

“This Assembly believes Londoners should reject the shallow, populist rhetoric of those encouraging Londoners to vote for ‘Brexit’, and encourages the people of London to vote for the United Kingdom to remain part of the European Union.”

For the full text of the motion visit the Greater London Authority Website or contact my office.

For peace, prosperity and security it makes sense to remain in the European Union. I’d be voting to remain – I urge you to do the same too.

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UK

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Playboy drug dealer ordered to pay £2.2m or face TEN more years jail

Birmingham plane passenger caused flight terror by shouting 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Boom!'

Passengers on a Birminghambound flight were left terrified and reduced to tears when a man chanted “Allahu Akbar” and “Boom!” as they were about to land.

Shehraz Sarwar, 38, caused widespread alarm with his ‘obnoxious’ behaviour while aboard the Emirates Boeing 777 from Dubai on February 1 last year.

Birmingham Crown Court heard some of the 347 passengers were left in tears after becoming frightened by his shouting.

Sarwar had caused difficulties from the start of the flight, twice refusing to put his seat belt on during take-off and then making the loud outbursts before landing at Birmingham Airport.

Patrick Sullivan, prosecuting, said: “The behaviour before these words was obnoxious. He fell asleep for about three quarters of the flight and when he woke up he threw a towel back at a member of staff who had offered him one. He also threw a scone behind him although it did not land on anyone.

“He was also hitting his head with his hand. People were distressed and upset by his behaviour. In a statement, one of the passengers said the plane had hit strong turbulence as they were descending. He said that he was happy to have survived the landing but feared, after hearing Sarwar, that he was going to be the victim of a terrorist bomb and that his ‘heart skipped a beat.’”

Sarwar pleaded guilty to using threatening words and behaviour.

Nirmal Saund

Darry Saund

or face a further 10 years behind bars.

His nephew Darry Saund, 32, of Foxcote Drive, Shirley, who was sentenced to nine years for his role in the operation, was told to pay back £114,115 at an earlier hearing.

The pair were brought to justice after detectives staked out some of their cannabis factories and dismantled their network of fake names,

passports and utility bills.

Police also unearthed bank accounts used to stash drugs cash after officers followed some of their Vietnamese ‘gardeners’ on bank runs and tracked the cartel members down to their base in Baltimore Road, Handsworth Wood.

Detectives said they splashed some of their cash on luxury cars, expensive homes and a high-end lifestyle.

West Midlands Police also took action against Mann Singh Landa - who stole money from gaming machines - and was told he must return £42,000 or be jailed for a further two years.

The 42 year-old, of Yardley Green Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to 20 months in January for theft of £17,858 from Pickwick Cricket Club in Moseley where he was a steward which must be paid back.

Boxer Amir Khan spends £100,000 on daughter's birthday party The daughter of boxer Amir Khan was treated to a £100,000 birthday party to celebrate her second birthday. There were Disney princess, Peppa Pig and a real-life ballerina at the spectacular celebration held at the home of Khan's beloved Bolton Wanderers football club.

Amir and his wife Faryal Makhdoom Khan invited around 250 guests to Lamaisah's party, which took Mrs Khan three months to plan and also featured a giant cake and a carousel.

During an exclusive interview with Hello! magazine, the 29-year-old talked about his daughter's big day.

He said: "When I walked in, the first thing I said was, 'Wow!' My wife did an amazing job. I was busy training when she was plan-

Pic courtesy: Hello magazine

A major cannabis dealer who posed as a respectable businessman has been ordered to pay back £2.2 million - or face more TEN more years in jail.

Nirmal Saund, 52, lived a playboy lifestyle on the back of a £35 million drugs empire, which also involved his nephew. He was jailed for 10 years and six months last February after being sentenced for conspiracy to produce drugs.

Now he is one of the latest criminals to targeted by West Midlands Police's Regional Organised Crime Unit.

It pursued court action to confiscate the ‘dirty money’ through the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA).

And at a hearing last month Saund, of Skip Lane, Walsall, was ordered to hand back £2.2 million within three months -

In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice |11th June 2016

my kid."

Mrs Khan said: "I wanted it to be something really grand. Now I'm not doing anything until she's 16."

During the interview the 24-year-old from New York also revealed that she is happier after adjusting to the UK following the couple's wedding in 2013.

Mrs Khan said parenthood has changed her sportsman husband and brought them closer Amir Khan pictured with wife Faryal Makhdoom Khan and daughter Lamaisah together.

Discussing Amir, ning this, but every day I she said: "He is such a good was getting crazy bills and guy, such a kind-hearted thinking, 'What's this for?' person. He's the type of guy "Every penny spent on that would give up things for my daughter is worth it, his own happiness to make though. After all, all this his wife and child happy." hard work I do is for her, for

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Newsagent sentenced after selling 'legal highs' which contained illegal substances A newsagent who sold "legal highs" found to contain illegal substances was given a suspended jail sentence.

Narendra Patidar who runs the Ashby Square News in Loughborough was initially warned by the police on January 28, 2015 that the pills and powders might contain banned chemicals.

Although he ceased selling the products, when the police executed a search warrant two months later on March 24 they found a box in the shop's storeroom contained packets of pills and powders which turned out to contain banned class A and class B substances, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Patidar (48) was given a 32 week jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with 140 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £750 prosecution costs.

Patidar, of Alfred Street, Loughborough, pleaded guilty to two counts of having supplied so called legal highs containing class B Methylenedioxy-N-ethylcathinone and Ethylaminobenzofuran, between January 1 and 27 last year – before receiving the police warning.

He also admitted two counts of possessing the same class B substances as well as one count of possessing a class A drug, Alpha-Methyltryptamine, all on March 24 last year.

Drug dealer stashed more than £2,000 worth of cannabis in family home

A drug dealer hid more than £2,000 worth of cannabis in his family home.

Imran Litt, of Shanti Margh, near Northfields, Leicester, has been jailed for 18 months. He stashed cannabis in his bedroom, the spare room and in a music speaker at his family's house, Leicester Crown Court heard.

In addition to the drugs, which had a total street value of £2,230, police also found several mobile phones in his possession.

Two of them contained a "drug message" relating to people trying to obtain drugs from him.

Litt (31), who has previous convictions for drugs-related offences, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply cannabis on September 16 last year. The offence put him in breach of a suspended jail sentence for an earlier offence of causing actual bodily harm, relating to a group street assault last year.

Litt was jailed for 12 months for possession with intent to supply cannabis and six months of the suspended sentence were activated, to run consecutively.

The cash and items found were forfeited and the drugs were ordered to be destroyed.

Anger after burglar ransacks Leicester's oldest Sikh temple Police are hunting a burglar who broke into Leicester's oldest Sikh temple and left a trail of destruction in his wake.

The lone intruder broke into the Guru Nanak gurdwara, in Holy Bones, off Vaughan Way, Leicester city centre in the early hours of last Tuesday.

Last Tuesday, members of the congregation were assessing the scale of the losses and the extent of the damage the thief caused during his one and three-quarter hour search of the building.

The list of items stolen ranged from musical instruments to CCTV cameras and their monitors. A large sum of

money which members of the congregation had collected for charity was also taken.

Ajaib Singh, a member of the temple's management committee, said assessing the scale of the damage was a big job.

As the intruder moved from room to room he kicked open locked doors and smashed windows. He left in a vehicle which is owned by the temple, ramming a wrought

iron gate at least three times to force it open.

Mr Singh said: "It has been a very distressing day for the community. People have been hearing about what has happened to their place of worship and coming in to find out what is going on.

"This is the oldest Sikh temple in the city and is very important to people.

"It was only one man. We can see him on the CCTV walking around very leisurely. He was in here between 2am and 3.45am. It was all very well planned and professionally executed."

UK Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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St Luke’s Hospice seeks new Chair of Trustees St Luke’s Hospice Chair of trustees, Mike Redhouse will be standing down as he comes to the end of his term of office, and St Luke’s would like to appoint a new Chair to lead the Board and the Executive Team to extend its reach to support many more people and to grow its fundraising and shops income to fund this expansion.

Mike says:‘In my five years as Chair the experience has transformed my faith in my fellow people.

There are those who despair of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural society; they should share my experience of working on a team at St Luke’s with all the diversity of our volunteers, staff, and Trustees. This shows what can be done as Chair to set the context and strategy for them.

"There are those who despair of our young people, see them as selfish an uncaring. They should come and see our events and watch these youngsters raise our money and our spirits with their enthusiasm. This shows what a Chair can do to make sure they can. There are those who despair of our NHS and see only the gaps in service. They should come and see how care and compassion at the end of life can be achieved by us working together with the NHS

F g Sale Flight le Mike Redhouse, Lord Dolar Popat, Samantha Cameron, CB Patel and Robin Webb

and adding to their service not deriding it. As Chair you can ensure this continues.

"There are those who see localism and neighbourliness as disappearing.

They should come to our shops and events and see how Harrow and Brent can achieve things for themselves. As Chair you can help inspire them. In my time as Chair I have learnt all these good things. You could help to make sure they continue."

Would you be interested in becoming Chair of an innovative and ambitious hospice at an exciting time in its growth and when it is making a major contribution to the development of palliative care services in 2 of London’s most diverse boroughs?

The Hospice is looking for someone with significant chairing skills, who is a confident communicator at all levels with a collabora-

tive style and the ability to build strong relationships.

They also want someone who has an understanding of the not-for-profit sector and a commitment to the hospice movement.

More information about this role can be found on www.jmrc.co.uk If you would like to submit an application, then please send an up-to-date CV together with a cover letter stating why you are interested and how your experience matches the role description to Jocelyn Ridley at JMR Consultants: jocridley@jmrc.co.uk. If you have any questions about the role, then please don’t hesitate to contact Jocelyn (phone: 07976 395688 or email as above) or Ann Gill (phone: 07787 512129 or email: annie.gill@virgin.net).

Closing date for applications is Friday 8 July 2016.

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The City of London Corporation and the High Commission of India hosted a panel discussion with members of the City of London Advisory Council for India on Thursday, 2nd June at the Old Library, Guildhall. The members included Rajiv Luthra (of Luthra and Luthra Law Offices), Stuart Milne (HSBC), Zia Mody (AZB & Partners), Nasser Munjee (Development Credit Bank), Ravi Narain (NSE, Deepak India), and Parekh (HDFC Group).

The panel discussion was Mark moderated by Boleat, the Policy Chairman of the City of London Corporation, which is the leading centre for policy issues affecting London as a key international financial centre.

The opening remarks were made by Dr. Virander Paul, the Deputy High Commissioner of India, in which he highlighted the strengths and challenges of the Indian economy amidst the current global economic slowdown. Prime Minister Modi, since the start of the year, has stressed the message of ‘reform to transform India’. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reit-

erated this message in April during discussions with the IMF where he emerged developed economies like to look at their own economic stability to ensure the global financial system can withstand any future issues.

This session represented an opportunity to hear first-hand from the Indian High Commission and financial sector experts on the Modi Government’s reform agenda.

The key issues discussed were the growth of the Indian renewable energy sector, the emergent Indian start-up ecosystem, the debate around the projected growth of the service sector, financial inclusion, FDI in Defence, and the rising digitisation, among others. Nasser Munjee emphasised on the slow growth of the manufacturing sector and how the projected growth rate of India fails to reflect this.

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should, as suggested, include institutional reforms, land and labour reforms, allowing insurance and pension 50% investments, debt markets (allowing foreign investors to invest in local currency), setting up of independent regulators, and simplifying documentation and allowing modifications.

Rajiv Luthra raised an urgent concern over the growth of the renewable energy sector in India. He suggested that the government policies that support household consumption of renewable energy are poorly advertised despite having enormous potential. The panel agreed that although there exists a well laid-out plan for a financial and social growth by the Modi government, the execution is skewed and needs a thorough and comprehensive review.

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India Connect

Overseas Citizens Of India (OCI) PHOTO/ SIGNATURE SPECIFICATION Signature/Thumb Impression Specifications for OCI registration An OCI application requires the applicant s to sign or place thumb impression on multiple places, applicant are requested to ensure that the signatures or thumb impressions have been placed where ever required.

Children below 5 years of age should place the thumb impression and children above 5 years of age should write their name or sign.

While uploading signatures on the application form, please ensure the below: Signature/ thumb impression should not be distorted (Stretched, carrying a background, pixilated, parts missing).

G Signature/Thumb impression WHITE with be should BACKGROUND only.

G signature/thumb Uploaded impression should exactly match with the original signature/thumb impression placed on the application form. and with the passport copy submitted with the application (if applicable) Photo Specifications for OCI registration Based upon the specifications of the Standards International Organization (ISO) and ICAO, responsible for standardizing travel documents, the most important requirement for a photograph is that the face must be taken from a full frontal position and the height of the face must meet the prescribed specifications. The eyes must be open, level and clearly visible within the indicated area. The face should be centred within the frame. Please read the instructions below: Sample Photo

2 inch.

G

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Asian Voice |11th June 2016

2 inch.

The photograph should be in colour and of the size of 2 inch x 2 inch (51 mm x 51 mm).

G The photo-print should be clear

and with a continuous-tone quality.

G It should have full face, front view, eyes open.

G Photo should present full head from top of hair to bottom of chin.

G Center head within frame.

G The background should be a white.

G There should not be any distracting shadows on the face or on the background.

G Head coverings are not permitted except for religious reasons, but the facial features from bottom of chin to top of forehead and both edges of the face must be clearly shown.

G The expression on the face should look natural.

The processing of OCI comes with three steps: Step-1: complete and uploading of the documents online.

Complete http://passport.gov.in/oci/ all information as per your foreign passport.

Upload documents Print and sign all parts of the application Book and appointment Take your signed application and all the original documents to VFS Global.

St e p - 2: fully of Submission completed application to VFS Global.

Processing of documents at VFS Global VFS will send the application for processing to the High commission of India/Consulate Dispatch of applications to New Delhi from The High commission of India/ Consulate Verification of OCI application at New Delhi Granting and printing of OCI cards at New Delhi Dispatch of OCI Cards from New Delhi to United Kingdom Step-3: Track your application Arrival of printed OCI cards to The India/ of commission High Consulate Applicant track and Printout of online status report.

Applicant delivers Printout of online status report and foreign passport to VFS Global.

Foreign passport and Printout of online status report sent to The High commission of India/Consulate for match up of OCI Match up of OCI Cards with foreign passport dispatch to you via DX trackable service.

OCI and Your foreign passport arrive to your requested ad.

For more information please contact us on our helpline numbers: +44 203 793 8629 / +44 203 695 9849 Monday – Friday 8:30 – 17:30 (except for Consular Holiday)

Alternatively applicants can also call : 09057 570 045* * Please note calls to this number will be chargeable at the rate of 95p per minutes plus a connection charge from a BT landline. Calls from mobile phones may cost considerably higher.

For Email inquiry please email us: OCI: info.ociuk@vfshelpline.com Visa: info.inuk@vfshelpline.com Consular & Passports: Info.ppt-Consularuk@vfshelpline.com

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NatWest awards £2.5m for community projects NatWest Bank gave six London based community organisations a share of the bank’s £2.5m Skills & Opportunities Fund to help the organisations at an event on 31st May. Community projects ranging from the performing arts, construction, Play work, career pathways support, protecting London’s wild spaces, and even a recreation of the Great Fire of London were among the finalists which received the the fund. At the recently held Asian Voice Charity Awards 2016, NatWest won the Excellence in CSR award for this Fund.

Artichoke is a charity working with artists to create extraordinary outdoor events that appeal to the widest possible audience.

London’s Burning, marking the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, will transform the lives of a large group of young Londoners aged between 18-24 years old.

Chain Reaction, a dynamic award-winning organisation that uses theatre, media and music to inspire and educate people about the issues that really affect them. Their project Make Your Mark is a creative employability programme that will work with deprived 13-19 year olds

from Barking & Dagenham borough, helping them tackle barriers to employment.

Construction Youth Trust enables young people who have faced difficulties in their lives training and employment opportunities in the construction sector.

Funding will be used to develop new courses in bricklaying, plastering, plumbing, painting, tiling and carpentry, delivered from its Bermondsey training centre. Hackney Play Association is a specialist Play work training centre in East London. The Fund will help the association plans to deliver a 15 month training programme for 200 disadvantaged people from East London through at least 40 training sessions.

London Wildlife Trust is the only charity dedicated to protecting the capital's wild spaces Over the next 18 months, the Trust’s Wild Talent project will provide paid traineeships

to 13 participants to enter the environmental conservation sector.

Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership is the leading education charity that bridges the gap between students and the world of work in Tower Hamlets. Its Pathways to Success programme, designed to give 2,000 young people information, advice and skills to make informed choices about their future, will benefit from the fund.

The Skills & Opportunities Fund provides grants of up to £35,000 to non-profit organisations across UK and Ireland. By the end of 2016 the Fund is expected to reach over 50,000 people, helping to build stronger communities. The next round of funding opens in August 2016. To learn more about the Skills & Opportunities Fund and its application criteria, visit http://skillsandopportunitiesfund.natwest.com.

Bollywood is the bomb It is reported that British special forces are playing Bollywood music as part of a psychological war against the Islamic State fighters in Libya. The idea struck after a Pakistaniborn intelligence officer with the British army, said the music would get to the terrorist outfit which considers it un-Islamic.

A report said the British team left two cars near the border of Sirte, and played Bollywood songs at dawn using a remote control and two speakers. In another incident, they intercepted ISIS' internal communications and blasted them with Bollywood tunes instead. The experiment has reportedly revealed the terrorists' hiding places and weakesses, depending on how much time it took

the militants to reach the source of the music and how they complained about it. "We needed to unnerve militants and at the same time use some sort of passive measure to gauge their force strength in the area we are working and it went well," said a source.

The move is in direct offense of the Sharia law imposed inside Sirte that

bans all things western or frivolous. Hindi movie songs will be seen as a huge insult. British special forces are in Libya in a non-combat role, training the nation's forces in how to wipe-our ISIS. The SBS will only launch an assault on the IS if they are attacked first. There are around 4000 insurgents believed to be in the region.

Police release image of two men in connection with violent home burglary in Feltham Police have released an image of two men disguised as couriers involved in a horrific attack on a woman in her home in Feltham.

The pair forced their way in, knocked out, tied up and threatened a woman in her 40s with a firearm in the daylight burglary at around midday on April 19, before

they made with a large quantity of cash.

Suspect one is of medium build and was wearing a light-grey hooded top, with the hood up and a high visibility vest. The second suspect is described as around 5ft 11ins tall and of medium build, wearing a brown UPS delivery service jacket and brown cap.

UK Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Verdict Pending But Hangmen Out With Their Nooses

Continued from page 1 then spends significant money on ensuring the medicines are in line with the latest regulatory, medical and technical standards.

These investigations are sure to run their course and the findings will be placed in the public domain once that is done.

However, some sections of the media seem to be in a great hurry to play the hangman even before the official verdict is delivered.

Tracing the lives of Bhikhu and Vijay from when they first arrived in the UK as teenagers, till the current episode, there seems to be a covert attempt by sections of the media to tarnish their well established success stories.

The wealth created by Bhikhu and Vijay Patel did not begin in 2013; it spans 40 years. They only created Atnahs in late 2013, investing £50m to acquire a set of pharmaceutical assets in both the UK and internationally. The UK assets generated £18m revenue and the international assets £19m in 2015.

Vijay arrived in Britain from Kenya at the age of 16 with just £5, a handful of O-levels and a fierce determination to succeed in life.

After graduating from the College of Pharmacy in Leicester, in 1975 Vijay opened his first pharmacy in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. By 1982 he owned six shops and sales had doubled. Bhikhu, an architect by training, joined the company at this stage to give much-needed help to the greatly increased workload generated by such rapid growth. Over the next two decades the business grew organically into

a chain of retail pharmacies. The Patel brothers disposed of the retail chain in 2001.

Whilst building the retail chain the Patel brothers also began to establish their property portfolio.

They identified the value that could be built through owning property by buying their retail outlets and soon applied these principles to other real estate projects.

They now own a property portfolio with a value of around £200m.

It was also whilst running the retail chain that they identified another opportunity: to buy in bulk to reduce costs; they soon went from supplying products to their own chain of pharmacies to supplying third parties. They established Waymade Healthcare in 1984, primarily to act as a pharmaceutical wholesaler and distributor. By the 1990s the family had identified a huge opportunity to import pharmaceuticals from Europe in order to make cost savings and supply the market at more competitive prices. They overcame numerous regulatory hurdles and other challenges in order to set up a pioneering parallel imports business within Waymade. Waymade supplied a cross section of customers, including hospitals, retail pharmacies and other wholesalers.

In 2003, they established a separate international pharmaceutical company, Amdipharm, to focus on the acquisition of offpatent pharmaceutical assets from large pharmaceutical companies.

Again the Patel brothers identified a gap in the market and focussed on products that were no longer

core to other companies.

Considerable capital expenditure was made by the family to acquire the portfolio of assets and to carry out the necessary regulatory and technical work to transfer the licences and to set up a distribution network globally. By 2012 the business had a turnover of £110m, of which 70% was derived from international sales. In October 2012, they sold Amdipharm to a private equity firm. The Patel brothers had no further management involvement from this point onwards.

In 2013, the Patels set up their family office, Waymade Capital, to manage their diversified interests and investments.

The Patel brothers have been involved in a number of charity projects over the years, many of which they actively participate in, including establishing water wells and medical camps and recently donating £1m to De Montfort University, Leicester, for students in financial need. They set up the charitable Shanta Foundation in 2013 and it funds UK and international projects with a focus on emergency shelter, education and healthcare.

What is presented above is a timeline of how the brothers, Bhikhu and Vijay Patel, built their business empire – completely above board. In contrast the mainstream media would like to have us think otherwise. Why? Yes, Atnahs is a matter which is pending before the authorities.

But the question is- does the Atnahs episode, whatever the outcome, tells the whole story?

7

MoneyGram reaches out to customers with Ramadan offer Bringing you closer – this MoneyGram company slogan couldn’t have been more apt.

As a global money transfer provider that helps people connect with their near and dear ones around the world financially, MoneyGram is reaching out to its customers during the time of Ramadan with special gift offers to its remittance customers. Customers sending remittance during this Holy Month using the MoneyGram service will get calendars, while the receivers will get a gift box containing treats that will have fruit juice, biscuits, five dates and a rear view mirror.

The timing gives the remitters a chance to reach out to their loved ones in a meaningful way, as the recipients generally use the gift of money to buy basic family necessities during the Holy Month, to hold Iftaar get-togethers, or for the Eid celebrations.

Why use the MoneyGram Service?

“Well, you can of course save money.

The service offers competitive exchange rates and lower transfer fees. You can manage your money transfers online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to moneygram.co.uk “You can rest easy knowing your money is in the hands of a highly professional and experienced organisation. MoneyGram ensures that your remitted money is safe and secure and is received by the right person. It provides quick, easy and secure money transfers to anyone anywhere in the world.

“MoneyGram invests heavily in its compliance department to keep a check on fraud. We ensure that the

remitter is bona fide and ask him to furnish a government-issued identity before proceeding further. We tell customers – never send money to an unknown person. We also advise them not to give their reference number to anyone other than the receiver,” says Richard Levy, Marketing Director, UK and Ireland, MoneyGram, who has been with the money transfer company for the last seven years.

MoneyGram’s global network comprises over 200,000 agent locations in over 190 countries and territories. MoneyGram’s convenient and reliable network includes retailers, international post offices and financial institutions.

Festivals are the time for remittances.

“We see an increase in remittances in the UK during festivals like Ramadan, Diwali, Christmas, and occasions like birthdays, New Year, Valentine’s Day, etc.

“MoneyGram is popular in the UK, Europe, Nigeria, Ghana Zimbabwe, South Africa, -- basically English speaking regions of Africa.

Jamaica too is big. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are huge market. India is the second biggest market after Saudi Arabia,” says Richard Levy. Sending money with MoneyGram is a great way to get closer to your family and friends across the globe. Whether you are sending money to loved ones back home or you have a friend who is in need of cash, MoneyGram is there to quickly and securely get them the money they need. Needless to say, MoneyGram brings you closer.

BOOK N OW!

8

UK

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Book on Swaminarayan Hinduism launched at King’s College Anand Pillai A democratic and peaceful society can be built out of knowledge and hope, said Prof. Raymond Brady Williams, LaFollette Distinguished Professor in the Humanities emeritus at Wabash College, US. He was speaking at the launch of the book “Swaminarayan Hinduism – Tradition, Adaptation, and Identity” at King’s College, London, on June 2.

Williams highlighted how this book came about, which is full of chapters from leading authorities from multiple disciplinaries from within the community and outside, presenting new and relevant information about Swaminarayan history, theology, arts, and transnational development.

Tradition, adaptation and preservation of individual and group identity in the midst of economic, social, political and religious changes are the highlight of this book, he said.

Williams, one of the editors of this book, described how after a fourday conference of S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya in Delhi in August 2013, 20 scholars were chosen and invited to write for this book.

“I am so glad that present in this book are the voices of authors of many national and cultural settings, both insiders and outsiders, people who are religious and non-religious, Swaminarayan Sadhu leaders, secular scholars, and incredibly impressive young scholars who are entering the field of research on the S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya, Hinduism and religion in general and that’s the most exciting aspect of this book,”

Prof. Raymond Brady Williams

Williams said.

The book is divided into four sections – History; Theology and Literature; The Arts and Architecture; and Transnational Movements.

Williams said this book provides first-hand eye-witness accounts and therefore is a prime resource material for the history of the S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya.

He said there’s a chapter on the history of the S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya in East Africa.

A primary resource for this chapter was Nairobi-resident Mahendrabhai Patel, who gave a first-hand eyewitness account of many of the events in the history of East African development of the Asian community, the Hindu community and the Swaminarayan Sampradaya itself.

Williams gave a brief description of how Mahendrabhai, as the leader of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya in Kenya and East Africa, managed to get the ritual objects of the temple at one place and get them across the border to a safe place in Kenya. This was during the turbulent

times in East Africa when Asians were expelled from Uganda.

Mahendrabhai was present in the hall when Williams was describing about him at the book launch event. He was given a huge round of applause by the audience.

Another chapter deals with an account of the terrorist attack on Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar in 2002. The chapter is written by Bramhavihari Swami, a prominent Sadhu who grew up in Leicester and left the sampradaya here to become a sadhu and now works in the global office and works closely with Pramukh Swami Maharaj. He happened to be inside the temple when the terror attack took place. Williams said such a poignant eye-witness account is not available anywhere else except in this book. More importantly, he put it in the context of inter-faith relationship, keeping in mind inter-communal harmony, and keeping tension and conflict at bay.

Yogi Trivedi, Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Journalism and a

Get In Go Far The UK Government is committed to creating three million apprenticeship starts by 2020, including a 20 per cent increase in the total number of apprentices from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds. The launch of the Government’s new Get In Go Far advertising campaign to raise awareness for apprenticeships has been welcomed by all quarters.

Asian Voice interviewed young apprentice, Sehar Nosrati, for her views.

Q. How did you hear about the Get In Go Far campaign?

A. I heard about it at college and decided that an apprenticeship would be the best way for me to qualify in law while gaining valuable work experience.

Q. Why did you choose an apprenticeship?

A. As an apprentice, you’ll learn a new skill and get paid while you learn.

Apprenticeships combine book learning with on-thejob training. At the end of the apprenticeship, you can keep your job and earn a higher salary or, you can take your skills to a new job.

Q. Did you have other career options?

A. I did my work experience at Blake Morgan when I was in year 10 and whilst gaining experience I also found out that they offer a variety of career paths and opportunities to develop, whether you are a school leaver, recent graduate or are in another sector but considering a move into law.

Q. What is the duration of your apprenticeship?

A. The duration of my

apprenticeship is 18 months – 24 months. I work at the firm 4 days a week and attend college 1 day a week.

Q. What qualification will you gain at the end of your apprenticeship ?

A. I am doing the CILEx Advanced Apprenticeship in Legal Services that consists of the CILEx Level 3 Certificate in Property and CILEx Level 3 Diploma in Providing Legal Services.

Q. Has apprenticeship made your social life better – money in the pocket?

A. Definitely! I have met

doctoral student in the Department of Religion at Columbia University, and also co-editor of this book, focussed on the poetry and music of Swaminarayan Samprayadaya.

He said this book launch is to get a word out to Swaminarayan community and also to wider Gujarati and wider Hindu diaspora community that there is more to S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya than just temples and the humanitarian work that is done so well that is appreciated and celebrated around the world.

On the occasion, Trivedi rendered soulfully a few brilliant lyrical compositions of Brahmanand Swami and Premanand Swami. The event was hosted and presided over by Professor Sunil Khilnani, Director of King’s India Institute.

Khilnani said the book is a serious scholarly study of a very important living tradition in India and across the world. It’s not written with abstraction, it’s a book that carries through the life of the community.

He said: “Swaminarayan community has always been very much part of my broader understanding of India, yet I have never really seen any scholarly writing about it. So I am truly delighted that there is such a book or work now available to all of us.”

This book will instruct and provoke or stimulate a conversation about the evolving nature of our beliefs and practices, he said. The event was moderated by sSchofield of King’s College London. The book is edited by Raymond Brady Williams and Yogi Trivedi. some amazing people through the apprenticeship scheme. And having money in my pocket, not my parents money, but money that I have earned means I can socialise more as well as treat myself!

Q. Are you confident/excited about your future?

A. I am confident my apprenticeship will lead me to qualify as a legal executive in the coming years. Then I would like to work towards becoming a solicitor.

Q. Would you recommend apprenticeship to our readers?

A. There are apprenticeships in nearly every field; from working for the police or becoming a firefighter to a technician or cook. That means you can find an apprenticeship for nearly any career you want. You can even get a degree with an apprenticeship.

For more information on the Get In Go Far campaign visit getingofar.gov.uk

Prof. Raymond Brady Williams spoke exclusively to Asian Voice.

Q. What’s the message of this book?

A. The message of the book is that people are Hindu within specific traditions and this presents a variety of perspectives on one significant Hindu tradition so that if one wants to learn about Hinduism you can get an entry point by looking at this particular tradition and that opens up to the wider world.

Q. What were your goals or intentions while editing this book? How well do you feel you have achieved them?

A. Well, that would be for others to say. The goals and intentions were to bring together the best scholars from around the world from a diverse perspective, all focusing on the Sampradaya in order to open up various aspects of Swaminarayan traditions, art, architecture, poetry, history, philosophy, bring them all together and I think we did that – but how successfully that would be for the reviewers and readers to say. But I am very pleased.

Q. How tough and interesting was it working on this book?

A. Coordinating was the most difficult part of it, communicating across so many different nations – Uganda, UK, Canada, etc.

And without the modern communications it would have been impossible to bring this book together.

The valuable part was how willing these world renowned scholars were to join together to meet deadlines, to be coopera-

tive and so it represented a wonderful sort of collaboration, a great diverse group of people all working together which I found very satisfying.

Some of the chapters are individually very interesting.

Q. Was there any effort in the book to remove any misconceptions about S w a m i n a r a y a n Sampradaya?

A. I think the book is not polemic in the sense that it is trying to correct things that other people may have mistaken.

But the only way to correct error is to present a true picture and in so far as presenting the true picture calls into question something that others may or may not have said, the only way to respond accurately to those is to present the truth and that I think is what the various scholars have tried to do.

It is not polemical in any sense.

Q. What are you doing next? Is there anything in the pipeline?

A. The book I wrote called “A New Face of Hinduism” as an introduction to Swaminarayan Hinduism was issued as a second edition by Cambridge University Press.

That came out in 2001. And so I have been in conversation with Cambridge about the possibility of issuing yet another revised edition because, as I say, the Sampradaya and the scholarship have developed so much over the last 15 years.

So my next task is to decide whether I want to undertake that revision but I hope to be able to do so.

Critically-acclaimed author appointed Writer in Residence at Leeds Beckett

Award-winning author Sunjeev Sahota has been appointed as Writer in Residence at Leeds Beckett University.

Sunjeev was recently was awarded the South Bank Sky Arts Awards literature prize, for his second novel, The Year of the Runaways, which was also shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2015.

Speaking about his new role at Leeds Beckett, Sunjeev said: “I’m really looking forward to working with the students at Leeds Beckett, from first year students through to more experienced writers, and seeing how they develop, spending time supporting them to become even better writers than they already are.

“This role as Writer in Residence is one I’m hugely excited about as there’s something engaging and rewarding about looking at

a student’s or writer’s work and helping to make it as much of itself as it can possibly be.”

Sunjeev, named one of Granta’s Best of British Young Novelists in 2013 and a rising star of contemporary literature, is Leeds Beckett’s first Writer in Residence and will work with both academics and students to support both English Literature and Creative Writing courses at Leeds Beckett.

UK Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Acting Legend, Sir Ben Kingsley Sir Ben Kingsley is one of the most talented and versatile of living actors. He won an Oscar for playing the title hero of the film Gandhi, and Oscar nominations for his roles in Bugsy, Sexy Beast and House of Sand and Frog. He is also known for his performances in Schindler’s List and Iron Man 3 among a panoply of consistently good roles, working with directors like Spielberg, Attenborough and Scorsese.

He has won an Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Kingsley was made a Knight Bachelor for services to the British film industry.

In Sir Ben’s latest film, Learning to Drive, he plays a New York Sikh taxi driver and driving instructor. He enters an arranged marriage with a bride from India, while teaching driving to a just-separated lady critic.

He spoke exclusively to the Asian Voice at the Soho Hotel prior to the general release of Learning to Drive

June10th 2016.

Early Life Sir Ben Kingsley was born Krishna Bhanji in Scarborough, Yorkshire.

His father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, was a Kenyanborn Gujarati medical doctor. His mother, Anna Lyna Mary (Goodman), was an English fashion model and actress.

How This Gifted Actor Focuses.

Sir Ben has just recently finished, “As often happens,” he said, “four films back to back. I learnt when I first started with the Royal Shakespeare Company. I was in four plays at the same time, giving eight per-

formances a week. That’s two performances of each play a week. I was holding a huge amount of material in my head. So I learnt to retreat from one role and advance towards another in a matter of 90 minutes.”

Ability to Relax “Relaxing; I work with my gardener, I love cooking for my wife, and I love the domestic nourishing things of life.

I have a siesta during lunch time. I’ve learnt that the more I am relaxed, the better the character will flow through me. In my work, relax and focus come together.”

What about the chal-

lenges growing up?

“I think the challenges come to you, personally.

Let me tell you a story that posed an insurmountable challenge to me.

There was a most shockingly brilliant documentary when I was growing up in the north of England called War in the Air. It was evidence and footage of World War 11.

Towards the end, Larry Olivier was narrating the end of the Bergen concentration camp. I remember watching this episode alone in the house. I could feel my heart ceasing to beat for a few seconds. I was in deep deep shock. That same week, in the same kitchen, in the same house, I was alone with my grandmother in the kitchen. She said, ‘Hitler was right, he should have killed all the Jews.’ She was violently anti-Semitic and occasionally spoke Yiddish. Worked in the East End. I again felt my metabolism shut down momentarily. How can a child, confronted with that kind of authority figure, hopefully the grandest and most beloved authority figure in one’s life, how can a child absorb that, having seen, days before, what he saw.”

Sir Ben feels that his roles in Murderers Amongst Us, Schindler’s List, and Anne Frank, The Whole Story, allowed him to redress the imbalance.

Why did he play these particular Nazi-era roles?

“I was doing it for the six million survivors.

They’ve embraced me as one of their storytellers.

There is some kind of a gyroscope guiding me very strongly. ‘You stood your ground in the kitchen, you were unable to say something, now you can say it.’”

You’ve said publicly about a feeling of absence by your parents during your childhood, so with the Indian part of your ancestry, how connected do you feel to your Gujarati roots?

“I have no idea. Because the part- Jewish, partEnglish, part-GujaratiIsmaili mix that I am is my normal. I cannot step outside myself. I find wonderful answers as perhaps, at my best I’m an artist sometimes.

Whatever question that I find myself unable to answer, one of my heroines is Tilda Swinton and I think she said in an interview; ‘Much of what we do is autobiographical.’

It’s probably true. So I think that all my connections with my tribe- which is massive, hopefully, will be reflected in my work.

That’s my joy and mandate as a storyteller; to reflect, be a voice for, and a storyteller to, everybody.”

Sir Ben has played more Jews than Indians, despite his iconic role as Gandhi. Did he feel grateful

9

that he has the Indian part of his heritage to draw on?

“Given my journey, I wouldn’t change anything.

If that’s an expression of gratitude, so be it.

Even my grandmother in the kitchen has helped make me what I am.

Because indignation can be a very powerful force, as well as the more benign feelings we have too. But that indignation that was inexpressible as a little boy, did find expression in later years.

Whatever it was that made me go from childhood to adolescence to young adult to acting, had to find an equally potent expression and I am eternally grateful that that expression was found.

Because I hope, at my best, I’m a tribal storyteller. Not many of us find our small corner in the tribe.”

The creation of Darwan, Sir Ben’s current film character, and who it is for.

“I approached him as the eternal ferryman, who ferries you across the river from one bank to the other, and in whose company you learn something.

It’s for that wonderful moment in the audience when one or more members of the audience look at the screen and say, as I did when I was a little boy watching one of my first films, “How did you know about me?”

Asian Voice investigates the highs and the lows of a Customer Relations role in a top London casino

J

oshi Haque from Bangladesh, has been a Customer Relations manager at the prestigious Sportsman casino in central London for over five years. Today he talks openly about his role, unveiling what it takes to be the best CR in the game, and explains to Asian Voice exactly why he deems it to be 'the best job in the word'.

"The best way to summarise my role, is to say that I am here to make both new and existing customers happy, and to provide them with the exceptional service and hospitality they would expect from such a reputable, top notch casino."

With many of its customers visiting from abroad, many of whom are on a visit from the Middle East, it's not only ensuring a perfect gaming experience that's a key focus for Joshi.

He has to ensure that their whole London experience is seamless, enjoyable and stress free.

"My role is pretty varied, which I love. From booking hotels and planning transport, to coordinating leisure facilities and even getting the dry cleaning done, every day is different. It brings me immense job satisfaction to see the smiles on our customers’ faces when we’re able to go the extra mile for them when they’re in London."

The Sportsman Casino certainly know how to surprise and delight key customers, by providing exemplary ‘tailor made’ service and unique customer experiences including the Monaco Grand Prix, horse racing in Dubai, as well as all the prestigious events here in the UK, such as Ascot, Wimbledon and many a sought after football match.

"The biggest career highlight for me has to be when I flew out to meet a customer in Mumbai, in India. He hadn't been to visit us for a while, and as we take customer satisfaction extremely seriously, I went out to spend some time with him and find out more about his specific needs when he visits the UK. I'm lucky that I get to meet such fascinating people and build such strong relationships - I can happily call a lot of these people my friends, and have grown to know their very specific preferences so that I can do extra little things like ordering in their specific food and drink preferences when they are in town. It's great."

Having been at The Sportsman for over five years, we asked Joshi why he has stayed there so long and not looked to broaden his experience at another London casino.

"Not a chance. It's so important to me to be at the right casino, which I believe is one that has a big reputation, coupled with an in-

timate environment. The Sportsman is a big name in town, but it has such a lovely family feel to it and Zaman - head chef at our award winning Zaman restaurant - is actually my cousin. I have developed such a strong relationship with both staff and customers here, I just can't see myself working anywhere else."

When asked about the downsides to the role and things he'd like to change, Joshi struggled to find a response, saying, "I suppose it quite intense at times, working around the clock to make sure all our guests’ needs are met and making sure they have everything they possibly need for a perfect experience at The Sportsman, but I really wouldn't have it any other way. The highs majorly outweigh the lows.

If you're interested in speaking with Joshi or another member of The Sportsman team, please call 0203 051 7962 or visit www.thesportsmancasino.com

We spoke to some of The Sportsman's customers, and here's what they say: "It's not just quality gaming that makes a good casino experience, it's knowing that there is someone that you can rely on to go above and beyond to ensure you have a tailor made experience that complements your specific needs and culture."

"Thanks to Joshi, The Sportsman feels like an extension of my friendly and familiar pastimes at home in India. The casino offers a truly personalised service which to my experience and knowledge is second to none"

“Casino’s with big reputations can often be a bit overwhelming, and the hospitality often becomes a big generic. But The Sportsman is quite exceptional, with an intimate setting coupled with a truly personal service from their very attentive CRs.”

10

READERS’ VOICE

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Some reasons for the UK staying within EU The June 23 referendum is virtually similar to Scottish Independence Referendum. Like the Scots, the British should vote with their head rather than with their heart.

Almost all Asian business and Industrial concerns like other world famous industries and service complexes have recommended staying within EU. EU was formed with idealism of all Europeans countries including Britain working together for the common good of all Europeans regardless of colour, creed and religion. This is why in the world today EU is the most peaceful place with social security, political stability, individual freedom and economic achievement.

The world population is growing faster than ever before.

Natural resource is finite. It is up to all nations to decide how to distribute this finite resource for the good of the entire humanity. EU countries have taken the right decision in this respect. The right way forward is to advance the cause of togetherness, not separatism and isolationism. The most important thing is redistribution of available wealth so that the less fortunate can advance with time. In this respect EU countries have progressed further than other regions. The British have a special talent of political ingenuity and behavioural calmness. Within EU they can play the vital role to bring about what the world needs and deserves. It would be as much beneficial for the UK as it would be for EU. The case for the UK within EU made by ‘vote remain’ campaigners is factually correct. The facts for Britain remaining within EU, explained by David Cameron on Sky TV, represent ‘project truth’ and ‘project reality’ and not ‘project fear’.

Jatindra Saha By email

‘The Greatest’ Is No More

Muhammad Ali nicknamed ‘The Greatest’ is no more with us. ‘The Greatest’ passed away on the 3rd June 2016.

Muhammad Ali was an American professional boxer with an illustrious career spanning over 21 years during which he became World Heavyweight Boxing Champion three times.

Most of us know Ali as a Boxing Champion but many of us don’t know him as a civil rights activist. Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr in Louisville, Kentucky.

On becoming a World Heavyweight Champion in 1964 at the age of 22 Clay converted to Islam, changed his “slave” name to Ali and gave a message of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. The American White establishment was further annoyed by Ali when he refused to be conscripted to the US military for reasons of religious belief and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War. He was eventually arrested, found guilty of draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971. Ali’s objection of American involvement in the Vietnam War made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

In 1984, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome.

But being a great and true statesman that he was, he remained active into the early years of the millennium. Ali travelled to Iraq during the Gulf War, and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages. On November 17, 2002, Muhammad Ali went to Afghanistan as the "U.N. Messenger of Peace". He was in Kabul for a three-day goodwill mission as a special guest of the UN. On July 27, 2012, Ali was a titular bearer of the Olympic Flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

On his death one of the family spokesman stated that the family “certainly believes that Muhammad was a citizen of the world … and they know that the world grieves with him." Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer stated, “Muhammad Ali belongs to the world. But he only has one hometown.”

Nishit Shah By email

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Cancer Treatment Revolution

Brexit or Britain The above portmanteau, which are linguistic blend of words, on whether Britain should remain in the European Union (EU) or to come out of it, say it all. Britin stands for Britain to remain in the EU and Brexit stands for coming out. As the country is gearing up to the referendum on Thursday 23 June 2016, it is time to take stock and reflect on how being in the EU since 1973, ie for the last 43 years, has affected the country.

The debate to remain in or to come out has reached fever pitch with leaders of opposing parties accusing one another and flinging accusations. The media is also awash with details on how one should vote and is keeping us up to speed on the latest developments.

To the uninitiated, the European Union is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries, and a referendum is a vote in which everyone of voting age will be able to participate by casting their votes.

How should we vote?

Many of us Asians, specially the Gujaratis, with their business acumen, are employed in the financial industry.

Financial market, UK’s main hub for economy, is dependent on the business within the EU and consequntly in the world. To my mind, If we pull out, not only the UK’s financial business will suffer, but many of our people will be out of a job. However, it will be for the individual to decide.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Cancer is the most dreaded illness that affects one in three of us. It sends shivers and until recently it was unavoidable death sentence. But recent advancement in personalized treatment which is six times more effective will give hope and comfort to cancer patients and their families. It will spare many patients from receiving unnecessary treatment with one size fits all treatment that include dreaded chemotherapy with loss of hair and terrible side-effects.

The full detail will be published at next week’s conference, whether chemotherapy is necessary and the best drugs needed according to the type of cancer one may have, a specialized treatment depending upon one’s need and type of cancer one may have.

This will also stop cancer returning that is so common at present.

In women it is Brest cancer and in men Prostate cancer that affects us most, being fatal with highest cancer deaths accredited.

While we invent medication for well-known medical conditions, the new illnesses emerge with equally dreadful effect on our health and wellbeing. Widespread use of antibiotics make certain illnesses untreatable, as our bodies become immune to these over prescribed drugs, needing better, more powerful antibiotics with terrible sideeffects.

With rising population and life longevity, it is indeed time to put our priorities in order before it is too late!

Kumudini Valambia By email

End of a glorious career

Muhammad Ali, who won Olympic Gold Medal as Cassius Clay in 1960, was without doubt the greatest boxer and a showman of immense talent, the most famous sport personality ever to grace boxing or indeed any sport. Unfortunately he carried on far too long and took too many punches that gave him Parkinson’s disease ruining his retirement when he hang up his boxing gloves in 1981.

He passed away at the week-end in a hospital near his home in Arizona where he spent most of his retirement years in a dry healthy climate. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky and was famously known as “Louisville Lip” as he was master at oratory with one line sharp sentences and his love for poetry. His famous line was “Float like a Butterfly, sting like a Bee” He talked up his own talent in verses but his refusal to serve in Vietnam War made him unpopular in his own country with a three year ban from boxing. His friendship with controversial Malcom X and converting to Islam further completed his life. But that was a minor hiccup in his otherwise brilliant boxing carrier. He reigned supreme at a time when heavyweight boxing was blessed with such famous, fearsome names like Sonny Liston, Joe Frazer and George Foreman. He will always be remembered as great talent the like of which only emerge once in a century.

Bhupendra Gandhi By email

Demise of Muhammad Ali

I was saddened to learn about the demise of the greatest legend of light-heavy weight boxing legend Muhammad Ali at the age of 74, the same age of mine. Though I didn't follow boxing that much but I knew him as Casdius Clay by reading sport section of Indian Express when I was in college back home in India. I still vividly remember when in March 1971 while going to U.S.A for higher study, for 3 days I stayed at one of our relative's house in Stredham,England and on March 8th read news about epic fight between Ali and Joe Frazier and he lost to Joe Frazier. What I liked most about Ali was that he was a true ambassador, not only for boxing but a true humanitarian. He stuck to his principals for what he believed in and was very outspoken to make his point. He was against Vietnam war. People boiled down his refusal to go to Vietnam to "I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietnam Cong". Also in the middle of the civil rights era he said "My conscience won't let me go shoot my brother or some darker people or some poor people, hungry people in the mud for big, powerful America". He also spoke of boxing as a slave trade controlled by whites.

Ali,then Casdius Clay cherished his gold medal from the 1960 Olympics so much that he wore it all the time,even while sleeping.Then one day, sickened by a horrific bout about racism he encountered, the 18 years old light-heavy weight champion stood on the Second Street Bridge and threw the medal in to Ohio river. After 25 years one volunteer named Bradburry while cleaning the annual Ohio river sweep found the medal and went to Muhammad Ali Centre and handed over a medal and to Bradburry's surprise Ali family sent cheque of $200,000.

In today's world we find many people for their selfish,monetary-political gain,cheap fame and honour leave aside all norms and principals of life and keep on changing allegiance for their own selfish motives.

Last but not least as Father's Day is around the corner we wish happy father's to all not only on Father's Day but everyday.

By Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada.

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

University wipes out gender pay gap with salary hike

Oxford special needs teacher banned after hair-dryer attack on husband A special needs teacher jailed for assaulting her husband with a hair-dryer, causing a head injury, has been banned from the profession for life.

Meena Chivers, who worked at Fitzharry's School in Abingdon, was jailed for 16 months last year for causing grievous bodily harm.

A panel ruled the assaults were not in keeping with "the professional conduct of teachers' standards".

The 42-year-old has been banned from teaching indefinitely. Her trial at Swindon Crown Court heard the attacks on her husband followed years of physical and mental abuse for which she showed no remorse. The professional hearing, carried out by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL), found Chivers's actions, which took place in the presence of a child,

Meena Chivers, formerly from Highworth in Swindon, had worked at Fitzharry's School in Abingdon since 2013

"undermined fundamental British values".

The panel also said her behaviours showed "a deep-seated attitude that leads to harmful behaviour".

The prohibition order prevents her from teaching in any school, sixth form college, relevant youth accommodation or children's home in England indefinitely. She cannot apply for the order to be lifted.

A UK university is giving its female professors a one-off salary hike to wipe out the gender pay gap with their male colleagues.

T h e University of Universities have been criticised for Essex is raising paying women less than men female professors' He said: "Treating our pay, to bring their average staff with equal respect and salaries level with the men. dignity is at the very core of It comes as UK pay our values as a diverse and data analysis by the Times inclusive community.

Higher Education says "This decision ensures full-time female academics we reward people in a fair are paid 11% less than men. way, based upon their conEssex said the move tribution to our communiwas motivated by "impaty, regardless of their pertience" for change over the sonal characteristics." issue.

No significant pay gaps Vice-chancellor were identified at other Anthony Forster said other grades, or for other staff steps dedicated to improvgroups, but the university ing women's promotion would be taking further chances had failed to close steps to ensure this the pay gap at professorial remained the case, he said. level.

Christian prayer meetings barred under extremism rules A Christian union has been barred from holding prayer and Bible study meetings on college premises as a result of the government’s anti-terrorist Prevent strategy.

Toni Coulton, director of Festive, a charity that supports Christians in the UK’s further education and sixth-form colleges, said: “Senior management were not happy to have Christians meeting for prayer and fellowship and the reason they gave was because of the Prevent initiative.”

Coulton, who has been advising members of the union at the further education college said there had been no complaints of inappropriate behaviour by the group.

The decision to impose the ban at the unnamed college is believed to be the first case of a Christian organisation falling foul of

Westminster council CCTV cameras in London to be axed Fixed CCTV cameras in central London are being axed to save £2.7m.

Westminster City Council said the 75 cameras were primarily used to support police prosecutions rather than as a deterrent.

Cameras in the area run by Transport for London, private businesses and on housing estates will continue to operate.

In its report the council said the cameras, which require a £1.7m

upgrade, cost £1m a year to run.

The cameras will be axed when the current contract with security firm G4S ends in September.

The council is now working with police, the

Greater London Authority and other boroughs to find a panLondon solution.

Nickie Aiken, cabinet member for public protection, said: "Like many other local authorities around the country, our

DAN WATKINS:

‘I AM NOT ONLY PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR BRILLIANT, DIVERSE COMMUNITY — I GET RESULTS FOR IT’

Conservative by-election candidate, Dan Watkins, visited the Radha Krishna Temple on Balham High Road to discuss with the congregation his plan to deliver a brighter future for Tooting.

As a local campaigner and volunteer, he has achieved a great deal for the area and through his plan, he hopes to build on this success as Tooting’s Member of Parliament.

Speaking after the service, Dan said: “I'm very proud of the huge contribution of our Asian community in Tooting. It is thanks to the hard work of our small business owners that our high streets are so diverse and vibrant, attracting customers from many miles away. That is why supporting local businesses is such a key part of my plan for the area.

“Ultimately, Tooting needs an MP who will get things done.

I believe I am the only candidate with a track record which shows that I am not only passionate about our brilliant, diverse community, I deliver great results for it.

“I hope the people of Tooting recognise this and will support me at the ballot box on June 16th.”

11

current view is that we are not able to continue to subsidise this nonstatutory service when there are many other pressures on our budgets and where other partners are the main beneficiaries."

measures imposed last autumn to tackle extremism in universities and colleges.

Coulton is also helping a Christian Union at a sixth-form college that was recently told it could no longer use the premises and now meets at a nearby coffee shop.

In a consultation document in 2014, the government said Prevent was intended to deal with all aspects of the terrorist threat to the UK. It highlighted Islamist extremism and the extreme right, but did not mention Christians.

12

MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Triumph and Tragedy often go together. India experienced both last week. First the tragedy in which 19 lives were lost and many more injured, some seriously, in a massive fire that broke out at India’s largest arms depot in Pulgaon, near Nagpur, Maharashtra – which is Asia’s second largest - at 2 am on Wednesday, June 1. It took five hours for ten fire engines to bring the blaze under control. The Pulgaon depot, which built on a 7000-acre site houses weapons and ammunition for all three services, and is the only one of its type in the country.

Fire at Pulgaon ordinance depot

While there have been significant improvements to the facility.

Storage facilities in ordinance depots across India are generally poorly maintained with lax security. Early estimates of losses at Pulgaon are worth Rs 3000 crore. The accident could have had more dire consequences if the blaze had spread. In the event 130 tonnes of mines exploded, leaving the rest of the ordinance at this sprawling facility untouched.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh Suhag rushed to the scene to assess at first hand the scale of the damage. Sabotage is unlikely to have been responsible, opined the Defence Minister, but it would be left to the court of inquiry to examine the evidence and pass judgment on the cause of the blaze.

Buoyant economy

The good news is that the economy grew by a higher than expected 7.9 per cent in the final quarter of the 2015-16 fiscal ending March 16, bringing the overall growth figure for the year to 7.6 percent, the highest in five years.

India has confirmed its place as the world’s fastest growing economy among larger nations. This is great fillip for the government, which has completed the second year in office. The core sector of the economy grew by 8.5 per cent in April, an increase from the 6.4 per cent registered in March 2016. The Indian economy is now worth $2 trillion.

Agriculture showed a revival by growing 2.4 per cent in the March quarter as opposed to the retraction of 1.7 per cent in the same 2015-15 quarter. The fiscal deficit at 3.9 per cent, a tad lower the projected target, was ‘bang on target,’ said the Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das. Encouraged by the strong 201516 numbers, the Finance Ministry expected GDP growth to be 8 per cent in the current fiscal ending 31` March 2017 (Times of India, Business Line, Hindu, Mint June 1)

India up three places in competiveness

India’s global competitiveness rose three places to 41 from a year

ago. This telling improvement is due largely to exchange rate stabilization, fiscal deficit management and ongoing efforts to tackle corruption and cut red tape, according to a survey by the Swiss-based IMD World Competitiveness Centre. The Centre has also found about 70 per cent of the executives surveyed on attractive economic indicators rated cost competitiveness, skilled workforce and a dynamic economy made the economy more vattractive (Hindu May31)

JLR powers Tata growth

India’s largest automobile manufacturer Tata Motors for the quarter ending March 31 beat street expectations pretty handsomely on the strength of its Jaguar/Land Rover performance.

Consolidated net profit rose to Rs5,177 crore, up 21 per cent from the previous year’s quarter.

At a standalone level the company posted a net profit of Rs464.99 crore, an improvement over the net loss last year of Rs1,164.25 crore.

Increased sales across India, especially of medium and heavy duty trucks helped improve profit margins, the exceptional performance this time round most to JLR sales (Mint, Hindu May 31)

Digital vans tour rural areas

The government rolled out a campaign tounder which 65 digital vans equipped with internet and audio visual facilities will tour 657 districts by March 2017 to increase awareness about various e-governance in rural and semi-rural areas. ‘The aim is to reach out to more than 10 lakh (one million) citizens and register over 1.5 lakh for MyGov digital locker, Aadhar and other digital services,’ said a Telecom Ministry official ((Hindu May 30)

Celebrating technology

Speaking to an audience of students, young achievers, developers and entrepreneurs in New Delhi, Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, said, ‘When you change the way you look at the world, you change the world you see. It is not about celebrating our own

technology, it is about celebrating the technology that India creates.’

Talks with PM

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

President’s China visit, outcomes

Earlier in the day, Nadella met Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and discussed enhancing Microsoft’s contribution to the government’s digital initiative Nadella later had a session with top industry executives and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Times of India May 30)

What brings Nadella to India again?

Good question. He follows on the trail of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Michael Dell of Dell Inc. According to Prasanto Roy, a senior technology expert and author, ‘In a slowing world economy, India is an under-leveredged, under-penetrated growth market. The home markets of these companies are slowing down or saturated.Apple gets just 1 per cent of its revenue from a market

President Mukherjee in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping

President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to China ended with a flurry of statements of good intent from both sides. He uttered soothing words on Sino-Indian cooperation down the line, on terrorism, trade, investment and the expeditious settlement of the contentious boundary problem. His host President Xi jinping responded in kind.

Such sentiments have been aired on numerous occasions before with few tangible results on the ground. That there are few illusions on this score is evidenced by the Indian government’s public admission that China had played a significant role in instigating a Naga insurgent group, now sheltering in Myanmar, to task up arms against the State government of Nagaland, and by extension, the Government of India. (Hindu May23)

not our destiny. With our will we can change geography.’

Iranian President was equally ecstatic: ‘Our two countries [India and Iran] discussed political issues as well as intelligence cooperation and how they can get closer on intelligence sharing and fight together Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with PM Modi terrorism and work for regional peace and stability.’ that has 15 per cent of the world’s mobile phones….Microsoft has PM’s response spent two decades working on that, and with some success, Prime Minister Modi responded especially in India’s government in a similar spirit: ‘We have also and public projects.’(Mint May agreed to enhance interaction 30) between our defence and security

Chabahar, Gwador, game on

The new Great Game, like the old, is being played across the Asian heartland. India and China are now among its foremost players. Prime Mini8ster’s historic visit to Tehran [see Comment page 3, June 4 issue] to seal the development of the Chabahar port as a rail and road hub, firstly into Afghanistan, then into Central Asia, past the Caspian Sea to the markets of the Eurasian Economic Union, including, most importantly, the Russian Federation. The policy constitutes a marriage between commerce and geopolitics. China is setting up an economic corridor across Pakistan leading to the Pakistani port of Gwador and the markets of the Gulf and beyond.

Pakistan will not allow transit facilities for trade between India and Afghanistan. And, of course, there is the Pakistani export of terror across the border into India. Only innocents believe that China has no hand in the exercise.

institutions on regional and maritime security.’ Iran’s E’temad newspaper commented the trilateral agreement ‘will ring danger bells in Islamabad, China and Riyadh.’ (Deccan Chronicle May 25)

Lanba new Naval Chief

Sunil Lanba taking salute

Admiral Sunil Lanba took over as the Naval Chief of Staff last week

from Admiral Robin Dhawan.

The new Vice Chief of Staff is Vice Admiral Karambir Singh. A Navigation and Direction specialist, Admiral Lanba has served as the Navigation and Operations Officer on board numerous ships in both the Eastern and Western waters. He is India’s 23rd Naval Chief of Staff (Hindu June 1)

Warships set out for South China Sea

Four Indian warships docked in naval bases in Vietnam and the Philippines, The Indian Navy will deploy in exercises with the navies of Vietnam, the Philippines, after which they will sail into the Pacific Ocean to exercise with the navies of Japan and the United States.

(Telegraph). Defence Minister Parrikar will be visiting Vietnam shortly.

Chinese attacked

by Pakistan rebels

This is a dangerous and unwise game with a likely blowback. A Chinese engineer and his driver were injured by a roadside bomb claimed to have been placed by a group called the Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army, which seeks an independent Sindh. The group issued the following statement: ‘As a rising imperialist power and supporter of Pakistan’s cause we consider Chinese equivalent to Punjab.’ (The Guardian, UK, May 30). The Sindhdesh rebels wield the big stick in contrast to Mr Mukherjee who spoke softly.

Iran. Afghan celebration

An exultant Afghan President Ashraf Ghani exclaimed: ’Hundred years from now historians will remember this day [the Trilateral signing] as the start of regional cooperation. We wanted to prove that that geography is

Victorious IPL winners Sun Risers Hyderabad. see comment page 3

UK Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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The Fight Continues Against the ETS TOEIC Fraud Allegations

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Why Brexit Will Lose, Remain Don’t Deserve to Win and White Men and Indian Girls

People just need to calm the hell down about Brexit/Remain. It’s all a grey area and either way Britain will find a road to greatness. Bloody hell they survived the Romans, the plague, French invasions, Spanish invasions (well attempts), Papal wars, World Wars. So just calm the hell down.

Remain will win by 63% to 37% for out. Don’t get upset. Do some yoga and meditate.

But so many voting Remain want to give the EU a bloody good hiding. We want to say to the rest of Europe to stop asking for money and telling us what to do and maybe those who did not themselves benefit from economic migration also want to say ‘stop sending us migrants’.

Oh, Brexit will lose not on the arguments or the case made by Boris or Gove.

Incidentally they’ve totally elbowed out Priti Patel (Employment Minister) – pretty much the next most senior person in favour of Brexit -because Johnson and Gove know this is a pitch to be PM and like hell are they going to give Priti airtime – fight woman – it’s about profile not principle.

I know a thing or two about media profile, from my own TV shows, to columns in the Financial Times to a reach of 300m for my paper reviews, to my own TV shows, so hear me Priti – this is your best chance at UK wide profile and you are being elbowed out. Airtime for great jobs numbers is nowhere near as important as airtime from now until 23rd June.

How many women complain about white middle class men in the workplace dominating the conversation – well don’t let Johnson and Gove do that to you.

Come on, sharp elbows – push to the front. Do it not just for the cause, screw the cause, do it because women need to see you at the front, because ethnic minorities need to see you at the front and because white men telling the rest of us how bad immigration just looks racist.

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t want Priti to tell us immigration is bad, after all the child of immigrants making that argument borders on denial or dementia – but just make other arguments on camera.

Whatever happened to diversity? I don’t know where Johnson and Gove hide her, but she’s not even in background shots.

Come on woman – let’s hear you roar.

I first met Priti at the home of a former Tory Cabinet member who was hosting Margaret Thatcher who had come especially for Priti’s campaign to be MP. Margaret would not let white middle aged men elbow her out of the way.

Anyway – over to Brexit/Remain. You know how we are fed up of the shouting over statistics – seriously I query the IQ of most MPs who think that playground banter matters. Let me tell politicians about politics – all political victories come down to hope. Every single one. Not fear. Never fear. Even Hitler – promised hope to his people, not fear of immigrants – that can come later once you’re in power.

Anyway, politics 101 over, Brexit could have learnt from how Gandhi framed another British decision – not Quit EU, but Quit India.

He said, ‘I am not anti-foreigner, I am anti-foreign rule. I am not anti-British, I am anti-British rule, I prefer the imperfect rule of my own people to the perfect rule of foreigners.’

So too with Brexit – there lacks a politician of statesmanship, or stature, of greatness who inspires hope. Who says, ‘I am not anti-EU, I am against EU rule. I seek Independence for Britain. Consider unbound what we can do as a free country.’ Why did India leave an Empire – the most richest and powerful in the world?

Why did they stay with it for so long? The argument had not been framed by enough politicians in the right way for so long.

Hope beats fear.

After all as Gandhi said, 100,000 British soldiers cannot control 100m Indians if those Indians do not wish it. You make them wish it, by making them believe in hope over overcoming fears you need not state – and those fears we tangible of civil war and genocide in India – even then adept politicians achieved more through hope. Never think it was inevitable. Australia was a dominion until just a few decades ago and still carries the British flag within its own.

Defence lawyer compares man on trial for alleged student sex attacks to 'accused celebrity' The lawye`r defending a man accused of sex attacks on two students compared his plight to that of an accused celebrity as he urged

jurors not to ‘condemn him on suspicion alone’.

Zubair Pervez, 21, is accused of going into a teenager’s room at a

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Manchester Metropolitan University halls of residence in the early hours and intimately groping her. It is alleged that after the 18year-old fought him off, Pervez went to the room of another female student.

This second alleged complainant, who was also 18 at the time, says she woke up in the morning to find him on top off her in bed and her neck covered with ‘lovebite’ marks.

Mr Pervez, a married father-of-one from Hayes, Middlesex, denies two sexual assault charges and insists he did not go into either of the girl’s bedrooms. He was not a student at the university at the time of the alleged incidents - November 30, 2014 - but had a friend who was studying there.

Defence barrister Justin Hugheston-Roberts urged

The 'TOEIC' uproar began in 2014 when the Secretary of State of the Home Department made a decision to cancel particular individuals' visas; who Sasha Lal had leave to remain in the United Kingdom on the ground that they received an English Language qualification on a 'TOEIC' certificate by fraud.

If you held a Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 4 Student Visa, spouse/unmarried partner/fiancé/civil partner or Indefinite Leave to Remain and have not been able to re-enter the UK, or extend your leave in light of your 'TOEIC' certificate, this article may be of particular interest to you.

The leading cases in regards to this topic are R (Gazi) v Secretary of State for Home Department (ETS – Judicial Review) (IJR) [2015] UKUT 327 (IAC) and R (Mahmood) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2014] UKUT 439 (IAC). The Secretary of State relied upon BBC 'Panorama' whom investigated the English Test Centers, and found that individuals' gained a 'TOEIC' through deception. They used various ways, such as proxies to undertake speaking and listening tests, and by invigilators giving the correct answers for written tests.

TOEIC is a certification administered by the Educational Test Service (ETS). ETS is one of the largest English Testing organisations in the world; they assess around 50 million tests per annum. 200,000 student visas are issued in the UK annually with 1,700 approved Government approved colleges. The Secretary of State investigated the grey area of TOEIC and came to the conclusion that around 33,000 tests were seen as 'invalid' or 'questionable' tests relating to fraud.

More recently in a judgement that has been reported in the case of SM and Qadir v Secretary of State for the Home Department (ETS – Evidence – Burden of Proof)[2016] UKUT 229 (IAC) bought by two international students. The Upper Tribunal ruled that the Home Office have relied on 'hearsay' evidence, failing to prove why the students were told to leave the UK, cancelled or denied a visa.

This judgement now opens up a possible gateway of appeals to students experiencing a similar situation with regards to their 'TOIEC' certificate.

The Home Office has relied on two witness statements known as 'generic evidence' which is used in

jurors to return not guilty verdicts in his closing speech, saying Mr Pervez’ accusers had had a ‘considerable amount to drink’ and had given accounts which couldn’t be relied upon.

He said a prosecution

13

every case relating to these specific types of case. 'Neither witness had any qualifications or expertise in the scientific subject matter of these appeals.' The Home office was entirely dependent on the information provided by the ETS. One expert opinion (Dr. Harrison) had been taken into consideration; his evidence was described, as 'balanced, measured and truthful, containing no hint of exaggeration or conjecture.'

To summarise the judgment by Justice McCloskey and Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Saini 'The Secretary of State has not discharged the legal burden of establishing that either Appellant procured his TOEIC certificate by dishonesty.' The Judge relies on this by further stating that the Secretary of State's evidence given has been limited with little evidence provided by the ETS organsiation. In contrast the Presidential Panel found the Appellants evidence to be 'impressive in its entirety' and found no indication of invention, exaggeration or evasiveness.'

Keith Vaz MP, Chairman of the Home Office Select Committee told The Independent: 'this is a devastating verdict on ministers and officials at the Home Office. It is clear that there are many innocent people who speak impeccable English who have been denied their right to remain in the UK because of the reaction of the Home Office.'

Therefore, in light of the summary above on the current situation of 'TOEIC', we must await a full judgment to consider what may happen next.

At Duncan Lewis Solicitors, our team of specialist immigration lawyers specialise in Judicial Review and Appeal matters in the UK. Contact us at privateimmigration@duncanlewis.com for further information.

About the Author: Sasha Lal Sasha Lal joined Duncan Lewis in March 2016 as a Caseworker in the immigration department. Prior to joining Duncan Lewis,Sasha completed the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) at City Law School, gaining a Competent grade, she was called to the Bar by the Inner Temple in November 2015. Sasha holds an LLB degree from London Metropolitan University; she received a 2:1 grade. Sasha has undertaken several legal and voluntary work placements, including National Centre for Domestic Violence (NCDV), Witness Service and Vocalise.

witness had seen the first complainant kissing Mr Pervez earlier that night, something which she denies.

And he said there was ‘no evidence’ Mr Pervez caused the ‘lovebites’ to the neck of the second accuser, who he

said had been ‘so blind drunk she had to ask her friends whether or not she had gone to bed with a bloke’.

The jury retired to consider its verdict, before being sent home for the weekend.

14

ANAND MELA 2016

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Come celebrate Queen’s Birthday at our Anand Mela this weekend Charusmita The countdown to Anand Mela 2016 has begun as it returns in its 6th year as a grand two-day family event. It will be held on the 11th and 12th of June at the Harrow Leisure Centre.

As the community celebrates Queen’s 90th birthday over this weekend all across the country, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will also attribute the sixth year of our Anand Mela celebration to Her Majesty’s good and long life.

The Mela will include a business fair ('Assets India Property' show) and a health fair ('Aarogya Mela') as top attractions apart from vibrant cultural performances all day. The Mela attracts over 6000 visitors yearly and boasts of a variety of stalls ranging from beauty, fashion and wedding, property and investment, health and wellbeing, and of course, food and drinks. Apart from the cultural shows by topnotch performers we also have vibrant performances community

organisations and school children.

Shishukunj, our Charity Partner for Anand Mela 2016, is a children’s charity that has been working in London for over 30 years. Through the medium of Indian culture, they try to instil morals and values in children from the age of 5 upwards so that they become responsible and respected leaders of tomorrow’s society. Shishukunj also organises a host of annual activities including celebrating major Indian festivals and events to help the needy, and camping trips.

This year, the exciting line-up for the cultural performances includes singer Navin Kundra, Honey Kalaria of Honey’s Dance Academy (HDA), singer Oshin Mehta, Mira Salat of Mira's Performing Arts, singer Kishan Amin, AK Dance Academy, Sai School, singer Jayden, Kathak Manorma Joisi, artist Mohammed Fahad, and K’z Dance Entertainment, to name a

few. Subhendu Banerjee, a theatre and stage personality from West Bengal will also be performing.

Further to last week’s introductions, we have singer Mohammed Fahad. He has been an avid Mohammed Rafi fan, which is evident in his singing.

He is popularly known for his rendition of popular Mohammed Rafi songs and has been a part of many concerts, paying tribute to the singer.

K’z Dance Entertainment was founded by Kalpesh Zalavadiya (Patel). Kalpesh is a self-taught Bollywood dance teacher, choreographer and performer. K’z Dance Entertainment is also popularly known for their vibrant and energetic Daandiya Raas and traditional Garba folk dance styles. Jayden is a young, sensational singer, songwriter and recording artist whose unique RnB-pop tracks carry a modish Desi twist. His striking singles ‘Sun Zara’ and ‘Breath Away’ were hits with the listening public, and

eventually got him recognised by the BBC Asian Network.

Manorma Joisi is a performing artist (actress, singer and songwriter) living in London. She is also a trained and experienced Kathak dancer. She has performed at The London 2012 Opening and Closing Ceremony as well as the Queens Jubilee in 2012. Oshin Mehta is a London based Hindi singer, composer and lyricist. After the success of ‘Yadaan Teriyan’ and ‘Saansein’, Oshin’s recent track 'Power' has featured in a British film named 'Anti-social' by Reg Travis, alongside Skepta and Devlin.

Sai School of Harrow is a free Saturday school for children aged 3-16 years, teaching human values as well as performing arts.

The ethos of the school shows how Hinduism can be integrated in a multifaith and multicultural society.

The 'Assets India Property' show will be held at the Masefield suite in Harrow Leisure centre

from 10 am to 7 pm, and will share details of properties and profitable investment opportunities in different cities of India.

The 'Aarogya Mela' is organised solely with the healthcare needs of residents of the UK in mind. Areas of speciality like dental, cardiac, disc and other fields are covered under this segment.

Interested people can seek healthcare advice on treatments with the health experts present.

Anand Mela also gives businesspeople the opportunity to have their stalls set up. From marketing to selling, people who want to showcase their business or its ideas are welcome at the Anand Mela.

All the money made from ticket sales proceeds of Anand Mela will go to Shishukunj.

Tickets for the fest are £2.50 and can be purchased on the day itself. Entry is free for children under the age of 12. For further details, please contact our office at 020 7749 4085.

We hope to see you there!

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Celebrations to take place across UK for Queen’s 90th birthday A number of formal celebrations will be held in June, to mark the Queen's official birthday. On 10 June she will attend a national service of thanksgiving, along with the Duke of Edinburgh, at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The following day, on 11 June - the Queen's official birthday - the annual Trooping the Colour will be held on Horse Guards Parade. The birthday parade will end with members of the Royal Family making their annual appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they will see a flypast by the Royal Air Force.

On Sunday 12 June, the Queen will then host a street party for some 10,000 people at the Patron's Lunch - a celebration of her patronage of more than 600 organisations in the UK and around the Commonwealth. The Mall, in St James's Park, will be lined with picnic tables for the street party, during which guests will enjoy a hamper-style lunch, organisers say. The event will be the culmination of a

weekend of national events, with the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William and Prince Harry due to attend the party.

The celebrations will see The Queen lead a walkabout along the Mall with the Duke of Edinburgh, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex. Behind the Royal party will be a 1,500 volunteers representing more than 600 organisations with which the Queen is closely associated, including ex-servicemen; animal welfare; health and children’s charities.

Leading the parade will be the model of the Britannia, six metre long by four metres high, made of lightweight kite-like material and held aloft on poles.

The Queen once said of the yacht, “Britannia is the one place I can truly relax”, and its de-commissioning of the yacht in 1997 is widely thought to have soured relations between the Royal family and Tony Blair and his then chancellor Gordon Brown.

There was even speculation that their decision may have been the reason nei-

ther political leader was invited to the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, despite Mr Blair’s predecessors Baroness Thatcher and John Major being on the guest list.

The yacht’s inclusion in the parade is no accident.

Indeed, say the organisers, it is intended to symbolise a key element of her reign the many tours of the Commonwealth on which the Britannia took the Queen.

Her eldest grandson Peter Phillips, who is organising the parade as part of the festivities to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday, said: “At the heart of the parade is a reflection of the organisations of which the Queen is a patron and there is always a personal connection between her and the organisations. We felt it was a nice touch to add the yacht into it and make it a meaningful part of the parade.

“We were thinking about t h e Commonwealth element of her reign, the Royal tours of the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. The yacht took her on those tours and projected Britishness around the Commonwealth. It’s something the Queen and the Duke were immensely proud of. They have very fond memories of those tours.”

The parade, designed by Ala Lloyd - who was involved in the production of the 2012 London Olympics opening and closing ceremonies - is being divided thematically into the decades of the Queen’s reign, with clothes, designs, dances and music from each period evoking the spirit of the era, from the Fifties up to the Millennium. It will climax with a yet to be revealed finale – though the emphasis will be very much on the organisations supported by the Queen, which include Cancer Research UK, the British Red Cross and Barnardo’s, rather than on the appearance of any celebrities.

Meanwhile many councils throughout the country are poised to hold their own street parties in celebration of this special occasion.

TLIGHT

15

Rajan Zaveri: A Click Above the Rest

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

'you talk to people who know they’re getting exploited and they’ll still be laughing and grateful for what they have.

Photo credit: mythofmumbai

Sunetra Senior

Rajan is a shutterbug; captivatingly evolved beyond his time. Although officially a freelance producer and photojournalist, with his own UK Company Firefly, his many multimedia projects amount to much more than this.

Using high-resolution, motion stills and videos, Rajan brings to you visceral, interactive experiences that tell of social injustice and otherwise neglected cultural perspectives. Currently based in Delhi, Rajan’s recent work has included creating a Virtual Police Station which has been adopted by several Indian states to use in police training institutes, as well as allowing the public to navigate their way around the signature beige and bureaucracy of the establishment. He also created a stunning exploratory documentary of the Bawana JJ Colony: a relocation slum where many of the families were forced out of their original shanty town dwellings, as part of a government initiative to pave the way for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The photographer’s 360 degree landscape allows you to inhabit the conditions of the slum and click on video footage of different women who speak out about the effects of their geographic isolation. This includes facing domestic violence due to lack of work, having been transplanted two hours from the city centre, and living with horrific substandard sanitation. *** At first then it is tempting to put Rajan in that twilight space between artistry and fact. Neither a journalist nor a visual creator, he must really be both. But this is a gross simplification. As Rajan himself stated: “it’s about the tangible power of the pieces. That’s what’s so intriguing: allowing people to access the atmosphere and moving them to take action. It’s not just some inert text on paper they’re seeing, or another repetitive ad about African children on TV”. What his work essentially does is accentuate reality – bringing to life all the colour and texture of international landscapes – and this surely constitutes a new business altogether: “I’ve had my work published with notable papers such as ‘The Guardian’, ‘Al Jazeera’ and ‘The Wall Street Journal,” Rajan added, ‘but there is still some digital reporting that gets turned down. I know it is difficult to integrate all the currently separate media departments at big papers, but I do feel digital integration is an approach worth pursuing – allocate someone to take charge of new technology if needs be. It could be a question of die or diversify. People do tend to become desensitised and more could be done to bridge that gap between knowing news and affecting the change that is needed. ” In the meantime, Rajan has found his virtual niche with NGOs and charities who openly invite his inspiring, interactives: “I work with a wonderful NGO called Nazdeek who raise awareness about the exploitation of the tea workers in Assam. People have the option to donate money once they’ve taken the virtual tour.” A grounded yet free spirit, Rajan embodies advancement in the wider, professional world.

You won The Guardian’s Student Photographer of the Year: tell us a bit more about your journey towards storytelling more interactively?

I started off as a photographer, working purely in that medium, but it never felt like enough. I began to add sounds and motion, and gradually changed to 360 degree captures and videos. don’t look at narratives as a set form anymore. Different mediums contribute different elements: interviews are good for showing you the details; 360 captures are good at illustrating the environment; stills give you poignant moments. Making sure you learn as many tools as possible, and applying them to the correct situation, is key to being a successful multimedia freelancer.

Do you always shoot from a first person viewpoint in your documentaries?

Yes, mostly. I started off as a documentary photographer and shooting was about being as invisible as possible: to keep the experience of the environment more real.

The visual arts are a very vibrant medium: how does creativity and reporting come together in your work?

For me creativity comes in with the design and technical elements, where I affect how people navigate the shots and experience them. But I draw the line at changing the story or the facts. I

will only make documentaries for the purposes of journalism, and the only concept you play around with are the aesthetics of the camera.

Do you have a particular area of interest?

I wish my work to give a voice to people on the lower strata who can’t speak for themselves. Since I’ve been in India, there’s just been one project after the next. I’ve worked in Bhopal, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. There are so many counts of injustice and unlawful treatment in the country and I will get involved if there’s a way I can help to change it.

Could you tell us more about some stories you’ve done recently?

There was the virtual exhibition for Nazdeek exposing the maternal mortality in the tea gardens. Women are being forced to pick the leaves 8 months into their pregnancy and are miles away from any help: they are essentially trapped on the plantation.

It’s basically slave labour. Most of the big tea companies – Tetley, PG Tips – import from there. There was also the project ‘Delhi Sleeps’ in collaboration with HLRN, which looked at homeless shelters around Delhi in December when the temperature dips below zero.

What’s been one of your most memorable projects?

What was amazing audibly and visually was a piece I did on the diamond cutters in Gujarat. there were skilled labor-

ers who polish diamonds that come in from the mines before they’re sent to off to places like Antwerp. I remember the wave of sound that hit me before I entered the room, the screech of diamond against metal.

Aside from travelling, is there another part of the job you particularly enjoy?

Meeting really strong people: you talk to those who know they’re getting exploited and they’ll still be laughing and grateful for what they have: it's incredible.

In terms of current news is there any particular area you feel isn’t getting the deserved attention?

I think the conflict in Ukraine is still being underreported: it’s still happening!

What are your future hopes with Firefly?

I’d like to develop it into a community of independent freelancers, who have similar visions to me. I’d like graphic designers, storytellers and digital reporters to be able to come together and create something new and refreshing.

What’s a good tip for a successful day of shooting?

The 6 Ps: Prior Preparation Prevents P*** Poor Performance!

W

rajanzaveri.com

16

UK

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Referendum campaign reaches a new low with sexism row Rupanjana Dutta Anand Pillai Britain's senior-most Indian-origin minister, Priti Patel, has been at the centre of a sexism row in relation to her stand in favour of the country's exit from the European Union (EU). With just 15 days to go for the crucial vote, both camps are on overdrive to win over those sitting on the fence over which way to vote.

The closeness of the opinion polls no one can reliably predict the outcome of EU Referendum on June 23rd. Yet the issue is not simple. While no one can predict what Britain's economic and trading arrangement will look like if Brexit happens, MPs who support the Remain campaign are using this justification to preserve Britain's membership of the European single market.

UK's employment minister and Prime Minister David Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion Ms Patel, has been a very vocal supporter of the Brexit camp in the June 23 referendum, leading to an alleged disparaging remark about her name by a trade union chief in favour of remaining within the economic bloc.

"Priti Patel, surely a contradiction in her name," said Tim Roachea allegedly, head of the GMB union, implying that Patel's stand was not "pretty".

Reacting to criticism of being sexist by MPs, members of the public on social media and the official "Britain Stronger in Europe" camp distancing itself from his remarks as having "no place in this campaign", he added: "Not sexist in the slightest.

Listen to the context. What she says and thinks of workers and rights is not pretty.”

PM Cameron on Tuesday called an emergency press conference in London to counter myths he said have been put about by the Vote Leave campaign.

The Prime Minister said he was concerned at seeing the misleading statements on the news on Monday night.

"A Leave campaign resorting to total untruths to con people into taking a leap in the dark. It's irresponsible and it's wrong and it's time that the Leave campaign was called out on the nonsense that they are peddling," he reportedly said.

His comments came as he also made a last ditch effort to get young and other un-registered voters to sign-up for the referendum in time to meet the Electoral Commission's deadline on Tuesday 7 June.

According to a report by the PTI, figures from the Electoral Commission show that since May over 1.35 million people have applied to register to vote online of which 763,183 were under the age of 34 those most likely to support a remain vote.

But a series of polls in recent days have suggested momentum is building behind Brexit campaignersperhaps a sizeable figure of supporters within the Asian community as well.

During a live TV debate on Brexit hosted by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire, a man called Jules said the problem is that there are plenty of claims and counter claims – but a distinct lack of hard facts.

A YouGov poll this week has showed 45% of Britons would vote to leave the EU compared with 41% who would vote to stay in. A separate survey by TNS showed 43% backed Brexit, while 41% supported continued EU membership.

A rattled financial market reacted with the pound falling by as much as 1.5 cents against the dollar.

The US’s top state banking chief warned that Brexit could have “signifi-

cant economic repercussions”.

Campaign brings parties together, but splits Tories In an extraordinary attack on their government colleagues, Justice Secretary Michael Gove

worst thing is we’d have lit the fuse ourselves.”

Teaming up with leading figures from the Greens, Labour and Lib Dems, the PM said the Leave campaigners’ 23 alternative trade arrangements would have “a profound and damaging effect

rising and sterling falling – followed by a “decade of uncertainty”.

But Boris Johnson said it was a “delusion” to think Britain could boost its prosperity by “bartering away our freedom and democracy”.

Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major has accused the Brexit campaign of “verging on the squalid’ and said he was “angry” they are misleading the public with “untrue information”.

Coming down heavily on the Leave campaign, the Conservative leader attacked Boris Johnson and Michael Gove’s “deceitful” claims.

According to a report in The Telegraph, No. 10 has denied forcing John Major to tackle Boris Johnson.

David Davis, the eurosceptic Tory MP, said Sir John’s attack had been a “very bad idea”.

Sir John refused to rule out the possibility that this vote could split the Conservative Party after the June 23 EU referandum.

On the other hand, Damian McBride, one of Labour’s most senior advisers is in a tight spot after a private message which he accidentally posted publicly appeared to show him advising Michael Gove and the Brexit campaign.

Corbyn in Pro-EU Letter Row A fresh controversy has emerged between Corbyn and Labour MPs after he appeared to water down a letter setting out Labour’s commitment to the EU. Signed by around 200 of the Labour Party’s MPs, the letter said the party was “united in arguing that we are better off remaining in the European Union”.

It is understood that Corbyn’s office on 4th June demanded that line be changed to say that Labour “overwhelmingly believes we are better off”.

Immigration policy- the elephant in the room

Iain Duncan Smith, the Brexit campaigner and former Cabinet minister, has and Boris Johnson have on our economy”. said a vote to Remain warned voters “cannot Cameron said he was would lead to the UK trust” David Cameron and “proud” to stand alongside becoming part of a “single George Osborne to honour Labour’s Harriet Harman, federation in the eurotheir promises on Europe.

Lib Dem leader Tim zone”.

The leaders say that the PM Farron and Green leader He argued for has put the British econoNatalie Bennett at The Australian-style pointsOval in south London in based system to manage my in “severe danger” by “an unprecedented show of immigration in case of a giving away the UK’s veto cross-party unity” in supBrexit. However UKIP during talks in Brussels port of the In campaign. leader Nigel Farage has earlier this year.

He warned that Brexit attacked Cameron, saying But David Cameron has would plunge the UK into that his stance on Turkey's warned that Brexit would recession, with businesses membership is misleading. “put a bomb under our going bust, unemployment Brexit campaigners economy”, adding: “The have set out new immigration proposals should the country vote to leave Recently, some pro-Brexit minisstandards laws originate in the EU, the EU. Why would we leave the EU? ters have claimed the UK is at greater meaning many potentially harmful They say the plan risk of a terror attack while part of the additives are banned from food. would work in a simiEconomy EU. lar way to Australia’s Some estimates suggest current system.

Jobs the total economic cost of EU Why would we stay in the EU? As we went to It’s estimated that membership is around 11% of around three million UK press, the Institute for our annual GDP – which makes it jobs are reliant on the EU – Fiscal Studies has said Economy something like £200billion. Brexiters although it’s not known exact- Michael Gove was say this money would be better spent ly how many would be in jeopardy if we wrong to claim that The EU is one of the on new British industries and scientific leaving the EU would left. world’s larget markets, accounting for research. boost NHS spending.

25 per cent of global GDP. It is also our biggest trading partner.

Currently, Travel Trade ‘Gamble With Our 45% of the UK’s exports are to the EU, It’s easier than ever for us Without the EU, Britain Security’ while 50% of imports are from the EU. to get away, with visa-less can independently pursue And our membership of the EU international trade deals with China, travel across the EU. Quitting the makes us a more attractive destination India and the US. Our driving licenses are also valid European Union will for foreign investment.The pro-EU in all EU countries, and we can work make Britain less safe, camp say this access to the EU market Bureaucracy anywhere we want without having to warned former police balances out the £200billion cost of Most Brexiters see the EU apply for a work visa. chiefs. They urged votmembership. as an over-regulated, bureauers not to “gamble with cratic burden. Leaving, they Immigration our security”.

Workers’ rights say, would allow the UK’s govFrom an employer’s In an open letter, The EU has introduced ernment and financial authorities to point of view, immigrants they insisted Brexit many directives which design a regulatory framework that is from the EU tend to be better would put the country undoubtedly help British workmore suited to our needs. educated than UK nationals – around at a disadvantage in ers and protect our rights.

32 per cent have a degree, compared the fight against terThese include: Immigration l Regulated working hours and break with 21% of UK citizens. From an eco- rorism and organised This is arguably the most times, so people cannot be forced to nomic perspective, people moving over crime. The group charged issue in the referenwork more than 48 hours a week. from the EU since 2000 have con- includes two former dum debate. l At least four weeks of guaranteed tributed 34% more financially to the Metropolitan Police One of the EU’s founding princicommissioners and an annual leave UK than they have cost us. ples is the free movement of people. ex-president of the Four months paid parental leave In his new deal, Cameron has Because of this, the UK has no control Association of Chief and extra protections for pregnant over immigration from other EU memsecured a ‘brake’ period of seven years Police Officers. workers ber states. on EU migrants claiming benefits, They wrote: “We l Anti-discrimination laws, so people Brexiters often cite health and benwhich would reduce the number of do not believe that cannot be discriminated against on the efits tourism from other EU citizens – people potentially abusing the system. staying in Europe grounds of race, ethnicity, religion or where people visit or migrate to the UK People in favour of the EU also makes us more vulnerbelief, disability, age, or sexual orientabecause of what they perceive as a argue that immigration also creates a able, it is not credible tion. more generous welfare system, or the more diverse national culture. to argue so, all the evil Protection for workers when compaNHS. Plus, staying would mean the dence is to the connies change ownership The issue of how to regulate wel1.4million Brits currently settled in trary. We can see no fare for EU migrants was one of the other EU member states wouldn’t need case for taking such a Food, health and main sticking points in David gamble with our secuto move back or get visas. animal rights Cameron’s recent negotiations with rity that leaving the (source: Metro) Most of the UK’s food EU leaders.

EU would entail.”

AT A GLANCE

MODI VISIT Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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17

Modi conquers the world one country a day AsianVoiceNews

Continued from page 1

MODI ETERNALISES TIES WITH

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on the consulate. "They put themselves in the line of fire so that their Indian friends are safe," he said. "This is

(LNG) supplier, providing 65 percent of India's LNG requirements.

About 6,30,000 Indians live in

Narendra Modi and Mohammad Ashraf Ghani at the inauguration of the Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat

AFGHANISTAN

Modi knocked at neighbour Afghanistan's door first as his plane landed on the foreign soil on June 4.

Addressing people at the inauguration of the Rs 1700 Crore Afghan-India Friendship (Salma) Dam, along with President Ashraf Ghani, Modi promised extended cooperation to the country despite impending terrorist threats. The strategically sourced dam built on river Harirud in Herat province, will irrigate 75,000 hectares of land and generate 42 MW of power.

"This dam has not been built by bricks and mortar, but by the faith of our friendship and the valour of Afghans and Indians," Modi said in his 25-minute speech. "Today we are not just launching a project that will irrigate land and light up homes. We are reviving a region, restoring hope, renewing life and redefining Afghanistan's future."

The dam is designed to irrigate fields in 640 villages in the districts of Chist-iSharif, Obe, Pashtun Zarghun, Karokh, Gozara, Injil, Zindjan, Kohsan and Ghoryan. It would also bring electricity to more than 2.5 lakh homes for the first time, in addition to powering Herat’s growing industrial needs, now powered by imports from neighbouring Iran and Turkmenistan.

He touched on several topics including the peace process in Afghanistan, the terrorist attack on the Indian consulate in the the same region, and reconstruction activities. "Our resources may be modest, but our will is boundless.

For others, their commitments may have a sunset clause, but our relationship is timeless. We face barriers of geography and politics, but we define our path from clarity of our purpose," he said. The Prime Minister thanked Afghanistan’s security services for protecting Indians during the attack

the nobility of your heart and the strength of your friendship."

Meanwhile, Ghani welcomed Modi to his "second home", Afghanistan, and said a "long standing dream" of the country was realised after 30 years with help from India. "Today, we come together to make eternal India Afghan ties and friendship. This dam will chart a new course of cooperation and prosperity," said Ghani adding "Our people identify India with roads, dams and over 200 small development projects."

Modi was conferred with the Amir Amanullah Khan Award, the country's highest civilian honour, in recognition of India's constant support to Afghan for three consecutive governments.

"INDIA IS A LAND OF OPPORTUNITY"

NaMo's next stop was Qatar, a visit that made him the first Indian Prime Minister to visit four Gulf countries within the space of one year as per the external affairs ministry. The Indian leader reached Doha with the aim to boost econonmic ties between both the countries, particularly in the hydrocarbon sector.

According to the external affairs ministry, India's trade with the region is $112 billion, and its bilateral trade with Qatar is $10 billion. Qatar is also India's largest liquefied natural gas

Qatar. Modi hopes to make Qatar "an important economic partner", as described by the MEA. He met with business leaders at a round-table, and urged them to invest in India.

"India is a land of opportunity. I have come to personally invite you to take advantage of this opportunity." He identified agroprocessing, railways and solar energy as "promising areas" for Qatari invest-

“If you have issues on changing some laws and regulations, I can assure you that I will work with you all to bring about these changes.” ment. Appealing to the attendees, he said, "India's 800 million youth are its biggest strength," he said.

Modi also visited a gathering a Indian workers in Doha, addressed them, and assured he would present his concerns to the authorities. The Indian diaspora of over 6,30,000 form the largest expatriate community in Qatar and makes up for a substantial percentage of the country’s population.

Atrocities on the migrants have been quite the news lately. "I am aware of the

The PM shares a meal with Indian Workers at Workers’ Medical Camp, in Mesheireb, Doha

issues you are facing. I will talk about it when I meet the authorities. If you have some issues on changing some laws and regulations, I can assure you that I will work with you all to bring about these changes."

He held detailed talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani on a range of bilateral issues as well as regional and international matters of mutual concern and also met with counterpart Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani. A total of seven MoUs were signed between both the countries including those on money laundering, terrorism financing and other economic offences.

SWISS BACK INDIA'S NSG MEMBERSHIP

will send its state secretary in the federal department of finance Jacques de Watteville to New Delhi next month to discuss the details for cooperation on the information-sharing framework.

"Switzerland will share information on a case-bycase basis," he said.

Switzerland said it is ready to cooperate on fiscal and tax-related issues through an enhanced framework to tackle illegal funds.

"Combating the menace of "black money" and tax evasion is also our shared priority," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, arguing that "an early start to negotiations on the Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Information would be important in this respect."

members who died as the Columbia space shuttle flew apart while re-entering Earth's orbit on 1 February, 2003. After the wreath laying ceremony, Modi interacted with astronaut Sunita Williams and her father Deepak Pandya. Senior officials from Nasa also met the leader at the Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial.

Later, he met with U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch at Blair House for a ceremony marking the repatriation of over 200 artifacts to the Indian government. "There are a number of very important antiquities which would be coming back," said Foreign Secretary Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Modi was called upon by President Obama at the Oval Office for a meeting that focused

Modi with President Johann Schneider-Ammann and Swiss business leaders

Dropping by Geneva for a day-long visit, the visit ended on a high note as Modi convinced the Swiss support for India's membership to the elite 48member Nuclear Suppliers Group. Following a meet where both the leaders held comprehensive talks on various bilateral and global issues, President Johann Schneider-Ammann announced his country's support to India's membership in the NSG. The country is a vital member of the group and its support was seen as crucial as China sang songs on the need for consensus given India was not a signatory to the Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty.

"Switzerland welcomes India’s contributions to non-proliferation of nuclear arms. We have promised India support in its efforts to become a member of NSG," Schneider-Ammann said in a joint media address. Modi in return, thanked the President for the country's "understanding and support" for the membership. He also said combating the menace of black money and tax evasion was a "shared priority" between both the countries.

The host country also agreed to the "expeditious" and "automatic" exchange of information of money held illegally in Swiss banks through tax fraud and tax evasion by Indian nationals.

The move will come into force in 2018. ScheiderAmmann said Switzerland

MODI REACHES WASHINGTON

on the growing economic ties between the two coun-

Modi pays homage at Tomb of unknown Soldier, Washington

The PM arrived at the Joint Base Andrews after winding up his trip to Switzerland, where he was received by top officials including US Ambassador to India Richard Verma and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Biswal. The leader has a jam-packed schedule including the address to a joint session of the US Congress. Modi visits the States for the fourth time, at the invitation of President and "friend" Barack Obama.

He started off his threeday tour by visiting the 'Tomb of the Unknown Soldier' at the Arlington National Cemetery. The Arlington sarcophagus contain the remains of service members from the First and Second World Wars, and the Korea and Vietnam wars. He also paid tribute to astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian woman in space and her six crew

tries and their shared interest in curbing Chinese international ambitions. "A key prioruty for both of us is how to promote economic prosperity and opportunity, and poverty alleviation for our people," Obama said before the meeting commenced.

Modi will next meet with US business leaders and encourage them to invest in India. It is also said that between the two engagements, Modi will be called on by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter.

The PM will address a joint meeting of the US Congress, making him the fifth Indian Prime Minister in India to do so. And later, there will be a reception held by the Indian community.

After the completion of his scheduled events in the US, Narendra Modi will fly to neighbouring Mexico where he is slated to have dinner with president Enrique Peña Nieto.

18

COMMUNITY

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It's high time to recognise India's contribution to World War I & II AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Anand Pillai

India’s contribution to both world wars is not widely known about, despite the fact that India raised the world’s largest volunteer armies: 1.5 million in WW I and 2.6 million in WW II. They fought in all the major theatres of war on land, air and sea, alongside British troops. Their many awards for bravery, as well as their war graves and memorials on the battlefields, are testimony to their sacrifice in the service of Britain.

The context of India’s participation in war was political. Very few Indians of today’s generation are aware that over a million Indian soldiers went overseas to fight in World War I. Indian soldiers fought alongside soldiers from Britain, France and Australia and New Zealand.

The response to Britain’s request for Indian soldiers to fight the war, which was not really India’s war, met a positive response from the Indian politicians as a quid pro quo in return of Britain’s assurance of increased self governance for India and the implicit understanding that taking part in World War I would facilitate the road for Indian independence. Offers of financial and military help were made from all over the country. Wealthy princes offered great sums of money, and even areas outside of British India offered help – Nepal offered help and in total sent 100,000 Gurkhas and the Dalai Lama in Tibet offered 1,000 of his troops to the cause.

Britain declared war against Germany on 4th August, 1914. Soon after a British Expeditionary Force of 4 infantry divisions and a cavalry division were sent to France to take on the German offensive.

As soon as Britain’s request for India to join the war was accepted by the Indian politicians on behalf of the Indian people, the Indian Army supplied the 1st and 2nd cavalry divisions,

which saw action on the Western Front.

They stayed in France until the end of the war, fighting in the battles of the Somme and Passchendale. The first 28,500 Indian Army troops had arrived on the Western Front on 26 September.

The British Expeditionary Force did a great job in holding superior German forces but after 2 months of hard fighting they had suffered very heavy casualties and had reached the end of their capacity to hold on further.

It was at this critical juncture that the Indian divisions were thrown in to reinforce the British Expeditionary Force.

Indian soldiers were deployed widely and fought in the battles of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle, the Somme and Passchendaele and in even greater number in Mesopotamia.

It is universally accepted that the arrival of Indian divisions helped in stabilising the line and prevented the Germans from overrunning France and reaching the channel ports.

The Indian forces were however not equipped to fight a modern war. They were trained and equipped to fight on North West Frontier against tribal forces. They were therefore ill-equipped to meet the conditions they faced in Europe. It was for the first time they faced heavy artillery, gas and chemical warfare – mines, machine guns, grenades, barbed wire and air war.

By the end of 1915 the British high commander realised that the Indian soldiers could be better utilised to fight in Middle East and more divisions as part of Indian Expeditionary Forces were sent to Turkey, Persia, Egypt, Palestine and East Africa.

By the end of 1918, over 11 lakh Indian soldiers had served overseas, more than 74,000 died, and over 1,37,000 were wounded.

The Indian Army contributed 6 lakh personnel to Mesopotamian campaign. By the end of it, it had lost 364 Indian officers

Indian infantrymen training to tackle gas attack, 1915.

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Photograph courtesy: Imperial War Museums

Indian soldiers training with bayonets in World War 1.

Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to win the Victoria Cross.

and 29,191 men. In the campaign 828 Indian officers and 31,780 men were wounded.

The New York Times wrote in 1918: “The world must pay India in whatever India wants, for without Indian products, there would be greater difficulty in winning the war.”

The memory of Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in World War I had been commemorated with honour by memorials throughout the globe. The most important of these include India Gate in New Delhi, Neuve Chapelle memorial in France and Ypres memorial in Belgium. Another memorial dedicated to soldiers of World War I is Teen Murti in New Delhi. It was built in 1922 in memory of Indian soldiers.

WORLD WAR II

Few know that it was India’s contribution of men and material that saved the West in the World War 2.

India contributed over 2.5 million troops (2, 581,726) that were pulled to fight in Germany, Italy, North African deserts, West Africa, defend Suez Canal, Burma and along valleys of Kohima. They also helped in liberating British Colonies after Japan’s surrender in

August 1945. Due to its strategic location India acted as base for American forces ferrying supplies to Chinese Nationalist efforts, supported British that fought against Germany in Middle East and against Japan when it seized Singapore, Malaya and Burma (Myanmar). Indian forces terrorized German tank divisions in Africa, fought the Japanese in Burma (Myanmar), took part in the invasion of Italy, and played a decisive part in battles in the Middle

East.

Equally crucial was India’s material help.

Weapons, ammunition, timber, steel and especially food, were transported in huge number to Europe.

Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, Commanderin-Chief of the British Indian Army from 1942, asserted that the British “Couldn’t have come through both wars if they hadn’t had the Indian Army”.

Even the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill acknowledged the “unsurpassed bravery of Indian soldiers and officers”.

To a great extent he was also to be blamed for death by starvation of at least 3 million people in Bengal in 1943.

On the Western Front, without India’s mobilization, the Allies would not have reached Berlin. Had the US not entered the war, the British would have sat out the war holed up in their small island. And without India, they probably would have starved. As it turned out, they forced starvation upon Indians.

Overall, India supplied a total of 2,581,726 army, navy and air force combatants in WWII. Besides, 14 million Indian labourers worked round-the-clock to

keep the war factories and farms running.

The bloodied war claimed lives of 36,000 Indian troops and left 64,354 severely injured.

India was, second to Britain, the largest contributor to the Empire’s war.

India provided 196.7 million tonnes of coal, 6 million tonnes of iron ore and 1.12 million tonnes of steel.

India was even forced to contribute $24 million to the UN Relief & R e h a b i l i t a t i o n Administration.

In all, 4,000 gallantry awards and 31 Victoria Crosses were awarded to Indian Army men. At the First Battle of Ypres, Khudadad Khan became the first Indian to win a Victoria Cross.

It is high time India’s

Commonwealth soldiers, we would all be speaking German. We still have more than 2 years to go for the end of the centenary commemoration in 2018 (November 11). And I am hoping and trying to muster up some support that okay if you don’t do that, give us a whole evening of programme just to acknowledge what the Indian and Commonwealth soldiers have done. After all we want to honour the soldiers who died for somebody else’s country. We were fighting for somebody else’s freedom. It’s despicable.

Why can’t they show an element of gratitude. To die for somebody else’s country is unheard of. But I won’t give up. Before the end of the centenary in 2018, I

Sikh soldiers in France.

contribution to Allies’ victory in World War I and II is acknowledged by the world.

Why there isn’t much acknowledgement of Indian soldiers’ contribution to World War I and II? Dr Kusoom Vadgama, who is an authority on the history of the Indian peoples in the British Empire, said: “When you have a national programme that goes out to the whole country and you do not have any mention of Commonwealth and Indian soldiers that is where my argument is. It is unfair. If you see their programme you will think British forces won the war single-handedly and there was nobody else to support them. That’s absolutely false. And if it wasn’t for Indian and

want a programme in the Royal Albert Hall showing nothing but the contribution made by the Commonwealth and Indian soldiers. There’s a lot that needs to be shaken about our attitude towards honouring our heroes.”

The Defence Adviser of the High Commission of India, Brig Rajesh Jha had in the previous issue of Asian Voice said: “I would like to say that recognition of Indian contribution is a very welcome step and extremely relevant as it acts as a catalyst to deepening the India-UK relationship.”

He said this in the context of Indian Ministry of Defence's plan to chronicle Indian soldiers contribution to World War I & II. (Reference: http://swarajyamag.com)

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Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap London Property Investment

REAL ESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Too good to be true?

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The property market is nervous at the movement, there are reports in the press about the massive decline in property companies, due to this nervousness. This has been caused by fear that people will vote that we stay out of Europe which is what the opinion polls are suggesting. I’m no expert on the BREXIT issue. In truth I think most people don't have a true grasp of the actual undercurrents of what is really going on. Their information comes from, and is formed by, the main stream media which is a propaganda machine, rather than a medium of true and actual information. The move towards a consolidated state is not something which is being done in isolation, it is a part of a global agenda with the main aim being centralisation of power.

The bottom line however is if we leave Europe it will be bad for property - in the short term. Testimony to this is the reaction of the property stocks on the market to the latest Brexit Polls which shows the nation is leaning towards leaving the EU. As of 6th June 2016 the upmarket Berkeley Group was down 55p or 1.7% to 3184p, Persimmon slipped 23p to 2034p, and Barratt Developments dropped 7p to 571p.

It was a similar story on the mid-cap table, where Crest Nicholson fell 17p to 567p and Bovis Homes was down 16p to 978.5p. Even AIM-listed Telford Homes, which builds affordable flats in the capital, was not immune tumbling 3.48p to 366.02p.

The property market has taken some blows recently with two rounds of stamp duty hikes and another tax blow is on the horizon.

Yet I believe the market will keep going upwards, it will shrug the blows, evolve and carry on its rise.

Why? Due to fundamentals. The first being London is a very mature market, it’s a 500 year old Bull Market. There are records of property transaction being done this long ago.

The second is there is chronic lack of supply. They are not building enough units to accommodate demand. The demand arises for many reasons, for example net inward migration, break down of the family nucleus etc. Not even taking into account the money coming in from Overseas which uses London property like a safety deposit box. If the charges go up will they stop? I don't think so.

Britain has history, and many countries have an infinity with ‘British Culture’. Quite a weird example of this is the British village built by the Chinese 19 miles outside of Shanghai at a cost of £500m, complete with the fake red telephone boxes. This is a symptom of the Chinese obsession with all thing British. It’s not just about the investment, they simply like the idea of owning a piece of London, and telling others they own a piece of London real estate.

I have a friend, who in truth is a bit of a bum. He doesn't work; I don't think he could even hold down a proper job, he's simply not employable.

However, one good thing he has done is use me as a spring

Real Deal The

19

Bayswater, London, W2 Purchase Price: £625,000 l A bright two bedroom flat in an excellent location in very good condition l Long lease l Low service charges l Close to the open spaces of Hyde Park l Excellant buy and hold opportunity

board to purchase property. The first property he purchased was with no money in his pocket. He managed to synchronise a mortgage together with another loan in order to purchase his first property. The property was in Stonebridge Park, a terrible area to live, but cheap and prime for growth.

This was a one bedroom flat which he managed to convert into a two bedroom. He then refinanced, although he had to approach two different lenders as the first lender figured out he was putting a plaster board up and trying to extract tens of thousands of pounds. The second valuer didn't have a problem with this or perhaps missed this and the remortgage went ahead.

Having got a taste, he then went on to purchase a mid terraced house outside of London, again with borrowed money as the deposit. He then converted it into two one bedroom flats. They have been rented and refinanced several times since the purchase.

In a nut shell he has taken his money out from all three properties and is several thousand pounds better off than he otherwise would have been. All three were purchased in the good old pre credit crunch days. If you were clever with credit these were good times for the intelligent investor. Credit was so abundant you didn't even need money to purchase property, simply the will to do so.

I remember having once purchased property with no money and after the purchase I received £40k cashback.

The point being the appetite for London property is always going to be strong on a National and Global Level, it is not going to disappear. Whatever rules come in, the market will evolve and roll with the blows.

The introduction of Crowd Funding in regards to property deals is a segment of the market which is big in the States and is taking off in the UK. This allows investors to invest in property without taking on the burden of ownership. Therefore no tenant issues, no taxation problems in regards to the proposed new changes etc. This is an exciting area to keep an eye on.

We currently have a property deal which is reminiscent of the pre credit crunch days. Once you invest, it is anticipated that you will be able to take your money out in 12 months, and still you will then own an income producing asset for the long term.

I used to write about no money down deals during the pre credit crunch times. There were only a few readers who actually came and took advantage of this opportunity. They actually went ahead and purchased property with no money in the deal. Most people said it was too good to be true, therefore it wasn't for them.

This deal we have at the moment is the closest deal to a no money down deal I have seen for a while. Call the office to get more information.

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Tips of the Week

l Look beyond your doorstep. Investing on your backdoor is often a safe but poor option. The question you should ask is: where will your money serve you best?

l Big redevelopments and infrastructure projects create new local amenities and better transport links and provide a significant long-term boost to local house prices. Invest in areas with good redevelopment projects in the pipeline if you are looking for long term capital growth.

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ASIANVOICE

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, How do you make money from Brexit? Remember how Soros made money - £1billion – from the collapse of Sterling? Again that was because of Europe and Sterling being pegged to the German Mark.

So can we make a Billion? Can we ‘do a Soros’.

Actually it’s a lot easier now than it was in the early 90s when Soros did it. Now you can open a Forex account and make a trade on the £. So how do you do it?

1. Open an account, for instance with a Forex broker like www.alpeshpatel.com/fxcm or www.alpeshpatel.com/etx 2. Next we have to pick the currencies to trade. I suggest £ against the US Dollar. Why not £ vs Euro?

Because both will be affected by the vote in the same positive direction so it is too difficult to work out. The $ on the other hand will be relatively less affected than the £.

3. What’s your trade? My view is the £ will rally sharply higher after the vote, because Britain will vote to stay in. But, this all depends on what happens just beforehand. If beforehand the polls make it clear that the we will vote to stay in then the price of the £ will already reflect the end result of the referendum and so the £ will actually fall after the result to stay in.

Complicated? No, just follow my logic.

4. However if in the days before – say 2-3 days before the polls are very close – say 55-45 – then the £ will not price in the result and so you can expect a rally thereafter.

5. But what about now – what about on say June 10th? You will see that when the polls were showing any results of a Brexit victory, then the £ would drop – that tells you to buy £ if like me you think it is going to eventually be a Remain victory.

6. How do you place this trade? Well one way to do it is simply to buy £ now and exit against the rally after the result. But I also fully expect those dirty crafty Forex traders to sharply try moving the £ lower just before the result and push any rally up after the result back lower on profit taking.

7. So you need to be able to hold your nerve and not panic to sell everything but if you want to take profits, then sell bits of your position and if you see sharp drops, consider buying into them because your end view is a rally.

8. Hopefully that is not too complicated.

Amazon hurts religious sentiments E-commerce major Amazon sure felt the heat of thousands of resentful Hindus as they featured doormats featuring Hindu gods, to sell.

While the online portal does not have anything to do with the designing of the mats, it was international brand Rock Bull, selling products featuring Indian gods and goddesses, on the website. #BoycottAmazon began to trend on the internet and

people demanded action against the company. While the products have since been removed, paintings and wall frames that are "less offensive" are still listed for sale. Users posted screenshots of the products along with the hashtag, to hit out at the e-commerce giant. Some also pointed to products showing the Indian flag. Amazon, meanwhile has blocked the pages of all controversial products.

VW to recall 1.9 lakh cars in India German car-making company Volkswagen is all set to recall 1.9 lakh cars in India from July 2016, launching the process of calling back 3.23 lakh cars to fix the emission software. The entire process is expected to last 10 months.

VW maintained that the recall is voluntary and the owners of the affected models will be contacted by the company. The company had announced a recall of 3.23 lakh cars in India in December last

year. It includes cars under the brands Audi and Skoda. The recall included 1.9 lakh cars from Volkswagen, 88,700 cars from Skoda and 36,500 cars from Audi sold in India, which were manufactured from 2008 to December 2015. While the recall process of Volkswagen would begin from July, other car-makers Audi and Skoda are also expected to begin the process around the same time.

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GDP growth shows India as fastest growing economy AsianVoiceNews

India's gross domestic product grew up to 7.9 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2015-16, increasing overall growth for the entire year to 7.6 per cent and help maintain its position as the fastest-growing major economy, as per the Central Statistics Office.

The growth numbers for the last fiscal came on the back of a strong 7.9 per cent growth in the last quarter of the fiscal.

According to data released by the CSO, the farm sector grew by 2.3 per cent from a year ago compared with a 1.0 per cent contraction in the December quarter. Mining grew 8.6 per cent in the March quarter,

up from 7.1 per cent in the previous quarter.

Electricity, water and gas production growth surged to 9.3 per cent from 5.6 per cent in the December quarter.

It said in a statement that it revised the GDP data for the first three quarters released earlier from 7.6 per cent, 7.7 per cent and 7.3 per cent to 7.5 per cent, 7.6 per cent and 7.2 per cent, respectively.

Also, the growth in the "agriculture, forestry and fishing" sector was revised upwards to 1.2 per cent in 2015-16 as against 1.1 per cent in the advance estimates for the same period.

"The upward revision is on

Soaring oil prices to affect the economy: Jaitley As crude oil prices touch a 7-month high of $50 a barrel, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said India can handle the current level but higher rates will impact the economy and lead to inflationary pressure.

"Obviously higher crude price is not good news for India. But if it remains within a range, as it is at present, it is something that can be handled.

If it goes beyond the range, then certainly it creates an adversity," said Jaitley during his six-day trip to Japan. Petrol prices have been raised five times since March, rounding up Rs 8.99 a litre, while diesel prices have been raised by Rs 9.79 per litre. Every rupee per litre increase in petrol price leads to 0.02 per cent rise in WPI inflation and by 0.07 per cent for the same amount of

Arun Jaitley

increase in diesel rates.

"India being a net buyer has benefited from the regime in last over a year. And if the prices remain within the current range we have the ability to absorb although if there is any undue increase in prices, its impact on both inflation and savings would be noticeable," Jaitley said. When oil prices slumped in second half of 2014 and 2015, the government hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel nine times to mop up additional revenues that helped it meet its revenue and fiscal deficit targets.

account of the use of third advance estimates of crop production released by the Ministry of Agriculture," it said. "The IIP of manufacturing registered a growth rate of 2 per cent during the whole year of 2015-16, as against the growth rate of 3.9 per cent used for compiling Advance Estimates. Due to this change, the advance estimate growth of ‘manufacturing’ sector has been revised downwards to 9.3 per cent," it added.

"The numbers are higher than what the consensus expectation was, so in that sense, it is definitely positive, which means going forward also the out-

SBI Capital Markets and HDFC Realty have put 10 Sahara land parcels worth Rs 1192 Crore, on sale, as per mandated by markets regulator Sebi. While SBI Caps will conduct the auction on July 7, HDFC Realty will auction the lands on July 4.

The Supreme Court had asked the Securities and Exchange Board of India, in March, to start selling Sahara Group's properties to raise money to be paid by Sahara chief Subrata Roy for his release. A bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had directed the board to sell them after it was informed of a list of 86 properties, which according to Sahara's lawyers, were worth Rs 40,000 Crore, had been handed over to the regulator to show the group's bonafide. Most of the properties listed, is the group's home state Uttar

Neerja Sethi and Jayshree Ullal

alongside her husband, who remains the chairman. Ullal holds a net worth of $470 million. She became president and CEO of Arista in 2008, during a time when it had no revenues and fewer than 50 employees. The company reported $838 million in revenue in 2015, after going public in June 2014. As per the list, the richest self-made woman in America is Diane Hendricks, the owner of ABC Supply, the largest

look continues to be positive. We are already seeing some recovery in the core sector data, and hopefully in IIP (industrial output) data also we will see signs of recovery.

With expectations of monsoon being normal, the consumption will get a boost from rural income growth. What is still unknown is on investment pick-up, but we expect export growth to start picking up, which can help investment pick-up. So we do expect a gradual improvement in the economy going forward," said A Prasanna, Economist, ICICI Securities Primary Dealership.

Sahara assets to be auctioned

Two Indians in 'America’s Richest Self-made Women' The Forbes' annual list of America's 60 wealthiest and most successful self-made women entrepreneurs features two women of Indianorigin. The list of women who have "crashed ceilings through invention and innovation", shows Indiaborn Neerja Sethi, cofounder of IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel, at 16, and president and CEO of Arista Networks, Jayshree Ullal at 30.

Sethi, 61, has a net worth of $1.1 billion. Her company employs more than 25,000 people and boasts a recent market cap of $3.6 billion. She is currently the vice-president of corporate affairs, a role she has had since the company’s inception. She also sits on the board of directors

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

wholesale distributor of roofing and siding in the country. Hendricks is now worth $4.9 billion, $1.2 billion more than last year when she came second. The 60 women, who are worth a combined $53 billion, have created some of the nation’s best-known brands such as Gap and Spanx, while a number of them have also contributed to some of the most successful companies in tech, including Facebook, eBay and Google.

Pradesh, in cities like Kanpur, Muzaffarnagar, and Greater Noida.

However, there are also plots down south in Coimbatore and east, in Siliguri. As per the SBI Caps list, about 2185 acres of land parcels worth Rs 4017 Crore have been put up for sale by Sebi.

In a public notice issued

by HDFC Realty, it said it will e-auction as many as five land parcels on July 4.

The properties are expected to fetch around Rs 722 Crore at reserve price. SBI Cap will e-auction five land parcels on July 7, at a reserve price of Rs 470 Crore, it said in a separate notice. All the properties are located in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh and include both; agricultural and nonagricultural land.

Adani may walk away from Auz project

Long delays and steady legal challenges have impeded Adani Enterprise's dream to build one of the world's biggest coal mines in Australia. Battling multiple legal offensives from green groups opposing the $10 billion Carmichael mine, rail and port project, a media report quoted company founder and chairman Gautam Adani, "You can't continue just holding. I have been really disappointed that things have got too delayed." While the Queensland state government gave Adani permission to mine coal reserves estimated at 11 billion tonnes, environmentalists have made things difficult for the Indian conglomerate.

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Uncertainty created by referendum Currency Specialists.

In a poll by the Observer newspaper nine out of ten of Britain's top economists believe the economy will be harmed if Britain leaves the EU. The poll found that 88% said an exit from the EU and the single market would most likely damage Britain's growth prospects over the next five years and 82% said there would probably be a negative impact on household incomes, whilst 61% also think unemployment would rise. Just 4% of respondents thought Brexit would have a negative impact on GDP. Reasons cited as to why the UK would suffer were loss of access to the single market (67%) and increased uncertainty leading to reduced investment (66%). Another Brexit poll by YouGov says that the Leave and the Remain campaigns were neck and neck with 41% of respondents voting for each outcome. This has led to a Sterling sell off as pre referendum jitters set in and confidence of a Remain vote eroded.

In May, Britain's services picked up after dropping to a three-year low in April, the upcoming “Brexit” referendum still weighing heavily on new business and hiring. Markit's services activity index rose to

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

53.5 in May from 52.3 in April.

Markit chief economist Chris Williamson stated that "Growth has collapsed in manufacturing and construction, leaving the economy dependent on the service sector to sustain the upturn". The survey also reported one in three companies are suffering from the uncertainty created by the referendum, suggesting the economy could rebound if the country votes to stay in the EU. Preliminary GDP figures from the US came in below expectations, at 0.6% for Q1.

However, St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard said global markets appear to be well-prepared for a summer interest rate hike from the Fed, although he did not specify a date for the policy move. Bullard added a rebound in U.S. GDP growth seems to be materialising in the second quarter, but reserved his opinion on whether the Fed should hike in June or July for the next policy meeting. CB Consumer Confidence fell from 96.1 to 92.6 highlighting that households have a less positive outlook on the US economy. However, consumer spending jumped by 1% in April, the largest month-on-

month gain since August 2009.

This is significant given that consumer spending accounts for two thirds of the US economy.

New claims for US unemployment insurance fell to a five week low last week, pointing to a tightening jobs market. The U.S. economy created the fewest number of jobs in more than five years in May as employment in the manufacturing and construction sectors fell sharply, suggesting a deterioration in the labour market that could make it harder for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in June or July. Employers hired 59,000 fewer workers in March and April. While the unemployment rate fell to 4.7% in May, the lowest since November 2007, that was in part due to people dropping out of the labour force. The Fed bank intends to raise rates soon if job gains continue and economic data remain positive.

Greece has told its European and IMF creditors it cannot implement some of the extra changes sought in exchange for fresh bailout loans. Lenders also gave the green light for the disbursement of 10.3 billion euros in tranches, on condition that Athens amends laws concerning pensions, privatisations and

freeing up the sale of bad loans.

However, this disagreement could further delay the release of the bailout funds Athens needs to pay off IMF loans in June. Germany, released its monthly unemployment data, which showed that unemployment declined more than expected to a figure of 2.695 million in May. The European Central Bank kept its monetary policy on hold and interest rates unmoved, with its deposit facility at minus 0.4% and its quantitative easing package at 80bn a month. The ECB, confirmed they will start buying corporate bonds as part of its quantitative easing package next Wednesday, as the Bank kept monetary policy on hold. In March, the ECB upped its monthly purchase of bonds from 60bn to 80bn and said it would extend the program to include corporate bonds to push yields even further across the single currency bloc. ECB President Mario Draghi took the opportunity to call on UK voters to reject Brexit and choose to stay in the EU. Growth in the European economy remained subdued in May suggesting that the continent's recovery is still struggling to get out of "low gear".

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 7th June 2016 @ 3.25pm

GBP - INR = 97.15

USD - INR = 66.80 EUR - INR = 75.75 GBP - USD = 1.45 GBP - EUR = 1.28

EUR - USD = 1.13 GBP - AED = 5.34

GBP - CAD = 1.86

GBP - NZD = 2.08

GBP - AUD = 1.95

GBP - ZAR = 21.66

GBP - HUF = 397.80

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

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Ayatollah Khamenei won't trust "the Great Satan"

In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Sikh man shot dead in the US

NEW YORK: A 47 year old Sikh gas station owner fell victim to an alleged hate crime as he was shot dead in the city of Newark. Davinder Singh was found unresponsive last week, and rushed to a nearby hospital only to be pronounced dead. His son Jatinder said he thought his father who had moved to the US 25 years ago may have been targeted because he was Sikh and wore a turban. "I don't know what else it could be other than a hate crime," he said. Jatinder said his father was "the best man I ever knew" and that the family had worried about him working in Newark as he had been robbed before. "My dad came out to get some fresh air and the male came up to my dad, pointed a gun and shot him point-blank," he said in the report. Detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor's Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the shooting.

ANKARA: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Tehran did not intend to cooperate on regional issues with its enemies; the United States and Britain. He also accused the States of not committing to a nuclear deal that was reached between Tehran and six other countries in 2015.

In a speech broadcast live on state television, Khamenei said, "America has continued its enmity towards Iran since (the 1979 Islamic) revolution... It is a huge mistake to trust evil Britain and the Great Satan (the United States). We will not cooperate with America over the regional crisis. Their aims in the region are 180 degrees opposed to Iran's." When asked to respond, US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said he did not really have a response. "His rhetoric is always somewhat hyperbolic and so we take it with a grain of salt and don't necessarily rise to the bait," he said.

Both the sides have had common interests and threats across the Middle East. They

British University Students all set to go to India this summer!

recognition received by the national committee but also for bagging the National Award for the ‘Best Non-fundraising Sewa Idea’ by organising a trip to Bangalore. This is unprecedented as far as any Hindu society across the country is concerned.

The two-week programme is packed with

DHAKA: Bangladesh police launched an aggressive crackdown on Islamist terrorists as a 70 year old Hindu priest fell prey to the series of gruesome attacks on minorities. Two "high-ranking" members of the Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh were shot dead in a face-off in Dhaka and another in a northwestern district, as per police officials.

Deputy commissioner of police MR Khaled said the two men killed in the capital had major roles "in most of the recent attacks" including the bombing of a Shia mosque and the murder of a liberal professor. Authorities have been under constant pressure from the international community as attacks on religious minorities and secular activists have accounted for more than 40 deaths. The most recent attack was on a 70-year old Hindu priest whose head was nearly separated from his body.

The body of Ananda Gopal Ganguly was found near his home, by farmers.

the affairs of Middle Eastern countries, particularly Syria.

While officially Iran denies it has deployed any combat troops in Syria, but it is believed Tehran provides both military and economic support to staunch ally Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On the other hand, the US and its Western allies, along with a couple of Gulf Arab nations, back the Syrian rebels fighting to topple Assad.

Khamenei spoke at a ceremony marking the 27th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought hard-line clerics to power and ousted US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Tens of thousands of Iranians attended the ceremony in Tehran.

SEWA FOR SUMMER

Exams are over! A team of students from De Montfort University’s Hindu Society will be spending part of their summer contributing to a School for Deaf Children in Bangalore. Students are bustling about as they muster up support for their host charity Sheila Kothavala Institute for the Deaf (SKID). Students have already raised thousands of pounds for the charity.

The visit is being organised by Bhaarat Welfare Trust UK (BWT), a leading UK-registered charity that funds over 180 charities in India.

Students will be involved in sprucing up the school by painting the school’s compound walls and helping the teachers in classrooms.

This project will help students from both sides to learn about the culture, customs and traditions.

For De Montfort University Hindu Society, this has been a special year, not only for the

3 extremists killed in B'deshi police crackdown

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

have also cooperated tactically in the past, even when Tehran helped Washinton counter al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Islamic State militants in Iraq. "They use human rights, terrorism... as pretexts to avoid fulfilling their commitments. If we remain strong and united and revolutionary, those who are trying to bully Iran and are against us will not succeed," Khamenei said.

His comments come ahead of plans by the UN Security Council to discuss possible air drops of aid to Syrian areas under siege. Iran has been accused by the US and its allies of interfering in

Thailand temple highlights animal rights issue

BANGKOK: Over 40 dead tiger cubs, a dead bear and different animal horns were found by wildlife officials on the grounds of Thailand's Tiger Temple west of Bangkok. The bodies of the creatures were found stored in the freezer where the temple kept food for the tigers, Adisorn Nuchdamrong, deputy director-general of the wildlife department, said, "The temple never registered these dead cubs, they are illegal," he said. The Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yanasampanno, also known as Tiger Temple, is a popular tourist attraction. However, the dead animals are proof of the institution's involvement in illegal breeding and smuggling acctivities. Edwin Wiek, head of the Wildlife Friends Foundation of Thailand said, "Under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species treaty, no wildlife farm or sanctuary can engage in the breeding of protected species. These animals were bred and hidden away. I believe that they were stored to be sold for parts on the black market. "

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activities. Students will be involved in doing yoga and meditation, visiting ancient temples and heritage sites. They will also see the working of Akshaya Patra, a charity that runs the largest school meal project in the world.

Rishan Gudka and Hiral Patel, coordinators of the Sewa project from DMU, said: “We wanted to make a change not only locally but on an international scale.

This opportunity will be an amazing experience, witnessing what happens within a deaf institute and being within a surrounding that none of us are familiar with.”

Himanshu Mittal, Assistant Director Generation UK- India from the British Council will be interacting with the students during the programme to hear their experiences.

Based on the success of this programme, Bhaarat Welfare Trust is proposing to expand this opportunity to all British Universities.

If anyone wishes to get involved in any future programmes, please contact Bhaarat Welfare Trust, 55 Loughborough Road, Leicester, LE4 5LJ. 0116 216 1684 / 216 1698. Email: info@indiaaid.com

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China bans Ramadan fasting

XIANJIANG: The holy month of Ramadan took off on a sad note for around 10 million Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang region of China, as the government weighed down a ban on fasting and other harsh restrictions.

The restraint covers all civil servants, students and children as announced by government websites. The ruling Communist Party has imposed the ban on government employees and minors for the past few years. A notice posted on a website said, "Party members, cadres, civil servants, students and minors must not fast for Ramadan and must not take part in religious activities." It also added, "During the Ramadan month, food and drink businesses must not close."

Briton quits Everest attempt to save woman

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

KOLKATA: Not all superheroes wear capes. Leslie John Binns, a British ex-serviceman abandoned his quest mere 450 metres away from the summit of the mighty Mount Everest, in a bid to save a fellow mountaineer.

Binns was almost close to the summit when he came across Indian climber Sunita Hazra, who was making her way down the mountain. He first noticed something was wrong on the approach to the "the balcony" area of the ascent where people tend to leave spare oxygen bottles. Talking to the media, he said, "I noticed someone sliding down the fixed climbing lines towards me. All I could hear were the screams of terror as the person gained momentum.

I braced myself to try and stop whoever it was, and managed to do so. At this time I didn't

Leslie Binns

know that this was Sunita Hazra. I helped her upright and looked at her oxygen regulator. It was registering empty."

He helped her recover, after which she continued her descent, but collapsed 20 metres down. Despite being close to his goal, Binns decided to call it quits and with the

Restrictions on passports on Lankans lifted COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government issued a circular last week, announcing an end to the restrictive practice of preventing the issuance of passports to Sri Lankan citizens residing abroad, who were compelled to leave Sri Lanka due to political persecution.

In the statement, the Foriegn Ministry said the previous government issued instruction to all Sri Lankan Missions abroad in March 2011, to refrain from issuing passports to those who sought asylum due to political persecution. "This circular constituted a serious violation of our citizen's rights under the Constitution and under the many human rights conventions to which Sri Lanka has become a party

over the years. It has also caused immense hardship and difficulties to many Sri Lankans, who were forced to leave the country as a

“Freedom of movement and impartial treatment, irrespective of their political beliefs will be secured for all of our citizens result of their struggle against authoritarian rule," it read.

Saying that the new administration has renewed its commitment to upholding citizens' rights and the rule of law, the

statement further read, "Freedom of movement and impartial treatment of our citizens, irrespective of their political beliefs, will be secured for all our citizens. Furthermore, as a result of the good governance and reconciliation efforts of the current government, many Sri Lankans living abroad have expressed an interest in visiting and investing in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, the Government has directed the Controller-General, Department of Immigration and Emigration, to issue a circular ending this draconian practice and restore the procedure followed since Independence of enabling every Sri Lankan citizen living abroad to obtain a passport."

IT'S A BOY: Proud new mother panda Hao Hao shows off her new bundle of joy. The male cub was born in Paira Daiza zoo, Belgium, on June 2, weighing just 171 grams, to six-year-old Hao Hao following an artificial insemination from her mate Xing Hui, supervised by Chinese and local experts. It was a rare event for an endangered species that numbers fewer than 2,000 worldwide. It emerged as a little pink beauty, hardly the size of a human palm.

help of his sherpa, get Hazra down safely. The act has been widely appreciated on the internet. People have beein sending in congratulatory messages to him on Facebook from all across the world. The Britisher has served in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistant, also losing one eye in an IED explosion. Binns had set out from the UK on April 4 for his Mt Everest expedition and was set to reach the summit on May 22.

Admitting to have mixed feelings, he said, "Of course I felt sad because I could not climb the summit. But I am happy that I have saved a life. I have received messages from many people. It really feels good." A grateful Hazra said she was indebted to Binns. "I owe my life to him. I could return home to see my child.

What else can I say?"

WORLD Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

In Brief

23

Amir Khan Academy opens in Pak

ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner Thomas Drew CMG along with British champion Amir Khan opened the Amir Khan Academy at the Islamabad Sports Complex in the city.

Speaking at the fighter's first boxing academy in the country, Drew said, "What Amir Khan is doing here is about more than just boxing.

Through his academies, Amir Khan is inspiring the next generation in Pakistand and in the UK, themselves to achieve in life. I therefore am very proud to be taking part in the opening his academy in Islamabad- the first in Pakistan."

Chinese teen found with four kidneys

BEIJING: A 17-year-old Chinese girl was found with four kidneys after she went to a hospital for recurring back pain. Xiaolin was considered healthy all her childhood but visited hospital for treatment after suffering from lower back pain regularly. An ultrasound gave her and the doctors a shock for the life time as it revealed four kidneys inside of her. A doctor working on the case said it was a disease called renal duplex monstrosity. "The mortality rate for this is one in 1500 people, which means most of the people would not even realise they have this problem throughout their entire life," the doctor said.

24

INDIA

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Amma delivers on campaign promises Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

CHENNAI: After coming back into power, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has begun to give out freebies like she promised. The first five signatures of hers, after she resumed office, were on files that dealt with prohibition, breakfast for government school students, free gold for women getting married, free power for handloom weavers and free power for domestic consumers. She also distributed free textbooks, notebooks and uniforms to students on June 1.

This is not the first time

Jayalalithaa

the CM has signed for free gifts for her people. It is reported that freebies in the state have ranged from free rice, colour television sets,

AP to buy 100 per cent power generated at Hinduja HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh state government has approved the purchase of hundred per cent power from the Visakhapatnam plant of the Hinduja National Corporation Limited. The government has directed utilities, Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (Visakhapatnam) and Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (Tirupati), to purchase the entire 1040 MW from the HNPCL as per tariff approved by the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission. The decision however, might take a wrong turn with neighbour Telangana and AP both at loggerheads over sharing of power. Both the regions have sought their due share from the Krishnapatnam and Hinduja power projects as work on the two projects was commissioned in the erstwhile united state and the Telangana utilities had made significant investments in the two projects. AP's move to buy all the power from Hinduja plant saw opposition from Telangana power utili-

ties as it was seen to be in contravention of the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act. The X schedule of the Act stipulates that existing power purchase agreements with respective distribution companies should continue for the ongoing as well as projects under construction. The Act also stipulated that power generated in both the states should be shared in the ratio of 53.89 per cent and 46.11 per cent between Telangana and AP respectively.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said he would lodge a complaint with the Union Power Ministry and take a legal recourse if his state does not get its due share. He alleged that the AP government mounted pressure on the promoters of the Hinduja power plant to sell the entire power to his state in violation of the Reorganisation Act. Meanwhile, the APERC has decided to conduct a public hearing on June 18 on the proposed power purchase agreement to be signed by the EPDCL and SPDCL with the HNPCL.

Prez rule for Punjab LUDHIANA: Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh has demanded an imposition of the President's Rule in the state claiming the law and order situation was going totally "out of control". Referring to the attack on Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale and the killing of Mata Chand Kaur, including other incidents of violence, Amarinder said, "Given the anarchy let loose everywhere, Punjab is a fit case for President's Rule to restore confidence of people."

He alleged there was an atmosphere of "fear and anarchy" in the state and the "Badals were directly responsible for it". Addressing another issue of a Sikh priest who refused to offer the 'Siropa' to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said it was the expression of "widespread anger" prevail-

Amarinder Singh

ing among people against him. "Obviously the priest was right as the person responsible for the sacrilege of holy Guru Granth Sahib does not deserve a siropa," Amarinder said.

Congress spokesperson Sunil Jakhar echoed the captain's thoughts as even he demanded that President's rule be imposed in Punjab citing "deteriorating law and order situation" in the state.

"The government now is talking of bringing in the Punjab Control of Organised Crime Act, which they think will help control crime. But the fact is that it will never be used against them. Instead, it will be used against people like me who expose them."

mixer-grinders, fans and gold, to domestic animals. Stats say over Rs 11,500 Crore was spent on three freebies alone, in the last 10 years.

The DMK promised free TV sets and rice, pushing the state debts over Rs 3600 Crore, in 2006. In 2011, Jaya added laptops for students, gold for brides, free fans, mixers, slippers, uniforms,

stipends for students, mobiles and then the AMMA schemes of free salt, tea, water, etc, adds the daily.

With the list increasing every year, the state saw a high in their debts too. With a debt of Rs 1,01,349 Crore in 2011, Tamil Nadu's debt reached Rs 1,81,036 Crore by the end of 2014-15. When asked about it, state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam said, "The people are assured that our chief minister will take every possible step to ensure that they do not suffer the pain of high inflation."

Kerala minister gets trolled online THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The internet had an absolute field day over the petty faux pas made by Kerala Industry and Sports Minister EP Jayarajan in his obituary reference on late boxing great Muhammad Ali. The senior CPI (M) leader when asked by a TV channel, his reaction to the death of Ali started off by saying "he just heard the news that Muhammad Ali passed away in America."

The statement was all good until he followed it up with "Ali was an eminent sports personality of Kerala and is one who has won a gold medal thereby raising Kerala's position in the world."

Not realising his mistake, the embarassed TV news anchor was quick to intervene and save the minister from further mess. However, the blooper was not lost on the Twitterati who trolled Jayarajan to no end. Some of the tweets read, "Had not the anchor intervened, the minister would have announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 5 lakhs and a state government job for Ali's daughter." and

EP Jayarajan

"Thank god, the news reader stopped asking him more questions. Otherwise, he would have announced that he would make all arrangements to bring Ali’s mortal remains to Kerala."

He later explained why he goofed up. Jayarajan wrote a Facebook post saying "a mistake is a mistake". The person who called him said "our Muhammad Ali died in America. He has won several gold medals," and that the minister should give a condolence message, he said. "At that time, I was not aware that the boxing champion of yesteryear had passed away."

Punjab primes itself for Operation Blue Star anni NEW DELHI: The state was on a high alert after radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa called for Amritsar bandh on Monday to mark the 32nd anniversary of the Operation Blue Star. In measures to prevent any mishaps, the police detained several hardliners as they planned to blow in on the emotions tied up with the alleged atrocities on the Sikhs during the military operation.

The Army stormed into the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) on June 6, 1984, to pull out all extremists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, leader of the Khalistan movement. The operation was ordered by then prime minister Indira Gandhi, and had made her more than unpopular with the big north Indian community.

The Dal Khalsa had also appealed to their fellow men to observe Khalistan Day on the anniversary, in order to pay homage to Bhindranwale.

Spokesperson Kanwar Pal

Kanwar Pal Singh

Singh issued a statement saying, "Innocent pilgrims, SGPC employees, political activists, and volunteers were killed during the attack." He is amongst those taken into custody by the police. "We have detained a few radical outfit leaders as a preventive measure ahead of the Blue Star anniversary," A.S. Chahal, Commissioner of Police said.

"No one will be allowed to take law in their hand. We have deployed over 10,000 security personnel, including central paramilitary forces across the city, to keep the situation under control," he said.

Clashes have broken out during the commemoration in the past two years.

In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

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Girl-friendly e-toilets launched

KANNUR: PK Sreemathy, MP, at the Valapattanam Higher Secondary School in Kannur, formally inaugurated the district panchayat's project to provide girl-friendly electronic toilets in 26 government schools in the area. The toilets are equipped with napkin vending machines and napkin destroyers to ensure clean, safe and hygienic toilet facilities for the girl students, officials said. The e-toilets have also been installed for the general public at the Kannur Science park, Government Commercial Institute, District Hospital and district panchayat premises. The idea was taken from other schools in the state. Teachers and students will also be provided with training programme on how to use and maintain etoilets.

Army wants soldiers to clean shave

KOCHI: The Indian Army has kicked off a row after dismissing a Muslim soldier for insisting on sporting a beard based on religious grounds. The Army termed him as an "undesirable soldier" and his dismissal was upheld by an Armed Forces Tribunal bench in Kochi.

Maktumhusen, 34, was a sepoy in the Army Medical Corps for nearly 10 years when he first aske permission from his Commanding Officer to sport facial hair. He was given permission provided he gets a new identity card and retains the look for the rest of his service.

However, it was soon found out that the rule was amended and soldiers apart from Sikhs were not allowed to have beards. Maktum's order was revoked and he was asked to shave his beard, a move which the soldier called discriminatory, and approached the Karnataka High Court. He was transferred to Pune's Command Hospital where he faced a similar situation. A show-cause notice was issued against him, after which he was sentenced to a 14-day detention for disobedience. His counsel said he will move the Supreme Court.

251 found HIV+ in Faridkot jail

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana Hight Court has taken suo-motu cognzance of a report from one its judges regarding 251 inmates of the Faridkot district jail. The prisoners were tested positive for HIV in a random screening held in March this year. The state government of Punjab has been asked to submit a response by August 4. Inspecting judge justice Lisa Gill wrote to the acting chief justice asking to examine whether the inmates could be screened at the time of admission.

She also asked to move the prisoners to the antiretroviral therapy centre under armed escort. The judge's report states that not only the timely treatment to the affected prisoners was in question, but also the absence of the testing for the communicable diseases at the time of admission was serious. Smuggling of drugs and inferior surveillance cameras were also found mentioned in the report. "The observation home at Faridkot for juveniles in conflict with law also had inmates in the habit of drugs," the report says.

Birsa Munda statue to be unchained

RANCHI: Statue of the iconic tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, who fought against the British Raj, will soon be unchained. Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das directed the state's Arts and Culture Ministry to replace the statues showing him in shackles with new ones sans them. "Birsa Munda is a guiding light for the youth of Jharkhand. Statues showing him in chains cast a negative effect on the minds of youth," Das said in a statement. He directed immediate implementation of the order and asked all government departments and buildings to replace all the statues. The fighter lanuched a military uprising against the Britishers in the 19th Century. He was captured and jailed in Ranchi, where he died at the age of 25. Director of state art and culture Anil Kumar Singh said shackles also commemorate the Indian subjugation to its colonial masters and evokes a sense of shame among people.

INDIA Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Islamic banking to debut in Gujarat The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank is all set to launch in Gujarat in a bid to promote Islamic finance for homegrown startups and fund Indian exports to African and central Asian Muslim nations. The headway was made after an agreement was signed between India's stateowned Exim Bank and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector. The latter is a private-sector arm of the IDB group, a multilateral lender with an authorised capital of $100 billion. Open to nonMuslims as well, the India operations of the bank will be headed by well-known local Gujarati businessman Zafar Sareshwala who is also the chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University.

Addressing the media in an interview, Sareshwala was all praises for the prime minister. He said, "Modi is a very pragmatic man. He is keen on investment, infrastructure, trade and economic growth." The agreement in Jeddah was signed

by Exim Bank regional head Tarun Sharma and ICD CEO Khaled Al Aboodi in the presence of Ahmad Javed, India's ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Slated to be based in Ahmedabad, the

bank will offer interest-free capital to business startups, including small and medium enterprises within India, marking the entry of the socalled Islamic banking, also known as participatory banking, into country. In a statement released by Exim, the IDB will enjoy a bigger hand in the $100 million credit line it pledged "with the aim of facilitating the export of goods and services from India to ICD's member countries."

"The ICD will be open for business to all Indians, regardless of religious background. In Malaysia, the KFC chain runs on ICD finance although it is owned by a Chinese firm. Some people have this unnecessary issue with Islamic banking, which is actually known as participatory banking across the globe now,� said Sareshwala. The IDB has also promised $55m for a state-of-the-art rural mobile medical network, the first leg of which will be launched in Gujarat.

Islamic Banking is a finance system based on the principle of not charging interest, which is prohibited under the religion. Instead of charging interest, the lender shares a part of the profit or the loss with the borrower.

Gulberg case hearing of quantum of punishment adjourned A special SIT court that convicted 24 people in the Gulberg Society massacre case, adjourned hearing on the pronouncement of the quantum of punishment to June 9, much to the chagrin of those who suffered. The prosecution had demanded either capital punishment or life imprisonment for the convicts.

Special Court judge PB Desai had convicted 24 of the 66 accused including a VHP leader in charges of the 2002 post-Godhra Gulberg society massacre on June 2. He acquitted 36 others including sitting BJP corporator Bipin Patel, also dropping conspiracy charge against all the accused. Of those convicted, 11 have been charged with murder while the other 13 are sen-

As per the 2016 Global Slavery Index, released by Australia-based human rights group Walk Free Foundation, an estimated 45.8 million people including women and children are subject to modern day slavery in the world. What was even worse was that the report cites India with the highest absolute numbers

Dr Amrita Patel

best facilities in the country without compromising on the level of care with which patients receive treatment in the Charutar region. The hospital has facilities for a cancer centre, bone marrow, cardiac centre, paediatric, trauma and cardio centre. In fact the hospital is the only trauma facility between Ahmedabad and Vadodara.

Amritaben's inspiration is her father, H.M Patel former Finance Minister of the Government of India who was an outstanding member of the Indian civil service from 1927. While speaking to her, she said her father was born with integrity to serve the community. Elaborating her future plans, she hopes to implement six extension centre's with the aim that 90 villages will be served each by one health worker

tenced for lesser offences.

The special court said there was no evidence of criminal conspiracy. Public prosecutor RC Kodekar told the court that the convicts were deserving of maximum punishment, going by Section 149 of the Indian Penal Code. "The manner of crime was cruel, barbaric, and inhuman. Victims' bodies were roasted alive, in the

crime for which there was no provocation, much less in case of women and children who were defenceless," he said.

The trial, one of the nine major cases probed by the SIT, was relating to a mob attack launched on February 28, 2002, on a predominantly Muslim society of 29 bungalows, and 10 apartments.

Amongst those killed in the violence included Congress MP Ehsan Jafri. Charred remains of 35 people, including Jafri’s, were recovered and 31 people were missing. They were presumed dead after seven years. The attack came in retaliation to the burning down of the Sabarmati Express returning from Ayodhya, near Godhra.

Unsatisfied with the Gujarat Police investigation that saw 39 people chargesheeted, Jafri's wife Zakia had taken the Supreme Court's approval for an investigation by a SIT, lead by former CBI chief RK Raghavan. The team arrested 25 more people, filed eight charge sheets and submitted its report on March 15, 2012.

India tops world slavery list

Hospital which serves even People Under the Poverty Line

The Chairman of Charutar Arogya Mandal, Dr Amrita Patel is currently in UK to raise awareness for the Shree Krishna Hospital in Karmsand, Anand. She took upon this initiative when as the Chairman for Amul she noticed female workers on facility floor working hard in producing the company's products yet they did not receive many health benefits.

The hospital serves the community especially below the poverty line with ladies and children receiving treatment free of charge.

The aim of the hospital is to provide treatments, closer to the communities they serve. While in UK Amritaben hopes to not only raise awareness, but also to establish co-operation with medical fraternity.

The college also provides scholarship, one of the few in India to offer medical scholarships. Students are sent out in the field to serve the community in their first year itself.

The reputation of the hospital is very good and currently offers a bed capacity of 550 to patients free of charge, with a new 60 bed wing for paid treatment.

The cost of those paying for treatment would be one third the cost of a private hospital. The Shree Krishna Hospital boasts some of the

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who will advise but also provide basic treatment to the people. In the case of a bigger case the patient would be brought to the extension and then if needed be referred to the hospital. They also intent to setup a smaller 60 bed, secondary hospital costing around Rupee 3 Cr in Sevalia. This hospital will provide for operations, xray services and a trauma centre.

On 11th June Dr Patel and the delegation visit Leicester for a luncheon meeting arranged by Mr Nainesh M Patel. The Charutar Health Foundation will have a charity dinner on 12th June where further information about the hospital will be provided including raising awareness, public donations and adopting seriously ill children.

of people trapped in the condition with 18.35 million slaves. As incidences of slavery were reported in 167 countries, Asian nations took up all the top five slots.

China came second with 3.39 million slaves, Pakistan third with 2.13 million, Bangladesh fourth with 1.53 million and then came Uzbekistan with 1.23

million. The index further said the first five countries together stood for around 58 per cent of the world's enslaved.

The research was conducted with 42,000 interviews taken in over 53 languages across 25 countries.

They have statistically covered 44 per cent of the global population. North

Korea has been listed as the country with the highest incidence, 4.37 per cent of the population, and the weakest government response.

Modern slavery refers to any situations of exploitation a person cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion and abuse of power.

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INDIA

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Mathura Mayhem: Life as the squatters know it AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

As the ill-famed Jawahar Bagh opened to the public again this week, local residents cheered on the valour and the spirit of the Mathura police. Posters reading "Thank you Mathura Police" and "Salute to SO Santosh Yadav" were pasted along the walls of the gate in gratitude for the khaki men who lost their lives in the uncomprehended clash.

At least 27 people lost their lives including those of a Superintendent of Police after violence ensued in the otherwise calm city of Mathura. The Swadhin Bharat cult's land grap in the area has been an issue with the state government since 2014. As senior police officials led a police evacuation team in a bid to free the land encroached, little did they know what was in store for them. Moving on the orders of the Allahabad High Court, the police came face to face with people who claim to belong to the 'Netaji' sect armed with guns, swords, grenades and knives.

The violence erupted when the police tried to evict the illegal occupants, believed to be of Azad Bharat Vidhik Vaicharik Kranti Satyagrahi, from Jawahar Bagh on Thursday

on the directions of the Allahabad High Court. The protesters allegedly started firing on the police officials as they reached the spot and used teargas initially.

Mathura police said two bullets hit Station Officer Santosh Yadav who was later declared dead on arrival by doctors at Niyati Hospital. "These activists were followers of Baba Jai Gurudev and have named their outfit 'Swadhin Bharat Vidhik Satyagrahi'.

They have occupied hundreds of acres of land at Jawahar Bagh on the pretext of holding a dharna for more than two years. Even after several notices were served to them, they were not ready to leave the premises," said District Magistate, Rajesh Kumar.

As critics weighed down heavily on the

PRESENTS

administration for their lack of preparation, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav admitted there were "lapses" on the part of the police and the district administration in preparing the operation.

Putting aside their lack of groundwork for the D-day, the issue at hand is the piling up of arms, ammunition, and crude bombs, of the cult, right under the administration's nose. Not only were the locals in the area under danger, the ground is along the same road were offices of the district magistrate, Mathura district court, police control room, reserve police line and Mathura jail.

People have called 'Operation Jawahar Bagh', which was planned for over a month, ill-conceived.

The cult under question

are followers of a self-proclaimed spiritual leader, Jai Gurudev who has properties worth hundreds of crores to his name. There is a school and a petrol pump owned by Jai Gurudev Trust and the leader's fleet of cars i n c l u d e Mercedes Benz, Skodas, and BMWs. The group has been making weird demands for the past two years, including removal of the President and the Prime Minister and discontinuation of the Indian currency. They have also demanded all the documents related to Netaji be made public, cancellation of elections of the President and Prime Minister of India, 40 litre of petrol and 60 litre of diesel be given for Re One respectively, and the weirdest being the Indian currency be replaced by the 'Azad Hind Fauj Currency'.

As many as 124 people have been arrested on charges of murder and rioting, after the incident, and are in all probabilities to be slapped with charges under the stringent National Security Act. The state gov-

ASIAN ACHIEVERS

AWARDS

The people’s choice awards

ernment issued a press release saying 2500-3000 men, women, and children were staying at Jawahar Bagh under the SBSS banner. Offices and residential quarters of the horticulture department were illegally taken over and huts and

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

tents were erected by people of the cult. The main accused include Ram Vriksha Yadav, Chandan Bose, Rinku, Amit, Rampal, Dhiraj Singh, Rakesh Gupta, Viresh Yadav, Laxman Pasi and Munnilal.

OBITUARY

Robert Govender, also known as Gonnie Govender, the veteran journalist, author, Broadcaster and ex- news and features editor of the Asian Times, World Times, New World and formally worked with New Life (the forerunner of Asian Voice) passed away at Royal Free Hospital, North West London, in the early hours of 31stMay 2016.

He became a champion of the obscure, the neglected, the modern, the foreign, the difficult and the downright unpopular; yet he somehow managed to keep his head above water and maintain his independence when all about him were losing theirs. He introduced British readers to voices from South Africa, Caribbean to Japan and China, held the torch for fading reputations. Robert Govender born to South Indian parents in South Africa.

He was most often a friendly industrious and highly intellectual asset to any team he worked for thoroughly embedded in, and enjoying the fast-paced and fascinating genre of news and debate. Robert’s sitting room at his home was more like a library. Robert liked to read, digest and review numerous books on topics far ranging in subject matter embracing politics, leadership, philosophy, autobiography and the rest. He will be both well remembered and sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to know him. Rest in peace, Robert and thanks for your great example in hard work, hard play, hard thinking, sensible politics and friendship.

I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

NOMINATION FORM

The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence. If there is someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the community and the nation then please nominate them for one of the awards listed below.

Make sure that you fill in this application form and send it on or before 31st July, 2016 by post, fax or email to Mr. L George, Tel: 020 7749 4013, Fax 020 7749 4081, Email: aaa@abplgroup.com. If you are sending it by post the address is Mr. L George, ABPL Group, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW.

Please tick the appropriate category Uniformed and Civil Services For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Entrepreneur of the Year Awarded to an entrepreneur with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

Achievement in Community Service In recognition for an individuals service to community.

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

Sports Personality of the Year Awarded for excellence in sports.

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

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

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

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

Application Form Full Name of the Person you are Nominating: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ His/Her Contact Details (Tel & email): ___________________________________________________Occupation of the Nominee:____________________________________________ Please attach the Nominees's CV which includes the following information (Please do not exceed a limit of 1000 words) (1) Personal background

(2) Most important career achievements till date.

(4) Future Plans, ambitions and visions.

(5) Any notable obstacles in the Nominee's career that has helped him/her to reach where they are today.

(3) Nominee's contribution to the community and nation.

Summary- (Please include a summary in not more than 150 words why the nominee is worthy of winning the particular award in a separate sheet) Your name and contact details: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your current Occupation/Company: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Your contact ____________________________________________________________ Email: ____________________________________________________________________________

HEALTH&WELLNESS AsianVoiceNews

www.asian-voice.com

Painkillers can increase duration of pain FOOD

new research has warned against the short-term decision of using painkillers. Findings made by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder said usage of the medicine could lead to devastating consequences of increasing pain and make it last longer than usual.

"We are showing for the first time that even a brief exposure to opioids can have long-term negative effects on pain," said lead researcher Peter Grace. They found out that opioids like morphine paradoxically cause an increase in chronic pain in lab rats. "The results suggest that the recent escalation of opioid prescriptions in humans may be a contributor to chronic pain," he said. The study showed that just a few days of morphine treatment caused chronic pain that went on for several months by exacerbating the release of pain signals from specific immune cells in the spinal cord.

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

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"We found the treatment was contributing to the problem." Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study showed that a peripheral nerve injury in rats sends a message from damaged nerve cells to spinal cord immune cells known as glial cells, which normalkly act as 'housekeepers' to clear out unwanted debris

and micro-organisms. The first signal of pain sends glial cells into an alert mode, priming them for further action. On treating the injury with just five days of opioids, the glial cells went into an overdrive, triggering a cascade of actions, including spinal cord inflammation.

They discovered that the pain signals from a peripheral injury com-

bined with subsequent morphine treatment worked together to cause a glial cell signalling cascade. "The implications for people taking opioids can have devastating consequences of making pain worse and longer lasting," said Linda Watkins, Professor at the university.

"This is a very ugly side to opioids that had not been recognised before."

Weak lungs affect vocal health of women A

new study aimed to analyse the reason behind voice fatigue, has pointed its finger at poor lung functioning.

Hoarseness, vocal tiredness, muscle pain, and lost or cracked notes, is are common complaints and conditions that can lead to vocal damage.

Findings of the study show females face a significantly higher risk than men of developing longterm vocal problems. Eric Hunter, Michigan State University, said, "The study is the first to connect

voice fatigue problems with gender-based physiological differences in lung functions, pointing to the respiratory function as a source of the gender inequality in voice prob-

lems." The lung function of women in the amount of air they inhale and exhale was linked to getting voice fatigue.

Also, the higher incidence of prolonged prob-

lems among women has been associated with a number of gender differences including physiological differences in the laryngeal system, differences in the endocrine system and differences in pulmonary usage. The team studied 122 elementary and middle school faculty members.

The teachers' scores of vocal fatigue index were matched with the results of spirometry measures.

Results showed that women weren't able to inhale and exhale as much air as men.

Cut waist size and keep prostate cancer at bay

of 50 can significantly reduce their chances of developing aggressive prostate cancer by losing a few inches around the

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waist. Research on over 140,000 men from eight European countries with a

average age of 52 found that a 4in (10cm) larger waist circumference could

raise the chances of getting the most deadly type of prostate cancer by 13%.

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Cancer

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Tel: 07748 63 62 64 / 020 8902 1515 www.sarashwathy.com Open 7 days a week

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Dr Bala Raju, Director of Advatech Healthcare has worked as a doctor for over 20 years and has been developing private healthcare services in India and the UK for the past 6 years. He is writing the columns on important topics in healthcare in association with UK Consultants and GPs who have good experience in these topics.

Dr Bala Raju

Cancer is a term we hear about often, but we hope that it won’t affect us.

The reality is that cancer has already either affected us directly or someone close to us. It’s important that we are alert about cancer and not afraid of it, so that we can catch it early and get rid of it, if possible.

Jay had lung cancer 4 years ago. Luckily, it was diagnosed and operated early and he is alive and well today. At that time, it was the scariest thing that could happen to him and his family was in a state of shock and worry. They were trying to get all the tests done as quickly as possible and then had to support Jay whilst dealing with the side effects of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

He remembers his initial frustration of not knowing what was the problem was. He was losing weight and thought it was because he didn’t feel like eating.

He was increasingly tired and was coughing more often than before.

There were delays from the time of seeing his GP to the point when the diagnosis of cancer was made. This was no fault of his or the NHS as the services do not offer instant appointments unless there is an emergency.

Jay’s family did not want to wait a week for the blood test results and a few more weeks for a CT scan report. As they did not have insurance, they went through the route of seeing a respiratory consultant at a local private hospital. There was no delay as they did not require their GP to refer to the specialist.

Within a couple of days, the cancer was diag-

nosed and the treatment plans were being put in place.

This story is similar to the experiences of many others who have suffered from cancer.

The earlier the detection, the better the outcome.

Sometimes, it’s difficult to know where the original cancer started from and someone may only know about the condition due to the cancer spreading to other parts of the body, for example to the bones resulting in fractures or severe pain.

Blood tests are useful in detecting some types of cancer and it is worthwhile having them done regularly based on advice from a specialist.

This is even more important when there are other members of the family who have had cancer. Ultimately, reading about cancer, noticing changes in your health and having regular checks is probably the best way to pick up cancer early.

The cost of an annual health check with blood tests are a few hundred pounds in most private hospitals but can give you and your family the peace of mind you need, especially when there is a history of cancer in the family. Nowadays, most advanced scans and biopsy reports are available quickly through private hospitals and clinics across the UK. Some of the tests can be done in your own home with the reports are accessible online in a secure and safe manner. These results can then be discussed with your GP or specialist for faster access to the right type of treatment, especially in conditions such as cancer, where every moment counts.

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if you have any specific questions relating to this article. wecare@advatechhealth.com

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Balu Anand passes away AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

excited

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

F

amed Tamil actor and director Balu Anand met his demise following a massive heart attack in his house in Coimbatore.

Anand, 62, has acted in some 100 films and directed a handful of Tamil movies, complained of chest pain at his house in Kalampalayam and was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital.

He , however, died on the way, his family said.

He has films like S a t h y a r a j - st a r r e r 'Annanagar First street' and Vijayakant-starrer 'Nane Raja Naane Mantri,' to his name.

He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.

about

Malayalam debut

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ctress Aishwarya Rajesh of 'Kaaka Muttai' fame is on a roll. After bagging a lead roll with Arjun Rampal in 'Daddy' earlier this year, the actress is set to make her Malayalam debut across hot actor Nivin Pauly. "I've always wanted to work in the Malayalam industry. Though I got a few offers in the past, I couldn't take them up due to other commitments. Irrespective of the language and industry, what I seek from a project is good story and role," said Aishwarya in an interview.

While the project is yet-to-be-titled, it will be helmed by Siddharth Siva, and Nivin is rumoured to be playing a student leader. The project went on floors last week, and also stars Aparna Mohan, Sreenivasan, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Maniyanpilla Raju and Aju Varghese.

Farah plays herself in Tamil debut

O

ne of Bollywood's top choreographers, Farah Khan will play herself in her Tamil cinematic debut in upcoming horror drama 'Devi'. The movie is also being made in Telugu and Hindi. The film's director Vijay released a statement saying,

"This particular scene in the film required a choreographer and who else other than Farah be apt for the role. Her presence serves as big strength to the team." The movie also st ars Prabhudeva, Sonu Sood, and Tamannaah Bhatia.

The movie is co-written by popular Hollywood filmmaker-

writer Paul Aaron. "Our film is full of surprises. If it was Paul Aaron in the scripting, Prabhudeva and Tamannaah as a pair in the casting, here it is Farah Khan in the guest appearance," said Vijay. 'Devi' is slated for a release later this year.

Thalaivar rakes in 200 crore before movie release

T

his year's most awaited movie, Rajinikanth's 'Kabali' was already doing business weeks before its release, through its satellite rights and distribution rights. Film trade analyst Sreedhar Pillai said many distributors battled for the rights of the film, and it was said, the Karnataka theatrical rights of Kabali was bought for a record price by a distributor.

Also, Sony Music bought the rights for the music

album for a un-disclosed whopping amount. With all the developments in sight, the movie is said to have already earned more than Rs 200 Crore. Hitting around 5000 screens worldwide on June 1, the makers of the film have simultaneously released the film in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Malayalam. Audio launch of the film is set to be scheduled for June 11 in Chennai, in a grand manner at the lavish YMCA ground.

Dippy goes full Santa for team

A

Cabaret

A romantic film directed by Kaustav Narayan Niyogi and produced by Pooja Bhatt and Bhushan Kumar. It features actress Richa Chadha in the lead.

TE3N

A suspense thriller, cop (Vidya Balan), a priest (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) and a common man (Amitabh Bachchan) get together to investigate a kidnapping similar to an 8-year-old unsolved case.

Do Lafzon Ki Kahani Starring Kajal Aggarwal and Randeep Hooda, movie is based on the 2011 Korean movie 'Always'.

ctress Deepika Padukone who recently finished shooting for her Hollywood debut 'xXx: The Return of Xander Cage', across Vin Diesel, in Toronto, Canada, returned home this week. A source close to the actress said the 'Chennai Express' star went shopping in Canada and bought gifts for her staff before returning to India. "Deepika picked up gifts for her team. This isn't the first time she has done this.

She cares for her staff," The

source said. "Deepika also gifter her co-stars and crew members in Toronto some Indian goodies." The source said the actress specially ordered customised gifts for each individual in the unit, from handcrafted potli bags to designer shoes and sarees. When asked, Deepika said, "I enjoy looking around and picking up little gifts for people close to me. Sometimes, you see a small thing and it reminds you of a person. I hope they like it."

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www.asian-voice.com

FAWAD SALMAN'S

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 11th June 2016 role was supposed to be played by Saif Ali Khan, who opted out, and it was forwarded to the 'Kapoor & Sons' actor.

While the news is not confirmed yet, Fawad in a recent interview said, "I really can't comment on this right now. Let's say that we have been in talks with a lot of people, so 'Jugalbandi' may be one of the projects. Nothing is concrete right now.

Besides, I don't like talking about anything until everything has been finalised. When we are ready to make a public announcement, we will. As of now, I am not associated with any projects."

Fine!

Fawad has a massive fan following in India after doing just two Bollywood movies. He will soon be seen in Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Anushka Sharma in lead roles.

jugalbandi!

F

awad and Salman might feature in a film together, and we just can't wait!

Rumours of Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan, roped in to work with Salman in his upcoming film 'Jugalbandi' have been doing the rounds since quite some time now, fuelled by lots of speculations. It is said the

KATRINA KAIF opens up about

N

ot really known to be an open person, actress Katrina Kaif dealt with media invasions on her privacy as news of her calling it quits with former beau Ranbir Kapoor spread like wildfire. Both the actors managed to keep a strict silence over the topic and even continued to shoot for Anurag Kashyap's 'Jagga Jasoos', an assignment they took when they were still together.

However, uncharacteristically, in a recent interview with Vogue India, Kaif answered queries about everything everyone's asking about her. When asked why she chose to avoid commenting on the breakup, she said, "All Cancerians are guarded to a certain extent. That's just the way it is. It's also about being a girl." She said it was also the fact that she wasn't the only person in the relationship. "(It involves) another person who is not in your control. Which means, you are going to be speaking for yourself and for that other person, constantly making changes and updates, you know?"

Adding that she doesn't attach herself too deeply with anyone, she said, "I think I no longer make friends in a way that I am too attached or dependent on people.

This is the film industry, this is a place of work and sometimes we mix the personal and the professional too closely."

Ileana has body issues

A

ctress Ileana D'Cruz of 'Barfi' fame admitted she struggled to accept her "unusual" body type and has dealt with issues for a very long time.

"There was a point when I was super skinny. And I have had body issues for very long. I was at my lightest weight and even then I felt 'Oh my God I am so fat'. I am not too open about my body type. I have an unusual body type," the actress said. "I've reached a phase now where I am like, 'you know what, I am not super happy with the way I look, but I am ready to work at it. I am not going to obsess over it." Adding that there is an added pressure due to the profession she chose, she said, "Absolutely. When going out, I look in the mirror, like any other normal girl, and feel 'I look alright'. Then I get slammed by paparazzi. I say to myself why do I look so different in photographs."

ANIL KAPOOR

determined to do justice to

‘Modern Family’

V

eteran actor Anil Kapoor has quite the knack of making Indian versions of popular Hollywood TV series. After acquiring remake rights for multiple-Emmy-winning American sitcom 'Modern Family', Kapoor said he has his priorities straight. In an interview, the actor said he is prepared to fight the rigid censorship that persists in Indian TV and films to make sure the series retains its original essence.

For those who don't know, two of the main characters on the show are a gay couple with an adopted Vietnamese daughter.

Kapoor looks forward to keep the element in his adaptation of the show. "That is the whole point. I honestly won't do 'Modern Family' if the same-sex couple were to be eliminated. Indian TV needs a progressive show like that, it absolutely does." The statements came at a time when his daughter Sonam also spoke out in support of the LGBTQ community at Kashish Film Festival.

"Most of my fans are either straight women, gay men or lesbians. If they support me, I've got to support them. In the years to come, I hope this stops being a LGBT film festival and just becomes a regular film festival. Hopefully, one day there won't be any labels," she said.

Bachchan Sr's scooter in TE3N worth 1 Crore

T

he man with the golden touch, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan has a religious mass of fans who follow and keep a tab on everything he does and promotes.

Recently impressed with shots of the actor riding on the streets of Kolkata on an antique blue scooter for his upcoming suspense thriller TE3N, it became the media's mission to find out how special the vehicle is.

Owner of the blue two-wheeler, Sujit Narayan Sur, who rented it to the film crew, has been flanked with offers to buy the scooter "driven by Amitabh Bachchan". He was made offers up to the amount of Rs 1 Crore.

Sujit who modified and customised the vehicle just for Bachchan, said, "This secondhand scooter is about 20 years old. I bought it 13 years back and still use it. The unit came

with a sketch of what they needed and my scooter's colour matched their requirements. I was thrilled. I will not be able to lend out the scooter ever again."

Sultan music out now

M

usic album for Yash Raj Film's 'Sultan' starring Salman Khan and Anushka Sharma is out and boy are we excited! An elaborate blend of folk, local, and popular music, with certain slyrics in Punjabi, music composer duo VishalShekhar have stayed parallel to YRF's eternal film music. With lyrics by Irshad

Kamil and singers including Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Shalmali Kholgade and the ever-energetic Mika Singh, 'Sultan' just got an added boost to becoming a sureshot hit.

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UK

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Pope Francis thanks Jain community for their care of the planet Asian Voice |11th June 2016

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 By nature you are a highly

enterprising, go-getting type of person and these are qualities that will stand you in good stead in the coming weeks. Go easy on yourself though, especially if it's a question of financial loans.

Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 with personal interests and The need to push ahead

The Institute of Jainology (IoJ), the international Jain organisation promoting Jainism in government and inter-religious affairs, led its third delegation to the Vatican to meet with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) on 1st June 2016. The last two meetings were in 1995 and 2011. The 35-strong

international Jain delegation was led by Mr Nemu Chandaria, Chairman of the IoJ and had Jain leaders from the UK, India and the Middle East.

The delegations discussed the topic of ‘Taking care of the Earth, the home of the human family’. Dr Mehool H Sanghrajka, Director of the IoJ, present-

ed a paper from the Jain perspective in which he said; “The signs of our environmental damage are all around us. Degradation of the environment and climate change are already causing great suffering.

Unchecked consumerism and wastefulness, the hallmarks of modern life, continue to cause irreparable

damage to the planet. From a Jain perspective, taking care of the earth is not merely concern for the environment. It is far deeper, and rooted at the heart of Jain preaching. Co-existing with all other forms of life in an interdependent world, is about not causing harm to our fellow souls, and sin to one’s self.”

Chhoti Badi Baaten of Ashok Saraf at MML Noted TV, Theatre and film artiste Ashok Saraf was in London recently presenting the Marathi play Laginghai, whose first two shows were staged at Maharashtra Mandal London.

Most popular for his TV

serials Hum Paanch and Chhoti Badi Baaten, Ashok Saraf has carved a niche for himself in comedy genre acting in a total of about 275 films and plays. Laginghai is a Marathi play with lead role by Ashok Saraf himself, as the

Student tells court he used his dad's disabled parking badge so he could to get to an exam in time

A student used his father’s blue badge to park in a disabled bay so he could to get to an exam in time. Soroush Emani, 19, parked a white Audi in a disabled bay on Sidney Street, close to Manchester Metropolitan University.

He was spotted placing a disabled parking badge on the dashboard of the vehicle before walking away towards Oxford Road.

The student, from Stockport, was stopped by a parking enforcement officer who had seen him park the car in a disabled bay.

father of a young bachelor who falls in love with a lady, played by Aditi Deshpande who is real life daughter-inlaw of famous actress Sulabha Deshpande.

The story revolves around the desire of getting married, both of the son and the father and all the comic scenes around it. Played by Onkar Raut, the son’s character brought out both hilarious

side and an off-spring who wanted his father’s well-being in his loneliness. The son’s character was supported well

by Sayali Karlekar as his girlfriend.

This is Ashok Saraf’s first performance in the UK in his career spanning more than four decades. Speaking to Asian Voice, Saraf said that he was glad to be presenting before new audiences in the UK and looking forward to their response to the play.

Co-incidentally, it was also Ashok Saraf’s birthday on the day and it was celebrated by the attendees and the Executive Committee members of MML. Vote of thanks was given by the President of MML Sushil Rapatwar.

Emani, who represented himself in court, apologised to magistrates and said: “I have never used the badge without my dad, It’s not about the money, it’s because all the normal bays were full and all the disabled bays were empty. I was just going to use it for the exam and then not use it again.”

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to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. Mentally you will be in top form, feeling quite passionate about expressing your ideas and views. A goal you have been striving towards will at last be reached.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 planets gives you a marvel-

The prevailing pattern of

lous opportunity. Take time out to strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to anyone who may have caused you pain in recent months. Venus throws an easy light on affairs of the heart - prime time for engagements and weddings.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

Although there are very intense amorous energies indicated in your chart, the trouble is that these are likely to be marred by feelings of jealousy. Do not therefore dabble in anything that could harbour such negative potential, as it is bound to end in heartache. Existing emotional differences can be sorted out now.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Your social graces will serve you well career-wise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. You will achieve a lot by being responsible and diplomatic. Ego confrontations with family members are possible now, to handle this do your best to strengthen your relationship with your family and your home base.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Career-wise you cannot go wrong provided you do not act in a way that threatens other people's egos. An ambition that you have been striving for over the past year is likely to come to fruition which could mean promotion and a boost in status and reputation soon. Play your cards right and you can pull strings in you favour.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Your urge towards greater freedom and independence is very strongly accentuated. In intimate affairs, the prospect appears entirely favourable. In work matters you can expect a progressive phase. Efforts to bring about desirable changes in your working life are more likely to be positive.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain International Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction.

Saturn in your sign will help you organize your priorities and systematically put them into practice. People entering your life now will encourage you to move beyond your established boundaries of safety.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

It is a great week for seeing real results. You can accomplish more than usual with a little elbow grease - the keyword here is discipline. Your social graces will serve you well career-wise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. You will achieve great success by being responsible and diplomatic.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

With Venus transiting your 5th house, this promises to be very romantic week where some of you might even tie the knot with your loved one. This is a good time to buy or sell property or to renovate existing ones. The atmosphere at home will be calm and amiable with everyone at their best behaviour.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Whatever you are aiming to achieve, everything is now swinging in your favour. Do not be afraid if you are working towards promotion or wish to begin a new venture. It is a time of high potential in regard to worldly achievement. Important interviews, meetings, negotiations and correspondence are highlighted.

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India vs Pak in Champions Trophy 2017 AsianVoiceNews

Defending champions India will begin their ICC Champions Trophy campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 4, 2017. Seeded second in Group B, the team will also go against South Africa and Sri Lanka, with the opening clash featuring hosts England and Bangladesh at the Oval.

Seventh edition of the tournament will see participation from the top eight ODI teams of the world, all scheduled to play each other over a span of 18 days.

The 15-match gig will peak at the Oval on June 18, also the venue for the South Africa-Sri Lanka face off. ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said, "The ICC Champions Trophy is a short and sharp event, which is followed and enjoyed by the spectators and players alike. It is not just an ODI competition; it carries a great deal of value since it is being played just three months before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

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qualification cut-off date.

As such, every point earned here could be crucial."

Event schedule

June 1: England v Bangladesh, The Oval (d) June 2: Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (d) June 3: Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (d) June 4: India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (d) June 5: Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (d/n) June 6: England v New Zealand, Cardiff (d) June 7: Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (d/n) June 8: India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (d) June 9: New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (d) June 10: England v Australia, Edgbaston (d) June 11: India v South Africa, The Oval (d) June 12: Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (d) June 14: First semifinal (A1 v B2), Cardiff (d) June 15: Second semifinal (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (d) June 18: Final, The Oval (d) June 19: Reserve day (d).

Vijender Singh fails to make the cut

Vijender Singh

While the International Boxing Association might have allowed professional boxers to compete in the Olympics, India's biggest pro-star Vijender Singh will definitely be MIA. In a landmark move, the AIBA opened the door to the Olympics for professional boxers after an extraordinary congress in Lausanne, Switzerland voted in favour.

The decision granted eyes on the 30 year old who currently enjoys an unbeaten run in his career, and is scheduled to fight for the WBO Asia title belt on July 16. "I welcome AIBA's decision of allowing professional boxers to compete in the Rio Olympics. I am yet to

The event, which saw its final edition back in 2013 when India won the title beating England in

receive the formalities for this entire process. Since there is no federation in the country, I don't know who will guide me for this entire thing. Right now I am concentrating on my 16 Kuly title fight to be held in New Delhi," he said.

The team for the Rio Games which are scheduled to start on August 5, has already been finalised, and Vijender is not a part since he did not participate in the trials held last month. The AIBA's move is already being considered a case of too late for the upcoming Olympics and is likely to show major results, if any, in the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

the final, will be the first of three global events in England and Wales, with the ICC Women's World Cup following shortly after and then the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019. "The announcement of the ICC Champions Trophy schedule 12 months before the start of the event will provide sufficient time to all eight sides to plan for the tournament and arrive in England and Wales fully prepared and geared up so that they can collect enough points to directly qualify for the 2019 extravaganza," Richardson added. "These three competitions will provide the culturally diverse society of the United Kingdom as well as travelling fans from across the globe an opportunity to watch live action and follow their favourite players and sides."

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh Group B: India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka

Hamilton Masakadza, Whatmore out

Dav Whatmore and Hamilton Masakadza

Zimbabwe's cricket board has sacked captain Hamilton Masakadza and head coach Dav Whatmore, following a review of the team's performance at the World T20 held in March.

It replaced them with legspinner Graeme Cremer and Makhaya Ntini as the interim roles respectively, also appointing Lance Klusener as batting coach on a two-year contract.

The board restructured the selection panel, which now consists of a convener, head coach, and the assistant coach. A ZC release said former captain Tatenda Taibu was appointed convener and

"will have additional responsibilities in development and high performance, and will do assist ZC in bringing former Zimbabwe players back into local cricket."

It has been a rough course for Masakadza, who was dropped in October 2015, came back and reigned on the field, and then given the captaincy in all three formats following Elton Chigumbara's resignation in January. Former Australian batsman Whatmore, who previously coached Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan, took over as head coach in December 2014.

India to seek Olympic wildcard for Mary Kom 'Magnificent Mary', a fivetime world champion besides being a bronzemedallist from the London Olympics, was ousted last week from the Rio Games.

With the decision made, the ad-hoc committee in charge of the boxing affairs in the country has decided to push for a wild card for the boxer.

"Mary Kom's contribution to Indian and world boxing is tremendous.

"The AIBA has recognised

Mary Kom

her contribution in popularising boxing. She was one of the brand ambassadors of the World Championship. So we felt, for the hard work she has put in the last 15-165 years, it would be a nice gesture to give her a good farewell as she said in the past that this would be her last Olympics," said ad-hoc committee chairman Kishen Narsi.

Given that all the Olympic qualification

events for women have ended, the AIBA will now fill the remaining one vacancy in women's 51 kg as a tripartite commission invitation place. It will also look into whether quota place is available for reallocation. Even though Narsi did not give any specific timeframe as to when the AIBA would make a move on it, it is expected to confirm the entries by the end of the finaly Olympic qualifying event this month.

SPORT Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

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Ashwin, Jadeja in top 10 Test bowlers' list

Two Indian spinners have done their country proud by making it to the top 10 ICC Test bowlers' list.

While England's James Anderson may be the number one Test bowler currently, India's Ravi Ashwin is not too far behind. The Chennai turner (871 points) trails Anderson (884 points) by a mere 13 points in ICC Player Rankings for Test Bowlers but is ranked first on the all-rounder's list. India has one more reason to rejoice about. Spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who has had an impressive outing in Tests, maintained his sixth position with 789 points. Australia captain Steve Smith is the number-one ranked Test batsman followed by Joe Root of England. Anderson has topped the list for the first time in his career after England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker took his tally beyond 450 in the series-sealing victory over Sri Lanka at Chester-le-Street.

Kulasekara bids adieu to Test cricket

33 year old Sri Lankan seamer, Nuwan Kulasekara has announced his retirement from Test cricket, as per a Sri Lanka Cricket press release. The cricketer, who has played 21 Tests, and picked 48 wickets since his debut in 2005, was known for his accuracy on field. "I would like to retire from playing Test cricket with immediate effect.

After much thought I believe it is the right time to retire and I hope it will allow me to better prepare for ODI and T20 cricket, which I would like to continue playing for Sri Lanka subject to good performance and selection," the release read. One of his outstanding performances was the two four-wicket hauls he took against Pakistan in Colombo in 2009, to finish with a match-winning 8 for 58 in 28.4 overs.

'Pocket Hercules' laid to rest

Former Mr Universe, Manohar Aich passed away at his home in Kolkata at the young age of 104. Survived by four children, his family said the centenarian died of age-related "complications". Aich was the first Indian to become Mr Universe, in 1952. He began his career as a stunt man performing with a famous magician and was known to entertain the audience by bending steel with his teeth or resting his body on swords. He earned the name 'Pocket Hercules' after clinching the title in the group 3 (short) category. The bodybuilding champion has three gold medals to his name, won at the Asian Games. "The word 'fitness' will always be associated with him," said Bishnu Aich, his son, who runs a gymnasium. "My father would always emphasise on mental fitness and then physical fitness. He never liked the modern trend where people rush to gyms just to pump up their muscles. His was a very simple philosophy – keep your mind strong. If there was someone who epitomised motivation, it was him." Aich's tryst with bodybuilding began in 1942, when he joined the Royal Air Force as a physical instructor. An outspoken simpleton, Manohar Aich lived a life of no regrets.

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Asian Voice | 11th June 2016

Unique Champ Aaditya Kaza

On Friday 3rd June, the world lost one the greatest sports personalities, Muhammed Ali aged 74.

Born in 1942 as Cassius Clay, he became interested in boxing at the age of 12 as the story goes after a bigger boy stole his bicycle and Ali wanted to “whup” the thief. He made his professional debut in 1960 against Tunney Hunsaker, a West Virginia police chief.

In a professional career lasting 21 years Ali's record includes a total of 61 fights, 56 wins including 37 knockouts.

5 losses.

Crowned three times World Heavyweight Champion. One Lightheavyweight Olympic gold medal at the Rome Olympics and thirty one straight wins before being beaten by Joe Frazier. He retired from boxing in

1981.

When he was not boxing he was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement of 1960s America.

Muhammad Ali's influence on the organisers who formed the backbone of the Civil Rights Movement was distinctly positive and remarkably broad-based.

He bridged the entire span of the movement’s ideological spectrum through his

sheer status. Ali appealed to people and organisations alike who otherwise had little in common, politically. In the words of one organiser, Bob Moses: "Muhammad Ali galvanised the Civil Rights Movement."

In 1967, Ali decided to oppose the US war in Vietnam when he refused to be drafted into the military, a move that was wide-

Sunil Chettri ready for Laos As India makes way into the second leg of the AFC Asian Cup qualifier play off encounter against Laos, Indian team skipper Sunil Chettri made a point to clarify that what happened in the the first leg was a thing of the past.

"I think we will before the match, think about the last game. If we go into the game thinking the match is over, this might hurt and the game will be different.

We're thinking it's just about 0-0, it's a new game and we're going to hope that we will win the game. So, we'll go into the game thinking that it's a new game, we need to try and win the game." Talking about the competition, he said, "We've already played against them (Laos), so we'll figure out and understand how to approach the game. We will go into the game with a formulated plan of how we are to do it.

Speaking from the players' side, thinking about what happened in the last game, it doesn't help us in the next game, mentally or

Sunil Chettri

physically."

Speaking of the progress Indian football has made since he joined the ranks, he said that while there still was progress being made, there’s still some catchingup left to do to get to the level of the other top sides.

"You know, if you see Indian football as the national team, the ILeague, and now the ISL and everything, I think we have progressed. Is it good enough? I don’t think so, because we are competing with countries around Asia whose number one, probably the only sport is football. So, they are progressing at a much faster pace.

We also have to have that pace, if we are to compete with them. Have we progressed? Yes, we have made progress. But, no matter how much progress we make, it will be less. So, we really have to put our best efforts and we must try and play as well as we can. No matter how much we do, it’ll always be less"

ly criticised by his fellow Americans. This action subsequently led to him being stripped of his world title and boxing licence.

This meant he would not step into a boxing ring for nearly four years. After his conviction for refusing the draft was overturned in 1971, Ali returned to the ring and fought three of the most iconic contests in boxing history, helping

restore his reputation with the public.

His decision to join the Nation of Islam also known as the Black Muslims early in his career, a controversial brought him into conflict with the boxing association. State boards refused to allow him to use his muslim name and continued to bill him as Clay. He famously told reporters interviewing him “Cassius Clay is my Slave Name”.

He left the Nation of Islam in 1975 to become an orthodox Sunni Muslim, adopting Sufism later on.

His devotion to the faith was fierce even in the face of global events like the terrorist attacks of September 2001 and the statements by the Presidential hopeful Donald Trump.

Soon after retiring in 1981, rumours circulated about the state of Ali's health as his speech had become slurred, he shuffled and he was often drowsy. It was later announced he was suffering from Parkinson's Syndrome but Ali continued to make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled. Ali saw Olympic glory twice before his passing. First when he lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London.

The former world heavyweight champion

died late on Friday in hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, having been admitted the previous day. The former boxer had been suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson's disease. Ali's funeral will take place in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

The loss of the legend was experienced by people across the world. No sooner the word of his demise spread, did tributes and prayers gush in strong waves. Tennis star Andy Murray, after his defeat to Novak Djokovic in the French Open final held in Paris, made a special mention of Ali. He said, "It was a sad day yesterday. I watched and read a lot about him. Even over the last day or so, I went on the BBC Sport web page and the first 11 stories were all on him. He was clearly just an amazing man. I don't meet loads of famous people, but he's one famous person I would have loved to meet. I'm sad about that, as well."

Boxing world champion Tony Bellew said in an interview, "He stood up for his beliefs, he went against the regime at the time, he did all this and didn't care about the fame, didn't care about the money, and that's why he will go down in history." Amongst others who shared their grief was ace runner Mo Farah.

He said, "He was a big hero of mine and I send all my condolences to his family and friends."

Migrants bring Cricket to Germany In a country that follows Football like a religion, national Cricket teams waver almost unseen.

Playing and practicing on abandoned playgrounds and borrowed football fields, young men who have migrated from Pakistan and Afghanistan have brought with them the sport they love the most.

With 1500 players and 70 teams registered with the German Cricket Federation in 2012, today, there are around 5000 cricketers playing in 220 teams. Federation Manager Brian Mantle said he

receives inquiries from refugees and social workers on a daily basis all eager to set up their own groups.

"It's going crazy! They can't offer refugees things like German lessons, they can't offer them schooling. So they're sitting in their homes doing nothing," he said. Coach of one of the newest clubs in the eastern town Bautzen, Ahmad Irshad said, "They said this is Germany, no one plays cricket here. It was really strange and a really new thing for them. I tried my best, I tried to convince them and tried again and

then I was able to make them understand." The town has 2000 registered asylum seekers.

One of the players Sunny talks to a reporter saying, "If I can do something for Germany then I will play cricket and I will show them the game that is in our veins. Germany has become the best in football and it will become thebest in cricket too. Sport is the best way to make unity. We have Muslim guys, Christian guys and I belong to a Sikh family. When we play together, we forget everything."

BetEast signs deal with Swans English Premier League side Swansea City AFC has found a new shirt sponsor in Asian-facing online betting operator BetEast. The team made the announcement last week saying it had reached a deal that will replace online forex firm GWFX as the team's main shirt sponsor for the 201617 EPL season. While the terms of the deal weren't disclosed, Swansea's vicechairman and commercial

director Leigh Dineen called it "the biggest frontof-shirt deal the club has ever secured." He added the "top-tier partnership" would help the company "position themselves on a global stage in the top-tiers of bookmakers."

Based in Costa Rica, BetEast holds licenses issued in Curacao and by the First Cagayen Leisure & Resort Corporation in the Philippines. In a state-

ment, the company said, "The partnership will cover an incredibly exciting period for us and Swansea City, especially with Ki SungYueng, one of Asia's top footballers, at the Liberty Stadium. This is BetEast's first venture into British football and the next step in a sponsorship strategy that will aim to make the brand present in top sporting events around the world."