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Britain's school students to learn about India's freedom struggle

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Britain's school children will now study India's freedom struggle in detail as per the new curriculum that was announced on Monday.

Once approved by the Parliament, the new national curriculum for 5-16 years will come into force from September, 2014.

The curriculum that emphasises that Britain needs to teach its children the "challenges for Britain, Europe and the wider world from 1901 to the present day" will also include women's suffrage, the great depression and the rise of dictators besides details on Indian independence.

Britain's department of education wants school children to learn "at least one significant society or issue in world history and its interconnections with other world developments," Continued on page 11

Tamil girl crowned Child Genius of the Year 2013

In what is suspected to be the first-ever terror attack in Bihar, 10 low-intensity blasts struck Buddha’s Mahabodhi temple at Bodhgaya on Sunday, leaving a Tibetan student and a Burmese resident injured.

The temple structure was not damaged in the attack.

Three live bombs were later recovered from near the temple premises.

Four of the bombs went off inside the Mahabodhi complex, on either side of the temple.

The first blast took place near the Bodhi tree, located behind the sanctum sanctorum, at 5.25 am, as per CCTV records. Within the next two minutes, three other bombs went

off, at Maa Tara temple in front of the main temple entrance, near a peepal tree towards the north of the temple and inside an ambulance parked near the Butter Lamp House.

The other bombs struck near the temple complex, between 5.40 am and 7.45 am.

Vilasa GGA, a 26-yearold research scholar from Bodhgaya-based Myanmar Buddhist Academy Centre, and Tenzing Dorjee (60), a staffer of Nigma temple, were injured in the first blast. They suffered splinter injuries and are now out of danger.

All the bombs had timer devices, with instructions on where to

place them written in Urdu on them. For example, the fifth bomb, that targeted Bodhgaya's 80-ft Buddha statue - located a km away from the Mahabodi temple complex - had "bada but (big statue)" scribbled on it. Most of the blasts were caused by cylinder bombs, and some were packed in plastic bags. Each weighed around 1 kg.

One of the bombs was planted 20 feet high on a Buddha statue One of the bombs that ripped through Continued on page 26

Shrinidhi Prakash, from Oprington, Kent, has been yet again bestowed with the title “World Under -12 Scrabble Champion”. She has been holding this title for the past two years.

Continued on page 11

Andy Murray, you make us proud to be

British

For story see page 8 and 32

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Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP

Andrew Stephenson MP

things like Olympic Gold medal cyclist Steven Burke, who is from Colne. Because of him, I now have a gold painted post box opposite my house!

Andrew Stephenson is the Conservative MP for Pendle. He was elected to Parliament on 6th May 2010. Before his election he was a self-employed insurance consultant running a small business in Greater Manchester and a local Councillor. In his spare time he enjoys walking and in 2008 took part in a trek along the Great Wall of China personally raising over £5,000 for charity. In July 2010 Andrew ran the Pennine Lancashire 10K raising over £1,000 for Pendleside Hospice.

1) What inspired you to stand for Parliament?

Before being elected as an MP, I was a local Councillor trying to solve local problems.

Overall, being a Councillor was hugely rewarding. However, I got frustrated by how much was beyond my control and in the hands of national government. I stood for Parliament because I wanted to be able to solve more problems.

2) What are your proudest achievements in politics?

Being Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Youth was a great position to hold, as it allowed me to work on getting more young people like myself into politics. However, my proudest achievement was using a Private Members Bill to secure a change in the law so

that bail decisions can be appealed. A constituent called Jane Clough was brutally murdered by her abusive exboyfriend who was out of bail after being charged for repeatedly attacking her. The new law will help to protect victims of domestic violence, especially young women like Jane.

3) Please tell us about your current position?

Aside from being a backbench MP from one of the governing parties, I chair a group on Pakistan. Many of my constituents’ families are from Pakistan so it is useful to be able to learn about the country and meet politicians and campaigners from Pakistan.

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

Having become an MP in my 20s, I cannot say that I have faced a major obstacle. Having helped female and disabled friends become MPs, I know that they found it much harder.

I have always believed that if you put the work in, you will be rewarded.

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

Politically, I am a child of Thatcher but I am also inspired by my close family.

Increasingly, I find inspiration from some of my amazing constituents who achieve great

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

I am in a position to influence government policy. For example, I was delighted when the Chancellor of the E x c h e q u e r announced a tenfold increase in the annual investment allowance in plant and machinery during the 2012 Autumn Statement. He even mentioned that I had been campaigning for this happen, which I was not expecting.

7) And the worst?

It can be tiring and stressful.

There are always things to do that do not get done, which is frustrating.

However, it remains a real privilege to be MP for Pendle. If that feeling ever wears off, I will stand down.

8) What are your long term goals?

My short term goal is to work

hard for Pendle and earn the right to be re-elected. The long term goal has to be getting to grips with youth unemployment and seeing the area’s economy continue to improve.

That means building infrastructure, more apprenticeships and vocational education, as well as support for manufacturing.

9) If you were Secretary General of the United Nations, what one aspect would you change?

On the international level, I am worried about the persecution of religious minorities. I have raised the plight of Burma’s Rohingya community, Christians in Pakistan and China, as well as Muslims here in the UK. That is the issue I would want to devote my time to.

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

With Ed Milliband trying to use the language of One Nation Conservatism I think Benjamin Disraeli, the Conservative Prime Minister who inspired that movement, would have some very interesting observations about national harmony in the 21st Century. As one of Britain’s most radical democratic reformers, he might have some useful campaigning tips too!

Nina Wadia lends support to 'Making the gift of Life Possible' campaign 25% of all patients who are registered on UK organ transplantation waiting lists are of Asian origin.

Yet only 3% of people registered on the Organ Donation Register are from an Asian background.

These worrying statistics were the trigger for various organisations coming together to spearhead a campaign to tackle this anomaly.

The Leicestershire Kidney Patients Association – LKPA, The National Kidney Federation – NKF, NHS Blood & Transplant along with BAPS Charities hosted an event at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Leicester on Sunday 16 June 2013 as a joint project to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation amongst Hindus.

Chief guest, Nina Wadia, spoke of her own experience as her mother had kidney failure. She went on to say how grateful the family were that someone had kindly agreed to donate their kidney. She urged everyone attending the event to register as that would be their greatest gift.

Margaret Ince, LKPA, chaired a session that heard of heartfelt testimonies from Hindu patients who are still

Naresh Lakhani, Kirit Modi, Arvind Patel, Nina Wadia and Margaret Ince

awaiting transplants, and how the anguish and desperation affect their lives and families. Jayshreeben had recently been informed that a kidney may have been found for her. She explained how difficult and worrying her life had become especially as she had a young family.

Pushpaben was joined by her husband Jayantibhai to whom she had donated a kidney some 6 years ago.

Jayantibhai recounted how his life had been transformed by the gift of a kidney from his wife.

Specialist speakers included Dr Rakesh Patel, NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and Dr Sunil Daga, Research Fellow – Renal Transplantation. Dr Patel spoke from experi-

ence of his father’s kidney failure many years ago and the confusion and doubts that faced his young mother. He went onto say that today there are a lot more support services available.

Dr Daga spoke from a Hindu perspective and explained that the Hindu scriptures speak of Dharma being underpinned by three things namely, daan (donation), seva (service) and karma (action). He went on to explain the different types of organs that can be donated, and that each person signing up to the register may be able to save 9 other lives.

Kirit Modi, NKF chaired a Q & A session which gave attendees the opportunity to ask ques-

tions related to organ donation.

To conclude the event, Professor Brunskill, (Professor of Renal Medicine and Head of Renal and Transplantation Services - UHL) spoke of how grateful he was that the event had been organised. He asked the audience to go and visit a local dialysis unit to see how patients with kidney failure were coping but more importantly to see that the majority were of Asian origin. He went on to commend the event and hoped that continued similar efforts would result in more Asians donating their kidneys and as a result more transplants would be carried out in the future.

Kirit Modi, Chairman of the NKF, said: “I am heartened by the response of the Hindu community in Leicester today. I would further appeal all those who attended today to talk to their extended family and friends about organ donation and encourage them to register on the national organ donor register. Together we can make a difference.”

Margaret Ince, Chair of the Leicestershire Kidney Patients’ Association said, “Organ donation not only gives joy and life to the recipients, and their families and friends, but also, for

deceased donors, helps their families come to terms with their loss by finding benefit in this ‘gift of life’ to others.”

Head of BAPS Health Care and volunteer of BAPS Charities, Dr Sejal Saglani, explains, “We must ensure that our efforts translate into real and tangible relief and support for those in great need of organs. We intend to provide specific and detailed information on the issue of organ donation to allow Hindus to feel more comfortable to talk about this subject and participate in the campaign.”

Paid subscribers of Asian Voice will receive their free copy of the British Asian Women magazine along with their newspaper. This magazine, in it's second edition talks about how women are 'breaking boundaries' and achieving success in various walks of life.

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Comment

Moscow for skilled Indians in Russian centres A recent Track II India-Russia dialogue in Moscow, involving experts from the Indian Council of World Affairs and two leading Russian think-tanks, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations and the Russian International Affairs Council, was a tour d’horizon of Indo-Russian relations in a fluid regional and global environment. The legacy of trust established during the Soviet era provided the platform for Vladimir Putin to press the reset button when he became Russian President in 2000. It was his opening diplomatic gambit after the drift and chaos of the Yeltsin years. He institutionalized relations with an annual Indo-Russian summit under which it will be Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s turn to visit Moscow in December this year, although he is certain to meet President Putin in September on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in the Russian capital.

During the Track II dialogue the Russian side evinced interest in a skilled Indian workforce in Russian centres of excellence. It was perhaps a follow-up to an earlier Russian suggestion that Indian farmers from Punjab – a tough and sturdy lot – work the country’s vast, empty spaces for which they would be given long leases. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev warned in August 2012 that Russia’s sparsely populated eastern region be protected “from the excessive expansion of people from neighboring countries,” a veiled reference perhaps to China’s three heavily populated provinces across the border.

The structure of Sino-Russian trade prompts fear of Chinese colonization. Russia ships oil, timber, metals, and other commodities to China, and imports machinery and consumer goods. “If the current economic trends persist, it is very likely that Russia east of the Urals and later the whole country will turn into an appendage of China – first as a warehouse of resources and then economically and politically….it will happen by default,” wrote the respected Russian political scientist Sergey Karaganov. To counter this, Russia has been reaching out to Japan and South Korea, while revamping its old ties with Vietnam.

Last September, Russia announced its own pivot in Asia by hosting a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Vladivostok. Russia must rediscover itself as an “Euro-Pacific nation” and not confine its attention to China, said Dmitry Trenin of the Moscow Carnegie Centre.

It is against this broad canvas that India and Russia seek to draw up a fresh security paradigm to safeguard their mutual interests. Both sides accepted that bipolarity in international politics had been subsumed by new ground realities, but recognized also that the nascent multipolar world have its teething problems. Russian scholars accorded primacy to three states within the US, China, India, EU and Japan constellation. These are the US, China and India.

With India, Russia has had a traditional convergence of interests and no major disagreement on issues that matter. Russian speakers were concerned by their country’s relative economic decline and its pressing need to accelerate technological innovation and scientific research.

The sticking point in Indo-Russian economic ties remains their inadequate interacting private sectors.

They have still to tap the business opportunities available in each other’s domain. Much more has to be done to generate an appropriate awareness of their strong private sector presence and for partnerships to grow. In soft power areas cultural exchanges and tourism have expanded, with one Russian TV channel devoted to Bollywood films. But there is room surely for further expansion in these fields.

This said, the key concern for both sides remains the vast Central Asian geopolitical space between Russia and India, a geostrategic issue of the utmost significance for both countries. It imperative that this critical area is not filled by forces hostile to either power, non-state or state. Inter-government relations, therefore, have to be kept in good repair. As it happens, these are in excellent shape. Cooperation in vital areas such as defence, energy, space, science and technology proceeds apace. Such bonding ensures the stability and progress of a defining India-Russia alignment fit for purpose in the 21st century.

Antony’s China odyssey: Beijing’s carrot and stick response Indian Defence Minister A.K.Antony’s visit to China has been an exploratory exercise. He hasn’t returned to his country, like Marco Polo, with wondrous tales of a fabled Cathay. Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Yi’s welcoming words to his Indian counterpart, Salman Khurshid, describing India as China’s “natural strategic partner,” may be ascribed to the vagaries of the silly season. The minatory statement emanating from The Global Times, mouthpiece of China’s Communist Party and its military wing, reflects one dimension of Sino-Indian relations. The statement reads: “India must accept and adapt to the enviable friendship between China and Pakistan. China cannot scale down this partnership because of India’s feelings.” India was warned of possible perils emanating from its close relationship with Japan. What is sauce for the goose is clearly not sauce for the gander. On the eve of Mr Antony’s arrival in Beijing, Major General Luo Yuan, a scholar at the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Academy of Military Sciences, in an interaction at the All China Journalists’ Association, cautioned India against “provoking new problems and increasing military deployment at the border area, and stir up new trouble.” In China’s one-party dictatorship censorship is the norm, so declarations from authoritative sources

must be given due weight.

Parallel with the Antony visit was the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Beijing. He described relations with China as “sweet as honey,” the honey to be transmitted, no doubt, by terrorist bees across the border to India [see Bruce Riedel’s Deadly Embrace and Avoiding Armageddon]. Minister Antony was accorded a ceremonial welcome by China’s Defence Minister Chang Wankuang, with the two sides agreeing to a joint military exercise in October; Mr Antony had a cordial meeting with Premier Li Keqiang. The different signals emanating from a closely knit political establishment carries a carrot-and-stick message redolent of US President Theodore advice, in the early years of the last century, to “speak softly but carry a big stick.”

However, any displays of force majeure by China will have grave diplomatic and strategic consequences for Beijing globally and regionally. Truth is that China poses a challenge to India in the neighbourhood, the wider Asian region and beyond. India has to face up to it with resolve and patience, necessary attributes for the long haul. The Sino-India relationship calls for calibrated management. A wise head and a steady hand will stand India in good stead.

Yoga part of American culture A US court in California has described yoga as part of mainstream American culture. It rejected the petition of American parents that practicing yoga would open the door for Eastern religions to subvert country’s Christian beliefs and traditions. The court’s rejection of the claim was in a way seminal. Apart from affirming America’s openness to cultural winds from across the seas, in keeping with its development as a historical melting pot of ethnicities, the court’s judgment opens for scrutiny a relatively little known aspect of the India-American moral and philosophical discourse.

It was, after all, at the World Congress of Religions in Chicago, in 1893, that Swami Vivekenanda delivered his eloquent address on the message of Vedanta.

Henry David Thoreau’s essay on Civil Disobedience, earlier in the century, was to leave an indelible imprint on the young Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. The self-same Thoreau wrote: “Whenever I have read any part of the Vedas, I have felt some unearthly and unknown light illuminating me. In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no touch of sec-

tarianism. It is of all ages, climbs, and nationalities and is the royal road for the attainment of the Great Knowledge. When I read it, I feel that I am under the star spangled heavens of a summer night.”

American historian Will Durant commented: “It is true that even across the Himalayan barrier India has sent to the West, such gifts as grammar and logic, philosophy and fables, hypnotism and chess, and above all numerals and the decimal system….and through the Buddha the ideals embodied in Christianity.”

The message of the Christian Gospels played no meant part in shaping Mahatma Gandhi as social reformer and moralist. In such manner does nation speak to nation, above the tumult of politics and the short-term vicissitudes of power.

There are distinguished Indians today who live and thrive in America as scientists, academics and entrepreneurs, who through their work enrich the American (and the larger Western) encounter with India. They, and their American interlocutors, are our blessing.

3

Have patience. All things change in due time. Wishing cannot bring autumn glory or cause winter to cease - The Cherokee Ginaly-li

Sarah Teather MP Liberal Democrat MP for Brent Central

Immigration policy and supporting families Last month, I helped launched the findings of a cross-party inquiry into the impact of new family migration rules. The rules, which came into force in July 2012, require British citizens wishing to sponsor a non-EU spouse to be earning at least £18,600 a year.

We found that the new rules have meant that thousands of British citizens have been unable to bring their spouse to live with them in the UK. This includes people who, while they may not be able to show they have high income levels, have significant savings which they could use to support themselves.

For me, the most shocking finding was that the rules are forcing families to live apart.

Children, including some who are very young, are having to grow up away from a parent, which can have a lasting impact on child development. In one particularly distressing case that we heard, a breastfeeding mother was separated from her British baby, which is clearly bad for both mother and child.

The new rules are also preventing people based in the UK from bringing elderly relatives to the UK so that they can support them in their old age. As a country, we should be supportive of those who want to help care for their parents, yet people are being restricted from doing so.

Under the new rules, people must have a high income be able to prove that their relative is so sick that they must come here and that their family member could not possibly have their care needs met in the country where they are. With such strict criteria to meet, it is

hardly surprising that almost no approvals have been made since the new rules came in, especially as most people who would meet the criteria are almost certainly too sick to travel.

As a result of these new rules, families are being forced apart. This is bad for the individuals involved as well as bad for our society, especially as many talented people will decide to leave the country in order to be with loved ones.

I am also extremely concerned by the announcement that, from November, people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana who are visiting the UK on a six month visa will have to pay a £3,000 deposit when they enter the country. This is, in my view, clearly discriminatory and will prevent legitimate visitors from coming to the UK. This policy will have a significant impact on many people in the UK, including in my constituency in Brent.

Imagine, for example, if a couple whose family live in one of those six countries want to invite their relatives to their wedding. They could be faced with a huge bill simply so that they can share their special day with their family members.

The combined effect of these policies will be to make the UK a far less hospitable place for the brightest and most talented people from around the world. They are damaging to individuals, to families, and to our country.

Immigration policy should bring families together, not force them apart. I strongly urge the Government to rethink before it’s too late.

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Midlands Voice

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UK scholarships offered to Malala's friends Taliban attack victims Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz offered places at Atlantic College in Wales.

Two girls shot by the Taliban last year have been given scholarships to attend a British school. Shazia Ramzan, 15, and Kainat Riaz, 16, were sitting either side of Malala when a gunman fired four shots into a van as they returned from taking an exam in Pakistan last October.

Malala was flown to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth for emergency treatment and later settled with her family in the city, accepting a place at Edgbaston High School for Girls. Shazia was hit in the shoulder and hand. She spent nearly a month in hospital in Pakistan, while Kainat was hit in the upper right arm.

The pair were caught in the crossfire of the Taliban's bid to kill Malala because of her campaign for girls to receive an education. They currently take up places at International school Atlantic College in Vale of Glamorgan,

Malala Yousafzai (left) and Shazia Ramzan chat after meeting for the first time last week since the attack in October

Wales. Principle John Walmsley said: “It will be a culture shock because this is a very liberal college.�

Air India to fly direct Birmingham to Delhi Air India’s inaugural Birmingham to Delhi route begins next month, it was officially announced at a media launch at Birmingham Airport last Wednesday.

Uday Dholakia, Birmingham Airport’s Brand Ambassador for Asian Markets, welcomed attendees. He then called upon Kailash Singh, the airline’s Europe ambassador, who in turn introduced his team. Speakers included Airport MD Paul Kehoe and Indian Consul General in Birmingham Mr VS Ramalingam. Also present were Mark Gough from ITV Central, Anita Champaneri from Delicious PR, Enda Mullen from Birmingham Mail, representatives from Jagatwani, the newspaper, travel agents and Neil Rami, CEO, Marketing Birmingham. The event featured a Q&A session

followed by lunch. Flights between Birmingham Airport and Delhi will operate four times weekly, using the new Boeing 7878 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft.

Flights will operate each Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving from Delhi into Birmingham at 1900hrsand departing to Delhi from Birmingham at 2130hrs. Our reporter Dhiren Katwa told the gathering he was delighted at this new route, especially as it was being launched from his native city. He added that Air India, he felt, still had a huge task to convince the public of its “royal service� and to breakdown unfavourable passenger feedback, perceptions according to some, comments which won applause and were agreed with, informally, particularly by most travel agents present.

Leicester curry house attack Three men have been charged with an attack on staff and diners at a curry restaurant.

The men are the latest to have been charged with conspiracy to commit violent disorder at the Moghul Durbar restaurant, in East Park Road, Spinney Hills, Leicester earlier this year.

A large group attacked the restaurant on Monday, January 14.

Six people are treated at

Leicester Royal Infirmary their injuries.

The men – two 25 year- olds from the West Midlands and a 32 year old from Londonare each due to appear at L e i c e s t e r Magistrates' Court on Thursday, July 11.

Leicestershire Police has now charged 15 people in connection

However, a number of Muslim girls and all our students find it very exciting and stimulating place. He said the college had a number of students from conflict zones around the world.

The students at the college study towards International Baccalaureate which is combined with co-curricular community service activities, which sees many students train to be lifeguards.

Atlantic College initially offered a place to Malala and one friend.

But, as Malala was living in Birmingham and preferred to attend a nearby school, she suggested the places be given to then girls who were travelling with her on the day of the attempt on her life.

Malala's father, Yousafzai, the owner of Shazia and Kainat's current school in Swat, said: “They were caught up in this through no fault of their own.�

Maryam Khaliq, claims that this is a “golden opportunity for them�. They deserve this as they were victimised.

A long prison expected for Anwar Ismail Aaron Leafe, commited suicide, six weeks after allegedly making a police complaint about Anwar Ismail, pictured, who had groomed him from the age of 12.

A Leicester Crown Court jury found Ismail guilty of seven charges and acquitted him of three counts.

Remanding him into custody to await sentencing next month, Judge Robert Brown told Ismail to expect “a long sentence�.

During the trial, Aaron spoke from the grave when his 93 minute video account of what happened, recorded by the police, was played in court.

Aaron claims that Anwar always pressured to have sex with him, against his will.

By purchasing cigarettes and cannabis, Anwar managed to scare Aaron and pressure him.

Prosecutor Mary Prior told the court Aaron took his own life in June 2010 by tying a curtain cord around his neck.

He furthered expressed his “hate� towards Anwar She said he left a note saying: “I can't get over what happened with Anwar. I hate him so much.� Ismail, of Leicester has denied all allegations, saying he genuinely cared about Aaron and wanted to help him. Former security guard, Ismail, became a care worker at Woodland Retreat children's home. Staff

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In Brief Joint charity appeal launched

The Executive Committee and Trustees of Gujarat Hindu Association, with Rt. Hon Jon Ashworth MP for Leicester has organised a joint charity appeals for the recent floods in Uttarakhand, where thousands were missing as a result.

Authorities were struggling to rescue thousands of people stranded in flood hit regions of Northern with little access to food or drinking water.

Pilgrims and tourists were trapped in Uttarakhand. Figures from official records show that a large number of people are dead.

The introduction of a pilot scheme for visitors by the current coalition government aims to force visitors from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nigeria and Ghana to pay a ÂŁ3000 bond in order to qualify for a six months visa.

A man convicted for murder of missing 25 year old

were concerned about their apparent closeness. Ismail was dismissed in 2008 for forcibly restraining Aaron, causing an arm injury.

Contact remained even after Aaron moved to a children's home.

Ismail drove from Leicester to meet him.

They involved Ismail taking Aaron from Duncanwood Lodge back to his home in Spinney Hills, and keeping him there for three days. Ismail phoned in sick to get off work. Sexual activity took place and Aaron was raped. Giving evidence in his defence, Ismail mentioned that he loved him in a caring way, not a sexual way. He continued to see him to help him, because he was threatening suicide, he said. Ismail was found guilty on two counts of sexual activity with a child, three of child abduction, a rape and sexual activity with a child, between 2009 and 2010. with the disorder.

Seven were each jailed for two years after admitting conspiracy to commit violent disorder, and are due to appear at Leicester Crown Court tomorrow.

A further two men are currently on bail pending further police inquiries.

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Rania Alayed, 25, was reported missing from her home, Manchester, last Tuesday.

Police recognise that her disappearance was “out of character� and have searched her home as part of their investigations.

Rania Alayed She previously lived in north-east England and moved to Manchester in January.

Ahmed Khatib, 33, of Knutsford Road, Gorton, has been in charge of murder and is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates’ Court.

A 34 year old man held on suspicion of assisting an offender has been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody for questioning, as stated by Greater Manchester Police.

Teenager who sprays racist graffiti to go on trial A teenager accused of spraying racially aggravated graffiti on the wall of a community centre used as a mosque is due to go on trial in August.

For legal reasons, the teenager cannot be identified and has pleaded not guilty to two charges of committing racially or religiously aggravated criminal damage at Leicester Magistrates' Court this morning.

The offences included the acts of spraying the letter EDL and crossed lines, and damaging windows and charity clothing bins- are alleged to have been committed on May 13th and June 11th at Oadby Community Centre, in Sandhurst Street, Oadby.

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UK

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Sangam Afternoon Tea Spriha Srivastava

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag premieres in the UK its successful foray into Hollywood when it brought the cinematic icon Al Pacino to the L o n d o n Palladium for a sold-out audience with event in June 2013.

Speaking at the UK VIP Gala Screening, D e e p a k Spriha Srivastava interviewing the cast and crew of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. L to R: Art Malik, Prasoon Joshi, Kuntawala said: ‘Right from a Farhan Akhtar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and young child, I Sonam Kapoor have always been through the plagues of a bloody fascinated by film, whether this be civil war where Milkha's family Hollywood or Bollywood. I have were brutally killed during the viovery fond memories of watching lent and tumultuous India-Pakistan iconic films with my family on a Partition era resulting in a lost Saturday afternoon, and being meschildhood, homelessness, to a life merised by what unfolded on of petty crime and victories hard screen. won and easily lost.

‘DVK is so proud to be the offiThe film had a starry evening cial Global Partner of Bhaag Milkha when The Flying Sikh Milkha Bhaag. This is a tremendous film, Singh visited Sri Guru Singh telling an absolutely epic story.

S a b h a Everyone from the star cast of Gurudwara to Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor and meet Fauja Art Malik to its visionary director Singh, the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and ‘World’s oldest writer Prasoon Joshi has done a Marathon Man’ magnificent job. Milkha Singh is The UK tour indeed India’s iconic sporting hero of ‘Bhaag and a living legend.’ Just after the Milkha Bhaag’ screening, the film stars and other has been predignitaries attended an exclusivesented by Mr. after party that featured an exquiD e e p a k site Mehfil night of Ghazals by Kuntawala, the acclaimed singer Tauseef, who had multi-award been instructed under famed winning entreGhazal maestro Jagjit Singh. preneur who The film releases on Friday, July recently charted Milkha Singh, Fauja Singh and Deepak Kuntawala 12 and a little suggestion for the into new territoRakeysh Omprakash Mehra, the readers – even if you are not a ry when he established DVK director of the movie said, sports fan, do go ahead and watch Global Entertainment Investment.

“Milkha Singh is a national figthe film. As Rakeysh Omprakash The partnership between DVK and ure, we have all grown up seeing Mehra said, there is a Milkha Singh the film marks the fund’s official him or hearing about his achievein each one of us. It’s time to dislaunch in July 2013 and its entry ments. The movie is to show that cover them. into the Indian film industry, after there is a Milkha Singh in every person, be it a lawyer, a school teacher or an athlete.”

I then asked Farhan Akhtar how it was playing Milkha’s role India’s first woman police officer and that brought a big smile on his Dr. Kiran Bedi will be in London face. Farhan, the multi-talented on Friday July 12th to speak at bollywood star just couldn’t conan event organised by various tain his excitement when speaking Hindu associations in the UK. about the film.

The event will be held in Harrow “When Raykesh was discussing and all the proceeds will go the role with me, I knew in the first towards Dr. Bedi’s India Vision 5-7 minutes in my head that I had Foundation, an NGO based and to do this role. I was waiting for headquartered in New Delhi. him to finish so that I could say The organization is commityes.” ted to rebuild the lives of the The lovely Sonam Kapoor said imprisoned and those whose she was extremely proud to be part families have a history of incarof something so great. ceration from Central Prison, “I think it’s an honour to be Tihar Jail. Their primary objecDr. Kiran Bedi part of something that is so great tive is to provide our target popand so special and we will cherish filmmaker, Megan Doneman, on ulation with social skills, vocathese memories always.” the life story of Kiran Bedi. tional training and ample opporMilkha Singh's life is a portrait Narrated by Academy Award tunity, increasing their employaof professional triumph over perwinner Helen Mirren, and filmed bility and enabling their smooth sonal tragedy. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag over six years, YES MADAM, transition to becoming ‘mainattempts to understand a cataSIR has been scooping the stream’. strophic loss that was deemed a awards and garnering rave On July 12th, for the first sure victory and explores through reviews during its run on the time a film based on the life of the darkness of disgrace Milkha worldwide film festival circuit.

Dr. Bedi will be screened in the Singh’s redemption and catharsis Tickets are priced at £25 each UK. ‘Yes Madam Sir’ is the that came when he confronted his and can be purchased by emailinspiring non-fiction feature film past. This iridescent tale winds ing vediccalondon@gmail.com by award-winning Australian

We have all grown up hearing about Milkha Singh, also known as Flying Sikh and India’s former Indian track and field sprinter.

Now it’s time for us to see the story of Milkha Singh. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a film directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. An absolutely brilliant film starring Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Holby City’s Art Malik and Rebecca Breeds of Home and Away.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag tells the incredible true-life story of Milkha Singh, who is forever enshrined in India’s psyche as one of the country’s most loved and esteemed sporting heroes. Many recall Milkha Singh as a world champion in the 400 meters, who infamously lost the penultimate race of his life - the 400 meters final at the Rome Olympics - but won in life.

I met the cast and crew of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag at the posh Bentley hotel in Gloucester Road to ask them about the movie and their experiences. To start with, I wanted to know why they chose Milkha Singh and not anyone else. To this,

Kiran Bedi to speak in London

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Carlyn Chisholm addressing guests at the Sangam Women’s Association afternoon tea in the House of Lords

The Sangam Association of Asian Women held an afternoon tea reception in the House of Lords on Friday 28th June, as part of their drive to encourage its members to take up civic duty. Originally established in 1971 as a voluntary organisation to help the influx of Asian immigrants to Britain, the Sangam Women’s Association is operated entirely by female volunteers and continues to provide information, advice and support to all communities across London.

Lord and Lady Popat hosted the reception, which also included a guided tour of the mother of all Parliaments.

Speaking after the reception, Lord Popat said, “the aim of the reception is to create awareness of the huge number of opportunities available for women to further their contribution to society; whether it be through volunteering, engaging in civic duty or taking up a

public appointments.”

Piyusha Virani, President of the Sangam Association was delighted with the response and said, “events such as these are crucial in outlining the opportunities available to women, whether it be becoming a school governor, justice of the peace or even venturing into politics.

Carlyn Chisholm, the Head of Candidates at the Conservative Party was the guest speaker at the reception and spoke on the importance of getting more women in politics.

Mark Fletcher, also spoke at the event on the importance of volunteering, praising the work of the Games Makers at last year’s Olympics and stating that volunteering is becoming more popular in the UK. He finished by quoting President Kennedy’s 1961 Inauguration speech “ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”

Tougher obesity measure set for British Asian Britain's health advisers have set a tougher obesity measure a lower BMI target for British Asians as they are more prone to certain diseases like diabetes.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance have set a lower body mass index (BMI) target for Asians in the country, bringing the UK in line with Indian and World H e a l t h Organisation (WHO) recommendations.

BMI is a way of seeing if a person's weight is appropriate for their height and is calculated by taking the weight (in kilogrammes) and dividing it by height (in metres) squared to give you a BMI score.

These are helpful guidelines that bring home the importance of tailoring guidelines to individuals, for example, we know that some ethnic groups are susceptible to different health risks," said Dr Rachel Pryke of the Royal College of GPs. Diabetes UK added that it was good to move away from a "one size fits all" approach to BMI. Until now, experts

have said all UK adults should aim for a BMI of no more than 25 to be healthy.

But NICE says that doesn't go far enough for certain ethnic groups and that Asian people should aim for a BMI lower than 23.

According to the new guidelines, a 5ft 11in (1.8m) Asian man should weigh below 75kg and an Asian woman who is 5ft 3in (1.6m) should weigh less than 59kg.

Excess body fat contributes to more than half of cases of Type-2 diabetes and a fifth of heart disease cases as well as certain types of cancer.

The number of people affected by these health conditions is far greater among black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups - despite rates of obesity among these groups being similar to the white population.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

EXCLUSIVE

Research shows Asian cancer patients are invisible to health professionals in Britain A study by the Macmillan Cancer Support has shocked the Asian community, residing in Britain. It has revealed that one in three (33%) Asian or Asian British cancer patients have felt that doctors in Britain talked in front of them as if they weren’t there and one in four (28%) Asian or Asian British cancer patients thought that doctors were deliberately keeping information from them.

This compares to only one in six (17%) of white British cancer patients who were asked the same question.

The analysis of the National Cancer Patient Experience Survey revealed that ethnic minority cancer patients, especially Asians were twice as likely to feel that doctors and nurses were deliberately keeping information from them compared to white British cancer patients (28% compared to 12%).

High-quality cancer patient experience is vital to cancer patients before, during and after gruelling cancer treatment. This includes being treated

Bharti Patel

with respect and compassion by health professionals, being given the right treatment and drugs as well as the right information to help them manage their condition.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, Macmillan’s existing research also shows that cancer patients from Asian and other ethnic minority groups experience challenges and poor treatment throughout their cancer journey. They have reported instances of being treated without dignity and respect, of poor, ineffective communication, lack of compassion and disregard for emotional distress.

Bharti Patel who runs the Asian Women’s Breast Cancer Group, a support group for Asian Women with breast cancer, told Asian Voice how women

in her group have been affected by a lack of compassion from healthcare professionals. She said, “As a part of the Asian Women’s Breast Cancer Group I have come across members who say they felt there has been a lack of compassion when they have been spoken to by healthcare professionals.

The use of technical terms is also not helpful, and it is important that treatment is explained in a clear way that people can understand. There is also a further question of care after treatment, people need to be able to be supported after their treatment stops.”

Historically, south Asian women were considered to be at a very low risk of breast cancer compared with white women, a report in Guardian explained. Doctors had put it down to a combination of lifestyle factors common to the Asian subcontinent, including a tendency to have large families at a young age and to

breastfeed for long periods.But last year a study conducted by Dr Anne Stotter, consultant breast surgeon at Glenfield hospital, Leicester, concluded that south Asian women can no longer be considered at a reduced risk,

estimating that the number of Asian women being diagnosed with breast cancer has more than doubled since 1998, from 60 to 130 women per 100,000 Asian women every year.

Jagtar Dhanda, Head of Inclusion at Macmillan Cancer Support told the newsweekly, “No one should be left feeling ‘invisible’ by health professionals, but it is absolutely shocking that there are such disparities between the patient experience of ethnic minority and white British cancer

patients.

“Discrimination and exclusion can take many forms including basing the needs of a patient purely on preconceived ideas about their skin colour or ethnicity.

“A cancer diagnosis can be devastating – no matter who you are. Every patient must be treated with the same level of dignity and respect by their health professionals.”

If you are experiencing any of these issues use these five top tips to ensure you get the best care and support possible: l Find out who is your ongoing ‘Key Contact’ l Talk about how you feel. l Make suggestions based on your experiences of treatment and care. l See a copy of your assessment and care plan. l Get support with dayto-day concerns.

To know more about Macmillan Cancer Support you can visit www.macmillan.org.uk/s upportgroups or call 0808 808 00 00.

7

Quarter of people living in Britain’s biggest cities are immigrants A quarter of people living in Britain’s biggest cities are immigrants, an official analysis has showed.

A study of census figures revealed that nearly one in three big-city residents is a member of a non-white ethnic minority, and that nearly one in ten homes has no-one who speaks English as their main language.

The figures were put together by the Office for National Statistics from the results of the 2011 national census in the four biggest built-up areas: surrounding London, Manchester, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire.

Department for Education figures show the number of pupils aged five and upwards speaking other first languages in primary, secondary, special and pupil referral units has risen by almost 54,000 to 1,061,100.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

As I See It

EXCLUSIVE

We are all British Now More than ever before.

Thanks to Andy Murray.

On Sunday I was at a commemorative and thanksgiving prayer for a very close relation. For nearly 2.5 hrs, bhajans and prayers were sung by the beautifully melodious Mayaben and Pravinaben accompanied by their musicians.

At one junction I noticed that two small boys are talking to their parents in great excitement. I was curious but could not talk to them immediately. At the end of the prayers I talked to both the boys who are 5 years old. One's both parents are Indian and for other, father is Indian, while mother is English-English (I mean English from Ricksmanworth). They do not have any caste classification problems. They are as British as ever it could be. Recently in the British media there was a debate about Indians, Pakistanis, Blacks as well as native English- whether they consider themselves to be English or British. Such debates are important though very often they could be divisive as well. What would have happened to Andy Murray if he had insisted to be called a Scottish?

Both Scotland and England would have lost such a great occasion to celebrate the hard work, determination and perseverance of a great and incurable optimist. Olympic 2012 has its permanent legacy for a very long time for all those who live in this country.

Andy Murray will inspire, perhaps several generation to strive for something bigger and better.

Monday morning when I went to get the newspapers, I had a short walk in the local park with a nice tennis court. A black man was teaching a white man tennis and he was very good at his job. The tennis court will have more bookings now and local councils will rightfully receive some more entrance fees. All those manufacturers for the rackets, balls and associated paraphernalia will benefit too- so they should.

Andy Murray is indeed a great name for British sports now. For 77 years WE were waiting for a Briton to have this distinction. Well done and congratulations to Andy Murray, his family and friends.

I live in Hackney, the second most poor borough of London. Every morning as soon as I leave my front door, I greet some minicab drivers, on the left and right hand side of our main door. Hoxton is a hub of minicab offices- almost 5 within 500 yards.

On the left, is a group normally of Nigerians and Ghanians. On the right normally there is a group of Ethiopians, Somalians and Djiboutians. In the evening, several minicab drivers from Pakistan and Afghanistan assemble in the front area. Monday morning all the minicab drivers excitedly talked about Murray and they all seemed to be very proud to be British.

During my walk Andy Murray reminded me of an 'incurable optimist' described in the annals of the Second World War, especially in North Africa, battles from Tobruk to El Alamein. In 1969 I visited Ulm in Gemany (not far from the capital of Bonn) to visit the grave of Field Marshal Rommel, who was forced by Hitler's Nazi Germany in the dying days of War to swallow poison for his 'defiance'.

Field Marshal Rommel was opposed by an equally incurable optimist Field Marshal Montgomery another Scottish, if I may say so.

We all have to encourage more and more optimism. It should not be a mere dream, vision or utopia.

It must be based on certain proper mindset and convictions. Great Britain, perhaps, will not be again the mightiest or the richest nation of the world. But surely it has all the qualities to remain great in so many spheres of life. An opportunity starts from Wednesday 10 July. I will applaud the English and Welsh cricket team without any hesitation. Only when India is a participant, I am glad to say that, I fail the cricket test of Norman Tebbit.

- CB

Radical cleric Abu Qatada deported Radical cleric Abu Qatada, who has been finally deported from the UK is being held in a high security jail near the Jordanian capital Amman.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted" at his removal.

Abu Qatada was first arrested in the UK over alleged terror connections in 2001 and has fought deportation since 2005.

The PalestinianJordanian cleric's deportation was finally able to proceed after the UK and Jordan signed a treaty agreeing that evidence obtained through torture would not be used against him. Home Secretary Theresa May said she was glad that the government's determination to remove him had been "vindicated".

Pinki Sonkar: Meet Murray's lucky charm Rupanjana Dutta

It has been 77 years since Wimbledon saw a Briton win the title in its Centre Court. And Indians in Britain attribute much of this fantastic victory of Murray to a ravishing young Indian lady, who travelled all the way from Mirzapur to London, to wish her favourite Andy 'goodluck' in English.

her deformity was not common amongst other children from her village, the Sonkar family was slightly alienated by the villagers.

Pinki lives in a one-room hut with her four siblings, parents and grandfather. Hearing about the cleft repair treatment from the G S Memorial Hospital field worker, her father, a daily wage labourer, took a four hours bus to Varanasi with Pinki.

Dr Subodh Kumar Singh, a renowned plastic surgeon who operated on Pinki, not only gifted her the

motive of providing plastic surgery services to resource limited part of India. He has been working with Smile Train since 2004; he and his team perform approximately 4,000 cleft surgeries per year.

In an exclusive conversation with Asian Voice, he told us how a cleft palate is more often found in a young boy than a girl. He elaborated that while the cause behind this deformity is still being researched, it could be related to malnutrition in poor parts of India.

Speaking about our brave Pinki,

Pinki Sonkar who was born with a cleft palate, walked into the court, all smiles and tossed the coin, before posing for a photo with both Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.

Beaming with confidence, Pinki shook the players’ hands and was allowed to keep the coin.

11 years old Pinki represents the US based charity Smile Train and was part of the 39 minutes long documentary Smile Pinki in 2008, directed by Megan Mylan, which won Oscars for the Best documentary (short subject).

Speaking to a journalist from Wall Street Journal's India Real Time Pinki Sonkar tossing the coin, while Djokovic and Murray watch on on Sunday 7th, she said, “I was happy to be at the Wimbledon he added with a smile, “She is a lost self confidence, but in father and the only thing I felt was confiyoung girl who exemplifies strength, Rajendra's words 'very kindly dence.” courage, and dignity every day of her returned their family's virtue and In a one to one interview with life, and I am so honoured to accomstatus to them'.

Asian Voice, Pinki told how glad she pany her on this trip.”

Pinki whose favourite subject is was to be in London and was lookHe stressed that he has never Hindi, now goes to school every day, ing forward to sight seeing after the had to worry about money for such has lots of friends, and wants to be a 7th of July. operations, as Smile Train has teacher when she grows up.

While it seems that she has also always taken care of the finance.

Around 40,000 children are born brought the sun to Britain, a giggly While a seating during the quarwith cleft lips and palates in India Pinki said her best moment in ter of these repair operations can every year. According to Smile Train, London so far has been a visit to a cost anything between £100-120, whose surgeons have carried out massive chocolate factory. A very Smile Train has been generously 55,000 operations on children with rare treat indeed, she was taken on supporting poor parents with free the condition in the country in the tour to Thorntons chocotreatment facilities in late factory in Derbyshire India. and had a great time Smile Train's mission looking around. is to provide a child born "I loved the tour. I with a cleft the same saw how chocolate is opportunities in life as a made, packaged by child born without a robots and how different cleft. tastes are developed. I Clefts are a major also got a large chocolate problem in developing coin with the queen's countries where more face on it,” she added. than a million children After a long day of are suffering with unreinterviews with the paired clefts. Most canBritish media, she not eat or speak properly walked into the St and aren't allowed to James's Hotel wearing a attend school or hold a bright yellow Indian job. They face very diffidress, bubbling with cult lives filled with energy followed by her shame and isolation, very courteous father Mamtaa Carrol, Rajendra Sonkar, Pinki Sonkar, Dr Subodh Kumar pain and heartache. Their Rajendra Sonkar and her clefts usually go untreated Singh, Rupanjana Dutta, Associate Editor, Asian Voice friend and confidant, because they are poor Mamtaa Carrol, who was representtoo poor to pay for a simple surgery year ending June 30 and almost ing the Smile Train, India team. that has been around for decades. To 400,000 since 1999, when the chariBefore Pinki had the operation to know more about them, see ty was founded. repair her lip and palate in 2007, http://www.smiletrain.org/.

A very well accomplished surstanding in front of a big crowd was In New Delhi on 2nd July, the geon, Dr Subodh Singh, is the unthinkable for her. She was a shy British High Commissioner to India, Director and Chief of Plastic Surgery and friendless child, hiding behind Sir James Bevan, hosted a send-off at the G S Memorial Hospital & her mother, whenever anyone came dinner for Pinki at his residence for Trauma Centre in Varanasi. He startto meet her. She refused to play with guests to share their good wishes, ed this hospital in the memory of his other children or go to school. As just before she left for London. father, Late Gyan Singh, with a

Photo credit: Thomas Lovelock / AELTC

8

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Dr Bina Rawal – A Pinnacle of the Pharmaceutical Industry Dr Bina Rawal is the Director of Research, Medical and Innovation at the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) and has responsibility for driving the pharmaceutical innovation agenda in the UK. Bina and her team work to improve the UK environment for the research, development and manufacturing of medicines, while supporting and optimising the UK’s science education and skills base, providing information on careers in the industry.

Her department also promotes collaboration between industry, academia and the NHS to promote experimental medicine research, early and late stage clinical trials and observational studies using real world data. Real world data is information that is collected on the health of patients during routine clinical practice.

This data is different from information that is gathered during randomized

Dr Bina Rawal

clinical trials to determine the safety, efficacy and quality of new medicines.

Real world data studies look at the impact of the medicine on patients, the healthcare professionals,

doctors and nurses who administer the medicine and also how costs or efficiencies are affected by introducing the new medicine.

Bina joined the ABPI

in October 2012 from the Wellcome Trust where she was Head of Clinical Development within the research charity’s Technology Transfer Division. In this role, she was responsible for the oversight and governance of the division's clinical pipeline. Prior to her time at the Wellcome Trust, she spent several years at Roche, and before that at GlaxoWellcome, where she gained extensive experience in all areas of pharmaceutical R and D. It was Bina’s specialisation in virology in the NHS that led her to join the pharmaceutical industry where enormous strides have been made in the last 20 years in treating viral infections such as HIV, hepatitis C and influenza.

With the creation of the UK Strategy for Life Sciences under the sponsorship of the Prime Minister, the government clearly sees the Life Sciences industry as a key sector underpinning long term economic growth for UK plc, as well as a key contributor to the health of the nation. The biopharmaceutical industry is the industry sector that invests most heavily in R&D - £4.85 billion in 2011, is the largest in health investor research, provides 67,000 jobs, brings life-saving medicines to society, and generates around £6billion trade surplus annually.

The research and

development of new innomedicines for vative unmet medical need is a long, complex and risky process that takes on average 10-12 years, and costs £1billion per new medicine successfully launched. Industry funds much of this upfront and bears the risks, although much underpinning research is carried out in universities.

Life Sciences, the area Bina works in, covers not just biology, but also medical research involving a range of disciplines including engineering and biophysics.

Regarding British achievement, Bina said, “Today enormous data pools exist in the national health service (eg elec-

Medical journals are full of research publications by Asian researchers tronic health records) as well as in research institutes. Researchers in the NHS, in academia and in industry all recognise the importance of collecting this data and using it to innovate and deliver better healthcare. The bigger picture involves analysing disease patterns and trends to model future demands on the health service, allowing strategic R and D investment deci-

9

sions to be made.”

Regarding Asian success in her industry, Bina said that scientific and medical journals are full of research publications by Asian researchers. With a high percentage of medical students coming from Asian backgrounds, their contribution to UK life sciences is set to rise further in the future.

We asked Bina what research she would work on if she had unlimited funds. She told us; “Around one fifth of the UK's population has a chronic or long-term illness, and in people over 75 years of age this ratio rises to more than half.

Many older people have more than one chronic illness. I would try to identify the common pathways to target across some of these conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dementia to see if there could be a way of stopping more than one disease in its tracks with just one medicine.”

She also explained helpfully that it is not necessary to have a science background to work in the pharmaceutical industry.

“International pharmaceutical companies require the full range of talent and skills, both scientific and non-scientific. From project management to corporate law through to supply chain management and marketing, all types of business roles are available.”

10

Your Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Caste Legislation

The caste system

Uttarkhand disaster

Himalayan tsunami

I hope that you will allow me to put my side of the whole caste discrimination issue in your newspaper. As you know I have been hugely vilified by the Hindu lobby. It has been very interesting for me to note what has brought the Hindus together!

All my life I have fought discrimination of all kinds. If there is any caste discrimination in this country then all right thinking people should be doing something about it, not just me. This is one of the worst things in Hinduism along with the practice of dowry. If it is found that there is no caste discrimination in this country i.e. no case goes to court, then we can be justly proud of being Hindus. I can’t understand what the problem is with the legislation. If it protects even six people it is worth it and if no protection is needed then it will just die a natural death.

I have been shocked by the attacks on the House of Lords. They attack those who supported the discrimination legislation but I have never noticed them attacking the Asians who have cheated on their expenses. Surely that is what they should be attacking. We are independent minded people and we are not intimidated by people trying to change our views. This happens often and we do what we think is right. In any case the three Gujaratis did not support this legislation, Lord Dholakia, Lord Parekh and Lord Popat. So I feel that there should be some comfort in that for your readers!

I consider ‘naive’ on the part of Hindus to condemn Shreela Flather for her outspoken view that Hindus in the UK are casteists and discriminate against Dalits. They are very parochial themselves and they fill committees with their own people.

Hindus in India apart from the South use the caste name as their surname ( eg Patel, Modi, Pandit, Mishra, Shah, Mehta). In Tamilnadu we do not use caste names and you cannot make out which caste Jayalalitha, Narayanaswamy or Chidambaram comes from.

In early days most of the cleaners were Dalits at the Heathrow airport. In one school where I was a governor, a Hindu welfare assistant refused to clean the toilet which was part of the job.

Baroness Flather was the only Indian who contested the election and became a Mayor. Even though Tamilnadu in paper is supposed to be a progressive State, caste system is so deep rooted that Dalits are not allowed to enter the temple and to pass through the streets where upper caste people live.

Recently in Dharmapuri in Tamilnadu a male Hindu Dalit and a girl from Vaniar caste (OBC) were in love and they left home to get married. The vaniar community dominated by PMK party objected to that and set fire to more than 300 Dalit houses. The girl’s father committed suicide and the boy also died two days after the girl’s father’s death. The caste system in India is exploited by politicians after independence. Even amongst Muslims and Christians caste system exists.

Whilst I share Arun Vaidyanathan’s sentiments concerning the lack of help from Indian organisations abroad towards the Uttarkhand disaster (AV 6 July 2013), there are practical difficulties in providing help. Above all, there is the lingering doubt whether such help will ever reach the intended victims.

From experience, our national charitable organisation of Shree Prajapati Association (UK) had teamed up with the Lions Club of Coventry in providing building costs of a new orphanage in Bhuj soon after the Gujarat earthquake in 2001. This project’s success is attributed only to the dedication of the local Lions Club of Bhuj for its sound and effective management by using mainly voluntary help. Whilst in Bhuj, we heard grim stories from the locals that not much outside help had reached them.

Large containers of donated items had been held up by the Indian Customs.

People from nearby villages not affected by the earthquake were pilfering clothes, etc. There was no local distribution point and some of the donated items lay strewn on roadsides …. and so on. But, contrary to the criticism from abroad of the Indian Government’s apparent lack of response, the locals had much praises for them for their efficient planning of what is now a beautiful new Bhuj.

Simply collecting money and distributing it is therefore not the answer. Our Bhuj experience was to find and assist suitable long-term projects only but subject to our supervision and monitoring.

This strategy has helped us successfully build a new community centre in Bachau, a new orphanage in the tsunami-affected Tamil Nadu in partnership with Sewa International, and in helping establish a new computer school in Haiti.

Information about devastating floods in Uttarakhand is interesting. Himalaya, the body of Shiva, has convulsed, to rectify glacial, geological, seismic changes and to reclaim path of river flow tresppased by humans who ignored Vedic teachings to stay away from course of river flow/move to higher grounds. We, Indians blame God for such upheavals!

Arunji is wrong to state that Hindus are passive/ are not collecting funds as their organisations/press are not giving publicity.

VHP, RSS /SEWA International have issued nationwide appeal to all concerned for relief funds.

This is happening in Croydon shakha/VHP/SEWA group.

I assume that Hindu temples, cultural, social and religious organisations are active towards this cause. Muslim service providers of transport and refreshments to pilgrims will also be assisted.

To supplement Arunji’s letter, I suggest that Indian government must focus on building earthquake proof/ all weather roads, tunnels, and buildings. Inter river network to drain flood waters to safe tributaries and or to desert of Rajasthan must be undertaken. All India’s millionaires/billionaires, foreign MNCs and Foreign Direct Investors must be forced to invest at least 10% of their profits to these projects. Indian looters who have stashed billions abroad must be offered amnesty if they repatriate looted funds and invest in such projects. All pilgrimages must be strictly banned during monsoons, till the area is made floodproof and earthquake-proof.

What is the use of flying into space and live in hell on this earth? Will foolish humans replicate earth type anti nature transgressions on moon and mars too?

Baroness Shreela Flather Via Email

Concept of Karma Lately there has been some discussion about the concept of karma on these pages. All religions that emerged from India - Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, believe in the concept of karma and reincarnation. Deeply rooted in India is the belief in re-carnation, the belief that the essential part of the individual, the soul, passes after death into a new body which is reborn as another living being, perhaps human, perhaps not. The nature of the rebirth (including whether it is favourable or unfavourable) is determined by the accumulated effects of our actions, our attitudes, our mode of life in this and previous lifetimes. The accumulated effect of previous lives is called karma – the result of our bad deeds in the present and previous lives. The circle of birth, death and re-birth will continue until one achieves “moksha” or salvation and does not have to be reborn. These religions therefore advocate a life of piousness and penances to rid the soul of the accumulated bad karma.

However, Christianity and Islam, do not believe in the concept of re-incarnation. This begs the question who is right.

If they are right and we are wrong, we would have wasted our lives on earth in misery, fasting and doing penances, for nothing while others would spend their lives in pursuit of luxuries and enjoying what life has to offer. Our sages and people who attained “keval gnan” or omniscience have told us that whether one’s

Arun Vaidyanathan

Muslim State Dr K Moorthy wrote last week about his fears of the expanding Muslim population in the UK and the prospect of Civil war. It is true that the Muslim population is increasing here but also in India.

Indeed; the Muslim population in India is almost the same as that in Pakistan - an irony considering India was meant to be a Hindu State. In the UK the reasons for the increases are 2 fold. First; Muslims have kids at a younger age (about 20 v’s the English at 32). And second; more kids per couple - 4 V’s 2 for the English.

The mathematics of this are frightening e.g. take 2 couples; one English and the other Muslim. Using the aforementioned assumptions; and running the forecast 60 years into the future - the English couple will result in 8 people; whereas the Muslims will result in 86 people. This demonstrates the stark contrast in the growth of the Muslim population; and shows that Dr Moorthy is right to be concerned. What solutions I ask?

Raj Patel Woodford Green

Uttambhai D Mistry Bolton

Temple of Dhari devi

aim is to attain moksha or not, one should be kind to others and lead a life of simplicity and honesty. This concept will go a long way to eradicate present day strife and terrorism.

I received an email that I will try to write in short “,On June 15 th, 2013, the ancient deity of Dhari Devi was removed from her Temple to be shifted to another location to facilitate the construction of a dam. Locals were opposing ever since the conception of the project with the belief that moving of Dhari Devi would somehow agitate Kali. Exactly on the next day a massive cloud burst and flash flood started in Uttarakand which devastated Kedarnath, washing the City completely away.”

Ma Kali cannot do this. She looks after her worshippers and understand very well, in fact better than us that moving her in another safe place is important for her and her worshippers. This has happened because people are not looking after the country’s environments and destroying the nature and ecology. Keep environment clean and do not cut trees unnecessarily.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Dharam Sahdev Ilford

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Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Corruption ruining humanity in cricket Corruption in Indian sub-continent is not only ruining cricket but it is black mark against humanity. India, cradle of civilization, birthplace of some of the noblest personalities that grace the world is now moral cesspit, mainly due to internet pornography and Bollywood influence.

Recently I had opportunity to attend barbeque party at friend’s house where some of Indian cricketers were honoured guests. I was pleasantly surprised to observe how modest, decent, down to earth these superstars were with hardly any trace of arrogance.

Explaining India’s success in limited over games, they put it down to hard work, discipline, unity and intelligent captaincy. Until this unexpected encounter, I was under the erroneous impression that these mini Gods are aloof and beyond approach.

One disappointing aspect that tarnish cricket is corruption, albeit with few fringe players associated with IPL that has put cloud of suspicion on these mostly honest and decent human beings who are now selected on merits rather than influence.

Continued on page 13

EducAtion/council Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Tamil girl crowned Child Genius of the Year 2013 Continued from page 1 Shrinidhi competed more than 4 rounds to be crowned the “Child Genius of the Year 2013�.

Aged 11, she was one of the 21 youngsters battling it out for the title.

The competition, organised in association with British Mensa, tested the children, aged 7 to 11, on their skills in mathematics, logic, spelling and definitions, general knowledge and debating.

Shrinidhi could identify flags of over 200 countries when she was 3 years old.

Year 6 pupil Shrinidhi’s parents Prakash V. Raman & Suja Prakash are originally from South India. She was named by her grand father V Raman and the word Shrinidhi, literally means ‘Gift of God’.

Her achievement is all the more impressive when you consider that her first language is not even English, but Tamil, which she still speaks with her family at home, and she came to live in the UK from India only three years ago. They moved to the UK, when her father, an IT specialist got a better job opportunity. Her parents claim Shrinidhi already spoke 99.9% better English than the natives, when she first arrived in Britain.

Mensa is the oldest high IQ society in the world. It is a non profit organization and is open to people who score at the 98% percentile or higher on a standardized, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. “The theory of Multiple Intelligence� was proposed by Howard Garner in 1983.

Dr.Gardner indicated 8

difficult for her to attach herself to a group, because her interests are on a different plane. ‘She has her ups and down. She is very absentminded. She often brings other children’s bags or cardigans home by mistake. If you ask her to tie her shoe laces, she really struggles.’ But to the parents' credit, they have never pushed her to do betShrinidhi with her proud mother Suja ter than she can. different types of intelliThat attitude perhaps gence which can be found help her excel in most of in human beings- like the subjects like her Logical and female cousin, who was Mathematical, Spatial, picked for the Indian verMusical, Linguistic to sion of the Child Genius name a few. According to programme, and went on him, every individual posto get an all-expenses sess at least one or more paid scholarship to an Ivy types of intelligence.

League University in Shrinidhi, definitely falls America. It is in her footinto most of the categories steps that Shrinidhi evenindicated by Dr.Gardner. tually hopes to follow.

A confirmed bookSo how does worm, she is currently Shrinidhi want to be in hard at work writing her the future? She told a fourth novel. Her heroine national daily, ‘I don’t see is Countdown’s Susie it as anything different.

Dent.

Because it’s part of my Her mother Suja, 36, a brain, I don’t see anything stay-at-home mother who extraordinary. For me this also has a three-year-old is normal. One day I son Sachin, is honest would like to study ecoenough to admit that nomics or etymology at while her daughter is far university. But I would ahead in some areas, she also like to have two lags behind in others.

Ferraris.’ So goodluck Speaking to Daily Mail Shrinidhi, you make us she said, ‘Where Shrinidhi British Indians extremely is lacking is that she is not proud, and we sincerely street-smart. She is a bit hope all your dreams innocent for her age. It’s come true some day.

Council apologises after binmen pile rubbish A council has apologised after its “lazy� workers were caught red-handed deliberately overloading a bin in Cambridge – just to avoid taking it away on Friday 28 June, a national daily has reported.

CCTV footage showed that two binmen allegedly piling rubbish on top of the large wheelie bin used by Dars Express convenience store in Regent Street.

The pair allegedly puffed up the existing

trash like a cushion to make the bin look overloaded, then added more cardboard waste and ended by putting a black bin bag on top of the lid – just to make sure.

They then photographed their work so they would have proof the bin was overloaded – not realising they were themselves being caught on camera.

When Iftikhar Ahmed, the shop’s owner, who shares the bin

with Seven Days Chinese restaurant, called Cambridge City Council to ask why his bin had not been collected, he was told the authority had photographic evidence it was overloaded.

He eventually complained and requested for a fair action to be taken.

A representative from the council said: “We have written to the owner of the premises and apologised for this poor service which is inexcusable.

Change Makers Sai School Youth supports London Prisons Sai School values people equally, irrespective of their social standing and circumstances. This long held belief was put into practise by one of our youths who gives up her Saturdays to run the Play Areas at London Prisons.

She addressed the Sai School assembly talking about her role and appealed to the pupils to host a Toy Collection.

One may wonder why toys are needed in prisons. It is often overlooked that prisoners have families who come to visit them there. Visits can be as often as 3 times a week for prisoners on remand or as little as once a fortnight for convicts.

Prisoners meet their families in the “visits hall,� which is a lot like those shown in films. Whilst some families do not wish to bring children to the prison, many do. This is primarily so that the child’s father/ grandfather/ uncle is able to form a bond with that child, making family relationships smoother following the release of the prisoner. Moreover, seeing the child may encourage the prisoner to behave well in

prison and therefore be released earlier than intended.

Naturally, prisons can be an intimidating place for children to be and they have certainly not been designed with children in mind! No visitors can bring anything with them into prison.

Children are thoroughly searched before entering either by hand or sniffer dogs; there have been cases where drugs and other non-permitted items have been found on children. These have most likely been planted by other adults who are essentially attempting to use children as a vehicle to transport items into prison.

Each prison has a small play area run by volunteers. This play area serves as a little sanctuary for the children where they can feel a little more at ease. Whilst it is important that children spend

time with the prisoner, it is also important that they have a place to come to when families are arguing or discussing matters which children should not be hearing. In the play area there are toys, games and most importantly smiley faces. The Sai Youth volunteering in these prison play areas noticed the acute lack of toys and games to keep the children occupied.

The toys were old and most were broken making it challenging to entertain the children.

After the assembly talk, Sai School immediately agreed to hold a toy collection where students brought in their unwanted toys and games. This is a great example of how Sai School is bold in its ventures and unafraid to stand up for important causes which society often shies away from. It is needless to say that the toy collection was highly successful; in fact 2 large cars were filled with toys and delivered to London prisons. Considering the small size of these play areas, Sai School probably collected enough toys to last a decade!

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Britain's school students to learn about India's freedom struggle Continued from page 1 an Indian daily reported. Under this category, Mughal India (1526-1857) has been given prime importance along with China's Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and changing Russian empires.

Education secretary Michael Gove, who sets out plans for the national curriculum and also floated the idea to teach 'political power, industry and empire: Britain (17451901)' said in a statement,

“We have also revised the programmes of study for history. We have given teachers a greater level of flexibility over how to structure lessons and we have increased the coverage of world history.

"We are introducing a tougher, more rigorous national curriculum.

Schools will focus more on essay writing, mathematical modelling and problem solving. For the first time children will be learning to programme computers. It

will raise standards across the board - and allow our children to compete in the global race," he added.

Prime Minister David Cameron called the curriculum a "new chapter in British education".

He added that "From advanced fractions to computer coding to some of the greatest works of literature, this is a curriculum that is rigorous, engaging and tough. This is a curriculum to inspire a generation.�

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Media Watch

Watching a TV brawl on the Uttarkhand flood disaster reminded one of Frederick the Great’s memorable comment, “ The more I see of men the more I love my dog.”

The warring politicians traded jibes, innuendos and insults, with no passing acknowledgement that an infinitely greater calamity would have ensued but for the heroics of Indian Air Force helicopter pilots and crews whose round-the-clock sorties saved thousands of lives.

Their efforts were supplemented by the Indian Army whose convoys negotiated treacherous mountain roads and myriad obstacles to reach stranded communities desperate for help. The task now is rehabilitation, as the Times of India editorial (July 3) rightly stressed with the following words: “Disasters fortify the bonds of citizenship. The idea of the nation is revitalized when it delivers water in the face of drought or an airlift to safe ground” in the midst of raging flood waters. Houses, schools and community centres have to be rebuilt and normal life restored, whatever the difficulties. This will take time and herculean effort.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 13th July 2013

NS Trikand, the last of three “Follow On Talwar Class” frigates built in the Russian Federation, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 29 June 2013 at Kaliningrad, Russia by Vice Admiral R K Dhowan, Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy, in a ceremony marked by traditional military fervour that included the Indian and the Russian navies

Admiral Robin Dhowan and senior Russian officials. The first two frigates in the series, INS Teg and INS Tarkash were commissioned last year and are now in service with the India’s Western Fleet.

Indian government has taken note of American cyber snooping into its embassy in Washington and promised to bring up the subject with the Obama administration.

Sibal outlines cyber plan

Transformed relationship

The funeral procession of Wing Commander Darrell Castellino, the commander of the ill-fated Mi-17 V5 helicopter that crashed during a rescue operation

Funeral rites with military honours Funeral rites for members of the crashed IAF helicopter crew took places across the country, the one that caught the eye most being that of Wing Commander Darryl Castelino, whose wife Jyothi and son Ethan 7, followed his cortege to its resting place in Mumbai. Jyothi Castelino said of her late husband: “He treated me like a queen and our son Ethan and daughter Angelino, 4, like a prince and princess.” Wing Commander Castelino and his crew were given full military honours., as were their dead colleagues.

Navigation satellite soars skyward

India’s first navigation satellite, IRNSS-1A, has soared into the skies, registering a landmark for the country’s space programme.

Developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the 1,425 kilogramme satellite was put into orbit by a PSLVC22 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Srharikota on India’s east coast.

IRNSS-1A is the first of seven planned satellites in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, which will have a 10 year life span and deliver applications ranging across terrestrial, aerial and navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking capability, guide hikers and travellers and provide visual-voice navigation for drivers.

Novel features of IRNSS-1A include two solar panels with ultra triple junction solar cells that can generate 1,660 watts of electrical power, sun and star sensors as well as gyroscopes for orientation. It also carries Corner Cube Retro Reflectors for laser imaging and is equipped with an ultra accurate Rubidium atomic clock. (Hindu July 3)

State-of-art Trikand joins Indian Navy

India Launches Its First Navigation Satellite

The Indian Navy took delivery of the last of three Russian-built stealth frigates at the Baltic shipyard Yantar a fortnight ago.

INS Trikand was commissioned at Kaliningrad in a ceremony attended by India’s Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Ajai Malhotra, Deputy Chief of the Navy Vice

Ambassador Malhotra described the event as “yet another noteworthy milestone for IndiaRussian defence ties. The state-ofthe-art INS Trikand that we are inducting today reflects an important transformation in our military-technical ties. While the ship is made in Russia, it has on board Indian systems, including the ship’s sonar and its entire communications set-up,” he said.

According to an Indian Navy statement, INS Trikand carries state-of-the art combat capability, which includes the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile system, advanced surface-to-air Stil missiles, sophisticated anti-submarine weaponry, electronic warfare systems, and Kamov 31 helicopters. It carries a crew of 300 and can reach 30 knot per hour.

Russian offer Russia’s top arm’s export official Anatoly Isaikin, who heads Rosoboronexport, told the gathering: “We are ready to negotiate the construction of another three frigates for the Indian Navy, which will be even more advanced, given the experience we have accumulated in recent years.” This is the second series of three Krivak-class frigates of Project 1136.5. Russia has built for India (See page 3 Comment on India-Russia ties).

Meanwhile, in India itself, plans are afoot to replace the 150kilometre range Prithvi missile with the newly developed and more accurate Prahar missile. The Prithvis are to be upgraded to a higher strike range (Hindu, Times of India, Telegraph June 30, July 1)

US cyber intrusion US cyber espionage was of little apparent concern to Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.

But outrage in Germany, a close American ally, at such US snooping should be India’s wake-up call. The US has exempted the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand from such intrusive activity. Clearly, Washington’s full-proof trust is reserved only for its White AngloSaxon Protestant (WASP) partners under the Orwellian principle that, while all men are equal, some are more equal than others. The

debate in Parliament and thence the statute book. If passed the bill will guarantee a subsidy of 5 kilogrammes of foodgrain per person per month to 67 per cent of the country’s population. One newspaper much given to worshipping the market as a living deity was concerned only by the possible increase in the country’s fiscal deficit. The humanitarian aspect of the ordinance leaves free market buccaneers stone cold.

Gains to be made

Kapil Sibal

Indian Telecom Minister, Kapil Sibal, has assured the media that India’s Cyber Security Policy would include a wide reach, with a National Nodal Agency in place, which he specified as follows: “Cyber security is critical for economic security and any failure to ensure cyber security can lead to economic destabilization.” National assets in defence and IT, for example are also paramount, he said, as were the intelligence services etc. A crucial aspect of the policy is injecting resilience around the Critical Information Infrastructure (CIT), by making operational 24 hours a day and seven days a week, a Nation Critical Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC), all interconnected and independent networks, across government and private sector.

Large pool of operatives In five years, India will have half a million professional workforce in cyber security, covering air defence systems, nuclear power plants, telecommunications etc.

Mr Sibal said the desired leap in cyber security would only come when India started manufacturing its own chips. The good thing is that the person in overall charge, as regulator and coordinator, is to be a retired scientist of high calibre and not a bureaucrat, as is normally the case (Hindu, Times of India, July 2, 3).

Food security ordinance The Indian government’s food security ordinance, which has the broad support of acclaimed economists Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze and kindred voices at home and abroad who share a common set of social and political values, has been readied for a

Examine the bald facts. India is the second largest foodgrain producer in the world, much of which goes to waste because of a lack of sufficient storage. This entails financial loss. The reduced sum the buyer is able to afford goes to the exchequer. The price sustains entitlement and empowerment for those who have neither. Whatever its perceived inadequacies, the measure deserves all-party support in the national interest.

Maoists on rampage It was a familiar tale. Maoists insurgents (Naxals to Indians) ambushed a police party in a Jharkhand district, killing the Superintendent and four colleagues. The State government rushed reinforcements to the site, by which time the assailants had melted into the surrounding jungle.

No lessons, it would appear, have been learned from the recent Chhattisgarh tragedy. Local politicians and lame duck bureaucrats issue pious assurances of good intent - until next time. The constabulary in Maoist-affected States are, for the most part, incompetent.

A Times of India editorial (July 4) hammered home these points and advised the States to “raise special forces to take on the Maoists.”

Cardiologist turns 96 “Take heart from India’s oldest practicing cardiologist” is the title of The Economic Times profile (June 30) of Dr Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavati, 96, India’s first woman heart specialist who still packs a daily 12 hour schedule five days a week. “She is not just the first mother figure or god figure of cardiology in India,” says Dr Ashok Seth of Fortis Heart Institute and one of the country’s leading specialists in the field. Dr Padmavati is as active today as when she started out more than sixty years ago. She trained in the UK and US and was awarded the Padma Vibhushan three decades ago. Whence comes another?

uK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

13

How spouses use the 'cheats' charter' upon relationship breakdown

Service, Sewa, Summer “Always we hear the cry from teenagers, ‘what can we do, where can we go?’

“My answer is this: go home, mow the lawn, wash the windows, learn to cook, build a raft, get a job, visit the sick, study your lessons and after you’ve finished, read a book. Your town does not owe you recreational facilities and your parents do not owe you fun.”

“The world does not owe you a living, you owe the world something. You owe it your time, energy and talent so that no one will be at war, in sickness and lonely again. In other words grow up, stop being a cry baby, get out of your dream world and develop a backbone not a wishbone.

Start behaving like a responsible person.

You are important and you are needed.

It’s too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday.

Someday is now and that somebody is you!”

It’s the summer holidays and a college principal offered those words from a judge who regularly deals with youth. So this summer as you take a break from education, pursue faith based activities too – as Sardar Patel said at Indian Independence, ‘The future belongs to the youth, but education without character is of no value’.

And if you are from my own community of Hindus, we must always ask, how to make a more powerful Hindu community in Britain? One that is not trampled, ignored, second classed, attacking itself?

(Albeit, remember just because Hindus don’t all think with one mind, you should not attack them for that, but rather attack the wrong message, not the messenger.

Remember, always be polite, even to a fool, for only a fool argues with a fool.)

I remind those from within and outside my community the words from the Bible, ‘The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.’

And to those who attack the followers of the faith from inside and outside, who for too long have in secret deals and cosy relationships and cliques and cabals kept us on the outside – we make strong friends and even stronger adversaries.

Your time is up. We are an army of lawyers and accountants and bankers and entrepreneurs and yes, political activists.

So the battle-cry of the faithful youth this summer should be: we are not only more industrious, but younger than you, cleverer, more industrious, more connected, more networked, more resourceful and we come in legions. The hidden deals and secret negotiations and scratched backs and quid pro quos are coming to an end – don’t scratch your back – watch your back. You can stand on our shoulders for we are giants, but not on our heads, for we are not pygmies and no longer will we behave like it. We are a confident people. Our time has come.

Give us our rightful dues and respect. For we too have earned it, at the end of a sword, in wars and battles. We are the Hindu nation.

Your Voice ing number of prosperous Indians exploring the length and breadth of their fascinating country. I shall always treasure the sight of a young Indian woman, in a sari, wading shyly into the swimming pool of a hotel in Goa while surrounded by an array of scantily-clad western females.

Rudy Otter, Via Email

Religious Mind I agree entirely with Mr Jhalla that in all organised religions the monks exploit vulnerables to any level. I did not have any intention to point out that sort of practice is prevalent in one particular faith. They have different coloured uniforms only, but they all are the victims of their biological urges, however hard they try to control or profess to do. Most of the population belong to an organised reli-

gion, which gives them a label of belonging to a particular faith. They are happy to live under this banner.

Religious mind has nothing of above.

It does not seek God or reality, has no guru, mantras, rituals dogmas,labels of any kinds, nationalities etc. It’s path is from one to another.

Dr.Rasikbhai Patel, Via Email

Alpesh's political sketchbook Nitin Mehta is as ever, because he does it regularly, wrong in criticising Alpesh Patel. Alpesh Patel simply criticised how impolite and rude and personal attacks were on members of the House of Lords and those who had done so much for Hindus. But Mr Mehta seems to take issue with anyone who does not agree with him, even if they are more accomplished than him. Mr Mehta also makes up what was never said. Alpesh

Patel did not say in his article don’t criticise the House of Lords, he said don’t be rude about an 80 year old women who happen to be in the House of Lords. Mr Nitin Mehta seems to enjoy picking on little old Hindu ladies who do so much for their country, if they disagree with him.

Can't we debate with more objectivity and in a less personalised manner?

Mayur Dasani, Via Email

Corruption ruining humanity in cricket These cricketers live, observe strict discipline with 10pm curfew, even their mobile calls are monitored.

Understandably they were unwilling to give their mobile numbers, as they would not be able to answer calls from strangers.

It would be difficult for us to understand some one permanently living under

this case the fact that the asset was in the name of the company, did not necessarily mean that it was owned by the company. In considering the particular actions of the husband the Court saw through the husband’s complex business structure position and held that the husband had actually used the Company’s resources as his own.

Consequently, such resources were to be included when considering the fair division of the matrimonial assets.

Divorcing couples are legally required to make a full and frank disclose of all their assets, income, property and pension – both in UK and abroad. Both parties will be required to complete a document known as "Form E" – which asks questions about all aspects of their finances and requires them to provide documentation such as tax returns, a year's bank statement and various financial documents. Although this particular case concerned substantial assets, the decision will clearly have far-reaching implications for many clients and the ramifications of this Supreme Court ruling will have an impact on divorcing couples of far more modest means. Where business and company assets are concerned parties should obtain legal advice at the earliest opportunity when a relationship breaks down so as to ensure that they achieve a fair settlement as effectively as possible. Duncan Lewis is recognised as a Leading Law Firm in Family & Child Care Law by Legal 500. Duncan Lewis has legal experts in Family & Child Care Law available across London and throughout the UK that are available to advise & assist their clients through the difficult legal elements that arise from a relationship breakdown.

Author is Savita Sharma, Family Solicitor & Director at Legal 500/Chamber UK Leading Firm, Duncan Lewis.

Offices across London and throughout UK

Indians on the move Further to my letter here last week about more foreign tourists flocking to India, I did mention that the subcontinent only woke up to tourism in the 1980s and that the country was going all out to make up for lost ground. What’s more, India is coping with a boom in domestic tourism as well, with an increas-

The consequences of a relationship ending can be both daunting and complicated especially where financial matters are concerned. Solicitors are able to guide clients through the ‘minefield’ of the issues

By Savita Sharma financial that need to be considered and can advise clients on how to protect wealth and/or prevent any attempts by the other party to hide income or assets. The ‘Cheats Charter’ is a mechanism in which one party hides assets from the other by tying them up in complex business structures.

This has been used over the years as an effective loophole in affording the other party a fair division of the matrimonial assets.

In the recent case of Prest v Petrodel Resources Limited which has received a great deal of media coverage, the Supreme Court awarded the wife a share of the business assets that were in the name of the company controlled by the husband. The Court ordered the husband to hand over a multi-million pound property portfolio to his ex-wife, even though these properties were owned by an offshore company. The husband and wife in this case were an international couple in their 50s with four children who had made their main home in London. The Court found that the husband had breached court orders, failed properly to disclose the extent of his assets, and gave untruthful evidence at the final hearing. This Supreme Court decision was particularly significant as it clearly shows that the court will look at the reality of a particular situation, the actual business and company structures when considering financial matters upon marital breakdown. In

cloud of suspicion for the misdeed of tiny minority, yet are so cheerful, friendly and able to perform wonders on the cricket field. They fully deserve our support, respect and hospitality and I am glad to say that they receive it in abundance.

Bhupendra M Gandhi, Via Email

l City of London l Harrow l Hackney l Islington l Lewisham l Shepherd’s Bush l Tooting l Southall l Birmingham l Leicester With over 500 Staff to Assist Tel: 020 7923 4020 - www.duncanlewis.com

Man-made unprecedented devastation The Uttarkhand manmade unrepresented deplorable devastation accused killing and injuring many thousands of pilgrims, tourist and local people and destroying their properties.

It has rained heavily without so much devastation in the past. Charging high explosives in underground mines for minerals and in quantities have have cracked the rock, and loosened the boulders and the earth. The activities of mining and cutting trees should be banned.The public collection in aid for people in distress will certainly surpasses the government aid. Hindu and other religious bodies will reconstruct and revive everything again.

Thoughtless mining and present government’s unenthusiastic policy seem the main causes of

the devastation of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhists' important, indigenous and

sacred places.

R N Patel, Essex

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Osborne: Uganda’s loss was Britain’s gain

By Dhiren Katwa

Ugandan-born Tory MP Shailesh Vara, welcoming the guests said: “The story of the Ugandan Asians is an extraordinary one. It is a story of resilience, hard work and triumph. People came here with nothing but the clothes on their backs and made a success of their lives in so many ways.” MP Vara - who was elected to Parliament in 2005 and five years on made history when he became the first Indian origin Minister in a Conservative government - said a brief few words in his mother-tongue Gujarati, “tamaro dikro”, or “your son”, he began, then translated: “Forty years ago when they

Britain’s gain.” The then British Premier Edward Heath, he added, had taken a “brave and difficult decision, but it was the right moral decision”.

What began as an act of international charity taking people in, said Mr Osborne, “was actually one of the best economic decisions this country took.”

MP Vara introduced the Chancellor to some of those people who told him of their personal experiences.

These included John de Souza who spoke of taking food to the late industrialist Manubhai Madhvani when he was locked up in prison and Mansukh Ladwa who, along with

Photo courtesy: Raj Bakrania

A reception was hosted by Chancellor George Osborne to celebrate the remarkable achievements of Ugandan Asians, forty years since their arrival on to British shores. Held at 11 Downing Street last Tuesday evening, the swanky event brought together around 100 guests.

Chancellor George Osborne and Shailesh Vara MP with his parents Lakhmanbhai and Savitaben and sister Minakshi

a name few.

Madhvani Group), Jitesh and his brother Jayesh, achievements of MP Vara.

Hats off to MP Vara, and Anjeli Gadhia (Jitesh chartered accountant It was humbling to see the only politician of his is with the Blackstone Chandresh Dinesh MP Vara collect his parGroup), Subhash Pankhania and couple ents, Lakhmanbhai and ranking in the UK from Thakrar (Blackstone Kanesh and Nikita Savitaben, from the main the Shri Sorathia Franks and London Mashru. There were a few gates through to Number Prajapati Community, a Chamber of Commerce) apologies, including from 11. Also present were MP denomination of the Manubhai Madhvani’s Vara’s wife and other Hindu community, for and Rekha Thakrar, Jay members of his immediate family. Amusing it was to see guests, for many of course a lifetime opportunity, organise their jewellery and outfits in a desperate attempt to look slick as they posed for the photographers and film crew. Guests included Alvaro Collaco, former Ugandan Finance Minister, pink-clad Baroness Bottomley (Virginia) of Nettlestone, Anilbhai and Gitaben Solanki of Taj Foods, serial Team Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar with Chancellor George Osborne and Shailesh entrepreneur and one Vara. From l-r: Kishor Parmar, Kokila Patel, Dhiren Katwa and CB Patel of Britain’s richest Asians George sons, who were abroad. not only organising this Vara (Solicitor), Neemish Jatania, Jivanbhai Leader of historic event but for also Ladwa (global media), and Ranjanben Wandsworth Council, remembering his Indian Praful and Rekha Visram Shailesh Vara MP, Cllr Ravi Govindia MBE, George Jatania, Shingadia, CB Patel Ravi Govindia MBE, Gujarati roots. Also for ( 4 Seasons - Leicester), Jitesh and Anjeli Gadhia and Kokilaben Patel inviting unusual suspects, Shilen Thakrar (Tilda commented on the imporfrom Asian Voice and those folk who were there Rice), Yogesh Mehta tance of one’s cultural his family, was given arrived, in their wildest Gujarat Samachar, Auni for him right at the dawn (Pickfords Removals), identity.

He said he felt refuge in a resettlement dreams never would they Jaffer, media professionof his journey, and still Piyush Chotai (Kamsons enormously proud to see centre in Wales. The have imagined that they stand by him shoulder to Pharmacy) so many female guests als Rahul Joglekar from Chancellor commented would be at Downing shoulder, come sun or Professor Nalin resplendent in saris, “a NDTV, Dhruv Gadhvi that success had not been Street at a reception hostrain, wishing him an even Thakker (University of symbol of India”, and from Zee TV’s popular confined just to Business, ed by you Chancellor. Nor brighter future. MP Vara – Manchester), Hiten “one of Gujarat’s greatest Out & About programme, but it had been extended would they have imagined Mehta (The British Asian assets”.

Liaqat Asaria of Asco could he be Britain’s to the Civil Service, Arts, that one of their own Trust), Mansuhk and Amongst other guests International, solicitor future Premier?

Culture, Media and of would be speaking to Pushpa Ladwa were also present John Azim Suleman, investSeparately, this week them in Gujarati.” There course Politics, where he (Moneymakers Centre) to and Alba de Souza (the ment tsar Hasu Manek in the Ugandan capital was rapturous applause. paid tribute to the Kampala, a strategy sumMP Vara then shared a mit took place at which tale of two refugees in a top decision-makers from resettlement centre where the aviation sector joined one says to the other, tourism stakeholders to ‘we’re in a country where plan and discuss air servshops open at 9am, shut ice development across at 5pm, and lunch is an Africa. Speakers included hour’. The other smiled Patrick Amama Mbabazi, and replied, ‘we’re going Uganda’s Prime Minister, to be rich’, which promptMaria Mutagamba, ed laughter.

Tourism Minister, Dr In his four-minute Titus Naikuni, CEO, address, the Chancellor Kenya Airways and Dr W said: “Uganda lost someRama Makuza, Managing thing very precious and Director, Civil Aviation that was a tragedy. We Authority, Uganda. blame the monster Amin, not the people of Uganda who suffered terribly. photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania Guests at the event with Shailesh Vara Uganda’s loss was

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

15

EXCLUSIVE

Sewa Day Report Launch

“Bringing a Little Joy to Others”

By Rani Singh It’s typical of today’s South Asian generation that if some of its high achieving members decide to form a project to help others, they will apply techniques they have learnt in the City and elsewhere in their jobs to make sure that the project is well managed, monitored and audited with due diligence, selfreflects and grows at an exponential rate.

Thus it was that the Asian Voice found itself in the illustrious HQ of Mishcon de Reya, eying up salmon and cheese sandwiches, fruit and cinnamon whirls for a breakfast meeting hosted by Mishcon partner Ramona Mehta (also known to readers as a Leading Light).

It could only be in this environment with this mix of people that the significant value of “bringing a little joy to others” could be a discussion point and calculated.

The environment on June 28th 2013 was the launch of social impact analysis report for Sewa Day 2012, compiled by EPG, economic and strategy consulting experts based in Pall Mall. Sewa Day is an annual day of social action, which occurred last year on 7 October 2012. It aims to promote volunteering and engagement within local communities.

EPG conducted a

Queen Elizabeth II to expect another great-grandchild

Asian Voice, the team said that there was also follow up work being done with the needy.

The team would like a million people on board by the time Sewa Day is five years old. Already, the number of corporate and universities is rising, from 80 schools in 2012, there will be 250 in 2013.

Asian Voice was quite tickled by Pratik declaring seriously; “We are able to calculate subjective well-being; “bringing a little joy to others” and the result was that this correspondent had a happier day that Friday on account of attending the report launch.

Interestingly, though the core base of volunteers had been mainly South Asian in 2012, now more than half of the UK volunteers are non-Asian and the project has really taken off in the Middle Eastwith Emiratis, Pakistanis and Philippinos participating in large numbers.

(left to right) Harsha Sharma, Arup Ganguly, Ramona Mehta (Mischon de Reya), Kalpana Chandran (Brahma Kumaris), Matteo Bina, Alison Vaughn (both Impetus-Private Equity Foundation), Saket Modi, Carly McDonough (Lloyds Banking Group), Parul Shah (Brahma Kumaris), Pratik Dattani (report author), Rajay Naik (Director, Government and External Affairs, Open University), Rani Singh (Asian Voice) and Lopa Patel

detailed Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis of Sewa Day 2012, using data representing several hundred volunteering projects with 50,000 volunteers from 20 countries around the world. We listened attentively to findings about the impact Sewa Day has made, why robust and independent impact assessment is important for Sewa Day and the methodologies used in measuring the impact.

The event was hosted by Arup Ganguly, Chairman of Sewa Day; Rajay Naik, Director of Government and External Affairs at the Open University and Board Member of the Big Lottery Fund; and Pratik Dattani, report author.

Lopa Patel was the one invited us along. Ramona gave a congratulations speech and told us why she has been a passionate

project endorser since the start of Sewa Day. Pratik Dattani told us that from a fairly respectable number of 5,000 volunteers for the first Sewa day in 2010, the number last year had grown to an astonishing 46,600.

Here are some of the report’s findings.

EPG’s analysis shows the following main results for Sewa Day 2012, across three types of projects: Generated an SROI of £2.60 for every £1 invested into it, which equates to £4.7m of additional value for Britain in 2012.

The projects that generated the highest social impact were ones which improved social ties, with an SROI of £12.50 for every £1.

The 2012 social impact represents an increase of at least 15

tasks like cleaning up gardens, old peoples’ homes, and beaches. By 2012, four London councils were on board with the project, 80 schools round the world and links with Lloyds Banking Group, The Big Issue and Amnesty.

At a Food for Life event in Hong Kong, 1,000 homeless people were fed in one day. In answer to a question from

times over the impact generated in 2011 and shows the growth of Sewa Day as an institution.

Arup Ganguly told how Sewa Day could be a movement for social change promoting social cohesion. Through social media, requests to participate in Sewa Day projects had been rolling in from all over the world. In its second year it was already in 22 countries, taking on

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Queen Elizabeth II's eldest granddaughter and an Olympic silver medallist, Zara Phillips, is next in line to deliver a royal baby after Prince William and Kate Middleton's baby is born in a few days' time.

Olympic silver medal winning equestrian Phillips, 32, and her rugby player husband Mike Tindall, 35, are expecting their first child in the New Year, Buckingham Palace announced here on Monday 8th.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Ranbir to turn superhero in Ayan Mukerji's next

Andrea's ‘haunting’ song ndrea Jeremiah is a bomb - be it on A screen or be it her

While there's been a lot of speculation regarding Ayan Mukerji's next after the success of 'Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani', it has learnt that the director's close buddy, Ranbir Kapoor, will star in his upcoming film, much like he did in Ayan's earlier projects.

The more interesting piece of news, however, is that Ranbir will play a superhero in this yet-untitled project, making him the next actor after Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan to essay characters with superpowers on celluloid.

beautiful voice that she lends for actresses. The singer turned actress has sung countless number of super hit songs that has conveniently found a safe place in everybody's play list. Now, Andrea has done something very unconventional, lending her voice to a ghost! For the first time, Madhan Karky has penned down a trendy and interesting song, to which Andrea has added depth with her haunting voice. The song has been recorded by composer Ashwath, for JS Nandhini's “Kolai Nokku Paarvai” (KNP).

Says Ashwath, "Andrea has improvised a lot on the fundamental song, which has made it come out far better than our expectation.”

Deepika has an elephant's appetite: Shah Rukh Khan

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has spilled the beans about his 'Chennai Express' co-star Deepika Padukone's appetite, saying that she eats a lot! Shah Rukh denied, but told everyone about Deepika's diet. King Khan and Rohit referred to her "elephant's appetite" and said that she eats every two hours. "When we were shooting in the mountains, all we could eat were biscuits and tea because Deepika ate all our food on the journey," quipped Shah Rukh.

"She doesn't restrain herself from eating, she ate everybody's food on the set, including the spot boys'," he added.

Call me a flirt, but don't tag me: Ranveer Singh

Ranveer Singh has his ways to impress - he is smart, witty, charming and has a natural flair for acting. The young Bollywood actor, who is often called a flirt, says he doesn't mind this, but he admits he has a problem with tags. "I'm just generous with my compliments. I tend to see the beauty in everyone. I don't hold back in expressing my feelings and that's why I think all these traits of mine add up to me being tagged a flirt...

Which is fine," Ranveer said. "It's not that I have a problem with being tagged as a flirt! I have a problem with tags. You define and limit people with tags. Each person is complex and infinite," he said.

Sonam Kapoor wants to play Meena Kumari Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor would love to play legendary actress Meena Kumari in case her biopic is made because she is fascinated by real characters with some flaws. "I would like to play Meena Kumari...she had such a tragic life," said Sonam known for playing different roles in films like "Delhi 6", "Mausam", "Aisha" and "I hate Luv Storys" among others. Meena Kumari, one of the most talented and successful actresses of her time, was tagged as "Tragedy Queen" for playing such roles in films like "Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam."

he Telugu comic Tamil. Santhana T remake, titled “Mar

scoring music for Sivakarthikeyan may firmed that Santhan Other cast and crew ed by Srinath of “M been remade into H

How A Rahma becom ‘Isai Puyal’

R Rahman is ‘Is Puyal.’ But how A originated from. Pro

Kollywood two Puya who made the conf 'Kizhakku Seemayi Though everyone wa the movie went on t the name ‘Isai Puyal was also christened Rajinikanth? It was

No time for love, only work: Parineeti Parineeti Chopra is so busy with her film projects this year that she has no time for romance in real life. Parineeti, 24, will be seen next in "Hasee Toh Phasee", "Kill Dil", "Shuddh Desi Romance" and again teaming up with "Ishaqzaade" helmer Habib Faisal's next project with Aditya Roy Kapoor. Parineeti has been linked to Uday Chopra, Jacky Bhagnani, director Maneesh Sharma and co-star Arjun Kapoor in the past but the actress says she is too busy to worry about link-up rumours. "I am all tied up with work. I am shooting in Bangkok for a film and simultaneously I have to travel to Mumbai for wrapping up another project, I have no time to have food, forget about any relationship with costars. But I am enjoying this phase of my life," she said.

SRK-Gauri blessed with surrogate baby boy

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and his wife Gauri Khan have become proud parents of a baby boy through surrogacy, media reports.

Khan's baby boy was born on May 27. "BMC officials have received a birth report with details that a baby boy was born on May 27 to parents listed as Shah Rukh Khan and Gauri Shah Rukh Khan at Masrani Hospital for Women in Andheri," media reported. The child was born at 34 weeks of pregnancy and weighed 1.5 kg at birth. The boy was taken from Masrani Hospital to Nanavati Hospital. He was later shifted to Breach Candy Hospital, reports said. It is believed that the baby has been discharged from Breach Candy Hospital and he is currently with the Khans.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

‘Mariyadha Ramanna’ being remade in Tamil

c thriller “Mariyadha Ramanna” is being remade in am will be doing the lead role in the movie's Tamil riyadhai Raman.” Young composer Anirudh will be this upcoming flick. It was earlier buzzed that y replace Santhanam in the movie, but it has been connam is not dropping out of the project by any means. w will be decided soon. “'Mariyadhai Raman” is directMuthirai” fame. The original Telugu flick has already indi, as “Son of Sardar” which was a big success.

AR an mes

17

Aishwarya all set to be back on the screen A

ishwarya Rai Bachchan who has been on a self-imposed sabbatical from films ever since she delivered a baby girl, is all set to be back on the screen. The actress who has been attending film festivals and making a lot of international appearances has finally green lit a few projects.

The actress in recent times has shed all her post-pregnancy flab and has been working out to get back in shape. Sources close to her say that she has been looking at scripts and has finally zeroed down on a couple of them.

Until the producers make an announcement, she isn't allowed to talk about them though there have been talks about Karan Johar and Sanjay Leela Bhansali having approached her for their next projects.

Over the past few months, the actress has been making quite a few international appearances but her daughter has been constantly travelling with her. She also had her mother for company but right now, Ash seems to be getting ready to get back into the limelight.

I change my watch 3 times a day: Saif Ali Khan S

’

ai Puyal’, Rajinikanth is ‘Superstar’, Vadivelu is ‘Vaigai w often do we take time off to wonder where these titles obably his fondness for the energy of a tornado, gave al's. We are talking about the ace director Bharathiraja, fident decision of handing over a rich village script, le', to city bred composer of Gen Y, AR Rahman. as initially sceptical about his choice for music director, to become one of the best albums of ARR. Hence came l’ for AR Rahman. The name ‘Vaigai Puyal’ for Vadivelu by the same director. And who coined ‘Superstar’ for Kalai Puli S Dhaanu's initiative.

Yukta Mookhey lodges case against husband

Former Miss World and actress Yukta Mookhey has filed a dowry harassment case against her husband Prince Tuli at a Mumbai police station. "We have registered an FIR for dowry harassment. Investigation is on," said senior inspector Prabhakar Medhe. He said Tuli would be called for his statement before any action is initiated in the case. When contacted, Mookhey refused to comment on the case. In June 2012, the actress had submitted a written application alleging harassment after which police had conducted a preliminary inquiry.

But no FIR was registered and later, she had told the cops not to take any action. In 2008, Mookhey married Tuli whose family has a transport and hospitality business in Nagpur.

She has been staying with her parents and three-year-old son for one year.

aif Ali Khan always had a fetish for watches and the actor believes his Bollywood career has fanned his obsession to own rare timepieces.

Saif, whose first watch was given to him by his cricketer father Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, says he did not have a watch worth talking about before he joined films.

Now, such is Saif's fixation with watches that for every project he does, he invests in a timepiece that complements the film and suits the character.

"The collection has grown with the films I have done, especially over the past six to ten years. For Parineeta, which was a period film, I bought a Vacheron Constantin Patrimony and a 1962 vintage Omega," Saif said.

The actor has a massive collection of watches. "They all have their places... Sometimes just sitting at home, I change my watch three times a day. I like to open the box, clean my watches and admire them. I have few, chunky gold ones that go well with long hair, a dark sun tan and white pair of shorts. But usually, I like very simple watches with leather straps," he says.

Ekta's obsession with numerology hits 'OUATIMD!' P

roducer Ekta Kapoor, known for her belief in astrology and numerology, has made too many alphabetical changes in the title of “Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara!” (OUATIMD). Earlier, the film was titled “Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai Again” and later 'Again' was replaced by 'Dobaara'. And now more additions have been made to the title - an exclamation has been added after Dobaara.

"I believe in astrology and numerology, but I will get to know (its effect) only after the release of the film," Ekta said at the second trailer launch of the film.

Ekta compares filmmaking with gambling. "Filmmaking is all about gambling just one weekend decides the fate, while in TV serials you can change the track, kill someone and bring him or her back, but films are scarier and exciting."

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader,

I write to you from Budapest in Hungary, about to depart to Munich, Germany. Given it is the Germans who have been holding weaker economies like Hungary together, what of the crisis now? What does it mean for Asian Voice readers?

Well the reason gold has been falling in value is exactly because of the feeling that the global crisis is over. So what about your investments generally? Well you should as I have always said including in my Financial Times column – you should look at Exchange Traded Funds. These inexpensive index trackers provided by major banks like Barclays and can be purchased through stockbrokers do not use expensive fund managers and Warren Buffett recommends them too.

So why don’t more people just buy such index trackers, tracking say the Nifty, Dow, FTSE or sectors like Cleantech?

The reason is our greed gene and our belief we can always beat the market. Most people without skill and time cannot. And they should simply try to copy an index.

Another major weakness we have is fear of the unknown.

Buying a share is easy – most know how to do it.

But what is an index? An index is simply a basket of stocks. As a basket it is less risk than one stock. So why do people always ask about investing in single stocks?

Because we love stories. You want to make any presentation, tell people a story. There are so many books on the subject of being able to tell stories. And stocks tell stories. Look at Apple. It is not just a product, there is a story. Stories sell so stocks sell, yet indices are lower risk and more suitable for most investors.

Actually even an index could be too risky for you. So you may want a lower risk basket of stocks and an ETF can do this. Many are categorised by risk.

The other problem why people don’t use ETFs is because they think they can have reward without risk.

So if you show them a higher potential reward ETF, they will ignore risk. They don’t understand risk and reward.

Reward is on average what you may earn any given year.

For example 10% return. Sounds good. But risk is the chances that in any given year you will miss the average.

So a high risk product may have an average annual return of 10% but a high risk that in any given year you will miss that and may have as little as a 15% loss.

That is all risk is. So unless you are willing to hold something for a long time, when your average reward will reach 10%, you will in any given year, if you hold only for a year, suffer the risk of a loss.

You would basically have to be lucky to get that average in any given year, but over a number of years you are more likely to hit the average return – but our greed gene makes us impatient.

So a lack of knowledge and our own genetics makes us make bad investment decisions. Okay, heading to the airport.

HDFC presents ‘India homes fair’ in London HDFC Ltd, India’s premier housing finance company is hosting ‘India Homes Fair’ - a property event exclusively for those interested in knowing about the latest projects by over 40 renowned and well-reputed developers from India.

Over 200 projects will be on display from Bangalore, Chennai, Gujarat, Goa, Hyderabad, Kerala, Mumbai, National Capital Region, Pune, Punjab, Kolkata, etc. with varying options like flats, villas, plots, etc. and customers can avail of exclusive offers and value-added benefits during the exhibition. This property event is being held for the 6th consecutive year in London by HDFC Ltd London.

Starting on the 13th July, this two day event will be held at the conveniently located, Hilton

London Metropole Hotel, 225 Edgware Road, London W2 1JU. It will be open for visitors between 10 am and 7 pm.

HDFC' s London office was launched in 2006 to advise NRIs and PIOs in London on the process of buying a property. It has provided a platform to thousands of NRIs to interact and keep themselves abreast of latest developments in India on the real estate market.

For more information see advt on page 7.

Drinks giant Diageo took control of United Spirits (USL) with the world's most valued liquor company sealing a 25% stake purchase for $870 million.

The deal effectively ends Vijay Mallya's reign over a family enterprise, founded by his father, which controls more than 40% share of the domestic branded spirits sales.

Diageo, maker of Johnnie walker and Smirnoff, has mopped up less than half of what it had sought to purchase when it struck the deal eight months ago. The London-listed company had hoped to buy 53.4% stake for $2.1 billion, but a failed open offer and a standoff with the lenders

of Mallya's grounded Kingfisher Airlines saw it mop up just 25%. Mallya, who remains chairman of USL, will keep 11% stake, significantly lesser than the originally envisaged 14.9%.

Diageo said it would nominate eight out of the 10 USL board members leaving no doubts on the control factor. It will consolidate USL revenue with its global balance sheet and will be free to change the management structure, if wanted. Ivan Menezes, CEO, Diageo, said, "Having completed the share purchase, we will now begin the work to identify and capture the significant growth opportunities within this attrac-

Vijay Mallya

tive Indian market."

Mallya said he "looked forward to remaining part of the journey in my role as chairman".

Diageo acquired a 14.98% stake in United Spirits for Rs 31.35 billion ($521 million). Before this, in May, it had acquired a 10% stake through a preferential allotment for Rs 20.93 billion ($348 million).

Indians bought US realty worth $3.5bn in 2012-13

Indian buyers accounted for nearly $ 3.5 billion of the $ 68.5 billion that foreigners spent on purchasing homes in the United States during the 12 months ending March 31, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Although the falling rupee appears to have dampened some enthusiasm for foreign properties, buyers from India once again made the Top Five foreign customers who have historically accounted for a bulk of realty purchases in the United States.

Canada, China, Mexico are the top three countries buying into the United States, followed by India and the United Kingdom.

In the latest NAR survey, these five countries accounted for approximately 53 per cent of the reported international transactions. Buyers from 68 countries across the world purchased homes in the US, where it is relatively easy for foreign buyers to purchase homes.

While Indian buying peaked in 2009 when they accounted for 9 per cent of all foreign purchases, Chinese, who accounted for only 5 per cent that year, have surged ahead to buy 18 per cent of all realty sold to foreigners during the year ending March 2013. At a median price of $425,000, the Chinese are also buying more expen-

sive homes than other foreign buyers, who spent a median of nearly $276,000 on US homes.

The median price of homes bought by Indians was $ 300,000 (about Rs 1.8 crore at current value, but closer to Rs 1.5 crore in 2012 when the rupee was around 50 to the dollar). It was lower than the median price of Chinese homes but higher than what Britons ($ 250,000), Canadians ($ 183,000) and Mexicans ($ 156,250) paid for their homes. The median price of homes bought by Americans is only around $ 220,000, attesting to the wealthy Chinese and Indian footprints in the U.S market.

Diageo garnered an abysmal 0.44% through the open after the USL stock rallied past the offer price of Rs 1,440. The stock has soared 120% since the deal announcement in November last year to reach life-time high of Rs 2,605 a month ago. It climbed up 1.7% to close at Rs 2,556 in Mumbai trade last week.

USL was the flagship of United Breweries Group, an alcoholic beverage empire, which the late Vittal Mallya created before an untimely death in 1983. He emerged as the leader in beer and spirits sales acquiring distilleries and breweries which went on sale during the prohibition days in the late '70s.

JLR launches sports car in India Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) launched its sports car Jaguar F TYPE priced up to Rs 16.10 million (ex-showroom Mumbai), while it mulls over assembling more models in India. The Jaguar F TYPE will be available in two variants. The F Type V8S powered by a 5-litre petrol engine will be priced at Rs 16.1 million, while the F TYPE S with a V6 3-litre petrol engine will be available for Rs 13.7 million.

"The launch of F TYPE is significant for Jaguar as we are looking at a lot of premeditated spin-off benefits, primarily because of the exclusive nature of the product. It will enhance the appeal of the Jaguar brand in India," Jaguar Land Rover India vice-president Rohit Suri said.

India has bizarre rules for airline operations: Tony Fernandes

Indicating its intentions to fly abroad very soon, proposed airline AirAsia India trashed the “bizarre” policy of allowing carriers to operate international flights only after five years of domestic operations.

“These are bizarre rules that you can’t fly abroad before five years and 20 aircraft (fleet).

That rule makes no sense.

I, as a one-plane airline in Malaysia, can fly to India.

India is the only country which has such a rule,” Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said.

Maintaining that the Indian airline industry has “not done a good job” to explain to the government the importance of aviation for the economy, he said “it is a shame that India has lost many years. See what new airlines in the region have done. India

has lost because of vested interests even though it has a lot of talent and economic activities.”

Asked to elaborate what he meant by “vested interests,” Mr. Fernandes said, “too many people have vested interests as they don’t think what India as a country needs. There is 100 per cent FDI in telecom. Government should tell the people that aviation is good for the people.”

“Most of these negativities come from within the industry and ultimately fails the people. It is an incredibly self-interested industry,” he said.

Speaking on AirAsia India which is being backed by his carrier, the Tata Group and Telestra Tradeplace of Arun Bhatia said it would offer cheap tickets by charging for various services including food and

Tony Fernandes

preferred seats, besides taking “aggressive” costcutting measures.

“There is no such thing as free. There is no free food. If you want a nicer seat, pay for it. We will offer the lowest denominator cost by unbundling the fare,” he said.

But AirAsia India would offer 15 kg of free baggage allowance with each ticket, as per rules here. “European low-cost carrier, Ryan Air charges for washrooms. We won’t do that but we will give you options,” he added.

Low-Cost flight: “I would not see (the fares)

being too costly to drive away customers and neither too cheap not to meet the costs,” Fernandes said, adding that his airline model in Malaysia, which has the tagline of ‘everyone can fly’ attracts even the “taxi and bus drivers”.

Asked how cheap tickets would be, Fernandes “you will know when we do our first flight. We can go low. Our fare from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi is lower than Kochi-Mumbai.”

AirAsia India, which would have a fleet of Airbus A-320s, would invest USD 30 million to begin with, Fernandes said, adding that he was looking forward to lowcost airports across India, connecting many more routes and getting into the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business in the country.

finAnciAl Voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

19

Speed More Valuable Than Price

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

We started looking at a deal in Kilburn a few months ago for the benefit of a group our investors. The deal comprised of two buildings, one of which constituted of 18 flats mostly studios, with very cleverly done mezzanine floors which were the sleeping areas of the flat. There were about 4 or 5 one bedrooms within these 18 flats. I say 4 or 5 because sometimes people put a plasterboard up and simply turn the flat into having an extra bedroom.

And guess what? Sometimes it does! The price and the rental can actually reflect this.

We had done something similar with a property purchased for an investor for £235k, it was a one bedroom duplex flat and we spent around £5k converting it using plasterboard and minor touch ups; soon after it attracted an offer of £325k from an agent. In this case the investor decided to hold on to it, as the property was generating a £550 per week rental income. In this block the service charges were low at £800 per annum, and the lease was long. In essence he had made nearly £90k for a £5k conversion!

Going back to the Kilburn deal, the other building constituted of five self contained flats, one large three bedroom and 2 two bedrooms, a one bedroom and a studio. Four of these were rented all with ASTs generating £57,000 and one was empty, these were all under rented; fully let at current market levels this property should be generating in excess of £80k per annum. The tenancies were all holding over, meaning they had never been renewed.

Th e property had a fe w issues, bu t no thing which se emed prohibitive to purch asing.

It’s ve ry d ifficult to ge t a ready made de al landing o n you r lap, ofte n you n eed to take a view o n cert ain thing s. For example one o f the issu es with t his building is th e stu d io has n o plan ning permission, howe ve r we k now it has bee n in e xistence for over 7 years, on this basis planning shou ld not be a big issue und er established u se .

However we held our position, whilst a higher offer was entertained. A couple of months later the purchasing party's solicitors were still asking questions, dotting the 'I's and crossing the 'T's as they say.

We kept in regular touch with the agent, whilst this was going on, as you never know when a deal can fall out of bed; we need to be keeping an eye out to be ready to catch it if and when it does.

What made this deal frustrating is any offer we made had to be passed from the agent to the receiver for it to be signed off, as this was a receivership sale; the agent can merely recommend our offer. After a couple of months of pestering and reminding the agent we are still here to do the deal, the offer was passed to the receiver who again sat on it for another couple of weeks. Finally we got the go ahead for our lawyer to get the contract.

Once a contract is issued the other purchasing party get informed there is another buyer. All of a sudden you may find the original buyer and lawyer develop a laser focus and get the deal done within hours when previously they had been dithering for months.

This is the benefit we are able to provide investors who come into our deals, it's not that we have all the answers, but we know the best place to go to get them.

At first is seemed like there was a massive amount of work to be done on the property with the 18 flats, as there seemed to be damp on the first couple of floors. However one of our builders traced the cause of this to a leaking pipe on the upper floor, so this wasn’t as bad as first envisaged.

The property came with a 994 year lease, not freehold but as good as – well nearly. This means we own the property for this period of time, however we do have certain restrictions not being the freeholder. For example we cannot insure the building with whom we wish, if we wish to get further planning we will need to get the freeholder's consent, these are among a few other restrictions.

The price we were paying equates to £299 per sq ft, the normal price in this locality ranged between £600 to £650 per sq ft; this was a deal. It was a massive amount of property for the price we were paying.

The freehold of this block is owned by the owner of the commercial premises below the 18 flats, this is the popular chicken serving restaurant called Nandos, which has expanded heavily. There is a strong chance we can purchase the freehold, once we have completed the deal.

Premises such as Nandos say something about the location of a property; franchises don’t just open up in any location. They do a great deal of research before they open up, for example they count the number of people passing different times of the day, and they analyse the local population and divide them into segments. Only when it meets their criteria do they open a branch; this is why banks will lend you 70% of the purchase price when you buy a franchise their chances of failure are minimal.

In the sales particulars there was oddly a mention of it being a HMO by the marketing agents, however it wasn’t as all the flats are self contained.

The rules with HMO are often misunderstood as there is a national definition and a local council one.

In total the square footage of the net internal of the whole building is just under 9000 sq ft, this is the area which can be sold excluding common areas. The property had been guided at a price of £2.75m. We made a slightly cheeky offer of £2.675m, unsurprisingly we didn’t get the contract as there were much higher offers on the table.

W hen our lawyer g ot the contrac ts he act ually commente d: ' the starting pisto l has bee n fired'; it really do es become a race to exchange .

So we could not relax, and the other party had the lead; firstly it was offering several hundred thousand above what we were offering, and secondly it had a head start of a couple of months, which is a strong head start.

We had to put our skates on. With the deal being at this level we planned to bring in a number of investors so the deal is spread out. To ensure this was done properly we needed a corporate wrapper, meaning a company or partnership needed to be set up with proper paper work in place to protect all the parties involved.

However this would all take time, and time we did not have. The solution was to put a clause in the contract to swap the investors' names for a corporate vehicle at the same price.

The property market is like a triangle, in central London for example there are many buyers walking around with £300K- £500k to spend, so in short it's difficult to get a deal at this level. However as you go up, for £500K- £1m there are slightly less people; and as you go above £2m+ and £5m+ the deals start to have some juice in them.

Our aim is to give investors with small amounts of capital the benefit of buying into higher margins and therefore bigger deals, without having the capital individually to purchase these by themselves. This takes them from the bottom of the pyramid to somewhere close to the top. At these levels you really can buy property in a solid location at a good price.

We raised £1.4m within a couple of days and we exchanged in the last hour on a Friday afternoon a couple of days after receiving the contract; had we have left it over the weekend we were not sure the deal would have still been there. We had very limited time to arrange the structure and the funding, and the structure had to be in place prior to getting the funding in place, otherwise who/what were the lenders going to lend to? However it was surprising how many lenders struggled to understand the structure, let alone be able to fund it. Some had never come across this type of structure before and needed a lot of handholding, we had applied for bridging loans given the time involved and the type of building we were purchasing. There are many novice companies in the bridging loan market, Why? Because it is a market which is due to increase in size by 50% by next year. Name any other market which will grow by this amount in a year, apart from insolvency practitioners, and pawn brokers, not many. Hence there are many who have entered this lucrative market, to fill a funding gap left by more traditional lenders, such as banks.

Our original intention was to purchase and resell, bit by bit; in effect buying wholesale and selling retail. However the more I studied this deal the less I became inclined to follow this strategy. Why? Find out NEXT WEEK! If in the meantime you want to get a serious return on your money give us a call!

The Real Deal Maida Vale, London, W9 Purchase Price: £370,000 l A large one bedroom apartment in the heart of Maida Vale l Excellent buy and hold opportunity l Lift l Share of freehold l Close to the popular cafes and restaurants of Little Venice Call us now to reserve!!

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 993 0103 info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l To generate good profits by flipping properties you need to be able to pick the right property, in the right location, at the right price. And all this requires the right LOCAL knowledge. l Always remember to see an investment from the markets’ viewpoint and not your own, don’t let your emotions carry you away!

20

UK

Maria Fernandes

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

maria@abplgroup.com

Packing People Off

bu Qatada has finally been packed off to A Jordan to await his fate

after years of wrangling and at a cost of an estimated £1.6 million of taxpayers’ money. The Home Secretary has stated that the new Immigration Bill will make changes to prevent this happening in the future to this case and others which involve criminals being allowed to stay on the basis of their family life. This aim although, many would agree with it, will be difficult to implement. The issue of family life is contained in the European Convention on Human Rights and although there continue to be discussions about curtailing or restricting this right, in reality it cannot be done without wide ranging measures. It is true that sometimes “the law is an ass.” Practitioners will all have stories of cases where the law provided unintended consequences.

A former News Director of the BBC has recently admitted that the news coverage of the BBC on immigration has a “deep liberal bias”. In particular she noted that the views of Migration Watch had been ignored. Now here’s the thing. This body are a right wing body that consistently misrepresent or, more accurately, twist the facts to suit their argument. Taking their views into account is like asking them to take account of the views of the BNP. Anyway isn’t she the woman who was shown the door after the debacle following Saville? Does she have an axe to grind or a different agenda? The

view that everyone is scared of discussing immigration is complete nonsense. On any day, newspapers have several articles on immigration, most of them negative, and this led Lord Leveson to criticise the press for the negative coverage. If anything, there are so many biased articles on this issue that it is hardly surprising that some of these stories stick. The interesting statistic of views of immigration was that those in the North where immigration numbers were low expressed greater concerns about immigration than those in London where immigration is high.

David Cameron is interested in charging foreign student to attend state schools because of his concern that there has been a drop in numbers of students. It is easy to see how this would play out.

Schools, desperate for funding will shaft the local students in favour of foreign students. The simpler answer to the problem would be to remove students from the definition of migrants. Had they done so early on when they were being urged to do so by several bodies it may have reveres matters somewhat. To do so now would probably mean a loss of face.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 28 years. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

India expanded faster than China in June: HSBC

India expanded at a faster rate than China during June, even as growth in emerging market economies during the month was the lowest since the global financial crisis in 2008/09, an HSBC survey said.

The HSBC Emerging Markets Index ( EMI), a monthly indicator derived from the PMI surveys, sank to 50.6 in June from 51.3 in May, signalling the weakest increase in output since May, 2009.

The latest figure was the lowest in over four years as the Chinese manufacturing output witnessed a decline as did production in other Asian economies, HSBC said.

Among the largest emerging economies, output stagnated in China, registering a marginal fall for

the first time since August 2012. Meanwhile, output stagnated in Russia, while India and Brazil both posted weak rates of growth.

above 50 indicates expansion. Commenting on the findings, HSBC co-head of Asian Economic Research, Frederic Neumann said:

During June, the HSBC composite index for India, which maps both manufacturing and services sectors, stood at 50.9, whereas for China it was 49.8, Brazil 51.1 and Russia 50.1.

An index measure of

"Asia is feeling the pinch from jittery financial markets. The road ahead looks bumpy with manufacturing slowing further."

Meanwhile, the volume of new business in global emerging markets was lit-

India’s inflation may return to 6-7% range

The rupee’s free fall may reverse the moderating trend in inflation and it could again head back to the 6-7% range in the months ahead. Economists said the sliding rupee has nearly wiped out the expected gains from soft global crude and commodity prices. Food prices, which have remained stubborn so far, may again rise due to an expected increase in fuel prices. As most of the food items are transported by road and train, any increase in diesel prices has a cascading impact on food prices.

“The impact on inflation will depend on how long the rupee’s weakness persists. If it persists for long, inflation could be 6% by the year-end,” said D K Joshi, chief economist at

credit rating agency Crisil.

Moderating inflation has ushered in huge relief for policymakers reeling under the weight of high prices but a sudden reversal in the situation may create fresh policy headaches. The return of higher inflation at a time of crucial state elections and national polls in 2014 is also likely to put more pressure on policymakers to ease the burden.

The wholesale price inflation had eased to 4.7% in May, lower than the previous month’s 4.89%. The sharp volatility has also ruled out any interest rate cut by RBI. Economists said that a 1% depreciation in rupee adds 15 basis points to WPI inflation. But at a time when the economy is in a

tle-changed from one month previously, weighed down by a fall in manufacturing new orders and the rate of employment growth in emerging markets was marginal in June.

With regards to business expectation for the next 12 months, HSBC said respondents reflected weaker sentiment in both manufacturing and services sector.

The HSBC Emerging Markets Future Output Index is a new series tracking firms' expectations for activity in 12 months' time declined in June.

However, the longerterm prospects for the emerging world remain "encouraging", HSBC said adding that the latest setbacks should be seen primarily as "growing pains".

Banks aim to open over 8,000 branches

slowdown phase and demand is low at 10% depreciation might add about 70-odd basis points.

Pressure on food prices has returned if the trend in vegetable prices is taken into account. While short supply gaps have been attributed to the sudden spike in tomato prices, any persisting food price pressure will add to inflationary expectations.

Retail inflation has hovered above the 9% mark for the past few months and RBI has flagged the stubborn inflationary pressures in the economy as a risk factor.

Economists said the combination of food and fuel prices could stoke inflationary pressures in months ahead and make it tougher for policy options.

India's state-run banks aim to open more than 8,000 branches in the current financial year ending in March 2014, finance minister P Chidambaram said.

India plans to directly transfer cash benefits to bank accounts of people under various social welfare scheme over the next few years and is expanding the banking network. Currently, more than 40 per cent of the 1.2 billion population is not covered by the banking system. Creating more branches would allow Indians, particularly those in rural areas, to get credit at a cheaper rate.

Many now have to rely on money-lenders who charge up to 30 per cent interest rates. The increase in depositors will also allow banks to expand their business and lend to the corporate sector.

ministers are busy with elections,” said a government watcher, who had a long stint in the finance ministry.

In fact, that’s something that bureaucrats in the finance ministry are talking about besides the need to have someone who has hands-on administrative experience. A senior officer pointed out that the second rung lacks administrative skills with two deputy governors from within RBI, the third being a professional economist and the fourth a banker.

The bureaucracy that has held the much coveted job for 10 years is obviously keen that the post stays with it. While economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram is seen as the likely choice if Rajan doesn’t make it, he appears keen on becoming the finance secretary (which may be next March if Chidambaram goes by seniority).

Sources said if recent decisions on appointing the Comptroller & Auditor General and the Intelligence Bureau chief are anything to go by, the final call may be taken by the key ministers in the Cabinet, including home and defence. In the past, the RBI governor’s appointment was decided mutually by the finance minister and PM. But if it’s Rajan for RBI, IAS officers would have made way for a professional at another financial sector regulatory body. Already, T S Vijayan, the former LIC chief, is now the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority chairman, while Yogesh Agarwal is the pension regulator. Vijayan succeeded J Hari Narayan, a former Andhra cadre IAS officer, who had no experience of the insurance business before he took over as the regulator.

India set to review Raghuram Rajan leads race for RBI governor’s post gold import curbs

The recent measures to tighten gold imports have ended up creating a severe supply crunch for traders, prompting the government of India to review the norms.

Industry sources said gems and jewellery exporters are feeling the pinch as some banks have virtually stopped imports, while others supply with a lag. Besides, the import curbs have prompted banks through which shipments have to be routed to raise service charges, adding to the burden. Last week, amid a volley of protests at a meeting with trade bodies, commerce & industry minister Anand Sharma promised there would be no shortage of gold and instructed his officials to ensure that public sector MMTC fills

the void created by banks that have substantially cut down imports.

Later, the finance ministry brass got into action with revenue secretary Sumit Bose and economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram holding consultations on the issue.

"Since you are only doing 20% or 30% of the business and the fixed costs remain the same, it is spread over a smaller group.

We have sought some relief from the government as exports are becoming uncompetitive," said Pankaj Parekh, vice-chairman of the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council.

With less than 60 days to go, government’s chief economic adviser Raghuram Rajan is seen as the frontrunner to be the next Reserve Bank of India governor, the most sought after job in the financial sector.

Although there is no decision on who will succeed D Subbarao on September 5, Rajan, the former IMF chief economist, has emerged as the key pointsman for finance minister P Chidambaram, dealing with issues as diverse as a new development index to calm down nerves in the markets.

Apart from a sound understanding of the economic and financial system, what also works in favour of Rajan is his familiarity with key players in the global economic system, especially in uncertain times like at present. Besides, he is expected to get new ideas into RBI, which many on

Raghuram Rajan

Raisina Hill believe is too conservative.

At the same time, a professional economist like Rajan is expected to take an independent view of applicants for bank licences and not act under the finance ministry’s pressure. The one thing going against the 50-year-old from Bhopal is his limited familiarity with government functioning, given that he has spent less than a year in North Block.

“Whoever is the next governor will need networking skills to coordinate well with finance, commerce and other ministries over the next 10 months or so when

finAnciAl voice

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

21

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

No movement on interest rate Last Thursday saw some dramatic and hugely significant movements for the pound despite the expectation of a relatively quiet day. Independence Day in the US meant that for once the dollar was not the key focus. The interest rate decisions from the UK and the euro zone were both due and once again no movement was expected from either central bank in terms of interest rate movements and changes to their respective quantitative easing (QE) programs.

The Bank of England had only welcomed their new governor, Mark Carney, on Monday 1st July and thoughts that he would take some time to find his footings were quickly quashed.

Carney surprised the markets by stating that interest rates in the UK would remain at current record low levels as they are for the near future despite some very encouraging economic growth.

This had an immediate impact on the pound losing ground against every other major currency. Specifically it lost 1.35% against the US dollar and 0.65% against the euro. The FTSE 100 rose sharply closing

up over 3% for the day, the biggest one day move since November 2011.

This revelation from the Bank of England will no doubt have investors on their toes and thoughts that the Bank could release more unexpected data at future MPC meetings and maybe take a more flexible stance on the UK’s inflations targets could potentially put the pound on the back foot. As stated above the chances of hiking interest rates are therefore reduced as is the possibility now of ending QE sooner.

Earlier in the week, the UK showed encouraging signs that the recovery was well under way as the UK services sector, which makes up for three quarters of

total GDP, expanded at a faster rate than the market was anticipating. This added to the encouraging data from both the manufacturing and construction sectors which are also expanding.

In Europe, Mario Draghi’s comments following their own interest rate announcement also focused on the current interest rate stating that they will remain where they are or potentially move lower for an extended period. This news weakened the euro against other currencies.

These moves from the Bank of England and the ECB are certainly not in line with recent activity from the US where the Fed have stated that they will consider reducing their QE pro-

gram before the end of the year and potentially increase their interest rates if its economy continues to improve and unemployment continues to fall.

Indeed data from the US Labour Department on Friday revealed that an additional 195,000 jobs were added in June surpassing an expectation of 165,000 being added. Whilst the unemployment rate remained at 7.6%, the data further fuelled expectations that the Fed will look to taper their monetary stimulus program potentially as early as September.

The Federal Reserve will be releasing the latest minutes from their June meeting this Wednesday, which may well give investors further clues as to when and the extent of how much the Fed will look to taper their QE program.

Given the contrasting view points from both sides of the Atlantic with regards to the respective central bank’s monetary stimulus programs, the market does seem to be favouring the US dollar against both the pound and the euro and further strength for the US dollar cannot be ruled out.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 9th July 2013 @ 3pm GBP - INR = 89.39 USD - INR = 60.11 EUR - INR = 77.31 GBP - USD = 1.49 GBP - EUR = 1.16 EUR - USD = 1.29 GBP - AED = 5.46 GBP - CAD = 1.56 GBP - NZD = 1.89 GBP - AUD = 1.62 GBP - ZAR = 14.95 GBP - HUF = 338.88

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

22

Pakistan-Bangladesh-sri lanka

In Focus 12 Lankan cops arrested for murdering five Tamil students Colombo: Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 12 elite commandos on charges of executing five Tamil students in the eastern city of Trincomalee in 2006 after falsely accusing them to be Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorists. Trincomalee Chief Magistrate ULM Azhar remanded the men from the Police Special Task Force, including an Assistant Superintendent, to custody until July 18. The killing took place on January 2, 2006 when the students were playing at the city's beach. They were detained briefly and then shot dead. The authorities claimed the students were LTTE terrorists and were ready to lob a grenade.

However, further investigations have revealed that the students were executed.

10 killed in Pak train accident

Lahore: At least 10 people including two children were killed after a train collided with a packed motorcycle rickshaw in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, officials said. A high-speed train travelling from Karachi to the capital of Punjab province Lahore crushed the rickshaw on a road crossing which had no barrier. The rescue officials said that at least two children were also among the dead. Police said that the motorcycle rickshaw was crammed with 16 people and drove onto the train track moments before the Lahore bound train passed through, smashing into it.

Girl's dead body sexually assaulted in Pakistan

Lahore: In a shocking incident, unidentified men allegedly sexually assaulted a girl's dead body, digging it out from a grave, hours after her burial in Gujranwala district of Pakistan's Punjab province. Police said the girl, a grade-VI student, was electrocuted while taking a bath in her house and she was subsequently buried. Next day morning when members of the girl’s family went to the graveyard they found her body lying near the grave. They held a demonstration and blocked the road to protest against the desecration of the body.

Indian fisherman awaiting release dies in Pak jail

Karachi: A 60-year-old Indian fisherman who had completed his prison term and was awaiting release has died at a local hospital in Pakistan's biggest city. Dadu Bhai, who was an inmate at the Malir district jail, died from illness, a senior jail official said. "Dadu suddenly took ill and was receiving treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) when he passed away," Shunail Shah, the Assistant Superintendent of Police at Malir jail, said. Shah confirmed that Dadu had completed his jail sentence when he passed away.

Pakistan’s humanitarian gesture to Indian

Karachi: In a humane gesture, Pakistan facilitated the emergency landing of an international airline in Karachi after an Indian passenger on board suffered a heartattack and needed emergency medical care.

The 75-year-old Vasan Bondol was onboard a Turkish Airline flight from Istanbul, Turkey to Mumbai when he had an heartattack on July 6. Following request by the flight captain, Pakistani authorities allowed the flight to land at the Karachi international airport. Acting swiftly, the airport authorities rushed the Indian passenger to Agha Khan Hospita, Pakistani official sources said.

Implement 13th amendment, India tells Lanka

New Delhi: India told Sri Lanka categorically not to dilute a key constitutional provision that promises autonomy to the Tamil minority. India’s external affairs minister Salman Khurshid conveyed the message to Sri Lankan minister Basil Rajapaksa that Colombo should go beyond the 13th amendment to the constitution "to ensure meaningful development of Sri Lanka." Basil Rajapaksa, a brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, arrived on a short visit to India to interact with Indian leaders.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 13th July 2013

Sri Lanka to hold polls in ex-war zone for first time in 25 years

Colombo: Sri Lanka will hold provincial elections in the former northern war zone in September for the first time in 25 years, officials said, a move long demanded by the United Nations since the end of three decades of conflict in 2009.

But Northern Province, which includes the Jaffna peninsula, has been under military control since the end of the war and the government had resisted requests by the West to pull out the army.

Ariyaratne Athugala, director general of the Department of Government Information, said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had issued the proclamation to hold northern provincial council polls.

The Elections Commission said they would probably be

held on September 21 or 28.

The West is pressuring Sri Lanka to allow an independent investigation of accusations of human rights violations in the final stages of the civil war.

The government has said a military presence is neces-

sary to prevent the re-emergence of terrorism three years after it crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Successive governments did not hold provincial polls in the north because most of the territory was under LTTE

control.

Sri Lanka introduced provincial councils in 1987 with a constitutional amendment aiming to ensure regional autonomy mainly for the island nation's north and east where the LTTE had fought to create an independent state for Tamils.

The constitutional amendment, which gives autonomy to provincial councils including powers over police and land, has yet to be fully implemented.

Sri Lanka has repeatedly rejected calls for an independent, international probe into accusation of rights abuses in the final stages of the war. Tens of thousands of civilians, mostly Tamils, were killed in the final months, according to a UN panel.

US plans to speed up troop Pakistan brings back withdrawal from Afghanistan death penalty Washington: The United States is considering leaving no American troops behind in Afghanistan after the planned 2014 withdrawal date, US officials said, amid ongoing tensions between the President Barack Obama's administration and Afghan President Hamid Karzai's government.

Obama is committed to wrapping up US military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but the United States has been talking with officials in Afghanistan about keeping a small residual force there of perhaps 8,000 troops after next year.

US officials did not deny a report in the New York Times that Obama has become increasingly frustrated by his dealings with Karzai, with their fraying relationship falling to new depths after last month's US move to open peace talks with the Taliban.

A June 27 video conference between Obama and

Karzai aimed at lowering tensions ended poorly, the Times reported on its website, citing US and Afghan officials with knowledge of the conversation.

The Times reported that Karzai accused the United States of trying to forge a separate peace with the Taliban and its Pakistani supporters in an arrangement that would expose Karzai's government to its enemies.

Since the video conference, a full military pullout from Afghanistan like the one from Iraq has been transformed from a "worst-case scenario" to an option "under serious consideration in Washington and Kabul," the Times reported.

US officials, asked about the report, pointed reporters to a comment by Ben Rhodes, the deputy White House national security adviser, who said in January that the "zero option" of leaving no troops behind is "an option that we would consider." The comment still stands, officials said.

Islamabad: Pakistan's new government, striving to appear determined to rein in escalating crime and militancy, has ended a ban on the death penalty, in a move condemned as "shocking and retrograde" by rights group Amnesty International.

Such a reinstatement of capital punishment is rare, with about 150 countries having already either abolished the death penalty or stopped administering it. A 2008 moratorium imposed by Pakistan's previous government, praised at the time by global rights groups, expired on June 30.

"The present government does not plan to extend it," said Omar Hamid Khan, an interior ministry spokesman.

Khan said the new policy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's government was to execute all death row prisoners, except those pardoned on humanitarian grounds.

Pakistan's president must approve all executions.

Pakistan is among the last nations in the world to stick

to the practice, alongside the United States, China, Nigeria, Yemen and some others.

Up to 8,000 people remain on death row in dozens of the country's notoriously overcrowded and violent jails, according to London-based Amnesty. The government has put the number at about 400. The method of execution is usually hanging.

"As long as the death penalty is in place, the risk of executing innocent people can never be eliminated," Amnesty said in a statement this week in response to rumours ahead of the decision.

Drone strikes could lead to stand-off, Pak warns US Islamabad: A day after a US drone strike killed 18 suspected militants; Pakistan warned America that continuation of the attacks by the CIA-operated spy planes in the country's restive tribal areas could lead to a direct stand-off between the two nations.

Talking to reporters in Islamabad, interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said Pakistan has conveyed to the US that this stand-off could have serious implications on its forces' withdrawal from Afghanistan and the post-withdrawal situation.

"The US drone attacks are not only violation of Pakistan's sovereignty but are resulting in collateral damage, which are not acceptable at any cost," Khan said.

The attack in North Waziristan shows that US is

in no mood to halt the strikes despite Pakistan's public condemnation of the attacks.

Talking about internal security, the interior minister said the government has decided to convene a meeting of leaders of major political parties to formulate a comprehensive National Security Policy to bring peace and overcome menace of terrorism.

He said issue of possible

dialogue with the Taliban will also be discussed in this meeting, which will also be attended by the heads of civil and military security agencies as the government is "determined to bring peace at all cost with the support of all stakeholders".

He said issue of detention camps and missing persons will also be addressed in the National Security Policy.

He said 3 task forces have been formed to look into the issues of national security, missing persons and return of Pakistani woman Afia Siddiqi, who has been sentenced to over 80 years in jail by a New York court for firing at US soldiers while in custody in Afghanistan.

The interior minister said that it has been decided that none of the international agencies or foreigners could directly interact with Pakistani officials without proper permission from the concerned authorities.

He said that investigations are heading in positive way regarding the killing of 10 foreign tourists in the country's northern areas last month and said he hoped that the real culprits would be apprehended soon and brought to justice.

world

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Yoga passes secularism test in US

Washington: Yoga enthusiasts in the US got a big boost when a California judge ruled that the practice which originated in India is now a ''distinctly American cultural phenomenon,'' while dismissing complaints from some parents that teaching it to school children amounted to ''an unconstitutional promotion of Eastern religions.''

Weeks of testimony from yoga practitioners and opponents, including live demonstration in courtroom of poses taught to children, came to a convoluted finale when Judge John Mayer agreed that yoga ''at its roots is religious,'' but pronounced

that the kind introduced by a school district near San Diego, which was the subject of the litigation, passed the test of secularism. "A reasonable student would not objectively perceive that Encinitas School District yoga does advance or promote religion," he said.

Parents of some children had sued to stop the school district from teaching yoga maintaining it is a religious practice that surreptitiously promoted Hinduism. Funded with $533,000 from the K. Pattabhi Jois Foundation, which is backed by Jois acolytes, hedge-fund billionaire Paul Tudor Jones II and his wife Sonia, the

school district introduced a three-year pilot yoga program in 2011, with twice a week classes in addition to regular physical education.

While some 30 families pulled their children out of the classes, saying teach-

ing of yoga in schools blurred the line between church and state and "represents a serious breach of the public trust," many parents backed the program, which the school said was also aimed at curbing aggressive behavior and bullying. School authorities said in court that they had removed all religious elements from what was taught to the students, including the use of the word Namaste and substituting Sanskrit name of asanas with English ones. For instance, Padmasana, usually called lotus pose in English, became ''criss cross apple sauce'' in Americanese to appeal to children.

Indian pays `36,00,000 to rescue compatriot

Hindus urge Church of England to approve women bishops

3 Indians among 305 lucky survivors of US plane crash

Dubai: A Saudi-based Indian businessman has secured the release of a compatriot serving a jail term in the Gulf Kingdom for killing a local resident in Jeddah by paying blood money to the family of the victim. Indian businessman Mohammed Alungal paid a sum of Rs 36,13,000 on behalf of Vinish Pappachan, who had been ordered to pay the money as diyah (blood money), Arab News reported.

Pappachan, who hails from Kerala and worked as a driver, was held guilty of causing the accidental death of a Saudi national in February 2012 when the earth-moving tractor he was operating collided with a car driven by the victim.

When the court directed that blood money be paid, Pappachan's family from Idukki in Kerala approached the local government for help, who coordinated with social workers in Saudi Arabia to speak with the victim's family.

It was then that Alungal, chairman of Abeer Polyclinic Group, came forward to pay the full amount.

Nevada: Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has urged General Synod of Church of England to endorse introduction of women bishops in its debate and vote on the issue in University of York (United Kingdom). It would be a “step in the right direction”, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed in a statement in Nevada (USA).

Zed suggested the Church to empower the women bishops with exactly equal roles as men bishops and without any limits or conditions. As women were equal partners in the society, they should be equal partners in Church also. Women could disseminate God’s message as skillfully as men and deserved equal and full participation and access in religion, Zed added.

Quoting Hindu scriptures, Zed says: Where women are honored, there the gods are pleased.

Women now reportedly make up about a third of the Church's priests. Synod

Rajan Zed

agenda includes “Women in the episcopate – new legislative proposals”.

The General Synod is the national assembly of the Church of England (headquartered in London whose tagline is "A Christian presence in every community"), which is recognized by law as the official church of England.

About 1.7 million people take part in a Church of England service each month, about 12 million people visit its cathedrals annually and it has over 19,500 licensed ministers.

Her Majesty the Queen is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, while Most Reverend Justin Welby is the Archbishop of Canterbury.

San Francisco: Three Indians were among 305 passengers who miraculously survived when an Asiana Airlines flight crashed, broke into pieces and caught fire while landing at San Francisco airport, killing two Chinese students and leaving 49 others seriously injured.

The flight had 307 people on board when it left Seoul, capital of South Korea. The Boeing 777200 long-range aircraft apparently struck a rocky area at the water's edge short of the runway at the airport, a major hub for flights to and from Asia. A total of 305 passengers on the flight, however, miraculously escaped from the burned-out wreckage, using evacuation slides.

Asiana, second in size to national carrier Korean Air, has confirmed two female Chinese teenagers have died.

According to reports, two Chinese students, Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, from east China's Zhejiang Province died in the crash.

Clashes between Egypt army and Islamists kill 54 Cairo: Egyptian soldiers and police clashed with Islamists protesting the military's ouster of the president in bloodshed that left at least 51 protesters and three members of the security forces dead, officials and witnesses said, and plunged the divided country deeper into crisis with calls by the Muslim Brotherhood's political party for all-out rebellion against the army.

The carnage outside the Republican Guard building in Cairo - where toppled president Mohamed Morsi was first held last week - marked the single biggest death toll since massive protests forced Morsi's government from power and brought in

an interim civilian administration.

Even before all the bodies were counted, there were conflicting accounts on how the violence began. Morsi's backers said the troops attacked their encampment without provocation just after dawn prayers. The military said it came under a heavy assault first by gunmen who killed an army officer and two policemen. More than 400 were wounded in the mayhem.

The violence is almost certain to draw sharper battle lines between Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, who say the military has carried out a coup against democracy, and their opponents, who

claim Morsi squandered his 2012 election victory and was wrecking democracy by bolstering his and the Brotherhood's grip on the state.

Egypt's top Muslim cleric warned of "civil war" and said he was going into seclusion as a show of protest to both sides until the violence ends.

Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, head of Al-Azhar Mosque, said he had "no choice" but to seclude himself at home "until everyone shoulders his responsibility to stop the bloodshed instead of dragging the country into civil war."

Soon after the attack, the Al-Nour party, an ultraconservative Islamist party that had been talking

to the new government about participating in the political process, announced it was withdrawing its support for the transition plan in response to the "massacre."

The military, which removed Morsi after mass protests against him, now may face pressures to impose stricter security measures to try to keep unrest from spilling out of control. It will also have to produce compelling evidence to support its version of events or otherwise suffer what is already shaping to be a Brotherhood media blitz to portray the military as a brutal institution with little regard for human life or democratic values.

23

HLH saves life of children Vaishali was 22 years and from Gujarat. She had been born with a heart problem and her parents had been told that not much could be done for her. Vaishali was referred by the Satya Sai organisation to a hospital in Rajkot, where they offered Vaishali an operation.

On the day of surgery Vaishali was taken to the operating theatre and the surgeon felt that nothing he could do will cure her. Luckily for Vaishali, a senior member of the Satya Sai Organisation had worked with a charity before and thought that they may be able to help Vaishali. HEALING LITTLE HEARTS (HLH), a UK based charity that sends teams of doctors and nurses every 6 weeks to the HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL in MUMBAI to perform heart surgery on patients who are born with heart problems.

A HLH surgeon Mr Premsundar carried out an operation on Vaishali’s heart in February 2013. He was able to correct her heart problem and gave her a clean bill of health to lead a normal life. Vaishali is among 60,000 children born with heart problems in India every year.

HLH also operated on Mr AR Rahman's daughter in May 2010 and was featured by the BBC in November 2011. In November 2102 the Nargis Dutt Charity Trust launched a collaboration with HLH to operate on these desperately ill and desperately poor children. HLH has been operating since 2007 and has operated on nearly 300 children so far. But it is only a drop in the ocean with many thousands more lives to save with your help.

China, Russia hold largest-ever joint naval drills

Beijing: China and Russia kicked off their largest-ever joint naval drills in the Sea of Japan, a further sign of the broad-based progress in ties between the former Cold War rivals.

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24

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South Sri Lanka releases 49 Indian fishermen Sri Lanka has released 49 fishermen belonging to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, who were lodged in Anuradhapuram and Jaffna prisons. They were held by the Sri Lankan Navy on June 6 at Kayts Island, on charges of crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in their waters.

Woman given wrong blood in hospital, dies

A 25-year-old woman died after being given blood of a wrong group in KC General Hospital. Police booked cases against Dr Suresh, a physician, nurse Bhagyalakshmi and two other employees of the government-run KC General Hospital.

She was given B positive blood instead of O positive, Rajeshwari pointed out that she was being given blood of a wrong group. "She saw a bottle which had B+ written on it, and raised an alarm. But the nursing staff tried to pacify her, saying the sticker was wrong and it was fine.

Schools from Chennai embrace UK for exchange

British Council, organizes the 'Connecting classrooms' programme , the number of schools applying for the Indo-UK partnership programme has doubled. " In the first five months of this year, the number has touched 100," More than 30 schools in Tamil Nadu are part of 'Connecting Classrooms' now. It started as a global school partnership 10 years ago to encourage teacher exchange programmes with a grant of £1,500 pounds. And also exchange programmes are active.

Eight cops face action for arresting magistrate

Four days after a judicial magistrate was arrested on a rape complaint by a woman sub-inspector of police, the Madras high court has slammed police and initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against woman superintendent of police and four of her subordinates. Misuse of powers and showing scant regard to the guidelines issued by SC.

Punjab BJP-Cong workers clash ahead of Pawan Bansal's visit Ahead of a public function chaired by local Congress MP and former Union minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal, a clash took place between Congress and BJP workers involving some leaders near colony number-4 in Industrial Area, Phase-I, over a dozen persons from both parties were injured and half a dozen vehicles were damaged in the incident.

Navjot Singh Sidhu's comments stir controversy

Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Gurbachan Singh has cautioned BJP MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu to be careful while passing his comments using religious versus.

According to reports, Sidhu, a few days back, had said, "nanak nam khumari...... taking not of his uttering's," Jathedar said.

Though the verse is not a part of Gurbani but since it has word Nanak so Sidhu should be careful in future as it could hurt religious sentiments of Sikhs". He said the Sikh clergy would discuss the issue in their next meeting. Sidhu was not available for comments.

Give ruling before death: 82-year-old tells high court

Will my case be decided before my death?

An 82-year-old woman, Rawinder Kaur Gill of Sector 21, Chandigarh, has placed the question before the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court through a letter, while highlighting "severe shortage of staff in UT district courts". In her letter, Gill who is fighting a case in district courts for eviction of her tenant said delay in justice delivery system was mainly due to the lack of judges and subordinate staff that results in pendency.

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 13th July 2013

Tamil Nadu govt orders probe into death of dalit youth The Tamil Nadu government set up an one-member judicial commission headed by retired judge of the Madras high court, S R Singaravelu, to probe the death of dalit youth E Elavarasan.

Elavarsan's body was found near the railway tracks in Dharmapuri on July 4.

Elavarasan's marriage to a vanniyar (MBC) woman Divya had triggered a wave of caste violence in Tamil Nadu.

The dalit youth had eloped and married Divya last year, igniting anti-dalit violence in dalit colonies in Dharmapuri district.

Elavarsan's body was found alongside the railway

tracks a day after Divya's submission to the Madras high court on a habeas corpus petition moved by her mother, that she would not live with her husband. Police have found a suicide not and are checking its authenticity.

Explaining the rationale behind constituting the commission, chief minister J Jayalalithaa, in an official statement, said that several reports on the death that caused deep anguish and shock had been appearing in the media.

T Elagno, father of Elavarasan also raised doubts over the cause of his son's death. "Therfore, I ordered

setting up a commission under S R Singaravelu, the retired judge of the Madras High Court to probe into the incident," she said.

Singaravelu is also the chairman of the Private School's fee determination committee.

Caste politics scripts a tragic end to love story Only after a detailed probe it will be known whether he had committed suicide or was murdered. But there is no denying that the couple was hounded ever since they got married.

Haunted by her father's suicide a month after their marriage, Divya had recently told a court that she would stay

with her mother and would not return to her husband.

But the girl and her family were under tremendous pressure and she might have been under duress to take such a stand.

Inter-caste marriages are not new in Tamil Nadu. There are many villages with a sizeable population of inter-caste couples. PUCL national general secretary V Suresh said the caste clashes that erupted as fallout of Elavarasan's marriage to Divya is a challenge to the administration .

"The state should have provided counselling to the couple and their families in such circumstances," said Suresh.

Karnataka to provide free World's first engineering milk to pre-schoolers college for blind soon Karnataka is set to launch another ambitious scheme to prevent malnutrition and its resultant health problems among pre-school children aged between three and six years.

“The children will be provided with milk in addition to supplementary nutrition at anganwadi centres to help them fight malnutrition and grow healthy,’’ chief minister Siddaramaiah said. Animal husbandry officials said the government may need about Rs 500 crore for the scheme and it will possibly be earmarked in the budget to be presented on July 12.

The women and child welfare department will implement the scheme, whereby all children enrolled in Integrated Child Development Scheme and who attend anganwadi centres will be provided with 200 ml boiled milk supplied

by KMF every two days.

The scheme will also ensure that extra milk available with the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF), promoters of Nandini, is consumed by those in need rather than converting it into milk powder. The initiative, to be implemented last month, was delayed due to technical reasons. “But things have been sorted out now and we are ready,’’ said women and child welfare minister Umashree.

At present, 50 lakh litres of milk is produced daily in the state. The new scheme will help utilize the excess 30 lakh litres produced.

The students are waiting and the software and syllabus is ready for the world's first engineering college for the visually impaired, but a search for suitable land to set up the multi-crore campus that could empower hundreds of special children is where the project is stuck.

An ambitious blueprint to set up an engineering college by the Devnar Foundation, with help from professors of BITS Pilani, along with 20 different digital and Braille software and initial funding arrangement is however ready.

Andhra Pradesh has a caseload of 10,000 visually impaired children below 10 years and only 2,000 manage to go to a special school, a scenario which reflects a nationwide issue, prompted Devnar Foundation, which also runs the world's biggest blind school to do more.

Since eight students from their school completed engineering from mainstream engineering colleges and one doing further studies in Boston, USA, Devnar's ophthalmologist founder A Sai Baba Goud decided to propose setting up an engineering college. Goud says visually challenged students often encounter pervasive and ongoing discrimination and lack of facilities.

The move had rekindled hopes of hundreds of parents who dreamt of seeing their sons and daughters holding the coveted engineering degrees despite their disability.

Amritsar industrialists seek special Punjab Deputy CM approves package for the border district plan of New Chandigarh

Shawl Club India, a group of traders and industrialists, who recently met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed him for assurance on special package to border districts of Amritsar and resolution of other issues confronting industries.

Shawla Club general secretary Piara Lal Seth said that the package, which they had demanded on the lines of J&K would help industry withstand challenges in the region.

"We will discuss details on various issues with the PM. The primary concern was the package for the industry and the prime minister has assured all necessary action in the days to come," said Seth. He had said that the delegation headed by the senior Congress leader Om Prakash Soni submitted various issues to draw attention to the PM. Connectivity of Amritsar-Makhu to Mumbai

rail line was also discussed besides laying of railway track from Patti to Makhu.

He said that upgradation of Amritsar's Sri Guru Ram Das Airport by allowing more connectivity, domestic and international, enhancing the capacity of the Northern Railway Locomotive Workshop here, were some of the other issues that the PM gave assurance on.

Seth stated that the people of Amritsar faced the fury of national calamities, twelve years period of militancy and two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 and needed more government attention. "Amritsar is traditionally known for having a trade and industrial centre even before partition of India in 1947. There is tremendous potential of growth if Union ministry of finance, take some positive measure to instill new impetus of growth by declaring special package," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal approves the conceptual plan to develop 'New Chandigarh' in the Mullanpur area on the outskirts of the city.

Sukhbir, in a high-level meeting said the state government aimed to develop New Chandigarh as one of the best planned cities with ultra modern infrastructure to enable it to face the challenges of 21st century.

The Punjab government was also planning to make New Chandigarh an economic hub of South East Asia, he said, adding the conceptual plan was prepared by Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA).

The new city planned in an area of 15272.5 acre in the foothills of Shivaliks, would have Eco-City, Medi-City, Education-City and mega projects that would propel the development of the state to the next orbit, Sukhbir said.

Asking GMADA to expedite the acquisition of land for

Sukhbir Singh Badal

Education City, Eco-City and Medi-City, Sukhbir said road and allied infrastructure for these projects have to be completed by December 2013.

Giving the details about Edu-City, he said reputed international universities and institutes in areas of hospital administration, management courses, computer science and engineering branches, biotechnology, multimedia, pharmaceuticals, tourism and hospitality, industrial design, media and mass communication were evincing great interest to set up their institutes in the proposed education city.

indiA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

In Focus 15 killed as hotel collapses in Secunderabad

At least 15 people were killed and 15 injured when a hotel collapsed in Secunderabad.

The two-storey building of City Light Hotel on Rashtrapati Road in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, came down crashing around 6.30 a.m. Police, fire fighting personnel and rescue workers managed to evacuate 22 people from the rubble and shifted 15 of them to government-run Gandhi Hospital. The condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.

France eases visa norms for Indians

France announced easing of visa norms for those wanting to pursue higher education, aimed at attracting more Indian students.

The move comes at a time when the United Kingdom is contemplating heavy cash bonds for Indian visa applicants. “Not challenging anybody but has introduced a number of measures to enable Indian students to study in his country. It is about opening our arms and hearts for Indian students by facilitating their stay, not only in their visa area but other things like training, taking care of jobs when they are back in India ‘ a source said.

Lady cop molested, beaten up in Delhi

Harassment of a woman sub-inspector by half a dozen hooligans has raised questions over the safety of women personnel in the Delhi police. The sub-inspector, a resident of Sangam Vihar, was returning home in a bus at night when she was molested and beaten up by the hooligans in south Delhi..

She objected to their behaviour but was abused and molested. The police, later arriving at the scene, managed to nab three of the assailants but the rest managed to escape.

IT dept. serves notice to Munde over poll spending

In more trouble for senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde, facing an Election Commission show cause notice for his poll spending remark, the Income Tax department has issued a notice seeking his explanation within a week. He said that the department has sought explanation from Mr. Munde on his claims that he had spent Rs. 8 crore towards campaigning for Lok Sabha election he had contested from Beed constituency in 2009.

Over one lakh pilgrims visit Amarnath

Over one lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir even as a batch of 3,250 devotees left the Jammu base camp. One lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the ice lingam of the Amarnath cave shrine.

Meanwhile, a convoy of 93 vehicles, carrying 3250 devotees, left from Bhagwati Nagar base camp in Jammu. With other batch a total of 23,384 pilgrims have left Jammu base camp for Amarnath so far.

Pak looks for Indian drive to improve ties

India and Pakistan sought to rev up bilateral ties, stuck in suspended animation since the LoC standoff, as Islamabad called for more political will on the part of India in responding to the positive gestures made

by Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. First official engagement between the two countries after Sharif’s PML (N) stormed to power.

Seven Indian students get scholarship for Singapore school

Seven Class 10 students from across India have received the Global Indian International School's CV Raman scholarships this year to pursue their secondary education at its prestigious Singapore branch. The seven qualified the GIIS' national level scholarship exam in April and the subsequent general discussion and interview in May. They have left for the GIIS' flagship school in Singapore's Queenstown.

25

Narendra Modi, Rajnath Singh to form BJP panels for 2014 polls

The BJP parliamentary board said it will force the Congress to fight the Lok Sabha elections on the issues of "good governance and development", and authorised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Rajnath Singh to form panels to steer the campaign.

Briefing reporters after a board meeting here, party general secretary Ananth Kumar said panels will be formed to prepare a "charge sheet" against the UPA government, the BJP's manifesto and campaign programme.

The party was ready for snap polls, he said. "The parliamentary board has authorised Narendrabhai and party president Rajnath Singh to form the structure (of committees) and decide how to take forward the campaign," Ananth Kumar said.

He said the two leaders will form the committees in consultation with members of the parliamentary board.

Ananth Kumar said the BJP was "in election mode" and the parliamentary board will again meet in about a week.

The Centre submitted a 41page affidavit in the apex court, spelling out steps to bring autonomy in the functioning of CBI. Government takes first step at making CBI autonomous, free of interference. Cabinet clears GoM recommendations on CBI autonomy. The appointment of the CBI director by a collegium that includes the Prime Minister is among the steps taken by the government to insulate the agency from political and bureaucratic interference, the Supreme Court was informed on Wednesday.

The collegium would also include the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India or a judge of the apex court to be nominated by him, the

He said the party will force the Congress to contest the election on issues of "good governance and development".

The BJP leader's remarks come against the backdrop of speculation that the party may seek to revive its Hindutva agenda and rake up the issue of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.

"We will make good governance and development national issues before people.

The parliamentary board had decided to take these issues to the grassroots," he said.

He said the party was ready if there were snap polls.

Ananth Kumar said that

the BJP will adopt a twopronged strategy - of political campaign and organisational build up - for the polls.

"As part of political campaign, the party will highlight the failures of the UPA government while it will reach every booth as part of organisational strategy," he said.

He said the Congress and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) were under pressure and were breaking from within.

"The Congress does not want to face parliament.

There is corruption, economic mismanagement, rise in prices and failure on every front. The Congress is not in a position to face issues of development and good governance," he said.

Ananth Kumar said the Congress had decided to bring an ordinance on food security as it was not sure of support of its own allies.

He said the government had not yet decided dates of the monsoon session of parliament which was normally held in the third week of July.

BJP sources said the decision to have a joint team of

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Rajnath Singh to form poll panels indicated a desire to adopt the path of collective decision making for the present.

The sources said the forthcoming assembly polls in five states - Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mizoram - were the immediate priority for the party.

Party sources said party panels for the Lok Sabha polls could be announced at the next meeting of the parliamentary board. It is clear that Narendra Modi wants to start the 2014 poll campaign on a very aggressive note.

Party spokesperson and Rajnath Singh's close aide Sudhanshu Trivedi was also called for the meeting. Trivedi and Modi will finalise the final campaign strategy although the party's campaign committee has not yet been formally constituted.

The committee's decisions will not be brought to the Parliamentary Board for ratification. At the meeting Modi's stamp on the campaign strategy was clearly visible.

government said in a 41-page affidavit filed in the court's registry on Wednesday.

It said the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE Act) would be amended for this. The Prime Minister would be the chairman of the three-member committee. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director would have a term of not less than two years. The director, the affidavit said, would not be transferred without the prior consent of the three-member committee. The government told the court that the central government would introduce a bill containing the necessary amendments in parliament. The proposed committee shall recommend an IPS officer to be the CBI chief.

Freebies promised by political parties in their election manifestos shake the roots of free and fair polls, the Supreme Court on Friday said and directed the Election Commission to frame guidelines for regulating contents of manifestos.

A bench of justices P Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi said though the election manifesto is published before the code of conduct comes into force, the Commission can make an exception by bringing its within code of conduct.

The judgement can have wide ramifications and can put a curb on political parties promising different types of freebies like distributing laptops, TVs, grinders and mixers, electric fans, four gram gold thali and free foodgrains

if voted to power.

"There is no guideline for regulating the contents of election manifesto. We direct the Election Commission to frame guidelines on it," the bench said.

"We direct election commission to take up the task (of framing guidelines) immediately," it said.

The apex court also said that separate legislation should be made on this issue.

It said freebies promised by political parties disturb the level playing field among players contesting the polls and vitiates the election process.

The bench, however, dismissed the plea challenging J Jayalalithaa government's decision to implement AIADMK's poll promise of free household items to voters.

Trivedi have been given the charge of organisational mobilisation and holding meetings of workers and office-bearers belonging to the lower rungs.

BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will be responsible for preparing the “chargesheet” on the failures of the UPA government as well as the campaign material.

J P Nadda has been given the charge of mobilising professionals like doctors, engineers and the like across the country.

Modi's right-hand man Amit Shah visited Ayodhya and offered prayers at the make-shift Ram temple in disputed area on Saturday morning. Shah, who is also in charge of Uttar Pradesh (UP) unit of Bhartiya Janta Party,

later, told reporters that he prayed for construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and sought blessing to free India from Congress misrule.

"Crores of Hindus in the country want to see a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. We all will work for the construction of the massive temple as early as possible. I have also prayed to the God for uprooting Congress misrule from India and replacing it with good governance," Shah told when he was in Ayodhya to take part in the meeting of BJP's Awadh Prant in the state.

Shah's move is being seen as an attempt of the BJP under the leadership of Modi to revive the old Hindutava agenda for polarising people on communal lines for the next Lok Sabha elections.

Rajnath Singh & Narendra Modi

Political parties shouldn't Manmohan, CJI and Oppn leader to pick CBI chief promise freebies to voters: SC

Amit Shah to mobilise youth for LS polls

In a bid to tap the sizable youth population of the country ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP has given the task of mobilising them through social media to general secretary Amit Shah.

BJP president Rajnath Singh, in consultation with the party’s parliamentary board, decided to give the responsibility of reaching out to potential voters, especially the youth, through social media to Shah.

Shah, a close associate of BJP election campaign committee chief Narendra Modi, has been a part of Modi’s poll campaign team. Modi ran a strong campaign on social media like Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.

Interestingly, general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy has

Amit Shah

been given the task of reaching out to people through radio campaigns.

Murlidhar Rao will be responsible for mobilising the youth, including the party cadre, across the country.

General secretary Dharmanedra Pradhan, general secretary (organisation) Ramlal and Rajnath Singh’s political adviser Sudhanshu

26

IndIa

www.abplgroup.com - asian Voice 13th July 2013

British doctors' son kidnapped, murdered during opening ceremony of hospital There were people everyA British couple who moved where so it was very hectic to India to open a hospital and when we couldn't find have been devastated by the him, we reported it to the kidnap and murder of their police. We had our suspison, allegedly by one of their cions that he had been kidemployees. Ishan Rawal, eight, disappeared during the napped.” opening ceremony of his parShaan Das, who worked ent’s new clinic in Indore, as a servant at the Rawals’ Madhya Pradesh. house, had been seen driving Doctors Nikita and from the ceremony with Arvind Rawal, from Beverly, Ishan on his motorbike, but East Yorkshire, discovered returned without him. that their son was missing on When Rawal and police the day their dream was set questioned Das, he initially to come true. denied knowing where the Ishan, pictured far right with his parents Drs Arvind and Ishan's body was discovboy was but then said he had Nikita Rawal and brother Rusheek. “taken him for a bike ride ered in woodland a few miles and left him somewhere,” Ishan’s help. Mrs Rawal, 42, who moved to away from the hospital after a man mother Nikita said.

India with her husband and two sons who works for the Rawals admitted Das knew both boys well and had Ishan and Rusheek a year ago, said: to kidnapping and strangling the boy. often helped them download games ‘How can someone do such a thing?

However the Rawals, who previ‘He was such a talented boy - he ously worked at Hull Royal to play on their computer. Das, has played tennis and was getting on Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital, admitted to killing Ishan “because very well at school. believe there is more to their son’s he was annoyed with the behaviour ‘We are missing a very big part of death.

by Mr and Mrs Rawal,” according to The family believe it may be the reports. our lives that we will never get back.’ work of more than one killer, orchesThe paper alleged that Das was It was Ishan’s brother who distrated by their enemies in an attempt 'quite annoyed' when Mrs Rawal covered that the boy had gone missto halt their work and force them to refused to give him job in the hospiing during the inauguration ceremotal. However, The Rawals refuse to ny at Royal Shanti Hospital in move back to Britain. believe their son was murdered over Indore.

They are desperate to bring their a job dispute and is setting up a camMr Rawal, 43, said: “We spent an son’s killer (s) to justice and are callpaign to bring the killer to justice. hour looking all over the hospital. ing on the British Government for

US patent for Guj weed that gives IQ high

Sounds unbelievable, but the humble seaweed growing in abundance along the state’s 1,600-km coastline can yield a health drink that boosts brain functioning and increases immunity. Scientists at the Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI), a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) laboratory, have found that juice extracted from seaweed has nutrients that are beneficial for the brain. The CSMCRI has received a US

patent for the juice. Tests conducted on chickens by the Mumbai Veterinary College have shown that the mortality rate among chickens imbibing the juice has reduced significantly.

Once commercialized, the juice can be an affordable fitness drink. Scientists say the seaweed drink may cost just as much as a cup of tea does. The Indian healthdrink market is valued at close to Rs 1,500 crore.

“Seaweed’s solid residue is awidely used thickening agent in bakeries,” CSMCRI director

Dr P K Ghosh said. “But we found that the juice contains substantial amount of potassium, iodine and other micronutrients like zinc which can boost brain functioning.”

“One glass of about 200 ml can provide the daily required quota of iodine in humans,” Ghosh said. “Even after refining the juice, there are two organic substances that have confirmed beneficial effects on human health and immunity.”

The characteristic fishy odour of the seaweed juice has been replaced with

pleasant coconut water aroma without any use of additives, the scientists said. Seaweed juice can help tackle malnutrition Pepsico India former top executive Abhiram Seth said the presence of essential amino acids makes the seaweed juice an important tool to tackle malnutrition.

“Amino acids are critical carriers of nutrition. If the government and NGOs join hands, this juice can help tackle the malnourishment problem in a cost-effective manner,” said Seth.

Obituary A Senior Partner at Blackstone Franks LLP and Chairman, London Chamber of Commerce, Subhashbhai Thakrar’s mother Lalitaben Vithaldas Thakrar has peacefully passed away at the age of 84 on 8th July 2013.

Prayer: There is a prayer everyday from 8.309.30pm at their residence: "Ganga Nivas" Cygnet Close, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 2TA, Tel: 01923 829 523.

Samuh Prarthana: Samuh Prarthana to be held from 7.45 pm -9.45 pm on Thursday 11th July at the Shree Kadwa Patidar Samaj Hall, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 8LU. Funeral: The Funeral will be held at Golders Green Crematorium, Hoop Lane, London NW11 7NL on Friday 12th July at 4pm.

For more contact: Subhashbhai at 078 312 70985 Jai Shree Krishna

Chinese troops enter Chumar again, vandalise Indian posts In another incursion, Chinese troops intruded into the Chumar sector in Ladakh - the same area which had sparked off tensions in April - and smashed some bunkers besides cutting wires of cameras installed at the border post.

Official sources said the intrusion took place on June 17 when the troops of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered Indian territory in the Chumar sector and started vandalising the observation bunkers, besides cutting the wires which overlook the Chinese territory.

Chumar has always been an area of discomfort for the Chinese troops as this is the only area along the Sino-Indian border where they do not have any direct access to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The 21-day face-off

between the two sides in the remote Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) sector on April 15 was triggered by construction of an observation tower in Chumar division which had to be subsequently dismantled by the Army on May 5 before the crisis was defused.

The Chinese side, according to the minutes of the flag meetings in the last week of March this year, had been objecting to the construction of the watch tower along the LAC in Chumar.

After dismantling the observation post and defence bunkers, Army had installed cameras to monitor movement of Chinese troops along the LAC, a step which had irked the PLA. Chumar, a remote village on Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh border, is being claimed by China as its own territory.

Blasts rock Buddha's Mahabodhi temple

Continued from page 1

the Bodhgaya temple premises was placed 20 feet high on a statue of Gautam Buddha, forensic analysts said. Initial analysis of the bombs points to the use of ammonium nitrate in them. The nature of the bombs used in the blasts, allegedly by Indian Mujahideen members, was similar to those found in Jaipur, Pune and Ahmedabad blasts, analysts said. The forensic experts have also ruled out the use of RDX in the blasts. Experts said about 150-200 grams of ammonium nitrate was used in each bomb in the first ever attack on the holy site. They added that ball bearings and nails were used as splinters in the gas cylinders in which the explosives were packed. The analysis revealed that the bombs were triggered by analogue timers set at 5.30 am.

No group has so far taken responsibility, though intelligence officials are probing the role of Indian Mujahideen. Some of its alleged activists held for the 2012 Pune blasts had reportedly confessed to planning an attack on the Mahabodhi temple. Sketches of two suspects were released later.

Officials are considering the possibility of the attack being in retaliation to the killing of Muslims in Myanmar. "It is definitely a terror attack but involvement of any particular group is not clear," said a top source. As it is off season, there were

very few people at the temple in the early morning hours, limiting the number of victims. In the temple itself, only the marble staircase near the Bodhi tree (under which Buddha was said to have achieved enlightenment) was damaged while a glass case containing what is believed to be a footprint of Buddha developed cracks. The ambulance that was struck was empty at the time. Its oil tank was ripped apart in the explosion.

The blast that hit the big Buddha statue also didn't cause much harm, apart from damaging its back portion. The bomb was kept on the pedestal that rises to a height of 20 feet. A bomb kept on the left leg of the statue above it, of a sitting Buddha, did not go off. The bomb was defused later.

The sixth and seventh bombs exploded around 6 am, within a gap of two minutes, inside a lodge of the Tergar Monastery, 700 metres from the temple.

Though there was some inmates present, no one was injured.

The eighth bomb went off in an open ground near the monastery, while the ninth and 10th blast occurred at 7.45 am inside an empty tourist bus parked nearby. The bus was partially damaged.

The anti-disposal bomb squad later recovered a live bomb from the monastery lodge and from near a hotel.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who visited the spot, demanded that the

temple security be handed over to the CISF. Adding that there was no reason to panic, he said: "The NIA team is handling the investigation. CRPF and state police teams have been deployed at Bodhgaya."

Investigators spot six suspects from CCTV footage: Six suspects, including a woman, have been spotted in CCTV footage by investigators probing the 10 bomb explosions at Mahabodhi temple, police officials said on Tuesday.

"We have detected six suspects, including a woman, since their movement close to the temple gate and wall, hours before the blasts, were captured in the CCTV footage," said a police official involved in looking at the footage.

According to police officials, the CCTV footage shows three people entered the temple premises through unspecified entry points and two others stood near the gate close to the car they came in. One of them, who is the tallest, carried a bag on his shoulder.

But officials are facing problem since the footage from the 16 functional CCTV cameras installed in the temple is of poor quality. "The poor footage has complicated the matter as despite identifying some clear movement at around 4.10 am close to the Bodhi tree, we are unable to see the face," an official said.

The officials of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau as well Bihar Police are busy ana-

lyzing the CCTV footage in slow motion at the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee office here.

Police have issued a look-out notice for six people who had been working with the Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple Management Committee for the last six months and are absconding after the serial bomb blasts, a police official said.

"The look-out notice was issued on the information from the committee," a police official said.

The investigating agencies officials strongly feel that some of them are the suspects spotted in the CCTV footage.

"Three suspects arrived near the temple in a tempo (auto-ricksaw) on Sunday morning followed by three more suspects (who) arrived at the same place in an Indica (car). Among them is a woman, who is also spotted in the CCTV footage," a police official said.

Magadh range deputy inspector generel NH Khan said the police had got some clues, but would not disclose these till the NIA completes its probe. The NIA has questioned Vinod Mishtri, a suspect in the Bodh Gaya temple serial blasts.

Mishtri was taken into custody late on Sunday evening from a village under Barachatti police station in Gaya district.

"Police took him into custody and interrogated him as his identity card was found in the temple, but nothing came out of him," said a police official.

india

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

27

Bhagyesh Soneji - a self-made woman entrepreneur

By Mayuri Dave

F

ew years ago the core committee of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) offered Bhagyesh Soneji to head women’s wing of Gujarat’s top trade body. But surprisingly she turned down the offer. She said that she didn’t believe in reservation instead she expressed her desire to be part of the main GCCI body. According to her she has not grown with gender discrimination hence never narrowed down capabilities.

“Entrepreneurship is a risky adventure and both males and females face equal challenges,” says Bhagyesh.

Bhagyesh, a self-made pharma exporter is heading international trade division of GCCI. She is also chairperson of ASSOCHAM, Western region. Her journey to success is also equally interesting. A fitness freak and extremely selective on eating, Bhagyesh was suffering from arthritis, but he over-

came the ailment and never allowed the disease to become obstacle in her professional life.

In her early twenties, Bhagyesh along with her sisters moved from Sambalpur in Odisha to Ahmedabad, her home state in search of success.

Initially she worked with a couple of firms to gain experience, but her entrepreneurial nature brought her into export business.

“Export business is fascinating. It gives you global exposer. That’s why I studied and post-graduated in international economics from Sambalpur which has some of the best educational facilities in Odisha,” says Bhagyesh. However, it was a challenge for her as she was diagnosed in her schooldays as a patient of rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic disorder that can lead to substantial loss of functioning and mobility.

But she didn’t lose heart and carried on with her studies to achieve her goal.

“When I decided to build career in exports,

Ramadhan the month of blessings

Yusuf M Sidat, Leicester

M

uslims around the world anticipate the arrival of Ramadhan – the ninth and the holiest month of the Islamic calendar called Hijri. During the month, Muslims all over the world unite in a period of fasting and spiritual reflection.

Each year, Muslims spend the ninth by observing a community- wide fast.

The annual fast of Ramadhan is considered fourth “pillar” of the five "pillars" of Islam. Muslims who are physically able are required to fast each day of the entire month, from dawn to sunset. The evenings are spent enjoying family and community meals, engaging in prayer and spiritual reflection and reading from the Quran. It is a period of fasting, reflection, devotion, generosity, sacrifice, family ties, showing humanity, patience and charity by Muslims around the world.

Each day before dawn, Muslims observe a pre-fast meal called “suhoor.”

They break their fast with dates and water after sunset which is called “Iftar.”

pharma sector came first in my mind. As Gujarat is having lion’s share of around 45 per cent in India’s pharma sector, it was obvious to move from Odisha to Gujarat. Being a Gujarati, it was really easy for me, so I shifted my based to Ahmedabad, she said.

Since she was born and brought up in Odisha, very few people knew her. She

There are reasons and wisdom behind every single act in Islam. Ramadhan is much more than just not eating and drinking. It is a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God and practice self- sacrifice.

During Ramadhan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things.

The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast. This is an opportunity to practice these qualities to bring into everyday life.

The Holy book of Quran has close ties with this month of Ramadhan. It is the month in which Quran was revealed to the last messenger, Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon Him). The Quran was revealed for the guidance for all of mankind. Therefore, during the month of Ramadhan, the whole Quran is recited in the special night prayer called Tarawih section by section.

Islam follows a lunar calendar that is called Hijri, where months have either 29 or 30 days. So each year any month comes 10 to 12 days earlier than the previous year, so Ramadhan falls during different time and seasons. This year the fast in UK is about 19 hours long due to the long daylight hours, where as there are shorter fasts in other parts of the world.

By the end of Ramadhan, Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr or Ramadhan Eid, festivity of breaking the fast. This first day of Shawwal month is Eid ul-Fitr.

People dress in their best and attend special morning Eid prayer held on that day.

On Eid day family and friends come together to celebrate Eid with greeting each other ‘Eid Mubarak’.

Leaders from other faith, communities and political leaders in the United Kingdom, including the Prime Minister, convey their Ramadhan and Eid messages, greetings and best wishes to Muslims both locally and globally. This year on this occasion channel 4 has announced it will broadcast first morning call to prayer each day for the whole month of Ramadhan.

I wish everyone a happy and prosperous Ramadhan.

believes that if one would start a business in unknown city, it is necessary to understand topography of the new place.

With a purpose to understand Ahmedabad, she joined a marketing job of selling type writers.

“It gave me an opportunity to visit many offices where I met entrepreneurs, industrialists, executives, employees, bureaucrats, etc, with whom I could interact and get an idea of business atmosphere and policy in Gujarat. After that I worked for a few years in pharma businesses before I set up my own business,” said Bhagyesh.

One fine day she decided to start business. She had just Rs 15,000 on hand but that did not deter her from opening her own office in a rented premise.

The time was just right as winds of globalization was about to start. In the early 1990s, a large volume of pharma products was being exported to Soviet Union and African countries. The dissolution of the

Soviet Union in 1991 created a number of independent states, which opened up new avenues for an independent exporter. “For new economies the costs were an important decision-making factor.

I approached embassies and diplomats,” she added.

Bhagyesh named her company Elegant India.

“Because I love India,” she says, “My other company is called Ameda Pharma after Ahmedabad.” After numerous endeavors, Bhagyesh’s first such deal struck with a former Soviet state where there was a pharmaceutical requirement for which a company had quoted $13.5 million. “I explained to them that it was possible for my company to supply this requirement at a cost of $1.40 million,” she recalls. “It worked and my first deal was done within one month of buying my office. I did not need to turn to my family for financial support.”

The deal gave her much needed financial support and luxury to travel

abroad in search of new business. Though arthritis was major hurdle because it was causing mobility problem even doctors were not in favour of her constant travelling. However, it was her sheer will and counseling from a doctor in Australia, she could fight against the disease.

Today Bhagyesh is exporting pharma products to more than 28 countries.

She has also taken up organic farming with her sister Lilesh. Talking about the future plans, she says that now she wants to deal in environment related products. “We are working for a product which helps increase yield of corps and consume 50 per cent less water during cultivation.

Also planning to launch products for old people, this would be much cheaper compared to multinational companies,” said Bhagyesh.

On the CSR front, she believes in secret donation (Gupt Dan). Generally she donates 20 per cent of her annual income for noble causes.

The matchmaker finally finds his match

Anupam Mittal, the Mumbai -based entrepreneur who runs the matrimonial and matchmaking service Shaadi.com married supermodel Aanchal Kumar in a grand affair.

The couple tied the knot at Jaipur on 4th July which was followed by a grand reception in Chandigarh.

Aanchal Kumar is a supermodel who hails from Chandigarh and is currently based in Mumbai. Anupam Mittal’s matchmaking service is recognized as one of the most innovative companies in the world. After having explored many other cities around the globe, the couple finally settled for Fairmont Jaipur as their wedding destination. The four day long celebrations were impeccably planned with backto-back star studded functions.

The functions included a sit-down dinner with a White and Victorian theme on July 2.

Anupam Mittal with Aanchal Kumar

July 3 witnessed the mehendi ceremony followed by a pool-party in the afternoon. July 4 started with the groom's sehra ceremony, followed by the

grand wedding at night.

The wedding was attended by family members, close friends, socialites, designers and other stars from the industry.

India launches first navigation satellite India recently joined an exclusive band of countries having their own navigation systems with the launch of the IRNSS1A satellite which was put in orbit by the PSLV-C22 about 20 minutes after it blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

Precisely at 11.41 pm, India's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off in a perfect text book launch, carrying IRNSS-1A, painting a dense golden flame in the dark canvas of the sky.

Developed by India, IRNSS-1A, with a life of 10 years, is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide accurate position information service to users in the country as well as the region extending up to 1,500 km from its boundary, which is its primary service area.

Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said the IRNSS-1A satellite was precisely injected into its intended orbit. “This only proves that PSLV is an extremely reliable vehicle

and with this flight, we are also entering into a new era of space application in the country that is the beginning of satellite navigation programme,” he said.

With scientists breaking into celebrations, he said, “I am extremely happy to announce that we had another excellent flight of our PSLV vehicle. This is the 23rd successive successful flight of PSLV and the fourth successful flight of extended version of PSLV.”

28

travel & women

www.abplgroup.com - asian voice 13th July 2013

AV Correspondent hankheshwar is an important tirthas of S Jainism. It is situated in

T

he Indian Ocean is swimming with spectacular floating paradise Islands all fringed with the softest of sands and the bluest of seas. However, there the similarities end. Each island has a unique quality and ambience. One thing is for sure all the Islands are ideally placed to offer almost year round sunshine.

Now, dear reader, come close and let me tell you a little secret. The secret is: Mauritius. The secret to what? you may ask, well the answer is simple. Mauritius is the secret to relaxation. There are some very busy islands in the Indian Ocean, where you feel compelled to get active.

know for quite a while now. It has understated luxury hotels and spa resorts all well versed at giving visitors just what they are looking for. Many of the hotels are set on their very own private lagoons with fantastic settings. Palm fringed beaches abound with views of the reddest of sunsets. While there are many new and trendy resort islands, Mauritius has glamour and refinement akin to the traditional design houses of yore, sophisticated and established.

So, what price do you put on such luxury? Starting from a mere £949.00 per person – the time to book is now!

Not in Mauritius, here you can take life at your own pace and just enjoy natures magnificence. There are, of course, some amazing activities if you choose to partake. The crystal clear waters are perfect for glass-bottom boat rides, mini-sailing and kayaking. Try snorkelling in the lagoons and discover why its coral reefs are so famous, filled with an abundance of exotic fish and sea life. For the more adventurous, there are diving tours available, so you can swim with a dazzling array of tropical fish including barracudas, king fish and eagle rays.

It was writer Mark Twain who said: “You gather the idea that Mauritius was made first and then heaven was copied after Mauritius.” While you are sitting on one of the numerous beaches, you will no doubt question whether you are in fact in heaven!

Apart from the vision of heaven, what sets Mauritius apart from other Island retreats? A little style, a little chic and a little “je ne se quoi”. The Grand Island has been a destination for those in the

When booking a holiday, we recommend using a well established travel agent who is well versed in delivering holidays with an ATOL certification, ensuring the security of your booking.

When booking with an online agent, check there is a contact phone number – this ensures you will get service from an actual person and get your questions answered swiftly.

Brightsun Travel is such an agent and we were able to uncover a fantastic package in a beach side resort as well as up to 20% discount, all from a starting price from just £949 per person with flights and accommodation and half board thrown in! The Merville Beach Luxe, also has a superb spa and a beach side restaurant with tables set right on the beach.

Brightsun Travel also offers a price match promise on worldwide flights and holidays. To book your dream holiday, visit www.brightsun.co.uk or call Brightsun Travel on 0208 819 0486 and make a booking with an actual person – a refreshing way to book your next holiday!

the Patan district of Gujarat. According to Mughal history, the Shankheshwar village was a lease-grant by Emperor Shah Jahan to Shantidas, a former nagarsheth.

A fair is held here on the full moon days of the Hindu calendar months Chaitra, corresponding to March or April, and Kartik, corresponding to October or November, and the tenth day of the second half of Maghashirsha, corresponding to December or January. The temple ranks next only to those on Mount Shatrunjaya in Palitana, in terms of importance to the Jains.

In ancient inscriptions, this Jain tirth is referred to as Shankhapur. It is said that a Shravaka by the name of Ashadhi was gripped by doubts and miseries about his existence in the material world, asking questions like when would he attain nirvana and when would he be free from the bondage of the material world? Answering all these questions, Damodar Swami, the ninth Jain Tirthankara, said: "Parshvanath will be the twenty-third Jain Tirthankara in the avasarpinikala, i.e. the descending half of the wheel of time. Ganadhar (prime disciple) named Aryaghosha and attain salvation there." Ashadhi then became fully engrossed in his devotion to Parshwanath. A formal history of the precursor to this A North Indian delicacy- that simply melts in your mouth.

This is a perfect sweet for any festive occasion!

Ingredients: 1 cup all purpose flour (maida or plain flour) 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/8 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup unsalted butter cold cut into small pieces or cold clarified butter ghee 1/4 cup yogurt cold(curd, dahi) Syrup 1 cups sugar 1/3 cup water 4 cardamom pods crushed.

For Garnish About 1 tablespoons sliced pistachios Method: Syrup : In a sauce pan add water, sugar, and cardamom over medium heat, bring it to a boil. Let it simmer until syrup is almost to one thread on candy thermometer it should be 215 degree. Set aside.

Balushahi: In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add butter mix with your fingers, mixture should be crumby. Add the yogurt slowly as needed making into soft dough. Do not knead the dough. Cover the dough and let it sit for about half an hour. Take the dough and knead just enough to hold it together.

Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Make the

tirth was written by Jain monk and eminent scholar Hemachandra Suri in the reign of Solanki king Siddharaj Jayasinh of Anhilwara.

In the year 1155 of the Vikram era (1099 CE), Sajjan Shah built the Shankheshwar temple on the banks of the Rupen river. In the year 1286 of the Vikram era (1230 CE), Vastupal and Tejpal renovated this temple under the guidance of Jain Acharya Vardhamansuri.

There were 52 deities in the temple. In the year 1302 (1246 CE), the reigning King was awestruck by the incomparable grandeur of the presiding deity and inspired by Jain Acharya Uktasuri, he renovated this temple.

In the fourteenth century of the Vikram era, the temple was destroyed by Muslim invaders. In the sixteenth century of the Vikram era, under the inspiration of Jain Acharya Vijaysensurisvarji, a splendid new temple was built with 52 deities.

In the year 1760 of the Vikram era (1704 CE), the Jain Sangha built the new temple and reinstalled the

dough balls, Balls will not be very smooth and will have cracks all around; make a deep dent in the center of the balls. Heat the oil in a flat frying pan over low heat. The frying pan should have about 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if oil is ready put a little piece of dough in the oil. It should make oil lightly sizzle, if dough float oil is too hot.

Place the Balushahi in the frying pan don’t overcrowd as Balushahi will expend to about 1-1/2 time and they should not overlap. It should take about 2 minutes before Balushahi will come up. Wait another 3-4 minutes before turning over Balushahi should be light brown from bottom.

Fry the Balushahi until they are golden brown from both sides; do not turn more then three times. This should take about 10 min-

presiding deity. Since then, this vast and beautiful temple has stood there in this present form.

Apart from the original sanctum-sanctorum, this temple has an open square, a decorated square, a vast square and two assembly halls. Numerous miracles are associated with this temple and the presiding deity of Lord Parshwanath, represented by a six feet high statue in the Padmasana (lotus) position.

The sanctum of the presiding deity is flanked by a smaller sanctum with Lord Bhidbhanjan Parshvanath to the right and another sanctum with the Jain Tirthankara Lord Ajitanatha to the left. The statues of Nagraj Dharanendradev, Goddess Padmavatidevi, Parshva Yaksha and Goddess Chakreshvaridevi can also be found in the temple. On the tenth day of the Jain calendar month of Pausha, the tenth day of the dark half of the Jain calendar month of Margashirsha, and during the festival of Diwali, thousands of pilgrims observe a three day fast at the temple.

utes. Balushahi will look very flakey If the Balushahi are fried on high heat, they will not be cooked inside.

Take them out over layered of paper towel so it can absorb the extra oil. Dip Balushahi in the syrup all around and remove them.

Don’t leave them in syrup.

Mouthwatering flaky Balushahis are ready and looking great read. Garnish them with pistachios.

Health benefits: A very rich food item that is full of calories, will be nutritive if eaten in moderation. Provides energy and fuel to growth. Strenthens immune system and has anti-viral properties.

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by a set of genes that have been passed on from our early ancestors and are "switched on" in the initial stages of an organism's life as cells differentiate into specialist forms.

The genes that are involved in the early development of the embryo and that are silenced, or switched off, thereafter become inappropriately reactivated in the adult as a result of some sort of trigger or damage, such as chemicals, radiation or inflammation, researchers suggest.

It has been believed that cancer results from an accumulation of random genetic mutations, with the cancer starting from scratch each time it manifests. In the journal Physics World, Paul Davies, principal investigator at Arizona State University's Center for Convergence of Physical Sciences and Cancer Biology, explains the new theory.

The theory, drawn together with Charles Line weaver of the Australian National University, suggests that cancer is a throwback to an ancient

genetic "sub-routine" where the mechanisms that usually instruct cells when to multiply and die malfunctions, thus forcing the cells to revert back to a default option that was programmed into their ancestors long ago.

"To use a computer analogy, cancer is like Windows defaulting to 'safe mode' after suffering an insult of some sort," Davies said. The result of this malfunction is the start of a cascade of events that we identify as cancer a runaway proliferation of cells that form a tumour, which eventually becomes mobile itself, spreading to other parts of the body and invading and colonising.

"Very roughly, the earlier the embryonic stage, the more basic and ancient will be the genes guiding development, and the more carefully conserved and widely distributed they will be among species," Davies said. Several research teams around the world are currently providing experimental evidence that shows the similarities between the expression of genes in a tumour and an embryo, adding weight to Davies and Lineweaver's theory.

eases, shattering the popular belief that oestrogen hormone protects them from such ailments.

The survey, "Visualising the Extent of Heart Disease in Indian Women", revealed that 65 % doctors believe that oestrogen's deficiency due to changing lifestyle and other co-morbid conditions are among the top five reasons responsible for younger women developing cardiovascular diseases.

According to the survey, 55 % of cardiologists observed 16-20 % growth in cardiovascular diseases among women in the last five years, while 41 % of the doctors claimed 10-15 % growth in such diseases among women in the age group of 20-40 years — the category which was earlier considered protected from heart ailments.

"Quite contrary to conventional medical ideology that due to oestrogen hormone women, especially menstruating ones, are safe from heart diseases, lately, there has been a significant rise in number of female cardiovascular patients," said JPS Sawhney, senior cardiologist at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here.

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Lifestyle eroding women's resilience to heart disease "The trend may be attributed to changing lifestyle, which is bringing such drastic hormonal changes that the heart protecting effect of oestrogen is getting nullified," Sawhney added.

The survey showed that due to changes in lifestyle, not only have the risk factors for the cardiovascular diseases like stress, smoking and drinking increased considerably, but co-morbid conditions like obesity, hypertension and diabetes have also gone up.

But despite the threat, 83 % of the doctors believed that Indian women are ignorant about heart diseases, while 76 % observed that women die of heart diseases as they do not seek medical assistance in time for their condition.

Sixty-six percent of doctors agreed that cardiovascular disease-related

deaths among women are due to late diagnosis.

"Women often overlook symptoms and discomfort pertaining to heart diseases, and rarely consult an expert. Even if they opt for consultation, more often than not, they discontinue the treatment as soon as they get symptomatic relief. The compliance rate is comparatively poor among women," Sawhney said.

The survey also revealed a striking contrast between working and non-working women in terms of awareness and risk factors.

While 81 % of the doctors believed that working women are more conscious about their heart health, majority of the doctors still noted that heart diseases are on the rise in working women.

"Considering the fact that working women jug-

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gle home and work responsibilities, they are more likely to get exposed to stress and unhealthy lifestyle and, therefore, may be more prone to cardiovascular diseases as compared to non-working women," said Chandrakant S Pandav, head of the department, Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

"Nevertheless, due to huge burden of household responsibilities and lack of self-care, non-working women cannot be considered to be at lesser risk," he added.

The survey covered about 600 cardiologists and general practitioners from both metro and nonmetro cities and was based on subjective and objective questions.

"In India more than 400 million people have stress, which is one of the major reasons of all health problems, and change in lifestyles is a major reason causing cardio-vascular diseases, Pandav said.

"Cardio-vascular diseases in women in India, where a large percentage of the population is diabetic, are likely to increase by 17 % in the coming 10 years, Kapil Yadav of the Centre for Community Medicine, AIIMS said.

Some forms of IVF linked to risk of autism, mental disability ment had a 0.136 percent risk of having autism - a developmental disorder characterized by poor communication skills - compared with a 0.029 percent risk for children conceived naturally, they said.

"The main message ... is a positive one, suggesting that any risk of these disorders is very low, or absent, in comparison to Couples who have certain types of fertility treatment have a higher chance of having a child with autism or learning difficulties although the overall risk is still extremely small, scientistssays..

Few of the champs said

To Our Readers We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

that couples should not consider abandoning or avoiding in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) on the basis of their research findings.

The study, conducted

by Swedish researchers based in Britain, Sweden and the United States, found children born after IVF treatments for the most severe forms of male infertility were more likely to be diagnosed with autism or an intellectual disability.

But the actual numbers were low - children born after one form of IVF treat-

children conceived naturally," said Allan Pacey, who was not involved in the research and is a fertility expert at Sheffield University and Chairman of the British Fertility Society.

The study was the largest of its kind and the first to compare all available IVF treatments and the risk of neuro developmental dis-

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orders in children.

The researchers analyzed more than 2.5 million birth records from 1982 and 2007 and followed up whether children had been diagnosed with autism or intellectual disability - defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) score below 70 - until 2009. Of the 2.5 million children, just under 31,000, or 1.2 percent,

were born following IVF treatment.

Standard IVF treatment involves an egg being fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish, while intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) fertility treatments - now used in about half of cases and often recommended for male fertility problems involve injecting a single sperm directly into an egg.

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30

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Indian artist Jay Varma visiting London Award winning Indian artist, Jay Varma, whose work has been coveted by the likes of President Bill Clinton, and who is the great grandson of the master oil painter, Raja Ravi Varma, the Father of Modern Indian Art, is visiting London for the first time, offering commissions in his unique hyperreal charcoal style.

Jay comes from an illustrious tradition of art.

His great grandfather, Ravi Varma, was recognised as a pioneer for his ‘happy blend of Western technique and Indian subject’ in the late nineteenth century.

Ravi Varma’s heirs, who included the Maharani of Travancore, continued this artistic tradition and nearly a century after his works first appeared in Europe, Jay’s mother Rukmini (who was born in 1940 as Princess of Travancore), achieved much acclaim internationally. Her tours of Europe through the mid and late 1970s were tremendous successes and in 1976 Lord Mountbatten opened her famous London exhibition at India House.

Mountbatten in fact even commissioned Rukmini to do a portrait of him in Indian royal attire, but this was never completed owing to his tragic assassination in 1979. Rukmini’s work today hangs in major collections around the world, and she continues to paint in oil in Bangalore, India.

Jay’s grandfather, Kerala Varma, a respected industrialist and businessman, picked up the brush in his mid-80s and created a reputation in charcoal and pencil. It was in the 1990s that he began to seriously consider taking up art, after moving to

America and training at Studio Incamminati. In 2000 his talent, was acknowledged when he won the Coloured Pencil Society of America Award for a work called Pillars Within. President Clinton in fact was keen to purchase the picture for his own collection, but another collector had already, bought it; President Clinton had to settle for a signed copy.

An example of Jay's work

Essentially a selftaught artist, Jay has been developing a unique style over the last few years, with the result that his coloured pencil and graphite works are distinguished by a hyperrealism that make them look like photographs. He continues the celebrated artistic traditions of his family, who have won serious recognition in the Britain.

Whether it was Raja Ravi Varma, who was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind by King Edward VII, or his great grandmother Sethu Lakshmi Bayi who was appointed to the Order of the Crown of India by King George V, the links to Britain run deep. An ivory throne sent as a present in 1851 by his ancestor, Martanda Varma, Maharajah of Travancore, to Queen Victoria still stands as an exemplar of artistic perfection in the Royal Collection as ‘the Magnificent Chair’.

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Coming Events l Shiv Puran Katha recited by Mathuradas Bapu, Sat 20th to 27th July 2013, 2-3 pm then Prashad.

Shree Ram Mandir Birmingham, 8 Walford Road B11 1NR. Contact Pujari 01217735735 l 14 July, 2013, Shree Jignyasu Satsang mandal dwara Shree 108 Hanuman Chalisa, Social Club Hall, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow. HA1 3UJ, 11am-5pm. Sponsored by Dhannaben Pagarani Dubai.

Contact: 020 8459 5758/ 07973 550310 l Saturday 20-Sunday 28 July, Ghanshyam Mahotsav-Silver Jubilee 21st July Nagar Yatra, 2pm by Shree Swaminarayan Temple Willesden.

Contact Roundwood Park Willesden NW10 3SH l Millan Mela, Saturday 3 August at Harrow Leisure Centre, Stage Entertainment- India's independence day celebration, TV star India's famous comedian to visit, Raas Garba, Vbollywood dance and dance with Jay Kumar, 11am-7pm.

Contact: Varsha Sallia 07903878401 l Fehmina Farani solicitors are launching an immigration office in Leicester on 16 August 2013 at 143- Loughborough Road at 5:00 pm. Please join them for immigration seminar and free snacks. l Dr Kiran Bedi London Talk, 12 July, 6:30pm Venue: Kadwa Patidar Hall, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, London, HA3 8LU l Sangam and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hold dance/music classes upto Diploma. Starting 21st September on Monday evenings and Saturday mornings at Sangam, 210 Burnt Oak, Broadway, Edgware HA8 0AP. Contact: 020 8952 7062 l AMC presents Dhrupad course with Uday Bhawalkar, 5-9Aug, Museum of Asian Music 1 Bradford Road, London W3 7SP l Parajiya Pattni Association London (PPA) Proudly Presents Lok Sahitya no Dayro On Saturday 3rd August 2013, Time: From 6.30pm Till Late, Harrow Leisure Centre, Mansfield Hall, Harrow HA3 5BD, Please note Dinner Will Be Serving From 6.30pm to 8.00pm Tickets will be available from Vasuben 020 8930 2118 / 07742 591407

The opening up of a more diverse social life is a pointer in favour of romantic attachments, if this is what you most desire. The domestic scene may prove to be active and harmonious as long as you use tact and diplomacy. This is also a time when you will develop fresh insights into other people and a better understanding of your own unconscious motives.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Although all kinds of opportunities are coming your way, there are many obstacles between you and the fulfillment of any of these. As you clear your path you will get closer to achieving your dreams. Relationships and romance are both under scrutiny by the presence of Saturn in your 7th house - this will teach you to be patient and re-assess your position.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Decision making will prove to be a bit of a bind because of your wavering mind - seek professional advice and then steam ahead. Be careful with your expenditure as you have a tendency to be extravagant. Relationships need to be scrutinised carefully. Try to stand back and get a more objective view of the pattern of your life.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

It’s an exciting, expansive time, when you should find it easier to be who you are and do what you want : you may be surprised by just how far you can go. This is a time in which you can embrace changes you might not even consider at other times.

You’re likely to find yourself weighing practical considerations with long–term goals.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 There is an element of disruption or stress which may be hard to avoid, but it appears that there is a strong sense of purpose in the background. A certain amount of sheer hard graft will be necessary for a short while, but the final result will be extremely pleasing. An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 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.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 There’s a sparkle to your social life and much enjoyment is to be had simply from being in touch with other people. You’re likely to receive insights into where everything is going and these may shape your life for months to come. Venus, the planet of love and romance throws a pleasing light on affairs of the heart. Existing emotional differences can be easily sorted out now.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Saturn continues its journey through your sign, lending its support for you to redefine your sense of self, in a way that will give you a greater understanding of yourself. You’re likely to find yourself doing a lot of thinking about both new and existing partnerships, and maybe toing and froing in one relationship in particular.

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SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

Your attitude to material interests is likely to undergo some deep change. On a material level the trend favours establishing greater financial stability. Focus on essentials and establish a solid foundation, so that you feel secure. The outlook remains optimistic and bring you a sense of real achievement.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 A tremendous amount of planetary activity in your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as well as personal issues to be dealt with. Take time out to sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to anyone who may have caused you pain in recent months. The decisions you make now will be important for the path you take. You should adopt a new health regime too.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Jupiter's transit in your solar 6th house, you will find it easy to do well at work and rise to great heights. During this transit you will enjoy robust health and find physical activities very enjoyable.

Expect this to be a romantic period in your life with lots of opportunities arising for you to find someone special.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 Love is liable to blow hot and cold rather unpredictably. If so, then it might be a good idea to check your own behaviour and motives for it could be that you are already taking too much for granted. Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials.

Sport World

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Tri-nation series: Lanka victory keeps all three teams in fray

Sri Lanka kept themselves in contention for a berth in the final of the Tri-nation series with a comfortable 39run victory over West Indies on Monday, a result which has thrown tournament wide open with all three teams in fray for the title clash.

Sri Lanka notched up 219 for eight in 41 overs, riding on Kumar Sangakkara's 95-ball 90 and then restricted the hosts to 190 for nine to record victory under Duckworth Lewis method after the match was stretched to reserve day due to rain interruptions.

Kemar Roach (4/27) returned an economical four-wicket haul but other West Indies bowlers could not stop the run flow as Sri Lanka scored 159 in 22 overs after struggling at 60 for three in 19 overs on Sunday.

Angelo Mathews was another notable performer for the winners as he scored crucial 30 runs and then took four wickets for just 29 runs to play a crucial part in win.

The win has catapulted Sri Lanka to

Kumar Sangakkara

top of the points table with nine points with the best (+1.019) net run rate among the three teams. West Indies (0.383) also have nine points but are placed second due to inferior NRR. India are last on the table with five points and worst (-0.524) NRR. Sri Lanka's victory has left India with no option but to win Tuesday's match against the South Asian neighbours to qualify for the final. According

to statisticians, all India need to do is to win by one run of off the last ball.

In such a scenario, India and Sri Lanka will qualify for the final on the basis of net run rate.

Sangakkara played a superb 95-ball unconquered innings, which was studded with six fours and one six, to help Sri Lanka post 219 for eight in the match.

West Indies were set a revised target of 230 in 41 overs but their chase was derailed by the early top-order collapse which left them at 31 for four in 8.2 overs.

Shaminda Eranga and Lasith Malinga picked up three and two wickets respectively to contribute in Sri Lanka's win though West Indies did well to deny them a bonus point at least.

Earlier, Sangakkara ensured that Sri Lanka have a good score on board as he set the foundation early on and then accelerated in the end, despite losing partners at regular intervals.

Marion Bartoli beats Sabine Virat Kohli to lead India Lisicki, wins Wimbledon title for Zimbabwe tour France's Marion Bartoli won her first Grand Slam title with a dominant 6-1 6-4 victory over German 23rd seed Sabine Lisicki in the Wimbledon final. Bartoli won the first set in 30 minutes as Lisicki failed to cope with the occasion of a first Grand Slam final. The 23year-old cut a fragile figure and was reduced to tears in the second set, helpless to prevent Bartoli from lifting the Venus Rosewater dish.

Bartoli ended with an ace, collapsing to the ground once victory was hers. When the stunned 15th seed rose to her feet, she celebrated by climbing to the players' box to embrace family and friends.

Bartoli had dominated her opponents throughout the tournament and another commanding victory over Lisicki means she is now only the sixth player in the Open era to win a Wimbledon title without dropping a set.

"Honestly I cannot believe it," said the world number 15, the 2007 runnerup and a Grand Slam winner

at the 47th attempt.

"I really felt I was playing probably my best match of the Championships. I was doing everything well. I was moving well, I was returning well. I really played a wonderful match. Even in my perfect dream I couldn't have dreamed a perfect moment like that.

That is beyond perfection."

It was a final few had predicted and inexperience on such a grand stage perhaps explained the edgy opening from both finalists. The unconventional French number one surrendered the first game of the match with a double fault but her rival followed suit, double faulting to allow Bartoli to level at 1-1.

Parveez Rasool became the first player from Jammu and Kashmir to be named in the Indian cricket team as the selectors opted to rest captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and four other top players for the five-match ODI series in Zimbabwe later this month.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane were also recalled in the 15-man squad to be led by Virat Kohli.

Saurashtra pacer Jaydev Unadkat and Haryana speedster Mohit Sharma were also named in the squad announced by BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel after a meeting of the selection committee in Mumbai.

Apart from Dhoni, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Ravichandran Aswhin were also rested while Murali Vijay was dropped from the team.

The selectors also decided to ignore Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, and Praveen

31

India climb to second spot in ICC Test rankings

India moved a rung to second spot, ahead of England, in the latest ICC Test rankings, while South Africa has strengthened its position as the numero uno side after the annual update of the championship table. Despite England having won its last two Test series against India, it now finds itself below MS Dhoni's side on account of less consistent performances in other recent series, in particular against Pakistan (0-3), South Africa (0-2) and tie in the away series against eighth ranked New Zealand (0-0).

Roger Federer ranked No 5 for 1st time in decade

Roger Federer has fallen to No 5 spot in the new ATP rankings, the first time in a decade he's been that low. Federer's second-round loss at Wimbledon, a year after taking the title, drops him from No. 3. He was fifth in the rankings of June 23, 2003, two weeks before he won Wimbledon for the first of his record 17 major championships. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray remains at No. 2, behind the runner-up, Novak Djokovic. Quarter-finalist David Ferrer rises one spot to a career-high No. 3, with Rafael Nadal fourth. Marion Bartoli, who won Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title, moves from No. 15 to No. 7 in the WTA rankings.

Serena Williams stays at No. 1 despite her fourth-round loss at Wimbledon.

Indian boxer Shiva Thapa wins Asian gold

It’s never easy to beat an opponent on his home ground. And in boxing, it’s well known that the local favourite always punches above his weight.

However, Indian boxing’s new poster boy Shiva Thapa defied all odds on Monday to win the bantamweight (56 kg) gold medal in the Asian Boxing Championship in Amman, Jordan. Shiva beat home favourite Obada Alkabeh 2-1.

India’s hockey coach Michael Nobbs sacked

India's men's hockey coach Michael Nobbs was sacked after the team's series of dismal performances over the last 12 months. The decision to sack the Australian was taken during a review meeting of the team's overall performance by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Nobbs, who was appointed in June 2011, was removed with three years still remaining of his contract.

Kumar for the Zimbabwe tour to be held from July 24 to August 3.

Indian team for Zimbabwe: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Parveez Rasool, Mohammed Shami, Vinay Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and Mohit Sharma.

Women win relay as India finish strongly

The Indian women's 4x400m relay team shrugged off all pre-race controversies to win the gold in comprehensive fashion and give the hosts a grand closure at the Asian Athletics Championships. Despite the drizzly weather, the quartet of Nirmala, last minute draftee Tintu Luka, Anu Mariam Jose and MR Poovamma produced a stand-out performance to come home in 3 minutes 32.26 seconds, a full two seconds lead, and trigger delirium in the packed Balewadi stadium. China took the silver and Japan the bronze.

FA and police support community cohesion football match in Yorkshire The Football Association (FA) and West Yorkshire Police have supported an initiative lead by sports equality experts Sporting Equals and a Dewsbury based community organisation, to use football to inspire community cohesion.

Kumon Y’all, a Muslim community organisation based in Dewsbury, brought mosque and church leaders together on Saturday 29th June for a charity football tournament and fun day. Supported by the West Riding County FA, local MP Simon Reevell and the West Yorkshire Police, the event aimed to resolve the misunderstandings between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Dewsbury and broker positive relations between the two groups. Proceeds from the day, which reached over £5,000, were donated to Dewsbury Hospital.

The event was also backed by Sporting Equals, which aims to increase participation in sport amongst minority ethnic communities. Simon Reevell and

Superintendent of West Yorkshire police, Ged McManus acted as joint referees for the match.

Over 1,000 supporters came to the Saville Town Playing Fields to cheer the footballers. After a football tournament for 7 to 10 year olds, the 22 priests and imams took to the field to demonstrate their footballing abilities. The champions of the day were the imams, courtesy of a goal by the Imam of York Mosque, Abid Salik. Imam Salik had made the headlines in May when he delivered tea and biscuits to English Defence League supporters during

a demonstration outside his mosque.

Arun Kang, Chief Executive, Sporting Equals, said: “The event, which was expertly organised by Kumon Y’All, was a great success. Kumon Y’All and Sporting Equals were delighted to have the local FA, Superintendent McManus and MP Simon Reevell on board to raise the profile of the event and encourage the use of football as a tool to break down barriers between communities.

“In our role as the only organisation which actively promotes sports opportunities to black and minority ethnic groups, we hope the event will inspire more people from all backgrounds in the area to participate in sport or physical activity more regularly.”

David Fuller, Chairman of the West Riding County FA Referees Committee and Brian Hamilton of the Heavy Wollen Referees Association, were also in attendance at the event offering mentoring and support. David Fuller said: “This was a

really well supported event involving football teams made up from different communities in the Dewsbury area. It was great to see the children and adults from Muslim and non-Muslim groups coming together to play football. Everyone took this opportunity to make friends and renew old friendships.’’

Farook Yunus, Kumon Y’All founder and an active member of the Muslim community, said: “Simple events like these help to break down barriers and allow all people to interact and achieve common goals. People are already asking me when is the next one?”

If you are a community organisation working with minority ethnic communities in Yorkshire and would like to know more about the sporting opportunities available in your area or you are a sports organisation wishing to build links with community groups, contact Umar Ahmed, Partnership Officer at Sporting Equals on 0792 0759 770.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th July 2013

Indian Umpire witnesses history making

Andy Murray wiped out 77 years of pain and hurt as he became the first British man since 1936 to win the men's title at Wimbledon with a 6-4, 75, 6-4 victory over world No.1 Novak Djokovic on Sunday.

Just why Britain had to wait almost eight decades to witness such scenes of unbridled patriotic joy at the spiritual home of lawn tennis was summed up by an astonishing final game when Murray won and lost three match points, leaving 15,000 fans gasping in disbelief.

The pulses were racing even faster as Djokovic displayed his own survival instincts to earn three break points before a wondrous volley winner gave Murray another championship point.

This time Djokovic could not deny him and when the Serb dragged a backhand into the net after yet another lengthy exchange, 60 million Britons leapt up and Murray tossed his racket to the famous turf.

“That was one of the toughest moments, today was unbelievably tough match,” Murray said after fulfilling a lifelong dream of holding aloft the gilded Challenge Cup. “I don't know how I came through the final three points, I'm

so glad to do it. I understand how much everyone wanted to see British winner at Wimbledon and I hope everyone enjoyed it.”

A gracious Djokovic added: “Congratulations to Andy you absolutely deserved it, you played incredibly. I know what it means to you guys in the whole country so well done. It is a great achievement. I gave it my all and it was an honour to be in this match, in this final.”

Murray took three hours and nine minutes to finally lay Fred Perry's ghost at 5.24 local time on Sunday.

On the hottest day of the year in Britain, with the mercury soaring toward 30 degrees Celsius, the world's two best players produced scorching sinew-stretching action from the start and the first three games alone lasted 20 minutes.

The opening salvo of the Centre Court clash lasted 20 strokes as Murray went up 0-40 on the Serb's serve but Djokovic produced staunch defence to stave off his opponent's attacks.

The duo did trade breaks in the third and fourth games, with each Murray winner being greeted by a chorus of 15,000 roars. Second seed Murray got another

chance to break to love in the seventh game and this time he pounced as the 2011 champion surrendered his serve by slapping a backhand into the net.

A set that initially looked like lasting forever ended exactly on the hour mark as Djokovic whipped a service return wide to give Murray, runner-up to Roger Federer last year, the one-set cushion.

The battle between the two players who were born seven days apart in 1987 intensified in the second set as they went toe-to-toe from the baseline with 25shot rallies being par for the course.

Djokovic, who survived a four hour 43 minute semi-final epic against Juan Martin Del Potro two days ago, showed his superhuman ability to recover quickly as he ran down everything Murray could throw at him.

The Serb rattled Murray by going for the lines and broke for a 3-1 lead when Olympic and US Open champion Murray flicked a forehand into the net.

Even when Djokovic slipped and skidded flat on to his stomach while trying to chase down a Murray winner, the six-times grand slam champion appeared unfazed as he quickly got back on to his feet to

extend his lead to 4-1.

But Murray, who trains in the intense Miami heat even on Christmas Day, showed off his iron-man conditioning as he stormed back to level at 44, a Djokovic double fault on break point down handing him the break back in the seventh game.

While the cheering crowd, which included British Prime Minister David Cameron, got behind a pumped up Murray, Djokovic simply exploded in anger in the 11th game.

Convinced that Murray had gone long mid-rally at 15-15, he screamed at umpire Mohamed Lahyani “Whyyyyyyyyyyyy? What's going on?” as he gesticulated wildly to show what he thought the linesman had failed to see. Murray ignored the uproar to break the fuming Serb and soon had the fans roaring when he wrapped up the 69-minute second set with a 125mph thunderbolt ace.

Cameron proposes knighthood for Murray: The British media is going gaga over Andy Murray's historic triumph. The topselling Sun tabloid has devoted an entire pullout Born to Wim -- after Murray became the first British winner since 1936 to clinch the men's singles crown.

Britain's sport-loving Prime Minister has also joined the party. David Cameron has hinted that Murray will be recommended for knighthood.

The PM said honours were decided independently, but "frankly, I can't think of anyone who deserves one more".

Cameron was lavish in his praise for Murray.

After watching the final from the royal box at Wimbledon, Cameron said: "It was a fantastic day for Andy Murray, for British tennis and for Britain ... we were wondering yesterday morning, 'Do we dare to dream that this is possible?' and he proved absolutely that it was."

English newspapers have indeed gone to town with the Sun leading the way with its first five pages devoted to Murray. "And of Hope and Glory," declared the tabloid, saying Murray's triumph ended a tennis drought of sorts. "Finally, after 77 years, 15 PMs, three monarchs...Brit man wins Wimbo", wrote the Sun. More serious publications like the Times and the Telegraph also rejoiced with both newspapers devoting several pages to capture each and every moment of Murray's triumph.

Indian umpire Ashok Thakrar was lucky to be on duty at the centre court when Andy Murray created history by becoming the first Englishman in 77 years to lift the Wimbledon crown by defeating world No.1 Novak Djokovic.

Thakrar has been working as tennis umpire since many years. He is married with wife Prathibha and 3 daughters - Risha, Bhavni, Anjni and resides at Northampton.

On his experience, he says, “this was my 29th consecutive Wimbledon.

This year on Day 1, was on Court 1 and called lines for Rafael Nadal, the day he lost. Overall this year spent 8 days calling lines on court 1, Centre, 3 and 2. Called lines on ladies quarter final day on Centre Court. Chair umpired three junior matches and Wheel Chair Doubles Semi Finals. Line umpires on Ladies Doubles Semi Finals on Court 1.

He had received email on Saturday at 3:30 pm that he had been selected to line umpire on the Men’s Finals between Djokovic and Murray. Line Team rotation of hour on court and 1 hour off applies. He says “Our team was second to go on court at 3 pm, finished at around 4 pm, and then went back at 5 pm. I was on court when Andy Murray won the championship. I was standing on the Left Centre Line behind Andy Murray at the time of his success. I was at the net at the time of presentation ceremony.

“This was my 12th Final’s selections at Wimbledon. I have umpired in many other places outside UK too to include Commonwealth Youth games in Pune (chair umpire), Commonwealth Games 2010, Delhi (line Umpire), Australian Open, Canada, Qatar, USA (Hamilton, New York State).

Also Chair umpired at London Paralympics Test events, Line Umpire at London 2012 Olympics and London 2012 Paralympics,” he adds.