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VOL 44. ISSUE 6

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

13th June to 19th June 2015

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Modi makes history in Bangladesh with land swap

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Thousands of British Sikhs march in protest through London Full story on page 16

Jitender Singh Tomar

In a big blow to the Arvid Kejriwal -led government, a court on Tuesday sent Delhi law minister Jitender Singh Tomar into four-day police custody following his arrest in an alleged fake degree case. Delhi police had sought five-day police custody of Tomar after he was presented before the court.

Metropolitan magistrate Navjeet Budhiraja allowed the police to quiz Tomar in custody for four days.

Police told the court that Tomar was an influential person, holding the power to fabricate documents within minutes. Tomar was arrested over his

Continued on page 26

Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina

India and Bangladesh opened a new chapter in their relations as they settled the 41-year-old boundary dispute and promised to do more in other areas, amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of a fresh line of credit of $2 billion to the neighbouring country.

With West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee standing by his side, Modi, on his maiden visit to Dhaka, also expressed confidence to have a “fair solution” to the Teesta and Feni river water sharing issues with Bangladesh “with the support of state governments in India”.

After extensive talks between Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the two sides signed 22 agreements, including on cooperation in maritime safety and to curb human trafficking and fake Indian currency.

Hasina, whose country is seen as a hiding ground for insurgents of northeast India, also promised “zero tolerance” against terrorism. She said the countries agreed to set up two special economic zones to bridge the growing trade deficit. Modi promised to do “everything” to address it.

He announced a fresh

$2 billion line of credit for Bangladesh and promised quick implementation of the earlier line of credit of $800 million and full disbursement of $200 million.

The highlight of the Modi’s first day was the exchange of documents related to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), which paves the way for exchange of territories to settle the 41-yearold border dispute, which has been an irritant.

Under the Agreement, 111 border enclaves will be transferred to Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that Continued on page 26

Scotland plans to offer Indian students two-year work visa Scotland is planning to start a visa scheme especially for Indian students, to attract them to study in a Scottish university, post which they will be offered two years work visa in Scotland only. Known as the Fresh

Talent Working in Scotland Scheme visa will be started shortly, according to Scotland's Europe and International Development Minister Humza Yousaf.

Continued on page 16

2

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Nilesh Patel

Nilesh Patel is 30 years old and is a director at The Prideview Group, an established commercial property investment company in London. He is a Chartered Accountant by profession, having trained at KPMG in London and graduated before that with a First class degree in Economics & Politics with Spanish from Warwick University. Outside of work he spends his time with his family. He is also a keen football player and fan of the Indian cricket team.

1) What is your current position?

Director at The Prideview Group, a commercial property investment consultancy based in Stanmore, North London.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Academically, being a qualified Chartered Accountant and fluent in Spanish are my highlights. Socially, I’m proud to have set up numerous charity sports tournaments over the last 10 years, combining my passion for sports with my desire to help underprivileged children in India and raising over £50,000 to date. The next one, The Prideview Cricketers’ Cup, is on July 18th. Careerwise, I have striven to bring Prideview into the 21st century by turning our business website into a global reference

point for UK commercial property dealing.

3) What inspires you?

As a FT Weekend subscriber I find it fascinating to read business news regardless of sector or geography – I believe appreciating the people, dynamics & decisions behind companies big and small is essential for generating ideas that I can apply to my own business and career.

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

I began my career in the depth of the ‘Credit Crunch’ in 2008.

It defined my time at KPMG in London and my early years at Prideview. Those days have ingrained on me the importance of sustainable income, quality service and cost-control, and I’ve helped build a

Britain is a "magnet for migrant"

Critics have described Britain as a “magnet for migrants”, as new figures reveal a rise in the number of immigrants registered to work in the UK. In total, there are 824,153 people from overseas who have National Insurance numbers.

The Department for Work and Pensions have also revealed the dramatic increase in the number of people given the legal right to work in the UK. In March 2015, there were 152,363 Romanians able to work in the UK and 40,476 from Bulgaria. The third highest were workers from Italy.

Alp Mehmet, the vice- chairman of MigrationWatchUK stated, “We [Britain] are a magnet for poor people whose circumstances are woefully below ours and are totally wretched. That is the reason why people are looking for a country where their lives can significantly improve.”

foundation that’s enabled us to capitalise on today’s rosier times.

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

Ever since I can remember my Dad has been a hard-working entrepreneur and his dedication is something I have always applied to whatever task in front of me. Despite losing his

Cameron's ultimatum to cabinet members over EU

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

Working in my own business in the lovely surroundings of Stanmore means I have more flexibility than most, which I use to spend as much time as possible with my two young boys.

7) And the worst?

Being in a small, family consultancy business means our physical expansion is limited. With the phone ringing non-stop, we sometimes have to turn down business where we can’t guarantee our usual levels of serv-

ice.

8) What are your long term goals?

I would like to overcome this barrier by building and training a larger team of property professionals that can share our expertise more widely. We are currently recruiting for a fulltime office manager and hope to grow from there.

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

I would overhaul the mess of a taxation system we currently have, which has had law after law piled on top of it for hundreds of years. A simpler system would benefit business, our economy and our social services in the long run.

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

I read Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography when I was younger, and if anyone could survive and flourish in that situation it is him. It is a shame he left us so early as there is so much more the world could have learnt and can still learn from him.

UK divorce settlements being challenged

UK divorce settlements are being challenged over disclosure failure.

Two such cases will be heard at Britain's highest court. This highlights the growing trend of women appealing against their divorce settlements on the basis that their former husbands had supposedly failed to disclose all relevant financial information at the time.

One such case is of Varsha Gohil. For her divorce settlement, she was given a Peugeot car and £270,000 lump sum from her ex-husband, solicitor Bhadresh Gohil, who had claimed he had moderate capital.

Varsha Gohil had attempted to appeal against this settlement as Bhadresh Gohil had not given the accurate information about his finance. However, he was later sentenced to

It seems as though Prime Minister, David Cameron has given his ministers an ultimatum. He has told them that if they vote for Britain to leave the European Union, they will have to resign.

Cameron made this strong comment regarding the contemplation of resignations by a number of Eurosceptic ministers before the vote, which could lead to a massive confrontation with the members of his Cabinet.

At the G7 conference in Germany, Cameron was asked whether he had “absolutely closed” his mind from allowing minsters to vote as per their free will. To this, David Cameron replied, “I’ve been very clear. If you want to be part of the Government, you have to take the view that we are engaged in an exercise of renegotiation, to have a referendum, and that will lead to a successful outcome.”

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eye-sight several years ago, he has powered on, and working more closely with him since then has taught me, simply, that the ‘oldschool’ ways of doing business will never go out of fashion.

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Varsha Gohil

10 years imprisonment, as he admitted charges including money-laundering, valued at more than $20 million. This consequently held up her case as the police were investigating into the charges of Mr. Gohil.

The court were informed that Mr. Gohil helped millionaire Nigerian politician, James Ibori steal around £50million from the oil-rich state he administered.

The court had later declined to reopen her case, however, Lord Justice McFarlane had stated in her defence,

Bhadresh Gohil

“his [Bhadresh Gohil] convictions demonstrates, certainly from 2005, Mr Gohil was an out and out rogue involved in financial criminality on an eyewatering scale.”

On the other hand, Lord Justice McFarlane did mention that eight years later, it was not possible for the court to find there had been nondisclosure at the time.

Varsha Gohil has been allowed to appeal against the decision to the Supreme Court.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

COMMENT

Modi’s Israel visit long overdue

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Israel (for which mutually convenient dates are under discussion) has been long overdue. It was a major blunder of policy to have withheld diplomatic relations with Israel for so long when recognition had been granted way back in 1950. Narasimha Rao’s landmark decision to correct the egregious error in January 1992 was timely. When a hard pressed India asked Israel to make good the absence of long range artillery in the early stages of the Kargil war with Pakistan in the summer of 1999, Israel’s prompt response proved to be critical moment in turning the tide of battle India’s way.Then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee sent his Israeli counterpart, Ariel Sharon, a personal letter of thanks, which included a cordial invitation to pay a visit to India. The Sharon visit and its outcomes propelling the Indo-Israeli relationship into a secure, higher orbit. Meeting on the sidelines of a recent UN summit in New York, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Narendra Modi that for the potential for their countries’ relationship “the sky was the limit.” It certainly is.

Economic and security ties have burgeoned in the last two decades, if discreetly, Indian coyness being the primary obstacle to a greater public acknowledgement of the reality. India and Israel have retrieved much lost ground and their ties are motoring ahead. They are now partners in the truest sense of the term. What has been lacking so far is its public face; the relationship cabined, cribbed and confined to a closet is ready for airing because its time has come. There are fewer Indian inhibitions on extracting maximum advantage out f a relationship long cocooned in a pusillanimous policy towards the Arab and Muslim world, whose ritual denunciations of India in annual conclaves of the Organization of Islamic Conference have evoked widespread anger and scorn among the Indian public. V.P. Menon, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s principal aide, warned that India could not afford to be afraid

of its own shadow - “Kashmir today, Delhi tomorrow” were his prescient words – otherwise the nation’s primordial predators would come knocking at the gates. This, alas, has been the case down the years, as Pakistan mounted periodic military challenges in its manic attempts to weaken and destroy its hated Indian enemy. Jihadi-trained and funded groups from across the border have targeted civilian institutions and places, claiming thousands of innocent Indian lives, the most brazen example being the assault on Mumbai on 26/11/2008.

India and Israel are conjoined in their defence against an existential jhihadi terrorist threat. Their multi-layered ties take this into account, but both nations look also to construct a future that works, that will be an enduring monument to their best energies as they strengthen democratic governance and the rule of law, remain true to the pursuit of knowledge in myriad fields, from science and technology, agriculture, education, culture to intelligence sharing and joint ventures in defence, space and tourism. The Israeli experience has lessons for India.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has denounced the Modi visit, is resolutely opposed to close Indian-Israeli relations as detrimental to Palestinian statehood, an absurd charge deserving of the utmost contempt. India has not reneged on its traditional support for Palestinian self-determination, but it cannot be held hostage to an issue on which it carries minimal weight. It is quite extraordinary that the two Communist parties and their ragtag sympathizers remain scrupulously silent on the savagery of the Islamic Caliphate of Syria and Iraq, the depredations of al Qaeda and its auxiliaries, while succumbing to a fit of the vapours at the very mention of Israel. They lack national traction and are surely doomed to eventual extinction.

Assisted suicide may be a way out of their current dilemma. For the present, they are to be endured to the day they surrender the ghost.

Bordering Tibet, Sikkim nestles in the stunning environs of high Himalayas: Mount Everest and Kanchenjunga seem a stone’s throw in all their majestic glory. With China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet and the security problems arising therefrom, Sikkim was largely closed to tourism, domestic and foreign, only visitors with special permits were allowed in to the territory. Listed as a princely state in the Government of India Act of 1935, Sikkim became an Indian protectorate in 1950, achieving full statehood within the Indian Union in April 1975, following elections in the territory to determine its final status, a process to which the hereditary Chogyal had been resolutely opposed, as were his American supporters such as Senator Clairborne Pell who agitated tirelessly against India. Maoist China, a US ally at the time joined in with their joint client, Pakistan to destabilize the situation.

In a milestone election in1994,Pawan Kumar Chamling became State Chief Minister, ushering in a new era of development. Sikkim’s progress in the last 19 years has been truly remarkable. Consider the following facts. With a population of 610,000, the smallest in numbers of any State in the country,

Sikkim’s per capita income since 2004-05 has grown in double digits, compared to the 5 per cent growth in India’s north east hill states. Sikkim’s poverty level has declined from 41 per cent in 1994 to 8.2 per cent in 2011-12. Sikkim can now be bracketed with Kerala, Goa and Himachal Pradesh in poverty alleviation. Sikkim’s literacy rate has risen exponentially to 82.2 per cent from 68.8 per cent in 2001, with male literacy now at 86.6 per cent and female literacy 66.4 per cent. Its rural literacy of 79.8 per cent has surpassed the national average of 68.9 per cent.

In an address to Indian expatriates in Germany recently, Prime Minister Modi waxed eloquent on Sikkim’s advances in organic farming; 40 per cent of the State’s farmland is now organic. A February 2014 UN report lauded Sikkim’s human development as “incredible.” UN regional representative Lise Grande said no other government had achieved such success, that its 15 per cent growth over the past decade was unique in India and in Asia. Every household in Sikkim has a toilet, its record in public health and sanitation has surpassed the rest of India by some distance. At 40, Sikkim’s is destined to cast its light across India.

A team of Indian students from institutes in India, Europe and the United States joined forces and carried off the top prize of 300,000 euro from aeronautics company Airbus, for inventing the world’s first air plane powered by the vibration of its wings. The team sheathed the wings in a composite piezoelectric fibre skin that harnessed the energy from the natural vibrations of the wings’ flex, which could be used one day to drive in-flight systems. The piezoelectric fibres collect electrical charges from even the minutest movement during flight, storing the energy in battery panels integrated in the fuselage, using it to to power auxiliary in-flight systems.

“We also convert the body of the aircraft into a gigantic battery. On an average the plane needs to fly for about 12 hours to have enough energy. So they will cater to long haul flights,” said Team leader Sathishkumar Anusuya Ponnuswami of Delft University of Technology (Netherlands). He told of the time and energy spent consulting with Airbus on the economic and technological feasibility of the project.

The students based in Bangalore, the Netherlands, US and London beat off the challenge of 518 teams representing 3,700 students from 104 countries to take the prize in Hamburg. The team worked through imyriad challenging stage, opening the way to new solutions in the evolution of flight.

The winning idea was seeded in the NM Cad Lab in the Aerospace Engineering Department of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and was mentored by department head Dinesh Kumar Harursampath.

The jury in Hamburg declared: “The five dynamic members of the all-India team have been able to work 24 hours a day by interacting across physical boundaries from four different locations around the world. The team members met physically for the first time at the final round of the event this week where they managed to present the most disruptive idea for the future of aviation. Team Multifun’s [its officially registered name] winning idea is all about vibrations.” It is an astonishing and inspirational story.

3

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882)

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

‘ONE LONDON’ - TESSA JOWELL Mayor of London Candidate Londoners will be electing Mayor of London and London Assembly Members in May 2016.

The Mayoral post is a significant one as the Executive Mayor of London is in charge of policies and funding which ‘shapes’ London

tinguished career as an MP makes her a perfect choice to lead London as its Mayor. As Shadow Minister for Olympics Tessa volunteered in the slums of India as part of London’s international outreach programme.

She keenly participated

as a metropolis and shapes peoples’ lives too.

Labour has an impressive range of candidates already lined up seeking the Party’s ticket to stand for this powerful post.

As the Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, for the last 7 years, I’ve witnessed crisis after crisis under Tory administration culmination in poor services for Londoners. It is time we have a Mayor of London with real ideas, vision and track record that will serve ALL Londoners – not just the Bankers and Millionaires. That is why I’m proud to be backing Tessa Jowell in her bid to become the Mayor of London.

Tessa was born in London, raised her family here and has worked in London all her life - no surprise she loves London dearly. Tessa’s extensive experience ranging from being a childcare officer, work with mental health charity, a Councillor and dis-

in this project to encourage young people to play football in the slums of Southern Delhi. She also volunteered at a residential camp for children in Mumbai. Through her work Tessa commands respect and wider support crossing normal party political divides.

‘One London’ vision of Tessa is designed to make London equal and better place to live and work for ALL Londoners. On her vision Tessa says “The inequality in our city risks tearing Londoners apart – we all feel it. But we can change that.

Together we can build One London. Where we all share in our City’s success.

Where Londoners have a quality of life to rival anywhere in the world, and where no Londoner is left behind. We have to build the homes Londoners desperately need. We have to provide the affordable transport that Londoners can rely on.

Continued on page 8

Sikkim: Small State, big deeds

Indian team win Airbus jackpot

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MIDLANDS VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Man who murdered wife and daughters 'Racist attack risks' at south Belfast school had searched the internet for ideas 49-year-old Jitendra Lad, stabbed his wife, Dakshaben Lad (44), and two daughters, Trisha (19) and Nisha (16), on 25th October 2014, just a few days after Diwali. He then lived with their bodies over the weekend before hanging himself. Their bodies were discovered at their home in Bradford.

The Lad family were described as the ideal family by those who knew them. During the hearing, the coroner described the event as a “scene of unimaginable horror.”

Bradford Coroner's Court was informed that Lad had been seen by a number of people during the same weekend when the events took place, which gives the indication that he probably committed suicide two days later, on the Monday afternoon.

Further revelation were made in court that Lad did not have a medical history of mental illness.

However, Detective Sergeant Duncan Jackson told the hearing in Bradford that Jitendra Lad had searched the internet on his phone in the weeks before his death regarding depression, also researching about “how to cut someone's throat and executions”,

Fane Street Primary School, south Belfast

From left: Trisha Lad (19), Jitendra Lad (49), Daksha Lad (44) and Nisha Lad (16)

just days before the adversity.

The court also heard that Lad, who worked as an IT manager, was stressed and felt that he may have been over-promoted. Lad had also told a woman on holiday, two months before his death about being unhappy with his life and about turning 50.

But Bradford Coroner Martin Fleming said it was 'impossible to reconcile' what Mr Lad - the head of a 'normal happy family' did with what he knew about him.

Recording a verdict of suicide

on Jitendra Lad and unlawfully killing on the other members of his family, Bradford Coroner, Martin Fleming expressed, “We will never know for sure what was going through Jitendra's mind at that time.”

A statement by Lad's brother, Raman Lad, was read to the court.

“There was nothing about the family that was anything other than normal and close. I can think of no reason at all for what's happened.

They were just a normal and happy family.”

Alton Towers causes victim's leg amputation

The horrifying crash which took place at Alton Towers last week left many injured and dripping in blood.

Among those who were on the Smiler rollercoaster at the Staffordshire theme park were Vanisha Singh, with her mother Chanda Singh and sister, Meera Singh.

They were sitting in the second row of the carriage when it crashed into a stationary car.

Vanisha Singh (29), from Walsall commenting on the aftermath. She said, “'It was terrifying.

There was blood all over the floor because it was pouring out of their legs... the doctors and firemen were covered.”

Singh further added, "We finally went up and were kept at the top for 10 or 15 minutes chatting, joking that we were the guinea pigs... The metal safety bar smashed into our legs. There was loads of screaming. I felt a burning sensation in my pelvis, and back and neck pain."

One of the victims of the rollercoaster crash has had to have her left leg amputated above her knee. Leah Washington (17), was at Alton Towers for her first date with her boyfriend, Joe Pugh (18).

Leah Washington also suf-

Meera Singh

Vanisha Singh

remains closed.

Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, which owns Alton Towers said, “The accident last Tuesday was a terrible event for everyone involved. We are very aware of the impact it will have on those involved and we are doing all we can to provide our support to those injured and their families. We closed the park immediately whilst preliminary investigations took place and to give our staff time to come to terms with the accident and its aftermath. In recent days our management team have been engaged in a thorough review of our operating and safety procedures before making this decision.”

Varney further stated, “Alton Towers has a long record of safe operation and as we reopen, we are committed to ensuring that the public can again visit us with confidence.”

According to the Council for Ethnic Minorities, parents and children attending Fane Street Primary School, in Belfast, could most likely become victims of racial attacks if their classes are moved to another location.

NICEM head, Patrick Yu

It is said that 64% of the children attending this south Belfast school are from immigrant families, one third of the pupils are muslims and overall come from 22 different countries.

The Education Authority (EA) are looking into ways to coalesce Fane Street Primary School with two others in south Belfast; Blythefield in Sandy Row and Donegall Road Primary Schools.

The EA believe an integration of the schools is necessary as there are about 800 empty places between the three schools.

Regarding the proposed changes, the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM) said the merger "would present a high security risk of racist attacks against ethnic minority and Muslim families" if parents have to pass the village area to get to a proposed new school

Launch of British Carnatic Choir fered a fractured hand in the crash, while her boyfriend suffered two broken knees and severe hand injuries. There have been further revelations that the emergency services were not called to the

scene until 11 minutes after the accident. After they received the call, the emergency services arrived within 10 minutes.

Alton Towers has reopened for the public, however, the Smiler ride

The British Carnatic Choir, a pioneering concept aimed at uniting diverse communities through music, will be officially launched this Friday (June 12).

The concept is the brainchild of Dr Chithra Ramakrishnan, pictured, Artistic Director of Shruthi

UK, a not-for-profit Midlands-based arts & culture organisation. The launch event, which will take place in Birmingham, will be inaugurated by world renowned musician and scholar Chitravina N Ravikiran, hailed as the Mozart of Indian music. It

close to or at the Donegall Road or Sandy Row areas.

South Belfast is said to have had the highest number of racist atttacks in Northern Ireland; hence, NICEM head, Patrick Yu expressed his concerns that the Education Authority had not undertaken a risk assessment prior to the proposal of the possible joining of the schools.

Patrick Yu stated, "The ethnic minority and Muslim families would need to walk to the (new) school... down the Donegall Road, through the Village to the new school in the future. This also means they will have a high risk of racist attack and racial harassment on the way to and from (the new proposed) school."

Yu referred to the loyalist protests in 2001 at a Catholic primary school in north Belfast. He said, “We do not want to see another 'Holy Cross' number two to happen in that area."

Furthermore, NICEM elaborated that the basis for its worriment is due to the police figures on racist attacks. The figures show the levels of racist attacks in south Belfast are the highest in Northern Ireland.

Within south Belfast, the Village, Sandy Row and Donegall Road areas have the worst record for racist attacks. Patrick Yu added, “NICEM feels that the best option would be to close Blythefield Primary School and allow pupils to join either of the remaining two schools on Donegall Road and Fane Street." will also feature a panel discussion.

The British Carnatic Choir aims to identify and recognise people, particularly children and young adults, of all abilities to create a British Carnatic Community, one which reflects the multicultural mosaic of Great Britain.

Full story next week.

5

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Ramadan Kareem

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6

UK

Dr Poonawalla felicitated

by Lord Karan Bilimoria

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Cllr David Perry

Leader of Harrow Council

Let’s celebrate the Heroes of our community As I’m sure many residents are aware over the past 18 months there has been a lot of publicity about the increasing pressure on our local health services in North West London, including Northwick Park. Despite the excellent hard working staff in our local NHS, local residents are experiencing very long waiting times at the Northwick Park Hospital A & E, as well as to see their local GP. Therefore Harrow Council, under my instruction, has joined the North West London Independent Healthcare Commission, which is in the process of gathering evidence for a report that will be submitted to the Secretary of State for Health on the current state of healthcare in North West London.

We want to work with residents to find their personal stories and experiences behind the all the statistics we have read about. The Council organised a series of workshops with a range of different patient groups to gather evidence, which will be collated and submitted to the Independent Healthcare Commission.

By joining this commission the

Council has shown leadership by getting involved with this crucial report so we can stand up for our residents and ensure that everything is being done to improve Healthcare in our part of London, and fighting for a fairer funding settlement for both the Council and local health providers.

On the subject of Leader’s in the community, to mark the launch of National Volunteers’ Week, nominations are now open for the 2015 ‘Harrow’s Heroes’ awards.

There are hundreds of people in our Borough, from community champions to residents who volunteer with local charities, who sacrifice their time and effort to make a difference and help others. Harrow’s Heroes awards are an opportunity for communities to honour some of them for their work.

There will be 7 awards given out at the ceremony in October. I would encourage all residents to take the time to nominate members of the community whose hard work you feel should be recognised. You can do so at the following link: www.harrow.gov.uk/harrowheroes.

HE Ranjan Mathai, the High Commissioner of India to Britain addressing the gathering

Navjivan Vadil Kendra recognised with Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service for 2015 over 60% from 2014, due to an increase in high quality applications, showing that the voluntary sector is thriving and full of innovative ideas to tackle community challenges.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work in their communities. The awards were created in 2002 to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and winners are announced each year on 2 June – the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.

Award winners this year range from Ablaze, a charity helping to raise academic achievement amongst disadvantaged young people in Bristol to a volunteer rescue boat service on Loch Lomond.

Navjivan Vadil Kendra will receive the award from the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London Sir David Brewer CMG JPlater this summer.

The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service Committee Chair, former broadcast journalist Martyn Lewis CBE said:

“I warmly congratulate all of the inspirational voluntary groups who have been rewarded for their community work with a Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The judging panel for this year’s awards were struck by the quality and breadth of all the successful groups. The thousands of volunteers who give up spare time to help others in their community and to help solve problems demonstrate the best of democracy in action.”

Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson, said: “I would like to congratulate all groups who received this year’s Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, in recognition of their fantastic achievements. The hard work and commitment that goes into the work of these organisations is surpassed only by the passion and motivation of the individuals who volunteer. I hope these groups continue to inspire others to get involved and make a positive impact so that we can continue to build a bigger, stronger society.”

from the Indian Government and for the cost of freighting of all the exhibits from India and their safe return, which ensured the overall success of the exhibition since many of these exhibits were seen for the first time in the West.

Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, is the Chairman of Poonawalla Group that includes the Serum Institute, the world

charities in India and abroad. He was one of the leading sponsors of the 3rd World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, Pune, in December 2003.

He entirely sponsored and eventually acted as cochairman with Nadir Godrej to oversee the smooth running of the 10th World Zoroastrian Congress, Mumbai, in December 2013. During the 10th World Congress

photo credit: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

A voluntary group from North West London who works in the community to improve the quality of life elderly and lonely people in the community has been honoured with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a voluntary group can receive in the UK. Navjivan Vadil Kendra (literally meaning New Life Elders Centre) was formed to encourage members to be more active, to exercise and to build companionships.

With ever increasing life span it is important to take care of health and be less of a burden on close family and the state.

B.T. Shah (president) and Jayant Doshi (secretary) from Navjivan Vadil Kendra attended a garden party atBuckingham Palace on 28th May 2015 where they met the Queen and other winners of this year’s award.

Navjivan Vadil Kendra is one of 187 charities, social enterprises and voluntary groups to receive the prestigious award this year. The number of awards handed out to groups have increased by

Lord Karan F Bilimoria CBE DL and members of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe (Inc) celebrated the joyful occasion of felicitating Dr Cyrus Poonawalla at the Zartoshty Brothers Hall on Thursday 28th May 2015.

Dr Cyrus Poonawalla was unanimously elected ZTFE Honorary Member at the ZTFE SGM on Jashn-e Mehergan,

Lord Karan Bilimoria, Gareth Thomas MP, Dr Cyrus Poonawalla, Lord Dolar Popat with other guests

Thursday 2nd October 2014, for his community services, worldwide charities and in particular the vital sponsorship of ‘The Everlasting Flame E x h i b i t i o n : Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination’ held at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, in 2013.

His sponsorship ensured that the exhibition organisers were able to pay for loan agreements of all the exhibits sent from India, obtain export license

famous Indian Biotech company manufacturing Paediatric vaccines. He is well known for his charities worldwide and is comparable to those of world renowned philanthropists. Dr Poonawalla has said that he is willing to donate millions to fight corruption and has dedicated himself in his quest to make his vaccines affordable to the common man. Dr Poonawalla’s charities have surpassed many for Zoroastrian

he also sponsored “A Day at the Races” at Mahalaxmi Race Course for the benefit of the Zoroastrians attending the Congress and their guests.

Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla ranks as the tenth richest man in India today. He has also amassed numerous international awards and felicitations for his entrepreneurship, business acumen and leadership, and for his philanthropy.

De Montfort University plans to open London campus

The Leicester based De Montfort university is reportedly planning to open its first campus in London, near Excel Exhibition centre, to establish further opportunities and link for their students.

The base in East London will be used for "masterclasses, exhibitions, student placements and much more."

A DMU spokesman reportedly said: "With Leicester now just an hour by train from London it is important that we look

at how our students can benefit from establishing links with one of the world's great capital cities and the opportunities this can bring.

"We are looking to create a space that could be used by students to showcase their dynamism and creativity.

"This space could be used by business students for networking events, as an art exhibition space, music and performance venue, fashion catwalk or

enables us to run showcases on our world-leading research in the areas of health and technology.

"It is all about taking DMU to London and giving our students further opportunities to thrive."

Leicester which is one of the largest homes for UK's Asian community, will naturally have many Asian students along with non Asian ones attached to this new branch of the institution.

4 Polish drivers arrested for smuggling 68 illegal immigrants

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Four Polish lorry drivers have been arrested on suspicion of smuggling 68 illegal immigrants into the UK from Holland on the Stena Hollandica super-ferry. This includes two pregnant women and 15 children who were found locked up in cargo containers. One of them, a 40-year-old Sikh man, Meet Singh Kapoor, from Afghanistan, was found dead in the cargo container.

Home Office officials have revealed that there

were 53 adults and 15 children, included 35 from Afghanistan, 22 from China, 10 from Vietnam and one person from Russia.

Car plate bearing Lord Krishna's name sold for a record £233k

A UK car number plate which bears the name of Hindu God Krishna, has been sold to a woman of Indian heritage at a record breaking £233,000- highest paid car registration so far.

The number plate KR15 HNA shot up in price from a starting bid of £27,000 at an auction at the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield. And the registration smashed previous record-breaking plate MR51 NGH, which was bought for £100,000.

Matthew Dainton, from DVLA Personalised Registrations said, “We

had high hopes for KR15 HAN and KR15 HNA after a lot of interest being registered beforehand.

“Both of these current style registrations contributed to an enthralling atmosphere in the auction hall, and it’s fantastic to see the prices they have achieved.”

Oddly, the buyer does not yet have a car on which to put the new plate.

The world’s most expensive plate cost £518,000 and reads 25 O. It was bought by John Collins, who runs a Ferrari dealership.

Young Muslim mother assaulted for wearing hijab

A Muslim mother was allegedly racially attacked as she went to collect her children from a school in South London. Police are investigating after they were told that a group of women had ripped off the Muslim mother's hijab.

It is said that there were three women who cornered the young mum because she wore a headscarf. They started “shouting and hurling abuse.”

The mother, who wishes to remain anonymous explained her ordeal.

“They pulled my headscarf off and started punching and kicking me. One was dragging my head down while the others were hitting me. They were being so racist and using derogatory terms."

After the attack, she was left with whiplash and parts of her hair missing.

However, the ambulance was not called as she suffered no significant physical harm.

According to the police, the attack which took place in Croydon, near the private Islamic primary school Al-Khair

Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex said, “This is a very big success for the Border Force. This is one of the biggest single finds of

clandestines coming into the UK in this fashion. It is bigger than anything that has been found in Dover or any other ports.

It is a great credit to them that they have handled this very efficiently and very calmly.”

Seven of the illegal immigrants were taken to Colchester General Hospital in Essex for treatment after they complained of having abdominal pains and chest pains, caused by the cramped conditions.

Eight of ten of attempted murder of Yousafzai secretly released There have been allegations that the eight men who were supposedly given 25 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Malala Yousafzai, pictured, have been released “quietly, to avoid a media fuss.”

Only two of the ten men involved in the attempted assassination have been convicted in a secret trial, although all ten were given a 25-year jail sentence.

A senior security source in Pakistan has accused the officials of lying over the trial and

convictions.

They stated, "The trial had absolutely no credibility as nobody was there to witness it but a public prosecutor, a judge, the army and the accused.

This was a tactic to get the media pressure away from the Malala case because the whole world wanted convictions for the crime."

Woman in her 40s sexually assaulted by Asian men in Hounslow

The attack took place on Kinglsey Road, Hounslow. Photo courtesy: Google streetview

Young muslim mother attacked for wearing a hijab, as she went to pick up her children from school

was stopped only after another parent intervened. The police was called to the scene at about 3pm.

The police arrested two women, aged 18 and 35 on suspicion of assault and a racially aggravated public order offence. They are currently on bail and due to return at a later date.

Regarding this incident, a Metropolitan Police spokesperson said, “We take any offence seriously. We have made two arrests in connection with our ongoing investigation."

A woman in her 40s was surrounded by a group of up to five men before being slapped and sexually assaulted during a terrifying attack in Hounslow.

The victim was approached by a gang of Asian men as she walked through Hounslow in the evening of 6th May 2015.

Scotland Yard revealed that one of the gang members slapped and then sexually assaulted the victim quite close to Hounslow East tube station.

A representative of Scotland Yard further stated, "There was a short verbal exchange between the suspect and victim whilst the rest of the group closed in on her. The main suspect then made further physical contact with the victim."

Detective Sergeant Jason McElroy said, "We are keen to trace one wit-

ness in particular who is described as an Asian man who had been in close proximity to the victim at the time of the incident.

This was clearly a distressing incident for this victim who was intimated and assaulted along a route which she routinely walks."

All of the men involved are described as Asian. The main suspect is described to be around 25-29 years of age and approximately 5ft 9ins tall. He was wearing dark trousers and a white tshirt.

Enquiries are ongoing and the police have not made any arrests as of yet.

If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please call the incident room on 0208 247 6273 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

“In many developing countries around the world if a woman loses her husband she immediately loses everything. You don’t hear about widows, they have no voice.” – Rich ard Branson

The Loomba Foundation highlights the increasing number of widows facing extreme problems today

The Loomba Foundation, in 2010, produced a report on the unique problems faced by widows. The report, used as evidence to lobby the United Nations in order to create awareness around the issues, resulted in the UN officially recognising International Widows Day (IWD), 23rd June. The report, updated by the 2015 Global Widows Report (GWR), catalogues the changes in the last five years.

The GWR demonstrates that disadvantage in widowhood is not limited to one culture, society or region. The GWR estimates the total number of widows globally to be 258,481,056 - an increase of 9%. It is estimated that 14.8% of widows live in extreme poverty where basic needs, that increase this, go unmet.

The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by many factors.

These include new, as well as existing, armed conflicts, instability in the Middle East and North Africa, the Ebola epidemic and increasing HIV infections in countries such as India.

Added to the traditional drivers of premature male mortality, particularly in developing countries, of widespread malnutrition, hazards in the workplace and violent crime, heightens the problem as the number of widowed women increases and conditions worsen for themselves and their families.

The GWR highlights that the situation for widows is worsened where other factors that make widows more prone to poverty are present: the lack of a livelihood, cultural stigma, lack of skills, dislocation through wars, and humanitarian disasters.

Consequentially, the worst conditions are faced by widows in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Syria, and sub-Saharan conditions. Additionally, cultural practices such as cleansing rituals and widow evictions often exacerbate the situation, increasing poverty and hardship. Widowhood in

Lord Raj Loomba

the developing world can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and societies at large as poverty is intensified though health risks such as malnutrition and HIV, social ostracisation and cultural practices and beliefs, e.g. accusations of witchcraft because a widow 'violates the norm of living alone', or blame for their husband’s death due to sins a widow is perceived to have committed in a previous life.

To a lesser extent, this situation is reflected by the lives of widows in western countries; although, with fewer women marrying, and more entering into consensual relationships, widowhood tends to be reserved for older generations. However, there are still significant numbers of premature male deaths in developed countries, including Eastern Europe. An incomplete welfare state, lack of free healthcare, inadequate pensions, low-skilled, or BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) background increases the probability of a widow suffering from deprivation in the developed world.

The deprivation faced by widows and their children is a human rights issue of such magnitude that it demands recognition and action by international bodies and special consideration in development programmes. The GWR recommends a number of initiatives to help widows: more advocacy work by the UN on IWD; reform of inheritance rights for widows; welfare programmes to cater more effectively for widows; and religious, political and community leaders to do more to promote a change in attitude towards widows in countries where stigma is commonplace.

Lord Loomba www.theloombafoundation.org The Loomba Foundation Loomba House 622 Western Avenue London W3 0TF 020 8102 0351

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Direct flights - now Direct action - not yet

The direct flight between London (Heathrow) and Ahmedabad in India – Gujarat – has raised enormous interest over a long period of time. This direct flight is justifiable from every commercial and non commercial angle. Gujarat and surrounding states especially Southern Rajasthan and Western Madhya Pradesh are developing very rapidly. The largest proportion of British investment in India is in Gujarat.

Amongst the hundreds of Indian companies operating in Britain especially in London and other parts of South East England are involving people whose origins and operations are in Gujarat.

1.5 million or more people of Indian origin reside in the United Kingdom especially in a trapezium with Manchester in the north west, Leeds in the north east, Birmingham to the west, Leicester to the east and London down south.

The total area is about 8,000 sq miles. Outside India Britain has the largest concentration of people of Indian origin in such a small area who comprise outstanding excellence in education, professions as well as earnings. In spite of the petitions signed by thousands including Lords, MPs and successful business and commerce leaders, the UPA government suddenly stopped the successful direct flights for some ulterior motives ie some private airlines and failed to reconnect London with Ahmedabad.

Several readers have written about the justification for their demand. Some letters have been published in Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. Some we have been unable to publish as we found them most provocative or unduly harsh towards Mr Narendra Modi.

Let us look at some facts. In his first year Narendra Modi travelled to 19 countries, spent 52 days and worked extremely hard to connect with policy makers and people of those far flung countries. It was important to encourage investment and trade with India.

As far as we know Air India did not cancel regular flights as had happened during the foreign travels of the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

One of the reasons may be that Air India now has more planes at their disposal or Mr Modi has not always demanded a separate plane or two.

Secondly, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha (Qatar) have all experienced rapid development for

As I See It

various reasons but mainly due to air connectivity which has enabled airlines to reach the front line of international air travel. Thirdly, Prime Minister Modi is fully aware of the importance of cultivating the interest of the overseas Indians.

In September last year the phenomenal Madison Square Reception was, in a way, encouraged by the BJP party and helped Mr Modi's endeavours with the foreign governments, and helped US Indians to acquire more public profile. The benefits to India are on all fronts from trade and commerce to diplomacy.

UK based Indians have special place due to the historical links between the UK and India. British Indians are one of the oldest settlements in the developed world. In the last 15 years Gujarat has become an increasingly important state for business and commerce and industry.

Readers have failed to understand why Prime Minister Modi has not yet taken a prompt and proper decision to restart direct flights which was originally his initiative in 2003. What stops him from doing what is just and right for the benefit of India in every spear of human activity?

Unfortunately there are three incidents which are very painful and shocking for British Indians.

1. The Minister for Civil Aviation Mr Ashok Gajpati Raju made irresponsible comments about direct flights (see page 25, AV April 11 ) 2. A senior minister within Mr Modi's cabinet is reported to have said at a gathering of BJP supporters in London earlier this year that Gujarat is receiving lots of attention from Prime Minister Modi and then just said 'now here you want direct flights hahaha'.

3. It has come to the attention of people working within the travel industry in both Ahmedabad and Britain that in the forthcoming winter schedule Air India is proposing 4 direct flights from India to 4 additional destinations.

One route mentioned is between Hyderabad and London. Fine, good in that sense one hopes that Ahmedabad-London direct flights would gain even more priority.

Air India, Civil Aviation Ministry of India or the Prime Minister's office in Delhi have not yet released the data on the potential or their survey of the pasenger traffic for LondonAhmedabad direct flights.

The simple facts are

that on average more than 7,000 people fly from London to India every week and almost equal number of passengers fly from India to UK. Hearing from several main travel agents it transpires that at least 1/3 of these passengers have destinations in Gujarat and it is everybody's knowledge that business and trade is in the blood of Gujaratis.

Several people and organisations are demanding a direct action for direct flights.

They have experienced situations when the powers that be do only respond fairly and properly to public demonstration as per the Gandhian principle of constitutional and peaceful protest.

One such example in that of The Hare Krishna temple near Watford which is open for devotees today because Hindus, with the help of large number of none Hindus, came out in their 1,000s (over 35,000 in all) on 14th March 1994 to protest the local council's unjust decision to close it down. Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice readers where at the forefront of that campaign.

We have told those people and organisations who wish for direct action to hold off for a while and not rush to take that option at this time. Let Mr Modi have a few more weeks to sort out this problem and give us the justice we really need and deserve.

It is possible that Mr Modi will visit the UK between now and possibly the forthcoming Diwali. He has a very, very busy diary and works exceedingly hard for the all round development of India. He is fully aware of the importance of a more structured relationship with the British government led by Prime Minister Cameron who has been hyper active visa-vis India. Also Mr Modi would like to revisit many of his friends and admirers in the UK who were among his earliest supporters in his most difficult days post Godhra tragedy of train burning.

To all my readers and supporters I plead for some time for Mr Modi and to Prime Minister Modi I say don’t delay your decision unnecessarily.

There is one more possibility. I have been talking to several respectable individuals who are involved in the travel business. With permission of the Indian government and the Civil Aviation Ministry a group of business based in London are prepared, at

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Dhruv Patel elected as the new Chairman of City’s Community & Children’s Committee

The City of London Corporation has elected 31-year-old Dhruv Patel as the Chairman of Community & Children’s Services. The Common Councillor has represented the Square Mile ward of Aldgate for the past two years.

Born in the City and raised in east London, Dhruv Patel comes from a finance background, previously holding positions at Barclays Capital, and as a private investor he has been involved in property development and insurance underwriting. Dhruv, pictured, set up the City Hindus Network, in 2005, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes networking, education and, charity fundraising among Hindu professionals.

He succeeds William Dove OBE as the Chairman of the committee that looks after a whole range of local authority functions including, schools, adop-

tion and fostering, safeguarding, housing and careers guidance in the Square Mile.

Speaking after his election, Dhruv Patel said: “I am deeply honoured to be elected as Chairman and look forward to serving the City Corporation and its residents, as well as those who work in the Square Mile. As the first City of London Corporation Chairman from my ethnic minority background, I am keenly interested in diversity and access for talent. During my term I would like to encourage our apprenticeship programmes for City firms, helping them to develop talent from across London. And also, as the City Corporation is a key affordable-housing provider, I would like to ensure we continue to play an important role in addressing the capital’s escalating housing crisis.’

“I am privileged to take over the chairman-

ship from Billy Dove OBE who has been a great mentor and fantastic support. I hope that my election will encourage further diversity across the organisation and inspire others to follow my lead.”

Lord Mayor of the City of London Alan Yarrow, said: “Community and Children’s Services plays a valuable role in the lives of City residents, visitors and workers. I’d like to congratulate Dhruv in his new role, and I’m confident his expertise and commitment will help to build on the great work already delivered by this department.”

UK to celebrate Rathayatra festival

Ayesha Raheja

Rathayatra is celebrated by devotees of Lord Krishna all over the world. Lord Jagannatha, Lady Subhadra and Lord Balarama are the focus of the festival, which dates back many thousands of years, and each ride on a huge, wooden cart.

The extraordinary chariot festival originates in Jagannatha Puri on the east coast of India and dates back over 2,000 years. The story behind Rathayatra is during His time on this Earth, Krishna grew up in Vrindavana, and had great loving friendships least for one year, to fund a direct charter flight between Ahmedabad and London provided the necessary and legal documents are drawn up between the civil aviation ministry of the Indian government and the London business group which is headed by a very experienced and successful businessman.

The logic is very simple. There is a potential for a number of passengers and starting with one flight over a few months the viability of direct flights with confirmation to increase more flights. In any case this London based group is willing to underwrite chartered flights to Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Modi, his ministers and officials should listen to such an option.

Ideally, the best solution to this problem is for Air India to start at least one flight a week at the earliest to test the waters.

- CB

loving emotions of closeness and separation. The festival is a modern expression of this. The Rathayatra will be held in London on 14 June 2015 for the 47th time. The parade will be from Hyde to Trafalgar Square. The procession will start at Hyde Park at noon, and reach Trafalgar Square at 2:30PM. The festival will continue there until 5:00PM. For further details see www.rathayatra.co.uk/lo ndon/.

there with all the residents, including the cowherd boys and girls.

When Krishna grew up, He became King and moved away. After many years the residents of Vrindavana came to see Him, but He seemed so different to the mischievous For other cities in the UK, cowherd boy the dates are as following they all knew and loved that Birmingham - Sunday 26 July they kidnapped Cardiff - Saturday 1 August Him and tried to Leicester - Sunday 2 August bring Him back Dublin - TBA to Vrindavana Reading - TBA on a cart. Being Brighton - Sunday 13 Sept (TBC) with Krishna like this they simul- Plymouth - Saturday 3 October taneously felt the Glastonbury - Sunday 4 October

‘ONE LONDON’ - TESSA JOWELL

Continued from page 3 And we need to unleash our city’s potential, by providing real opportunity for all Londoners. That’s what building One London is all about” Across London Tessa’s Team is organising ‘Tell Tessa’ events where she listens to local community, talks about her vision for London and invites people to talk about their own experiences, concerns, ideas and priorities for the areas they live and work in. I attended last week one such event held at the Sattavis Patidar Centre when Tessa focussed on low pay and listened to the views on her policy to raise the

London Minimum Wage.

Residents of Brent and Harrow raised a number of issues such as deprivation (food banks), private rented sector, shortage of school places, low wages in retail sector, Outer London Boroughs, Transport; EU referendum and immigration.

Reflecting to the response from Tessa to what turned out to be a very vocal gathering with passionate and strong views to improve London I’m convinced that Tessa is the kind of Mayor London needs. Someone with a massive track-record, passion and someone who would take inequalities head on to improve quality of Life of Londoners.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Lisa Sohanpal’s British food startup is helping feed school children in India Meet first-time entrepreneur Lisa Sohanpal and her successful startup, Mini nom nom’s. Lisa is the founder and MD. Lisa created the company with her husband Imrat after working across the world in another job and needing to make sure that there were healthy international meals available to feed her young children as she travelled.

“As busy working parents to three children all under the age of four, we found it difficult to have at hand quick, naturally healthy dinners,” said Mrs Sohanpal. “I would be staying up late making batches of curry, so I began searching for a ready meal alternative and there was nothing on the market. That’s why we made Mini nom nom's; to redefine the category by introducing a new generation of ready meals.”

Sohanpal’s Mini nom nom’s solution sells healthy, internationallyinspired ready meals for British children, with no

Lisa Sohanpal

added salt, sugar or preservatives.

Launched in 2014 with

support and a start-up loan from Virgin StartUp, the business has already

built a loud and loyal fan base that certain retailers have found hard to ignore.

From July 2015, the meals will be sold through the UK’s most popular online supermarket, Ocado, department store Selfridges, and across Virgin Active health clubs.

Lisa’s children’s food business, launched in London, is attempting to help counter growing obesity in the UK. She knows that in this country there’s a childhood obesity epidemic, with one in three children overweight.

At the same time, Lisa is aiming to help end hunger and child employment in India.

Lisa has long been aware that India is home to a quarter of all undernourished people worldwide, with 360 million Indians living below the poverty line.

The business sends a proportion of its profits towards providing lunch for an entire school of 271 children in New Delhi, India, through the Askhaya Patra Foundation.

Mini nom nom’s popular appeal isn’t just down to the product. Success has also happened because of the social values the group stands for.

“I met the president of the Akshaya Patra foundation at a networking event in London, and felt inspired by the charity’s

mission to feed five million school children per day by 2020,” said Sohanpal. “The sponsorship of the school in India improves attendance, as children get their meals provided; usually a roti (Indian round bread), dhal and vegetable curry. This meal means the children don’t have to go out and earn money to pay for their food instead of going to school. Keeping them in school for longer results in the pupils getting better jobs when they leave, which will hopefully mean they can use their education to rise out of poverty.

“Keeping 271 school children off the streets and in school to gain an education makes me very proud.”

Lisa Sohanpal The annual dropout rate has also reduced from 60% to 8%.

Mini nom nom’s aims to educate children in Britain about the reality of hunger in many countries and also to show them they can make a difference. The company aims to educate and engage children in the charitable values of the brand

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through virtual reality and storytelling on pack.”

So what’s Mrs Sohanpal's advice on adding a social element to your business?

“You have to believe in the value of it. It’s not something you can just add on. Our business proposition fits with the ideals of the Akshaya Patra Foundation and that’s why it works.

What’s the issue that your business is tackling and how can you communicate that to your customers in a meaningful way? ” What was the hardest part of setting up her business?

“It’s breaking the status quo in ready meals and packaging our meals in 100% recyclable material, to ensure the film used is compatible with the pulp board tray being used. We need to provide a 100% consistent hermetic seal – needed to prevent any air leakage that can affect the life (and therefore shelf life) of the food. We had to resort to a bespoke solution that cost us in time delays to launch, as well as additional investment.

Over on the other side of the world, we have sponsored over 70, 000 school meals in an entire school in India. Keeping 271 school children off the streets and in school to gain an education makes me very proud.”

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Complaints against Modi

Cancer of Corruption

Solution for airlines

Well done, Asian Voice

According to political surveys over 70% of all Indians are satisfied with Sri Narendra Modi’s performance so far. Yet there are some complaints against him.

Some of these complaints have nothing to do with Modi.

Jubel D’Cruz of Mumbai has made a number of complaints (Asian Voice, May 30) one of which is ‘Ghar Wapsi’. If he turns pages of Indian history he will find originally there were no Muslims and Christians in India. Their true identity is that they are ‘descendants of Hindus converted to Islam and Christianity’. In the Indian subcontinent Hindus have been going through the curse of unopposed religious conversion by Muslims for 800 years and by Christians for 200 years. Mr D’Cruz has no problem, let alone complaint against, of religious conversion of Hindus by Christian priests and nuns.

Ghar Wapsi (Home coming) is rejection of conversion that took place.

He said Christians are peace loving people. Let us recall some historical facts of Christian love and peaceful acts such as the massacre at Jalinwalagh, treatment of Gandhi ji and his associates when they wanted to make salt and chopping of thumb fingers by the British Raj of those who wanted to weave saris and dhotis, slave trade from Africa to the Americas, almost complete elimination of Red Indians of North America, treatment of Maoris in New Zealand and aboriginals in Australia and creation Christian states there. Without Ghar Wapsi it is likely India will be turned into a Christian country in about another hundred years.

Corruption spread like wild fire, especially in sport organizations like IOA and FIFA. Mercifully IOA is free of corruption after strenuous efforts decade ago.

Hopefully with the unexpected resignation of re-elected FIFA President Sepp Blatter and arrests of so many of his cronies, FIFA could and should become clean, honest and true representative of football crazy world.

Perhaps Michel Platini, French President of UEFA is the right person to take over, if he gets support of his country France who surprisingly voted for tainted Blatter along with ten other European nations.

Qatar, who surprisingly won the bid to stage 2022 tournament should now be stripped off world cup staging rights, especially considering its abominable human-rights record with death of some 1500 migrant workers mainly from Indian sub-continent.

There is not an ounce of humanity or decency in Qatar towards migrant workers who are employed mainly by lackey Western companies building grandeur stadiums and infrastructure, slave labour tolerated in 21st Century!

While fiduciary Europe spends billions rescuing migrants from Mediterranean Sea, they turn a blind eye to these hard working Asian workers trying to earn a decent living wage but are exploited by ruthless, esoteric Westerns Construction firms with the conniveal of Qatar government. Britain, with holier than thou attitude, encourages corruption by giving aid to corrupt regimes.

A interesting programme was aired on the BBC 2 on Sunday, 31st May at 7pm, entitled "A Very British Airline", giving insight to the British Airways. Readers can watch all the episodes on the BBCiplayer.

Episode 3 was screened on that day.

Midway, the programme concentrated on the contract aircraft cleaners, aka aircraft groomers. BA's target is 75 minutes for a team of groomers to bring a airliner to a "Spic 'n' Span" condition. Your readers may be interested to note the comments made by one of their team leader, Christina Mattah, a former Romanian handball player and a trained accountant, who said, "aircraft from India take more than hour an half, because all over it's messy, very, very dirty, food all over, on the galley, everywhere. If it's coming from America, it's alright, we can finish in one hour or even one hour, 20 minutes".

That made me wonder if all the adverse comments I hear regarding Air India on their performance, efficiency, and in particular, last minute flight cancellations, re-scheduling, or delays etc., is due to this particular "maintenance" issue.

If that is the case, I think I may have a cheaper solution to improve their efficiency/performance and reliabilty. Rather than pouring millions of rupees into Air India, how about introducing "Swacch Air India", by purchasing small plastic dust-pans, brushes, and small disposal rubbish bags. These would be issued to each passenger on board so that they clear their own rubbish. These can be collected, before the plane lands by the stewards, together with all the passenger's audio earpieces and blankets. The dust-pans and the brushes can be recycled for the next flight just as the audio earpieces and blankets.

Rupanjana Dutta, Asian Voice’s talented Associate Editor, wrote a splendid fullpage report last week on how Indian voters here are shaping Britain’s future.

The meeting, held in the House of Lords, included panellists like Lords Parekh and Bilimoria, Britain’s Indian deputy high commissioner Dr Virander Paul, MPs Keith Vaz and Bob Blackman, Runnymead Trust director Omar Khan, Asian Voice publisher-editor CB Patel and other luminaries. They also answered questions from the audience.

Discussions spanned everything from the growing shift in voting patterns among Asians to why the Labour Party failed to impress Indian voters in the recent general election.

Jatindra Saha By email

Eating beef

Dr. Hari Desai’s writing (“Atit thi aaj” G.S. page 8) about beef eating in India needs to be read by English reading subscribers of your paper.

Dr. Desai has tried to prove the BJP governments as foolish at such a ban. But the BJP has judiciously left the implementation of the beef ban on state governments. Would, Dr. Desai dare to write or express similar views about Muslim ban on pork and porcine products?

Would Dr. Desai equate Muslim practice of halal on the same level of indiscretion as beef ban by BJP? Dr. Desai contends that in the past Buddhists and Brahmins ate beef and that therefore it is unfair to ban beef eating at the present time. He also links cow slaughter with economy via export of beef. This stance is pathetic in view of animal welfare organisation PETA firmly established in India. Why can’t PETA include cows in it’s agenda when it canvasses pity for domestic pets, beasts of burdens and many wild animals?

Canvassing in favour of beef eating is a pathetic show of ingratitude to those animals that provide sustenance to 99% of humans for 99% of one’s life.

His suggestion to encourage vegetarianism is pragmatic in India where fruits and vegetables are available aplenty.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Proud to be born in India It is good to read BJP’s views on the first year of Narendra Modi’s Prime Ministership in India. [(a) Lalubhai Parekh, chairman of Overseas Friends of BJP, page 10 (b) Amit Shah, President BJP, page 17] About Indians born in India, I am one such Indian and during my life time I have been aware of Indians in Indian favouring Indians born abroad! I am glad that I was born in India - pre-partition and I am grateful to all Indians who are born and brought up in India as they sustain her.

The Indian diaspora did not always choose to be born outside India - many have suffered and endured discrimination in the Far East (eg Malaysia), in the Caribean (eg Trinidad) as well as in East and South Africa. It is in the rich, white, European/American lands where Indians have prospered and many of them do indeed look down upon Indians like me.

It is good that Mr Modi has raised this topic.

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Mohindra Master By email

India’s true potential

Referring to Mr Ahsan Ali’s letter dated 6th June 201 Rabindranath Tagore, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and many more Indian leaders visited foreign countries and they, as well as most of the local Indian people were ashamed of being born in an India ruled over by foreigners whose culture was quite different from the indigenous Sanatan Hindu culture. As such India’s true potential was only revealed by the country getting it’s independence; but, alas, inspite of 60 years of rule by Indian National Congress, they still failed to reveal it.

Mr Modi, following his pre-election promises, is working very hard towards that goal since he elected as the Prime Minister of India last year.

But some people are impatient to see the result in a year. Social, economic, industrial and spiritual progress is going hand in hand.

I think we should be able to judge it better at the end of Narendra Modi’s 5 year term of governing the country.

Aroti Banerjea London

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MPs’ Pay Bonanza

Our MPs are again in the limelight, not for doing something good for the benefit of the country. Even while the scandal of the expenses claims by some MPs has not yet subsided, their pay and expenses body, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) has recommended a10% pay rise for them taking their salaries from £67,000 to £74,000.

This is despite objections from the major party leaders including the prime minister who has appealed to the IPSA to abandon it plans and said in a letter that the planned rise was "not appropriate".

The government had opposed the suggestion that there should be a pay rise of this nature even when the recommendation was first made.

The increase would be wholly unacceptable coming at a time when many public sector workers have had either their pay frozen or will have to make do with a meagre 1% pay rise. While others in the Civil Service and elsewhere have to suffer the powers that be will see their standard of living go up a notch or two.

The government has also ended the agerelated tax allowances for pensioners. It has phased out the higher income tax allowance enjoyed by around half the country's pensioners. This is fundamentally unfair.The income tax allowance of the over 65s must also be raised in line with the rate of inflation.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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SOAS launches new platform for academia and the wider world UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

SOAS, University of London has launched the SOAS South Asia Institute (SSAI), a new platform for governments, business, the media and civil society to enhance their understanding of the region.

To mark the launch on 18 May, Mishal Husain, recently named ‘broadcaster of the year’ by the London Press Club, presented a panel of experts from the worlds of international diplomacy, the arts and the media to discuss ‘South Asia across borders’. The discussion explored intra-regional relationships, interactions and commonalities, and the solutions offered by South Asia to the problems of an increasingly globalised world. The programme also included music and dance performances by SOAS students and staff specialising in South Asia.

The SSAI, led by Professor Michael Hutt, was joined by Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, SOAS Honorary Fellow and former Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and former Indian Ambassador to

ships with institutions of higher learning in India, Pakistan and the other countries of South Asia.

Amrit Kaur Lohia (MA History) performed a piece she composed for the SOAS student production “Tales of 1947” based on the poem by the renowned Punjabi writer Amrita Pritam “Ajj aakhaan waaris shah nu” on lamenting the parti(L-R) Namita Gokhale, Kanak Mani Dixit, Shiv Shankar Mukherjee, tion of India by Maleeha Lodhi and Mishal Husain invoking the region’s world stands to benefit Nepal; Namita Gokhale, renowned medieval writer enormously from the ecowriter, publisher and festiWaris Shah. nomic, cultural and securival director; Maleeha The Institute has also ty understanding it will Lodhi, Pakistan’s launched a new two-year derive from the South Ambassador and Masters programme in Asia Institute. We believe Permanent Representative ‘Intensive South Asian we have much to offer that to the United Nations in Studies’. The first cohort is always distinctive and New York and Kanak of students on this prooften unique.”

Mani Dixit, author, jourgramme will go to The aim of the SSAI, nalist and Founder Editor, Jawaharlal Nehru as outlined by Professor Himal Southasian, based University in Delhi in Hutt in his speech, will be in Kathmandu.

August for the first half of to produce the next generIn his opening speech, the academic year. They ation of South Asia scholProfessor Hutt said: “We will further develop their ars in the SOAS tradition; have established this language proficiency and share the School’s regionInstitute because we conduct research for an al expertise with a wider believe the world needs to extended dissertation, range of stakeholders and understand South Asia which will be completed in strengthen our relationbetter”. He added: “The the second half of the year

Get up to

11

Director of SOAS South Asia Institute Professor Michael Hutt and Deputy Director Dr Navtej Purewal

back in London. Global connections will play a fundamental role in the SSAI developing a global conversation on the region.

Mishal Husain brought personal experience to her opening address, saying that SOAS has always meant something to people like herself who live in the UK but have connections to Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Tweeting about the SSAI launch, she congratulated the School and said: “May it lead a debate across borders of this challenging region”. Shiv Shankar Mukherjee also said it was heartening to see a world class institution introduce

a South Asia Institute, particularly when South Asians make up almost one fifth of the world’s population.

Deputy Director Dr Navtej Purewal outlined the new Institute’s research interests, which range from rights and inequality to the full spectrum of the arts to prospects for the Indian economy. Importantly, Dr Purewal, who has published widely on gender justice in South Asia, demonstrated how the SSAI’s research-led activities engage with social issues and impact on policy, while nurturing and strengthening the knowledge base of our students.

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12

MEDIA WATCH

Two news items dominated media headlines: the first was confirmation of the expected interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which was duly announced on 2 June by RBI Governor Raghunath Rajan; the second development was the Indian Meteorological Department’s forecast of a deficient Monsoon, which spread doom and gloom, leading Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan to say, “Let’s pray the revised forecast does not come true.” The key word is “revised,” for a seasonal prediction of the Monsoon still belong to the realm of uncertainty.

Monsoon breaks in Kerala

The previous IMD prediction had been optimistic, the current one less so. A private sector meteorological firm, Skynet Weather Services, has forecast a normal Monsoon, having correctly forecast every Monsoon

Raghuram Rajan

performance since the company was set up in 2012. That said, the wisest course should surely be to wait upon events instead of indulging in fevered speculation and anticipating the worst as given. The result was that the anticipated interest rate cut instead of spreading joy in the market surrendered to pessimism. So be it. The RBI cut which banks borrow from the RBI to 7.25 per cent from 7.5 per cent. The rate cut should mean that banks on the high street banks passing this reduction of interest to customers and companies, thereby stimulating industrial growth. Loans for housing development, purchase of cars, to small and medium enterprises and corporate should be tad cheaper. The government’s Chief Economic Advisor, Arvind Subramanian reacted thus: “The government and the RBI agree that these cuts signify that the economy needs policy support as economic growth is recovering while the external environment remains weak.”

Meanwhile, the RBI has marked down growth projection for 2015-16 to 7.6 per cent from the predicted 7.8 per cent, while for 2014-15 growth has been confirmed at 7.3 per cent (Business Line, Hindu, imes of India, Telegraph, Mint June 3, 4)

Rate cut hailed

Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director and CEO, ICICI Bank, welcomed the rate cut in the context of stimulating domestic demand and credit. The measure announced was pragmatic with the possibility of a weak Monsoon and inflationary pressure fallout. T.M. Bhasin, Chairman Indian Banks’ Association, said banks had started passing on the benefits of the previous two cuts, had reduced interest rates on deposits to lower the cost of lending. Going forward with adequate liquidity in the system, banks would pass on the benefits of this rate cut to customers.

Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairman, State Bank of India, said: “The decision to cut the repo rate is welcome and timely.

Growth considerations should now occupy centre stage……”

Car makers positive

Auto industry, with Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai in the lead, welcoming the RBI move, would improve customer sentiment, definitely a move in the right direction, said Executive Director Maruti Marketing and Sales, R. Kalsi. Vishnu Mathur, Director General of the Indian Automobile Manufacturers, said the onus was now on the banks to pass on the rate cut benefit to customers. (Business Line June 3)

Mobius cash for Indian start-up

Iconic global fund manager, New York-based Mark Mobius, is much given to casts a roving eye on the booming Indian start-up space because it is proving too alluring to ignore, a message he passes onto investors as part of his overall advice to focus on emerging economy stocks. He prefers to lead by example, having invested in a Mumbai technology start-up, Entropy Innovation. Started in 2013 by a team of IIT and IIM alumni, Entropy manufactures automatic motorcycle wash machines, which giving motorcycles a thor-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

ough wash in 2-5 minutes (Business Week June 3)

Andhra Pradesh looks East

Andhra Pradesh bifurcated from Telangana is looking East for its rejuvenation. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the division of the old, undivided State may turn out to be a “blessing in disguise”, as it had to be rebuilt ground up, beginning with the construction of a new capital at Vijaywada, for which he had been able to interest investors from Singapore and Japan. He is planning to visit South Korea this summer, where memories of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s presence there are still warm. “He is a “smart cookie,” said a business consultant. “He is piggybacking on the Centre’s foreign policy.” A long coastline along the Bay of Bengal, gives Andhra Pradesh easy access to advantage South East Asia and the Far East (Mint June 2)

Chinese partner

Partnering Indian States appears the best way forward for Chinese business interests from across the country wishing to tap into the Indian market. Take the Chinese province of Guizhou and Andhra Pradesh – a bridgehead for the flow of Chinese investments along the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Two Chinese banks – the China Development Bank (CDB)and ICBC – are expected to provide the core funding 2000 acre industrial park within the Kakinada Special Economic Zone. The behemoth CDB is also partnering Adani Power for the development in three phases of the Gujarat-based Mundra power plant.

Chinese overcapacity

Chinese industry needs the Indian market because its huge overcapacity can only find an appropriate outlet in India, with Western markets unable to absorb Chinese products on the same scale. That suits India fine, as it looks to establish ‘Make in India’ manufacturing hubs, but the interest is two way, since China needs India’s expertise in Information Technology (Hindu June 2)

President in Sweden

Prime Ministers Modi and Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.

See Asian Voice June 6, comment page 3

of their respective countries. The Bofors affair cast a shadow over the relationship.

President Mukherjee’s visit to Stockholm and the warmth of the welcome he received signals a new era in bilateral ties. King Carl XVI Gustav played a pivotal role in the success of the Indian President’s visit. Swedish visitors to India will be given e-visas.

Sweden is one of the world’s most advanced industrialized nations, its experience in building smart cities, green projects, investment inflows and polar research are shared areas of interest. (Hindu, Telegraph June, 3,4)

Belarus

President Mukherjee travelled to Belarus, where he held one-toone talks with President Lukashenko, who has twice visited India. The two leaders laid out a roadmap for increased trade, boosting joint ventures in mining, extending cultural exchanges, furthering defence ties and deepening cooperation in science and technology (Hindu June 4)

Pakistan factor

Furthermore, attention had been drawn to America’s continuing military aid to Pakistan, despite its funding for jihadi groups across its borders in India and Afghanistan. There was no mention of this in Mint, yet it formed the headline to the report in the Hindu on the Ashton Carter visit (Hindu June 2,4. Mint June 4)

Modi rebuke for BJP-RSS hotheads

Prime Minister Modi issue a public rebuke to party hotheads for India-US defence their inflammatory statements on framework India’s religious minorities (read Muslim and Christian), he stated that the religious freedom guarIndia and the United States have anteed by the India’s renewed for ten years their Constitution to all its citizens Framework Agreement for was “not negotiable.”

He went on: “I have said this before and I say it again – any discrimination or violence against any community will not be tolerated…..We stand for every one of the 1.2 billion Indians regardless of their caste or creed and we will work for the progress of every one of them.” (Business Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and US Line, Times of India Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter after June 2) signing the agreement in New Delhi

defence cooperation, with US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter and Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar signing the Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi. Earlier, Mr Carter called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Collaboration on a variety of defence projects were included in wide-ranging discussions.

The Correspondent of Mint put her own spin on US defence sales to India, writing that these had “left behind one time trusted partner Russia.” The proper place for the expression of what was an opinion should have been the editoriPresident Mukherjee with Sweden’s al, in a report, where facts are King Carl Gustav

President Pranab Mukherjee’s State visit to Sweden went off exceptionally well, according to media reports. Time was when Indo-Swedish relations were exceptionally close during the years when Indira Gandhi and Olof Palme were prime ministers

supposed to be sacred, it was a blatant lie. Former Indian foreign secretary, Kanwal Sibal in the Telegraph quoted Prime Minister Modi, apropos of India’s ties with Russia as “friendship of unmatched mutual confidence, trust and goodwill [and a] “Strategic partnership that is incomparable in content,” that even as India’s options in defence cooperation had widened, “Russia will remain our most important defence partner.”

Asif Ibrahim new Counter-terror head

Retired Intelligence Branch chief, Asif Ibrahim, is to head a special counter-terrorism unit in the Prime Minister ’s Office. He is valued for his knowledge and grasp of the workings of jihadi terror organizations across the world (Hindu June 4)

Jaipur Metro operational

Jaipur Metro, the fastest yet constructed in India, was flagged off

by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje last week. Its current 10 kilometre-long route covering nine stations will be expanded in stages (Hindu June 4).

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

The Debt of Honour & The Purpose of Your Life

I want to share with you my speech to the National Hindu Students Forum this past Saturday: They say the two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why. When you look back upon your life and look your maker in the eye, make sure you can say ‘I used every ounce of talent you gave me, I wasted nothing, and I stand before you exhausted, and others have breathed easier because I have lived’.

Leaving University and rushing into a job, relationship, home purchase and making money – you will soon ask ‘what is the purpose of my life?’

Let me tell you the story of a 12 year old boy, he would sit at the top of the stairs in the evenings overhearing his family downstairs discussing how they would pay his school fees. He had only that term been put into private school, they couldn’t afford it, even though they used to before that wake up at 4am, to start work at 6am and finish only at 11pm. He was terrified each day at school, until each term the fees would be paid, in case he thought the teacher would throw him out.

And when his first set of exam results came – and he was out of his depth – and achieved only 10% in some subjects, he said to his father, ‘I will never let you down again’. That day, the day the exam results were published, he wrote the title of each subject he was studying on a sep-

arate text book, and started revising that night for his next exams – some 6 months away.

It took him three years to ace every exam, beat every student and win school prizes – and sports prizes – because it was not enough to excel academically.

Years later as success after success came through, from working with Prime Ministers to high honours from the best Universities, to raising funds for great causes, he would remind his father of the promise he made, aged 12 ‘I told you I wouldn’t let you down, but you ain’t seen nothing yet!’. And his father would reply, ‘I know son, I know.’

That is a debt of honour. Find your debt of honour. Spend your life repaying your debt of honour. It may be a child in India who has to work at midnight under a kerosene lamp, they should never be more deserving than you, of the privilege you have. They are your debt of honour.

You may be rich, but the richer you are, the more in debt of honour will you be for that reason. Other must never be more deserving of all you have. Hear their voices whisper to you at night as you sleep and in the morning see them standing in front of you, asking ‘do you deserve all this?’

Find a cause, whether it is widows, orphans, people abused by injustice.

Whatever it is and whatever cause resonates, that is your purpose in life, that is why you were born.

UK

13

Lord Loomba urges UK to lead the inclusion of issues for widows in UN Sustainable Developments Goals 2015-2030 Lord Loomba has urged the UK Government to lead the inclusion of issues relating to 258 million widows in the UN Sustainable Developments Goals 2015-2030.

On Thursday, 28th May 2015, at the House of Lords, Lord Loomba CBE participated in Her Majesty The Queen’s Gracious Speech on International Development.

Lord Loomba informed the Lordships House that the United Nations is setting up Sustainable Development Goals 20152030 to build on the successes on Post 2015 MDG’s.

Lord Loomba said “It

is fantastic that SDG are seeking to promoting education and promoting gender inequality for women

On 3rd June 2015, BBC reporter, Ahmen Khawaja mistakenly tweeted, saying Queen Elizabeth II was dead. This tweet baffled many people across the globe and it was picked up by many international news channels.

Apparently, the BBC were rehearsing for an obituary when the tweet was mistakenly sent. A BBC spokesperson said, “During a technical rehearsal for an obituary, tweets were mistakenly sent from the account of a BBC journalist… The

a stir globally, confusing people regarding the well-being of the Queen.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson stated, “I can confirm that the queen this morning attended her annual medical check-up at the King Edward VII’s BBC reporter, Ahmen Khawaja Hospital in London. This had mistakenly tweeted about was a routine, pre-schedthe Queen's death uled appointment. The tweets were swiftly deletqueen has now left hospied and we apologise for tal.” any offence.”

The BBC reporter, The tweets were quickAhmen Khawaja is now ly deleted afterwards, facing disciplinary actions however, they still caused for the tweets.

and girls”. He added that that education and socioeconomic empowerment is fundamental tools to achieve the UN targets.

Lord Loomba also praised what DFID is doing to help widows and their children around the world through direct aid to the developing countries and the United Nations.

Lord Loomba urged the Minister the Noble Baroness Anelay of St. Johns to take lead at the United Nations to ensure that the issues relating to widows and their children are included in the Sustainable Development Goals 2015-2013.

Reporter faces disciplinary action for Queen's death tweet

UK

British born girls create show celebrating cultural heritage

Marafiki Watu held at Watermans theatre in Rickmansworth on 31 May, was a show not to be missedan experience where Gujarati and East African stories and their cultures came together to create an eclectic amalgamation of music, dance, colour and energy.

A fusion show, born from the love and appreciation of two very

dance as art.

Stars of the show included Uche Micheal of Afrikentertainment and his team, as the leader and choreographer of five African dancers and chorus, together they brought onto the stage a night of traditional music that unlocked ancestral vibrations that have been covered for centuries with their powerful indigenous rhythms, songs and dance on the beats of African drums, nagada tabla, dhol and even a clay pot.

The artists performing with both Pritee and Mira were:

strong and robust folk styles, was created by Mira Salat and Pritee Varsani- for themselves and for all those with Indian and East African roots and heritage. The audience truly witnessed a performance blended culture, music and creative

l Mitel Purohit - Music direction – dhol tabla l Ghanshyam Makhwana – Magical percussion l Kiran Thakrar – Keys l Arpan Fatania – Folk trained vocalist l Pritee varsani – Folk Vocalist l Tete and Romanas on Djembe african drums l Parle Patel, Pooja Rajguru and Nishil Khaderia- dancers of the Raas Rebellion.

Pritee is a British born, internationally recognised, Gujarati folk singer, who has released her own albums and music videos. Her debut album was bhajans Ohm Shiv Ohm Kara and released by T-series,

Kingston upon Thames gets its first Indian Mayor

Cllr Roy Arora with wife Manisha and daughter Sonali

An interfaith service was held on 31 May, 2015 to bless Councillor Roy Sanjeev Arora as he took office as the new Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

He is the youngest and first British Indian Mayor of this Borough. Cllr Arora’s wife, Manisha Arora(née Patel) and daughter, Sonali Arora were also present – they were appointed jointly as Mayoress.

Mr Mahendra Thakar represented the Sarvoday Hindu Association and commenced his blessing with the Gayatri Mantra.

Councillor Arora, with origins in Punjab, India, is an MBA qualified management consultant. He has worked for the Ministry of Defence, Deloitte and currently runs his own consultancy business.

Cllr Roy Arora said,

“Kingston is the birthplace of England; where the first Kings who can be called 'Kings of England' were anointed and crowned in the tenth century. Kingston has a very special place in the history of the UK and I am privileged to serve as Mayor" "I stand for inclusion and integration and thus intend to support and celebrate the fantastic cultural diversity in Kingston. It is one of our greatest strengths.

Together, as one community, we are richer and stronger.

"I feel we should look after our elderly. With the UK’s rising elderly population, it is important to support those who need it most, so my charity for the year is Kingston Hospital Charity Dementia Appeal.”

India’s number 1 music label. She has collaborated and performed across various continents with other acclaimed artists from Lalita Ghodadra and Hemant Chauhan to Imran Khan and Navin Kundra.

Mira is an accredited dancer, specialising in the classical art form of Kathak. Mira has established Mira Performing Arts and its fundamental purpose is to preserve the unsurpassed and indisputable beauty of Indian Cultural Dance, arts and its heritage.

Educating individuals in Kathak is one of the prime activities at Mira Performing Arts, Mira ensures the students are disciplined yet enjoy every class. With the student ages ranging from four to adult there is a class to fit every need. Pushing the students to reach goals they never even imagined and allowing them to achieve new levels of successes.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. Help us change the world.

What is Asian Charity Clarity?

When you donate money to charities, how do you know you are giving it to the most effective ones? If you are a charity, how do you stand out and best showcase the great work you do? Empowering Donors. Supporting Charities. That's what Asian Charity Clarity is all about. ACC have come up with a special rating system which assesses a charity across 18 metrics for Financial Health, Accountability and Transparency, and Accessibility.

We have 110 charities on ACC right now, and will have around 500 in July. Every week, we will publish a Top 10 list looking at different aspects of Asian charities.

Top 10 Charities by Female Representation These are the Top 10 Charities for Female Representation, given by number of Trustees or management team that are female. They are assigned a rating out of a maximum of 3, based on what proportion of their trustees and management team is female. The ratings are based on Charity Commission submissions and may be updated regularly. All of these were rated 3-stars for this metric, so we outline the % figures.

1. Women In Need: 100% 2. Asian Foundation for Philanthropy: 86% 3. Basti Ram: 78% 4. Ayries Trust: 75% 5. Loomba Foundation: 75% 6. Magic Bus UK: 70% 7. Connect India: 63% 8. iPartner India: 60% 9. Arullanantha Trust (UK): 60% 10. India Direct: 57%

www.asiancharityclarity.org.uk

Tessa Jowell meets Brent and Harrow residents at Tell Tessa event

Tessa Jowell held an open meeting for Brent and Harrow residents on Tuesday evening, to discuss housing, the London living wage and other issues. Speaking after the event, Tessa said: "I came to Brent to hear what local people want to change in our city. Low pay, expensive transport, opportunity for young people and London's ever-worsening homes crisis were all right at the top of the list.

"I was delighted to be at the Sattavis Patidar Centre to hear from a group of Brent and Harrow residents. Like other Londoners, they are looking for answers.

That's what my One London vision is all about.

I want to build a movement to deliver the change that Brent, Harrow and all

Photo credit: Adam Tiernan Thomas

14

Navin Shah and Tessa Jowell outside the Sattavis Patidar Centre

of London needs - and I want people from Brent and Harrow to join us.”

Navin Shah, London Assembly Member for Brent and Harrow, said: “Tessa is just what London needs - someone

with vision, imagination and passion for all Londoners. Tessa will be a mayor who listens to diverse outer London boroughs like Brent and Harrow.”

Throughout Tessa’s

campaign to be Mayor of London, she will be hosting a series of events at which Londoners can share their views on the future of our city. This is the second ‘Tell Tessa’ event so far.

Kennedy’s drinking problem caused his death Following the death of the former Liberal Democrat Leader, Charles Kennedy on 2nd June 2015, postmortem examination has concluded that the he died as a result of his long battle with alcoholism.

Charles Kennedy's family revealed in their statement that he suffered a “major haemorrhage.”

They stated,

“Ultimately this was an illness Charles could not conquer despite all the efforts he and others made.”

His family went on to further add, “The pain we feel has been at least eased somewhat by the reaction of so many people across Scotland, the UK and beyond, and by the affection expressed by

politicians across the spectrum.”

Kennedy had admitted publicly that he had been receiving treatment for an alcohol problem just months after leading the party to its greatest success in the 2005 general election.

Alastair Campbell also battled with alcohol addiction. He said, “None

of us are surprised that alcoholism played a part in his [Charles Kennedy's] tragic death but what has been great about the tributes is that they have focused on so much more than this.”

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Amit Sodha

Spreading the Light

Sunetra Senior

It is not usual practice to refer to someone as a drink, but Sodha (say it out loud) is as refreshing as he sounds. Regular weekend presenter for Sunrise Radio, creator of one the longest running personal development blogs in the world, and a professional life coach/comedian alongside, he is a brand of positivity in a gush of different tangs. The best part of it all is there is no surprise catch. As we talked about his work- digitally and on stage, the motivations and the challenges, and the way he connects to the people around him, it was clear he is for real, the sensation of well-being organic and long lasting. With the summer sun beating down around us, it seemed a fitting time to chat:

How did your website, Unlimited Choice, come about?

The transitional point was when a friend of mine encouraged me. I kept that in the back of my mind, and without having a clue, just threw myself in. Now most people tend to burn out, but I just kept going.

Neil Gaiman- the author- said something like ‘you often sound like others before you find your own voice.’ After a year nothing was happening, but I kept on writing whenever the inspiration took. That was in 2005, and now it’s a prolific platform where I’m approached by people who I never thought would come to me!

For example a boxer approached me, saying ‘I’ve got some weight to shed, can you help me with some advice?’ I think focusing on what are the hot topics and how they marry up with your interests is the key: in my case, I noticed people were very interested in health, an area I have struggled with myself. Write about what you feel and that will inspire others.

A lot of bloggers do struggle to attract an audience at the start. Have you found that a particular format works better than with others?

Lists! 10 ways to never *insert idea here*, or the 5 ways to be happy, or 10 awesome quotes for a bad day.

That’s the sort of thing people automatically gravitate towards. After you’ve developed an audience then you can be more organic and flowing. You’ve got to appeal more broadly before introducing your own voice.

So did the life coaching emerge from the blog, when you saw that you were reaching people?

Actually, the same people who told me to write also suggested that I coach. I was meditating and helping people from the age of 15, so that foundation was already there. The writing was another lovely channel to explore my connection to others. They pretty much came hand in hand.

How did you move towards the world of entertainment? Were you always interested?

example, if someone wants to swear at their ex, I’ll joke and curse along with them. They get it out of their system and realise it’s not so all-consuming. Another element that enters into it all is the ability to speak. After my MA degree, it was something I wanted to develop. I performed at a comedy night for charity, my first professional set, and it was a very intimate setting with a group of maybe 15 friends. We were testing it out, and I realised I was rubbish- I got one laugh in 15 minutes. I bought books on the subject, kept experimenting, and when we finally did the gig, it went down

Motto: 'Fall down twice, stand up three times, keep on plugging'.

Well, I was always a dreamer. I always thought of becoming the next actor really well. I remember hearing people or Hollywood talking about it during the interval in heart throb. It the toilets, and knew I’d hit the right may not come note: if you really want to reach peoto fruition, but ple, you have to communicate. not from lack of Whether you’ve got energy like Tony trying! I rememRobbins, or mild-mannered like ber being on Deepak Chopra, that quality is understage to switch lying. They captivate entire arenas, on the Christmas and to me that is magic. lights at the Chimes centre in How has your background Uxbridge, and I was influenced you? there with Olly Murs, I grew up in Wales which was who’s a singer-song writer predominantly white, so I was and A-lister. It was so cool being in the only brown-skinned kid in front of all these screaming, star struck class. I was part of the boy’s teenagers. Even as a youngster I loved to brigade as well as having the entertain. I was doing the West Side symAsian influence of say Garba bol, and it always worked! I remember I and that taught me not to had a junior school play – Pedro’s place too much importance on rigid ideas Revenge – and I played a gangster with a of culture. That can actually be obstructive trilby hat and fake cigar: (he imitates a and stop you from being yourself. It gruff Mexican voice) ‘hey chico, goes back to that same point what you got on under that about finding your own voice. hat?’ Clearly that was my big break- I still have the Have you faced VHS copy, hah. Ever 'Passion many personal barsince then, I’ve loved riers in your career? performing in front of is a principal It’s been a mixed bag. people. source of Mostly people have supported me, and actually, Does your energy’ any time there’s been a stand-up comedy barrier, it’s because I’m putenter into the lifeting things off. You’re always coaching? going to have haters; in fact Definitely; the best way to that’s how you know you’re on the help someone is to not necessarright track. ily be serious, but to laugh with them. For

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Where do you get the energy for your spectrum of activities?

I don’t sleep for one! Two: I eat loads. On a practical side, since I have quit sugar my energy levels have shot up. On the psychological front, people tend to view the concept of motivation as a means of getting somewhere and that’s where they go wrong. It should be about what naturally drives you. You won’t have to gather the energy because you’re instinctively buzzed. Any time you’re that depleted, you’re in a state of denial.

Passion is a principal source of energy. That’s what I’m about; getting people in touch with themselves. We all procrastinate, that’s inherent, and that’s alright too because you have something to test you, but naturally tapping in is very important.

What have been the highlights of your career?

In addition to my blog, it’s probably finishing my book, ‘How to Rewire your Brain For Wealth’. I’ve actually got two more coming out this year. One is a '100 Days To Living Consciously' and the other will be focused on health transformation, including fasting and high intensity training. The debut was written after learning and overcoming my own situation. In my twenties, it got pretty dire in terms of debt. It’s awful when something like that is dictating your life and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. The answer is nothing magical; it’s just about making disciplined decisions and doing little things to save money. Before you know

it, you’re managing your life! It has been a real triumph.

Finally, what is the most important thought when it comes to staying positive?

There are two key points: remembering that we have the power of choice. I have a quote: ‘what has happened was meant to be, what will happen is up to me’.

Secondly, live in the moment – it’s not necessarily about going crazy. Right now, standing in a park, there’s so much beauty to appreciate. When you live in the immediate and just sit and enjoy the present, there are no worries and you feel empowered.

And does that enter into your creativity. You have so many original entries?

HELL YEAH! You start picking things up more. You are tapped into this universal channel- some more than others in terms of creativity, but there is a variety of ways that it manifests.

Our Recommended Posts: www.unlimitedchoice.org • 8 Habits That Will Make You (Almost) Superhuman (Health) • Perception Vs Reality (Meditations) • How Can I Be More Funny?

(Humour)

www.facebook.com/unlimitedchoice twitter.com/amitsodha

UK

Thousands of British Sikhs march in protest through London

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

More than 6000 people came together to enjoy Anand Mela

Navin Kundra performing at Anand Mela on Sunday 7 June 2015

Rupanjana Dutta Thousands of British Sikhs marched through Central London on Sunday 7 June to mark the 31st anniversary of Operation Blue Star in 1984- when the Indian army stormed through the Golden temple in Amritsar, to eliminate militants reportedly hiding within the temple premises. The march that started from Hyde Park to Waterloo Place was led by 5 Sikhs in ceremonial dress and included floats on the themes of 'truth', 'freedom' and 'justice'.

Families from all across Britain travelled all the way to Hyde park in London, to mark their protest and demand justice through an independent public inquiry.

Two of Britain's political stalwarts- MP Tom Watson and former SNP leader Alex Salmond have promised to support the British Sikhs in pressurising PM David Cameron into launching an independent public inquiry into UK government's military assistance to India in the 1984 Operation Blue star.

The community, that has just lost their only Sikh MP (Paul Uppal of Wolverhampton) in the general election of 2015, is angered by the revelation in previously secret papers published by the UK government last year, which suggested that a SAS officer was recruited by Indira Gandhi with the help of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who allegedly helped Indian army to plan the Operation Blue Star in June 1984. Reports suggest the three-day military operation by Indian forces wiped off 3,000 people, including pilgrims caught in the cross-fire. However the official Indian govern-

ment figures estimate that only 575 people had died on this fateful occasion.

Though it is not clear if Mr Salmond was present in the gathering, MP Tom

look at pressure from India in it's attempts to deny British Sikhs the democratic right to protest to highlight the Genocide of Sikhs and expose wide-

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi outside 10 Downing Street

Watson, who is contesting to be Deputy Leader of Labour Party addressed the campaigners, calling for transparency on the information of UK government's assistance in 1984 and the importance of the Sikhs right to self determination.

The British Sikhs are pleading the inquiry to

spread human rights violations in India.

British Prime Minister Cameron has earlier asserted that there was "absolutely no direct involvement" of the Margaret Thatcher government in the planning of the infamous attack by the Indian Army to flush out militants from the heart of

Amritsar Temple after 1984 massacre

the temple.

Sikh representatives have also planned to deliver a letter to 10 Downing Street requesting the PM to recognise the "killing of Sikhs in June 1984 in the months that followed and in November 1984 individually and collectively as genocide".

Last year UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said that under PM Thatcher a single military adviser did travel to Indiabetween Feb 8 and 17, 1984 to advise the Indian Intelligence Services and Special Group but "the nature of the UK's assistance was purely advisory, limited and provided to the Indian government at an early stage in their planning".

Bhai Amrik Singh, the Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK) reportedly said: “Too many questions now remain unanswered. The public at large have a right to know the truth of how the UK government assisted India to cover up the Genocide of the Sikhs in 1984.”

“David Cameron cannot ignore over 150 MPs elected on 7 May from across the political spectrum, including dozens of Conservative MPs who back an independent public enquiry.”

He went on to say, “There are serious doubts if any Indian politicians or the judiciary are capable of delivering anything approaching justice given the experience of the Sikh nation over the last 31 years. The UK government should join other permanent members of the UN Security Council to call for a UN-led investigation into the Sikh Genocide of 1984.”

Percy Sethna, Indiabulls, Dharmesh Doshi, Investor De Code, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Bob Blackman MP, Lord Raj Loomba, Lord Dolar Popat, Mr Chakravarti, Indiabulls, Harrow Deputy Mayor Cllr Rekha N Shah, CB Patel, Navin Shah AM, Cllr Ameet Jogia

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar organised their annual Anand Mela in Harrow Leisure centre on 6 and 7 June 2015.

It was attended by more than 5000 people and the proceedings were donated to St Luke’s hospice.

The Mela included stalls of various kinds and entertainment that featured UK’s top Asian performers from all across the country.

A full report with photographs will be published in the upcoming issues of Asian Voice.

Photo courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

Scotland plans to offer Indian students 2 year work visa

Continued from page 1

In the light of this initiative, Vice Chairman of the Labour party, Rt Hon Keith Vaz in an interview with an Indian newspaper reportedly said, “At present, we are seeing an unprecedented decline in the number of Indian students, which is a serious problem for our educational institutions, our economy and for the students themselves, who have been dissuaded from attending some of the most prestigious universities in the world."

According to Mr Vaz, "The best way to establish relations between countries is through young people from India coming to study in the UK." He added, "I want them to come and study in London, Leicester and Liverpool".

In an earlier report, the Home Affairs Select Committee had said that any cap on student visas would be unnecessary and undesirable.

International students

in UK universities come from over 190 countries.

The UK is after the US in terms of the total number and diversity of international students in its higher education institutions.

In total, during the 2013/14 academic year, international students contributed over a million in fee income to just London universities.

A spokesperson from the National Indian Students Union UK said that they have yet again brought forth their petition to ask UK government to review it's visa policy for international students, particularly Indian students. They are urging Britain as a country to open it's doors to post study work scheme for them, allowing a couple of years of work visa, after graduating from a British university. Poststudy work visa was abolished by the UK government in April 2012. This had led to a 50% dip in Indian students visiting British universities for higher education.

Interested to sign the petition?

See: https://www.change.org/p/rt-hon-david-cameron-mpimplement-a-bilateral-work-visa-for-indian-studentsgive-them-an-equal-chance-at-building-their-futureand-allow-uk-india-educational-partnership-to-flourish

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Two bus services launched between India and Bangladesh

Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina

Two bus services were flagged off by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee olkata-Dhaka-Agartala and Dhaka-ShillongGuwahati will link West Bengal to three North Eastern states of India via Dhaka. The services are aimed at improving people to people contact between the neighbouring countries.

There will be two buses on the Kolkata- Agartala route, one of which would be run by the Bengal government and the other by the Tripura government.

The solo bus on the other route will be run by the Bangladesh government.

The Bengal- Tripura bus service reduces the distance between the states by 560 km.

In the flag off ceremony on the first day of Modi's visit, he handed over a symbolic ticket of the Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata service to Hasina and she handed over a symbolic ticket of Dhaka-ShillongGuwahati service to her

Indian counterpart.

Mamata gave Hasina a symbolic ticket of the Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala service.

Mamata-Hasina bonhomie: Hitting bulls eye with his political timing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to only include Mamata Banerjee in his delegation has borne fruits. The most talked about minister to participate in the PM's visit to Bangladesh, not only did she command over the historic exchange of instruments of ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement, she also flagged off two new bus routes connecting both the countries, with the two prime ministers.

Although she failed to perform as far as the Teesta Agreement goes, it would not have been possible until she prepared a plan for north Bengal, which, needs to wait until the 2016 elections.

Mamata was a guest of Hasina's at the February 21 Language Day celebrations where she had publicly stated that she would push both pacts.

In the elation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to Dhaka, with media from both the countries following his every move, the Teesta river crisis found special mention and focus.

There is a tinge of disappointment in the manner the most important problem was handled by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Several media sources have quoted as “saddened” by the chief minister's 'studied silence' on the issue. While newspapers like the “Daily Observer” carried a long story about the drastic fall in the Teesta water level and how it is affecting the environment, a “Daily Star” editorial has decidedly been more direct, calling the Bengal Chief Minister's silence hurtful, especially after her promises.

"Mamata Banerjee's assurance in February this year, during her last visit, that we should have faith

in her on the Teesta watersharing deal was a very positive signal for us that a seemingly intractable problem was going to be resolved at last. We are disappointed that we heard nothing from her in this regard in her present visit. The resolution seems not likely soon, primarily because of Paschim Banga's politics," the paper wrote.

"While Modi's confidence on Teesta is heartening, it is predicated on the support of Paschim Banga. Thus our call to Paschim Banga chief minister to rise above petty party politics for the sake of good neighbourliness."

No Teesta pact dampens Bangla media’s euphoria

MODI’S BANGLADESH VISIT

India extends $2bn credit to Bangladesh

In a win win pact, the Indian government is extending a $ 2 billion line of credit to Bangladesh which is expected to open 50,000 jobs in India and boost Modi's 'Make in India' drive. The line of credit will provide loans at subsidised rates from agencies such as the Exim Bank. These are normally conditional on the recipient using the loan amount to buy equipment and services from Indian entities such as BHEL, RITES and small and medium enterprises.

“We have already provided $862 million line of credit to Bangladesh and this $2 billion is going to provide a big boost to project exports from India and help Indian companies,” Yaduvendra

Mathur, chairman and managing director of Export Import Bank of India said.

Under the line of cred-

it (LOC) a minimum of 75% of goods and services needs to be of Indian origin and must be procured from India. Exim

Bank of India's LOCs are boosting the country's international trade and project exports and it plays an active role in supporting Indian project exporters to execute developmental projects in over 60 countries which in turn provide immense opportunities to Indian firms to demonstrate their project execution capabilities.

The government has so far, provided 225 LOCs to 61 countries under the Development and Economic Assistance Scheme. These LOCs have been extended to countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Oceania and the CIS, totalling $14.87 billion. Over 170 Indian companies have executed or are executing projects worth $7 billion.

Modi meets former PM Khaleda Zia

On the second day of his visit to Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met former Bangladesh Prime Minister and the leader of the Opposition, Khaleda Zia. She has sought his intervention to restore democracy in the country and conveyed to Modi that there is no democracy in the country, emphasising that the voices of the people need to be heard to ensure 'actual development.' “It was a very good meeting,” the leader said after a 30 minute long meeting at Hotel Sonargaon.

"We apprised him about lack of democracy in Bangladesh. We told Modi that actual development cannot take place without democracy. We conveyed that he has been focusing on strengthening Saarc but at the same time efforts must be made to bring back democracy in Bangladesh," Zia's spokesperson Moin Khan told reporters.

Leaders of other political parties, including the left, also called on Modi where they raised key issues such as, cross-border terrorism, religious fundamentalism, extremism and the issue regarding sharing of water. They stroked that both the countries need to work together to address these challenges.

Hasanul Haq Inu, President of Jatiyo Samajtrantik Dal, said both the countries face the same challenges and asserted they be met unitedly. "He is a doer, he is pragmatic and he has dynamism and energy to bring prosperity to this region. It is because of him the law providing for implementation of LBA was approved in Indian parliament," Sharif Nurul Ambia, general secretary of Jatityo Samajtrantik Dal, said.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Dear Financial Voice Reader, What if buying and selling shares, or currency was like a game? What if the profits appeared instantly online? What if you just had to click, ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ based on graphs of how the shares were moving?

It is little wonder that the largest stock market quoted gaming company in the US owns a financial trading brokerage. Why is this important? Because people are scared by investing, trading. They need it to be user friendly.

If you can get the public to use iPads and download apps and play on Facebook things like Candy Crush, then you can certainly teach them the stock market.

It’s why I created a platform making it that simple; http://inter.tradermind.com – if your grandmother can find channel Star Plus on Sky, then trading has to be equally easy.

It has to be that you can see your balance instantly.

It has to be you click ‘buy’ and you can see the price move up and down immediately. It has to be you can put as little as nothing in your account and practice for free and feel comfortable. It has to be if you put in £500 via your credit or debit card, the broker also puts in £500 because you are finding your way.

All these things are vital otherwise we will never have people doing something more valuable than playing games and wasting their time, when they could be learning a new skill. And what about losing?

The key is to practice first. Buy some HSBC or Marks and Spencer at the click of one button. See how you get on before putting in real money.

Like games, these stock market sites now let you trade with just a few pounds. But how do you know what to buy and sell?

Most people, like with playing online games, find strategies or have view eg ‘I love the service at Barclays, I think I may buy some’ or ‘ I notice the share price of Berkeley Homes keeps going up, or of Apple, I think that will last at least another week or month, I’ll buy some.’

The thing that stops most people learning new important skills is the unknown. Or the feeling something is not for them. Well since you can invest in a demo account, the stock market is for everyone because you can do it without risking any money.

And since you can do these things on an smartphone, or tablet or computer, it means you can be doing other things too at the same time, than just checking up on Facebook or playing Game of Thrones.

So learn a new skill now.

Tata Steel workers in UK plan strike on June 22

Tata Steel workers in Britain will go on strike on June 22, the GMB union said, marking the biggest industrial action in the British steel industry in over three decades.

Other unions involved in the action are Community, Unite and UCATT. The four unions are in dispute with the company over proposed changes to their final salary pension scheme.

Ahead of June 22, the unions plan to embark on industrial action plan, involving an overtime ban and a work to rule, from around the middle of next week.

"It’s time Tata Steel got back round the table and looked for a way to resolve this dispute. Our members are ready for industrial action and the company should heed the message that their workforce is delivering,” Dave Hulse, GMB National Officer,

said. Tata Steel said in a statement that it would shortly be announcing new measures to lessen the impact of the proposed changes to its pension scheme, which it says has a projected shortfall of over £2 billion.

"We hope that these important changes to our proposals will be welcomed by employees and that the trade unions reconsider industrial action," said the company.

Earlier, a news channel reported that Tata Steel Chairman Cyrus Mistry had written a letter to British Prime Minister David Cameron, softening the company's stance in the dispute.

The threat of a strike is seen as a possible deterrent to future investment in the British steel industry, which has struggled to operate profitably despite government measures to help boost the sector.

Rajan’s comments upset government officials

RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's blunt comments on interest rates and growth have upset government officials. Officials said that there was a feeling in North Block that the governor could have toned down some of his comments. The latest sign of unease between the finance ministry and the RBI comes at a time when steps had been taken by the government to bridge the gap between the two key managers of the economy.

There is a view emerging that Rajan's comments on the monsoon situation and government response could have been made with a more positive tone, especially when market commentators and participants are seen to have "over-reacted" to the weather office's bleak

Raghuram Rajan

monsoon forecast.

Similarly, he made some frank observations on the policy towards the minimum support price for farm products, for long a political issue and a point of stress even among ministries at the Centre. When asked, finance minister Arun Jaitley declined to comment on the governor's statement.

Officials, however,

said some of Rajan's comments were seen to be suggesting what path the government should take for overall economic management, something that the RBI has frowned upon whenever officials in Delhi have suggested that the central bank should cut interest rates to boost growth. For the past few years, the relationship between the RBI and the finance ministry has been tenuous, starting with the time when Pranab Mukherjee set up the Financial Sector Development Council to be headed by the finance minister. While interest rate has always been a bone of contention, the government believes that the RBI is always trying to resist structural change in a bid to protect its turf.

The latest instance is set-

ting up of an independent public debt management agency, a proposal moved

by Jaitley in the Budget.

Amid a volley of protest from Rajan and his team, the government postponed the legislative change, pending further discussions with the central bank. The RBI watchers see this as two institutions smoking a peace pipe. But, Rajan's comments appear to have triggered speculation of a rocky ride ahead.

"The RBI is not a cheer leader. Our job is to give people confidence in the value of the rupee, in the prospects of inflation, and having established that confidence, create a longer-term framework for good decisions to be made," Rajan had said at a post-policy conference call with the media.

tunes without raising new capital or changing strategy yet again.

Jain decided that whoever was going to see through the strategy at Deutsche Bank needed to commit to a full five years and he was not able to do this, a source familiar with the situation said. He first discussed this with coCEO Fitschen and the pair then agreed that they would both offer their resignation to Achleitner.

Achleitner then let the supervisory board know of their decision, the source added.

Jain, an Indian-born British citizen, landed the top spot at Deutsche in 2012 after the investment banking division he ran consistently delivered up to 85 per cent of group profit and frequently outperformed peers. calling for more radical cuts at the investment bank, which Gulliver ran for five years but where returns have suffered in tough market conditions.

"The cuts provide significant headroom for the group to fund asset growth in Asia and absorb RWA inflation, whilst protecting its ability to pay a progressive dividend," said Gurpreet Singh Sahi, analyst at Goldman Sachs.

The bank lowered its target for return on equity to greater than 10 per cent by 2017, down from a previous target of 12-15 per cent by 2016.

Deutsche Bank appoints Briton as new CEO in place of Ansu Jain

Germany's largest lender Deutsche Bank has appointed Briton John Cryan as chief executive to replace Anshu Jain just two weeks after Jain was given more power to reorganise the bank. The bank has been struggling to restore its image tarnished by a raft of regulatory and legal problems which include probes into alleged manipulation of benchmark interest rates, misselling of derivatives, tax evasion and money laundering.

The German lender made a radical management shake-up on May 21 in a last ditch attempt to restore confidence in its management, but some investors demanded more changes. Cryan, 54, has been on the bank's supervisory board since 2013 and was a former chief

financial officer of rival bank UBS. He will replace co-CEO Jain, who will resign on June 30, and become the sole CEO when the other co-CEO, Juergen Fitschen, steps down next year, the bank said.

Cryan said there was work to be done. "Our future will be defined by how well we deliver on strategy, impress clients and reduce complexity," he

said. The new CEO, who starts on July 1, was involved in the bank's new strategy blueprint and is unlikely to make significant changes to it, a senior bank source said.

The strategic plan has been criticized by investors as too little too late. "A lot of detail is still needed on it," said Chris Wheeler, bank analyst at Atlantic Equities in London. "Does the new person say they want to review it or say it's fine ...

It's a massive job still to do. It's one of the world's biggest investment banks and Germany's national champion."

Analysts at investment bank Jeffries praised Cryan's track record at UBS for "underpromising to over-deliver," saying he would be more likely to reverse Deutsche's ill for-

HSBC will cut almost 50,000 jobs and slash its investment bank, cutting the assets of Europe's biggest lender by a quarter in a bid to simplify and improve its sluggish performance. The move is likely to affect about 7,000 to 8,000 jobs in UK itself.

The bank said about half the staff cuts will come from the sale of businesses in Brazil and Turkey. The other half will come from cutting about 10 per cent of the remaining 233,000 staff by consolidating IT and back office operations and clos-

ing branches.

The cuts will leave HSBC with about 208,000 full-time staff by 2017, down from 295,000 at the end of 2010 and 258,000 at the end of 2014, although the bank said it would be hiring in growth businesses and its compliance division.

The cuts are part of a second attempt by Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver to boost profits since he took over charge at the start of 2011. The previous effort was foiled by high compliance costs, fines, low interest rates and sluggish growth.

"Slaughtering the staff is not necessarily the solution unless management makes the bank considerably less complex," said James Antos, analyst at Mizuho Securities Asia.

HSBC said it would cut its assets on a risk adjusted basis (RWA) by $290 billion by 2017. That will include a reduction of a third, or $140 billion, in global banking and markets (GBM), its investment bank. That means GBM will account for less than a third of HSBC's balance sheet, down from 40 per cent now.

Investors had been

Anshu Jain

HSBC to cut about 8,000 jobs in UK

REAL ESTATE VOICE

Paying tax - a good problem to have

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

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Recently we finalised the sale of a property, the property is on the corner of Kilburn High Road and Palmerston Road. It is being sold for £4.85m; the property was purchased in July 2013 for a purchase price of £2.675m.

We were lucky we were able to grab this deal, as we were not the front bidders, apparently someone had the contract in at over £3m, but they and their lawyers were taking very long to do the deal.

We hounded the agent and they finally relented and sent us another contract, and within three days we had raised the £1.4m required and took a view on all the issues the property had and had exchanged on the deal.

The property came with its fair share of problems, enforcement notices, illegal planning and the roof was about to collapse. In fact due to one of the issues our lawyer advised us not to do this deal as we may not be able to get any funding. We listened, but we didn’t follow his advice.

T h e prop erty wa s exc h an ged on Fri da y at ab out 5: 30 pm . T h ere wa s a c h a nc e i f we le f t t h i s o v e r t h e w e e ke nd t h e o t h e r s id e , t h o u gh t h e y h a d b e e n p l oddi ng th ei r feet, woul d al l of a s udde n de vel op l a ser foc u s and exc h an ge, and so we did n ot w ant this deal to spill over into the w eekend.

The property required a large injection to bring it up to standard, however the money used to develop the property came not from our pockets but from a kind housing association who kindly gave us around £400k to develop the property in return for renting half of the property back to them. The property is bringing a healthy income of £250k per annum.

When the offer came in, the majority of the investors were happy to exit but one particular stubborn investor did not want to go with the majority, and insisted the property should be kept. The agreement states if the majority wish to sell above a predefined price then the asset must be sold.

The only way the individual can hold the asset is if he buys it at the same price within the same time frame, then he can stay in the deal with his own funds. This investor has deep pockets and so agreed... so we are exiting this investment leaving one person in. The agreements we have in place are well thought out and cover all possible eventualities, there are restrictions even on what we can do. The money is handled by another FCA authorised firm, our problems should be restricted to property problems and nothing else.

The property was purchased in a Limited Partnership structure, this means everyone is responsible for their own tax.

then the allowance does not apply. A capital gain in this case means you have nearly 25% of your profits tax free.

Of course it’s in his interest to call this a gain, my limited understanding is this can be classed as a capital gain, but if you do many of these then it will be classed as trading. But we are waiting for more firm advice on this, as the label will affect all the investors.

Whatever you call it, it at least is a good problem to have, it means you have made some money. Otherwise where is the question of tax?

We can either sell the vehicle we have used to hold the property or the property itself. Again the lawyers are working to see what is best.

T h e t i m i n g o f t h i s d e a l i s p e r f e c t a s w e a re j u s t getting the cont ract in for a nother developme nt close b y. I t ’ s a s i m i l a r s i t u a t i o n , t h i s p r o p e r t y t o o i s 9 , 0 0 0 s q . f t . a n d i s a n u n t o u c h e d p ro p e r t y, e v e r y t h i n g e l s e around it ha s bee n de veloped. An d this one has the poten tia l to be 1 4,00 0 sq. ft. adding a nother 5,0 00 sq. ft. t o i t. The b lock i s b ei ng purchas ed as offi ces but und er per mitted developme nt c a n be converted to a re s i de nt i al sc h e m e , t h e p ro pe r t y h as b e e n c h e c ke d b y o u r a rc h i t e c t w h o h a s c o n f i r m e d t h e c o n v e r s i o n and ex tens io ns c an b e don e - in s ho rt h a s c onfi rm ed this is a gem.

O n e o f t h e i n v e s t o r s w h o p u t i n a £ 1 2 0 k i s d u e t o re c e i v e h i s m o n e y b a c k p l u s £ 9 0 k p r o f i t w i t h i n t h e t w o y e a r s , h e w a s r i g h t l y c o n c e r n e d r e g a rd i n g the tax this money will attract. The point he wanted to clarify was whether w e ca ll this a cap ital g ain or a tr ad e. A ca pita l ga in is good and a tr ade is bad.

A capital gain is good because there’s capital gains allowance of £11,100 for the current tax year per individual.

This means in the case of a couple, which this was, you can have £22,200 with no tax at all. If it is called a trading income

The Real Deal

From the surface it looks like a building which will generate similar returns from the one we are in the process of exiting.

Though the property required £1.4m of cash, the investors have only £600k buried in this deal. We had the property refinanced in December 2014 and released £800k back to all the investors.

This is an important point, as now we are focusing more on recycling the cash rather than the property. We look to add value but rather than sell the asset to release the gain we refinance to release the original funds. In terms of investors’ money, now there is only 12% of the property value in the deal.

In a couple of years it is envisaged this too could be released with the asset being held with no money locked in the deal. A good place to be.

All the financing on this property was done on a nonrecourse basis. This means no personal guarantees have been given by any of the investors.

The new deal should be opening for investment, if you haven’t signed up with us and have been sitting on the fence, now would be a good time to do so.

Maida Vale, London, W9 Purchase Price: £600k l A spacious three bedroom flat within a purpose built block l Long lease l Lift l Properties in this location are being sold for around £900 per sq. ft. and above while this is coming in at around £700 per sq. ft. l Close to the wonderful open spaces of Paddington Recreation Ground, Regents Park and the amenities of St John’s Wood and Little Venice l Very good buy and hold opportunity Call us now to reserve!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

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Tips of the Week l Decision making and speed are two characteristics which separate the investors who make money and those who do not.

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20

BUSINESS

Award-winning film shows how trade in Kashmir is building peace

An initiative to encourage greater interaction and confidence across the Line of Control in Kashmir has been recognised with an industry award. The ‘Trading for peace’ innovation, led by London-based peacebuilding organisation, Conciliation Resources, was captured in a film submitted to Bond’s I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development ‘Positive Collaboration’ award.

The unique initiative has involved working for the past six years, against a backdrop of violent conflict, with local networks of businesspersons, journalists, labourers, academics and civil society on both sides of the Line of Control in Kashmir.

The Governments of India and Pakistan first introduced the idea of trade between the two sides of Kashmir in 2008.

Conciliation Resources and partners then began working together to set up the practical infrastructure for this trade, providing impetus to the process and expanding its reach to and ownership by a wider population in Kashmir.

The collaboration has involved all parties working together to facilitate

Sales hike for Lycamobile

Lycamobile founder, Subaskaran Allirajah

Lycamobile UK, founded by Sri Lankan-born Subaskaran Allirajah in 2006, has received a major raise to its recorded revenues in 2014- sue to the changes in the way it draws up its accounts.

The changes added £45.7 million to the lowcost telecoms operator's stated income, boosting the turnover to £201.4 million for the year to the end of February 2014.

However, the company saw a decline in its pretax profits by more than halve to £1.9 million, compared to £4.1 million in the last 12 months.

Subaskaran Allirajah is also one of the Conservative party's biggest donors- He had paid £210,000 for a Margaret Thatcher bronze statue at a Conservative fundraising dinner. The Lycamobile's accounts also show that the company had contributed approximately £150,000 during 2013-14 to the Conservative party.

communication across the divide, provide technical expertise to local trade associations and inform governments about the needs on the ground. It has also included taking the beginnings of a Jammu and Kashmir Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, conceived of by the two governments, and developing this into the first ever solid cross Line of Control institution – which is now going from strength to strength.

Jonathan Cohen, Conciliation Resources’ Acting Executive Director, commented, “We are delighted to accept this award on behalf of all the people who have been involved in this initiative.

It provides recognition for the hard-work, commitment, courage and creativity shown by our partners in Kashmir. It also demonstrates the value of sustained efforts to build confidence through practical collaboration thereby

contributing to long-term peace.”

Impact at local and political levels This trade is providing tangible economic benefits to both those involved and wider communities along the Line of Control.

More importantly though, it is connecting people and building relationships across cultural and physical divides; providing greater security for people living near the Line of Control; and bringing people who are usually excluded, into the broader peace process.

It is also having an impact at a political level, as Conciliation Resources’ South Asia Programme Director, Tahir Aziz, says, “In this highly volatile and inflammatory political context, this trade initiative is evidence of something that is working that both governments can get behind. It is the only positive initiative that has sustained through very strained India-Pakistan relations.

It has promoted a different view and generated a different kind of conversation within Kashmir, and shows people what it is possible to achieve”.

The Bond

I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development Awards were established to ‘celebrate inspiring development’. Bond’s CEO, Ben Jackson states, “The Bond Positive Collaboration Award recognises effective relationships and collaborations within and across sectors and disciplines. Working in a hugely risky environment, Conciliation Resources has created lasting partnerships from the ground up. This inspiring project has given local people a stake in peace and enabled them to build their own futures through trade and collaboration.”

A link to the film ‘Trading for Peace' can be found here. This initiative was supported by the EU, Ploughshares Fund and the UK's Department for I n t e r n a t i o n a l Development.

A longer film explaining more about this trade initiative, produced by two filmmakers across the Line of Control will be released in the coming weeks. This film forms the final part of a trilogy of films. View the other two films: A journey through the river Vitasta and Faith divided: spirituality caught in conflict

Outgoing MD Bhupinder Singh

New MD Niraj Gupta

PNB appoints new MD in the UK

Punjab National Bank (International) Limited (PNBIL), a UK incorporated bank operating through 7 branches and having corporate office at 1, Moorgate London, has appointed Niraj Gupta as its new managing director in place of Bhupinder Singh, who will be returning to India to join the parent bank.

At the farewell function, Bhupinder Singh said, “I am delighted that after three and a half years at the helm of PNBIL, I go back with a sense of satisfaction as these were one of the best times of my life.

It has been a great pleasure working with the customers, members of the management board, staff, and other organisations.

The bank has been able to achieve greater heights while serving to the society. I thankfully appreciate your support and understanding as we have achieved so much together. I am confident that under the leadership of Gupta, the bank is des-

tined for a vibrant future ahead with the necessary building blocks in place. I wish you would accord the same access to my successor whom I highly recommend as a dependable person.”

"This is a great time to take charge of PNBIL and I am really excited about it,” says Gupta. “The banks have been instrumental in contributing towards economic development and service to the society and the expectations from the banks post financial crisis make the role of all those involved in the banking sector ever more important and I am

sincerely hopeful that PNBIL can play a key role in meeting these significant changes."

Gupta is a seasoned banker with an experience of over 30 years in various verticals of banking. He was working as head of circle/zone with the bank in India which serves to more than 90 million customers through more than 6,800 branches. With full responsibility for the leadership and development of PNBIL, Gupta will play a pivotal role in meeting the bank’s strategic goals as well as building on the firm's outstanding reputation for personalised service and delivery to clients.

In a relief for the crisis-hit Sahara Group, the Indian company has sealed the sale of its Grosvenor House hotel in London and two US properties Plaza and Dream Downtown - in an $850 million debt refinance deal, reports said. The group has

been trying to raise funds through monetisation of its various assets, including three overseas hotels to secure the release of chairman Subrata Roy, currently lodged in Tihar Jail in New Delhi for over a year.

According to the report, by the deal, which

is worth the approximate equivalent of Rs 55 billion, the Reuben brothers "have taken control of the Grosvenor House in London and two other luxury hotels in New York through a $850 million debt deal".

"David and Simon

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Maria Fernandes

Civil penalties for landlords

Last year the Government brought in new regulations which placed duties on private landlords to check the documents of a tenant before renting property out. The regulations have initially been piloted in the north but will be rolled out nationally.

Having regard to the questions asked about this issue it would be useful to have a question and answer format.

Who is affected by the rules?

Landlords and their agents who rent property to a person as their main or only home.

Who can a landlord rent to?

Property can only be rented to British Citizens, EU nationals, Swiss nationals and those who have the “right to rent.”

A person has a right to rent if they have permission to remain in the UK. An agreement must be restricted to the period the person is allowed to remain. Follow up checks will be required if a person has limited leave.

Which types of property are affected?

The rules apply to all types of private residential agreements which include leases and licences. Lodgers would be included .There are exemptions for: • student halls of residence, • accommodation provided by universities or colleges even if it is private, • care homes and hospices, provided by an employer, • Refugee and homeless hostels which are charitable or non-profit making organisations.

• leases for over 7 years • holiday accommodation • accommodation provided by a local authority • categories of social housing where immigration is already an issue What is the process?

The landlord must

check a specified list of documents which typically include passports, biometric cards. If these are not available for any reason, checks can be made to a dedicated Home Office address and you should expect a response within 2 working days. To conduct the check it would be necessary to have at the very least a Home Office reference number. The number to ring is 0300 069 9799.

The process must be repeated when the permission of the tenant is coming to an end.

Does the law apply to existing tenants?

Tenancies that began before the 01/12/2014 are exempted from this provision which includes any renewals providing if the parties and conditions remain the same and there is no break between the tenancies.

Does the landlord have a right to evict the tenant?

Landlords will still need to carry out the usual eviction procedures. These issues are separate the procedures that apply under the landlord and tenant legislation. If a person originally had permission to rent but no longer has that right, the landlord will not have to serve an eviction notice but will be under a duty to inform the Home Office.

What are the consequences of noncompliance?

A fine of £3000 per adult. You will be issued with a Civil Penalty notice and will have 28 days to object and if unsuccessful a further 28 days to appeal to the County Court.

Will this mean that a landlord can refuse to rent to a person who appears to be a migrant?

Landlords must be aware that there are tough anti-discrimination laws in place. A landlord cannot discriminate on grounds of colour, race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

To contact Maria Fernandes, please email at: info@fernandesvaz.com

Sahara clinches $850 mn debt deal for foreign hotels Reuben, whose empire stretches from data centres to horse racing, clinched the purchase of two loans against the properties from Bank of China late last week," it added. The Bank of China put Grosvenor House under "administration" early in March for

recovery of its loans.

Sahara had said that the Grosvenor House hotel was being "treated under default" because the Bank of China has declared "an event of default" on the US loans owing to some "technical breaches" in the financial covenants.

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

21

Foreign Exchange

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

Greece delay payments to IMF Greece confirmed that they will not be making the €300million payment to the IMF as they have found a loop hole that allows them to bundle the whole of Junes four payments together as one €1.6Bn payment at the end of the month.

“Under an executive board decision adopted in the late 1970s, country members can ask to bundle together multiple principal payments falling due in a calendar month. The decision was intended to address the administrative difficulty of making multiple payments in a short period,” he added.

Tsipras emerged from Wednesday night’s talks with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem in a confident mood, insisting that an agreement would be found in the coming days. But the Syriza leader returned to Greece to discover outrage from sections of his ruling party over Brussels’ ongoing demands. His coalition government reassured the public that it will not accept “extreme proposals” laid out in the latest

reform plans, while Tsipras spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande via conference call.

According to a Greek government official, Tsipras told Merkel and Hollande that the lenders’ proposal could not lead to a deal because it was not taking into account the progress made in Brussels. However, as this is becoming commonplace, the official insisted there was optimism that a deal could be reached soon.

The UK’s biggest business body (CBI) said that it believes the economy will grow healthily for the remainder of the year, after stalling in the first three months. To the surprise of most economists, the UK economy grew by just 0.3 per cent from January to March, its slowest rate since 2012. If it continued expanding at that rate, economic growth would barely surpass 1.2 per cent this year. Yet the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents around 190,000 firms, believes this will be a blip.

It predicts the economy will

bounce back to grow by 2.4 per cent this year. The rebound is expected to be immediate, with the business body anticipating 0.8 per cent growth in the economy from April to June. Despite growth prospects looking healthy at home, the CBI warned there are headwinds to the recovery, with a still sluggish Eurozone and renewed uncertainty over Greece’s economic future.

Consumer spending accelerated in May as shoppers splashed out on hotels, restaurants and bars. Spending

climbed 2.6 per cent in May compared to the same month last year. The last three months have seen the strongest three-month average increase in expenditure since January 2008.

Spending on hotels, restaurants and bars shot up 10.3 per cent on the year. Consumers also spent 3.9 per cent more on recreation and culture. High street spending was 3.2 per cent greater than it was in May 2014, the fastest gain for over a year.

The US jobs market produced a spring spurt to banish the winter weakness. Employers added 280,000 jobs in May, the most in five months, further dispelling fears that a first-quarter slowdown would take hold.

Hourly earnings climbed from a year ago by the most since August 2013, while an increase in the number of people entering the US Jobs market caused the unemployment rate to creep up to 5.5 percent from 5.4 percent.

The report bolstered the case for Federal Reserve policy makers to begin raising rates this year.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 9th June 2015 @ 5pm

GBP - INR = 98.29

USD - INR = 63.97 EUR - INR = 72.11 GBP - USD = 1.54 GBP - EUR = 1.36

EUR - USD = 1.13 GBP - AED = 5.64

GBP - CAD = 1.89

GBP - NZD = 2.15

GBP - AUD = 2.00

GBP - ZAR = 19.12

GBP - HUF = 426.13

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.

08th June 2015

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WORLD

22

Kashmir an unfinished agenda of partition: Pak army chief

International Yoga Day to be telecast live at Times Square

Islamabad: A day after India accused Pakistan of "forcible and illegal occupation" of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan army chief General Raheel Sharif said that Pakistan and Kashmir were "inseparable."

Describing Kashmir as "an unfinished agenda of Partition" he linked lasting peace in the region to the resolution of the Kashmir problem as per the UN resolutions that call for a plebiscite in J&K. "While we wish for peace and stability in the region, we want Kashmir's just resolution in the light of the United Nations resolutions and as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people to bring lasting peace in the region," he said while addressing a seminar at the National Defence University here.

The remarks came a day after India dismissed June 8 polls in GilgitBaltistan as Islamabad's "attempt to camouflage its forcible and illegal occupation of the region", which was part of the princely state of Kashmir before 1947.

Sharif said that contours of future wars were fast changing. "While our enemies are supporting terrorism to stoke subconventional conflicts and destabilize our country, we are fully determined,

The celebrations for the first United Nations International Day of Yoga at the world body's headquarters, will be broadcast live to an audience of thousands at Times Square, on Sunday 21st June 2015.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and General Assembly President Sam Kutesa will be gracing the occasion. There will be India-led celebrations as well, which will feature a special lecture and demonstration by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living founder.

There will also be another celebration of this prominent day at Times Square on 21st June where thousands will be performing yoga exercises.

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's memorable address to the Indian-American community from the iconic Madison Square Garden last year was also telecast live on the giant electronic billboards at Times Square.

Asian Voice Newsweekly Bumper & Trustworthy News Various informative/inspiring columns, Subscribers also receive sevaral Theme based Special issue, Diwali Magazines, Annual Calender delivered at home

capable of defeating nefarious designs," he said.

He claimed Pakistan was opposed to the use proxies against other countries and would not allow any country to use proxies versus his country.

General Sharif's statement is the latest in the series of statements from Pakistan accusing India of stoking terrorism in Pakistan and destabilizing the country. Top government officials here have said India was attempting to sabotage Pakistan's $46 billion agreements with China.

Separately, Pakistani foreign office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah said India maintained "its illegal hold on Jammu & Kashmir by suppressing Kashmiri Muslims and holding sham elections at gunpoint" while responding to his Indian counterpart's statement on GilgitBaltistan.

He echoed Sharif and

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said the Kashmir dispute stems from India's "constant refusal" to implement the UN resolutions, "which provide for a just solution of the Kashmir issue". "Kashmir is an internationally recognized dispute, pending final settlement through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices, as enshrined in numerous UN resolutions," he said.

"Under these resolutions no material change is allowed. Yet India, in complete violation of these resolutions, calls it a state of the union.

53 bodies found in Nepal trekking village

Kathmandu: Bodies of 53 trekkers and villagers buried in avalanches set off by an earthquake in Nepal in April have been recovered when soldiers and police started digging through snow and rocks for signs of more victims in the trekking village.

Search and rescue operations had been suspended in the village of Langtang, 60 km north of Kathmandu, last month as fresh avalanches buried some of the 128 bodies that had been recovered, putting rescue workers in danger.Soldiers from the army's disaster response unit resumed the search after the risk from avalanches abated and recovered 53 bodies, including three of foreign trekkers over the weekend, the military said in a statement. "It is still confusing whether all these 53 bodies are new or also included those that were washed away by the avalanche after being recovered earlier," army spokesman Brigadier General Jagadish Chandra Pokharel said.

Uddhav Bhattarai, senior bureaucrat of Rasuwa district where Langtang is located, said scores of soldiers, joined by police and villagers were looking for more than a dozen trekkers and Nepalis missing since the April 25 earthquake. Rasuwa, bordering Tibet, is one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake and another on May 12 which together claimed 8,773 lives in Nepal's worst natural disaster on record.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

In Brief

Women barred from voting in local elections in Pak

Islamabad: The Election Commission in the KhyberPakhtunkhwa province has ordered re-elections after elders of the region barred women from voting. The election was held on May 7 in Lower Dir region and won by a candidate of right-wing Islamic party, Jamat-iIslami. Media and Civil Society groups informed the absence of the women in the polling stations. The Election Commission of Pakistan has now ordered a repoll in the constituency. Aizaz-ul-Mulk, the winner, has however, criticised the decision and will challenge it in the Supreme Court.

UAE-based Indian clears US Ivy League

Dubai: A teenager of Indian origin has been accepted by five American Ivy League schools this year. A student of Dubai College, Anya Malik received acceptances from Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn and Dartmouth. She however, chose to go to Yale, Connecticut, US to pursue a joint major in Economics and Math. When asked why, she said, “In the US, I'll be able to study Economics and Maths, but also do French, and also take a class in Physics and also take a class in Psychology.” 16 other students of Dubai College have received offers from the Ivy League schools.

China lifts sunken ship from river, toll 396

Beijing: The death toll in the Chinese cruise ship that capsized in the mighty Yangtze river jumped to 396, as over 200 more bodies were pulled out, making it China's deadliest maritime disaster. The Eastern Star was on an 11 day trip along Yangtze when a tornado overturned the vessel upside down. Fourteen people have so far survived the disaster, including the captain and chief engineer The relatives of the passengers gathered together to pay homage to their dear ones.

Officials are currently conducting DNA tests to hand over the bodies to their respective families.

Indian-American police man faces trial for sexual assault

Washington: Rajat Sharda, the first police officer of Indian descent on the Worchester, Massachusetts police force, was removed from service on September 2014, following allegations of sexual assault from a Connecticut woman. The 29- year -old woman has testified in courts that Officer Sharda approached her and her boyfriend and asked her to step outside her car, handcuffed her boyfriend and sexually assaulted and threatened her before he left the place. He is charged with sexual assault, open and gross lewdness, witness intimidation and larceny. A court in the US state of Massachusetts has started trial of the police officer.

Saudi upholds 1,000 lashes for blogger

Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court has maintained the sentence of a 1,000 lashes and 10 years of imprisonment issued on blogger Raif Badawi. Badawi's wife Ensaf Haider said she had held high hopes for her husband's release and now feared his punishment would start again. A video footage taken by a member of the Security Forces of the blogger receiving his first 50 lashes prompted international protests. Saudi authorities had sent his case to review after the first round in January. He has not endured the second round as a medical report found him unfit for punishment. Raif Badawi was arrested in 2012 for “insulting Islam through electronic channels.”

Millennium-old Hindu temple discovered in Bangladesh

Dhaka: In a surprise discovery, archaeologists have found a millennium old Hindu temple in North-western Bangladesh. The temple is believed to be built between the 8th and the 9th century in the area which is now called the Meherpur village. The excavation team has now found terracotta plaques, idols and staircase of the temple. The national temple of Bangladesh, the Dhakeshwari Temple, considered the oldest in the country, was built in the 12th century during the Sen dynasty, a family line that came into rule after the Pala kings.

Myanmar's Suu Kyi to make first visit to China

Yangon: Myanmar's opposition leader and Nobel prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, is scheduled to visit China from June 10th to the 14th, following an invitation from the Chinese Communist Party. The visit, her first to China comes at a time of strained diplomatic relations between both the countries. She will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang during her four day tour. China has reassured that there was no political intentions and that the host country has no intentions to interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

In Brief

11 Indo-Canadians honoured for strengthening bilateral ties

Toronto: Eleven Indo-Canadians were honoured in the recent ICCC Annual Awards 2015 in Toronto, for strengthening bilateral ties, business achievements and their contribution to the economy. The winners included Nisha Agnihotri, Prashant Pathak, Avinash Merha, Neeru Gupta, Manjul Bhargava, Hargurdeep Singh, Avish Sood, Rajiv Manucha, Asim Ghosh, Jag Parmar and Venkatesh Mannar. They were congratulated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General David Johnston, Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne and India's High Commissioner to Canada, Vishnu Prakash. The awards were presented by Toronto Mayor John Tory and President of the Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce, DP Jain.

Shailesh Nayak is India's candidate for top WMO post

Geneva: Indian Scientist and bureaucrat, Shailesh Nayak is contesting the elections for the post of Secretary General at the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organisation. The four candidates up for election are Jerry Lengoasa, current WMO Deputy Secretary General from South Africa, Elena Manoenkona, Assistant Secretary General from the Russian Federation, Shailesh Nayak, Secretary of Earth Sciences in India and Petri Tallas, the Director General of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The WMO is a specialised UN agency that deals with the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

Michel Jarraud, the current Director-General, stands down at the end of this year after three terms in office.

Dubai-based Indian entrepreneur to donate half his wealth to charity

Dubai: A 58-year-old Dubai-based Indian education entrepreneur has pledged to give away more than half of his wealth for helping teachers around the world by signing a popular philanthropic campaign.

Kerala-born Sunny Varkey joins the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and fellow Indian Wipro chairman Azim Premji by signing Bill Gates' "The Giving Pledge" campaign. "I am delighted to sign the Giving Pledge. I was fortunate that I grew up in a family where charity was ingrained in us from a very early age. Even when my father earned a small amount, a large portion was shared with the community we lived in, sometimes at the cost of our own comfort," Varkey said.

Arjun Modhwadia visiting UK

Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia, the Congress leader, is on a visit to UK. He was born on 17th of February 1957 in the village of Modhwada. He graduated as a Mechanical Engineer from Lakhdeersinhji Engineering College, Morbi. After graduation, Modhwadia started his professional career as an Assistant Engineer with Gujarat Maritime Board for almost 10 years. In 1993 he quit his job and devoted himself to public service. He became a member of Indian National Congress, in the year 1997. He was elected a Member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly from Porbandar Legislative Constituency in the year 2002. He was appointed the Leader of the Opposition between 2004 and 2007.

Haqqani men behind Kabul guest house attack held

Kabul: Afghanistan intelligence agency has arrested a group of Haqqani network militants who were behind Kabul guest house attack last month that claimed the life of 14, including 4 Indians.

The men have confessed that the attack was planned by Haqqani network commander Qari Abdullah who is based in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's KhyberPakhtunkhwa Province.

One of the suspects, Abdul Wakil, who was working for an NGO helped plot the attack by preparing a fake USAID ID for Ghulam Aziz, another suspect, who then visited the Park Palace guest house in Shahr-e-Naw area and prepared a sketch of the place for the attack.

The attack was finally carried out by another militant identified as Idris who was deployed from Peshawar, it added. Three gunmen stormed the guest house and started firing on May 13 night. All the attackers were killed in the siege that lasted for about seven hours. Four Indians, two Pakistanis and an American were among 14 people killed in the attack

Marriage Notice Mr. Vihar Bhupendra Buch holder of British Passport No. 307872710 and Miss Khusali Samir Oza Indian Passport holder No. G8432994 intend getting married at Abu Dhabi under the Foreign Marriage Act. if any person has any objections, may be conveyed to the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi within 30Day

WORLD

Sikh victim of hate crime awaits justice in US

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Los Angeles: An 82- yearold Sikh who was brutally assaulted outside a Gurudwara in California, USA, still awaits for justice after the third delay in sentencing the accused who mistook him for a Muslim.

Piara Singh was attacked outside the Sikh place of worship in 2013, where he was preparing free meals for the homeless. The Indian suffered head injuries, a punctured lung and was left lying in a pool of his own blood.

Two years later, members of the community still wait for closure in the case, reports said.

The assailant, Gilbert Garcia was initially charged with attempted murder but later admitted to elder abuse and hate crime. Community advocate Grewal said the attack was all the more troubling because the Sikh was believed for a radical Muslim. “The Sikhs have

been attacked all over the United States after 9/11 and this is not acceptable because we have been mistaken as radicals when we are not,” he said.

Legal expert Tony Capozzi said the attack could be classed as a hate crime. “His hatred was the focus, the driving force, towards the belief. And the fact that the victim wasn't of the religion he thought it was is of no consequence.”

Garcia faces a maximum of 13 years in prison as the hate crime enhancement could add as many as three years to Garcia's punishment.

Orlando (Florida): Walt Disney is reported to have laid off around 250 American employees and replaced them with Indian H-1B visa holders, fuelling the deliberation in the United States about immigrants taking away jobs from the locals.

The entertainment company accordingly, informed the 250 employees in October that their jobs are to be transferred to Indian immigrants brought in by an outsourcing firm based in India. Also, the workers had to train their

replacements and teach them their jobs.

“I just couldn't believe they could fly people in to sit at our desks and take over our jobs exactly. It was also humiliating to rain somebody else to take over your job. I still can't grasp it,” a former employee said. Disney officials say the lay-offs are a part of a re-organisation and the company will be opening more positions that it eliminated. “But the lay-offs at Disney and other companies are raising new questions about how businesses

and outsourcing companies are using the temporary visas, known as H-!B, to place immigrants in technology jobs in the US.” A professor of public policy, Ronit Hira said, “The programme has created a high lucrative business model of bringing in cheaper H-1B workers to substitute for Americans.”

These lay-offs have spurred allegations against Obama' government's immigration reforms only helpful to the immigrant workers at the cost of the Americans'.

Disney lays off 250 American staff, hires Indians

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INDIA

Jayalalithaa's assets more than double in four years

Chennai: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa's assets have increased more than double in four years, from Rs 514 million in 2011 to Rs 1.17 billion, according to an affidavit she filed along with her nomination papers for the R K Nagar by-election.

When she filed the affidavit in Srirangam for the 2011 assembly elections, she had movable and immovable assets worth Rs 514 million. The present affidavit shows that the AIADMK

Jayalalithaa chief has movable assets worth Rs 450.4 million and immovable assets worth Rs 720.9 million.

Her Poes Garden residence in Chennai covered

Karnataka to ask TN to reimburse Rs 51.1 mn

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has said it would seek reimbursement of Rs 51.1 million from Tamil Nadu - the money that was spent to conduct the trial of chief minister Jayalalithaa and three others in a disproportionate assets case. They will also claim the expenditure incurred on matters related to the home department, including the security cover given to the AIADMK supremo.

“We will claim Rs 51.1 million plus money from Tamil Nadu government which was spent on handling the case in Bengaluru. The home ministry is working on calculating expenses incurred on providing security to the Tamil Nadu chief minister.” law minister T B Jayachandra told reporters.

This decision came four days after the Karnataka government decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against

market value of Rs 4225,000. Gold articles weighing 21kg and 280grams and silver articles weighing 1,250kg, seized in connection with the disproportionate assets case, were lying in the treasury of the Karnataka government. Their value could not be ascertained, she said. Jayalalithaa, who was sworn in as chief minister two weeks ago, has to seek election to the state assembly within six months of taking office.

35 FIRs against KCR for defaming Naidu

Jayalilathaa's acquittal that restored her chief ministership last month.

The apex court had transferred the case to Bengaluru on November 18, 2003, after DMK Secretary K Anbazhagan approached it contending that a fair trial was not possible in Tamil Nadu with Jayalalithaa as the chief minister.

The law department, after necessary findings and calculations, had arrived at Rs 51.1 million to be claimed from the neighbouring state for incurring expenses on matters related to his department, Jayachandra said. Jayalalithaa was acquitted by Karnataka High Court on May 11 in the 19-year-old case. It also exonerated AIADMK chief's close aide Sasikala Natarajan and the latter's relatives J Elavarasi and V N Sudhakaran, disowned foster son of Jayalalithaa, giving relief from the conviction of four years for all.

Hyderabad: The tussle between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh triggered by the note-for-vote scam got uglier with TDP members lodging police complaints against TRS president and CM Chandrashekhar Rao, charging him with tapping the phone of his Andhra counterpart Chandrababu Naidu.

Nearly 35 complaints were filed and as many FIRs registered against KCR in several police stations across Andhra Pradesh. TDP workers also staged protests across the state and burnt effigies of the Telangana CM. The provocation for TDP leaders to lodge complaints against KCR was the airing of an audio conversation by a Telangana TV channel that replayed an alleged conversation between Naidu and nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson.

AP information minister Palle Raghunatha

case the glorious legacy of Sikh Panth," Badal said.

The State is making arrangements for the three day event, including the stay of hundreds of thousands. Anandpur Sahib is home to the second most important Sikh shrine, Takht Keshgarh Sahib, after the 'Harmandar Sahib' in Amritsar. It attracts hundreds of devotees daily with the rush much bigger on weekends and days of religious importance.

The shrine and the town are famous as it was here in 1699 that the 10th guru, Guru Gobind Singh, baptized five men (Panj Piaras) and founded the Khalsa Panth.

Chandigarh: BJP leader Ashwin Chopra has questioned the reason behind IAS officers like Ashok Khemka being sidelined when the Haryana chief minister himself has promised a corruption free governance.

“I thought an honest officer like Khemka will be given an important department where he could further unearth scams of the previous Congress government, but that thing has not happened. The whole matter is going to cold storage,” he said. He also said a few bureaucrats are “suffocating” because of the Manohar Lal Khattar's honesty and drive to fight graft at all levels.

Talking further about Khemka, who had cancelled the mutation of land deal involving Robert Vadra and realty major DLF during the previous Congress regime, the Karnal MP said, “I talk in a free and direct manner..

Sikh religious place Anandpur Sahib painted white Anandpur: The small religious town of Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, has been painted white on occasion of its 350th birthday.

Punjab government has revealed plans of major celebrations from June 17 to 19. “Most government buildings and others have been painted in white.

This is giving the town a unique and fresh look,” said a resident.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, has set up a high-level committee comprising the chief secretary and other officers to make arrangements for the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is invited to participate in the rejoicing, who has confirmed his visit on 19th June. "Dignitaries and eminent religious personalities are being invited for the event. I have directed officers to ensure the commemoration of the 350th year of Sri Anandpur Sahib in a befitting manner. It will show-

one third of her declared assets. She has estimated that the land with a builtup area of 21,662 square feet is worth Rs 439.6 million. She purchased the property in 1967 for Rs 13.2 million. In the 25 page affidavit, Jayalalithaa said she had deposited Rs 98 million in various banks.

She had invested Rs 316.8 million in five firms, including Jaya Publications and Kodanadu Estate, as a partner. She has nine vehicles which have a total a

Chandrashekhar Rao Reddy told reporters that the TDP government would lodge a complaint with the Centre against the Telangana government's attempts to damage Naidu's reputation. The two governments have been engaged in an ugly spat following the Telangana anti-corruption bureau trapping TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy while he was allegedly attempting to bribe Stephenson to vote for the TDP in the legislative council polls. In return, the allegation goes, Stephenson was offered Rs 5000,000 in cash and assured a payment of another Rs 45 million.

Why is Khemka being sidelined: BJP MP asks

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

South Brief

IIT-M revokes ban on student body

Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), which was on the boil following the derecognition of a student body, has revoked its order and restored peace in the campus. The management has appointed a professor as its faculty adviser, bringing an end to the more than week-long standoff.

The reinstatement of recognition to the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC) and appoinment of professor Miland Brahme as adviser came after a meeting between the dean of students and representatives of the APSC, ending the confrontation that had left the campus in turmoil. “The dean of students reinstated the recognition of APSC as an independent student body, and after consultation with the APSC representatives, recommended professor Milind Brahme as the faculty adviser,” a statement from IIT-M said. “Professor Brahme has consented to advise APSC as required in the guidelines for independent student bodies,” it said.

102-year-old wins gram panchayat poll

Mysuru: Centenarian Gowthimmamma of Doddalathuru, Kollegal taluk in Karnataka, defied age by winning the gram panchayat poll in Mysuru. Pitted against her own relative Chennajamma, the 102- year- old grandmother of 50 grandchildren, promised clean drinking water and good roads during her election campaigns. She won by 136 votes, rolling in 354 against the opponent's 218.

She said, “I didn't expect the results. I will work for the people and take up developmental works.”

Karunanidhi hints at Stalin succeeding him

Chennai: On the occasion of this 91st birthday, DMK party leader president M Karunanidhi referred to his son Stalin as “Our future,” keeping the obvious, unofficial and under wraps. “He is the treasurer of the party until now and hereafter...,” he said without completing his sentence. He further said, “I think you will understand what I want to convey. If not, there is nothing wrong.”

Karunanidhi, on several occasions in the past, had made it clear that Stalin would take over after him, which caused expectations for the official announcement to be made on his birthday. Stalin also utilised the time to remind the partymen that his rise in the party and the administration had become possible only through tireless work.

North Brief

Baba Ramdev to organise Yoga training camp

Chandigarh: Before the state level function being organised on the occasion of International Yoga Day, Yoga Guru Ramdev will conduct a two day training camp at Panchkula on June 15-16. “Before the state level function at Karnal, Baba Ramdev will be conducting this two-day Yoga training programme at Panchkula. For this, we will be inviting all the 90 MLAs from the State and senior IAS officers posted at Chandigarh,” Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij said.

Ramdev was appointed as the brand ambassador for the promotion of yoga and ayurveda in Punjab. The preparations and training for the function is being supervised by PatanjaliYogpeeth.

Moga molestation case: 5 passengers of bus traced

Ashok Khemka good bureaucrats should be brought in good positions. What happened to Khemka, he was shifted from transport to archeology department.”

He said, “The state ministers and our MLAs keep saying that we will not allow corruption and will curb it with an iron hand, but the person who has all the files of scamtainted Congress leaders and Robert Vadra, is being sidelined. Then how can you justify the fight against corruption.”

Moga: The police have traced five passengers who were in the same bus a teenage girl was thrown off after being molested, on the basis of their cell phone tower locations. Identified as Tarsem, Vikay Kumar, Gagandeep Singh, Paramjit Singh and his wife Amarjit Kaur, the witnesses have stated to not have seen or heard anything regarding the molestation and pleaded with the police to not involve them in the case. A teenage girl had died while her mother sustained serious injuries after they were allegedly molested and thrown off a moving bus, belonging to the ruling Badal family in Punjab. The incident that occurred on April 29 on Moga-Kothapura road kicked up a political storm.

Pakistani pigeon handed over to bird lover

Pathankot: The white coloured pigeon caught with a Pakistani seal and Urdu markings on its body, has been handed over to a local bird lover to care.

Ramanjit Singh owns a facility that takes care of birds and pets. The female pigeon is now kept in the company of a male pigeon, Ramanjit told reporters.

He said that he is feeding the birds with wheat, lentils, pigeon peas and black grams, and the birds are medically examined periodically. Police had earlier guarded the bird who looked suspicious owing to the Pakistani writings over it.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

FATHER'S DAY SPECIAL

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'Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.'

Every year in June we celebrate one day just for our father; the person who raised us, pushed us forward, and helped us achieve all everything we are today. We would not be ourselves without our fathers. We can rely on them at all ages, for anything and everything. Here are our suggestions for ways to celebrate father's day.

Treat your Dad on Sunday 21 June 2015 and make this Father’s Day a memorable one.

Ayesha Raheja

Six Gifts to spoil him with • A personal grooming kit with hand selected products

Five Movies to Watch with Him

• Kuch Kuch Hota Hai • Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham • Daddy • Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin • Finding Nemo • Persuit of Happyness • Chef • Real steel • The Godfather • Boyz n the Hood

• Matching Tshirts or mugs for you and dad

• A recreational trip- hiking, camping, fishing...

Where to go for dinner

• Indian Express (London) • Pipasha Restaurant (Cambridge) • Durbar Tandoori (London) • Anoki (Nottingham) • Dishoom (London)

• Accessories to funk up his daily outfits- cufflinks with your fingerprint, a wallet, neon braces...

Bollywood Release Dil Dhadakne Do is a Bollywood family comedy-drama film featuring a cast of Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, and Anushka Sharma. The movie is about the misadventures of a previously rich Indian family of one-percenters narrated by a dog. If you feel like taking your father out for a new movie, this is the one to see.

• Collection of photos and momento's from your times together • A collection of the finest cigars from around the world

• Or, you can simply take him for a movie and dinner, and buy him a drink

Day of the Dad

If you would like to have a message printed in Asian Voice for Father's Day, please email it to ayesharaheja7@yahoo.co.uk in 100 words by 15 June 2015.

On the 13th of June 2015, at Tattershall Castle, a UK-based blogging network for dads called the Dad Network UK have organised the first ever 'Day of the Dad'. On this day, dads will come together to celebrate dadhood in all its forms.It is an opportunity for dads to take a day out of their hectic weekend schedule to socialise and mingle with other fathers. Day of the Dad is a free event but participants will need a ticket to attend. These are available from www.thedadnetwork.co.uk/dayofthedad

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INDIA - WORLD

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Violence during observance of Operation Blue Star anniversary

In a situation that can be called paradoxical in the least, violence broke out during the observance of the 31st anniversary of Operation Blue Star. One Sikh youth was killed in police firing during a protest against the removal of a poster of Khalistan leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, in Jammu.

The police resorted to lathicharge and tear gas shelling after the Sikh youth blocked traffic and raised slogans against the police and the government.

Two policemen were seriously injured in the incident.

Five youths were injured during clashes inside the Golden Temple complex as the SGPC's

Delhi law minister arrested in fake degree case

Continued from page 1 alleged fake law degree and a case of cheating, forgery and conspiracy was registered against him.

Police also told the court that the investigation in the case was at an initial stage and the documents pertaining to the law degree obtained by him were "fake".

Appearing for Tomar, senior advocate and Aam Aadmi Party member HS Phoolka opposed the plea of police, saying Tomar's documents are not fake and police arrested him on the basis of false information.

"As per an affidavit submitted in Delhi high court by the principal of Bishwanath Singh Institute of Legal Study College in Munger (Bihar), Tomar was a bonafide student for three years there," Phoolka told the court.

He said as per the records of a law college, he studied there for three years and completed his degree. Phoolka also told court that police did not follow proper process before arresting him and alleged that the arrest was done under "political pressure".

However, police said they had served notice to Tomar before arresting him.

Observing that notice was served just before the arrest, the court remarked it "looks like a farce exercise" practised by police.

Tomar's arrest is set to intensify the month-old tussle between Kejriwal and the Centre, which controls the Delhi police.

On Monday, Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung created a post to appoint Joint Commissioner in Delhi Police, MK Meena, to the Anti-Corruption Branch, a new front in the bitter turf war.

task force resorted to lathicharge on 22 Sikh youth who were raising proKhalistan slogans. The Shiromani Gurudwara Porbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar blamed 'suspicious elements' for the clash.

Massive rally in San Francisco Raising and promoting awareness and their sup-

port for their Indian community, an estimated 10,000 Sikhs from all across California staged a massive rally at the San Francisco Civic Center.

Organised in the form of a nagar kirtan, the rally sought freedom for Punjab and paid tribute to Guru Arjun Dev Ji and all those who lost their lives in the 1984 invasion of the Sikh

Continued from page 1 will become part of India.

The agreement settles the question of citizenship for over 50,000 people.

“The visit is at a historic moment. We have resolved a question that has lingered since Independence. Our two nations have a settled boundary. It will make our borders more secure and people’s life there more stable,” Modi said at a joint press interaction with Hasina.

Referring to the unanimous passage of the LBA

by Parliament last month, he said it “reflects the consensus in India on relations with Bangladesh”. Noting that the two countries had accepted the settlement of the maritime boundary last year, he said, “it is evidence of the maturity of our ties and our shared

commitment to international rules. So, we stand at a moment of huge opportunity in our relationship. Prime Minister (Hasina) and I recognise that.”

Of equal significance is an agreement that will allow Indian cargo vessels to use the Chittagong and Mongla ports in Bangladesh. This has immediate connectivity benefits - Indian ships at present have to travel all the way to Singapore to offload cargo onto vessels that bring them back to Bangladesh, typically taking 30-40 days. With this agreement, their travel time will come down to a week. This will be the first time India and Bangladesh will utilize their common seas.

Strategic implications are huge as well.

Chittagong port has been

place of worship by the Indian Army.

A number of activists were fully shackled to send a clear message that Sikhs do not tolerate prolonged detention of Sikh political prisoners. Sikhs for Justice put together an impressive display of Referendum 2020 movement, with a large number of activists carrying banners and placards.

They shouted “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans throughout the way.

California Gatka Dal also performed during the nagar kirtan as speeches were delivered. The highlight of the event seemed to be the presence of the mother of Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, who was accompanied by large number of kirtan

holding Sikhs.

Professor Indira Prahst from Canada was one of the main speakers at the event. She highlighted the need for Sikhs to commemorate their shaheeds and also spoke about the necessity of freeing the Sikh homeland. Her speech was welcomed by roaring shouts of “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” and “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans. Jagmeet Singh, MPP from Ontario, Canada, spoke about his experiences growing up in Canada and highlighted the importance of sharing 1984 with their younger Sikhs.

Dr Iqtidar Karamat Cheema from UK spoke about the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev Ji and the

history of Sikh genocides.

Prabhsharanbir Singh, a PhD student from University of British Columbia, spoke about the infiltration of Sikh institutes throughout history and related it to the current struggle of Damdami Taksal and other institutions.

Navkiran Kaur, daughter of Shaheed S. Jaswant Singh Khalra, spoke about human rights issues in Punjab and the need for Sikhs to adhere to their unique identity. Dr. Amarjeet Singh from Washington also spoke about various issues.

Moninder Singh, a Sikh activist leader from Canada also highlighted sacrifices of a number of recent shaheeds.

developed by China and is part of its famed “string of pearls.” Ostensibly a commercial port, there has been a belief that China could use it for strategic purposes, particularly since China is also believed to be developing a deep sea port off the island of Sonadia at Cox's Bazar. For India to gain access to use the port is a big achievement both in economic terms, and also as an expression of greater trust with Bangladesh.

Modi announced a $2billion line of credit for Bangladesh to use for

infrastructure, power, health and education projects. Making connectivity a big part of the agreements, Modi also announced “Power supply from India to Bangladesh will grow from 500 MW to 1,100 MW within two years.” Modi, Hasina and Mamata flagged off two bus services that would connect north-eastern states to Kolkata.

Bangladesh would in turn be able to use Indian territory to access markets in Nepal and Bhutan.

Keeping the Teesta deal alive, Modi indicated

a similar political process would be employed for that deal as well.“Our rivers should nurture our relationship, not become a source of discord. Water sharing is, above all, a human issue.

It affects life and livelihood on both sides of the border. We have shown political resolve and mutual goodwill with the Land Boundary Agreement. I am confident that with the support of state governments in India, we can reach a fair solution on Teesta and Feni Rivers.”

Modi makes history in Bangladesh with land swap

Google apologises for including Modi's images in "Top 10 criminals" list

Google have apologised for including the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's photographs in the image search results for “Top 10 criminals.”

Google released a statement to apologise.

“We apologise for any confusion or misunderstanding this has caused.”

Modi's images were prominent in the search which showed many images of dictators, murderers and terrorists. It also included world leaders, such as ex US President, George Bush as well as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.

The Indian names which appeared in the search included the Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, lawyer Ram Jethmalani, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, as well as Bollywood actor, Sanjay Dutt, who is currently serving a jail term.

Morning

Narendra Modi Furthermore, the statement issued by Google also mentioned, “These results trouble us and are not reflective of the opinions of Google," the company said in its statement released on Wednesday night.

Sometimes, the way images are described on the internet can yield surprising results to specific queries... We're continually working to improve our algorithms to prevent unexpected results like this.”

Programme & Workshopes for The Day

8.00am - 8.45am - Meditation (for participants who practice Meditation regularly) 8.45am - 10.00am - Yoga session 1 (for participants who practice Yoga regularly) 10.00am - 11.15am - Yoga Session 2 (for beginners) 11.15am - 12.00pm - Guided meditation (for begineers)

Afternoon

1.00pm - 2.00pm - Lecture on Benefits for Meditation by Dr Guruprasad Venkat (Open to all) 2.00pm - 2.20pm - Laughter Yoga (Open to all) 2.30pm - 4.00pm - Concluding programme Closing Ceremony : 2.30pm - 4pm Doors open at 8am Workshopes from 10am to 1pm

Chief Guest – Dr Virander Paul, Deputy High Commissioner, Indian High Commission, UK Keynote Speech – Dr Alex Hankey M.A. PhD (M.I.T) Distingushed professor of Yoga and Physical Science - SVYASA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

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Mahesh Babu set to debut in Kollywood A

fter causing a stir on the internet with the teaser of his upcoming movie “Srimanthudu,” Mahesh Babu is now ready to raid Kollywood with his next. An official announcement said actor Mahesh Babu is ready to make his debut with a Tamil film. It is confirmed that Srikanth Addala's “Brahmotsavam” will be a TamilTelugu, bilingual movie.

This is the first time Mahesh will directly work in the Tamil industry. The film also features Rakul Preet Singh, Pranitha Subash and Sathyaraj in lead roles.

Produced by PVP Cinemas, ‘Brahmotsavam’ will hit the screens on January 8th, 2016 as a Sankranthi offering.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Rajni to romance Vidya Balan?

Aishwarya in Mani Ratnam's next A T he film industry is buzzing with news that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will play a key role in director Mani Ratnam's next project. The script is rumoured to be lying around for years and the director has now finally decided to pick up on the project and materialise it soon. The movie will be a cross border love story between an Indian boy and a Pakistani girl. It is also said, the project is a sequel to his classic “Bombay” and will be made in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi, s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.

Aishwarya had launched into the film industry with R a t n a m ' s “Iruvar” and has worked together with director for “Guru” and “Raavanam.”

The actress, who had taken a break from acting

after the birth of her daughter Aaradhya, is returning to acting with “Jazbaa” and will soon will start work with Karan Johar's “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,” followed by a movie with Sujoy Ghosh.

f t e r Sonakshi Sinha, Deepika Padukone and Aishwarya Rai, it seems to be Vidya Balan's turn to be romanced by superstar Rajinikanth in his upcoming film directed by award winning director P A Ranjith. In an o f f i c i a l announcement, it was revealed the film, produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu, will be shot in a span of 60 days across countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. While the film's female lead has not been announced, sources say actress Vidya Balan is roped for the role. If the news is to be believed, this will be the 4th film in a row where Rajini shares the screen with a Bollywood actress.

Kamal Haasan's ‘Papanasam’ to hit screens on July 17 A

ctor/filmmaker Kamal Hassan starrer “Papanasam” is scheduled to hit the screens on July 17 this year.

The movie is a remake of the 2013 Malayalam hit “Drishyam” that cast Mohan Lal in the lead.

"Since July 17 happens to be Ramzan holiday weekend, the makers felt it would be appropriate time to release the film. The audio launch is expected to happen in the

'Hamari Adhuri Kahani'

T

he Emraan H a s h m i Vidya Balan starrer “Hamari Adhuri Kahani,” is a romantic drama. Directed

by Mohit Suri and produced by Mahesh Bhatt under the banner of Vishesh Films and Fox Star Studios, the story is reportedly based on Bhatt's p a r e n t s , Nanabhai Bhatt, S h i r i n Mohammed Ali and his stepmother. The film also stars Rajkummar Rao in one of the main roles.

J

second or third week of June," a source said. Directed by Jeethu Joseph, “Papanasam” is about a father's plight to save his family. The Bollywood version of the movie that stars Ajay Devgn and directed by Nishikanth Kamat, also n a m e d “Drishyam” and is set to release two weeks after its release.

Bachchan has 15 mn fan following on Twitter

Hrithik's error of judgement

ust a few weeks after he was trolled for joining in the 'White / Gold / Purple Dress' debate, H r i t h i k Roshan's error of judgement once again dropped him right in the middle of a Twitter frenzy.

Following the M a n i p u r attacks on army jawans, the 'Bang Bang' actor sent out 'heartfelt condolences' to the suffering families. The only problem: his lack of clarity on the issue.

He tweeted, “My heartfelt condolences to families of the 20 jawans killed in a mindless ambush by Manipur tribals.” Even before the star could realise his faux pas, Twitterati went into a frenzy. In a lame attempt to salvage the situation, Hrithik later tweeted “Correctionunidentified Manipur tribal militant groups ..

To be more precise.” Internet, thou art but a heartless wench!

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eteran star Amitabh Bachchan has now become the first Bollywood celebrity to gain 15 million followers on the micro-blogging website, Twitter. He had joined the site in May 2010 and his account has ever since become a means for his fans to connect and interact with him. The 72- year- old actor beat his contemporaries Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Priyanka Chopra with the new record. He is a frequent user of Twitter and has so far tweeted 41,600 times.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

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'PK' aims to create history in China Aamir Khan ready to do foreign films...

fter the recent 350 Crore club in the country, Indian cinema will very soon start a 100 Crore club in neighbouring country China.

Rajkumar Hirani's “PK” has earned over Rs 830 million alone from the Chinese box office. The news has come as good news, given only a few movies made the mark this year. Year 2015 has so far been a disappointment with only a handful of movies putting up good performances.

“PK” was released in China on 22nd May in approximately 4,500 screens. It also scored 8.3 points on one of China's biggest film reviewing websites Douban since its release.

A senior trade analyst

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Tom Hanks welcomes co-star Irrfan with special request

ersatile Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan was in for a surprise when he was welcomed in Budapest with a special request by well known Hollywood star Tom Hanks. The message read, “This will be the most pleasant movie to make, I think, provided you and I have a few more scenes together! If not, we will just have to save the world as is!”

Irrfan, who arrived in Budapest will soon start shooting for “Inferno.”

The film is the third film in the franchise that launched with the Da Vinci Code in 2006, and continued with Angels and Demons in 2009. An adaptation of Dan Brown's eponymous novel, the movie has Ron Howard returning to the director's chair and Hanks playing the lead, Robert Langdon.

Robert finds himself in a hospital room in Venice as well as the target of a manhunt. With the help of Sienna, a nurse, and his knowledge of symbology, he will try to

Govinda's daughter makes her Bollywood debut

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took to micro-blogging site Twitter to share the `PK` collection in China. ''#PK creates HISTORY in China. 11-day total [till 1 June, Monday]: 83.94 cr. Yes, you read it right. From China alone. Will cross 100 cr.''

"We are thrilled with the audience response in China.

Aamir Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Vidhu Vinod Chopra travelled across China with our marketing team promoting the film at media and audience events and culminated this with a grand premiere in Shanghai for the film," Amrita Pandey of UTV said. "It was such a warm reception for them in China and now the movie has become a talking point and opened to such phenomenal collections! This is a really proud moment for us, and we are happy to have made this impact in a new market."

“PK” is a take-off on Godmen and was widely appreciated worldwide. He film also stars Anushka Sharma, Boman Irani and Sushant Singh Rajput.

ovinda's daughter Narmmadaa will make her Bollywood debut with the upcoming romcom titled “Second Hand Jawani.” The movie also features Dharmendra and popular Punjabi artist Gippy Grewal of “Angrezi Beat” fame. The movie is a family comedy circling around marriages and divorces. Producer Amolak Singh believes both the débutantes are born stars and their chemistry will be loved by the audience.

escape while they have to solve the most intricate riddle Robert has ever faced.

Irrfan will play Provost, the head of a shadowy group that involves themselves with Robert, while Sy will play the leader of a disease prevention team.

I feel very protective about Ranveer: Anushka

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n a promotional event of “Dil Dhadakne Do” in Delhi, co-star A n u s h k a Sharma said, “Ranveer made his debut opposite me and I have always been very protective about him.

People say we share a good chemistry but I think more than the bond we share, it is about the characters we get to play.” The actress was starred across Ranveer Singh in their debut 2010 movie, “Band Baaja Baaraat.” DDD is a story that revolves around a Punjabi family and most of the scenes were shot on a cruise. The cast includes Anil Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Priyanka Chopra, Anushka Sharma, Ranveer Singh and Farhan Akhtar in the Zoya Akhtar directed movie.

ollywood's Mr Perfectionist, Aamir Khan has unfailingly entertained the audience with variety by signing on films that offer different roles, looks or story lines.

The superstar Khan has now quoted to being open to foreign films too.

When asked if he saw himself in a foreign project, he said, “I have no issues doing a foreign film, I will be happy to do one. As long as it meets my requirements I wouldn't mind.”

Further asked if he was approached for any, he said, “Yes, I have been approached many times but up till now, none of them have met my requirement which means I have to be excited by the script, the director has to be someone who I trust and respect. I have mainly been offered Hollywood films, but I've not liked any of them so I've said no to all of them. I don't want to do a foreign film for the sake of doing a foreign film. Irrespective of language, if the material excites me, I am happy to do a Chinese film, it should be the right material.”

The actor believes there are many Hollywood directors whose films match his sensibilities, “There are so many fine directors; there's Steven Spielberg, Robert Zemeckis and many of them, I am just naming a couple.”

Aamir is currently working on his upcoming film “Dangal,” which will be directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The movie is slated to release on Christmas weekend next year.

President Mukherjee plans to watch ‘Piku’

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fter the immense success, the movie “Piku” has now reached a new milestone. President of India Pranab Mukherjee has plans of watching the movie. Made on a modest budget of Rs 830 million, the Deepika Padukone- Amitabh Bachchan starrer has earned more than Rs 100 billion worldwide and been declared the biggest grosser of the year for overseas market.

Deepika plays ‘Piku’, while Amitabh Bachchan plays her old and cranky father and Irrfan Khan is the man who has to ferry the dysfunctional duo from Delhi to Kolkata.

Ranbir Kapoor: Katrina Kaif is my critic

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f t e r months of speculations and rumours circling around R a n b i r Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, the couple has finally opened up about their alleged relation. The Kapoor prodigy considers his lady love as his critic. In an interview, Ranbir said he values the opinions of people close to him and quoted that Katrina is his critic and if she doesn't like something, she tells him on his face instead of hiding it. He also revealed that the actress is bad at giving compliments and if she likes something, she just passes an unpleasant comment. While Katrina struggles with compliments, Ranbir sure knows how to pay one. So impressed was he with Kat's red carpet debut at the Cannes Film Festival that he decided to throw a party for her.

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UK

Come celebrate 1st UN International Day of Yoga

Datta Sahaj Yoga Mission UK (DSYM), in association with The Indian High Commission (UK) and SVYSAS will be celebrating the 1st United Nations International Day of Yoga on Sunday 21st June 2015. The event will be held at The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy, Mitcham Road, Croydon CR9 3AS. 21st June was declared as the International Yoga Day by the United Nations General Assembly on 11th December 2014.

The declaration came after the call for the adoption of 21st June as International Yoga Day by Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi during his address to UN General Assembly on 27thSeptember 2014, wherein he stated, “Yoga is an invaluable gift of India's ancient tradition.

It embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being. It is not about exercise but to discover

the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change. Let us work towards adopting an International Yoga Day.” The yoga exhibition will have workshops on yoga for various ailments, such as for back pain, as well as laughter yoga, yoga for c h i l d r e n , pranayam, meditation, suryanamaskar, falun gong, tai chi, lecture of benefits of meditation and much more. Over 12 organisations namely S-VYASA, Yoga Biomedical Trust Patanjali Yoga Peeth, Bhrama Kumaris, Falun Gong, Hindu Swayam Sevak Sangh, Sabrang Arts, Curvesome Yoga, Shishukunj, School of Yoga, Art of Living, Indian Vegetarian Society, Dhyana Centre and ABC Laughter Club have joined DSYM to organise and celebrate the day.

This is a free entry event for those willing to participate.

Anish Kapoor's sculpture causes uproar in France British-Indian sculptor, Anish Kapoor (61), has caused an uproar in France, as he has installed his art worked which he has called a “queen's vagina”, on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles. He has titled the work “Dirty Anish Kapoor's sculpture Corner.” The steel-and-rock at the Palace of Versailles abstract sculpture is 60 metres long and 10 metres high, and resembles a funnel in the form of an aperture. Kapoor said that the sculpture was supposed to be brazenly sexual, as well as majestic. He also added, “the vagina of a queen who is taking power.” The French media have expressed their displeasure at the level of provocation emitted by Anish Kapoor. The website of radio station Europe 1 stated, "Anish Kapoor provokes a scandal,” while the conservative daily, Le Figaro saw the sculpture as an effort “to use Versailles as an object of contrast between two types of art.”

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Grosvenor House Hotel is off the market

The iconic Grosvenor Hotel in Mayfair is no longer for sale. The real estate consultant had started the auctioning process at £470 million after the owner, Sahara Group lapse on its loans to the Bank of China.

The Hinduja group had also placed a bid to buy this hotel, however, they were recently informed that Grosvenor House was “no longer for sale.”

Gopichand Hinduja expressed, “We had placed a bid for the hotel. We were however informed that someone has paid off the debt and hence the property is no longer in administration.”

It appears that the

hotel was no longer under any debt pressure and a deal has been reached to repay the debt Sahara owed.

Grosvenor House has

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Jupiter, the planet of abundance and Venus are both transiting your solar 5th house. You have plenty of romantic options. Financially you are still not out of the woods and you need to be careful. At work you will experience a relaxed atmosphere and this will help you to get on with everyone.

Life continues to gather momentum and put a strong focus on domestic and family matters.

The outlook remains optimistic as developments point the way forward and bring you a sense of real achievement. Don't be afraid to act if your instinct tells you it's time for change.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

420 rooms, 74 suites and 27 meeting rooms and was the first overseas hotel acquisition by Sahara Group. Sahara Chief Subroto Roy was in the news for purchasing the lavish hotel for the gigantic sum of £470 million.

Coming Events

l London Rathayatra. Sunday 14th June 2015. 12pm Hyde Park Corner. 2pm- 5pm Trafalgar Square. l International Yoga Day. Sunday 21st June 2015.The Archbishop Lanfranc Academy, Mitcham Road, Croydon CR9 3AS. Visit: www.dsym.co.uk l The pathway to fulfilment- the 3 Gs. Goal, Glory and God. Lecture by Mrs Jaya Row. Friday 19th June 2015, at 7:30pm- 9:pm. Brent Indian Association, Community Resource Centre, 116 Ealing Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA0 4TH. 07971 813 370. l Hanuman Chalisa. Saturday 13th June 2015,12pm.

Bhajans. Sunday 14th June, at 3pm. Adhya Shakti Mataji Temple, 55 High Street, Cowley, Middlesex, UB8 2DZ. 07882 253 540. l Hanuman Chalisa. Sunday 14th June, 11am- 5pm.

Social Club Hall, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow, HA1 3UJ. 07973 550 310. l GHS Youth Festival. Sunday 14th June, 10am- 4pm.

Ages 6- 18. Gujarat Hindu Society, South Meadow Lane, Preston, PR1 8JN. 01772 253 901. l Curryoke & Comedy Night. Friday 12th June, 7pm11:30pm. Carew Manor Hall, Church Road, Wallington, Surrey, SM6 7NH. 07974 640 350.

An inspiring boost to matters of communication but make sure your curiosity on a range of topics does not lead to a scattering of mental energy.

With a surge of energy and enthusiasm, this is a favourable time to make fresh starts. Personal relationships may be more intense.

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. Sometimes it is a good idea to stand back and re-assess life.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

As social life is likely to gather a pleasant momentum throughout this week, this is bound to present a better prospect, not only for striking up new friendships but also romantic encounters. This is going to be one of those times when insignificant events give rise to unexpected developments especially regarding work and health.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Although the very practical affairs of life continue to be highlighted, this does not mean that there will be all work and no play. In fact, you will be very much in demand socially. From a financial point of view take stock of where you’re at rather than to launch any ambitious new business plan.

You will feel confident as the week begins.

The cosmic energies are decidedly invigorating at the moment. If you are taking a holiday, so much the better ! Not only do you have Sun putting a favourable emphasis on travel but, you can be sure of deriving the utmost pleasure from adventures and excursions.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Give top priority to important written work.

This applies particularly to financial and commercial interests. If you can manage to get away from usual routines, this will prove to be highly enjoyable and have a beneficial effect on your physical and psychological well-being. Loved ones will be looking after you.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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This week, be your diplomatic best and try not to tread on anyone's toes. Passions will run from hot to cold, and relationships may suffer. Even the most strong-willed Virgoans will be more open to compromise to keep the peace.

All things considered, your health should be robust.

You will have the distinct feeling that everything is moving ahead at a very satisfying pace. Indeed, you will be in a forward-looking mood, more inclined to reflect on the future and its potentials. The power of destiny is very much in your own hand and any major decision you make will have a profound effect on your future.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

The accent’s very much on relationships.

The opening up of a more diverse social life is a point in favour of romantic attachments, if this is what you want. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires.

The general pattern of things continues on a progressive and buoyant theme.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Venus's transit with Jupiter 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. Plan your spending and set sensible budgets to reach your financial goals.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

We will try to win every match in Bangladesh: Virat Kohli

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

The acrimonious World Cup encounter is history and will have no bearing on the upcoming series, India test captain Virat Kohli said on the eve of the departure of the Indian team to Bangladesh. "We had issues in the past but we have moved ahead. The World Cup is over and we have played a lot of cricket since then. So I don't think there will be any lingering memory of those incidents," said Kohli during a pre-departure press conference in Kolkata.

"We are going there to play and win a Test match and that's our primary focus. There won't be any grudges or ill feelings about the opposition. It's

Virat Kohli pure and simple professionalism," Kohli asserted.

Team Director Ravi Shastri backed his captain, saying, "We respect every opponent, including Bangladesh and we are confident of putting up a good show against them."

Asked what would be his team's approach in Bangladesh, Kohli said

the focus would be on winning matches. "We learn everyday but it is not enough. I don't think we need to play with a mindset of playing to learn. We have played long enough now, we know what we want to achieve as a unit.

We will play to win every game," said Kohli.

Kohli, who led India to victory in the 2008 U-19 World Cup, has grown in his leadership role in the senior ranks over the years. He also captained India in two Tests on India's recent tour of Australia, but is looking forward to the challenge of leading in the game's longest format.

"I have captained teams before. At a certain

level, you learn while doing the job. Tests are a difficult ball game compared to ODIs or T20s because you have to strategise for a whole day in one go I have learned a lot while captaining in Australia. The team has good skills and it's all about improving on your mistakes and being more consistent," he added.

Hailed as an aggressive captain, Kohli said he wants create an environment in the dressing room where players feel confident to give their best. "We do have goals that we want to achieve as a team.

To do that there has to be an environment where guys want to improve every day," he said.

AAI officials is that the visas were denied in spite of the fact that the tour had the sanction of the government of India and that the US Archery Association had formally invited the Indian teams.

Kamineni said AAI approached the US organisers as well as FITA, archery's world governing

body, to help resolve the issue.

"They all tried to help us but with just a weekend in between, the window was too small. It made it impossible for the archers to report for the tournament on time. Hence, we had no option but to withdraw our teams," he said.

Kamineni said that the AAI had re-applied for the visas, but the US officials sought more papers to convince them that the archers intended to return after the tournament. "We tried to arrange more supporting documents from the organisers in the US, too. But it was difficult to have all papers in order in time," Kamineni stated.

US denies visa to 20 Indian junior archers

The US embassy in New Delhi has denied visa to 20 Indian archers forcing the Archery Association of India (AAI) to withdraw the Indian junior and subjunior squads from the World Youth Archery Championships scheduled to be held at Yankton, USA. "The visas were denied on the basis of section 214 (b) of US visa law where the archers failed to satisfy the visa officers that they will return to India after the event," AAI secretary general Anil Kamineni said, adding that in spite of the best of efforts, AAI was unable to convince the US embassy officials.

The Indian contingent,

comprising Under-20 boys and girls (junior archers), was scheduled to leave for the US on Saturday, but had to abandon their plan after the US embassy denied visa not only to the archers but also their South Korean coach Chae Wom Lim and his three Indian assistants.

What has surprised

SPORT WORLD

India's Sundaram Ravi in ICC Elite Panel of Umpires

India's Sundaram Ravi was inducted into the Elite Panel of International Cricket Council (ICC) Umpires for 2015-2016, commencing from July 1, 2015, following the annual review and selection process. New Zealand's Chris Gaffaney and Ravi were promoted from the International Panel to the Elite Panel. They replaced Kiwi Billy Bowden and the retiring Steve Davis, the ICC said. The Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for 2015-2016 would now feature Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker and Bruce Oxenford.

Wawrinka stuns Djokovic to win French Open title

The 30-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka shattered Novak Djokovic's dream of a career Grand Slam on Sunday when he became the oldest winner of the French Open in 25 years. Wawrinka claimed 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 victory to secure his second career major after the 2014 Australian Open. It ended world number one Djokovic's bid to become only the eighth man to secure a career Slam as he slumped to his third defeat in a Roland Garros final in four years. Wawrinka became the oldest champion in Paris since Andres Gomez in 1990 after just his fourth win in 21 meetings against the Serb.

Serena wins women's crown

Serena Williams won her 20th Grand Slam title and third French Open crown on Saturday by defeating the 13th seed Czech Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (27), 6-2.

In what was a disjointed affair, the 33-year-old American was coasting to a straight-sets win, a set and 41 up against the Czech 13th seed, playing in her first Grand Slam final at the age of 28.But a combination of serving woes for Williams and some top play from Safarova forced a third set, the fifth of the tournament for the American. She fell 0-2 down in that, but recovered her composure in the nick of time to rattle off six games in a row for the title.

Indian-American Sunil Gulati likely to run for Fifa chief's post

Indian American Sunil Gulati, who is currently serving a record third term as president of the US Soccer Federation, could be in the race to replace Sepp Blatter as the new Fifa chief.

Various US media outlets said Allahabad-born Gulati, 55, who has played a key role in the development of soccer in the United States in the past few decades, could be a potentially strong contender to replace Blatter, should the US have an interest in the position of Fifa chief.

Blatter was re-elected recently resigned after a corruption scandal implicated some top Fifa officials. In a statement, Gulati welcomed the resignation of Blatter as president of Fifa, which has

been rocked by a major corruption scandal, resulting in arrest of more than 10 top football officials both in the US and Zurich.

"I commend him for making a decision that puts Fifa and the sport we love above all other interests. This is the first of many steps towards real and meaningful reform within Fifa. Today is an occasion for optimism and belief for everyone who shares a passion for our game," Gulati said in a statement.

In the elections for Fifa president, Gulati had backed Prince Ali Bin AlHussein. Gulati and US have been opposed to Blatter. Detroit Free Press Journal said, Gulati is in a strong position to gain support within the CON-

Sunil Gulati

CACAF confederation that governs soccer in America and the Caribbean.

A native of Allahabad, Gulati has played a role in the development of US Soccer since the early 1980s and has been intimately involved in the rise of the US team to prominence. He served as US Soccer's executive vice president from 2000 to 2006 before stepping into

his role as president.

Fifa scandal: one admits to taking bribe The Fifa corruption scandal escalated as one suspect talked about World Cup bribes and another promised to reveal an “avalanche” of secrets, including about Sepp Blatter. The storm went around the globe with South African police opening an investigation into claims that money

31

was paid to secure the 2010 World Cup. The Australian police are looking into their country's bid for the 2022 World Cup, while in Venezuela investigators raided the country's football headquarters looking for evidence against a Fifa official held in the scandal. Following the shock resignation of Blatter, focus has shifted to the US investigation which led to seven Fifa officials being arrested last week in Zurich. Evidence given by ailing whistleblower Chuck Blazer to US investigators told of attempts to buy the 1998 and 2010 World Cups hosted by France and South Africa respectively.

Now battling cancer in hospital, the disgraced former North American

football supremo said in testimony released by prosecutors that Fifa executives conspired to accept bribes during bidding for the 1998 and 2010 events.

Blazer has admitted to charges related to his leadership of the North and Central American body CONCACAF and membership of Fifa's executive committee.

In a plea deal with US prosecutors, the 70-yearold agreed to record conversations with other Fifa officials. None of the other suspects are named.

“Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup,” Blazer said in his plea.

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SPORT

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 13th June 2015

Dravid to shape future Indian cricketers

Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the coach of U-19 and India 'A'. Anurag Thakur, BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) secretary, made the announcement after the first meeting of its highprofile advisory committee in Kolkata. Thakur said the Karnataka stalwart had agreed to shape the future stars of Indian cricket.

With Dravid in charge of emerging players and Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman entrusted with the task of drawing up a roadmap for the national team, Indian cricket, at long last, appears to be in good hands.

Thakur pointed out that Dravid's role will be crucial as the three stalwarts on the advisory panel insisted on more focus on India `A' and junior cricketers. “They have recommended more overseas tours for India `A' in an effort to build up good bench strength for the national side,” Thakur said.

With the U-19 World

Cup slated next year, the 42-year-old Dravid, a veteran of 164 Tests and 344 ODIs, will take charge before the ` A' team's tour of South Africa and Australia.“Keeping in view Team India's not-so-good show on overseas tours in recent times, the BCCI will look to arrange more overseas tours for India `A ' team which will serve as a pipeline to the senior side,” Thakur stated.

Thakur, however, shied away from revealing the length of tenure for Team Director Ravi Shastri.

Asked whether the BCCI intends to continue with Shastri as the Team Director till the ICC World

Rahul Dravid

T20 next year, Thakur said: “There is lot of speculation about his (Shastri's) future in the media but I urge you to leave it to us. The advisory committee has been asked to give its recommendations, based on which future decisions will be taken,” Thakur said.

“Till the time a new coach and other support staff are appointed, the current setup will continue,” he added.

Talking about other recommendations of the advisory committee, Thakur said, “The National Cricket Academy (NCA) will be turned into a Centre of Excellence and for that the BCCI will be hiring a num-

ber of coaches, physios and trainers. We would like to have a pyramid-like structure where all players from top-to-bottom, will be able to avail standard coaching and training facilities. All state associations will also be asked to start their academies, preferably with residential facility.

Another recommendation of Sachin, Sourav and Laxam is to create a pool of 15 fast bowlers and 15 spinners and give them specialized coaching. “The selected bowlers will be monitored and groomed for four to five years so that they are ready to play in the big league,” he added. The panel has also suggested that the old system of spotting talented youngsters by Talent Research Development Officers (TRDOs) be revived.

“This scheme had been introduced by Jagmohan Dalmiya during his first tenure as BCCI president.

We plan to revive the same and appoint former firstclass cricketers who will watch local matches in their areas and spot talented players who can hone

their skills at the state academies and the NCA,” Thakur said.

Lauding Sachin, Sourav and Laxman for their commitment to raise the standard of Indian cricket, Thakur said that the troika had has been given a free hand and can get involved in everything relating to Indian cricket if the need arises. “I am glad that when Sourav, Sachin and Laxman were approached, they gave their consent whole-heartedly which shows how eager they are to give something back to Indian cricket,” stated Thakur, who made it clear that at their advisory roles are honorary.

No need for a coach, says Shastri: Addressing the media on the eve of the Indian team's departure for Bangladesh, Ravi Shastri made clear that he remains the man in charge after being retained by the BCCI as the Team Director for the upcoming tour. Shastri asserted that he might just be there “longer” than expected. “After we return from Bangladesh, I will sit

with the BCCI officials and decide on the future. I don't rule out anything. I might be there much longer than what you think,” Shastri said, hinting that he is open to a longer stint.

The former India captain, who was appointed Team Director after India surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose the Test series 1-3 to England last year, leaving chief coach Duncan Fletcher in the shade, feels there is no great urgency to replace the former coach.

“We have got three coaches, we don't need another coach. I will double up as head coach if need be, so there is no issue whatsoever,” said Shastri.

Referring to the advisory panel, Shastri said: “I see a lot of quality there.

These guys have been there for a long time and I am sure they will have a huge contribution to make.

“When we come from Bangladesh, I will have a chance to sit with them as well as the BCCI and take things forward. So, it's one step at a time. Our focus right now is the tour of Bangladesh,” he added.