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15th July to 21st July 2017

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

Indian-origin businessman offers cheaper option for a third runway in London Heathrow Rupanjana Dutta The hotel magnate Surinder Arora is a long-familiar figure in the Asian community. A self-made entrepreneur, his group owns 16 hotels, most of which are around Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted airport, making him worth over £220million with a big property portfolio. The jewel in his crown is the Intercontinental at the O2 centre in South East London and his business has reportedly made £11.7mn pre-tax profits on sales of £175.3mn last year.

At 58, Arora is connected enough to count Tony Blair and Sir Cliff Richard as close friends, but he manages to keep a low profile. Arora who is often known to be soft spoken and sometimes even shy, is in the spotlight now, after he submitted plans for a third runway in Heathrow, which he says would be £5bn cheaper than the airport's current scheme. He has been supported by the British Airways as well as Virgin Atlantic, who have welcomed the initiative as a “fresh thinking”. Arora Group's proposals include changing the design of terminal buildings and taxiways, and reducing the amount of land it is built on. He is up against a corporation whose owners include Ferrovial- a Spanish infrastructure giant, The Qatar investment authority and CDPQ- a Canadian pension fund. Heathrow's boss is John Holland-Kaye, a former divisional director of Taylor Wimpey.

Continued on page 16

Surinder Arora

World leaders gathered in Hamburg, Germany for the 12th edition of the G20 Summit 2017, held from July 7 to 8.

Full Story on Page 26

Mumbai Chennai Kolkata Colombo

£457 £455 £502 £505

Delhi Abu Dhabi Lahore Bangkok

Seven Amarnath pilgrims dead, and 19 injured as militants hail bullets on a bus in Anantnag district.

Full Story on Page 26

£454 £331 £485 £485

Hyderabad Bengaluru Ahmedabad Hongkong

£467 £493 £461 £504

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

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to

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with

Keith Vaz, MP

Sonny Leong CBE Sonny Leong CBE is Chief Executive of Civil Service College and Executive Chairman of Academy for Parliamentary & Policy Studies, and Trustee Director of Future First, a social enterprise company, whose vision is that every state secondary school and college should be supported by a thriving, engaged alumni community that helps each one to do more for its students. He is also Trustee of Mulan Foundation Network, a charity supporting the achievements of Chinese women in the United Kingdom.

He sits on the Advisory Panel of The Changing Work Centre, advising policy makers of the changing nature of work, and the skilling of young people for the jobs of tomorrow.

Sonny is Chair of the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, a parliament based NGO, founded nearly fifty eight years ago, at the time of the first Commonwealth Education Ministers' Conference in Oxford.

He has over forty years of publishing experience, having worked in various academic and professional publishing houses. He founded Cavendish Publishing and developed it to be the largest independent academic law publisher in the UK before it was acquired by Informa PLC. He was formerly the Chairman and Hon President of the Independent Publishers Guild, former Chair of International Division and Council member of the Publishers Association in the UK. He was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2014.

1) What proudest ments?

are your achieve-

I love starting businesses and creating employ-

ment. Mentoring, coaching future leaders and seeing them lead successful enterprises and lives make me feel proud. My proudest achievement

was also my humblest was to be awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Her Majesty, The Queen.

2) What inspires you?

Challenging unfairness in society and empowering young people to be their best inspire me and gets me going every day. Social injustices make me angry, and people should come together to banish them.

We need to stand up, speak up and defend those people exploited by the rich and powerful.

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

There isn’t any one particular obstacle in my career that I can remember, but what frustrates me is the ‘old boys’ network that still operates in various professions. We have to challenge the notion of ‘who you know’ by ‘what you know’. We still have a long way to go to achieve a classless society.

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

Lots of people have influ-

Police launch manhunt after acid sprayed in teenagers’ faces Police are looking for a gang who sprayed acid in three teenagers’ faces before punching them to the ground and leaving one with a fractured skull.

The victims were walking down the street shortly after midnight when they were confronted by a gang of youths, whom police say were “trying to pick a fight”.

The two 18-year-olds and one 17-year-old did not engage with the group, but one of the suspects squirted a noxious substance from a sports bottle into their faces.

A number of the suspects then punched the teenage victims before running away.

Two of the victims

were taken to hospital for treatment after the incident, which occurred on Saturday June 17. at around 12.30am.

The most severely injured of the victims, an 18-year-old male, was not discharged from hospital until June 30. He suffered a fracture to the skull and is receiving ongoing treatment to his eye as a result of the noxious substance used.

Meanwhile a man suffered severe burns after being squirted with acid as he walked with a woman in east London.

Police say they are hunting three youths who attacked the 27-year-old man as he walked, pushing his bicycle, with the 40-year-old woman in

Mile End last Wednesday.

The acid is believed to have caught the woman’s clothing but she escaped serious injury after turning her face away at the last minute, according to witnesses. The man remains in hospital but his injuries are not lifethreatening. There have been no arrests.

The attack took place at 2am in Burdett Road.

Across London, the number of acid attacks has risen from 186 between April 2014 and March 2015 to 397 in the same period in 20162017.

Most of the victims were male and all were under 40-years-old, with the majority being in their twenties.

enced me, ranging from my parents to community and business leaders.

They have influenced me in different ways from never giving up when the things look bleak to showing humility when you are on the rise. One thing I will always remember is beautiful things are not always good, but good things are also beautiful.

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

Meeting people from across the world and learning their traditions and culture. I have been very privileged and lucky to visit many countries and places. Some of the people I met through my work and businesses have become very good friends.

6) And the worst?

Not having enough time to spend with my family. I travel abroad every six to eight weeks and I am indebted to my family for their understanding.

7) What are your long term goals?

I am determined that we have Chinese Labour Members of Parliament, and we are working

towards that. We have talented candidates coming through the system and we will see them at all levels of elected public office.

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

The lack of affordable social housing in this country should shame us all. The housing market is broken with developers sitting on land banks and exploiting their position – markets are artificially inflated to create a boom where housing becomes too expensive for the majority. If I am Prime Minister, everyone who

cannot afford their own place will be guaranteed a decent, affordable place to live and call home.

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

Mahatma Gandhi comes to mind – what an inspirational person! Coming from a poor family, against all odds, discrimination and challenges along his way, he was determined to better himself. He eventually led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.

Aristocrat reported to police

by Facebook Friend An aristocrat accused of posting menacing message about campaigner Gina Miller has been reported to police by one of his own Facebook friends, a court has heard.

Viscount Rhodri Colwyn Philipps, 50, allegedly branded Ms Miller a "bloody troublesome first generation immigrant" and offered a £5000 bounty for someone to run her over, it is said.

Miller who was born in Guyana, has a Punjabi origin from India.

The Evening Standard reported that Miller admited the messages left her feeling shocked and frightened and needing to hire security guards for her own protection.

Philipps, referred to in court as Lord St Davids,

Rhodri Colwyn Philipps

admits posting the message online but argues it was a joke and not intended for public viewing because of his online Facebook privacy settings.

W e s t m i n s t e r Magistrates’ Court heard Philipps was reported to police by Matthew Steeples, a Facebook friend of the aristocrat's, who is a friend in real life of Ms Miller's.

Gina Miller

Philipps, of Hans Place, Knightsbridge, denies three charges of sending a menacing public communication.

The trial continues.

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COMMENTS

Modi’s game changing Israeli odyssey He came, he saw, he conquered – a memorable line by a Roman historian describing Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul, today France. Prime Minister Narendra did much the same in Israel – not with the sword but with love, understanding and deep admiration for a dauntless people who have struggled for two millennia for a homeland, and having done so, transformed the desert into a land of milk and honey. With a population of less than half that of Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata, Israel stands tall among the tallest in the world for its magnificent achievements in science and technology and its people’s unremitting toil to secure their country’s future.

However, as ever, it takes two to tango. The warmth and personal affection for his Indian guest from Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s transcended protocol and was there for all to see. The top Israeli leadership was out in force at Ben Gurion Airport for Mr Modi’s arrival. Prime Minister Netanyahu told him, ‘We have waited 70 years for you.’

The chemistry between the two men set the scene to a state event transformed into a people-to-people event – a truly unforgettable experience for Israelis and for Indians, via television. Everyone watching the orphaned boy Moshe greeting Mr Modi, with Mr Netanyahu at his side, will surely treasure the moment. Moshe lost both his parents in the Mumbai jihadi assault of November 2008, and was saved by the miraculous presence of mind of his Indian nanny. He lives with his grandparents, still unaware of how his parents lost their lives. He said he wanted to visit India and was assured by Mr Modi that he could do so whenever he liked, for as long as he liked.

Mr Modi laid a wreath at the Holocaust Memorial and another at the Memorial in Haifa to the Mysore Lancers, the Jodhpur Cavalry and 16 th Imperial Cavalry Brigade, whose valour and ingenuity in 1918 during the Great War, the last large-scale cavalry action in modern war, overcame a Turkish and German force armed with machine guns and artillery, to liberate the port city of

Haifa. Haifa Day is celebrated every September by the Indian Army.

Business took over from sentiment. Indian and Israeli companies signed strategic pacts worth $4.3 billion (excluding defence) in a bid to boost trade from the present $5 billion to $29 billion in five years. Israeli aid to make Indian agriculture more productive includes water management technologies for which the country is world-renowned. There will also be enhanced space cooperation. A joint science research fund of $40 million is to be set up.

Defence plays a key role in the Indo-Israel relationship. The transfer of Israeli defence technologies will take place, plus the joint production of certain categories of missile. Jihadi terrorism was, and is, perceived as a common threat to the security and well-being of both countries, with none of the specious distinctions between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ terrorists.

A former Indian diplomat who served in Israel, Pinaki Chakravarty, speaking on an Indian TV channel, likened the Indo-Israeli relationship to a giant iceberg, one-third of which visible above water, the rest underwater remained invisible to the naked eye. He said it was best kept that way. Much that took place between the partners was kept outside the public domain, he said. Rest assured this will not change anytime soon.

Summing up, there has been a shift in one of the major tectonic plates of geopolitics. For decades past Indian governments have been out of sync with the India’s public, which held Israel in high esteem, whose remarkable achievements commanded unstinted respect and admiration. The Indo-Israeli relationship is no longer to be hidden in a closet; it is out in the open, where moisture-laden winds will help it grow to new, unimagined heights. The region and the countries farther afield will have to factor the India-Israel strategic partnership into their policies. This will surely lead to a better, more prosperous world.

Indian terror concerns need to addressed The post Brexit dialogue on the Indo-British relationship will not go forward to the desired level unless the British authorities address Indian concerns on jihadi activities in Britain with the seriousness they deserve. There has long been a reluctance to do so because of a stubbornly held establishment view that terrorism in India would disappear if only Pakistani demands on Kashmir were conceded by New Delhi.

Jihadi terrorism is a universal scourge and has to be perceived as such. Prime Minister Modi, during his recent tour of European capitals, and the G 20 summit in Hamburg placed global terrorism on the top of his agenda. His message is robust: no specious reasoning can justify preference for one set of terrorists over another.

Jihadi assaults in France, Belgium and the UK have been given extensive coverage in India and rou ndly condemned in the media, yet there is a marked coyness on reciprocating such condemnation in the West. The scale of jihadi attacks on India dwarf the outrages in Europe. Consider the attacks on Mumbai alone. In March 1993 and in November 2008: the respective deaths on a single day numbered 300 and 167. The bombing of an urban Mumbai commuter in July 2006 killed scores of passengers. There have been te rror attacks elsewhere in the country, although not on this scale. Terrorism in neighbouring Afghanistan continues to shred civil society. The principal source of this terrorism is Pakistan. The fact that an outcrop of

jihadi groups cannot target Pakista conceal the activities of those funded and trained by Pakistan’s military intelligence services for action in India and in Afghanistan. There is a noticeable reluctance in the West to utter the P word for fear of offending Islamabad. It has taken much Indian time and labour to persuade its Western interlocutors to de-hyphenate the India and Pakistan relationship. But the willingness to take the next logical step and impose penalties on unacceptable practices is proving elusive.

Western hesitancy, it would appear, stems from an anxiety to keep Islamabad on board for its geopolitical goals. The use of non-state jihadi organization as part of a nation’s statecraft is new and its consequences for global order calamitous.

Gareth Price of Chatham House remarked: ‘It is almost like two different are happening in parallel.

These are things India has been saying quite explicitly but no one seems to have listened to it on the British side. It hasn’t had the recog nition India wants.’

Perhaps the Indian message is getting home at last.

The Birmingham Council has withdrawn permission for a rally to held in the city on the death anniversary of jihadi Burhan Wani.

A Council spokesman said: ‘We are now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet, and having assessed the material, have not given permission for the use of the Victoria Square.’ Good sense has prevailed – for now.

The United States remains the favoured destination for Indian students seeking to pursue higher studies abroad. In 1998-99, the number of students in American colleges was 707. There has been a steady rise since then. There were 166,000 Indian students in 2015-16, up from the 100,000 two years earlier. ‘Out of ervery six international students in the United States, one is from India,’ said Mary Kay Carlson, of the US Embassy in India.

Hate crimes against in the US have, rightly, received considerable media attention and given rise to understandable Indian concern. However deplorable, say Indian students in the country, these have been few in number and the authorities were quick to respond against in arresting perpetrators and bringing them to

court. Hate crimes occur in India, and the guilty are not always brought to account.

An Indian student setting out to study Information Technology at the University of Texas said: ‘The US is the best investment for higher education given the quality and diverse atmosphere it provides.’

Indian loan companies have stated that there is no diminution of demand for their services, student numbers to the US continue to rise. Good education brings knowledge and stimulates questioning minds, it conforms to the enduring values of Indian culture.

Swelling demand for the best schools and colleges in India have long exceeded supply. The US (and the West) are helping to meet the shortfall to the benefit of both parties.

Indian students fulfill their American dream

Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

3

All of us were born for one another - Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)

Lord Dolar Popat of Harrow

A lunch to celebrate what we have achieved together Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel last week was an historic moment for India-Israel relations. It marked 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and cemented the relationship between Modi and his ‘good friend’ Benjamin Netanyahu.

L to R: Lord Polak CBE (Honorary President of Conservative Friends of Israel, Indian High Commissioner Mr YK Sinha, Israeli Ambassador H.E Mark Regev and Lord Popat (Founding Chairman of the Conservative Friends of India)

To celebrate the visit, Lord Polak and I hosted a lunch in the House of Lords with the Indian High Commissioner (H.E. Y.K Sinha) and the Israeli Ambassador (H.E. Mark Regev) to the United Kingdom.

We came together to underpin three elements that are so often overlooked. Israel, India and Britain are three countries who are committed to the values of democracy, freedom, and enterprise. These are values that are to be cherished and maintained, and we should never take them for granted.

The second reason was that, although Britain was not part of the visit, we stand on the international stage alongside both Israel and India as their allies and partners. Britain is very fortunate to have strong relations with both of those great countries, and their success is our success.

The third reason is that, here in Britain, the British Indian community and the Jewish community have a tremendous amount in common.

We British Indians have so often looked to the Jewish community for inspiration; the way you have settled, integrated and become successful as immigrants in this country provides the model that we wish to emulate.

We are friends, neighbours, business-partners and confidants. The blossoming of IndiaIsrael relations in recent years simply mirrors a process that started in Britain in the 1970s and continues to this day.

Continued on page 8 Also see page 8 for CB’s comment: Why Jews cannot be ignored?

Editor: CB Patel

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'Predatory' taxi driver Jhamil Hussan jailed for raping clubber returning from night out

A “predatory” taxi driver who raped a passenger he picked up outside a Birmingham city centre nightclub has been jailed for nine years.

Jhamil Hussan dragged the victim into a park and attacked her after dropping her near her home.

The depraved 39-yearold had earlier collected her from outside the Nightingale Club, based in Kent Street, at 2.30am on April 17.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the pair made small talk during the journey but he groped her at one point.

Jhamil Hussan

He then parked his car a short distance from the victim’s home and she got out

and began to walk away.

But Hussan walked up behind her, grabbed her, took her to a nearby park and raped her.

The victim told her parents of her ordeal when she returned home and the police were called.

Hussan was later spotted parked back outside the club.

He was later arrested but claimed he was innocent and alleged the victim had forced herself on him.

But he was convicted of two counts of rape at Birmingham Crown Court after his cover story was exposed as a pack of lies. He

was jailed on Friday, July 7.

The sentence was welcomed by James Gormley, senior crown prosecutor with the West Midlands CPS’s rape and serious sexual offences unit.

He said: “Jhamil Hussan is a dangerous sexual predator who targeted and raped a vulnerable woman.

“When he was arrested, he claimed the victim had forced herself onto him and he had tried to stop her. This was a blatant lie.

“I would like to thank the victim for her courage and support in helping us to bring this man to justice.”

Postman caught using debit card he stole from mail

A postman was caught dishonestly using a debit card he stole from the mail, when a bank's CCTV camera captured him wearing the same T-shirt he had worn in Facebook photographs, a court heard.

Surbjit Singh Khera (46) was found to have taken two bank cards and PIN numbers from mail he should have delivered to householders.

He also helped himself to a £60 Next store voucher from inside a birthday card, Leicester Crown Court was told. He pleaded guilty to the thefts as well as dishonestly using both bank cards at cash machines to obtain a total of £800, in July and August last year. Khera who was said to be suffering from a heart

condition, was given a 12 month jail sentence, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to refund the money he stole and pay £1,000 court costs. He said that £500 seized on the defendant's arrest would be forfeited and go towards the £860 compensation he will have to pay to the victims.The court heard that Khera lost his job with the Royal Mail.

Elizabeth Evans, prosecuting, said the offending came to light after a customer complained that her bank card and PIN had been fraudulently used after going missing in the post.

CCTV footage obtained by the Royal Mail, of the defendant using her stolen card at

Surbjit Singh Khera

a Punjab National Bank branch bank in Leicester, revealed he was wearing a distinctive T-shirt that was evident on one of his Facebook pictures - and was recovered from his home.

In interview he denied all the allegations and falsely

claimed having met one of the victims, who asked him to "look after" the bank card because he did not have his wallet with him – which was strongly refuted by the complainant who was spoken to and had never met him socially. Paul Prior, mitigating, said: "He was in financial difficulty and he also suffers from a heart condition. He has a very high heart rate that was diagnosed as a result of a check-up (since his arrest) and it's a question whether he'd have been allowed to have continued with that type of work anyway."

He said the defendant, who recently married, had found alternative employment.

Husband murdered wife in Thurmaston home because he was scared she would leave him A husband has admitted murdering his wife in the home they shared in Thurmaston because he feared she would leave him.

On 7th July at Leicester Crown Court Baldeep Singh, of Dovedale Road, pleaded guilty to the murder of 35year-old Amandeep Kaur. He will be sentenced on September 4.

Police were called to the house at around 2.50pm on

Amandeep Kaur

February 3 by Singh. He told the call handler he had killed

his wife as he believed she was going to leave him.

Singh went onto to tell police he had confessed to his father who had told him to call the police.

Officers arrived at the house and found Amandeep dead in her bedroom upstairs. Singh was arrested and later charged with her murder. A post mortem examination revealed Mrs Kaur died as a result of a lac-

eration to the neck.

Detective Inspector Chris Barratt, the senior investigating officer, said: "Due to Singh's actions two young children have lost their mother and he now faces a prison sentence with little or no contact with his children.

"I hope today's guilty plea will help Amandeep's family move on with their lives and put the events of her murder behind them."

Ram raid shop reopens 24 hours after being forced to close A business targeted in a ram raid is open for business 24 hours after the incident.

The Mace convenience store had its shop front smashed in the incident at around 2.30am last Saturday.

Business owners Hiteshree and Trushant Patel were alerted by their security company that their alarm had gone off. Arriving at the scene from their Rushey Mead home, the couple found a scene of devastation to the business they have only been running for five weeks. But at 6am this morning the business, secured by boarding, was open for business to its grateful customers.

Hiteshree said: "Trushant was in his car outside all

Trushant and Hiteshree Patel

night. We opened at 6am for our customers."

The couple, who originally thought nothing had been stolen, discovered alcohol and tobacco and a laptop of Trushant's were taken.

Forensics officers visited the shop and took hand and

footprints and detectives will examine CCTV of the raid. An elderly customer in the shop this morning, who asked not to be named, said: "They're wonderful people, " before telling them "I know you won't get over it, but keep smiling, good luck."

Grant Hurst commented

on Facebook: "Feel very sorry for the new owners there just trying to earn a honest living. Syston use to be a lovely place unfortunately over the last 5 years it's turning into a ruff hole."

Leicestershire Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact them on 101.

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Family's car trashed in mysterious vandalism attack

Shamjad with his wife Pauline and their daughter, Adriana

A couple who moved to Leicester believing it was a peaceful place to raise a family have had their car trashed by vandals. Masum and Paulina Shamjad came to Leicester from London five months ago with their two-yearold daughter Adriana and said they had always been made to feel very welcome in Dumbleton Avenue, Rowley Fields.

But on Wednesday morning the couple were alerted by a neighbour that corrosive material had been poured over their car, which was parked outside their home. He said the attack was having a profound affect on his wife, who is pregnant with their second child.

The attack happened some time between 10pm on Tuesday and 8am on Wednesday morning. Masum said the police were investigating the incident but with no CCTV and no idea who might be targeting them, he had little hope of any arrests. He said: "They've offered a visit from a crime prevention officer to come and advise me of ways of preventing it happening again but as there's no CCTV I don't think they can do anything."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Sally Jones vows to 'fight to death with ISIS' in last stand

Junaid Hussain and Sally Jones

Punk rocker turned ISIS poster girl Sally Jones will stay holed up in the crumbling Islamic caliphate until she dies, acccording to a fellow jihadi bride. The 50-year-old terror recruiter, nicknamed the "White Widow", was thought to be desperate to return to the UK as Iraqi forces close in on ISIS 's last major strongholds. But a friend in Syria said momof-two Jones will stay with ISIS "until she dies" and that she "will never leave the caliphate."

Speaking from Raqqa fellow jihadi bride Aisha said Jones had recently fled the defacto ISIS capital in Syria for al-Mayadeen further to the east. She said: "I am full of admiration for her. Muslims from the outside are not like us. A convert will catch Islam tightly and not let go. Because she is a Muslim she will come here and never leave.

She ran to al-Mayadeen but she told me she would stay until she dies. She doesn't want to go anywhere."

The revelation contradicated reports last week from another jihadi bride who claimed that Jones was keen to return home to her family in leafy Chatham in Kent.

Birmingham-born computer hacker Hussain was killed in a drone strike in Syria in August 2015 after setting up ISIS's Cyber Caliphate Division which breached US government military websites.

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Sikh gang ‘smuggled illegal immigrants into UK by giving them passports from family’ Three Sikh men helped nearly 70 Afghan illegal immigrants sneak into the UK using the real passports of British Sikhs in a £600,000 scam, a court heard.

Border officials were unable to distinguish between the illegal immigrants who masqueraded as the genuine passport holders because Sikh men are allowed to wear turbans in their ID documents.

The gang would travel to France and hand over stolen or genuine passports to waiting immigrants which looked like them.

Once the immigrants got to the UK, the gang would recycle the passports passing them on to others trying to sneak into the country.

Cousins Daljit Kapoor, 41 and Harmit Kapoor, 42, and Davinder Chawla, 43, a member of the same extended family had all previously pleaded guilty to running the scam which charged each family over £,9000. They provided Sikhs from the war-torn country with stolen passports or those of their own

Davinder Chawla (L) and Daljit Kapoor (R) outside court

family members who most looked like them, so they could pass themselves off as British citizens.

The three men appeared at Inner London Crown Court today for the start of a Newton hearing after disagreements between the prosecution and the defence over their level of involvement in the scam.

The court heard the total value of the conspiracy was around £620,000.

However the court was told there would be no Newton hearing in relation to Daljit Kapoor, following an agreement between the prosecution and defence over his basis of plea.

For the conspiracy the trio were paid up to £9,300

5

to get entry into the UK. In total 69 individuals travelled to the UK on the passports were identified and 59 did not make an asylum application.

Prosecutor Alexandra Felix said: “The central aim was to gain financially At least one of conspirators with the a passport would travel to France to enable to asylum seeker to travel to the UK using this passport.

“These were passports with identities belonging to their families or others which were reported lost or stolen in the days before their use. The result of the conspiracy was there was entry into the UK that must have been in breach of immigration Law.

Schoolboy who died after allergic reaction named as 13-year-old Karanbir Cheema The schoolboy who died after having a severe allergic reaction has been named by his head teacher. Metropolitan Police arrested another 13-yearold pupil of Greenford's William Perkin C of E school on suspicion of attempted murder. He has been bailed until later this month. Executive head teacher Dame Alice Hudson said Year 8 pupil Karanbir Cheema had a number of allergies and that staff tried to give him medication before an

ambulance arrived, The Mirror reports.

Karanbir died in hospital on Sunday (July 9) after the incident at the school on June 28.

Police confirmed that they were called to the the school by London Ambulance Service at 11.30pm on June 28 to reports of a pupil suffering a severe allergic reaction.

Karan was taken to a west London hospital for treatment but died on July 9 in hospital with his parents at his side.

Karanbir Cheema

Karan's post-mortem waa carried out on Wednesday (July 12).

Day Lewis plc reaches 300th Pharmacy Landmark

The Day Lewis Group has acquired Community Pharmacies (UK) Ltd, taking the Group past owning and managing 300 pharmacies in the UK. Community Pharmacies Ltd consists of 18 health centre pharmacies, predominantly in partnerships with GPs, strengthening Day Lewis’s portfolio.

Jay Patel, one of three Executive Directors of Day Lewis, said, “Despite the ongoing cuts facing Pharmacy, Day Lewis continues to invest in the sector as we have done for over 40 years. We are committed to Pharmacy and our independence allows

us to take a long term view. The acquisition of Community Pharmacies Ltd. strengthens our business further, increasing our portfolio of health centre pharmacies.

A strong Day Lewis enables us to support our colleagues, whilst helping us to reach as many patients in as many communities as possible. It also keeps us on track to meet Kirit’s vision of achieving 400 pharmacies by 2020.”

Andrew Murray, CEO of Community Pharmacies Ltd, said, “We were seeking a buyer that shares our vision and values and that has the size and scale of operation to invest in the

business, to ensure its success for the future. Day Lewis has long been recognised as one of the best independent operators in the industry. They are the right fit for us and I look forward to working with them.”

Founded by the late Kirit Patel MBE and his brother J.C. Patel in 1975, the Day Lewis Group has grown from one pharmacy in Southborough to over 300 pharmacies in the UK today. The Group is now led by a highly experienced management team that includes Kirit’s children, Jay, Rupa and Sam Patel, supported by his brother J.C. Patel.

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Youth bring Hindu epic The Ramayana to life

Dhiren Katwa

Fast-rising actor and youth director Bhavik Parmar appears as the monkey God, Hanuman, in The Ramayana, the Hindu epic. I caught up with him and the production’s director Daniel Tyler to find out more about them and the production.

The Ramayana, presented by The Young REP 18-25 Company, the youth arm of Birmingham Repertory (REP) Theatre, brings to life the complex, but fascinating story of good over evil. The Ramayana, in Bhavik’s words, “explores how the world will continuously fathom in negativity, where evil intent, a lack of care and inequality will stay rife, however with hope and faith, the world has enough courage and strength to overcome these hindrance. For this reason it is a story that will forever stay relevant.”

The hour-and-a-half performance, featuring a cast of 15, follows the exiled Lord Rama’s adventures as he endeavours to rescue his wife Sita from the clutches of the tenheaded demon Ravana.

Aided by his brother Lakshman and friends they meet along the way, Rama’s journey takes him through forests and over oceans to strange and foreign lands, before he is

Full cast in the youth production, The Ramayana

able to return to his home kingdom of Ayodhya.

Rewinding back to his childhood, “I was told stories of The Ramayana in my mother-tongue, Gujarati,” said Bhavik. “I came across many words I did not know the meaning of, phrases I did not understand and many teachings that left me confused with questions.

Taking part in this performance gave me the opportunity to research my religion.” Speaking of his part as Hanuman, “there were moments where I looked towards members of the audience, especially young children and felt a connection with them. There

were moments where parents turned to their children and said that’s Hanuman as I crouched near them.”

Bhavik, aged 24, is Education Officer at Birmingham REP which entails him delivering drama workshops and directing youth theatre shows across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Previously he was Youth Theatre Director at Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham. He also runs his own children’s entertainment company. He graduated in 2014 from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London, with

a BA (Hons) in Drama, Applied Theatre & Education. While at university, he had the opportunity to perform as Michael in Peter Pan at the Minack Theatre, Cornwall.

Born in Jamnagar in Gujarat, the western coast of India, Bhavik moved to England in 1996, settling in Leicester.

Daniel Tyler, who is of Anglo-Indian heritage, is Director of The Ramayana, and Head of Education at Birmingham REP. He explained how this version of The Ramayana was premiered at Birmingham REP 15 years ago and was selected for production this year due to “its engaging and entertaining writing as well as being a great approach to sharing the religion and mythology of a vastly significant proportion of our city and region’s population.”

What next, I asked Daniel: “The company’s project for 2017-18 is yet to be decided but we know it will be another exciting challenge and we will always hope to keep the same level of energy and fun that we’ve experienced with The Ramayana.

The Young REP is over 300-strong and has members from ages 7 to 25.

Each member has the opportunity to perform in a production at The Birmingham REP each academic year.

Perv Imam sentenced for abusing girls during Quran lessons An Imam from Cardiff has been jailed for 13 years for sexually touching four young girls during Quran lessons at a mosque. A jury at Cardiff Crown Court heard Mohammed Haji Saddique, 81, of sexually touching girls in front of his class and repeatedly slapping children if they made mistakes during lessons.

Saddique was found guilty of 14 offences, six indecent assaults and eight sexual assaults, all that took place between 1996 and 2006.

Judge Stephen Hopkings QC sentenced him for 13 years and ordered him to register as a sex offender indefinitely. He said, “All four complainants were very brave indeed in overcoming not only personal but cultural barriers which they faced in making formal complaints and giving evidence against you. There is a darker, deviant side to

Mohammed Haji Saddique

you which this trial has exposed. This was a gross breach of trust- parents sending their young, female children to be taught the Quran by you,” the Judge said. He said Saddique, who insisted the allegations were a

conspiracy by other members of the mosque has “no idea” of the harm caused by his actions.

The convict was a member of the Madina Mosque and was involved in running it, also playing the treasurer and teacher teaching Q studies to primary pupils.

The classes were held four times a week after school and he was called “Uncle Saddique”, the court heard.

The first investigation was launched in 2006 after two girls placed complaints. While the accused denied any wrongdoing, enquiries took pace in 2016 after two other girls came forward. Saddique would touch the girls under their traditional loose-fitting clothing and rub them

against his groin and legs.

The judge read out victim impact statements to the court, in which the girls, who are in their 20s now, spoke of lasting implications of his actions.

Reading out one, the Judge said, “It has put her off religion, she deliberately doesn't own a Quran. (For her), the ethos of going to the mosque at any time is that when you are there, God is protecting you. Her idea was shattered because you abused her when she was reading from the holy book.”

“You would attempt to maintain discipline and concentration by tapping or slapping the child sitting next to you who didn't read correctly,” the Judge said. “Every time one of these small children made a mistake you would slap them until they got it right and slap them for every mistake they made.”

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Man jailed for ramming Range Rover into Muslim crowd A 25 year old who rammed his Range Rover into a crowd celebrating Eid in east London, has been sentenced to jail for 12 years. Akikul Islam was handed the sentence after being found guilty in a hearing at the Old Bailey.

CCTV footage showed three men get out of two cars and beginning to argue with a group of 10 other males armed with baseball bats and bottles.

The accused remained in his car as the brawl intensified, when the other car sped off he turned around and drove directly at three of the men, running over a 24 year old and smashing into a parked car.

He then reversed, hitting a second 20 year old man, and pulled off dragging his victims beneath the wheels. Detective Inspector Chris Soole, from Tower Hamlets, said, “This sentence reflects the gravity of his actions that day. The court had previously heard that

Akikul Islam

Islam was behind the wheel of a Range Rover which he used as a weapon when he deliberately drive at a group of men who were celebrating Eid-al-Fitr.”

He added, “Two of the men required hospital treatment; one of whom is still receiving medical care. It is fortunate that no one else was harmed.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman said, “A number of other people have been arrested as part of this investigation and remain on bail. Enquiries are ongoing.”

Queen selects first black equerry in British history

The Queen has hired a Ghanaian-born officer as her new personal assistant, making him the first black equerry in the history of British royals. Major Nana Kofi TwumasiAnkrah has been chosen for one of the most important positions in the royal household, and will start this year as reported by sources. His new role will require him to support the monarch at official engagements such as regional visits and audiences at Buckingham Palace.

Major TwumashiAnkrah moved to the UK with his parents in 1982.

He studied at Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Military

Major Nana Kofi TwumasiAnkrah

Academy at Sandhurst. He went on to become the frst black British Army Officer to be commissioned into the Household Cavalry, and even played the escort commander for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

Acid-attacker hands himself in John Tomlin, a man in connection with acid attack that left aspiring m o d e l R e s h a m Khan and her cousin J a m e e l Mukhtar with lifec h a n g i n g John Tomlin injuries, has turned himself in to the police.

Tomlin, 24, was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent over the alleged attack in Newham, east London, on June 21.

Resham Khan, was celebrating her 21st birthday with her cousin Jameel Muhktar, 37, when they were allegedly attacked by a man who threw acid through their car window.

A manhunt was

Resham & Jameel

launched and Mr Tomlin handed himself in at a police station on Sunday.

Scotland Yard confirmed that he is being held in custody.

In the days afterwards Ms Khan reportedly said: "I'm devastated. I keep wondering if my life will ever be the same."

In an emotional interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Mukhtar said he feels "emotionally wrecked" and "in continuous pain" following the attack.

Scotland Yard said enquiries are ongoing.

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Community left shocked at family's death in Bolton fire The family of a mother and her three children who were killed in a house fire at Daubhill in Bolton has been overwhelmed by messages from the community. With roots in Bharuch, many Muslims and Gujaratis have come forward to offer support and condolences to the family, from across UK, after being left shocked by this incident.

A fire broke out at the terraced house in Rosamond Street on Saturday and claimed the lives of 40 year old Aneesa Umerji, and her three children, Hamaad, Yusuf and Khadijah, aged 12, 10 and 5.

Aneesa's husband, Zubair, survived the fire by jumping from a first floor window before trying to get back into the house to rescue his family. Zubair is believed to hail from Bharuch district of Gujarat, from a village called Kantharia. His cousin Salim who still lives in that village, was contacted by a large number of people from the neighbourhood who came in masses to offer their sympathies.

Paramedics and fire crews gave the victims CPR but one of the children was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman and two other children died later in hospital.

16Eyewitness described a man as "hammering" on the door of the terraced house and one of them said she was alerted to a "commotion" at around 9am on

Saturday. Crime scene investigators were at the scene, in the Daubhill area of the town, the woman said.

The resident, who asked not to be named, said: "It's terrible, absolutely terrible. I saw them bringing people out. They were doing chest compressions.

"I saw them bring two out and then they put a green sheet up.

"It was 9am this morning when I heard all this commotion.

There was just a load of hammering, banging on a door.

"I went to the window and saw smoke billowing.

"When I saw him after he had his hands bandaged up and his head."

Another eyewitness, Aymen Mohamed told a local newspaper that he had been visiting his grandmother when the fire broke out.

The 24-year-old said "Early this morning about 9am there was smoke emerging from the house and noises of shouting.

"I didn't see the man but it was said he jumped from the back window which faced the backstreet, so it was hard to see.

"I knew of the family, but not as friendly.

"I saw the grandmother of the kids crying once it was known they were dead."

A teacher Simon Greenwood from Hamad's school wrote a poem, dedicating it to the child who lost his life in the fire. The poem read as following:

“My little man I had the honour and the privilege, To get to know a special kid, He'd drive some people crackers, With the mischievous things he did, An awesome sense of humour, Personality enough for two, Independent and determined, There's nothing he couldn't do, Playing cricket outside, On a sunny afternoon, Listening on repeat, To the Eastenders theme tune, The trampoline a favourite, That brought that cheeky grin, Or playing with the Mosque clock, The ultimate for him, He brought a special comedy, With lunches lasting forever, He could bring you fits of giggles, With a perfectly timed 'WHATEVER', Custard or animal biscuits He was as happy as could be, Heart as big as a lion, He always did save one for me, Always talking of his family, Really gave him pride, No one could ever doubt, The love he had inside, These words don't do him justice, But words never can, To know him was to love him, Goodnight my little man.”

The burial of the four family members took place at New Overdale Cemetery in Chorley New Road, after the funeral at Zakariyya Jaame Masjid in Peace Street on Tuesday.

Mr Ali thanked the coroner's office for their work to ensure

that the bodies could be released.

Speaking about Mr Umerji, who continues to recover in hospital, Mr Ali reportedly said: "He is clearly devastated and he is being supported by those who are closest to him.

They are morally supporting him in every way."

Tony Hunter, assistant county officer with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), said they saw man banging on the door of the house, and found him "distraught", when they arrived.

"We found a man who had jumped from the first floor window, straight through the window on to concrete," he said.

"He got up and then was smashing his hands through the glass of the ground floor window.

"He was breaking the windows with his hands.

"He was covered in cuts.

"He was absolutely distraught, screaming (that) his wife and children were in there."

He added that the family was 'well respected' and 'close knit' in the community.

The inquest into the deaths were opened on Monday at

Bolton Coroner's Court.

The provisional cause of death for all four family members was given as smoke inhalation.

The inquest was adjourned to 10am on Thursday, November 30 and will resume at Bolton Coroner's Court.

Detective Chief Inspector Chris Bridge, from GMP's Bolton borough, appealed for witnesses.

He said: "These are utterly heart-breaking circumstances and our thoughts go out to anyone affected by this tragic incident.

"This appears to be a family home and we have been working to inform loved ones of this awful loss."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said: "Dreadful news coming out of Bolton today. My thoughts are with the family, their friends & the whole community."

Akshaya Patra’s new facility in BHAVNAGAR We’re midway through 2017 and the year has been an exciting one for The Akshaya Patra Foundation so far! New beginnings, new kitchens and many more beneficiaries – the Foundation is well on its way to fulfill its mission of feeding 5 million children by 2020.

Gujrat Samachar readers would love to know that we have expanded our reach in Gujarat, with our kitchen at Bhavnagar (see picture above) – the fifth largest city in the state. This kitchen – a centralised kitchen – serves meals to 28,000 children in 57 schools in the area. The kitchen was inaugurated by Shri Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat.

In the northeastern part of the country, Akshaya Patra expanded its reach to the state of Tripura. Our kitchen, at Kashiram Para in the Kanchanpur Sub-division of the state, is a centralised kitchen feeding a total of children. This our second kitchen in the northeastern states, the other one being in Guwahati, Assam.

At Akshaya Patra we are privileged and honoured to combine Food (Annadan) and Education (Vidyadan) to ensure that no child is deprived of education because of hunger by providing unlimited food for education. Many children are now well on their way to fulfil their dream A lot of people ask me in the

need charity – they need enablement and that is exactly why we exist- with your support.

Over the next few weeks, you will see lots of interesting initiatives undertaken by Akshaya Patra in the UK and in India- so watch this space Every day, Akshaya Patra serves freshly cooked, nourishing school lunches to over 1.6 million children in more than 12,000 government schools across 11 states in India through our Food For Education Programme.

UK almost every day- how do we make this happen? It is actually very simple. The world needs integrated and new- age solutions. We have a lot of problems which we need to solve at scale.

Take India – the country is growing its GDP and yet, we have not been able to solve our problems of poverty and lack of opportunities for our children.

The govt alone cannot solve this problem nor can it be a responsibility only of charities.

Unless all sectors come together and participate actively and tangibly, we will not be able to solve this problem quickly, efficiently and at large scale.

Do get in touch with me or

any members of the Akshaya Patra team to learn more and play your role in making a great difference. Remember every £ matters and more importantly your participation matters.

We recently had some wonderful events in the UK. Our AMFAM program (A Meal for a Meal) where many people in London joined hands to have their normal office lunch with our partners and in turn contributed to a year’s school lunches in India. We also had a fantastic event in Manchester with Holistic Manchester.

Hundreds of people participated in a weekend festival of Yoga, Meditation and holistic

food and Akshaya Patra was a proud charity partner. Our Ambassador- Michelin Star chef Alfred Prasad carried out a live cooking demonstration and we had some great support!

I am also proud and immensely grateful to our supporters who are pledging support to Akshaya Patra in their wills and legacies. It is a matter of great pride that their legacy will not only live on through the millions of children we serve but also flourish through their genius! There is no seva better than the one that serves God through people.

And people do not simply

Our mission is to serve 5 million children by 2020. To help us reach this ambitious goal, please donate online at www.justgiving.com/tapf or text MEALS to 70300 to donate £10. Your £10 gift will enable us to serve school lunches to one child in India every day for an entire year.

To learn more about our work, visit www.foodforeducation.org.uk The Akshaya Patra Foundation UK E: info@akshayapatra.co.uk T: 020 7422 6612

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

As I See It

CB Patel

Why Jews cannot be ignored?

After a delay of 69 years an Indian Prime Minister representing 1250 million people visited Israel a nation of 8.5 million. Such a historic visit has spread reverberations not only in the regions of the two countries but world wide.

We at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar are especially delighted that way back in June 1977 when Indian PM Morarji Desai came on a State Visit to UK. We were privileged to submit a memorandum “why India need to establish full diplomatic relationship with the state of Israel." Up until then there was a trade mission of Israel in Bombay (now Mumbai).

This Memorandum was prepared by Chotu Karadia and Robert Govinder, two senior journalists of New life, forerunner of the Asian Voice, with valuable inputs from Leicester MP Greville Jenner, who was a leading light of the Board of Deputies of the British Jews.

Several prominent Jewish MPs of all main British political parties have sacrificed their careers in the govern-

PM Modi with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

ment, perhaps because they stood by their Jewishness or especially with the State of Israel in the most challenging circumstances.

PM Modi's visit to Israel was expected in some quarters as soon as he became the PM, little over three years ago. As the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi had visited Israel and established a close friendship with several leaders from all political backgrounds there.

NaMo is always known for doing things in his own way.

Prior to his visit to Jerusalem recently, seven delegations from Indian government visited Israel for advanced preparations. M J Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs led one of the high power delegation for preparatory discussions.

India has a close diplomatic, economic and other historic relationships with Iran, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt as well as other major players in the Middle East. It is noteworthy that PM Modi visited some of these countries and the Kings, Presidents, Amirs, Sheikhs and other top leaders of these countries have visited India in the last three years.

Such an elaborate preparation has resulted in the wake of a very fruitful visit of PM Modi, with no adverse reaction, even in the mildest form eminating from the Gulf area.

Why? On one hand India led

by Modi prepared well, laying the ground work. In today's world not only Egypt but Saudi Arabia and the Palestine Authority are in a way playing balls with USA. This, relatively, a very tiny geographical mass which rose from rubbles to a flourishing country with

major economy, technology and strong defence is going to play a complimentary role for mutual benefit with the partnership of India.

British Asians not only of Indian origin have been inspired, assisted and helped by the British Jews.

Thirty years ago Abdul Shamji Gomba, Najmu Virani, Gulam Noon and several other

Lucina Berger MP

entrepreneurs were given helping hands by the British Jews. After all religion is a personal matter.

Isn't it?

At the same time British Jews are not more than 300,000, and in spite of the Board, more and more Jews are becoming secular and marrying non Jews. A small number they may be, they are top performers in business, commerce, science, art, entertainment, media, technology, law and especially philanthropy.

Several prominent Jews had to withstand enormous pressure or suffer indignities for no other reason but for being a Jew or having attachment for the state of Israel. The labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree, Luciana Berger, comes to my mind. She is a very articulate, moderate and diplomatic person.

Jeremy Corbyn became the leader and Luciana had to leave the front bench position. I need not elaborate more but I would like to note here that she is a former head of Labour

Friends of Israel and her commitment is not just on paper.

There are Labour friends of India, Conservative friends of India as well a Lib Dem Friends of India. They are there. Their leaders are feted by the communities here as well as in India.

They may give glowing tributes to India or the Indian community within the four walls of a meeting place. Do they need to stop at that only?

They are not expected to side with India on every issue. After all they represent their constituencies and they are a member of the British Parliament, but when terrorists strike at pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir, why is there complete silence from all of them?

Their common humanity or anti-terrorist stand stops at the border of UK only. When in the Lords and Commons, some misguided colleague of their's make unfounded provocative and insulting comments about India to please their vocal constituents, why do these 'friends' remain so silent?

Perhaps in time to come, community members and supporters of theses leaders in business will take notice and corrective steps?

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

"Britain's Anglo-Indians"

- author Rochelle Almeida Rudy Otter Pour yourself a mango juice and sit back to savour a most informative and interesting book on a little-known mixed race community created in bygone times in India by the union of European male colonialists, predominantly the British, and Indian women.

In the years following India's Independence from the British Raj in 1947, some 50,000 AngloIndians, as they came to be called, migrated to Britain in the belief that Britain was their true home, despite being discouraged from doing so by their earnest community leaders Henry Gidney and later Frank Anthony, who had urged them to stay on in India and help develop the land of their birth. Only a minority remained.

Those who moved to Britain, however, quickly discovered that their rosy expectations of life in the "mother country" amounted to nothing more than wishful thinking. They faced a hostile reception that alarmed and depressed them in equal measure, encountering racial prejudice in employment, accommodation and society generally.

“Britain’s AngloIndians” is a deeply researched book penned

by Rochelle Almeida, clinical professor of global cultures in the Liberal Studies Program at New York University. She charts this community’s remarkable evolution in stunning detail, pulling no punches, and rightly includes as AngloIndians the mixed-race offspring of other European colonialists who occupied the subcontinent, namely the Portuguese, French and Dutch.

Almeida quizzes an array of elderly first-gen-

eration migrants and succeeds in capturing their earliest thoughts and feelings with complete candour. Keeping her interviewees anonymous to encourage them to open up, she bagged quotes like this, from an accountant in Wembley: "My Dad thought that I could become an accountant or a doctor in the UK. However, as soon as I came here, I realised that there was so much colourprejudice that you were lucky to be able to find any job. For two years, I was too ashamed to tell my folks in India what I was really doing in England - manual labour loading TVs from a wheelbarrow into a truck."

Almeida brings the eventful story up to date, recounting how AngloIndians who moved to Britain all those years ago are faring today, summed up in this quote from a retired Anglo-Indian journalist: "Life is so very different and wonderful from what is was when we arrived here... with our bizarre misconceptions, culture clashes, sensitivities and chips on our shoulders the size of the Taj Mahal. We are now more mature and happier than we have ever been."

The book is worth reading for the profusion of quotes alone spanning every aspect of AngloIndians' first uneasy, and then contented, lives in Britain, but there is so much more on the genealogical, historical and political fronts to commend this book which is spread over six fascinating chapters, helpfully divided into persuasive, bite-sized sections. "Britain's AngloIndians" is published by Lexington Books.

USA (US$100, www.rowman.com).

A lunch to celebrate what we have achieved together Continued on page 3 At a time when so much focus is put on immigration, integration and identity; it is worth pausing and considering the tremendous strides our communities have taken. And we should celebrate what we have achieved together and the obstacles we have all overcome.

Last week’s lunch was only a small representation of a more global phenomenon; but repre-

sentatives of three nations sat together in the Mother of All Parliaments as we enjoyed each other’s company and spoke of other ways we can collaborate together.

H.E. Y.K Sinha spoke of his hope for a ‘long and happy association’ with Israel and how, under the current Government, huge strides had been made towards that goal.

In turn, H.E. Mark Regev spoke of the strong relationship in defence and

technology the two countries share, as well as the future possibilities for trade and investment.

We were marking Modi’s visit, celebrating the success of the three nations and their Diaspora’s in the UK, but – most importantly - we were also planning our shared future. Let us hope that in another twenty five years’ time our three countries have inspired others to choose democracy, prosperity and collaboration.

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Faiza Butt – Drawing with Meaning and Passion

Artists abound all over the world but there are only a handful who layer their work with a symbolism and meaning that speaks to the soul. Faiza Butt recently showed in London at the Grosvenor Gallery and is a 21st Century talent making centuries of culture her own.

Butt’s elaborate drawings hover between photography and embroidery.

Born into a family of five sisters, gender- related themes are close to her heart. There is miniature style familiar to Asians.

In 1995, Butt was awarded a UNESCOAschberg Bursary, and was artist in residence at the Bartle Arts Trust (BAT) in Durban, South Africa.

During this time, she held workshops for women from shantytowns, presented talks at museums and galleries and produced a solo show.

Her work has been exhibited at various art fairs, including Art Dubai and the Hong Kong Art Fair. Faiza Butt items are in the British Museum and public and private collections around the world.

Faiza’s mid career retrospect ‘Paracosm’ opened at the New Art Exchange in 2015 and travelled to the Universities of Essex and Leeds.

In June 2017 the installation was shown at the Royal Festival hall, London.

Background Faiza Butt was born in a moderate and progressive Lahore, Pakistan, in the 70s. During the early 80s, General Zia took over and “Islamization” began. “It made an impression on my childhood as my father was a liberal academic and he was critical of the state’s role in imposing religion,” Faiza says.

from the Slade School of Fine Art, and a teaching certificate from the Institute of Education.

Faiza Butt feels, “I was fated to be an artist. From an early age I displayed the hallmarks of an artistically inclined m i n d , which my pare n t s n u r tured.”

Art as a Career Her BA Honours was from t h e National College of Arts, where she w a s awarded the Berger Gold Medal for outstanding student of the year. She holds a master’s degree in painting with a distinction

Butt says she lived in a culturally rich environment. As a child, she was surrounded by books, art material, journals and encouraging parents. “I looked at life in detail and drew like an adult even as a child.” The matriarchal household influenced her.

Development of Technique and Style “I developed the pointillistic technique during my years at the Slade School of Art, where I dismissed oil painting as a resistance towards Western Art history and developed a method rooted in the art history of my region.

Dictator Zia’s Islamic ‘reforms’ initiated the feminist movement in Pakistan as a reaction. My art responded to the feminist issues in Pakistan, and my earlier works mainly feature women.

Even if I use images of men, I am still discussing issues to do with gender.” One striking but soft male image - of a Muslim man from Afghanistan/NWFP, she explains, “references culture and assumptions.

The images of men in my art may be from

impoverished cultures; reference barbarism, yet they are ‘effeminate’ and delightful to look at.

The notion of threat and desirability co-exist in my representation of men.”

I tend to draw from issues not endorsed by state owned sources of information.

Working in India “It was an honour and a joy to show in India.

Pakistan was founded on the notion of Islam….yet it’s a diverse country in caste, sects, ethnicities and cultural variations. We had teething problems since Independence in establishing our identity, creating an interesting set of issues and problems.

This forms a rich environment for artists from Pakistan. There are fewer art schools in Pakistan than in India. Generally the Pakistani art scene looks up to the Indian models and structures as a positive reference of growth.

Faiza Butt notes that art patronage in the West is established. She men-

tions icons like Damian Hirst and Tracey Emin and patrons like Charles Saatchi.

“The artists I admire most are those that reflect upon history and challenge set norms and traditions. My sympathies lean towards artists that are social commentators as well. I respect Kara Walker, Barbara Kruger, Judy Chicago, Grayson Perry, Steve Macqueen.

I tend to draw from issues not endorsed by state owned sources of information.

Gender polemic and cross-cultural issues underpin my practise. Artists are not reformers but they can help raise awareness. The images in my art are like traps that audiences fall into. They are beautifully crafted, elaborately drawn images but once the onlooker is engaged it leads them towards confronting uncomfortable truths.”

Challenge “Being an artist is a rebellious act, a challenge.

Being a woman, a parent, fighting for my right to practise remains the biggest challenge. Artists do not have salaries, nor does their work create the comforts of reliance and sustainability.

Their rewards lie in appreciation and connection with a wider audience.”

Dealing with Inheritance Tax (IHT) and stress are by no means the only consequences of ‘dying intestate’, i.e. without a will.

Unless your estate or family set up is very simple, there is no reason not to make a will, and it’s important to revise yours regularly and keep it up to date.

Kishan Devani Consultant

Discounted Gift Trust (DGT)

Before looking at one of the most effective approaches to mitigate the IHT liability on your estate, the most basic – but often neglected – part of estate planning is making a Will.

Making a will is something most people should definitely consider if they haven’t already. The lack of a will can add strain and distress to the surviving family at arguably the worst time. But strain

Your will is in place and this will ensure that all of your assets will be distributed as per your wishes once you have died.

You still have a significant amount of personal and family wealth that will be subject to IHT on your demise and you would prefer to ensure that as much as possible passes on to your beneficiaries.

You are in the fortunate position that you have enough wealth to

Writing a Will

Faiza Butt

provide for any unforeseen emergencies in the future. You are mid-60s, retired, currently in good health and have no problem relinquishing access to some of your money. The only proviso is that you are not comfortable gifting to your beneficiaries at this time primarily because you would like to continue drawing an income from your investments, but also to avoid other issues involved in gifting.

It would seem that using a DGT would be a suitable solution to your issue.

As the name suggests, a DGT aims to provide the settlor/s with an immediate discount to their potential IHT liability with any growth on the trust fund falling outside of their IHT estate from Day 1. A DGT involves a Single Premium Investment Bond being written

under a suitable trust. As the settlor retains the right to a chosen level of income during their lifetime, this will have a value for IHT purposes which will stay inside of the IHT estate. As such, for the purposes of calculating the gift at the outset; the value of the full investment can be reduced (“discounted”) by this ‘retained value’.

The actual value of the ‘retained fund’ is calculated taking into account the settlor’s sex, age, state of health, and the amount and frequency of the capital payments they are entitled to, and is calculated on application. The remaining part of the investment is subject to the “Seven Year Rule” and will be totally outside of the estate after seven years.

On the demise of the settlor/s, the investment will pass directly to the beneficiaries without being subject to probate.

Offshore Wrapper

There are a number of different types of “Single Premium Investment Bonds” all of which can be held in a DGT. For a number of reasons, we use the International Portfolio Bond (IPB).

This is also known as an Offshore Wrapper.

The offshore wrapper allows you to set up an investment that sits in a safe offshore jurisdiction (Isle of Man) which will grow free of any ongoing tax.

You are allowed to bring up to 5% of the bond back into the UK each year without paying any tax at all. This means that if you set up the investment with £1m, you can bring up to £50,000 each year into the UK without paying any tax at all.

With most other investments, once you

The value of your investments can go down as well as up and past performance of an investment is not necessarily a guide to future performance.

place them into a DGT, you are no longer able to take an income.

The beauty of putting an Offshore Wrapper into the DGT, is that you can hold it in a place that guarantees that all growth is outside of your IHT estate immediately, that a certain amount of the capital will be outside of your IHT estate immediately and that the rest of the capital will drop out of your IHT estate over the next seven years – and all of the while you can continue to take a tax free income from the investment.

There are many more advantages to using the Offshore Wrapper that are beyond the scope of this article.

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READERS’ VOICE

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

UK economic policies post global financial crisis

Post global financial crisis in September 2018, Gordon Brown decided to bail out U.K. banks by taxpayers' £700 billion. George Osborne when he came in power in May 2010, he introduced a five year rigid plan in an Emergency Budget to reduce the increased fiscal deficit. His plan was to do this by reducing pubic sector expenditure by 80% and increase taxes by 20%.

I immediately wrote to The Financial Times THEN in a 4-page critique of this plan and suggested it was fundamentally flawed. It would have been better if the split was 50/50. Two FT journalists telephoned me and told me the Critique made sense but did not publish such a long Critique.

Mr Osbourne not only totally failed to reduce the fiscal deficit, but managed to almost double the cumulative fiscal budget deficit of 42% to a cumulative deficit to 82% of GDP by March 2016. Public services provision deteriorated, wages were stagnant, living standards went down and inequality increased.

Bank of England kept interest rates to 0.5% and quantitative easing of £350 billion for banks to lend more; private and household debt increased not to invest but to spend on consumption ; government introduced various Help To Buy schemes, middle classes took advantage and increased their portfolio of buy to let residential properties and both inequality and housing shortage increased.

It is true that does not make economic sense to continue an annual fiscal deficit of £50 billion, pay an annual £59 billion interest on the cumulative fiscal debt and continue a policy of low taxes.

The solution is to gradually increase taxes only to reduce the annual gap as well as improve public services by paying them more.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

Brexit trade boom?

A Brexit Britain, free from the shackles of EU bureaucracy, should be able to set up rapid and lucrative trade deals with the rest of the world, particularly major markets like India and China. Agree?

Rudy Otter By email

Red Letter Day for NHS Below is a letter from Upendra Kapadia to PM Theresa May and other politicians about the NHS. Dear PM Theresa May, Lords, MPs, Asian Voice, The 5th July is a Red-letter Day in the History of NHS! We are finishing 69th Landmark Anniversary of NHS when Mr. A. Bevan, the Health Minister, in 1948 made it fully fledged FREE NHS for all Patients' Treatments and Medicines at GP Surgeries and in all Hospitals in Britain. He did this in Manchester when he Inaugurated Park Hospital there.

At this Point, I wonder if Mr. Bevan was Honoured for his Great Idea of Free NHS, with an Award or a Statue in his Memory! At present we are facing crisis in NHS when older Generations are living longer and also with Increasing Population!

Please Declare 5th July as 'NHS DAY' in British Calendar every year, when all Newspapers Media, Hospitals and others can collect Funds to Finance Medicines, Treatments and Continuous Modern Research for NHS! Even Royals, Politicians and People can contribute as per their Capacity Voluntarily so that NHS can Survive for Future Generations!!!

Upendra Kapadia By email

Correction

We would like to apologies for an error in a letter last week headed ‘Amendment to Equality Act 2010’ by RN Patel. The year was meant to read 1932 and not 1992 as stated.

What do you think?

We want to know your views on this subject Write to Asian Voice 12 Hoxton Market London N1 6HW or e-mail: aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Demonetisation in India

In India, several people are still left with the cancelled and demonetised currency notes. In most cases, this is the holder's hard earned money and not the black money. For some bonafide reason, however, they could not exchange their currencies during the upheaval period of demonetisation.

Thus it is most appropriate that the Supreme Court has now asked the Central Government to explore the possibility of giving one more opportunity to the genuinely needy persons. Central Government has to respond to this request within the next 15 days.

It is well-known that during the period of demonetisation, in spite of numerous representations, the plea of NRIs was totally ignored. Thus it would be prudent for the Indian Government now to duly take into account our situation and provide us with appropriate opportunity as also the facilities to exchange our old currency notes into new one.

Bharat Shah Harrow

Anomalies in GP surgeries

I refer to Ilaben’s aptly titled letter “Charity Begins At Home” With extreme GP shortages; this is common dilemma, affecting elderly patients more than general population. But there are few well managed surgeries where same day appoints are the norm, ours is one of them.

Ringing before 10am, we get telephone consultations during lunchbreak, if not sooner. If deemed urgent, we are seen on same day, although understandably by locum GPs. All other patients are seen within three days if telephone consultations do not put patients mind at rest. But since introduction of telephone consultations, personal visits to GP surgeries have gone down by 30%, benefiting both patients as well as GPs. All GP surgeries are obliged to operate “Patients Participation Group” (PPG) also known as “Patients Representative Group” (PRG) who normally meet once every three months. Any one registered with Practice is encouraged to join, as they are always short of members. PPG is indeed professionally organized body with Chairperson, Secretary and other office bearers.

Members are on most part retired professionals including GPs, pharmacists, nurses, accountants, as well as grass-root patients. PPG plays active part, publishes newsletters, members are widely consulted during GP Surgery inspections, now vital part of “NHS Quality Control”. Ours is well organized group with tremendous input by our dedicated GPs and Practice Manager. We are not only members but office bearers as well. Please join your PPG, have your say how your GP Practice is managed.

Kumudini Valambia By email

The Bombardment has started, again

After a lull of a few months, the bombardment has begun again. No, we are not talking about the bombardment on Syria or other such hostile countries. It is the incessant ‘phone calls which have started pouring in again.

After a respite of few months (or shall we call it a cease fire of few months?), the ‘phones have started ringing again. The callers ask us to take part in a survey of some kind or other. Even if I tell the callers that I am not interested in taking part in any survey, they do not want to take no for an answer.

These callers have the habit of taking you by surprise at inopportune moments while you are having dinner or are in company or watching your favorite TV programmes.

Having got fed up to the teeth, and having drawn a blank in my attempts to stop them, I simply do not answer the phone unless I was expecting a call from someone I knew.

Later on I dial 1471 to see who the call was from and then ring back that person. What is the proper and permanent solution to this as we do not want to be rude to the caller as the poor chap is only trying to earn a living?

I have now invested a in a telephone with a “call blocker” and am trying to get to grips with how to filter unsolicited calls. How effective this is, only time will tell.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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Mankind in God’s image

D’Cruz’s belief that “mankind created in God’s” image is a very simplistic, fundamentalist, and myopic concept.

Hindu scriptures are very specific as to various attribute of God. It clearly states that God has shape of tranquility, color of rain cloud which is denizen of sky, and is supporting foundation of all that is manifest.

The Gita says that God is all the universe and all that manifests in it, be it in any form of life. It is God that creates crop from a seed; God is warmth that gives one an appetite, and fire that digests food that one eats. It is God that puts one to sleep with guarantee that one wakes up hale and hearty next morning.

God is resident inside and outside all that is manifest. It is described as “brahmand” or egg of creator the manifest. It is in him that we live and breathe.

Stephen Hawking has described “God particle” which is not like any human image. God’s image cannot be confined to mere physical body with four limbs and prisoner of a brain and nervous system.

God is created by mankind in an image that suits its intelligence and imagination.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Passing of Cardinal

I refer to Jubel’s well-intended letter on passing away of “Cardinal Ivan Dias” in Rome. While elocutionist Cardinal Dias was a noble, distinguished son of India, climbed Vatican ladder through devotion, hard work, serving in Balkans, East Asia and West Africa and came from distinguished Catholic family, his brothers Francis delicately served in Indian army as Lieutenant General and another brother Ralf was a doctor, some of cardinal’s views may be controversial in eyes of liberal thinkers.

He was an outspoken supporter of the controversial 2000 document of the congregation of the doctrine of the Faith Dominus Jesus which declared that non-Catholics are in gravely deficient situation in comparison to those who, in the Church have the fullness of the means of salvation. He further said that Jesus is the only saviour of the world which may sound out of place in multi-faith India.

Perhaps he understandably reflects views of his followers which may sit in comfort in a staunch Catholic nation like Italy. But in secular, cosmopolitan, accommodating India where people and the State rightly believe in “Equality of all Religions” many worshippers, even his fellow Catholics may struggle to share his somewhat narrow define.

We non-Christians, always associate Christianity as bastion of freedom, equality, harmony, peace and progress, especially in 21st Century. That is why we made Great Britain, with Christian values, our home.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Swine flu on the rise

Swine flu is on the rise in India. The State Government must organise a series of workshops to train family doctors and paramedic staff throughout the state to prepare for such an occurrence.

Private hospitals must also be asked to reserve a certain percentage of beds to admit H1N1 patients and ventilators should be supplied on priority basis to all district hospitals.

Private labs should also be authorised to collect the samples and send them for testing, while physicians posted at health centres should be asked to identify swine flu symptoms in patients and provide treatment to them at the preliminary stage of infection. The government should also ensure that sufficient stocks of drugs are made available at all medical shops and hospitals.

Since this disease has been travelling from country to country, isn't it about time the airlines took precautions, not only for the safety of their staff and passengers but for the entire world?

The symptoms of this flu are high fever accompanied by shivering, nauseating, vomiting, loose motions and loss of appetite. Meats, poultry procured from dingy shops are often contaminated. This virus enters the human body through meat (chicken, pork, beef and mutton). However this is not an ordinary flu and can result in fatality.

To keep ourselves healthy and protected, we must maintain healthy eating habits. We must wear masks, abstain from non-vegetarian foods, wash our hands as often as we can and avoid crowded areas. People should be made aware and told how to protect themselves.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India

EDUCATION

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READERS’ VOICE

New students 'unprepared for university' Young people heading for university need much better preparation for what they can expect, say researchers. After all the effort of getting a university place, the Higher Education Policy Institute study suggests, there can be unrealistic expectations. Most young people expect to have more teaching hours in university than in school, when the opposite is the case. The study also found that young people with a mental health problem were unlikely to have told their university.

There have been many

surveys of student attitudes - but this is unusual in looking at the expectations of young people about to become students.

The study, carried out by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) and Unite Students, suggests that as well as being excit-

ed and nervous, many students are deeply ill-informed about what to expect.

About half a million new students begin university courses in the UK each year - and an annual Hepi study published earlier this year suggested that only about a third thought they were getting good value for money.

The latest study, based on a sample of more than 2,000 young people, suggests this could be because expectations of university life are unlikely to be matched by the reality.

Student debt rising to more than £50,000 Students in England are going to graduate with average debts of £50,800, after interest rates are raised on student loans to 6.1%, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Those from the poorest backgrounds, with more loans available to support them, will graduate with debts of over £57,000 says the think tank.

Interest charges are levied as soon as courses begin and the IFS says students on average will have accrued £5,800 in

interest charges by the time they have graduated from university.

Report author Chris Belfield describes the interest as "very high", but the Department for Education declined to comment on the increase in charges.

Universities Minister

Jo Johnson says that more disadvantaged students than ever are going to university.

The study from the IFS compares England's current student finance system introduced in 2012, where fees were raised to £9,000, with the previous system introduced in 2006, when fees were about £3,000.

Because the level at which graduates have to repay also increased, to £21,000, it meant that those with low incomes were initially better off, says the IFS.

Two-fifths fail to meet primary standard Two-fifths (39%) of primary school pupils in England have failed to meet the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, figures show. The results are from national curriculum tests, often known as Sats, sat by 11years-olds earlier this term.

In total, 61% did reach the expected level in the "three Rs", an improvement on last year's score of 53%.

Ministers praised the hard work of schools, but head teachers said the results showed only a partial picture.

The results show: l 61% of pupils met the

expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with 53% last year

l

71% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, compared with 66% last year l 75% of pupils met the expected standard in mathematics, compared with 70% last year l 77% of pupils met the

expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling, compared with 73% last year l 76% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, compared with 74% last year This year's cohort was the second to sit new tougher tests in line with a new national curriculum introduced in 2014. Last year, the percentage of primary school leavers making the grade fell to 53% from 80% in 2015. The results of the tests are used by the government to measure primary schools' success, in so-called league tables.

Malala Yousafzai joins Twitter Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani campaigner who survived being shot in the head by Taliban gunmen, has joined Twitter with a call for people to help her fight for girls' education.

The 19-year-old sent her first tweets the same day she finished school, which she said was a "bittersweet" moment.

She said her thoughts turned to the millions of girls who would never get the same opportunity.

Malala was just 11 when she first began writing a blog on girls' education. But it was after she was attacked as she

boarded her school bus in October 2012, aged 15, that her fight made global headlines. Malala was flown to the UK to undergo urgent treatment to save her life. She recovered, and has been attending school in the UK ever since. On Friday afternoon, like millions of teens before her, she took her first steps into the world of social media, using the Twitter handle @Malala. A series of tweets from Malala, discussing her future plans and calling on people to join her in her fight for girls' educationImage copyrightTWITTER/@MA

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LALA. As well as calling for people to back her fight for girls' education, Malala also revealed she would be spending the summer campaigning around the world. It was reported earlier this year she had received a conditional offer to study at a top UK university.

Western Civilisation

Last Wednesday (6th July) President Trump gave a speech in Warsaw, Poland.

He described the Western Civilisation and said “we value the dignity of every human life, protect the rights of every person, and share the hope of every soul to live in freedom - I declare today for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values will prevail. Our people will thrive. And our civilization will triumph”.

The values mentioned by the President are developed in the second half of the 20th century. Their past is coloured by colonisation, plunder and

destruction of many other civilisations.

The Western civilization was and is still based on greed. Their greed will eventually may deliver a fatal blow.

Their greed prevents them to call a spade a spade in the international arena and have driven them to self-destruction by not regenerating replacement population.

It is the same situation in Japan and South Korea who have adopted the Western Civilization. It need to change for its own good.

Narsibhai Patel New Malden

In this beautiful world everyday a child is dying in a few seconds. Reason? The silent killers are poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases, illness and other related causes such as war, terrorism, corruption and climate change, global warming, kidnapping, racism and child labour which is highest in Africa.

Every day 1,400 children die by drinking polluted water. UNICEF says every second a child dies due to lack of moeny to buy medicines. In 2010, 7.6 million child deaths under 5 years happened and the vast majority occurred in South Asia and Sub Sahara (Africa).

Upto now countless innocent children died in the Syrian war and thou-

sands drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while running away from Syria.

Instead of going to school terrorists kidnapped innocent countless children wrapped bombs on their bodies to kill thousands of people in the world. In Nigeria twice Boko Harram kidnapped more than 300 girls.

June 12th was World Day for Children. For their future for such desperate helpless children for their future for such desperate helpless children we can bring them joy, hope and happiness by donating only £5 a month to organisations.

Sudha Rasik Bhatt Glasgow

No child born to die

Tories drop plan to end universal free lunches for infants Plans to axe free lunches for infant school children from better off families in England have been scrapped. Schools minister Nick Gibb said the government would "retain the existing provision", having listened "very carefully" to the views of parents.

The Tory manifesto proposed restricting free lunches to infants from poorer homes - with free breakfasts for all primary school pupils funded instead. It was intended to save £650m a year - but was left out of the Queen's Speech.

Plans to limit their availability again to low-income families had proved controversial, with some parents complaining the offer of a free breakfast was not directly comparable and was merely a cost-saving measure.

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MEDIA WATCH

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It was a rare occurrence to witness good news subsuming the bad. The Indian media awoke to the significance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, where he was accorded a red carpet welcome by Israel’s great and good. An embrace from Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu set the scene. It had taken 70 years for an Indian prime minister to set foot on Israeli soil, but as Prime Minister Netanyahu remarked, it had taken 2,000 years to create a Jewish homeland.

along the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet border between Indian and Chinese troops. At Bhutan’s urgent request, (Bhutan having no diplomatic relations with China) Indian troops have prevented a Chinese military unit from building a road on the tri-junction of Sikkim-Bhutan and Tibet.

The Chinese Communist party publication, The Global Times, published a minatory warning to India to learn the lesson of 1962. It subsequently threatened India with the possibility of a Chinese withdrawal of recognition of Sikkim’s status as an Indian State by calling for its independence.

This would reopen India’s recognition of Tibet as part of China.

Ambassador issues ultimatum

PM Modi with Israeli PM Netanyanahu

India’s Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, replying to Chinese media taunts, said that the India of 2017 wasn’t the India of 1962; neither was China was the riposte, with a stream of abusive pieces boasting China military superiority over a weak and backwards India. Whereupon the Chinese Ambassador in New Delhi, in an interview with the Press Trust of India, issued an ultimatum: India must withdraw its troops from the contested territory or face the consequences of a possible war.

The line dividing calculation and miscalculation is often perilously thin. The standoff continues.(Hindu, Times of India, Telegraph, TV July 3-6).

has resulted in serious economic disruption and brought normal life to a standstill.

But the sudden explosion of c o m m u n a l violence in the town of Baduria, in the Bashirhat district of North 24 Parganas, took the public by surprise. It was a Modi-Xi Jinping talks F a c e b o o k revelation of a China ruled out the possibility of PM Modi laying a wreath at Haifa Memorial to local Muslim any meeting between President Indian soldiers who liberated the city in 1918 demonstration Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the calling for the G 20 economic summit in Landmark event expulsion from Bengal, if not Hamburg unless India made a India, that awoke the Indian prior withdrawal of troops.

The international media public.

The picture went viral However, President Xi and Prime scrambled to cover the story, and overnight hit the headline, Minister Modi did engage in a realizing somewhat belatedly, from print media to television. friendly conversation on the that a diplomatic game changer sidelines of the summit was unfolding before their eyes.

(Times of India, Hindu, Israel, small in size, but Telegraph July 8). expansive in matters of the mind, had waited patiently for Vietnam call to India this moment of true triumph.

The Israeli leadership well Meanwhile, Vietnam’s understood that the coming Deputy Prime Minister Pham together of the two nations and Binh Minh said, during a visit peoples would leave an abiding to New Delhi, that India impact on the region like no should play a bigger role in other. strategic and security issues Riot scene in Baduria in Bashirhat The Times of India (July 4) affecting the Association of district of Bengal published a joint article by the South East Asian Nations prime ministers on its editorial (ASEAN). He was speaking at the The local police force, page to mark the occasion. In Delhi Dialogue IX, a platform for outnumbered and clearly January 1992, India and Israel India-ASEAN discussions on demoralized, as police vehicles established formal diplomatic subjects of common interest. were set ablaze and police relations and their relationship stations attacked, stood by has gone from strength to Freedom of navigation helplessly.

West Bengal strength ever since. In their Minister Minh’s statement Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi article, one passage stands out reads: ‘ASEAN supports India to rightly alarmed at the for ready reference: ‘The play a greater role in the political breakdown of law and order, combination of India’s and and security domain, and create spoke to Chief Minister Mamata Israel’s human resources and a regional rule-based region. We Banerjee about the deteriorating ingenuity will provide more hope India will continue to situation. She said she was effective and more affordable partner our efforts for strategic insulted and humiliated.

The solutions for us in diverse fields security and freedom of Governor issued a robust denial. that are priorities for both our navigation in the South China Latest reports suggest a governments: agriculture, water, Sea on the basis on International lessening of this antagonism, health, environment, education law and legal conventions.’ but the issue cannot be swept and security.’

Namaskar, under the carpet. The Chief Shalom!

Vietnam-India talks Minister has a case to answer.

The Vietnamese leader, who is (Telegraph, Times of India, Bengal in turmoil also his country’s Foreign Hindu, July 4-6).

The Gorkhaland agitation for a Minister met with India’s separate state in the subIndia-China standoff External Affairs Minister Sushma Himalayan Darjeeling district Swaraj, and his statement, even There is heightened tension

as tension rises along the Sikkim-Tibet border between Chinese and Indian troops.

Following these talks, Foreign Minister Minh, issued a second statement, which reads: ‘India and Vietnam share political and economic interests.

As the future unfolds we have reason to be optimistic. ASEAN will benefit from India’s experience of resolving maritime issues in a peaceful manner.’

Minister Swaraj replied that India-ASEAN ties were at the heart of India’s ‘Act East’ policy, and central to India’s dream of an Asian century.

Minister Minh also called on India’s Defence Minister Arun Jaitley for talks on increased Indian military cooperation with Vietnam. India’s military ties with Indonesia and Singapore have also deepened. China is the common concern (Hindu, Times of India, July 5).

India-US-Japan Malabar naval drill India, the US and Japan launched the Malabar naval exercise on the high seas. They have deployed a formidable array of battle ships, submarines, surveillance aircraft and helicopters. There has been an unusual surge in the Chinese

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equipped for communications. A second satellite, GSAT-8, is being built for the exclusive use of the Indian Air Force (Times of India July 5).

Moody’s positive take on GST International credit rating agency Moody’s has given a thumbs up for India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST), saying that it would have a positive fallout for the country’s credit profile as it will contribute to improved productivity and a higher GDP growth. Furthermore, it would also lead to higher government revenue collection through improved tax compliance.

William Foster, Vice President, Sovereign Risk Group, Mood’s Investors Service, said: ‘Over the medium term, we expect that the GST will contribute productivity gains and higher GDPP growth by improving the ease of doing business, unifying the national market and enhancing India’s attractiveness as a foreign investment destination’ (Hindu July 3).

IndiGo no to Govt as partner in AI IndiGo, the low cost airline that operates within India and dominates the domestic market,

Naval drill

naval presence in the Indian Ocean in the past two months.

The setting of Malabar is significant too, with the IndiaChina standoff on the SikkimBhutan border and the visit to New Delhi by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and his robust statements of support for India.

The Indian flotilla includes seven frontline destroyers, a Kilo=class submarine, is led by the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, with its MiG 29Ks warplanes , will participate in a fully fledged combat exercise.

TUSS is fielding its 100,00 tonne nuclear powered super carrier Admiral Nimitz with its F/A 18 fighters. In addition, there is a helicopter carrier. Japan provides a 27,000 tonne helicopter carrier , Izumo, and another warship.

The goal of the exercise is submarine hunting.

Vice Admiral J.P.Aucoin, Vice Admiral B.K. Verma and Vice Admiral Yutaka Murakawa of the US, Indian, and Japanese Navies respectively, were in charge of the Malabar exercise (Times of India July 5).

India’s ‘Rukmini’ keeps eye on China India’s ‘eye in the sky’ GSAT-7, named ‘Rukmini,’ is the navy’s own dedicated military satellite – launched in September 2013 to monitor Chinese movements in the Indian Ocean within a surveillance range of 2000 nautical miles. It is also

has evinced interest in acquiring the national carrier Air India, but is opposed to the government as a partner in the deal. ‘We would look at acquiring all of AI’s international operations and AI Express,’ said IndiG founder Rahul Bhatia. IndiGo has sent a formal letter to the government expressing interest in acquiring the international operations of Air India and Air India Express.

The ball is in the government’s court (Times of India July 6).

Pune Metro gets European funding The Pune Metro project, drawn up by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation, is to receive 600 million euro from the Luxembourg-based European Investment Bank. The total sanctioned cost of the Pune metro project is Rs11,400 crore (Business Line July 4).

Haryana’s cotton sowing surge Driving through four major districts of Rohtak, Hisar, Fatehbad and Sirsa entails travel along a 403 kilometre-long expressway. On one side of the road are rice-growing paddy fields, on the other is cotton. The availability of water has played no small part in the transformation. The cotton belt of Haryana has, and is, witnessing record cotton, on 63,000 hectares of land, as opposed to the 50,00 sown last year (Business Line July 4).

UK

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Legal Aid and the Grenfell Tower disaster

In Defence of Newspapers I was speaking on the BBC recently about newspaper and fake news.

At a time when our faith in newspapers is shaken, let me write something no one is supposed to write – something in praise of a newspaper - this newspaper.

Recently I was at the birthday celebrations of the founder of this paper, CB Patel. Let me, as is befitting a birthday, give you an uplifting message about newspapers.

Seven years ago to the day you will read this paper (13th July) my grandmother, Sushilabhen R Patel, passed away. Well before I was born she knew the editor of this paper – and that was well before he was a newspaper owner. They lost contact.

In 1994 when CB Patel was running a campaign to save the Hare Krishna Mandir, I wrote a letter and faxed it to the paper. CB (or Chandrakantbhai as I addressed him) read it, and called my home. My grandmother took the message and old acquaintances renewed their friendship.

She asked me, ‘people won’t laugh at what you’ve written will they?’ – so protective of me was she.

Over the years I have MC’d, compered, been auctioneer at probably 50 charity events. At virtually all of them CB has been present or the paper was represented and indeed in so many they were donors.

My faith is restored because thanks to my grandmother I am where I am. My faith is restored because thanks to CB Patel, we as a community are where we are. I have seen this first hand.

For Akshaya Patra this paper promoted the big society event which raised over £50,000 from a room of just 70 people to feed children in over 25 schools for a whole year in India. CB Patel was there when I asked why it takes a few dozen Indians in Britain to feed the children of a billion Indians when India has a few

dozen billionaires. That event restored my faith.

At an event a few years ago for Northwick Park’s Research Institute which raised funds for heart and stroke research; if you are an Indian in Britain you are 50% more likely to suffer a stroke and these people are researching how to reduce that likelihood. My faith was restored when I asked the audience ‘’why the native English are helping in research for our community?’ when both our communities raised thousands in an auction.

This newspaper was there to cover it. The Attorney General saluted us.

Another for Akshaya Patra in the presence of Morari Bapu. We raised over £200,000 to feed children in over 100 schools in India. CB Patel and this paper were there again to donate, fund, cover.

My faith is restored that I can write about it, that newspapers do campaigns and these campaigns uplift us and deliver on the Big Society. This is a campaigning newspaper. A community newspaper. I am so proud to be permitted to write for it.

And I know my grandmother was proud I did too.

Drugs gang tried to smuggle £10 million worth of heroin from Pakistan

A Birmingham drugs gang have been convicted of conspiring to smuggle up to £10 million of heroin into the UK from Pakistan.

The criminals had hid the drugs inside industrial

machinery shipped from Lahore, but were arrested following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Eight men will be sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court next Friday after being convicted of conspiracy to import heroin.

A court heard Ameran Zeb Khan, 38, Mohammed Ali, 36, and Sajid Hussain, 32, had organised two container shipments from Lahore, via Karachi, to the London Gateway Port in

February and July last year.

Border Force officers searched the July shipment, cutting open the lathes to find 165kg of powdered heroin. NCA and BF officers reassembled the equipment and sent the container on to its delivery address at an industrial unit in

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Sandwell.

Omar Isa, 36 and Imran Arif, 35, took delivery of the lathes, unaware NCA officers were filming them and recording their conversations.

Other key players in the group were Mohammed Ashaf Khan, 49, who handled logistics while Rajesh Patel, 52, used his business to provide apparently legitimate paperwork for the shipments.

Z u l f g a r Munsaf, 38, who pleaded guilty before the trial, passed on the bosses’ wishes to the ground troops. Ameran Zeb Khan was already known to the NCA as a subject of a civil recovery and tax investigation.

The NCA said the seized heroin, which the group planned to sell on in bulk, had a purity of 58 per cent and was worth £5 million uncut. It is believed a

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) 2012 brought cuts to public funding for legal aid advice and assistance across numerous Manjinder Kaur Atwal areas. It has recently been reported as a popular view that these cuts to legal aid spending has denied justice to the most vulnerable members of society and that it is possible that legal aid cuts in housing legal assistance prevented residents of Grenfell tower from bringing their fire safety concerns to court.

Following the fire at Grenfell Tower in West London, which has claimed the lives of at least 80 people, it has emerged that several of the tower’s residents had held concerns about the building’s fire risk.

The Grenfell Action Group raised concerns about fire risks in 2013, and it has now been reported that some residents attempted to seek legal advice regarding these concerns but were unable to owing to the lack of legal aid available.

It is felt by many that legal aid cuts have fundamentally changed our justice system in ways that could be damaging to the lives of vulnerable people. Following the devastation at Grenfell Tower, people will be questioning whether the fire could have been prevented had there been greater access to legal aid to enable the concerns to be remedied through legal redress, and whether increased legal aid funding could prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future.

Obtaining Legal Advice Individuals and households who have been displaced as a result of the Grenfell disaster will be considered homeless with a priority need for accommodation, and under homelessness regulation, local authorities have a duty to provide accommodation to homeless people in priority need.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has stated: “Legal aid is available to help individuals and families made homeless by this disaster. Funding is also available for families to support them as they prepare for inquests. We actively encourage any affected family to apply for funding, which is granted by the independent Legal Aid Agency.”

Therefore, we urge all those affected by the Grenfell Tower disaster to obtain legal advice immediately.

It is imperative that residents know their rights, and in association with the Grenfell Legal Support (GLS), Duncan Lewis Solicitors have set up two pro-bono legal advice centres to offer free advice on all housing matters. Duncan Lewis can also assist with inquest, judicial review, and other related legal matters.

Our pro-bono legal advice centres are located at Al Manaar the Cultural Heritage Centre (Mosque), 244 Acklam Road, London, W10 5YG [0208 964 1696] and Westway Sports Centre, 1 Crowthorne Road, London, W10 6RP [0333 005 0442]. Both centres are open 09.30-17.30.

Manjinder is a Solicitor in the Housing Department at Duncan Lewis’ Harrow office and has been working closely with people who were affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower.

If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact our team of expert housing solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

Hindu Priest Required

Brahmin Hindu Priest is required for a very busy Hindu Temple in Bradford which is a part of a large Hindu organisation in Bradford.

Hours: 20-39 hrs per week over 6 days a week.

Salary: Negotiable plus part of offering and a subsidised accommodation.

Priest must be well versed in Sanskrit and Hindi and adequate knowledge of English and must be able to perform Havan, Yagna, 16 Sanskara and all kind of Puja according to Hindu rites. Priest must have good knowledge of Ramayan and Gita and should be able deliver lectures on both.

Please send your application to: Mr S Tailor, 341 Leeds Road, Bradford BD3 9JY

similar quantity of heroin was contained in an earlier shipment, meaning the conspiracy could have earned the group up to £10

million.

Convicted of conspiracy to import heroin: Ameran Zeb Khan, 38; Mohammed Ali, 37; Sajid

Hussain, 32; Omar Isa, 35; Imran Arif, 35; Mohammed Ashaf Khan, 49; Zulfgar Munsaf, 38; Rajesh Patel, 52

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UK

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Science Museum set to celebrate global impact of India’s scientists and photographers To celebrate 70 years of India-UK relationship and year of culture, this autumn, the Science Museum will present an international perspective on the remarkable contributions of the Indian subcontinent to global science and culture over the last 5000 years, opening on Wednesday 4 October.

This year of culture was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK PM Theresa May, during her visit to India in November 2016.

'Illuminating India' is a season of two major exhibitions, specially commissioned artworks and a high-profile events series opening during the British Council’s UK/India 2017 season: a celebration of the long-standing relationship between the UK and India which will see cultural events, exhibitions and activities taking place in both countries. It will tell the stories of the Indian innovators and thinkers who have often been overlooked or written out of Western narratives of history.

There are mainly two broad area of these exhibitions: one on 5000 years of science and innovation and the second one, on Photography from 1857– 2017.

'Illuminating India: 5000 Years of Science and Innovation', will celebrate India’s central role in the history of science and technology by exploring its influential contributions to subjects as diverse as space exploration, mathematics, communication and engineering.

As the Survey of India celebrates its 250th anniversary, the Science Museum will share the inspiring stories of scientists, technologists and thinkers, introducing visitors to a strong tradition of scientific thought in India from the ancient past to the present day.

Things on display will range from the earliest standardised weights originating from the Indus Valley Civilisation in 3000–2500 BCE to a payload developed for launch this year as part of India’s flourishing space programme. Using these objects and the stories of the people behind them, the exhibition will explore the country's expertise in observation, calculation and innovation and emphasise the long-standing importance of science in India for understanding the world and creating a

Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum, City Palace, Jaipur [Self-portrait with dogs, c.1870 (2012.04.0025-0029) © Trustees]

better society.

From mathematical genius and autodidact Srinivasa Ramanujan to the Indian Space Research Organisation’s Moumita Dutta, and from scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose to the ordinary people using the lifesaving Embrace Baby Warmer in remote communities, the exhibition will show how the people, geography and culture of India have had a profound impact on global scientific advancement throughout history.

A folio from the Bakhshali Manuscript, on loan from the Bodleian Libraries and thought to show the earliest use of zero as a placeholder in Indian culture before it evolved in the subcontinent into a true number, will be the centrepiece of a section showing the country’s pioneering development of influential mathematical ideas including infinity and algorithms.

His Excellency YK Sinha, High Commissioner of India to UK, said: “There is a long tradition of science in India that we need to recognise and celebrate and I am very happy that the Science Museum has taken the initiative to bring this to the attention of the rest of the world. I am delighted that the High Commission has joined in this effort for the 2017 Year of India Culture in the UK.” Another exhibition, 'Illuminating India: Photography 1857 –2017', will be an ambitious and unprecedented survey of the technological and cultural development of the medium in India, examining photography’s changing role in charting the recent history of the country.

This exhibition is the first to trace an arc from the beginnings of photography in India in the mid19th century to the present day, and pivots around 1857 and 1947: two key dates in India’s recent

history.

Looking at those photographers who have been inspired by their own experience of the country, the exhibition explores evocative works from a roster of eminent international practitioners, from India’s first known photographer, Ahmad Ali Khan, to award-winning contemporary photographer Vasantha Yogananthan.

Arriving in India shortly after its invention in Britain in 1839, photography became a powerful tool in the hands of military men and colonial administrators in the drive to document and dominate the people, architecture and landscapes of the subcontinent. Western art history has tended to overlook the Indian photographers working contemporaneously with the first foreigners from the 1850s onwards. This exhibition aims to explore their work afresh in an international context as Indian art photography pioneer Marahaja Ram Singh II is exhibited alongside Samuel Bourne and the country’s first female photojournalist, Homai Vyarawalla, is shown with contemporary Henri Cartier-Bresson.

Drawing on exceptional loans from diverse international collections, some of which will be shown for the first time in the UK, the exhibition offers a visually sumptuous history of photography in India.

From the very first fragile salt prints to the latest digital imagery, every iteration of the photographic medium will be on display.

'Photography 1857–2017' reveals how illuminating a subject India has been for photographers across three centuries: and shows in turn how photography has illuminated India to the viewer, both as place, and as idea.

Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group, said:

‘India’s history and culture are built on a rich tradition of scientific thought and innovation. The stories we will be showcasing through this vibrant season not only shaped India but had global significance. By taking a global perspective on the development of science, technology and photography, we hope to engage new audiences and strengthen international relationships between British and Indian scholars and cultural institutions.’

Especially for the Illuminating India season, artist Chila Kumari Burman (whose work is currently on display at the South London Gallery and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art as part of the exhibition The Place Is Here) has been commissioned by the Science Museum to create a series of artworks responding to the theme of Illuminating India and to the objects and stories in the exhibition 5000 Years of Science and Innovation.

An extraordinary series of public events will run during the Illuminating India season at the Science Museum, including film screenings, workshops, panel discussions and live performances. The full programme of events will be announced soon.

The'Illuminating India' events programme is presented in partnership with the Bagri Foundation and the season has additional support from The Helen Hamlyn Trust and The John S Cohen Foundation.

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Fundraiser

Mradula Anil Kothary from Wembley, London was among dozens of good samaritans who took part in a Midnight Walk to help raise money for St Luke's Hospice, a charity which cares for those with life-limited conditions. Sexagenarian Mrs Kothary, pictured far right, chose to take part after being touched by the death of her friend, Deva, from breast cancer. "I have experienced what it can be like to know that death upon you, it's deeply sad and emotional," said Mrs Kothary, who raised around £400 for the charity. The Midnight Walk is a 5-mile sponsored walk which, in this case, began around 10.30pm on Friday a fortnight ago, from Harrow Leisure Centre.

May orders party whip to suspend MP for alleged racial remarks Theresa May has ordered the Conservative party’s chief whip to suspend an MP who allegedly used the 'N-word' at an event during a discussion about Brexit. Anne Marie Morris, the MP for Newton Abbot in Devon, reportedly said sorry for causing offence with her use of the word, after a string of opposition politicians accused her of racism. However, the prime minister decided to suspend the whip from Morris after saying the remarks were shocking and unacceptable.

Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Kilburn, called in a tweet for the prime minister to take disciplinary action. She said, “I'm absolutely appalled by this. I assume PM will take appropriate action?”

Whether Theresa May’s attempt to relaunch her premeirship will work is anyone’s guess, but her unlikely appeal to Labour and other parties to “come forward with your own views and ideas” is at least an acknowledgement that the embattled prime minister will need

help to deliver Brexit.

However her offer to give EU citizens in the UK "settled status" after Brexit has been described as being "far short of what citizens are entitled to".

MEPs, including European Parliament chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt sais the proposal is a "damp squib".

Cabinet Office minister Damian Green said the "basic rights" of EU citizens living in the UK would be "preserved". He urged Mr Verhofstadt to "read our proposal", which the UK government insists would allow about three million EU citizens to stay on the same basis as now. EU migrants who had lived in the UK for five years would be granted access to health, education and other benefits. But the prime minister's proposals would be dependent on EU states guaranteeing Britons the same rights.The leaders of the four political groups who have signed the joint letter account for two-thirds of the votes in the European Parliament.

High Commission of India launches UKIndia Year of Culture Summer Programme The High Commissioner of India launched the UKIndia Year of Culture summer programme on 6th July at the India House. The programme that begins in July, will go on till the end of year, if not till February 2018one year on from the formal launch by the Queen and India's finance minister Arun Jaitley.

Over 20 organisations have been working together to make this a success- and over 200 events by over 500 artists have been organised in UK (in several cities such as London, Glasgow, Edinburgh etc) and India to celebrate the Year of

Culture.

These events have included cultural programmes, yoga in several cities to celebrate Yoga day, Jaipur Literature festival in the British Council, the visit of INS Tarkash in London docklands that was attended by at least 1000 people over 2 days.

The High Commissioner of India to UK, His Excellency Y K Sinha told the gathered audience, that he hopes the celebrations go on till February, and it is a wonderful way of exchanging the two nation's cultural trends. Their partners include British Council,

Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Royal Festival Hall, Barbican centre, Royal symphony and London Mayor's Office, to name a few.

The launch was attended by Baroness Usha Prashar, Lord Karan Bilimoria of the Cobra beer fame, Lord Meghnad Desai, director Sangeeta Datta and many other dignitaries.

Syed Salman Chishty from Ajmer Sharif and Chairman of Chishty foundation, who was on his way to Brafdord, stopped by at this event and gifted a picture of the darga to the High Commissioner.

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UK

Nominate your favourite for Asian Achievers Awards 2017 The clock has been reset.

Countdown to the 17th edition of the annual Asian Achievers Awards will soon begin as Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar prepares to celebrate high achievers from the Asian community in the UK. Each year, people from all across the country nominate British Asians who have paved a path in their particular sector. From Media, Arts and Culture, to Sports, and Lifetime Achievement, the inimitable convention brings to light the various contributions of the well-known.

The luxurious Grosvenor House Hotel played host to the crème de la crème of the community for a spectacular night last year. Not only was the event a success

Selva and Tharshiny Pankaj(centre) with Lord Raj Loomba (left) and Sanjiv Chadha, State Bank of India, UK (right) given its long run, a whopping amount of £180,000 was raised in funds for Asian Achievers Award's charity partner Indian Ocean Disaster Relief. Every year, the Awards helps raise thousands of pounds for various charities it supports, and every year, it manages to surpass itself.

Asian Achievers Awards aim to celebrate the outstanding work from individuals from all businesses and professions, and bring their accomplishments to light.

There are a total of nine categories and we will discuss three nominees each week till end of this year. This week, we talk about Professional of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Uniformed and Civil Services.

The Professional of the Year is a category to accolade the works of Professionals in the UK. Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession, are eligible to enter their nominations. Last year's winner was Jo Sidhu QC, a barrister and President of the Society of Asian Lawyers. The shortlisted candidates included names such as: Chitra Bharucha MBE, former Chairman of BBC Trust, Leena Nair, Chief HR Officer, Unilever and Nina Bhatia, Senior Executive, Centrica.

The Entrepreneur of the year is awarded to an young, aspiring entrepreneur

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PRESENTS

I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

PC Karamjit Rekhi MBE (centre) with Lt General James Bashall CBE (left) and Kanya King MBE (right) with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise. Winner was Selva Pankaj, CEO, Regent Group.

Nominations included candidates such as Harnoop Atkar, CEO, Oakland Primecare, Reshma Sohoni, Founding Partner, Seedcamp and Samir Desai, Founding Director, Funding Circle.

Award for Uniformed and Civil Services, is a category for outstanding achievements to the community through these services. The winner in 2016 was Faith Officer, Met Police, P C Karmjit Rekhi from Met Police. Nominations included: Lt Col Bilal Muhammad Siddique, Army Legal Services Officer, Mabs Hussain, Chief Superintendant,

Is there someone you know who has broken boundaries and deserves recognition for their unique contribution to the Asian Community or the Nation

Nominate them for the 17th Asian Achievers Awards

?

The prestigious Asian Achievers Awards is hosted every year by UK’s leading news weeklies Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to honour British Asians par excellence.

Deadline for nomination 31st July, 2017 NOMINATION FORM Please tick the appropriate category Achievement in Community Service In recognition for an individuals service to community.

Woman of the Year The award will recognise and honour a woman who has made a significant mark in any chosen field.

Sports Personality of the Year Awarded for excellence in sports.

Business Person of the Year Awarded to a business person who is a success in every sense of the word and can demonstrate a genuine passion for social issues.

Jo Sidhu QC (centre) with Nishma Robb, Google(left) and Siraj Singh, Edwardian Hotels, London (right) West Yorkshire Police and Captain Naveed Muhammad MBE, Chair, Armed Forces Muslim Association.

For years, British Asians have been playing a substantial role in the society.

They have in more ways than one, contributed to the advancement of the economy as well, creating a niche in the business sector.

If you know of any over-achieving Brit-Asian who has deserves to be accoladed, nominate them online at www.asianachieversawards.com, or register their details on nomination form in Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, this week. Nominations end on July 31.

Grenfell tower inquiry opens up for public consultation

On 15th June 2017, the Prime Minister of UK announced that there would be a Public Inquiry into the fire at Grenfell Tower that has begun on last Monday. Reports have revealed there were 350 residents in the tower, out of which 255 made out in time, 14 were away and 10 have not come forward for any assistance. The fire killed 80 people and injured many. Public Inquiries are different from criminal investigations. A parallel criminal investigation into the fire is being carried out by the Metropolitan Police and is separate from this Public

Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Inquiry. The Public Inquiry is intended to provide facts and recommendations to Government and other authorities. The Inquiry will examine all relevant circumstances, well beyond the design, construction and modification of the building itself. It will mean looking at the role of relevant public authorities and contractors and the broader implications of the fire for the adequacy and enforcement of relevant regulations. The scope of a public inquiry is fixed by its Terms of Reference. .

Theresa May has since announced that the

Inquiry will be chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick.

The Chair therefore is seeking views on what the Terms of Reference for the Grenfell Tower inquiry should cover. He wants to hear from those directly affected by the fire, or are otherwise likely to be involved in the work of the Inquiry, but is not restricting this consultation to them. All suggestions must be made to the Inquiry team by 5pm on July 14th 2017.

Suggestions should be sent to contact@grenfelltowerinquiry.org.uk or by post to the Grenfell Inquiry Team, Royal Courts of

Lifetime Achievement Award To honour those individuals, who during their lifetime, have made immense contributions in any given field. This remarkable individual can be marked as an example for the younger generation.

Uniformed and Civil Services For outstanding achievements in uniformed and civil services or contribution to the community through any of the above services.

Entrepreneur of the Year Awarded to an entrepreneur with a proven track record of operating a successful business enterprise.

Professional of the Year Professionals in the field of medicine, law, education, banking, finance and others, who have scaled the heights of their chosen profession.

Achievement in Media, Arts and Culture Someone who has made a mark in media including print and broadcast media; cinema, art and culture.

Details required for filing the nomination Please email/post the below details on a separate sheet I Nominee's Name, Occupation I Nominee's Contact Details (Tel/ Email) I Award Category: (choose from the category above ) I Reason for nomination I Nominees Accomplishments /Awards/Recognitions I Personal background /CV/ Bio (Attach these documents if necessary) I Any other information you would like to include about the nominee I Your Name/ Contact details(Email/Phone) Make sure that you fill in this application form and send it on or before 31st July, 2017 by post, fax or email to Mr. L George, Tel: 020 7749 4013, Fax 020 7749 4081, Email: aaa@abplgroup.com.

If you are sending it by post the address is Mr. L George, ABPL Group, Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW. Apply online

www.abplgroup.com/Events/Asian-Achievers-Awards/Nominations

Charity partner

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Rare pencil portrait of Gandhi fetches £32,500 at auction

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Vinoo Kotecha receives BEM from the Queen

Gandhi's pencil portrait auction fetches £32,500

A rare pencil portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, drawn from life and inscribed by him in 1931, was auctioned in London on Tuesday for £32,500, about four times its estimated price. In addition to the portrait, a collection of handwritten letters by Mahatma Gandhi to the family of Sarat Chandra Bose, a freedom fighter and the elder brother of Subhas Chandra Bose, fetched £37,500 at a Sotheby’s auction. It includes key comments from Gandhi on the partition of Bengal in the months before his assassination, where he wrote: “You should give up the struggle for unity of Bengal and cease to disturb the atmosphere that has been created for partition of Bengal.”

Gandhi was known to be reluctant to sit for any portraits, but this was a rare pencil sketch of the

leader by artist John Henry Amshewitz (18821942) for which he believed to be have sat through, during his visit to London for the 1931 Round Table conference.

In a statement the auction house said, “Gandhi usually refused to sit for formal photographs, let alone a portraitist, making this an extremely rare portrayal of the political leader at work.” The sketch shows Gandhi writing seating on the floor with a look of intense concentration, and is inscribed by him with the words “Truth is God/MK Gandhi/4.12.’31’.

A u c t i o n e e r s Sotheby’s, who have their headquarter in New York, in the portrait's description said that Gandhi was staying at Kingsley Hall at London’s East End during the visit, at the invitation of one of its founders, Muriel Lester, who had

Vinod Mathurdas Kotecha with Swami Yog Vivek

previously stayed in Gandhi’s ashram in India.

The portrait, which was inscribed by Gandhi, the day before he left Kingsley Hall, was given

to a local resident who was closely associated with the place throughout her life. It has remained in her family ever since, it added.

A BOLD AND EXCITING ARORA PROPOSAL allegedly increasing airline and passenger charges.

British Airways is Heathrow's Arora arrived from India in 1972 biggest customer. Willie Walsh, chief when he was 13, spent his teenage years living in a terraced house in executive of British Airways' owner Southall, five miles from Heathrow.

IAG, has welcomed the proposals. He He left school at 18, with no A-levels, urged the government to study the and worked as a junior clerk for BA. proposals closely, adding that, in During this time he even took private post-Brexit UK, Heathrow would flying lessons, which he paid for by need to compete effectively with moonlighting as a waiter in a hotel European hubs and not “price itself he was later to own. He then became out of the market.” a financial adviser at Abbey Life and He further said, "The government should look closely at Arora's proinvested his spare earnings into posal as it would significantly reduce property. He still owns his first buildcosts.” ings that he had bought, the Heathrow Lodge in Longford.

An airport spokeswoman He is married to Sunita, reportedly said, "Heathrow's First time has three children- Sapna expansion proposals are (33), Sonia (31) and supported by the governever a Sanjay (28) and five ment and have widespread British Asian grandchildren and cross-party political, busiloves plays golf and entrepreneur has ness and union support. tennis.

"We continue to develcome out with Speaking to BBC op our plans to improve such a Arora said, "We want passenger experience, pioneering passengers to be at the reduce the impact on local heart of our plans and the communities and lower the proposal current monopoly at cost so we deliver expansion at Heathrow, which over-charges close to current charges.

"Some of the options we are lookairlines and in turn raises fares for ing at sound similar to those sugpassengers, is not the right model for gested in this submission, and we the future. will welcome views on these in the "Heathrow needs competition public consultation later this year." and innovation which puts passenHowever, Heathrow has appargers and airlines at the heart of the ently indicated that Arora's plan may expansion project." increase the noise pollution risk as He added: "One of the options we one of his proposals is to allegedly have proposed to government 'shorten the runway from 3.5kms to includes a possible shift of the run3.2kms and move it to the east', the way so that it does not impact on the Daily Telegraph reported. John M25 and M4, as we know the M25 Stewart, the Chairman of the junction being affected threatens the Heathrow Association for the deliverability of the whole project.

Control of Aircraft Noise added, "We appreciate this is a political“One of the reasons Heathrow moved ly sensitive issue but it is merely an it westwards was to try and reduce option with additional savings of the noise over London. If he moves it £1.5bn, whereas the rest of our proback east and it's a shorter runway, posals save up to £5.2bn without the then actually it does increase the need to amend the runway location." noise levels.”

The airport's current runway plan Arora, speaking to the Asian is estimated to cost £16bn, with Continued from page 1

Voice exclusively, defended his plan as not at all a 'noisy' option. He elaborated saying, “We are proposing £5.2bn savings which do not involve moving the runway and would have absolutely not change to Heathrow’s own current plans around noise. This is the main proposal we are working on and should not alarm or concern residents at all – it is the same as the existing plans in regard to noise.

Those are the plans we are pursuing with the Government.

“Secondly, we have indeed provided one further option to the Government which is not central to our plans and which is not necessary in order for our plans to proceed – it is simply an option for the Government to consider should they wish to. This additional option does slightly move the runway East. We commissioned noise specialists to look at the impacts of doing this and have put their report up online http://heathrow.thearoragroupwhich ought to be nothing but reassuring. We have put them up online to be totally transparent with residents and are also happy to engage with local councils on the plans too.

“Heathrow’s concerns regarding the runway moving East seems to be based on the conclusions they reached for their own more Easterly model many years ago, rather than a response to our plans specifically.

“To be very clear, our core plans save £5.2bn and do not look to move the runway or change noise contour assessments at all.”

Construction will not begin for at least three years, and it may be delayed by legal challenges over the runway's environmental impact. The Department for Transport has said a new runway at Heathrow would bring economic benefits to passengers and the wider economy worth up to £61bn, and create as many as 77,000 additional local jobs over the next 14 years.

Vinod Mathurdas Kotecha, more popularly known as Vinoo Kotecha among friends and family has been awarded a BEM for community services in the Queen's birthday honours list 2017.

Kotecha who aims to raise awareness about hinduism and its values among youth is associated with Maa Saraswati Spiritual Centre in Wembley.

He is also the Sport Chairperson of the Lohana Community North London for the last 12 years and also the Chairman for the bereavement committee.

Kotecha is associated

with a number of charitable organisations such as the Asian Foundation for Help as a trustee, Lions Club of London Kingsbury and Apna Ghar, a charitable organisation in Valsad, Gujarat, which has several services, including, an oprphanage, elderly care, tiffin seva etc.

He has received a number of awards and recognition imcluding Lohana Award and NCGO Award – both for his community services.

65 year old Kotecha was born in Kenya, and came to the UK in 1971.

His main occupation has been property and food wholesales.

Happy Birthday Rami Ranger Dr Rami Ranger CBE, a well known entrepreneur and community worker celebrated his 70th birthday in a gala ceremony at London’s Park Lane. There were over 20 tributes from Lords, MPs and even the Prime Minister of UK. A living legend- from nothing to everything. Full story in next week’s Asian Voice.

Shantona Women’s Centre Chief Executive to receive honorary degree The Chief Executive of the Shantona Women’s Centre, Nahid Rasool, is set to receive an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Beckett University at 4pm on Wednesday 26 July, for her contribution to the public and voluntary sector in Leeds.

Nahid has been Chief Executive of the Shantona Women’s Centre for the past 18 years and will be officially recognised by the University for her commitment to empowering communities in Leeds.

The Shantona Women’s Centre was established in Leeds in 1998. Under Nahid’s direction, the centre has also received various awards and accolades. As well as being instrumental in the continued success of the Shantona Women’s Centre, Nahid is highly committed to improving race relations and reducing inequality in various sectors, including health and education. She sits on strategic committees engaged with children, education, family support and equality and diversity, and is also a school governor.

Nahid’s role within the

Nahid Rasool

Leeds community has also led to her involvement at a national level, and in 2016 the Shantona Women’s Centre was visited by the then Prime Minister, David Cameron.

Nahid said, “I’m delighted to receive this award and it’s brilliant that the Shantona Women’s Centre has been recognised for the amazing work it carries out.

What makes this award even more special is that I completed my Masters in Business Administration at Leeds Beckett in 2008, which has really helped me shape the Shantona Women’s Centre into a more successful, sustainable organisation.”

SPECIAL

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INDIA, ISRAEL SIGN 7 KEY AGREEMENTS AsianVoiceNews

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has returned home after a historic three-day visit to Israel. The first Indian Prime Minister to visit the region, his 72-hour visit included meeting with the host nation's political leadership, addressing the Indian diaspora and signing of a series of agreements on technology, water, and agriculture. Breaking a long withstanding protocol maintained by all the previous governments of India, Modi dared to take the path less trodden- acknowledging relations with the Jewish nation of Israel.

$40 million joint innovation initiative fund Both the countries established a $40 million joint innovation initiative fund to increase economic cooperation and boost research and development.

The both nations in question will allocate $4 million per year over a fiveyear period for the fund's activities, as announced by Israel's Ministry of Economy. It will be jointly run by the Israel Innovation Authority and the Indian Ministry of Science and Technology.

India and Israel sign seven agreements Modi and counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu signed seven different

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Holtzberg, son of young Jewish parents Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, both who were killed during the attack on the Chabad House in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu

agreements in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation, after holding in-depth talks.

Addressing the press after the meeting, Modi said, “We are of one view that together with our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field.

Our decision to establish a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth $40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal.”

Modi also added, “We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do

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more in this direction.

Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts.” Two agreements were signed in the water sector, to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India. “We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation,” Modi said.

A three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020, the India-Israel Development Cooperation was agreed upon the farming sector.

Separate MoUs were also signed on cooperation in

GEO-LEO optical link and cooperation in Electric Propulsion for small satel-

Modi addresses Indian Diaspora Addressing over 5,000 Israelies of Indian-origin, at a convention centre in Tel Aviv, Modi promised a new DelhiMumbai-Tel Aviv Air India flight connecting both the countries. In his speech, Modi recalled Jewish Indians who had served in India,

Narendra Modi addressing Indian Diaspora

lites.

Modi called upon Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who welcomed him with a hug, breaking protocol. He also met Moshe

and hundreds of Indians who worked to “make the desert bloom” in Israel.

The event began with national anthems of the countries being sung by

Israeli singer of Indian origin, Liora Itzhak. Her parents had moved to Israel from Gujarati in the early 1970s.

Most of Modi's audience comprised of Indian Israelis, Bene Israelis, Cochini Jews, and Manipuri B'nai Manache Jews. He announced OCI card for those Indian origin persons who have done compulsory military service in Israel. Modi said he has eased the rules for applying for Overseas Citizens of India cards for people of Indian origin in Israel. “Let me tell you, if the Indian Jewish community does not get OCI cards, then the goal of the OCI card will fail. That is why I am telling everyone here again and again, come, visit India,” the Indian PM said.

“Indian Jews have contributed to the agricultural progress here [Israel].

When the first prime minister of Israel saw the dream of making a desert green, our Indian brothers and sisters toiled day and night to realise the vision of 'may the desert bloom'.

Besides agriculture, people of Indian origin have left their mark in the healthcare sector.”

Modi also met with three Israeli recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Awards. He met with distinguished agriculturalist Eliyahu Bezalel, from Kochi, Sheikh Ansari, and revered cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Lael Anson Best.

Modi's Israel visit brings Indian Jews to limelight Mitul Paniker Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Israel brought with it news of confirmative relations between India and Israel.

Both the nations, have for years been serving as strong allies to each other.

However, it wasn't until Modi's NDA government, did India openly recognise and endorse the constructive correspondence.

Earlier this month, Modi arrived in the country to a warm and pleasant reception from host and counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Cabinet.

The PM's hectic itinerary included addressing the Indian community of the country and meeting with three prominent Indian-origin Israelis who are recipients of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. Modi met Eliyahu Bezalel, Sheikh Ansari, and Dr Lael Anson Best. In a three-day visit jam-packed with events, meets and addresses, Dr Best's name managed to stand out. “Israel's doctor, Dr Lael Anson Best

Narendra Modi with Dr Lael Anson Best

is from Gujarat, and my home state and those who are familiar with Ahmedabad, must have heard the name of Best High School in Maninagar.

This year he was honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. Dr Lael Anson Best is a famous cardio surgeon here and his whole career is linked to several anecdotes of human services,” Modi said.

Once chief minister of Gujarat, Modi was MLA of the Maninagar constituency. Seeing him immediately connecting the link between Dr Best and Ahmedabad reflected how

deeply he remains in touch with his roots and the Jewish community back home.

Ahmedabad is home to approximately 150 members of the Jewish community, 140 of them Bene Israel Jews. One of the leading thoracic surgeons in Israel, Dr Lael currently serves as consultant at Rambam Medical Centre. A long list of accomplishments to his credits, he spent a better part of his life in Ahmedabad, obtaining his MBBS and MS degrees from the University of Gujarat. One of the most affluent fami-

lies in the city, the Bests have for generations lived and contributed to Education. The school mentioned by Modi was established in 1958, and expanded in 1965 by RM and wife QR Best, brother and sister-in-law to Dr Lael. The institution continues to remain one of the most sought-after schools in Ahmedabad.

As Asian Voice reached out to the Bene Israel Jewish family that has been living in Maninagar for the last four generations, they were more than willing to talk about Dr Lael, Modi and their school. Shalosh Best, Principal of the school said they couldn't be more proud. “PM Modi was very happy to speak with Dr Lael. Both of them spoke in Gujarati and held a lengthy conversation. Their meet can be considered to be very personal and warm. Dr Lael even invited the Prime Minister back for another visit. Both of them met before, some nine years back.”

When asked why Dr Best immigrated to Israel

even when his family was firmly established in Ahmedabad, he said, “His father, Dr EM Best was dean at BJ Medical College and deputy director in the state health inspector. Lael did not want to live in his father's shadow and wished to create a name of his own. That is exactly what he has done today.”

Talking about their small community, Shalosh, when asked about an official minority status for the Jews in the country, firmly established that they are the “true” minorities in every sense. “The Jews landed in India some 2000 years ago. Let me tell you, an official status or not, we are the true minorities of the country. There are some 150 Jews in Ahmedabad.

Jews in Mumbai and Kochi are larger in numbers and are an active community,” he said.

Speaking about his community, he said, “We never force-convert people into our religion. We know people who visit our Synagogue regularly and have willingly converted

themselves into Jewish, but we have never promoted our religion and cashed in on it.”

As Shalosh's brother, and Head of Finance and Management, Best High School, Amiel joined the conversation, it was an instant glimpse into the good-natured hospitality rendered by the community. He said they proudly called themselves Gujarati Jews and Gujarat their home. “It doesn't matter where we are, as long as whatever we do is the best,” he quipped. He said that their school was among 257 others, and the only in the city to be sanctioned an Atal Tinkering Lab by the Niti Aayog. The initiative promotes creativity, computational thinking, and adaptive learning among children.

“Modi is a leader, and similar to us, even he is passionate person. Also, he was from our ward, which makes our relation more special,” Amiel said. “Israel and India are natural allies.

We were very excited about Modi's visit,” Shalosh added.

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FINANCIAL VOICE

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

GST puts Infosys on the test The company is expected to handle 3.2 billion separate invoices every month when GST is running at full capacity

The brand new GST has put one of India's biggest IT companies, Infosys' reputation on the line. The company is expected to handle 3.2 billion separate invoices every month when the system is running at full capacity, a feat which analysts believe is the biggest and most technically complex data platform anyone has ever built in India.

Analyst at JM Financial, Pankaj Kapoor said, “This is huge, bigger than any other project I can think of. Not only is it having to handle this much data, but it is also having to integrate disparate systems on a national and state level.” Experts said that while the recent move to collect biometric data from almost every Indian was also huge, it was also as complex and potentially difficult as rolling out the new tax platform.

Former Infosys chief executive who led the initial design of the GST network, Nandan Nilekani said it was conceived as a source of constant, up-to-date information on business activity, at a level that is “totally globally unprecedented.”

He said, “You have every business in the country above a certain size, filing invoices and line items.”

The whole contract is worth Rs 13.8 billion over five years. More importantly, it gives Infosys a chance to move beyond its recent troubles, having been engulfed by a public fight between its founders and its board members over executive pay. The main bottleneck in the new GST system will be the handling of so many invoices. The documents must not only be processed but also matched with each other to allocate

Vishal Sikka

tax credits to companies whose suppliers have already paid tax on a particular item.

Archit Gupta of ClearTax said matching the invoices “will be very difficult”. “What if someone further down the chain puts in the wrong details, or someone, one of your suppliers, has not yet registered? You

may have to pay taxes on their behalf.”

The technical challenge of creating such a system has been made even harder by the determination of the Modi government to implement the system just three months after it was passed by parliament.Navin Kumar, chairman of the GST Network - the government organisation that is overseeing the project - says the implementation has been so fast that some parts of the system are untested by real users. Infosys would not comment on anything. In the first few days, Kumar says the system has enrolled 7.1m companies.“We have processed in 10 days what we expected to do in a year,” he says.

Pak finance minister in stand-off with central bank Pakistan Finance Minister has entered a tiff with the country's central bank after an unexpected currency drop prompted instant response from the government. Ishaq Dar said he felt “deep concern and indignation” at the “artificial” drop in the currency, which is said to be a deliberate move by the central bank to shore the country's economy. Dar said that people were “exploiting the current political situation” a hint at the current investigation into the alleged corruption by Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The Pakistani rupee fell from 105 to the dollar to 108, last week, reaching a level unachieved since 2013. While Dar did not

Ishaq Dar

take any names, officials at the State Bank of Pakistan said the central bank had backed away from supporting the currency in an effort to boost the country's foreign exchange reserves. An official said, “There is no artificiality.

The Finance Ministry is just not willing to understand the reality.” The Apex Bank even issued a

statement saying, “The exchange rate adjusted in the market and SBP is of the view that this depreciation in the exchange rate will address the emerging imbalance in the external account and strengthen the growth prospects of the country.”

Analysts said the high imports and low exports have been encouraged by the fact that the central bank has kept the currency artificially high, trading at about Rs 105 since late 2015. The central bank imposed import controls in March, on a range of goods as it looked to stave off a repeat of the current account crisis that led to Pakistan having to be rescued by the International Monetary Fund in 2013.

Pak's current account

deficit is expected to widen when the government has to start paying Chinese companies for projects that are part of the $55 billion ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor. Some predict the country would be forced to return to the IMF at some point, while others say a crisis can be averted by allowing the currency to devalue.

However, ministers believe that the central bank is deliberately taking advantage of Sharif's political difficulties to assert itself. “There is uncertainty caused by investigations against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. Investors are becoming more and more nervous about the future,” one said.

Cyrus Mistry, others face £50 mn defamation case A Mumbai court has initiated process against Cyrus P Mistry, Shapoor Mistry and others in a £50 million criminal defamation complaint lodged by Tata Trusts' Managing Trustee R Venkataraman, last month.

Issued by Metropolitan Magistrate KG Paldewar, the process will see ousted former chairman of Tata Sons, and other directors of Cyrus Investments Pvt Ltd and Sterling Investments Pvt Ltd, being tried for criminal defamation.

An official said they would have to appear before the court and execute bail bonds. Later, however, the charges would be framed against the accused under sections dealing with criminal defamation and criminal conspiracy under the

Cyrus Mistry

Indian Penal Code. The matter has been posted for further hearing on August 24 and the accused have been directed to appear before it for bail.

Arguments of Venkataraman's counsel Parvez Memon were upheld by the court. He said that under the Constitution's Article 21 protecting a citizen's right

to life is inclusive of the right to live with dignity and that all are equal in the eyes of the law.

Memon argued that while Mistry is a man with substantial wealth and might, the value of Venkataraman's dignity is much more, and the accused cannot be let loose with impunity for his reckless and irresponsible insinuations which were all false and baseless. “All such allegations were hurled irresponsibly against Venkataraman, Ratan Tata, Tata Sons and others only after his unceremonious ouster from Tata Sons.

Why was he otherwise silent for his entire tenure, not to speak about several of his own wrongdoings against which Tata Sons may have its own

cause of action,” he told the court.

The email letter, written a day after Mistry was removed as the Tata Sons Chairman, alleged "certain fraudulent transactions of £2.2 million" involving some parties in India and Singapore, at AirAsia India, which is owned in part by the Tatas.

It was alleged that Venkataramanan considered these as non-material and didn't encourage any further study and also hinted at some foreign bank accounts. The counsel further argued that Mistry further exaggerated the baseless insinuations through his affidavit in reply, supporting the original allegations in the petition before NCLT, Mumbai, which was subsequently dismissed.

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Volvo to stop production of diesel, petrol cars

Multinational manufacturer Volvo has announced that all of its new models would be electric or hybrid within two years. It added that the age of the batterypowered car had arrived.

Decline of the combustion engine has found push by fears of air quality and also the Volkswagen emissions scandal in which the German carmaker cheated diesel pollution tests.

Chief executive of Volvo Cars, Hakan Samuelsson said that the cost of producing diesel vehicles capable of remaining below everstricter pollution regulations had played a part in the company's decision to stop developing new diesel engines. “Long term, diesel will be more and more expensive. That is why, cost-wise, we are talking about alternatives,” he said.

Samuelsson said the decision was a U-turn for the company. “Yes, we were a sceptic (about electric

cars) because of the cost of batteries and the lack of charging infrastructure.

But customer demand is increasing, battery costs have come down and there has been movement on infrastructure. The technology is right and the price is right. This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car.

It is a very significant decision for Volvo cars.”

He, however, warned that Britain was not at the top of the list of international markets that he expected to focus on, as it lacked charging-point infrastructure. Volvo said it would launch five new fully electric models between 2019 and 2021.

Figures show that almost 59,000 new green cars have been sold in the UK over the past 12 months, up 27.5 per cent in a year.

Meanwhile, sales of petrol cars rose by 5.2 per cent while diesel sales fell almost 10 per cent on year.

Made misjudgments, errors, says Rajat Gupta Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta admitted he made “errors and misjudgments” after serving a two-year prison-term on insider trading charges, and apologised for letting his friends and fellow IIT associates down. In one of his first public comments on his insider trading conviction, Gupta spoke to an IIT alumni event in California.

“While I continue to fight the injustice in my case, I have to candidly admit that I made errors and misjudgments and for that I take full responsibility,” Gupta said as he addressed the second annual 'IIT Bay Area Leadership Conference' held in Santa Clara. An IIT-Delhi and Harvard Business School alumnus, Gupta expressed regret for failing to be a role model to all the young people in leading institutions he was associated with.

“They made me who I am and I was also fortunate enough to play a leadership role that shaped many of these institutions. But most importantly I aspired to be a

Rajat Gupta

role model for many of the young people who were part of these institutions, who looked up to me.”

Gupta also added, “One of my greatest regrets is I did let them down. I want to apologise to all of you that I really did not live up to the highest standards you would have rightly expected me to do. I genuinely ask for forgiveness and understanding.”

Gupta expressed “regret” that five years of his life were taken away from him when he could have used them to contribute to philanthropic causes. Sounding a philosophical tone, Gupta said that his prison term has made him a “better person and better able to serve the institutions I so dearly like.”

REAL ESTATE VOICE

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BACK TO THE SOURCE AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

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Currently we are focusing our energies on a couple of land deals. I went to see one of them on Friday to get a feel for the area and the local village. I was pleasantly surprised.

You get blinkered working in London, and tend not to see anything of substantial value outside of London. There is, however, some reason for this, as when there is a decline in property prices, London holds its prices far stronger than the rest of the UK. However, the market is shaky at the moment, especially above the £1m mark and it seems this current environment of instability will last for at least a couple of years.

This deal has two deviations from our norm, it is outside of London and it is a land deal.

The village, which is only a few minutes’ drive from

Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

the site, shows affluence, character and is family focused, in that the properties there were large and substantial; unlike the collection of studios and one and two bedroom flats you find in London, which is reflective of the breakdown of the family nucleus.

The kind of cars you see in the village are also symptomatic of wealth, all of the £50k plus variety.

We often speak of property rising in value, when we say this we do not really mean property rises in value. Of course you have inflationary pressures on the costs of construction, however, what is really happening is the underlying land is going up in price.

The price of something is determined by only two things, one is supply and

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Q: How can I retain a good tenant in my property?

A: This is a question all landlords should be asking. As a landlord, it is important to recognise that keeping your tenants happy will make your life a lot easier, and your property investment more profitable. If your tenants decide to stay when their original tenancy expires, you’ll not only avoid months of lost rent and time spent searching for new tenants, but you’ll also avoid signing a contract with possibly troublesome replacements.

Provided that they pay on time, keep up to date with any maintenance that they’re responsible for and don’t cause any problems, good tenants are worth their weight in gold, and you should do everything in your power to keep hold of them.

Here are my top tips: Inform tenants of all rules from the start To avoid confusion and conflict further down the line, make clear what is expected of your tenants at the very beginning of your agreement. Provided that you stick to this, your

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

tenants should be happy, as chances are they will only sign the contract if they can live with its terms; ensuring that they know exactly what they’re signing up for, the tenancy should run much more smoothly. Make these stipulations as specific as possible.

Address complaints as quickly as possible Whether the problem is a neighbour or a leaking pipe, if your tenants feel that they are a priority and that you take their concerns seriously, they will be much happier to stay. Although it is

the other is demand. The supply of land is finite, you cannot create anymore.

Fundamentally it is the land which is scarce and rises in value. This is demonstrated by buildings insurance policies. The reinstatement value is the same, irrespective of where the building is; although it may be slightly more expensive due to parking and working restrictions in some locations, but once you take these out, the construction costs will be pretty similar.

So, the conclusion is, it’s raw land which has the value. Especially considering we are on a very small island to begin with.

This piece of land is located in the north, just slightly to the east of Aylesbury; and it is just outside of the village, acceptable in some instances for the resolution of some issues to take their time, you must also know that some situations should be handled immediately.

Keep up with property maintenance When tenants are proud of the property they live in, they are far more likely to stay. Nobody wants to pay for a place with stained carpets and cracked tiles, so make sure that you stay up to date with maintenance.

Respect a tenant’s privacy Once your tenants have moved into the property, it is only fair that you avoid visiting without

l Prevalent purpose-built block in the heart of St John's Wood

l Spacious reception room, generous separate dining area and one large bedroom

l Potential to change into a two bedroom property (subject to planning)

Grove End Road, London NW8 Purchase Price: £530,000

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l Expected resell value is £975,000 Call us now for more information!

which seems to be bursting to expand.

The financials are very strong. The purchase price is £4m, and the post planning value is expected to be at least £10m.

The chances of getting planning are very very strong. Our architects and planners have been all over this deal, and they are of the opinion it will be granted.

The most money to be made on property is not on development but on planning; especially when you view this from how much work is required in comparison to the output you gain. Planning in essence is paperwork, no construction work is undertaken.

This deal represents a giving them proper notice. Although you have the right to inspect the property, bear in mind that your house is this person’s home, and that inspections can feel intrusive. No-one likes being caught unaware by visitors when their house is in disarray, so try to give at least 48 hours’ notice. The easiest way to do this is by including it as part of the tenancy agreement. That way, everyone knows exactly where they stand.

Offer incentives Little gestures go a long way, especially in areas where tenants have more properties to choose from. When your renters first move in, try and per-

chance to come in right at the outset and take the cream. The structure of the deal is also very favorable, only £1.5m is required and the rest is payable on planning. This is important, as when planning kicks in so does the lending. This mean the rest of the money will probably be provided by the bank.

The contracts are in and the deal is ready to be executed. If this sounds like your cup of tea, get in touch. form some small gesture of goodwill, whether that’s providing your tenant with a package of moving day essentials or a bottle of wine. During the year, small measures, such as sending a Christmas card, help to create a human face and encourage loyalty. On a less personal level, you may wish to consider holding off on increasing rents annually, or offer to re-carpet or repaint a room.

These tips should help; but if your tenants have their minds set on moving then there is nothing you can do about this, but to keep your fingers crossed that your new tenants will be as good as your last.

20

FINANCIAL VOICE

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

IndiGo does not want govt in any Air India deal

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, I was asked by someone ‘how do you find the time’? I have been asked this since I was 12 when I learnt assembly language on my TRS80, investing in privatisation stocks like BT with my grandmother’s savings, and going to school!

So here is a day in the life of a hedge fund manager.

Part 3 1300: We’ve been testing new trading account management systems with multiple brokers. These are called PAMMs which allow people to copy my trading for my new entity TradermindQuant. So I’ve been busy with my accountants and lawyers making sure the brokers have the company information they need. I want my automated trading strategies to be offered to the public.

1415: A quick Skype call with Australia and Greece to discuss (very late for Oz) some trading account and algo issues – nothing major.

1430: Late lunch. I try to eat healthy. But it’s usually at my desk and certainly not mindful eating. During lunch I tap out an article on trades I have open at the moment. My followers love reading about these and with my new brand ambassadorship with 24option.com means I have an added reason to share this (www.alpeshpatel.com/24).

1530: I check on the trading performance so far today.

I use 10 different brokers, not just 24option to compare market performance. The reason for doing this is so I have access to multiple routes to liquidity to ensure no one broker has too much control over what I want to do. I usually have 2-3 positions open max in a day. What most people do not realise about trading is that more positions does not mean more money.

1630: Quick nap…I confess. Tired. I hate this time of the day!

1700: A change in protocols for dealing with our customers using my trading algorithms. Once of my apprentices complained that one of our technicians had not called him and neither had one of my PAs. This really annoyed me and I have put together new customer service protocols to deal with this so it never happens again. Maybe it is my legal training but I can be precise, rule based and strategic and very quick at it. Being a barrister is the best training for being a businessman.

1730: I return a quick call to one of my Government related work companies which I am helping on their strategy for global expansion. They are in Cybersecurity and I love working with entrepreneurs.

1745: I have a bunch of admin things to do. My accountants are based in UK, but bookeepers in India, and they needed a few questions answered.

1800: I have to prepare for my webinar at 1900. I like to do webinars to keep in touch with private investors. It feeds into what I am trying to do with technology. You can watch my webinars free on www.alpeshpatel.com – I want to include some new slides to deal with the issues people are facing. I love teaching, but I also learn losts too when I do this.

1900-2130: I do my webinar. It takes a lot out of me because I put so much passion into teaching online trading and I always stay online until every question is answered.

2200: Home – later than normal – but it’s been a good day to diary. My wife is understanding.

0000: In bed. I will have the trading report of the day’s trading from our algorithms in the markets. The report takes a minute to read and I just check the day’s trades, which currencies and the P & L to make sure there was nothing unusual. Quick check of emails.

The airline also announced that it would start low-cost longhaul overseas flight “with or without” the AI deal

Low-cost carrier IndiGo isn't keen on taking up the government as a partner in case it finds success in acquiring international operations of Air India and AI Express.

The airline also announced that it would start low-cost long-haul overseas flight “with or without” the AI deal working out. “We would look at acquiring all of AI's international operations and AI Express,” IndiGo's reticent founder-promoter Rahul Bhatia said.

His partner Rakesh Gangwal said, “A joint venture or joint ownership with the government is at best a very, very difficult proposition... government has owned and managed AI for more than 50 years. They are looking to divest in it...

From our perspective as a corporate entity, we would not go down a path where there would be a JV or even a minority, majority stake which the government would own. Maybe (it's) a good model , but we cannot bring value to that proposition.” The airlines had sent a formal expression of interest for international operations of AI and AI Express,

Abhishek Sachdev

last week, after the government had approved divesting its stake in AI. If acquisitions of only international operations are not possible, IndiGo had offered to acquire all operations of AI and AI Express.

Both the founder-promoters said India is a huge market for international travel but its hubs for globetrotting are abroad. With

Steel tycoon Gupta snaps up Australia's Arrium

Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance bought steel and mining group Arrium and will pay an undisclosed amount for the company which went into voluntary administration in 2016 with debts of A$2 billion. The news comes as a surprise as just last month GFG seemingly lost the chase as the company was spun off from BHP Billiton in 2000, to a private equity consortium consisting of Newlake Alliance, JB Asset Management and Korean steelmaker Posco.

Gupta said he was “surprised and disappointed” at the initial decision, however, administrators said that an improved bid at the last minute from GFG had swung the decision in Gupta's favour. Arrium's administrator released a statement saying, “The administrators and sale advisers Morgan Stanely decided that GFG offer was

Sanjeev Gupta

superior to the conditional offer of the Korean consortium with whom we were negotiating.” Arrium will be used as a foothold in Australia by Liberty GFG as it explores adjacent markets such as renewable energy and metals.

Market estimates put the value of the transaction at several hundred millions of pounds. The future of Arrium has been a highly political affair in Australia, with thousands of jobs hanging in the balance as the sales process has dragged on for nine

Where’s my paneer?

Fasten your seat belts ladies and gentlemen we’re in for a bumpy ride.

Volatility in financial markets has spiked in recent weeks. The rising cost of computer games

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

and package holidays drove inflation to a fouryear high of 2.9% in May, upsetting the Bank of England’s forecast for a 2.8% peak in the fourth quarter of 2017. Three out of the Bank’s eight Monetary Policy Committee members voted in favour of an immediate rate hike in June - the widest split since May 2011.

Households should prepare for higher rates, warned MPC member Michael Saunders, adding that the MPC are “not

constrained from adjusting interest rates during the Brexit period. There’s no sense that policy has to stay on hold just because Brexit negotiations are under way”.

Indeed, Mark Carney himself admitted “some removal of monetary stimulus is likely to become necessary” just eight days after stating that “now is not yet the time” for a rate hike. In a similar vein, Ray Dalio, the manager of world's biggest hedge fund, declared that the central

bank easy money era “is ending”.

Where’s my cheese?

With markets riled by uncertainty and division amongst policymakers, the Pound plunged further against the Euro to 1.1347, down 1.12% in one month and 3.27% since the start of the year.

Cheese lovers beware prices are expected to rise by up to 30% on the back of sterling weakness, with dairy giant Arla warning that the UK could be facing a butter and cream shortage by

months. According to Arrium’s own website, it has operations in 15 countries and 8,350 staff, with the bulk of them in Australia, mainly around its base in Whyalla, South Australia. GFG said the deal would safeguard the jobs of more than 5,500 Australian workers.

Arrium was driven into administration as commodity prices collapsed and the steel industry went into crisis after China dumped excess production on international markets. Gupta has been on a £500m spending spree that has seen GFG and Liberty acquire Rio Tinto’s aluminium smelter and hydro power plant in Scotland, chunks of Tata’s British steel operations, and Midlands car-parts maker CovPress. It is also in the process of taking on a steelworks in South Carolina from ArcelorMittal.

Christmas - dear to the heart of all Asian Voice readers.

The cost of a fiveyear fixed rate loan has risen 24 bps in one month to reach 0.88%, while the cost of a tenyear fixed rate loan jumped 26 bps to 1.27%.

The latest surge leaves the five and ten year rate up 14 bps since the start of the year.

So what does this mean for businesses / investors looking for new finance? Securing a £5m loan over a five year period is now £60k more expensive than it was a month ago. Similarly, cost of securing the same

more than 40 per cent domestic market share, IndiGo felt it should enter the long-haul market “irrespective of how the AI story plays out.” Gangwal said, “Our original plan was to share our thinking at the end of this month. However, that got pre-empted due to the government's in principle decision to divest itself of Air India. We believe international long-haul markets are ready for right type of low cost operations.”

Bhatia said carving out of an airline operations for sale is not a new concept. “A few decades ago, United Airlines acquired Panam's Pacific Operations. Based on the success of that transaction, United then followed up by acquiring Pan Am's London routes in 1990.”

SAIC signs MoU for Halol unit China's largest automaker, SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, after officially announcing its entry into the Indian automobile market, has now signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat government to invest £200 million for setting up an auto plant in Halol near Vadodara. It has reportedly been in negotiation to acquire General Motors' closed car manufacturing plant in Halol.

The proposed passenger and commercial vehicle plant which is expected to begin production in 2019, will initially make 50,000 to 70,000 units and will expand production depending on demand and market conditions, the Gujarat government said in a statement. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani tweeted, “Chinese auto giant SAIC has signed an MoU for investment of over £200 million in the state.” amount over ten years has gone up by £130k in just one month. In other words, these swap / fixed rates do have a real impact on all of us.

You can keep track of key market rates by subscribing to our FREE market rate sheet.

Updated daily, this concise summary covers swap rates (i.e. fixed rates for loans), FX rates and more. Visit our website for more details.

Tel: 020 7183 2277 www.vedantahedging.com

INTERNATIONAL

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Panamagate: Nawaz Sharif, family face corruption case

ISLAMABAD: In a major setback to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a Supreme Court-ordered probe panel recommended filing of a corruption case against him and his children, in its final report on the Panamagate scandal after it found “significant” disparities in their income and actual wealth. The six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) submitted its report to the apex court recommending that a corruption case be filed against Sharif and his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz, along with daughter Maryam Nawaz, under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance 1999.

The report said that the assets of all four respondents were found to be more than the sources of their income. In its concluding remarks, JIT observed, “Significant gap-disparity amongst the known and declared sources of income and the wealth accumulated by the Respondent No. 1,6,7 and 8 have been observed.

Respondent 1 refers to Prime Minister Sharif;

N Korea claims it tested first ICBM SEOUL: North Korea has claimed to have successfully test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, a potential gamechanging development in what could be the world's most dangerous nuclear stand-off. Examining the height and distance, US scientist David Wright said the missile could have a range of 6,700 km, enough to reach Alaska.

North Korea's Academy of Defence Science said the test of Hwasong-14 marked the “final step” in creating a “confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike anywhere on Earth”. Details are yet to be confirmed as the country's weapons programme remains the a closely held state secret.

Officials from the US, South Korea, and Japan assessed that the North fired an intermediate-range missile into waters very close to Japan. The launch is seen as a political warning to Washington and its chief Asian allies as it came on the eve of the 4th of July, US Independence Day holidaydays ahead of the G20 meet.

US, South Korean and Japanese officials said it flew for 40 minutes and reached an altitude of 2,500 km- longer and higher than any North Korean test every reported. The missile is also said to have covered a distance of about 930 km.

˘Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz

Respondent 6 to Maryam; Respondent 7 Hussain, and Respondent 8 was Hassan.

The government, expectedly slammed the report and called it “trash”. Sharif's close aide and Minister for Development, Ahsan Iqbal spoke in a press conference, along with other ministers and said they would challenge the report in the SC and would “completely expose and unveil its contradictions and falsifications.”

Maryam also rejected the report, saying, “JIT report REJECTED. Every contradiction will not only be contested but decimated in SC. NOT a penny of public exchequer

involved.”

The report also said that the financial structure and health of companies in Pak with linkages to the Sharifs also fail to substantiate their wealth. It highlighted “irregular movement” of huge sums of money in the form of “loans and gifts” between Sharif and his youngest son from different companies set across Saudi Arabia, the UK, and the UAE. It said the role of off-shore companies is critical as they have been identified to be linked with their businesses in UK. The JIT said the family failed to provide substantive evidence of a reliable money

trail, used to buy expensive properties in London.

The apex court also ordered the registration of a criminal case against Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Chairman Zafar Hijazi in order to find out who was behind tampering the records of businesses owned by the Sharif family.

The bench also ordered that the name and institution of the individual responsible for leaking a photo of Hussain Nawaz sitting before the JIT should be made public. The matter does not fall within the Supreme Court's jurisdiction, so the government may form a commission to probe the matter, the court said.

The bench also took a strict stand against a local newspaper for publishing material it said was contrary to actual JIT proceedings over the past 60 days.

The SC ordered the filing of a contempt of court notice against the printer, publisher and reporter of a story titled "Panama JIT 'doesn't find PM guilty', but his sons", which appeared in The News on Monday, July 10.

Pak executes 465 since 2014

LAHORE: A report revealed that Pakistan has executed 465 prisoners since lifting a moratorium on death penalty in 2014, making it the “fifth most prolific executioner” in the world. Justice Project Pakistan said the use of death penalty has failed to curb crime, including terrorism, and instead is exceedingly used as a political tool, sometimes even as a solution to jail overcrowding. In its report, it said, “It is a high number of the executions that made Pakistan 'fifth most prolific executioner' in the world, following China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.”

“The government is most-

ly hanging terrorists through military courts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and through anti-terrorism courts in Sindh,” the report said. The organisation ran a data analysis to find that a total of 465 prisoners have been executed in the past two-and-a-half years since the country's moratorium on executions was lifted. JPP said the Pak government justifies lifting of the moratorium by claiming it is necessary to deter terrorist threat to the country.

JPP Executive Director Sarah Belal said, “Pakistan's troubling and continued use of the death penalty has continuously fallen short of

meeting its international human rights commitments and fair trial standards, as well as our own domestic laws. The death penalty is not an effective tool to curb militancy and crime.” She said it is time for the stakeholders to commit to genuine reforms in criminal justice system, and until it is done, to restore the moratorium on the death penalty.

Pakistan lifted a selfimposed moratorium on death penalty in terror related cases in December 2014 after Taliban militants massacred at least 150 people, mostly students, at an armyrun school in Peshawar.

a request from a law officer of the Punjab government. The federal government had also submitted a report of the judicial review board on the detention of Saeed and his aides. Mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Saeed had appeared before the

board last month and said he was detained by the Pak government to “stop him from raising voice for Kashmiris”.

His arguments were but, rejected by the Interior Ministry who told the board that “Saeed and his four aides have been detained for spreading terrorism in the name of Jihad.”

The Punjab government on April 30 extended the detention of Saeed and his four aides for 90 days under the 11 EEE (I) and 11D of AntiTerrorism Act 1997. They had been put under house arrest in Lahore under the Second Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 on January 30.

Pak court defers verdict in Hafiz Saeed’s detention case

LAHORE: Pakistan court has deferred the verdict of Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and four of his aides Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid, and Qazi Kashif Hussain for their involvement in activities prejudicial to the country's security. Court officials said the Lahore High Court head of the division bench Justice Abdul Sami Khan was not present “as per the weekly roster”. Date for announcement of the verdict will be notified later.

The bench had said earlier last month, that it would give its verdict on June 19 but deferred it for July 3 following

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After Etihad, Emirates & Turkish off laptop ban list

DUBAI: Dubai's Emirates and Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines said the US has lifted the ban on laptops from their non-stops to America with immediate effect. This comes three days after the US revoked a similar restriction on Abu Dhabi's Etihad. America had on March 25 banned electronic devices larger than a mobile phone in passenger cabins of direct flights to the country from 10 airports in the Gulf, North Africa and Turkey, including Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Turkish. These devices have to be checked in on these airlines' non-stop flights to the US. But for some airlines, things are going back to normal now. “Effective immediately, electronics ban has been lifted for Emirates' flights from Dubai International Airport to the USA.

Drought threatens Rome's drinking fountains

ROME: Baking summer heat has forced Rome to close some of the drinking fountains known as “big noses,” or “nasoni,” that constantly gush fresh water on thousands of street corners, causing a public outcry. Hit by soaring temperatures drying out southern Europe, the Italian capital has started turning off up to 30 of the 2,800 metal taps every day, dismaying Romans and prompting concerns that homeless people would become dehydrated. Brandishing a plastic bottle in the central Piazza Venezia, city resident Carmelo Teti asked, “How can you take away fresh water from tourists who walk and want to refresh themselves?” In a letter to Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi, water company Acea blamed the “exceptional drought” for the temporary measure.

Dhaka eatery bans entry of foreigners

DHAKA: An upscale Bangladeshi restaurant has banned foreign guests, fearing a repeat of last year's deadly terrorist attack in a Dhaka cafe, the owner said. Lake Terrace, a reputed rooftop barbeque restaurant in the capital's northern Uttara neighbourhood, put a notice at its entrance saying no foreigners were welcome.

Shah Tanzil, the owner of Lake Terrace, said the order had come from his landlord. “We had no choice but to follow the landlord's instruction,” he said. “We are ashamed. But we cannot suddenly shut down our business.” The landlord told a local newspaper that he feared foreigners were the primary targets of the extremists. “Who would take the responsibility if something bad happens?” he told the daily.

Now, Pakistan to hoist its tallest flag at Wagah

AMRITSAR: While the authorities in India are still struggling with the vexed problem of frequent damage to the country's tallest flag, installed at a height of 350 feet, at Attari due to strong winds, Pakistan has announced to hoist its national flag atop 400-foot flagpole at Wagah border. According to media reports in Pakistan, the government has begun preparations for the project and started clearing the space by cutting down trees. If hoisted successfully, the flag would be the eighth tallest flag in the world. On March 5 this year, India had hoisted the national flag at Attari but it was torn by strong winds within a couple of days and had to be replaced. The flag has been replaced five times ever since.

US bombers fly over South China Sea

BEIJING: In a bold move, two American bombers flew over the disputed South China Sea disregarding Beijing's claims over the territory.

The B-1B Lancer bombers from Guam airbase flew over South China Sea as part of operations intended to demonstrate the US commitment to freedom of navigation, as announced by the US air force. The expression of freedom however, did not go down too well with China, who accused the Western nation of trying to “flaunt military force” to harm its sovereignty.

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Iraq declares 'total victory' over Islamic State in Mosul Iraq's fight against them was backed by air-strikes from the US-led coalition MOSUL: In a momentous victory, Iraq retook full control of the country's secondlargest city, Mosul, which had been seized by the Islamic State group for the past three years. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi praised his senior military leadership at a small base on the edge of the Old City, saying, “This great feast day crowned the victories of the fighters and the Iraqis for the past three years.” He highlighted the brutality of the battle for Mosul, which has been the country's longest yet in the fight against the extremists.

Al-Abadi said the triumph was achieved “by the blood of our martyrs”. The region had fallen into the hands of the IS in 2014.

Iraq's fight against them was backed by air-strikes from the US-led coalition. While the region has been reclaimed, victory came at the cost of thousands of lives, neighbourhoods

Trump spars over Ivanka's G20 seat

WASHINGTON: Trump landed in yet another soup as his daughter Ivanka Trump, official yet unpaid member of the White House represented the country in the recently held G20 summit. While allowing other high-ranking officials to sit in is a common practice in the meet of world leaders, Ivanka replacing her father saw uproar due to her lack of political qualifications.

Responding in his trademark style, Trump said the move was “standard” and that public reactions would have been different had it been former presidential daughter Chelsea Clinton.

Tweeting on the issue, the US President wrote, “I asked Ivanka to hold seat. Very standard. Angela M agrees!”

In a follow-up tweet he added, “If Chelsea Clinton were asked to hold the seat for her mother, as her mother gave our country away, the Fake News would say CHELSEA FOR PRES!” Clinton responded saying, “Good morning Mr President. It would never have occurred to my mother or my father to ask me. Were you giving our country away? Hoping not.”

Mending the damage done by Trump, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said his tweet was not about attacking the Clintons, but rather a response to an “outrageous attack against a White House senior adviser.”

destroyed in its entireties and as many as 900,000 displaced from their homes.

The coalition congratulated the PM, however, it noted that several parts of the Old City still “must be backcleared of explosive devices and possible ISIS fighters in hiding.”

US President Donald Trump released a statement saying, “The victory in Mosul, a city where ISIS once proclaimed its socalled 'caliphate', signals that its days in Iraq and Syria are numbered.”

The long battle saw Iraqi troops slowly push through

the narrow alleys of the Old City in the past week, demolishing houses to carve supply routes and fighting positions in a district with buildings that date back centuries. Commanders said gains slowed in the last handful of days as IS fighters used their families, including women and children as human shields. As the space for battle narrowed, coalition began approving air-strikes dropping 200 pound bombs on IS targets within 50 meters.

Iraqi army Capt Marwan Hadi said, “This used to be a

beautiful city, tourists used to come here.”

“All along the front line, there are so many families under the rubble. I saved two children and their mother, but one daughter, we couldn't reach her,” he said. Nineveh's provincial council estimated thousands of civilians dead, a toll that does not even include those who remain buried under collapsed buildings.

The United Nations said there was no end in sight to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq despite the conclusion of the fighting. It said of all those displaced, thousands will probably not be able to return to the city because of “extensive damage caused during the conflict.”

The Iraqi special forces that largely led most of the assaults in Mosul, faced casualty rates of 40 per cent.

A 20 year old soldier said, “Honestly, all this death and all this destruction, I don't believe it was worth it.”

Qatar to seek compensation for Arab blockade

DOHA: Qatar announced that it is forming a committee to pursue compensation for damages stemming from its isolation by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain, who cut diplomatic ties and severed air, land, and sea links with natural gas-rich region last month.

Qatari public prosecutor Ali Al-Marri said that the committee would handle claims made by private companies, public institutions and individuals.

He said the body would use both domestic and international mechanisms to seek compensation, and would hire overseas law firms to handle its claims. “You have people who have sustained damages, businessmen who have sustained damages, banks which have sustained damages. As a result of this blockade. And those who compelled these damages to happen, must pay compensation for them,” Al-Marri said.

The four Arab nations accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism and allying with regional foe Iran. Foreign ministers of the countries met in Cairo last week and were expected to consider further sanctions at the gathering, however, no new measures were announced.

They had recently given Qatar a deadline to meet 13 demands placed by them and received no response from the country as it continues to deny all allegations placed

Qatar's Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri speaks after the launch of the compensation demand

against it. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said, “The response the four states got was overall negative and lacked any content.

We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies.”

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir addressed a news conference saying, “The political and economic boycott will continue until Qatar changes its policies for the better.” The four leaders said they will next meet in the Manama, capital of Bahrain, but refrained from giving a set date.

The inter-Arab rift has aroused deep disquiet among Western allies who regard the region's ruling dynasties as essential partners in energy and defence.

The Arab countries have demanded Qatar curtail its support for the Muslim Brotherhood, shut down the pan-Arab Al Jazeera satellite TV channel, close a Turkish military base and downgrade

its relations with regional arch-rival Iran. Jubeir said he hoped Turkey would remain neutral in the dispute.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke with US President Donald Trump by telephone about the Qatar dispute, Sisi's office said.

“The visions of the two presidents on dealing with current regional crises were in line, especially when it comes to reaching political settlements which contribute to regional security and stability,” Sisi's office said.

The Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, told a session of London's Chatham House think-tank that Doha was continuing to call for dialogue to settle the row. “(This is) despite the separation of 12,000 families, despite the siege that is a clear aggression and an insult to all international treaties, bodies and jurisdictions,” he said.

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China floods: 63 killed, 1.6 mn people displaced

BEIJING: Floods and landslides have killed scores of people in China's central Hunan province as two weeks of torrential rains forced 1.6 million to flee, authorities said. Some 53,000 homes have collapsed while nearly 350,000 others were seriously or partially damaged after 11 straight days of rain, according to Tang Biyu, deputy director of Hunan's civil affairs department. At least 63 people were killed by landslides, the flow of debris or the collapse of homes, while 20 more are missing, Tang said in a statement, which put the damage bill at $5.6 billion. Central and southern China have been hit by a deluge since June.

Authorities in the southern region of Guangxi last week reported that two dozen people had been killed or gone missing due to flooding, which also damaged thousands of houses. In late June, a massive landslide buried a village in southwest Sichuan province, killing at least 10 and leaving 73 more missing.

Nine killed in Bangladesh factory blast

DHAKA: At least nine people were killed and about 50 others injured in a blast at a garment factory in Bangladesh's Gazipur area. The explosion took place at Multifabs Ltd, an export oriented knitwear factory. The blast at the factory's dyeing section led to a massive blaze that swept through the building for hours, an official said. "Eight bodies were recovered from the accident site," the official said, adding that one more person succumbed to his injuries later in a hospital. The death toll might increase as many people have sustained critical injuries, he said.

Pak boy kills sister for teasing him

LAHORE: Police have arrested an 11-year-old boy in Pakistan's Lahore city for killing his minor sister for teasing him over his "poor handwriting", the media reported. Nine-yearold Eman Tanvir was found strangled at her grandmother's house. Earlier, the police had taken the victim's stepmother Saba into custody for interrogation but later released her. A police official said the victim and her elder brother Abdul Rehman had come to spend Eid holidays at their grandmother's house. "The siblings held a handwriting competition when their grandmother was not home," the official said.

He said Eman teased Abdul for having poor handwriting. This annoyed the boy who put a scarf around his sister's neck and strangled her to death.

Shell told to pay $2.4mn for Pak tanker fire

ISLAMABAD: A spokesman for Pakistan's oil and gas regulatory body says the agency has ordered a local subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell to pay about 250 million rupees ($2.4 million) in compensation and damages for last month's fuel truck fire that killed 215 people. Imran Ghazanvi said the probe has held Shell Pakistan Limited responsible for the June 25 accident when the oil tanker lost control and crashed in Punjab province. The fuel ignited when villagers rushed to the scene to collect the spilled oil, ignoring warnings from police.

Flyer assaults crew member, forces plane to return

SEATTLE: A Delta Air Lines flight bound for Beijing returned to Seattle after a 23-year-old male passenger, from Florida, assaulted a flight attendant in the first class cabin before being subdued by other travellers, a Seattle airport spokesman said. The pilot decided to turn back and call for police, fire, and medical personnel to meet the plane after the incident. No further details have been released. The FBI interviewed passengers and had no information to suggest the incident was a threat to national security.

The flight attendant and flyer were sent to hospital after the Boeing 767-300 landed safely.

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Ahmedabad gets World Heritage tag

Ahmedabad was inscribed as a World Heritage City at the 41st session of Unesco's World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday, July 8, 2017.

Ahmedabad is the first city in India to receive such a global accolade.

Ahmedabad's nomination as a city exemplifying `living heritage' was unanimously supported by at least 20 countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Portugal, Finland, Poland, and Cuba. The countries spoke in favour of Ahmedabad, saying that its

Hindu-Islamic architecture reflected the harmonious co-existence of Muslim, Hindu, and Jain communities. Thanking the chair of the World Heritage Committee, Ruchira Kamboj, India's ambassador and permanent representative at the UNESCO said, “The journey began in 2010 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi proffered the dossier of Ahmedabad to Unesco. For more than 600 years the city has stood for peace, as a landmark city where Mahatma Gandhi began India's free-

dom struggle. The inscription of Ahmedabad will allow for the preservation of a historic city which has harboured India's dynamism and vibrancy.”

Ahmedabad's densely packed traditional houses in pols and gated streets called `puras' - with characteristic features such as bird-feeders and religious institutions dating back hundreds of years - were also hailed at the meeting.

The countries recognized Ahmedabad as the cradle of India's non-violent freedom struggle led by Mahatma

Indian Home Secretary in London; Mallya, Lalit Modi likely on agenda

Indian home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi reached London for talks between India and Britain on issues such as the extradition of fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

His visit comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with his British counterpart Theresa May in Hamburg, on the sidelines of the G20 meeting there. Modi had asked for Britain's cooperation in sending "economic offenders" back to India.

Home ministry officials are tight-lipped about the week- long visit of the country's top security officer to London, but sources said it bears significance as New Delhi has been making active efforts to bring Mallya and Modi back from Britain.

Issues related to the two are expected to figure in the home secretary's meetings, sources said. Mehrishi is expected to hold talks with his counterpart Patsy Wilkinson, the second permanent secretary in the British Home Office, and put forward India's case.

India has already assured Britain of all assistance in extradition matters to allow the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) to present water-tight cases before the courts there

against Mallya. Mallya has been in Britain for over a year, escaping arrest warrants against him, while a court in London is also hearing a case regarding his extradition to India.

In the Hamburg meeting, the prime minister Modi asked May for Britain's "cooperation for the return of escaped Indian economic offenders". Mallya, who is wanted in India for Kingfisher Airlines default on loans worth nearly £900 million, has been in Britain since March 2016. In April, he went to a central London police station, was arrested and released on conditional bail a few hours later after providing a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds. He assured the court that he would be abiding by all conditions associated with extradition proceedings, such as the surrender of his passport.

Lalit Modi, former chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is wanted by the Indian authorities with respect to a money laundering probe and is said to be in the UK. The former cricket administrator has maintained that he has not done any wrong in any of the IPL deals.

The Enforcement Directorate had registered a money laundering case

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against Modi and others based on a Chennai police complaint in 2012 on charges of alleged cheating of BCCI-IPL in granting the overseas telecast rights of the T-20 cricket tournament in 2009. India and Britain have an extradition treaty, signed in 1992, but so far only one extradition has taken place under the arrangement - that of Samirbhai Vinubhai Patel.

Patel was sent back to India last October to face a trial in connection with his involvement in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.

The home secretary is also expected to discuss with British officials how to enhance cooperation in matters of terrorism, intelligence sharing and checking activities of Khalistan supporters.

The visit also came a week after the Birmingham city council withdrew permission for a planned rally to mark "Burhan Wani Day" last Saturday after India lodged a protest with the British government against the "glorification of terrorists".

Wani, a Kashmiri militant and Hizbul Mujahideen leader, was killed by security forces on July 8, 2016.

Gandhi.

The Walled City of Ahmedabad will now be in company of cities like Paris, Cairo, and Edinburgh. Of the 287 World Heritage Cities across the globe, only two were on the Indian sub continent: Bhaktapur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka. The Unesco status will add brand value to the city and bring global tourists in large numbers.

Ahmedabad's journey to this landmark achievement began in 1984 when the first study for conserving heritage structures was commissioned by Ford Foundation. The second milestone was the launch of the heritage walk from Kalupur Swaminarayan temple and the setting up of a heritage cell by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Ahmedabad entered Unesco's tentative list on March 31, 2011. The Walled City was inscribed under criteria (ii) and (v) of the Unesco's Outstanding Universal Values (OUV).

Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar said: “We are officially India's first world heritage city.” CM Vijay Rupani said, “PM Narendra Modi first proposed the idea of World Heritage City status. The people of Ahmedabad and The Times of India took up the mission and showed how citizencentric media effort can bring success.”

Gujarat officer to study at LSE Ashok Sharma comes from the well-known family of Mukhiyaji from Nathdwara. His father, Dr Madangopalaji Sharma, is and enlightened Physician who has studied Ayurved, Vedant, Yog, and National Character.

Sharma has been deputed by the Government of India's Department of Personnel and Training, for study of “Global Governance” at London School of Economics' Summer school, from July 9 to 29.

An IAS Officer in Gujarat, he is a Post Graduate in Dairy Technology and Post Graduate in Management from NIPM, Kolkata. He has served as Sub Divisional Magistrate of Porbandar, playing an important role in maintaining law and order in the district. He has also served as the Secretary of the prestigious Somnath Trust from 2000-2008 and did pivotal work in regaining over 100 acres of precious encroached land around the Temple.

After serving in the Department of Education in the State, Sharma now works as the District Development officer of Gir- Somnath.

Achievements Ashok Sharma, IAS, has been accoladed with two civilian honors- the Chacha Award for excellent civil services as SDM of Porbandar, 1995-98, and the Prabhas Ratna Awards for contribution to an all-round development of the Somnath Tirthdham, 2000-08.

An author of over a dozen works in Gujarati, Hindi, and English, Sharma's environmental play 'Jay Girnar Jay Somnath' acclaimed credit and was broadcast as a serial radio play on Prasar Bharti.

For the past nine months, he has been associated as a columnist with Divya Bhaskar, and writes on the Science of Yog and Spirituality.

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Tamil Nadu opposes Lanka fisheries bill The bill was aimed at preventing Indian fishermen from exercising their fishing rights

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government has expressed concern over a Sri Lankan fisheries bill, saying it was aimed at preventing Indian fishermen from exercising their traditional fishing rights in the Palk Bay. Chief Minister K Palaniswami wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing his attention towards the bill which was “reportedly introduced and passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament.” The CM said it prohibited certain fishing methods, including bottom trawling.

He wrote, “It is widely reported in a section of media that under the provisions of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resource (Amendment) Bill, the fishing trawlers as well as fishing gear used for fishing in the Sri Lankan territorial waters will be confiscated, fishermen imprisoned for two years and huge fine up to 50,000 Lankan Rupees will be imposed. The Palk Bay was a “historic and traditional fishing area” of fisher-

men from Tamil Nadu, their historical rights were “simply signed away as part of the ill-advised Indo-Sri Lankan agreements of 1974 and 1976 which also unilaterally ceded Katchatheevu to Sri Lanka without having any foresight or concern for the plight of our innocent fishermen.”

Palaniswami said that consequently the right to livelihood of the state's fishermen, who historically and traditionally fish in the Palk Bay continues to be

TN moves SC for due share of Cauvery water NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has allowed Tamil Nadu to file a fresh plea alleging that Karnataka was not giving its due share of the Cauvery water. A Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra asked for the counsel from Tamil Nadu to file a proper application in the regard, assuring the matter would be heard. TN alleged that Karnataka was under an obligation to give it 22.5 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) in the last 25 days, but had only released 16.85 TMC so far, prompting a substantial shortfall in supply.

The SC had directed Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water per day to Tamil Nadu till further orders on October 18, 2016, and asked the two governments to ensure peace and harmony. On October 1, Karnataka had moved a review petition in the apex court against its three orders on the issue and direction to the

Centre to create the Cauvery Water Management Board. In its review petition, Karnataka said, “grave miscarriage of justice” had been caused to it following the three apex court orders of September 20, 27, and 30, by which it was directed to release water and the Centre was to constitute the Board by October 4.

The SC had even rapped Karnataka, on September 30, for its repeated “defiance” in flouting its orders for releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu , saying no one would know when the “wrath of the law” would fall on it.

Punjab minister warns of 'water emergency'

PHAGWARA: A Punjab cabinet minister has said that if crop diversification was not undertaken at the earliest, and the area under paddy plantation not reduced, the state could face severe water emergency-like situation. Speaking to reporters, Power and Irrigation Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh said, “If water is not used judiciously and saved optimally, then water emergency is written on the wall in the times to come.” He said only crop diversification could save the issues faced by the agriculture sector in Punjab.

The minister advocated quick shift from present wheatpaddy cycle to horticulture, fruits, vegetables and other crops that required less water.

“If precious resource of water is not saved, then not only Punjab but other parts of the country will be embroiled in water-wars,” he warned.

Singh added that about 104 blocks of Punjab were declared

'black' by the human resource development ministry. “This means that water of these blocks is polluted and not drinkable.” Singh accused SAD-BJP government of playing with the sentiments of people and blamed Badal government of discontinuing crop diversification which was begun by the Amarinder Singh government in 2002-07.

“Though former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal knew the grave situation of depleting underground water table, Akalis arbitrarily gave 65,000 tubewell connections to their favourites, ignoring claims of the needy farmers,” Singh alleged.

Regarding drugs, Rana Gurjeet said that the current government was committed to snapping nexus between the police, politicians and drug mafia. “Big time drug operators have been arrested and none, howsoever, big will be spared,” he said.

infringed upon by Lankan authorities.

“The new bill reportedly introduced and passed by the Parliament of Sri Lanka is another retrograde step taken by the Sri Lankan Government to destroy the already paralysed livelihood of millions of our fishermen,” he said. The CM said passing of the “ill-advised” bill came at a time when the ministers of India and Sri Lanka as well as the Joint Working Group on Fisheries had met only recently to resolve the Indo-Sri Lankan fishermen issues and therefore it was “shocking”.

“The legislation proposed is, in fact, a severe setback to the diplomatic efforts being taken to resolve the issue amicably,” Palaniswami said. “The move by Sri Lankan Government to introduce the bill at this crucial juncture of transition towards a permanent solution is nothing but a harsh step to undermine the diplomatic efforts being undertaken by the Government of India to sort out the sensitive issue.”

Kerala family keeps dead man's body in house for 3 months MALAPPURAM (KERALA): In this week's dose of weird news, a family in Kerala, believing the dead would resurrect, kept a man's body inside their house for three months. The body of V Seyed, 50, who worked as a religious teacher, kept in the house in Malappuram, was found by the police after several complaints that there was no response from the house.

Officials broke open the door only to find the man's two sons, and a daughter and wife sitting in prayer around his body which had been reduced to a skeleton. They immediately took the family into custody and sent the body for autopsy. “The family was under the belief that the dead man would come back to

life and all of them were praying,” an official said. Locals said the family never had any contact with anyone and always kept to themselves.

“We are now waiting for the cause of the death. If it's a natural death, then there might not be anything else to do in the case,” the official said.

The body, which has in the past three months been completely reduced to a skeleton, has been shifted to the Government Medical College at Manjeri near Malappuram.

According to the neighbours, the family never maintained any relations with them and hence nobody bothered at their behaviour of remaining aloof from the society. The police have recommended counselling for the family.

Punjab guru's body to remain in freezer, says HC CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana High Court has decided that the body of a spiritual guru who died in January 2014 will remain in freezer for now.

The decision has been welcomed by his disciples who believe he is in a deep state of meditation and will soon return to life. Founder of multi-million dollar sect, Diyva Jyoti Jagriti Sansthan, Ashutosh Maharaj's body is currently in a commercial freezer at his heavily-guarded 100-acre ashram in Punjab. He is believed to have died of a cardiac arrest.

The court took the decision, dismissing a three-yearold petition by Dalip Kumar Jhan, who claims to be Maharaj's son and wants to get his body and cremate him.

Jha's lawyer said that it remains unclear whether or not the court approved the sect's argument of Maharaj being alive. “But they dismissed our petition which is disappointing and we will challenge it in the Supreme Court.” The court also cancelled a 2014 judgment ordering his cremation after doctors

TN to launch Amma health radio service

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is all set to launch Amma Health Radio Service in an effort to provide awareness messages on public health. Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said the service would provide awareness messages on public health through specialist doctors and experts and take measures during the emergency situations and disasters. He said immunisation services would be made available on all days of the week in all paediatric departments of all Government Medical College hospitals. He added that ice lined refrigerators and deep freezers would be supplied to Government Primary Health Centres for storage of immunisation materials.

Bengaluru hotel refuses room to interfaith couple

BENGALURU: Creating a new controversy, staff of a private hotel refused to rent room to an interfaith couple, stating they had no valid documents. However, Shaffek Subaida has alleged that the hotel staff refused the room as he and his wife belong to two different religions. “I am Shaffek, and she is Divya. We have come to the city from Kerala, for job interviews. The hotel staff are refusing the room since we both belong to two different religion,” he said. Senior police officers said they received no complaint either from the couple or from the hotel staff. <

Leopard electrocuted at top of 12-foot pole

NIZAMABAD (TELANGANA): Residents of a village in Telangana saw a leopard electrocute itself off a 12 feet high pole. Officials said the wild cat had climbed the pole at its own will and got electrocuted when it tried to bite the wires. Forest officials said the animal was about four years old, and had possibly come to a water hole nearby.

Nizamabad divisional forest officer VSLV Prasad said the leopard must have “ventured out of the forest which is only a short distance away, in search of prey like cattle.”

Capt, Jakhar meet Rahul over cabinet expansion

NEW DELHI: In hints of an early cabinet expansion, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh met with Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to discuss the names of potential ministers. Gandhi had earlier met AICC in-charge for Punjab, Asha Kumari to discuss the expansion.

The expansion is expected to be announced soon and could accommodate younger leaders like Vijayinder Singla and Amarinder Singh Raja Warring besides other seniors who were not included initially. The meeting was also attended

by Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar.

Husband attacks wife with axe as neighbours film it

Ashutosh Maharaj

confirmed him clinically dead.

The previous order was challenged by his disciples who said he had simply drifted into a deeper form of meditation, something he often did in sub-zero Himalayan temperatures. The sect was established in 1983 and boasts millions of followers across the world and properties worth an estimated $120 million in India, the US, South America, Australia, Middle East, and Europe. Jha and the guru's former driver Puran Singh filed petitions in court soon after his death, demanding a criminal probe and alleging that the sect members were deliberately holding his body to retain control of his vast financial assets.

JIND (HARYANA): A shocking incident came to the light from Baroli village in Jind where a woman was attacked with knife by her husband and was in severe pain. She sought help of her neighbours so that someone would help her to get admitted to a hospital. The neighbours, instead of helping her were busy making videos. She was wailing in the video “Hai mar gayee (I am dying)… somebody help me” but nobody helped her.

According to police inspector Ram Mehar, the woman was left in pain and she was bleeding for about half an hour before he arrived and called an ambulance.

SGPC forms panel for rebuilding Gurdwara Gian Godri

AMRITSAR: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Kirpal Singh Badungar said that a nine-member sub-panel has been formed to oversee the rebuilding of the historical Gurdwara Gian Godri in Haridwar. He said the committee would establish contact with religious leaders of Haridwar and make all efforts to reconstruct the demolished gurdwara at the earliest. He said the SGPC had sent a delegation to Haridwar to assess the situation and then decided to approach the central government in this regard.

HERITAGE HISTORY

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Dr. Hari Desai

The Scindia of Gwalior in the Mutiny of 1857

Jayajirao was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traitorâ&#x20AC;?, Lakshmi bai the â&#x20AC;&#x153;best and bravestâ&#x20AC;? of all Great tribute to the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah, by Savarkar Savarkar describes ; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jayajirao Scindia, coward as he was , and his minister, Dinkar Rao, fled, not only from the field, but from Gwalior itself, and ran to Agra !

W

hen the elections are contested in India on mere historical issues, sometimes the political parties and the leaders end up in little comic situation like one in Madhya Pradesh(MP) byeelection as late as May 2017 ! The Chief Minister of MP, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and the National General Secretary of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP), Kailash Vijayvaragiya, accused the Maharaja of Gwalior of joining hands with the British in torturing people during the Mutiny of 1857 which was considered the first freedom movement against the East India Company regime. When they were calling the Maharaja, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the traitorâ&#x20AC;?, they intended to target the present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maharajaâ&#x20AC;? of Gwalior, Jyotiraditya Scindia, a Congress leader; forgetting his two aunts(his father, Madhavrao Scindiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s real sisters) were not only the leaders of the ruling party in the state and at the Centre but were holding Ministerial posts too ! The eldest, Vasundhara Raje, being the Chief Minister of Rajasthan and the younger one, Yashodhara Raje, being the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Employment of Madhya Pradesh itself.

The late Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia, a close friend of late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, had resigned as a Member of Parliament of the ruling Congress and simultaneously contested and won on the tickets of the Swatantra Party and the Jan Sangh for the Lok Sabha(Parliament) and the MP Assembly respectively in 1967. She was also the founder Vice President of the BJP. It is no denying fact that like most of the rulers of the Princely States, the Maharaja of Gwalior, Jayajirao Scindia, acted as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cobraâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Traitorâ&#x20AC;? helping the British, in the words of Swatantraveer V.D. Savarkar in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Indian War of Independence

The unanimous Leader of the Mutiny, Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar

1857â&#x20AC;?. The Rani Laksmi bai of Jhansi had cautioned Nanasaheb Peshwa, her coleader in the Revolution of 1857 along with Tatia(Tatya) Tope, but the Scindia ditched even his ancestorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; boss for safeguarding his own interest at the cost of Swaraj and Swadharma.

Barrister Savarkar writes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;They had written to the Scindia, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We are coming to you, so that we shall be enabled to proceed towards the south.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But this ungrateful man had forgotten the former relations.

Well then, remember the former and the present relations too. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The ancestors of the Scindia were our servants, our Hujres-that was the former relation. And, the present relation? The whole army of the present Scindia had joined us. Tatia had gone to Gwalior, seen the leaders, and gained all necessary information!â&#x20AC;&#x2122; But still, forgetting all this the

sight of this traitor!â&#x20AC;?

Savarkar describes ; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jayajirao Scindia, coward as he was , and his minister, Dinkar Rao, fled, not only from the field, but from Gwalior itself, and ran to Agra !....how can he who goes against his own country and against his own Dharma be a ruler ? â&#x20AC;Ś. On 3 June 1857, a big Durbar was held in Phul Bagh. All Sirdars, statesmen, noblemen, shiledars, and cavalry officers, who joined the Shrimant, took their seats according to their rank.

Tatia Tope and the Arabs, Rohillas, Pathans, Rajputs, Rangdes, Pardeshis, and others under him came to Durbar in their military uniform and with swords by their side. The Shrimant himself was dressed in the Peshwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s uniform Shirpana and Kalgitura on head, pearls in his ears, and pearl and diamond necklaces, round his neckâ&#x20AC;Ś..all stood

headed by Vasundhara Raje Scindia got the poem removed from the school textbooks since it presented the Scindia ancestors in bad light. Of course, it raised a controversy. The RSS leader, Kanaiya Lal Chaturvedi openly challenged the Scindia governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision saying it was a historical fact that the Scindia of Gwalior sided with the British in 1857.

Vasundharaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mother, Rajmata Vijaya Raje, in her autobiography, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Rajpath se Lokpath parâ&#x20AC;?, tried to influ-

ence the readers to believe that the Maharaja of Gwalior, Jayajirao, was a nationalist and tried to help the Peshwa under whom the natives tried to challenge the English rule in 1857. Most of the historians have come to the conclusion that the Scindia sided with the British. Savarkar preferred to call him â&#x20AC;&#x153;a Cobra and a Traitorâ&#x20AC;?.

Savarkar offered great tribute to the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar, by quoting his letters, written in his own hand, to the Hindu kings of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Alwar, etc. appealing them to make united efforts to get rid of the foreign domination. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is my ardent wish to see that the Feringhi is driven out of Hindusthan by all means and at any costâ&#x20AC;Ś â&#x20AC;ŚI have no desire left in me of ruling over India, after the expulsion of the English, to my own personal aggrandizement. If all of you native Rajas are ready to unsheathe your sword to drive away the enemy, then, I am willing to resign my Imperial powers and authority in the hands of

Maharaja Jayajirao Scindia of Gwalior 1857

any confederacy of the native princes who are chosen to exercise it.â&#x20AC;? Needless to say that the English were ruling India in the name of the Mughal Emperor.

Unfortunately, thanks to the Hindu and Muslim native rulersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; support to the English and actions of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;first-class traitorâ&#x20AC;? Ilahi Baksh Mirza and Munsi Rajb Ali, the English got the Emperor, the unanimous leader of the Hindus and Muslims in the Mutiny, arrested and three of his princes were lynched on the streets of Delhi. India had to wait another 90 years to get liberated.

Next Column: Agony of Bahawalpur which financed Pakistan (The writer is a Socio-political Historian. E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com)

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Scindia, with all his army and all his guns, advanced on the Peshwa on the 1st of June, near Gwalior. The Shrimant(Peshwa) who deserves the respect of the whole country thought for a moment that the Scindia had repented and was coming forward to salute the flag of Swadesh. But, Lakshmi said that he was coming, not to salute, but to smash that golden flag. She came forward with her three hundred horsemen and advanced right on the guns of the Scindia. Soon, she caught the view of Jayajirao Scindia and his personal guard the brave â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Bhaleghateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; troops. The cobra shows not such rage when it is trodden upon as Lakshmi showed at the

up in reverence, salutes were received, and the Shrimant ascended the throne.â&#x20AC;? The victory over Gwalior was celebrated but Lakshmi was missing since she preferred the battlefield to the Durbar. Lieutenant Rose attacked Gwalior and captured it too. Away from there even the Rani was killed. Thus ended the last organized resistance of the Rebellion. In the famous words of Rose, she was the â&#x20AC;&#x153;best and bravest of the rebel leadersâ&#x20AC;?.

Subhadra Kumari Chauhanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s celebrated poem â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jhansi ki Raniâ&#x20AC;? is being recited even today by the people of India, presenting the darling queen; but the Government of Rajasthan

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26

INDIA

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7 Amarnath yatris killed in terror attack 5 pilgrims belong to Gujarat and two from Maharashtra

Terrorists opened fire on a bus returning from the holy shrine of Amarnath, late on Monday, killing seven pilgrims, and injuring 19. In one of the worst terror strikes to take place in the controversial region of Jammu and Kashmir, militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba fired indiscriminately at the bus which was carrying over 50 pilgrims from Gujarat and Maharashtra, most of whom were sleeping when the vehicle was attacked.

Reports said that the vehicle was not part of the official tour for the annual Amarnath Yatra, meaning it was not given the customary police protection.

While the number of attackers are yet to be confirmed, it is said that they first opened fire on an armoured police car whose occupants fired back. Before that, they had reportedly opened fire on a security check-post just 600 metres from where the bus was attacked. Police officials said the bus, which was registered in Gujarat, had violated the rules of the pilgrimage which bans buses from travelling on a highway

government while the injured will be given Rs 200,000,” he announced.

Of the seven who died, six of them were women and two of them were from Maharashtra.

after 7 pm for security reasons. A passenger said, “We were sleeping when the firing started from both the sides. We don't know how many people were there.”

Journey for Amarnath usually begins from Jammu, a good 200 km from the shrine. The 40day long Yatra to the holy cave situated high in the mountains of South Kashmir commenced on June 28. Over 40,000 troops are assigned to guard the pilgrims and their route, and the entire area boasts of unprecedented security, including a satellite tracking system.

J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti released a statement saying, “This

is an assault on our values and traditions which we hold dear. We will do everything to root out the perpetrators of this heinous crime.”

Bodies brought to Gujarat Bodes of the all the deceased arrived in Surat early on Tuesday (July 11) and the Gujarat government announced Rs 1000,000 compensation to the family of each of the dead. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani received the bodies, along with the 19 injured and 32 others who were flown from Srinagar.

“The family members of the killed pilgrims will be provided Rs 1000,000 compensation by the state

Driver ensures safety: Drives through bullet shower If it weren't for Gujarat's Salim Sheikh, the man behind the wheels of the bus that endured a hail of bullets, instinctive decision to continue driving and try and escape as many bullets as possible the number of casualties would have without an ounce of doubt, been worse than now. As the group of terrorists attacked the lonely vehicle driving through Anantnag district of Kashmir, at 8.30 pm, it was up to Salim to save the lives of all his passengers. “God gave me strength to keep moving, and I just did not stop,” he said.

His cousin Javed Mirza, from Valsad, said, “He told me that he did not stop there when terrorists fired, only looked for a safer spot for pilgrims. He couldn't save seven lives,

but managed to move 50 people to a safe place, I'm proud of him.” CM Rupani acknowledged Salim's role and announced that he would nominate him for a bravery award. “Want to thank bus driver, Salim for saving lives of people when firing was continuing. Will nominate his name for bravery award,” he said.

Intelligence Sources reveal they knew Amarnath Yatra was a target Indian Intelligence agencies claim to be aware that a group of militants, led by a man identified as Abu Ismail, LeT leader from Pakistan, were planning a strike in Kashmir for weeks in advance. However, they failed to anticipate that the militants could target pilgrims, as so far, they have avoided inflicting civilian casualties. Senior security officials familiar with the attack said the terrorists had tracked the passage of the Amarnath Yatra convoys for days. As the convoy started from July 10, from the Baltal base camp towards

G20: A united front in a divided world

An eye-roll and a painful facepalm quickly sums up this year's G20 summit held in Hamburg, Germany, for Chancellor Angela Merkel. As the most powerful leaders of the modern world order gathered together for the two-day meeting, amid street violence and protests in the city, Merkel found herself struggling to bring everything and every one together. “This year, the G20 summit will take place under particularly challenging conditions. I will only list the greatest challenges: terrorism, climate change, protectionism and all of these topics are on the agenda. The world is in a state of unrest; it has become less unified,” the Chancellor said.

US President Donald Trump's first G20 meet, the clear divide over climate change and the sharp contrast between him and West European leaders was as clear as day. The division between the country and the rest of the world on the Paris Agreement on climate change was further formalised as the G20 declaration took note of America's intent to withdraw. “Disagreement has to be made clear.

Unfortunately, and I deplore this, the US left the climate agreement,” Merkel said. “Since the US

Narendra Modi meets Prime Minister of the UK Theresa May

announced that it would exit the Paris agreement, we cannot expect any easy talks in Hamburg. The disagreement is obvious, and it would be dishonest to cover it up. I certainly won't do that,” she said.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was also in attendance, had flown directly to Hamburg from Tel Aviv, Israel. He participated in an informal meeting with leaders of the BRICS nations, on the sidelines of the summit.

For bilateral meetings, Modi met several world leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Italian Prime Minister

Paolo Gentiloni. In his meeting with May, Modi asked for UK's cooperation in the extradition of escaped Indian economic offenders.

The move is seen a push from the Indian leader towards extraditing defaulters like Vijay Mallya and Lalit Modi.

Mallya, who owes £900 million to Indian banks, is wanted back home for cases relating to foreign exchange violation, debt recovery and embezzlement. He fled the country last year and was officially declared an absconder by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in November. Lalit Modi is accused of money laundering.

Modi and Xi meet In the midst of the India-China standoff near the Sikkim-Tibet-Bhutan tri-junction, and contrary to expectations, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping didn't just exchange greetings but also managed a conversation on “a range of issues” on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

The discussion is significant as it came a day after a top Chinese official was quoted to have said that the “atmosphere” was “not right” for a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi. China, in fact, has officially said no meaningful dialogue is possible until Indian forces withdraw from Doklam plateau in Bhutan which Beijing has claimed.

Indian government sources did not confirm whether the two leaders discussed the military impasse in the remote terrain but the conversation is being seen in the context of tensions resulting from the face-off.

While both sides had earlier ruled out a formal bilateral meeting, there was always a chance that the leaders could have a pull aside. Indian government sources didn't state if the confrontation over Chinese attempts to build a road in an area seen as

Bhutanese territory figured in the talks. According to reports from Hamburg, the conversation lasted for about 5-7 minutes.

The MEA spokesperson also tweeted a photograph of Modi and Xi shaking hands. Though it is unclear how soon the situation will be resolved, the brief interaction may set the stage for enhanced diplomacy. The Indian military intervention is based on the firm conviction that China's attempts to realign the ground situation must be stalled to prevent the PLA from gaining an advantage over Indian defences at the trijunction.

Trump walks up to Modi for 'impromptu' chat As G20 leaders continued their Summit discussions for the second day, US President Donald Trump walked up to Modi for "an impromptu interaction".

Arvind Panagariya, sherpa for India at the Summit, tweeted about the "interaction", along with pictures of the two leaders and others just before start of the second day of working sessions of the G20 Summit ending.

"In an impromptu interaction at the G20 Summit, POTUS (President of the US) waves to the PM, walks to him, other leaders gather around. Gr8 moments," Panagariya tweeted.

Jammu, about 350 km away, one of the buses with a Gujarat registration was left behind due to a punctured tyre. The delay separated the bus, posing major threat to its passengers.

In other updates, a letter from a top police officer to other security officials warned of an intelligence alert saying “terrorists have been directed to eliminate 100 to 150 pilgrims and about 200 police officers and officials.” It said the attack could target a Yatra convoy “which they will believe will result in flaring of communal tensions throughout the nation.”

Meanwhile, Dharmic Community organisations across UK have been requested to hold a "Shok Sabha." We mourn the death of seven innocent pilgrims. We express our profound solidarity with their families and those injured in the appalling crime. Kashmir Voice International also held an emergency meeting in London and condemned the killing of innocent Amarnath yatris in South Kashmir.

Mallya extradition hearing set

Indian defaulter Vijay Mallya will face a UK court in December, when it will be decided whether he will be extradited to India where he owes over Rs 9000 Crore to banks.

Mallya's barrister Ben Watson confirmed the news saying his legal team had received 800 pages of materials from the Indian government regarding the case. Watson said Mallya wished to engage with the extradition process “as constructively as possible”.

Senior district judge Ms Arbuthnot said the extradition hearing would start on December 4 and wll last two weeks, following which she will make a decision. An extradition could however, take years as the legal process offers a number of opportunities to appeal against a decision.

A 2000-page dossier has been filed as part of evidence against the fugitive businessman. The Indian High Commission released a statement expressing satisfaction at the hearing dates “despite delaying tactics” by the liquor baron.

It revealed that the documents include charges filed in the Indian court, documentary evidence of the offences and statement of witnesses.

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health lifestyle

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

Natural Home Remedies for Prickly Heat Prickly heat, also known as miliaria rubra, is an itchy rash of small, raised red spots that cause a stinging or prickling sensation on the skin.

Prickly heat can develop anywhere on the body, but it usually appears on your face, neck, back, chest or thighs a few days after exposure to hot temperatures.Babies suffer from prickly heat on their buttocks and children suffer from this especially in hot and humid weather. It occurs because their sweat glands are not fully developed, and also the fact that they are constantly in nappies and diapers.

Heat rash begins with excessive perspiration, usually in a hot, humid environment. The perspiration makes it easier for dead skin cells and bacteria on the skin to block the sweat glands, forming a barrier and trapping sweat beneath the skin, where it builds up, causing the characteristic bumps. As the bumps burst and sweat is released, there may be a prickly or stinging sensation that gives this condition its name.

So what are the natural alternatives that you can use to reduce this painful summer skin problem?

pat yourself dry with a towel to avoid bacteria from building up. Powder yourself and ensure that your skin stays cool.

Here are four natural home remedies to help you prevent prickly heat:

1. Air Yourself: Firstly, the golden rule is to keep the body cool and well aired. If you can, uncover the skin where you are experiencing prickly heat and expose it to cool air.

Doing so will help bring relief to the skin. For babies, avoid making them wear diapers and air the affected areas.

2. Say No to Synthetic: Summer is the time when you should wear light coloured and loose clothes so that there is air circulation and your body stays cool. Wear cotton clothing and avoid synthetic tight clothes at all cost.

3. Drink Up Those Summer Coolers: Because the hot temperature can drain energy out of you, it is important to consistently hydrate yourself to stay cool. Drink cool natural drinks like chaach, lemon water and coconut

water, and avoid alcohol and aerated drinks. You can also add flavoured water to your diet, where you can make the most of seasonal fruits and herbs.

4. Eat Healthy Foods: Beat the heat and stay cool by eating healthy. Include lots of fresh raw foods like salads and fruits and avoid heavy greasy dishes, fried foods and sweets.

5. Keep Your Skin Dry: Never leave the skin damp during this hot season. In fact after bathing, always

Staying hydrated in key

Yoghurt both cools and soothes the skin

1. Yoghurt: Yoghurt has been known to have both, a cooling and soothing effect on the skin. Apply cold yoghurt to the affected areas and leave it on for 15minutes. Wash with cold water and pat dry. Never rub the irritated skin.

2. Rose Water: Make a concoction using the following ingredient: 200ml rose water, 4 Tbsp honey and 200ml pure water. Mix together and freeze in an ice tray. Take these ice cubes, four to five at a time, and wrap them in a soft muslin cloth. Press the bundle gently on the prickly heat affected areas.

Regular Strength Training Can Reduce the Risk of Diseases A man and a woman are having dinner in a restaurant. Their waitress, taking another order at a table a few paces away, spots that the man is slowly sliding down his chair and under the table, with the woman acting unconcerned. As the waitress watches, the man slides all the way under and out of sight. Still, the woman dining opposite him appears not to notice.

Finally, the waitress comes over to the table and whispers discreetly to the woman, "Pardon me, ma'am, but I think your husband just slid under the table." "No, he didn't," the woman calmly replies. "He just walked in the door." ******************** A man and his wife are sound asleep in bed when the phone rings. The man picks up, listens for a second and says, 'How the hell would I know, you idiot? I'm not a weatherman,' before slamming down the receiver. 'Who was that?' asks his wife. 'Wrong number. It was some jerk asking if the coast was clear.' ******************** Two men, and an Englishman are talking about waiting. The first one says ‘I was once in a restaurant and they left me for two hours before the starters came, and then another hour and a half before mains. Can you believe that?’ The second one shakes his head and says ‘ha, three and a half hours is nothing, in the old days I had to queue up for eight hours for a loaf of bread.’ The American turns to the Englishman and asks about his longest experience waiting, to which the Englishman replies ‘Once stood in line behind David Beckham for a full three days. Bloody Madam Tussuade’s.’ ******************** This was a conversation between former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and MP Lady Nancy Astor: Lady Nancy Astor: Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea.

Churchill: Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.

27

New Study Discovers the 'Type' of Vitamin D Needed for Good Health Vitamin D is an important nutrient that your body requires to regulate the calcium and phosphorus levels of our blood.

It is also known as the sunshine vitamin as exposure to sunlight converts the cholesterol present in the skin to Vitamin D. Sun exposure is the best source of Vitamin D but you can also derive it from foods like eggs, cod fish, soy milk and mushrooms.

authorities to change their current guidelines after having found that Vitamin D3 which is derived from animal products such as eggs and fatty fish and also the made by our skin is more essential than Vitamin D2 obtained plant-based sources like mushrooms.

Their findings suggests that consumption of animal products and moderate exposure to sunlight help in obtaining Vitamin D3 which is

According to the current guidelines followed by most of the health organisation around the world including the US National Institute of Health, the two forms of Vitamin D - D3 and D2 are equally beneficial for our health.

But a new study refutes this understanding and claims that not all types of Vitamin D are made equal and Vitamin D3 is twice as important for your health as Vitamin D2.

Researchers from the University of Surrey have urged health

twice as likely to raise your overall Vitamin D levels as compared to Vitamin D2 rich foods.

The results showed that the vitamin D levels in women who received vitamin D3 juice or biscuit increased by 75 per cent and 74 per cent respectively while those who were given vitamin D2 saw an increase of only 33 to 34 per cent over the course of the 12-weeks.

The study will be published in July's edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

ASIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS Resistance exercises or more commonly known as strength training is a form of physical activity. It is a great way to lose weight as these exercises target multiple muscle groups in your body.

It helps in increasing your strength and endurance and building muscle mass.

Not just this, according to a new study, conducted by researchers from Radboud University Medical Center in Netherlands, performing resistance exercises regularly can help in boosting overall health and lower the risk of developing chronic lifestyle diseases like heart trouble, diabetes and obesi-

ty.

The study shows that moderate amount of exercise, just 30 minutes per week, can have many beneficial effects including reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

It's Five Million for

Dhanush!!!

K ollywood's favourite actor, filmmaker and producer, Dhanush's Twitter page has touched a remarkable number of 5 million followers, making him the third celebrity from the industry after AR Rahman and Shruti Haasan, to attain the feat. Dhanush has proved himself over various platforms as an actor, director, lyricist, singer, and producer in Kolly. His song 'Kolaveri Di' for film '3' was much loved by people and became a worldwide hit in the year 2012.

With a pan-Indian appeal, he became a much-loved actor in Bollywood with his performances in 'Raanjhanaa' across Sonam Kapoor, and in 'Shamitabh' across Amitabh Bachchan. Dhanush is currently working on his first Hollywood Film with 'The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir', and will star opposite stars like Uma Thurman, Laurent Lafitte, and Alexandria Daddario.

‘Jagga Jasoos’

An upcoming Indian musical adventure film featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.

Soundarya officially ends her marriage

S

uperstar Rajinikanth's younger daughter Soundarya has officially ended her marriage of seven years with entrepreneur R Ashwin after a Chennai family court passed an order for judicial separation on July 4. The separation was formalised by Maria Clatta, principal family court judge. The former couple had filed for divorce in December 2016 and were reportedly living separately for over an year now. As the two could not reconcile, the court ordered an official termination of their marital relation.

Soundarya confirmed the news on Twitter. She said, “News about my marriage is true. We have been separated for over a year & divorce talks are on. I request all to respect my family's privacy.” A media report said the proceedings went off smoothly as the divorce was filed as a mutual decision. Terms and conditions of the settlement, including custodial details of their two-year-old son Ved are, however, still unknown. Graphic designer, producer and director, Soundarya had married Ashwin in 2010. She is currently busy promoting her upcoming film 'Velai Illa Pattadhaari 2' that is slated to release on July 28.

Nayanthara may play Draupadi

A

pan-India film on the 'Mahabharatha' is all set to be made on a budget of £100 million, based on the MT Vasudevan Nair's novel 'Rendamoozham'. The movie will star Mohan Lal in the lead role and will be made in multiple languages. Another film on the same theme is being made in Kannada, and has been titled 'Kurukshetra'. The film involves stalwarts of the Kannada film industry and will feature Dharshan as Duryodhana, Ravichandran as Karna, and senior actor Ambareesh as Bhishma.

Recent sources revealed that the team is currently in talks with female superstar Nayanthara to play the role of Draupadi. Makers confirmed that the talks are on but the actress is yet to give a nod to the project. Nayan had earlier played Sita in a Telugu-Tamil bilingual film 'Sri Rama Rajyam', based on another Indian epic Ramayana.

Kamal Haasan backs Rajinikanth's demand

T

halaivar recently tweeted about the ongoing theatre strike against the 30 per cent entertainment tax levied on Tamil films, requesting the government to consider the industry's plea in the matter. The tweet was shared by his long time friend and another veteran actor, Kamal Haasan, who thanked him and said, “Lets request as gentlemen should and then we shall see.” The move is seen as a clear indication that Haasan wants to team up with Rajini and others to protest against he ridiculous 58 per cent tax levied on Tamil films, in case their request is not accepted.

This is the first time Kamal reacted to Rajini's words on social media, especially endorsing it. It is heartening to note the two icons of Tamil cinema coming together in the democratic social media to safeguard the welfare of the film industry.

Akshara may make her Kannada debut

Manju Warrier making her K Tamil debut

F

ormer reigning queen of Malayalam cinema, Manju Warrier, has been roped in for her first Tamil film, to be directed by Arivazhagan of 'Eeram' and Kuttram 23' fame. While she has given her nod, she is yet to sign the contract. “After 'Kuttram 23', the director has been scripting a thriller, which will be a women-centric film. The team had approached Manju and she really liked the script. Looks like she's most likely to sign the dotted line soon,” a source revealed. The film will be a bilingual in Tamil and Malayalam, and is expected to go on floors next month. Meanwhile, Manju will also be seen playing the female lead in Mohanlalstarrer 'Odiyan' and 'Villain'.

amal Haasan's younger daughter Akshara began her film career at a young age and has worked as assistant director to directors like Rahul Dholakia, E Niwas and others.

But destiny has made her follow the footsteps of her father and sister Shruti and she made her debut with Amitabh and Dhanush in 'Shamitabh'. She is currently playing a pivotal role in Thala Ajith's 'Vivegam' which is her Tamil debut. Now reports say that she has been approached to play the female lead in a Kannada movie that will mark the debut of Vikram Ravichandran, the son of the popular evergreen hero of Kannada cinema V Ravichandran.

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Salman to kick off Da-bang tour's UK leg in Sept

A proud moment for

Sonam Kapoor

Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

B

ollywood icon for luxury fashion, Sonam Kapoor walked the ramp as Ralph & Russo's 2017 fall/winter Haute Couture collection at the Parish Fashion Week last week. She raised the temperature in a show-stopping bridal gown, decked up in the brightest of diamonds.

The ensemble comprised a white embellished peplum gown with a stunning sheer veil and a train running for miles. She finished the look with a minimal tone make up.

Not only did she look like a pristine Goddess, S o n a m a l s o became

A

fter launching consecutive Dabang tours to Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand earlier this year, Salman Khan has set his eyes on the UK. His actor and filmmaker brother Sohail confirmed the news, stating he is currently on a family holiday and details of the tour will be finalised once he is back. “The tentative date for the tour is September 14-15.”

The 51 year old will be joined by his 'Dabangg' heroine Sonakshi Sinha, and choreographer-filmmaker Prabhu Deva, along with many others who will perform across different venues in the country.

Part of the previous tours, Bipasha Basu however, won't be joining the group.

“Sonakshi is an integral part of the tour, having featured in the film from which the tour has borrowed its name. There are plans to have Salman and her shake a leg together on their hit numbers besides individual performances,” a source close to the development revealed.

On the work front, Bhaijaan will be next seen as a dancer for Remo D'Souza's upcoming film. The director-choreographer, in a recent interview, said that, “Salman has been training in different styles; all the dance forms will be a surprise for fans.”

Sushant Singh to train at NASA

'R

aabta' actor Sushant Singh Rajput will soon head to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of his preparation for his upcoming 'Chanda Mama Door Ke', which would be India's first space odyssey. He will reportedly train at the agency from July 21 to 24, and undergo training in a spacesuit designed by John Palmer, practice the moonwalk, and experience zero gravity.

He will also reportedly fly a space simulator and learn other simulations programmes.

Recent speculations suggested the film has been shelved, however, producer Viki Rajani refuted the claims saying, “We were to flag off in May-June, but will now start shooting by the end of September or early October. In the coming week, the international technical crew is flying down to Mumbai. We have been working on it for a year now but big films take time. We didn't want to make a mess by starting off without proper planning.” He said that the film would be shot in Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad. “It's an Indian movie at heart, a patriotic film,” Rajani said.

the first Indian to close a show at the PFW. With an undoubtedly impeccable sense of style and rare eye for fashion, Sonam has established herself as a global fashion icon who has always dared to experiment with her looks.

Talking about her experience, she said, “It was a surreal experience and I enjoyed every moment of it... Michael (Russo) and Tamara (Ralph) are dear friends and I'm so happy. I could do this for them.”

The actress was last seen in the Ram Madhvani-directed 'Neerja', for which she won a Special Mention National Award. Her next is R Balki's 'Padman', which also stars Akshay Kumar and Radhika Apte. The film is based on a short story from Twinkle Khanna's 'The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad'.

Celina pens emotional Amitabh gets tribute to her father nostalgic about

'Sholay' days

'N

o Entry' actress Celina Jaitly paid an emotional tribute to her late father Colonel Vikram Kumar Jaitley, in a lengthy Facebook post. She said that "nothing truly prepares you for the loss of your parent". The actress, who is currently expecting twins, outlined her father's contribution towards the country and acknowledged the full military honours he got during the ceremonial send off.

Celina took to her Facebook account and posted, "Nothing truly prepares you for the loss of your parent, not even prolonged illness of your loved one. You only realise once they are gone that you will never see them or hear their voice again or feel the warmth of their hugs. We always take it for granted the fact that they are well & alive where ever they are and go about our lives." Talking about the laurels and achievements of her father,

Celina shared that he was known as Tiger in the Infantry. She said, "He served the Maneaters of 17 Kumaon, commanded the incredible infantry battalion of the Maneaters of 16 Kumaon, with two wound medals from multiple gunshot & shrapnel injuries in 1971 war, Sena Medal for counter terrorism insurgency.

"He was an expert in mountain warfare and counter terrorism studies and military law. Our father is deeply mourned by the officers and jawans of his battalions and the troops he commanded and served at various stations." He died after prolonged illness earlier this week. Hoping to get a sign from her father that he is fine in the "soldiers' heaven", Celina ended her tribute saying that she will miss her father "dearly Daddy Pig".

Celina is married to hotelier Peter Haag, with whom she already has two children.

V

eteran actor Amitabh Bachchan revisited old days lately, sharing several unseen pictures with his contemporaries/colleagues from his earlier movies, on social media.

Bachchan shared a picture from his 'Sholay' days with actor Dharmendra. He captioned the pic “Rehearsing for SHOLAY”.

The 'Pink' star and Dharam Paaji, as he is fondly called, are two of BTown's iconic actors

who've had a terrific and an illustrious career.

Both the actors have appeared together in other films like 'Naseeb' and 'Chupke Chupke' and continue to remain friends. Bachchan had recently shared an old picture with Rishi Kapoor, and Prem Chopra. He is currently working with Kapoor for the movie '102 Not Out'. Both the yesteryear actors have been working together for over two decades.

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

Yoga Day at Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple

The International Day of Yoga was marked on the 21st of June at the Shree Kutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple (SKSST) in Kenton – Harrow, as the center also celebrated reaching their 10th anniversary.

Also referred to as ‘Yoga Day’, the event embodied: spirituality, a holistic approach to health and well-being, as well as achievement through community. Over the last ten years, Yoga classes have been held at the temple, with hundreds of regular Yoga enthusiasts alongside devotees in attendance.

The event also reflected upon the achievements of the Yoga participants

and Temple Trustees who have helped and worked with local charities over the years, including; Ashiana, Mencap and St. Luke’s Hospice.

Yoga Day welcomed over 150 men, women and children, of varying ability.

Indeed, the important aspect of the classes is to ensure that people of all abilities can practice Yoga and lead a fulfilled life. The weekly Yoga program has been a huge success due to the committed, patient and determined approach of the lead teacher, Bharat Mehta, who has served since its inception. As such, the success of the classes has resulted in

Coming Events

l Bollywood Beats, a fund-raising event by National Congress of Gujarat Organisatons, on July 29, 7.00 pm to 11.30 pm, at KP Hall, Harrow.

l Tooting Summer Street Party, to be held on July 23, 12.00 pm to 5.30 pm, at Cowick Road, Tooting SW17.

l Sree Sree Thakur Anukuchandra's Satsang on July 15, 6.30 pm onwards, at VHP Ilford Hindu Centre, 43 Cleveland Road, Iford Essex IG1 1EE.

Sneh Joshi

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 With the Sun and your rul-

ing planet Mars transiting your house of family and home, these areas are your instinctive focus during this period. This is a time when you put down roots and seek to belong. Besides, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations that support you and your growth.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 You are in a brilliant period for increasing your earning power and you'll be busy taking charge of your finances. Achieving a sense of security becomes a priority. Although there is a lot of sorting out to be done in your relationship sector, it will not phase you as so many issues have already be dealt with.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 Developments during this

week are likely to make you feel rather restless, perhaps because you have allowed yourself to fall into a routine that is now becoming jaded. If so, then the hint of change will be extremely welcome, even if it might entail an element of disruption. Adaptable and versatile, as you are, it is unlikely that even a major change will faze you.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

You might feel that life is in the doldrums, but appearances could prove deceptive. The underlying trend indicates that deep creative energies are stirring within you and that seemingly insignificant events and meetings will play a vital role in the future enrichment of life. This is not a time to force things, rather a time to flow with the tide.

an ever-increasing demand for places and in turn for further resources, space and volunteers.

The day concluded

with all participants being treated to a sumptuous Prashad dinner and most of the participants yearning for the next gathering.

Birmingham's Al-Hijrah school in High Court over 'unlawful' segregation

A legal battle over whether a Birmingham Islamic faith school’s policy of segregating boys from girls is unlawful and discriminatory has reached the Court of Appeal.

The first case of its kind, it is being seen as raising fundamental questions over pupils being taught “British values”.

A High Court judge in London ruled in November last year that Ofsted inspectors were wrong to penalise Al-Hijrah school, in Bordesley Green, on the basis of an “erroneous” view that segregation amounted to unlawful discrimination.

The judge ruled: “There is no evidence in this case that segregation particularly disadvantages women.”

But Mr Justice Jay allowed Ofsted, the body that regulates schools in

England, to publish the rest of a controversial inspection report placing the school into special measures because books found in the school library gave tacit approval to domestic violence. Ofsted is appealing against the High Court’s decision that the Al-Hijrah policy of separating the sexes from year five does not constitute discrimination on grounds of sex under the 2010 Equality Act. Until now, the identity of the school has been kept secret and it has been referred to as “School X”.

The case came to court after Ofsted produced a summer 2016 report that found there was discrimination under the equality laws and said the school, which has pupils aged from four to 16, should be placed in “special measures”.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Mini-cab driver jailed for sex attacks on lone women A mini-cab driver who sexually attacked lone women has been sentence to 12 years' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday.

Jahir Hussain, 37, had previously pleaded guilty, on 15 May after one day of his trial at the same court, to two counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration, as well as two other linked offences.

The conviction and sentencing follows an investigation by the Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Command.

Hussain attacked three women, one on 21 October 2016, and two in the early hours on 2 December 2016. Whilst he was registered to work as a mini-cab driver, he was not actually working when he picked his victims up and attacked them.

On 21 October 2016 Hussain picked up his first victim in the Old Street area as she made her way home. Hussain attacked her after she fell asleep in the back of his car. His victim woke to find Hussain in the back of the car with her, and that he had cut off her clothing. Hussain then repeatedly attacked his victim before driving her home.

On 2 December 2016, at around 02:00hrs, Hussain was again in the Old Street area when he asked by his second victim if he was the minicab she had ordered. His victim got in the car, fell asleep, and again awoke

Jahir Hussain

to find Hussain in the back of the car with her.

The victim waking up seemed to stop Hussain from carrying out any further attacks. Under the pretence of actually taking his victim home Hussain instead drove to an abandoned industrial estate. His victim managed to escape the car, and Hussain fled the scene in his car, abandoning his victim there.

From that attack Hussain went back to the Old Street area and picked up a third victim at around 0400hrs, acting a as a mini-cab driver despite the victim not having booked one. Again Hussain's victim woke to find him in the back of the car, having cut her clothing off and attacking her. Hussain again drove his victim home.

In both incidents in December led to the identification of Hussain's number plate and he was arrested at his home on 3 December 2016. He was charged in the early hours of the next day.

Forensic evidence then linked Hussain to the October attack and he was further charged.

020 8518 5500

The UK’s leading Vedic writer and TV personality

You may find yourself hard at work behind the scenes, although that may not be apparent to others. You may find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, with opportunities to advance on both the inner and outer level. There’s a sparkle to your social life and you will have fun communicating with others.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

Your social graces will serve you well career-wise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. All things considered, your health should be robust. The more you live up to your own set of principles the more you’ll gain.

A good time for restructuring and rethinking your aims and interests.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Brilliant ideas come easily as you trust your higher self and allow thoughts to flow freely. You are able to embrace new opportunities and make positive changes in your life.

Your efforts bring a greater stability to your work than ever before. This is an important development, considering all the changes occurring around you.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Plans can change suddenly, but the diversion you take now may be helpful overall.

There may be some drama regarding a relationship or a significant discovery about one. It's not the time to push yourself too hard with your ruler, Mars, in Cancer a water sign. You should try to get away from mundane realities of life, but choose any escape routes wisely.

It would be unwise to take any risks, particularly in regard to joint interests and investments. So be extra careful if you need to deal with complex legal matters and necessary red tape. If love has left you feeling rather dejected or cynical, it looks as though soon events will pull you out of this mood of despondency.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices. You will achieve a lot more, especially when you're motivated by your own desires.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

Responsibility is your key word, especially at work. Set your own goals, rather than trying to meet those set by someone else. Your ability to manage what you have on your plate earns respect from others around you. You will benefit in every way if you learn to self-discipline and pace yourself wisely.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Whether you’re single or attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. No matter what your chosen path is, you’ll be recognised and rewarded for it. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling.

Solutions to minor problems should be considered very carefully if cash is involved.

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Indian basketball player Vishesh to sign with Australia's NBL

Former national captain Vishesh Bhriguvanshi has become the first Indian basketball player to be signed by Australia's National Basketball League (NBL), the professional basketball league of Australia, inking a one-year training deal with the Adelaide 36ers.

According to the contract, Vishesh will train with the Vishesh Bhriguvanshi Adelaide-based club, and will only be eligible to play as a substitute for an injured player. An ecstatic Vishesh said, "A league in India is what I always wanted, but we still lack in that, so this opportunity makes me feel on top of the world. The NBL is one of the world's biggest leagues after the NBA," said Vishesh. "Every player has a dream to play for a reputed league some day, and so it was my dream. Representing the nation is very different feeling, and I am definitely proud of that, but playing in a league like this has always been my dream and that is what keeps me motivated."

Vishesh has also joined the Dream Basketball Academy in Adelaide for the 2017/18 season.

This marks a significant step forward for the 25year-old hoop star as well as Indian basketball, for it comes after a year in which Vishesh, along with fellow seniors Amjyot Singh Gill, Amritpal Singh and Yadwinder Singh helped put Indian basketball on the map.

While Vishesh does not know exactly when he will fly to Adelaide, his focus now is getting himself fit for India's participation in the FIBA Asia Cup to be held in Lebanon next month.

During the recent BRICS Games in Guangzhou last month, Vishesh injured his right knee during the loss to hosts China and has not played since.

"I am doing rehab these days, working hard on getting my knee back to best shape.

In April, Vishesh and Amjyot, Amritpal and Yadwinder had travelled to Australia on the NBL's invitation to participate in its draft combine. During last season's United Basketball Alliance of India Pro Basketball, Vishesh averaged 30.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 11 games for Bengaluru Beast.

Anirban Lahiri to return to European Tour Anirban Lahiri will tee up at the Scottish Open on Thursday in his first appearance on the European Tour since his home event at the Indian Open in March. With his place in the FedEx Cup play-offs confirmed – he is currently 46th and the Top-125 will begin the series.

“It’s been a long while away from Europe and I love Anirban Lahiri being back. I am looking forward to the Scottish and hopefully the British Open, too. “My focus had been on PGA Tour and there things were allright, and I did finish even second at the Memorial. But a win is still my goal there.”

Lahiri will begin the week with his debut appearance at the Hero Challenge, where he will play alongside the likes of American stars Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed besides The Open Champion Henrik Stenson, reigning Hero Challenge champion Alex Levy, Scotland’s own Russell Knox, European Tour winner Rafa Cabrera Bello and rising English star Tyrrell Hatton. They will clash in the one-hole knockout contest - two days before the Scottish Open action gets under way at Dundonald Links.

The eight players take part in seven quick-fire head-to-head straight knockout matches to determine the champion, with the entire contest concluded in less than an hour.

SPORT

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INDIAN CRICKET TEAM TO TOUR LANKA FROM JULY 26

Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

India will be touring Sri Lanka later this month to play three Tests, five OneDay Internationals and one Twenty20 International, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced. The 43-day tour begins with a Test match in Galle from July 26.

The next two Tests will be played at the SSC in Colombo and Kandy respectively.

While Dambulla will host the first ODI on August 20, the teams will return to Kandy for the next two ODIs before travelling back to Colombo where the final two ODIs and the lone T20I will be played at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

The most recent clash involving the two sides came in the Champions Trophy where Sri Lanka won by seven wickets while chasing 322. Despite playing at home, Sri Lanka have a daunting task ahead of them in the Test arena where they are ranked seventh in the world.

India are the top-ranked team in the format following a successful home season where they beat New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.

India also won the Test series in Sri Lanka in 2015 by a 2-1 margin.

Rohit, Rahul return for Lanka Tests The Indian selectors

brought back Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul for the Lanka tour. Rohit, whose last Test was against New Zealand in October last year, didn't feature in the Tests against England, Bangladesh and Australia during the home season.

He underwent surgery after injuring his thigh during the One-Day International series against New Zealand and had not played competitive cricket for four months. He hasn't played a First-Class game since his recovery but took part in the Indian Premier League and made a comeback into the national side for the Champions Trophy, ending with more than 300 runs in the tournament. The selectors rested the Mumbai batsman for the West Indies tour in order to keep him fresh.

KL Rahul, who had a run of six fifties in seven innings in the Australia series, is also

back in the team having recuperated from the injury that ruled him out of the Indian Premier League, the Champions Trophy and the West Indies series. He will slot in at the top of the order beside Murali Vijay.

Karun Nair, who became just the second Indian batsman in Tests to register a triple century during the England series, has been dropped from the squad.

Nair hasn't been amongst the runs since his epic knock in Chennai last year and was chosen as the skipper of India A for the series in South Africa. Jayant Yadav, who was present in the Indian squad for the Australian series, has also been dropped. The offspinner will also be on the flight to South Africa with the A squad. Shreyas Iyer, who was called in as a backup for skipper Virat Kohli for the

final Test against Australia, doesn't feature in the strong 16-man contingent.

Allrounder Hardik Pandya, who was left out for the final two Tests against Australia with a shoulder injury, is back in the squad, and so is Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund. A threeman strong spin attack has been chosen for the helpful conditions in Sri Lanka, with Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav finding a slot alongside Ravis, Ashwin and Jadeja. The fast bowling line-up retains the same look with Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma named alongside Mohammed Shami.

India will start their tour on July 26 in Galle before playing the next two Tests in Colombo and Kandy. The three-match series will be followed by five ODIs and one T20 International.

Squad: Virat Kohli (C), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (VC), Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammad Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

Asian athletics: India finish top in medals tally Hosts India topped the medals tally for the first time in the 44-year history of the Asian Athletics Championships which concluded at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. The hosts finished with 29 medals which included 12 gold, 5 silver and 12 bronze.

India's rising star Neeraj Chopra didn't disappoint a packed stadium as he won the gold in javelin throw with an effort of 85.23m. The 19-year-old made a nervous start with a faulty throw and followed with up with two decent efforts of 78.59m and 78.54m.

However, the former world junior champion, who impressed with a throw of 84.67m in the recently-concluded Paris Diamond League, saved his best for last. His winning throw had a golden hue to it even though he lost his footing on his follow through. Davinder Singh Kang added more lustre to Neeraj's effort with a bronzewinning effort of 83.29m.

Incidentally, Kang's participation was in doubt after he tested positive for recreational drug marijuana but escaped suspension as the weed is specified substance only under the Wada code. In the process, all the three medal winners bettered the

29:55.87. Gopi Thonakal followed the leader home, albeit a good distance behind to claim silver in 29:58.89s.

In the men's 800m event, Jinson Johnson staged a late rally to win the bronze in 1:50.07s behind R Alzofairi of Kuwait (1:49.47s) and Qatar's Jamal Hairane (1:49.94).

meet record of 83.27m set by Yukifumi Murakami of Japan in 2011.

Another youngster Swapna Burman also rose to the occasion, winning gold in the women's heptathlon event. The Bengal girl finished with her career-best performance to claim the gold with 5,942 points while Japan's Meg Hemphill took the silver with 5,883.

Odisha's Purnima Hembram repeated her 2015 show to pick up a bronze with 5,798 points. Both men's and women's teams bagged gold in the 4x400m relay.

Archana disqualified In a major upset, defending champion Tintu Luka pulled out of the women's 800m after leading the pack till the midway stage. But

there was more drama surrounding the event as Archana Adhav, who went on to win the gold, subsequently lost her medal under Rule 163.2 (b), which disqualifies one for intentionally blocking a contestant. The gold finally went to Sri Lanka's Nirmala Waliwarsha (2:05.23s) after she raised a protest saying the Punebased athlete had pushed her at the finishing line. Sri Lanka's Gayanthika Thushari won the bronze. Another Indian in the lineup, Bengal's Lily Das, who had claimed bronze in this year's Federation Cup, ended fifth in 2:07.49s.

It was a 1-2 for India in the men's 10,000m with Govindan Lakshmanan claiming his second gold after 5,000m, in a time of

Gold & London ticket for Sudha Sudha Singh fetched India's only gold on Day three by winning the women's 3000m steeplechase event. The gold medal came as a mighty relief for Sudha who had thrice fallen short and had to settle for silver in the 2009, 2011 and 2013 editions. The victory also ensured Sudha a ticket to London for next month's World Championships.

The Rio Olympian made a strong start and pulled away from the pack to post a comfortable victory, By the time North Korea's 19year-old Gyong Hyo crossed the finishing line to claim the silver medal, the 31year-old Indian had already started her victory lap.

While Sudha clocked 9:59.47s, Hyo recorded 10:1394s. Another Indian in the fray , Parul Chaudhury , ended fourth.

Sport 32

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Asian Voice | 15th July 2017

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MOEEN SPINS ENGLAND TO WIN The touring side never came to terms with a spiteful pitch of uneven bounce

England comfortably beat South Africa by 211 runs in the first Test at Lord's to give Joe Root his first win as captain after a roller-coaster fourth day on Sunday. Set an improbable target of 331after England had lost their nine remaining second-innings wickets to be dismissed for 233, the touring side never came to terms with a spiteful pitch of uneven bounce and were bowled out for 119. The win was England's first against South Africa at Lord's since 1960.

Root simply had to rotate his bowlers, although spinner Moeen Ali took the honours with figures of 6-53, giving him 10 wickets in the match, a fine performance to set alongside his invaluable first-innings score of 87.

Moeen produced turn and bounce on a pitch that seldom favours fourthinnings run chases. Only three teams have won a test match by scoring more than 300 at the home of cricket, but the tourists must have felt they were in with a chance after dismissing England so cheaply by mid afternoon.

Earlier, England's total was boosted by combative batting by Bairstow, who was dropped off a simple chance to Vernon Philander on seven before mak-

ing 51, and tailender Mark Wood. That pushed the lead past 300 as South Africa's bowlers struggled to match their morning success when England, who resumed on 119-1, lost seven wickets as South Africa's bowlers gave an indication of what was to come.

The pitch had been misbehaving and a target of 331 always looked too much, but it was poor batting rather than the surface that did for most of the South African batsmen.

Faf du Plessis watched on from the balcony, having returned to London

overnight. His return will provide some reassurance for a team that came into the series unsettled, but there are clearly many more issues for South Africa to solve ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge on Friday (July 14). They are only 1-0 down in a four-match series but it feels like a long way back from here.

Brief scores: England 458 & 233 (Cook 69, Bairstow 51, Maharaj 4-85) beat South Africa 361 & 119 (Moeen 6-53) by 211 runs

Arjun Tendulkar's yorker hits England batsman A yorker by Arjun the Tendulkar, teenage son of cricket Sachin legend Tendulkar, hit the foot of England batsman Jonny Bairstow and the 27-year-old had to limped out of the nets. He was in pain of some time, Arjun Tendulkar but fortunately for him and his fans the injury was not serious enough for Bairstow to miss out the first test against South Africans.

This is not the first time Arjun has trained with the England cricket team. The Tendulkar family has a house near Lord's and he has often been spotted at the venue. Arjun has come through the ranks in Mumbai cricket. Four years back, he was included in the Mumbai Under-14 team, but didn't play after controversy erupted over his selection.

Later, he played for the Mumbai Under-16 team as an all-rounder and opened the batting and bowling. The teenager has now been picked in the probables for the off-season camp for Mumbai U-19 cricketers. After the Lord's incident, Arjun called his `personal coach,' Subroto Banerjee, to give him a feedback about his bowling. The former India pacer wasn't surprised when his ward told him about the pain he caused to Bairstow.

T20 match: India slip after a rollicking start Indian batsmen faltered at the fag end of their innings after a rollicking start provided by their openers to reach 190-6 against World T20 Champions West Indies in a one-off T20 International at Kingston on Sunday. Skipper Kohli (39 off 22 balls) and Shikhar Dhawan (23 off 12 balls) added 64 in a whirlwind opening stand.

However, Dinesh Karthik (48 off 29 balls) and Rishabh Pant (38 off 35 balls) could not match the momentum despite an 86run stand in 9.5 overs.

As a result, India could manage only 97 runs in the last 10 overs after scoring 93 in the first.

Kohli was in regal form as he punished each and every bowler hitting seven boundaries and a six during his short stay. A backfoot cover drive off Carlos Brathwaite and a six over long-on off Kesrick Williams stood out among the rest. Dhawan was also in imperious form, hitting Samuel Badree for a couple of boundaries in his opening over.

Once Pant and Karthik joined forces, the run rate dipped. Especially young Pant, touted as the next big thing in Indian cricket, struggled to get going. He tried to hit the ball hard but struggled to time them, only getting singles in the process.

For West Indies, Evin Lewis smashed a 125 in 62 balls. Marlon Samuels chipped in with 36 off 29

as the hosts made a 191 for the loss of one wicket.

India win series Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 111 to lead India to a series-clinching eight-wicket win over the Windies in the fifth and final One-Day International at Sabina Park. Responding to the home side's modest total of 205-9 after captain Jason Holder chose to bat first in Jamaica, Kohli ensured there was to be no upset with the target reached in the 37th over to give India a 3-1 series triumph.

Stung by an 11-run defeat in the fourth match in Antigua, the Indians were in no mood to let their opponents off the hook this time around. An early strike by fast bowler Alzarri Joseph in removing Shikhar Dhawan at the start of the chase ushered

in Kohli who immediately set about the bowling. He put on 79 for the second wicket with Ajinkya Rahane before the opener fell to spinner Devendra Bishoo. It was his first score under 50 in the series. Dinesh Karthik joined his leader in the 19th over and was prepared to play the supporting role to a rampant Kohli, his 28th ODI century coming up off 108 deliveries with one six and 12 fours decorating his authoritative innings.

Karthik reached an unbeaten 50 in an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 122 just before Kohli finished the match with his second six off Roston Chase.

Earlier, opening bowlers Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav shared seven wickets in restricting the West Indies after they were well poised

at 76-1 in the 16th over.

Seeking victory to earn a share of the honours from a campaign in which they entered as huge underdogs, the home side's only substantial contributions came from the Hope brothers, Shai and Kyle.

Shai topscored with 51, while Kyle contributed 46 at the top of the order.

Semis in sight after India's spinners choke SL India come closer towards clinching a semifinal spot with another convincing 16-run victory over Sri Lanka in a onesided ICC Women's World Cup encounter. Mithali Raj and Co thus recorded their fourth win on the trot as they defended a respectable 232-8 by restricting the island nation to 216-7.

India's battery of slow bowlers have choked the opposition time and again

during the tournament so far. It was no different on the day as leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2-23 in 10 overs) led the charge with twin blows, removing the dangerous Chamari Atapattu (25) and opener Nipuni Hansika (29). Leftarm spinner Ekta Bisht (148 in 10 overs) and offspinner Deepti Sharma (146 in 10 overs) were also economical.

Earlier, Deepti Sharma and Raj hit half-centuries to help India post 232 for 8. Deepti made 78 off 110 balls while Mithali (53 off 78) continued her good form with yet another 50 plus score to set the base for India's total after the early dismissal of openers Punam Raut (16) and

Smriti Mandhana (8).

England set record England emerged triumphant by 68 runs despite South Africa becoming the first team to score in excess of 300 runs batting second in women's ODI. Batting first, England rode on a second-wicket stand of 275 - the highest in Women's World Cup history and the secondhighest in all women's ODIs -to notch up 373 for five in 50 overs. Needing to pull off the highest successful chase ever, South Africa managed 305 for nine, thanks to half centuries from Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee and Chloe Tryon in a run fest at the Country Ground.

Kohli surpasses Sachin India skipper Virat Kohli has broken Sachin Tendulkar's record for most centuries in one-day internationals. Kohli led from the front with a fluent century as India wrapped up the fivematch series 3-1 with a convincing eight-wicket win over the West Indies.

This was Kohli's 28th hundred in one-day cricket, 18 of which have come while chasing. Tendulkar took 232 innings to reach 27, while Kohli has reached the milestone in only 102 innings.

Third in the list is Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored 11 centuries in 116 innings while batting second.

Previously, only Rahul Dravid had scored a hundred as captain in the Caribbean against the West Indies. Overall, this is Kohli's fourth ton against the West Indies.

The 28-year-old is now two hundreds short of equalling Ricky Ponting's tally of 30 ODI tons.