AV 20th February 2016

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe Price 80p

Seize the opportunity; Modi tells India Inc, global investors P18

JNU WAR OF WORDS

20th February to 26th February 2016

EXCLUSIVE

Immigration Minister announces new enhancements to Indian visa service P11

SPECIAL

Vol 44 | Issue 40

‘Amy’ BAFTA music to Kapadia’s ears

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

PROTESTERS LAY SIEGE TO CAMPUS

Reshma Trilochun

British-Indian director, Asif Kapadia, has become the recipient of his third BAFTA award for the highly acclaimed documentary, Amy, about the late talented singer, Amy

Subramanian Swamy: ‘Majority of Muslims in India against Islamic Fundamentalism’ P16-17

Amy Winehouse

COMMUNITY

Netas of all hues wade in, make JNU theatre of national politics High Commissioner terms diaspora an asset to UK-India relation P06

www.asian-voice.com

Political drama ensued at the Jawaharlal Nehru University after some students organised a cultural programme that turned into a celebration of the 'martyrdom' of Afzal Guru – hanged for his involvement in December 13,

2001 Parliament attack.

Slogans like “JNU is anti-national” and “Shut down JNU” echoed in the national capital as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad launched a war against the 'anti-nationals'.

The campus row has visibly

divided the country between the Central government, people who believe the students involved are against the country, and the teachers, artists and students who

JET AIRWAYS FARE

Continued on page 26

TRAVEL FROM - Dep: 04-APR-16 - Ret:30-MAY-16 MUMBAI £409 DELHI £440 AHMEDABAD - £415 VADODARA - £423 CHENNAI £399 RAJKOT £499 KOLKATA £412 BANGKOK £433

BANGALORE HYDERABAD COLOMBO DHAKA DEHRA DUN -

£400 £404 £439 £443 £497

Asif Kapadia

Winehouse. He was bestowed with the Best Documentary award at the glamorous award ceremony held at London's Royal Opera House.

The documentary beat Cartel Land, He Named Me Malala, Listen to Me Marlon, and Sherpa.

Asif Kapadia previously won a BAFTA for Best Documentary for Senna, in 2012, as well as won the Best British Film for The Warrior, in 2003, which starred the extremely talented Indian actor, Irrfan Khan.

Continued on page 14

2

ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice |20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com

to

Justin Griggs

Justin Griggs is a champion for parish councils, campaigner and father of three. The son of a motor mechanic and shop manageress, Justin grew up in Hythe in south-east Kent and attended the Harvey Grammar School in Folkestone. Despite never intending to go to university, instead wanting to play snooker professionally, he obtained a BA (Hons) degree from Staffordshire University in business studies, spending his placement year working for Stoke-on-Trent City Council in the chief executive’s department supporting the transition to unitary status.

Following a number of roles in the private sector he returned to the City Council to work on local government modernisation projects, studying part-time for a postgraduate diploma in business administration. Justin is a parent governor at his children’s primary school and as a keen runner plays an active role in Plumstead Runners running club in south-east London.

1. What is your current position?

I am head of policy and development at the National Association of Locals, the membership organisation which represents England’s 9,000 parish and town councils.

2. What are your proudest

achievements?

Putting parish and town councils on the map and raising the profile of the difference they make to local people and communities; persuading the last Labour government to change the law to allow parish councils in London; then helping the amazing residents in Queen’s

AsianVoiceNews

work parish and town councils do.

Park, Westminster set up the first ever parish council in inner London.

3. What inspires you?

The tens of thousands people who work in and with our councils – councillors, clerks, staff, volunteers – really awesome people who give up so much time to make their area better and improve quality of life. And my kids, who I just adore.

8. What are your long term goals?

To see more people getting involved in their community as parish and town councillors, especially people from diverse backgrounds and younger people. Councillors are often described as ‘male, pale and stale’ and more needs to be done to change that.

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

I’ve been very fortunate in my career, but when I began working in local government my bald head attracted quite a lot of attention. I started losing my hair at university so when I started shaving it I received mixed reactions, especially as I’m also over six feet tall.

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

I’d parish the whole country to strengthen local democracy and put more communities in control of their areas and better able to influence decisions and how money is spent in their area.

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

My parents who instilled a strong work ethic from an early age; and my friend and colleague Crispin Moor who was a senior government official on rural issues, he very sadly died from a brain tumour a few years

ago and was so supportive in my early days at NALC and continued to help me both professionally and personally.

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

Working with some really talented and committed people, both at NALC in county associations of local councils, all helping our councils help local people.

7. And the worst?

Not nearly enough positive media coverage about the great

Nepal to play against MCC XI at Lords in summer Nepal National team to play against one of the world famous club, MCC XI at Lords main ground on 19th July 2016,the day after the conclusion of the England v Pakistan Test match. It will be played on the same pitch. It will be the first time that Nepal have played at Lord’s, and the first time an MCC team has played Nepal on UK

and is likely to feature in the showpiece match at Lord's in 2016.

The match is part of the celebration of 200 years between UK and Nepal bilateral relation, initiated

by Cricket Association of Nepal and supported by Embassy of Nepal, London and Foreign Commonwealth office, UK. This unique event will be significant as this will be the first Nepalese event in UK to be organised in this scale.

soil. MCC are set to pick a strong team for the match, which will be announced in due course.

MCC toured Nepal as recently as November 2015 and the Club continues to enjoy a strong relationship with Cricket Association Nepal. Nepal captain Paras Khadka played for MCC in the Emirates t20 tournament in Dubai in 2015 -

MP unable to afford home, despite £70k salary A Tory MP raised many eyebrows when he stated that he moved back to his parents' home as he was unable to afford to buy his own, despite earning £74,000 a year. 28-yearold William Wragg, said he is part of a “boomerang generation” of young people who are unable to get onto the property ladder.

The MP for Hazel Grove, who is a former primary school teacher, admits that he was paid “extremely well”, but does not want to spend his life in rented accommodation.

)% %'" +! /() ** ',)" ) / ** , ) " !+ )-" *

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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

Ian Fleming. I’m a huge spy and James Bond fan so would never get bored of hearing tales about his time in British Naval Intelligence and his exuberant, adventurous lifestyle.

The Independent newspaper to shut down Falling circulation is taking a toll on the print media as UK newspapers The Independent and The Independent on Sunday will be shut down shortly.

ESI Media said The Independent, launched in 1986, will become “the first national newspaper title to move to a digital-only future”.

The publication's subsidiary i newspaper will be sold to local press group Johnston Press.

The Independent on Sunday will go online only on March 20, with The Independent following on

March 26, according to reports.

Falling circulation is said to be the reason for the newspaper shutting.

The Independent's circulation had dropped to 56,074 in December 2015.

At its peak, in November 1989 it sold 421,829 according to ABC newspaper circulation figures. The move comes after the paper's owners Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev agreed a deal to sell its cut-price sister paper i to regional publisher Johnston Press for around £24 million.

Pensioners expected to live longer

William Wragg MP

He said that while he worked as a teacher, he could only afford to rent a flat Now he is saving for the deposit to put towards a home of his own.

$ %' %""

)

'

According to reports by researchers from Public Health England, life expectancy for people in their mid-60s is the highest on record.

Researchers had calculated how much longer one can expect to live after they've reached a certain age. They found that men aged 65 can expect to live for another 19 years, at age 75 they can look forward to another 12 years, while at 85 another 6 years, and at 95 another 3 years.

While for women, they are expect to live another 21 years at 65, 13 years at 75, 7 years at 85, and a further 3 years at age 95.

"( '%# ) ( '%# )'% 1

!'() "! &"+

"

) %*'! '(

',&*$'. ,*"& **

)#

$"

0

*'%& ',&*$'.

% "$ * $ *

) "

/

")*+ $" !+ , & +

' )'% 1 )%*

)% ( ) "$'

"( )% $ ! ( ) "$' '& "+"'&* (($0

C MMENTS

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice |20th February 2016

3

Headley bears witness to Pakistani criminality It was what the Indian public had long been waiting for: David Coleman Headley, the rogue American agent, turned Pakistani jihadi, bore witness via video conference with an Indian court, to the activities of his Pakistani handlers in the terrorist assault on Mumbai on 26 November 2008, in which 167 innocent lives were lost. He was closely questioned by the Indian prosecuting counsel Ujjwal Nikam.

David Coleman Headley was born to a Pakistani father and an American mother, the parents having met in the United States. The father, Syed Saleem Gilani was a renowned Pakistani broadcaster from a well known Lahori family, the mother Serrill Headley, an heiress from Maryland, gave birth to a son named Daood Saleem Gilani. When the parents divorced, the youthful Gilani travelled to the United States joining his mother in Philadelphia in a random existence. He was caught smuggling drugs on one of his many trips to Pakistan and was taken in as a covert agent by the US Drug Enforcement Administration as part of a deal suggested by Headley himself: he would infiltrate Pakistani jihadi groups to inform on their drug rackets, in return he would be spared a trial and possible imprisonment.

Daood Saleen Gilani in the fullness of time became David Coleman Headley and joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba and al Qaeda, passing eventually into the ranks of Pakistan’s ISI operatives. As David Coleman Headley, the youthful jihadi with an American passport gained easy access to Mumbai, lodged at the sumptuous Taj Hotel, wined and dined his newly acquired friends in the city, while making a list of worthwhile targets with videos and street diagrams for the assault to come. Headley described the trail that led him to Mumbai; he named his ISI handlers and the leaders of the jihadi groups with whom he liaised, including the notorious Hafeez Saeed.

Headley was told to plot the location of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and other high-tech sites, but in the mayhem of that fateful day, these may have escaped the terrorists’ baleful attention. The basic facts of Headley’s movements in multiple visits have been described in broad and meticulous detail by investigative reporters Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark in their admirably researched book, Siege. Levy described Headley to an Indian

newspaper as a psychopathic liar, and a double agent prone to manipulate his audiences.

The Indian intelligence community has cast doubt on whether he has revealed as much as he concealed. The Obama Administration was initially shy of producing Headley before Indian investigators; they relented when it was agreed that a US official would be present at the interview, the request for extradition to India having been denied. Mull over the parallel: The mastermind behind the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was granted asylum in the United States and his extradition to Bangladesh refused.

During his trial in the United States, Headley entered a plea bargain and received a 35-year jail sentence, without the possibility of a second trial if further incriminating evidence were to surface.

Senior Indian officials at the time including Home Secretary G.K.Pillai believed, as did others, that Headley’s role in Pakistan went beyond that of an undercover agent for the US Drug Enforcement Administration only, that he was involved in covert operations with a far more significant remit covering the entire South Asia region. A plea bargain saved the authorities from the embarrassment of possible revelations from Headley in the public space about the true scale of his activities.

While Headley’s latest court appearance was proceeding, news broke of an $860 million US aid package for Pakistan, of which $260 million was to be military aid to help the country combat terrorism, uphold nuclear non-proliferation norms, cooperate in the Afghan peace process and strive to improve relations with India. It is time India awoke to the fact it has long been the target of an undeclared from across the border. The response has to be timebound, carefully calibrated, stringently applied tactically and strategically. The country has the human resources, it simply needs the political will to withstand the existential threat with which it is confronted. Read Andrew Cockburn’s article entitled ‘A Special Relationship’ in the prestigious Harper’s magazine detailing the covert links between Washington’s political and military establishment and jihadi forces over the past twenty-five years for the full picture.

India-UAE on cusp of strategic partnership Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates and his delegation of notables were accorded a warm welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Sultan Al Mansoori, the Economy Minister called on Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, their talks focusing on investment, innovation and small and medium enterprises. India is keen to access the UAE’s $800 billion Sovereign Fund for infrastructure development.

The UAE’s security and energy cooperation with India has cemented ties. With major storage facilities at Mangalore, Visakhapatnam, and Padur, it was agreed the UAE would stock 6 million barrels of oil at the Mangalore facility and could use it as base for trad-

ing oil. The UAE oil company Adnoc is the principal mechanism of the UAE’s commercial operations.

India’s refining facilities, pipelines and LMG terminals were showcased.

The two sides signed a clutch of agreements including a mechanism to allow UAE institutional investors to put money into India’s infrastructure, and another for rupee-dirham currency swap.

UAE’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Anwar Gargash, said: ‘India should carry out more structural changes in the economy. India wants to access UAE’s Sovereign Fund [$800 billion], and we want to access India’s market and India’s expertise in areas like space research and information technology that are of interest to us. There is a broad understanding on how to coordinate our positions on strategic issues before us.’

Oracle CEO blown by Indian opportunity Safra Catz, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the $40 billion US software company, Oracle, was blown by the opportunity she perceives India to be. Talking to reporters in Mumbai on her visit to the country, she said she was much taken by Prime Minister Modi’s speech at Silicon Valley during his visit to the United States in October. She dug deep studying ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ and understanding its implications for the country and for Oracle. ‘I reviewed our investments in India, which have been massive – India is the second largest development site in the world. I thought this the most important development ever and I decided to personally come here and make sure we have enough power behind doing everything to be successful.’ Expanding the skills base and creating opportunities for women in technology and more women needed to be brought into the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), together with furthering cloud computing; these being her priorities. ‘Digital India is about empowering the citizen – it’s mobile, it’s cloud, it’s storage – we are in all these areas,’ she

explained. ‘I have thousands of employees in India building products in India, and building software that is used around the world. We have nine regional development centres here that host some of our best engineers who have chosen to live in India…Oracle is a Make in India company.’ Were Indian companies adapting to cloud? ‘They are much more willing to take that jump to the future than others. In India, all of a sudden a new technology come in without big upfront investment. When you read into Digital India, the only way to actually enable it is through the cloud. In most cases, the government lags. In this case, the government is leading with example. Our cloud business has been growing very quickly and India, for us, is a terrific opportunity.’ And how are Indian managers doing in the Oracle global system? Many of the senior staff are Indian. Bangalore-born Thomas Kurien has recently been appointed President. ‘You look through the entire management team across the world and you realize three quarters is from India – and all parts of India by the way not just one area.’ Wonderful!

It is never too late to be what you might have been’ - George Eliot

Dr Mohsin Khan

MPs must work together to safeguard our healthcare As a doctor, every day I see the enduring effects of short-term political spin and the affect it has on my patients, who bear the brunt of politicians lacking consensus.

It is now clear we need cross-party consensus on safely funding and staffing health and social care into the next decade and last month, with NHS Chief Executive Simon Stevens calling for a national agreement on social care by 2018.

Former Liberal Democrat Health Minister Norman Lamb MP has actively looked to achieve this and has introduced a Bill so that cross-party work can be the bedrock of this cross-party agreement.

Norman, who has extensive experience in the field having been a Coalition government Minister for three years, has warned ‘the system will drift into a state of crisis [unless] we confront the existential challenge now.’

Supporters of his Bill include Green MP Caroline Lucas, several Labour MPs including Liz Kendall as well as a handful of Conservative MPs who have a medical background. Last week the Commons debated Lamb’s proposal.

And it’s not just politicians on both sides calling for a brisk consensus.

40 charities, including British Red Cross, Mencap, Stroke Association, and Macmillan Cancer Support, wrote to the Prime Minister urging ‘politicians to put aside political differences and work together to face these challenges, otherwise it is the sick, frail and elderly in our country who will lose out.’ Their call was echoed by 2000 grassroots signatures collected by a nonpartisan organisation I co-founded called NHS Survival.

Hospitals are bursting at the seams, they’re short staffed and lacking enough beds for the patients.

Even more infuriatingly, additional nurses are only set to become available if there is a ‘surplus winter funding’.

The recent unprecedented strikes by Junior Doctors has shown the peril of a reckless uncosted Conservative manifesto and the effect it has had on our NHS and Junior Doctors.

With health and social care demand expected to soar by 50% in the next decade and only 10% growth in funding from current trends to meet it, we must act immediately and rapidly.

As the Royal College of Surgeons warns, ‘for the sake of patients this long overdue debate with the public has to happen now.”

Dr Mohsin Khan is an NHS psychiatrist, co-founder of NHS Survival and is also Vice-Chair of both Oxford East Liberal Democrats and Liberal Democrat Mental Health Association. He has commented on healthcare for BBC Breakfast, ITV Good Morning Britain, Sky News, and London Live. @thedoctorkhan

Asian Voice is published by ASIAN BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS LTD Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 • Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com Website: www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

4

UK

www.asian-voice.com

Bhavna Limbachia to join Coronation Street Sparks fly when a new girl arrives on Coronation Street this week.

Bhavna Limbachia walks onto the Corrie cobbles as Rana, an old uni friend of Alya Nazir played by Sair Khan.

And it’s soon clear that Alya’s brother Zeedan fancies her.

Fiery Rana appears on our screens for the first time on Friday - and it’s not long before Rana has got herself a job at the medical centre.

While many of the street’s residents have got

their eyes on Rana it seems she’s got her sights firmly set on Zeedan.

Rana is played by Citizen Khan actress Bhavna, who has also starred in the BBC One police drama Cuffs.

Talking about her new role Bhavna said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the show. Being a proud Northerner - it’s a dream come true!”

Producer Stuart Blackburn said: “Rana is sharp, funny, utterly gor- Bhavna Limbachia is joining the cast of Coronation Street as Rana geous and not a little

Midwife up for national award tion programme.

A midwife who Josh has has spent a worked for decade nurturLeicester's hospiing the next tals in various generation of nursing roles for her profession is more than 30 in the running years. for a national For the past award.

Jyotsana 10 years, she has Raval – known been supervising midwives as a as Josh – has Labour Ward cobeen nominated Jyotsana Raval ordinator at the for the title Leicester Royal Infirmary, Mentor of the Year as part of co-ordinating the clinical the Royal College of workload and activity on the Midwives Annual Awards ward.

2016.

The winner of the award The award recognises an will be announced at a cereindividual who has supported mony in London on Tuesday, a newly-qualified or student March 8. midwife during their educa-

manipulative. She’s a girl who likes to get her own way and when she sets her sights on something, or someone ...well, Zeedan better have his wits about him!”

Next month actor and legendary children’s TV presenter Derek Griffiths is to join the cast as retired mechanic Freddie, a pensioner who strikes up an unlikely friendship with Kylie Platt, played by Paula Lane, following the death of his wife.

Derby taxi driver terrified after racist abuse A shocking tirade of racist abuse left a Derby taxi driver “terrified” by one of his passengers.

The victim claims the foulmouthed racist threatened to “burn Muslims” and is heard calling him a “dirty Muslim” during an unprovoked rant in his cab.

The father-of-four said he had “never heard abuse like it” in his 25 years as a cabbie in the city.

After the 58-year-old was said he threatened to burn Muslims he turned on a camera phone which recorded the passenger repeatedly swearing at him. During the tirade, the passenger can clearly be heard saying: “I can tell you are a dis-

gusting Muslim, we hate you, you know that. Every single white person in this country hates you.”

Police have welcomed the Telegraph’s decision to print the man’s picture in the newspaper and show the video on our website as they seek to find the offender.

The taxi driver, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It was shocking and terrifying. At first I thought it was just the drink talking, but then he said to me ‘all Muslims should be burned.’ and that phrase terrified me so I switched on my camera.

The incident happened in Derby city centre on December 30.

Hundreds sign petition to stop local post office closure A veteran postmaster has been told his post office will close in March and he will not be re-employed despite a new branch opening nearby.

More than 800 people have signed a petition to the Checklands Post Office, in Lonsdale Road, from closing.

The campaign was part of a recent public consultation which ended in December.

The Post Office has not

officially announce the closure.

However, Checklands postmaster Feroz Popat, who has worked for the company since 1988, said he was told last week that his business will be closed on Wednesday, March 16.

A new branch will then open in Humberstone Lane, just half-a-mile from the other branch, but the veteran employee will not be offered a new job.

Speaking last Thursday, Mr Popat said: "They've backed me into a corner.

They sent me an email on Thursday saying I was closing and then another one on Friday giving me my final day.

"Someone was supposed to come and explain everything to me, but I haven't seen anyone.They haven't given me a reason, they just said I can resign and take the compensation, or stay here

and they'll kick me out within three months anyway and I'll get nothing."

Mr Popat said the new Post Office would be run on a smaller budget, and would not be able to cope with the needs of the community.

A Post Office spokeswoman said: "The consultation about this move has been completed but no decision has been announced yet. When it is, we will issue a press release."

Leicester police to question man arrested over murder of Birmingham businessman Detectives investigating the murder of a Birmingham businessman have been given more time to question a man arrested a man in Leicester on Friday.

A 26-year-old man was arrested on Friday (12th) night on suspicion of the murder of Akhtar Javeed on Wednesday, February 3.

A 19-year-old woman also arrested at the same address

on suspicion of assisting an offender has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Mr Javeed, 56, was shot dead as masked men attempted to rob Direct Source 3 Ltd in Digbeth.

An 18-year-old man arrested in Derby on Thursday also remains in custody.

Detective Chief Inspector

In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice |20th February 2016

Akhtar Javeed

Martin Slevin, who is leading the investigation, said: "I continue to appeal to people

to come forward, I firmly believe that someone out there may still have information that could help our investigation and I am urging them to call me or one of my team."

Mr Javeed's family continue to be supported by specialist officers.

Anyone with information is asked to call West Midlands Police on 101.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Holiday hope for dying dad and his six-year-old son

A mum is trying to raise £2,000 to take her dying expartner on holiday with their son.

Michelle Balmer and Boston and Prajesh Prajesh Bhogaita have a six-year-old son, called Boston, together. They separated three years ago but remained good friends and in December Prajesh, 48, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and is unlikely to survive more than a year.

Michelle, 45, of Mowmacre Hill, Leicester, said the family had never been on holiday together and wanted to have a week away at the Sherwood Forest Center Parcs.

Originally, Michelle had hoped to take Prajesh to India but his condition means he unable to ever fly in an aeroplane again.

'Deplorable' nurse who slapped patient suspended

A "deplorable'' nurse who slapped a vulnerable young patient across the face has been suspended for six months.

Nora Badu had been singing with the patient at Oakham House, an adolescent inpatient unit in Leicester, during a night shift almost three years ago.

But after the patient became agitated, she bent down and struck her across the face – hitting her in the mouth and nose.

The nurse was later convicted of assault at Leicester Magistrates' Court.

Woman charged for alleged murder

A 33-year-old shopkeeper was found dead in Birmingham. His body was found in the boot of his car.

A 36-year-old woman, Zatoon Bibi has been charged for allegedly murdering Tanveer Iqbal. She is Tanveer Iqbal due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.

A spokesperson for the police revealed that a 43-year-old man was also arrested in suspicion of murder and has been bailed pending further enquiry.

Scottish curry lover orders meal from Leicester restaurant

A curry house has sent a Valentine's Day meal 300 miles to a customer in Scotland after he fell in love with the restaurant's food.

The Khyber Dinesh with dishes T a n d o o r i Restaurant in Melton Road, Belgrave, was first visited by a businessman who lives near Edinburgh, 20 years ago, when he was in Leicester. It is owned by brother Dinesh and Ashok Raval.

After years globe-trotting for work, the consultant returned home to Scotland. He has ordered a special meal for two as a surprise for his wife on February 14.

The meal was posted on Thursday with Parcelforce – and will set the curry lover back nearly £100.

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Couple charged for alleged slavery offences

EXCLUSIVE

Minu Chopra, and Sanjeev Chopra, both 47, were charged with slavery offences after a 28-year-old woman was allegedly found enslaved.

The couple from Rochdale have been charged with holding a person in servitude or slavery between 31st July 2015 and 11th February 2016, as well as intentionally arranging or facilitating entry into the UK of a person with a view to exploit them, and intentionally holding another person in

servitude or slavery between 1st January 2011 and 31st July 2015.

The 28-year-old alleged victim is now being cared for by partner agencies.

Minu Chopra appeared at Manchester Magistrates' Court and has been remanded in custody.

She is due to appear at Manchester Minshull St Crown Court on 11th March. Sanjeev Chopra was also remanded in custody and is due to appear at Bury and Rochdale Magistrates' Court.

E-cigarretes are dangerous for pregnant women

There has been discussions previously regarding whether e-cigarettes are a less cause for concern compared to tobacco.

However, researchers at New York University commenced their study to see whether the nicotine in e-cigarettes cause the same developmental

problems as smoking, and they found that smoking e-cigarettes while pregnant can harm the unborn child.

The scientists were also “shocked” to find that it was not just the nicotine itself, but the chemicals in the products which was having the biggest impact.

Hip replacement for better sex According to some doctors, middle-aged women are having their hips replaced in order to improve their sex lives. Researchers suggested that women are increasingly asking about the side effects of the surgery on their sex lives, as well ass asking for advice on when to resume having sex again and which positions they should be avoid-

ing. An orthopaedic surgeon in Southampton, Simon Tilley said, “Traditionally, when it comes to hip replacements, sex is not talked about.

Instead, patients will ask leading questions such as, 'What can't I do when I have my hip replacement?' or 'Are there any positions that I should really not put my hips or legs in?'.”

According to a new Commons study, people who are currently in their 20s are likely to lose out by over £19,000 on their state pension when they retire, due to the government's reform. The changes in the Tories' pension is likely to have a much bigger negative impact on younger generations, as it is likely for those in their 40s to be worse by £13,000 during

the course of a 30-year retirement, while those in their 30s are likely to be at a loss of £17,000.

In January, the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed that lower state pensions under arrangements will be received by 53% of 43year-olds, in comparison to the old system, when they reach the state pension age in 2040.

People in their 20s likely to lose £19,000 in pension

5

Brit Indian designer to oversee Biswa Bangla's first store in London Rupanjana Dutta

Minu Chopra with Sanjeev Chopra

UK Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

and crafts along with international Neishaa Gharat is not an unknown and contemporary face in the British Indian circle. Her facets of the same. design house 'House of Gharats' that Speaking features Indian traditional craftsabout her consulmanship & fabrics, designed with tancy role with contemporary style, is a part of many Biswa Bangla, boutiques in London and soon to be Neishaa said, “My launched in Paris, Bucharest, work with Biswa Florence and New York. And as her Bangla started new inititiave, Neishaa is overseeing when West the upcoming Bengal government's Bengal's Chief Biswa Bangla store in London, in Minister Mamata Banerjee visited either of the key areas like Piccadilly, Covent Garden or Bond Street. the UK last year Neishaa Gharat with a patachitra artist July. Ms Banerjee the International market.”

Believed to be inaugurated in wants to put Bengal in the world In September 2015 autumn, durspring summer this year, there are tourism map. And why not? ing London Design festival 2015, now possibilities it may be deferred UNESCO welcomed the Rural Craft Neishaa showcased arts, crafts and till after the Bengal elections.

Hub of Bengal at a special event in fabrics of Bengal in collaboration Biswa Bangla, is an umbrella Paris, last July. And it is a well with Biswa Bangla. These included organisation to showcase and prodeserved recognition. mote the heritage “For example, during the design products of West festival in September, we launched Bengal. It is a State Balaposh, an exquisite light weight, Government initiative handcrafted, scented shawl or quilt, to revive and preserve traditionally used by the nawabs of the heritage of the Bengal. To educate visitors, we State and project the showed a film that was shot by Vineett Vohra in collaboration with energy and creativity of its people. It is an me. The only practitioner of this initiative to assist almost extinct art form, Sakhawat Bengal’s artisans and Hussain Khan of Murshidabad, feaweavers to operate tured in this video installation that autonomously and presented a visual story of how balaflourish. posh is made, which was projected Neishaa, who is over a piece of balaposh.” half Manglorian and “My aim is to take this further,” half Gujarati, married Visitors at London Design Festival enjoying live added Neishaa. “Lots of young display of Bengal craft by a craftsman to a Marathi doctor, British designers could create prodrevival products like Kantha, started her designer journey in ucts out of what the craftsmen have Jamdani, Patachitra, Masks, Mumbai, but it was Kolkata and her produced, and give them a contemBalaposh quilts & Indo- Portugese love for Kali Ma (Goddess Kali) and porary edge. It's hugely ambitious shawl. Other Biswa Bangla products Kalighat that changed her life. and it's challenging for the western also included fragrances and table“It was 2005 when I was on a taste at the same time. But the ware. Live demonstrations from artisoul searching journey and landed in potential is huge. sans included a Shola mask maker, a Kolkata for a certain project. I ran "After the success of London Kantha embroiderer, a Muslin weavmy own design house in Mumbai at Design Festival a range of UK wide er and a Patachitra artist. that point, and I really wanted a events are planned to promote and Experiences & interactions both with quiet weekend away. As it happened, showcase the artisans and craftspeothe products and artisans generated on a spiritual discovery I went to ple. London Craft Week, Art in a keen interest in the arts and crafts Kalighat for a 'darshan' and during Action - Oxford, screening of the of Bengal and the products. the 'aarti' I had an out of the world Balaposh film documentary at festiThe key objective for the Bengal experience. A glow around Ma's vals and cultural centres etc are some government to open this store in UK murti and everything silenced of them." is to showcase traditional products around me. I felt a connection with Coming to power in 2011, Bengal the Goddess- a pull I have never Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has Among the arts being experienced before. lived up to one of her election promrevived at Biswa Bangla are: “Eventually I returned to ises - that of developing micro, small Mumbai, got married and moved to and medium enterprises and Biswa l Indo-Portuguese shawls - each the UK. I sold off my business in Bangla is an initiative to promote the of which takes about six months India and started from scratch here. state's dying arts and crafts. to embroider But Kolkata and Kalighat have been After establishing her brainchild l Muslin: They are aimed at a part of my identity and my fashion in West Bengal and the country, the reviving the fabric and ever since. I feel I have Ma's blessstore is now being launched abroadsupporting the 800 remaining ings” in London and also believed to be in weavers in the country.

The journey that began spiritualChina. Mr. Rajiva Sinha, Principal l Darjeeling tea ly, soon became her passion.

Secretary, Micro, Small & Medium l Masks Incorporating Kalighat patachitra Enterprises and Textiles, l Attar perfumes (painting) in her dresses and Government of West Bengal, India is l Kalimpong cheese scarves- gave them a unique look- a doing his utmost to get everything up l Mustard sauce and honey from contemporary edge. “The largest coland running. With seven operational the Sunderbans. lection of Kalighat patachitra is in stores, the venture already has a Biswa Bangla has more than Victoria and Albert Museum. The turnover of £1.5mn (Rs 15 crores) in 5,000 products, including a British Raj brought along quite a bit, the first year. Over the next two collection of 24 kinds of dolls from principally as cheap souvenir. years, revenue is expected to increase various parts of the state. The “Most of them are drawn with six-fold to about £10mn (Rs 100 range is also being expanded with natural dyes on paper, backed by crore). Some Indian states have the addition of Bonoloukhi ghee cloth. evinced interest in the business from Shantiniketan and other “I take pride in the skills of the model of Biswa Bangla and are lookproducts that have heritage value. craftsmen as artists- one should not ing at adopting it. The Rajasthan Other products revived is pity them for their poverty and backgovernment has reportedly sent a Carmichael Rumal, a ground. Fashion evolves, crafts too. team from consultancy firm EY to handkerchief made of Think of shola (sholapith). We could Kolkata to study Biswa Bangla's Murshidabad silk.

Thomas easily use it to make a hat for the operations. The principal secretary Gibson Carmichael, who was Royal Ascot or dokra could be used of Uttar Pradesh's Khadi & Village governor of Bengal between 1912 to make contemporary jewellery and Industries has apparently also visitand 1917, is said to have been so tableware accessories. Key design ed Kolkata to see the model and the impressed by these handkerchiefs interventions could make traditional Odisha government has made some that he started exporting them. skills relevant to create products for preliminary enquiries.

6

UK

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice |20th February 2016

High Commissioner terms diaspora an asset to UK-India relation Rupanjana Dutta The new High Commission of India addressed a well-attended Indian community function at India House on Friday 12th. More than a hundred representatives of different social, cultural and ethnic associations of the Indian diaspora as well as Indian origin members of the British Parliament attended the function.

His Excellency Navtej Sarna, who took over his post in London last month, welcomed the community to India House, which is an institution open to all Indians.

He emphasised it reflected Indian-ness in every inch as it had originally been built for India.

The High Commissioner of India, HE Navtej Sarna addressing a gathering at India House

the karambhumi. The community in the UK had flourished extensively in every field of human endeavor- economics and business, politics, culture, medicine, finance and so on. They had acquired a

“Even while they had flourished in the UK they had not forgotten their cultural roots. To the contrary their cultural had become part of British life – tandoori was more popular than fish and chips,

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

£50k jewellery stolen from Harrow home Mirza Shahzad and his family were left devastated as they returned after going out for dinner, back into a burgled home in Harrow. Thieves had smashed through a bay window of the home and stole approximately £50,000 worth of jewellery.

On Sunday 7th February, The Shahzad family had gone out for dinner. They returned home at about 8:50pm and found glass scattered all over the driveway from the smashed window.

A large safe, which contained £450 cash and jewellery worth £50,000 was missing.

Mirza Shahzad said, “They took the whole safe.

It had all our family jewellery in it. We went out for some food, we were gone for about an hour and a

half, and when we came back there was broken glass everywhere... My next door neighbour said he saw a van in the driveway, but thought it was us doing something at the house.”

This incident has left his children frightened. “I have young children, they're so scared they don't want to come in the house. I can't go to work, they're depressed and scared all the time.”

A Metropolitan spokesperson revealed, “Harrow Police are investigating an alleged burglary in Headstone Lane, Harrow.

It occurred between 7:15pm and

8:50pm. A rear door was forced and items of jewellery and currency were taken. A window was also smashed at the front of the property. No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing. Anyone with information should contact Harrow Police on nonemergency number 101.”

Cheerful music brightens our day

A S Rajan, Minister of Coordination, addressing the guests

Dr Virander Paul presenting the award to Sanam Arora of NISAU

At this gathering, President of the National Indian "They (diaspora) were Students and Alumni Union in the UK, Ms Sanam a huge asset for building Arora was honoured by the Deputy High India UK relations. They Commissioner of India Dr Virander Paul, who prewere a bridge of influence sented her with an award for community services, that needed to be fully awarded by the Bedford Indian Organisations. utilised. At the same time Sanam in a statement said she is absolutely delighted they had a huge role to to have received this awards and it was a total surprise play in assisting India's for her. development and in helping India attract foreign bhangra was a byword in political weight and investment and expertise London.” strong voice and they carthat would help develop He also announced ried influence. its infrastructure, its that the Consular outports, airports and reach was being given smart cities or the huge importance by the cleaning of the High Commission. UK Ganga," he added. had the highest share of Saluting the comelectronic visas that had munity members, in a been issued – 24%; statement he added, 300,000 OCI cards had “Each community been issued and 300 member’s life journey applications were being could be described as received every day.

A Tale of Two Countries – that of Srinivas Gotru, Minister, Press, Photo courtesy: Raj D India and the UK; that Information & Culture with Lord Bakrania, Prmediapix Karan Bilimoria of the matrabhumi and

Listening to peppy music is not only good on the ears, but is beneficial for the soul as well. Cheerful music can make the world seem like a much brighter place, according to research.

Prof Joydeep Bhattacharya and Job Lindsen, from Goldsmith, University of London, conducted several experiments on 20 adults.

In one of the experiments, they were shown a grey square for one second and then a random piece of

Prof Joydeep Bhattacharya

music was played, where they had to rate whether it was “very unpleasant” to “very stimulating”. They

A third of rape victims are under 16 girls According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly a third of female rape victims are under the age of 16, with many being under the age of 10.

Figures suggest that 30% of almost 8,000 rapes in Wales and England involved girls

under the age of 16.

Acting director of the End Violence Against Women campaign, Sarah Green said, “These new statistics showing that young women still in their teens, and girls under 16, experience the highest levels of rape and sexual

assault... are alarming.

They have to be a wake-up call to the government, to every profession working with young people and to all of us. What are we going to do about this horrific level of assault against young women and girls?”

Brit-Indian academic transcribes ancient palm leaf folios Ragasudha Vinjamuri, a British Indian writer, academic, journalist and classical dancer has transcribed 12th century palm

leaf folios in Telugu held in the British Library since 1942 after a threeyear effort. It provides a new insight into the life

Greene King in high spirits

Gathered guests at Gandhi Hall, India House

were then shown an identical grey square where they had to give ratings to a different soundtrack. It is said that the participants believed one of the square was much brighter when cheerful music was being played.

Prof Bhattacharya said, “Merely listening to happy or sad music affects subsequent brightness judgement.”

His research was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

There is something to cheer up for Greene King as the brewer and pub operator had a record sale over the festive period. The company, which runs the UK's biggest pub chain, is certainly in good spirits as its shares rose 4 per cent recently following news that sales at the group grew 67% in the first three quarters of its financial year, including its Spirit outlets.

Greene King Chief Executive Rooney Anand was quoted in Financial

Rooney Anand

Times as saying: “We have managed the (Spirit) integration faster than expected, but have been able to do it without throwing either team off, so we are very pleased overall.”

and work of the ancient theologian and philosopher, Acharya Ramanuja.

The work is scheduled to be released in the print form at an event in the British parliament in May to mark the beginning of Ramanuja Sahasrabdi (1000th birthday) celebrations.

Born in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, Acharya Ramanuja was the leading expounder of Vishishtadvaita, one of the sub-schools of the Vendanta school of philosphy.

The subschool has a large number of followers in parts of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka.

UK Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Sadiq Khan allegedly spoke alongside radical imam at events Labour's candidate for London mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been facing accusations of his alleged association with extremists.

It is said that between 2004 and 2013, Sadiq Khan had spoken alongside Suliman Gani on at least nine occasions, even though Gani has denounced homosexuality, gay marriage and even organ transplants, as well as called women “subservient” to men.

Gani was also reportedly named as a “supporter” by the extremist Tayyibun Institute, east London. The government has described the institute as one that “tolerates or promotes nonviolent extremism”.

Khan and Gani allegedly first shared a platform in August 2004, for an event organised by Stop Political Terror, a radical group. It

Suliman Gani

was revealed by The Sunday Times that Khan had spoken at at least four events organised by Stop Political Terror.

Deputy director of the anti-extremism think tank Henry Jackson Society, David Lewin said, “Gani has campaigned on behalf of convicted terrorists, appeared at events designed to undermine government counter-radicalisation strategies, including sharing platforms with a pro-terrorist organisation such as

Sadiq Khan

Cage, and is said to hold repugnant views about women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans community. Given that the UK, and London in particular, is major target for Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks, it is intolerable to see any politician, much less one seeking such a vitally important office as mayor of London, associate with an individual such as this. Mr Khan's repeatedly sharing a plat-

form with this man, whose views are widely available, is deeply alarming.”

Sadiq Khan's spokesperson revealed that Khan was attacked

by Gani on Twitter as he supported gay marriage.

The spokesperson also mentioned that the Tory candidate for mayor, Zac Goldsmith, was also present at a meeting in November 2015, with Muslims leaders.

The spokesperson said, “These Tory attacks are getting really desperate- this man was with Zac Goldsmith at an event organised by the Tories just a few months ago.

Sadiq has always spoken out against the vile people who promote extremism and radicalisation and has laid out a real plan to tackle these problems as mayor of London.”

'Red light' warnings given to hospitals with high stillbirth rates “Red light” warnings have been given to 21 hospital trusts for their high stillbirth and newborn baby death rates. The neonatal death and stillbirth rates at these trusts are 10% higher than the average. The mortality rates have been published in a report by MBRRACE-UK. Jason Professor Gardosi, director of the Perinatal Institute, a notfor-profit organisation said, “Regrettably, many trusts still seem to have a head-in-the-sand approach. All trusts should evaluate their deaths to understand whether the tragedy could have been avoided.”

An editor of the report, Professor Elizabeth Draper of Leicester University said, “Trust and health boards that fall into the red band in the MBRRACEUK report have been identified as having a perinatal mortality rate of more than 10% higher than average for similar trusts and

health boards.

There are many reasons why trusts and health boards may have a higher rate, and we recommend they carry out a standardised review of all their deaths to look for opportunities to improve care.”

She further stated, “The presence of a high rate is not necessarily an indicator of poor care as there may be other factors, which we have been unable to account for, that may have contributed to this rate.

However, given the available data, our statistical

methods provide the most informative rates available.”

Brighton jihadist becomes senior terrorist member

New revelations have been made that a 26year-old British-born jihadist from Brighton has allegedly become a senior member of an alQaeda-associated group in Syria.

Mohammad Raja Khan, who is of Bangladeshi origin, has allegedly become a senior commander in Jabhat al-Nusra. It is said that Khan is among at least five British jihadists who have fled from Brighton to go to Syria in the past two years.

Anti-terrorism officials are worried that this may inspire aspire jihadists from Brighton

to travel to Syria.

A Counterterrorism official stated, “Counterterrorism officers are very concerned that someone like Mohammad Raja Khan, who seems to have climbed the ranks of Jabhat al-Nusra within a short time, could motivate other young men from Brighton to travel to Syria. The last thing the authorities want is for this to become some sort of trend and so they've been working with community leaders and mosque authorities to spread the word about the dangers involved in going out to Syria to fight.”

PRESENTS

YOUTH CONFERENCE 2016

Jeremy Hunt's plans outrage junior doctors The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt's announcement about his plans to implement a new contract on junior doctors has received strong opposition from many in the health profession, and left many doctors outraged.

As the government failed to reach a deal with the British Medical Association (BMA) and the union representing junior doctors, Jeremy Hunt came up with this move. The health secretary has supported his plans and blamed the BMA for worsening the disagreements.

New contracts are due to be introduced at the beginning of August 2016. This has led to some doctors to rethink

Health secretary, Jeremy Hunt

about their career. Some may have decided to change their profession, while some may opt to move away, and no doubt, they may still be some who are in support of this move. While some support the all-out strike, there are others who are not in favour of it.

A 37-year-old junior doctor from London said, “I am not in favour of an all-out strike; it would

harm opinion of doctors who retain more public trust than politicians at present. My next move is to leave medicine- which is a huge shame as I have spent 20 years of my adult life training to be a super specialist on paediatric cardiac intensive care. But I have a family and more self respect than to accept an employer who treats me like a naughty schoolchild.”

7

On Wednesday 23 March, we will be hosting our annual Youth Conference networking evening. We have a fantastic line-up of speakers who will share their success stories, give motivational short talks to inspire and advise the younger generation, so that young people can fulfill their aspirations and get ahead in the world of work. There will be a scope to take part in Q&A and brief workshops.

Date & Time: 23 March 2016, 5:30-9pm Venue: TBC Age: 15-40

REGISTER

NOW

on aveditorial@abplgroup.com by 29 February 2016

8

UK

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

EXCLUSIVE

UK paper to use 'Bombay' Baldwin and Sharma in India to instead of 'Mumbai' deepen Indo-British financial ties

Anand Pillai

What's in a name! Well, Shakespeare can say so. But for Indians everything is in the name. If a name is given, there's a reason for it. If it is changed, again there's a rationale behind it.

If Maharashtra Government changed its capital's name from Bombay to Mumbai, there was a reason for it. The city was renamed after Goddess Mumbadevi, the protector of fishermen who were the area’s original inhabitants.

“Bombay” was an anglicized take on the Portuguese colonial name “Bom Bahia”, or “good bay”.

In case you are wondering what this is all about. The story goes like this. A few days ago Editor of British newspaper Independent, Mr Amol Rajan, dropped a bomb by saying that his paper will refer to India's financial capital as Bombay, and not Mumbai. This bit of news has spread like wildfire, especially it hasn't gone down well with Indians. Social media is abuzz with choicest abuses hurled at him. Mr Rajan said the move was a stand against what he said was the closed-minded view of Hindu nationalists. “The whole point of Bombay is of an open, cosmopolitan port city, the gateway of India that’s open to the world. If you call it what Hindu nationalists want you to call it, you essentially do their work for them,” Rajan told BBC radio.

“As journalists, as someone who edits The Independent, it’s incredibly important to be specific about our terminology.

I’d rather side with the tradition of India that’s been open to the world, rather than the one that’s been closed, which is in ascendance right now,” he said, referring to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in India. According to a report in DNA, the Indian-born editor said the move was the newspaper's stand against a “nastier strain of Hindu nationalism”.

Incidentally, 32-year-old Rajan was born in Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, and raised in London. But it's not known whether he has an issue with

Rupanjana Dutta

Amol Rajan

the name Kolkata, unlike Mumbai.

The name change hasn't affected Mumbai's residents. Speakers of Marathi and Gujarati, the local languages, have always called the city Mumbai.

In 1995 'Bombay' was renamed 'Mumbai' by the far-right regional party Shiv Sena, an ally of the BJP. Shiv Sena advocates the use of Marathi language, which is dominant in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena had argued that 'Bombay' was an unwanted relic of the colonial rule in India.

“Shiv Sena pushed through the renaming against the will of the national government,” Mr Rajan said, according to the DNA report.

Several other Indian cities have changed their names. Madras became Chennai, Calcutta became Kolkata, Trivandrum became Thiruvananthapuram, Pondicherry became Puducherry, Orissa became Odisha, Bangalore became Bengaluru and so on.

So why is he restricting things to Mumbai alone? What about Chennai, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Puducherry and Odisha? Is he going to do the same with Madras, Calcutta, Trivandrum, Pondicherry, Orissa and others?

Well, Mr Rajan is entitled to his view, so is this paper.

UK and Netherlands host highest number of MPs of immigrant origin: Study Key research findings about the political representation of citizens of immigrant origin (IO) in European national parliaments was announced at an event in central London on Monday 15 February.

The findings, announced at an event organised by Professor Laura Morales from the University of Leicester’s Department of Politics and International Relations in collaboration with the Political Studies Association, from the ‘Pathways to Power’ project, which studies the political representation of IO MPs in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.

The study has revealed that over the past decades, ethnic diversity within European societies has increased radically and immigration is one of the most important challenges facing Europe today.

The study covers the

period from 1990 to the most recent complete national legislatures and will also include data on the most recent legislative terms of regional assemblies in the eight countries.

Among the key findings of the research establish that the Netherlands and the United Kingdom lead in the presence of citizens of immigrant origin in national parliaments across the eight European countries studied. It has also revealed that South European countries fare worst in the inclusion of citizens of immigrant origin in the national legislature. IO MPs are more likely to be women in Belgium and Spain but the gender pattern is balanced or variable in the other countries and noticeably younger in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. IO MPs tend to be elected as candidates of left-wing or centre-left parties more often than of centre-right or right-wing parties, but this is not the

case in South European countries and tend to have gained less political experience in their parties’ structure or in subnational elected office before they win their seat in national parliament.

For the years studied so far, IO MPs tend to be underrepresented in key positions of party and committee leadership, although this may be a temporary effect resulting from their generally lower levels of parliamentary experience in some countries The project ‘Pathways to Power: The Political Representation of Citizens of Immigrant Origin in Eight European Democracies’ is an international collaborative and comparative project led by four universities: the University of Leicester (United Kingdom), the University of Amsterdam (Netherlands), the University of Bamberg (Germany), and SciencesPo (France).

The Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Harriett Baldwin, embarked on a four-day tour of India, accompanied by Alok Sharma, the Prime Minister’s Infrastructure Envoy to India on Monday 15 February. The tour is a key part of the government’s long-term plan to establish closer ties and deepen financial cooperation between Britain and India, the world’s fastestgrowing major economy.

While on the visit the City Minister will meet

along this line are very much positively discussed ahead of finalising... it will be a government to government agreement.”

Both UK and India have reportedly agreed to explore ways to encourage increased investment in infrastructure with the aim of developing an India-UK partnership fund under the umbrella of India's flagship infrastructure investment initiative, the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

Ms Baldwin further added: “Developing closer

in London by the Indian Railway Finance Corporation, with the proceeds used to upgrade India’s rail network.

While in India the City Minister will also host a roundtable of India’s leading FinTech entrepreneurs and financial regulators, to showcase the steps the UK has taken to cultivate a world-leading FinTech hub and develop closer ties with India’s top class IT sector.

At a roundtable organised by IIFCL in India, the Secretary said, “We will be signing MoU in terms of collaboration between the

with key public sector and business leaders, including the Reserve Bank of India Raghuram Governor Rajan, and Indian Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, to push forward cooperation on building offshore rupee markets in London through the issuance of masala bonds.

Speaking about the collaboration, Ms Baldwin reportedly said, “Formal collaboration between the UK and the Indian government to build on the work that has already been done in terms of how we can put together the skills from the UK professional service sector, the experience that we have in terms of infrastructure investment in terms of public private partnership, in terms of project financing and formalise that in terms of working relationship.

“It (the agreement with India) would cover the raising (funds) which we can be of most assistance. So, I am sure that the things

economic and financial ties between India and Britain is key to boosting exports and investment, and creating growth in both of our economies.

“That’s why I’m delighted to visit India to bolster our cooperation across key markets. With a population of over a billion people and the fastest growing major economy in the world, the opportunities for UK financial firms to partner with and export to India are unlimited.

“The visit builds on the significant progress that has been made in deepening economic and financial ties between the UK and India in recent years.

“In January 2016 the George Chancellor Osborne announced a package of agreements between the UK and India, focusing on financial services, infrastructure and technology, and Prime Minister Modi announced that the first ever Indian ‘masala’ bond will be issued

UK and the Indian government at the G-20 Finance Ministers meeting which is to be held at the end of this month.”

The G-20 Finance Ministers and central bank governors meeting is scheduled to be held on February 26-27 in Shanghai.

Speaking about India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL), Deputy Managing Director Sanjeev Kaushik reportedly said the company has been appointed as investment manager for NIIF for the interim period.

IIFCL was the first issuer of masala bonds, he said, adding, "we are still in fact in dialogue with the ADB and World Bank if they could help us do that and then customise it for us."

Masala bonds are instruments which are rupee-denominated and sold only to offshore buyers.

With the scrapping of post study work visa (that allowed international students to work in the UK for two years after graduation) the number of Indian students has decreased substantially. However according to the government, this slow down in number has been caused by the Home Office clamp down on bogus colleges. To woo Indian students therefore, the British government has promised that it will

increase the number of scholarships now.

Andrew Soper, minister counsellor (political and press) of the British High Commission told reporters in Kolkata that the inflow of students from India has now stabilised and that the UK is expecting a gradual increase.

Soper added under the 'Great Britain' campaign, the UK governmnent was offering 59 undergraduate and 232 postgraduate

scholarships across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In the last couple of years, the number of scholarships under the UK's flagship Chevening program had increased four-fold, £2.5mn. Soper also said efforts had been made to ease the visa process, with every 9 out of 10 students getting it. Some of the most popular courses for Indians include management studies and engineering.

UK to woo Indian students through scholarship

UK Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Meet one of ITV Group’s Top BAME Executives - Michelle Matherson Michelle is the Talent Executive at ITV Studios factual label, Shiver and Label 1. Shiver is one of the largest providers of factual and factual entertainment in the independent television sector in the UK, producing amongst many others, the popular “Come Dine With M,” ”Tonight,” and “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.”

Michelle is the Diversity lead for Shiver and is on the Diversity Working Board for ITV. Michelle is partly Indian due to some ancestral Indian blood; (many families in the Caribbean are part-Indian). There are also other international influences in Michelle’s family, all of which she embraces. She likes the immigrant- particularly Indian- work ethic. With many Indian friends at school in addition to her Indian roots, she says she couldn’t help adopting that work ethic herself.

Her office in the ITV Tower on the Thames

Southbank overlooks one of the most spectacular views in London.

Michelle has got some of the best people in the industry to work on her productions during her career in production, development, commissioning and talent.

Michelle’s editorial credits include RTS award- winning “Why Stephen?” with Charles Wheeler and “Blouse and Skirt” for BBC2. She d i r e c t e d “Pankiraj” for Radio 4, pro- Michelle Matherson what are you from, what duced the TV Drama are you made from?’ I get Writers’ Festival and has mistaken for being worked with Tanika Gupta Trinidadian because and Meera Syal. there’s a lot of Indian But she’s also faced ancestry in Trinidad. Some challenges, mainly due to members of my family see her lighter skin tone. “My me as privileged for looklook has always been one ing more Asian than Black, that was queried. People while others see me as not say ‘Where are you from,

quite ‘pure, not one of us.’”

Michelle was raised by her mother without her father, in London. When her mother took her back to Jamaica she was surprised to see her grandaunts wearing saris. “One time I was travelling through the Jamaican countryside and it looked like the side of the Ganges. A man was with his two children, wearing a cloth wrapped round him, a staff and a beard, and his children had their heads covered. It felt as though we were in India.”

She admires tightness the and orderliness of Asian families compared to some other comm u n i t i e s , though she feels it can occasionally be a constraint. “They do things for each other so they don’t have to ask or beg anyone else to help.”

Michelle’s mother started off working as a nurse but switched to housing people for councils, ensuring a homogenous mix where possible.

Her daughter absorbed this ethos in her own work.

When Michelle was 16,

“When I had to make she wanted to act. Her about 33 people in BBC school sent her with a Current Affairs; reporters Turkish friend to the top to researchers, redundant,” drama school, the Royal Michelle reflects. “I found Academy of Dramatic Art it very difficult, and went in London, for a recce trip through a process of interto introduce themselves. viewing everyone.

The girls were excited at Another thing that the prospect but found Michelle found difficult when they got there, the was to push Asian and academy shunned them.

Black people into TV work.

“This isn’t going to be “It’s been really tough, you as easy as I thought,” get a lot of pushback.

Michelle suddenly realised.

Maybe not so much now, Instead of this rudeness but there was a lot back in putting her off, it made her the day. more determined. “How It’s hard when you see dare they? I am so going bright young things to get it,” she decidcoming through. ed.

You want to be Enriched by the awareness What drives me able to move peois knowing I’m ple around. Not of her mixed community succeeding in every Indian person wants to be upbringing, making a in News! All of a Michelle prodifference sudden they pelled herself would be pushed into teaching. into that sort of area.

She scoured the You get some amazing Guardian newspaper people who want to work for media jobs every in theatre and drama. I Monday, deciding to opt have lots of chats with peofor a BBC producer job ple. They’re finding it diffi(and beating 250 people to cult to earn a living and the post) that needed edunervous about their livelication and multicultural hoods.” experience.

Mission She worked across Michelle explains her most BBC genres for 20 ambition. “I want to make years, including setting up a difference. What drives her own company and me is knowing I’m sucworking for other broadceeding in making a differcasters. Michelle has been ence. I can give people an winning top jobs ever since opportunity to be better- to and has been in her top find what they’re looking ITV post for two years. for, and that gives me satisSo what were the chalfaction.” lenges along the way?

WITH VERY SPECIAL GUEST

R A H AT FAT E H A L I K H A N Bhangra music and dancing with

A celebration of ASIAN

A B R A R U L H AQ SHAZIA MANSOOR S U K S H I N D E R S H I N DA THE LEGENDS BAND DHOL DRUMMERS MALKIT SINGH

MUSIC, FA S H I O N & FILM

Bank For Your Banking Needs

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Business Finance - Personalised attention to your needs.

On demand access to your money in savings account.

24*7 Internet Banking access.

Hi-return on your term deposits.

Rupee exchange rate - you will not like to miss.

Hi-Interest rates on FCNR and NRE Deposits in India.

For further information and T&C, visit www.bankofbarodauk.com or call 020 7457 1515 Visit any of our 10 branches in the UK:

T I C K E T S O N S A L E N O W AT RICOHARENA.COM #MelaCoventry

9

Bank of Baroda London Main Office EC1Y 2BD T:+44 (0) 20 7457 1544

Bank of Baroda Tooting Branch SW17 7TR T: +44 (0) 20 8767 6469

Bank of Baroda Ilford Branch IGI 2RT T: +44 (0) 20 8514 8609

Bank of Baroda Aldgate Branch E1 1NL T: +44 (0) 20 7480 0000

Bank of Baroda Southall Branch UB1 1QD T: +44 (0) 20 8574 1324

Bank of Baroda Wembley Branch HA0 4TL T: +44 (0) 20 8902 7407

Bank of Baroda Kenton Branch HA3 0HD T:+44 (0) 208 909 1739

Bank of Baroda Birmingham Branch B21 9SU T: +44 (0) 121 523 5973

Bank of Baroda Manchester Branch M4 5JU T: +44 (0) 161 832 5588

Bank of Baroda Leicester Branch LE4 6AS T: +44 (0) 116 266 3970

Bank of Baroda is established in the UK with company number BR002014 and is based at 32 City Road, London EC1Y 2BD. T. +44(0)207 457 1515 F. +44 (0)207 457 1505 E. info.uk@bankofbaroda.com W. www.bankofbarodauk.com Bank of Baroda is authorised and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority in the UK and is a member of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) established under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Our regulator firm reference no. is 204624 Bank of Baroda, UK Operations facilitates submission of NRI application forms to India. Account/s opened and amount deposited are held in India which comes under banking regulation of Reserve Bank of India only. For details, you are requested to visit www.bankofbaroda.com.

10

READERS’ VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Relevant images and the EU You had a two page article on preparing for motherhood. It seems very inappropriate to me that all images which went with the article were of white women and children.

Is it not possible for a newspaper like Asian Voice to take their own photographs for an article like this which focuses on Asian women and Asian children?

A little while ago I launched a magazine called Health and Happiness which was aimed at Asians.

Once again that magazine did not have any pictures of Asians.

I feel we have enough people here. If we are aiming to influence and inform Asians then we shouldn't just pick up any old pictures from magazines aimed at British people. It would be so nice to see ourselves reflected in the pictures.

You also had an article about Priti Patel having decided on Brexit when Cameron is still hoping to stay in the EU. Common sense should tell us that he certainly can't go for Brexit and still negotiate for changes. If he says that he wants to get out there would be no reason for anyone to consider any possible changes.

Since he has already said that his ministers can decide for themselves I think it is a good thing that Priti has decided for herself. I am sure she will not be on her own.

Baroness Shreela Flather By email

British government vs unions

Fighting the two great wars was no problem for the Gurkhas. But fighting the legal battle against the British government has indeed been a very expensive and painful one for the Gurkhas.

Gurkhas, especially the martial race from Nepal, who sacrifice the cream part of their lives for the vested interest of the British Empire for more than 200 years are still struggling hard to find the "status " with the British government.

I am 66 and retired from my army and civil life. I still have to work hard to pay my bills here in the UK. The British government always argued the living standard in Nepal is low but now the Gurkhas that reside in the UK are still paid according to the cost of living in Nepal and according to the Indian pay code signed by British and India in 1947 Tripartite Agreement and Nepal was not the signatory on this obsolete TPA agreement.

The British government has created a very unhealthy and unpleasant environment. Doctors and soldiers are not given the recognition for saving lives.

And there is still "superior vs inferior " attitude in workplaces, which is costing millions of pounds to NHS for the stress related illnesses etc.

I sincerely hope the government and the NHS sit down and stick their heads together to save innocent lives. Hard working people are facing misery and paying heavy price for an incompetent UK government.

Yam Gurung (rtd) By email

Letter of appreciation

Is mental health the poor cousin for funding?

“The Bridge” in Christchurch Avenue, is marked for closure next year by equivocate Labour administered Harrow Council, notwithstanding that it is a retreat, tranquil sanctuary, meeting point for venerable patients, carers and their family members alike.

While Council is facing tough decision in view of government’s spending cuts, to punish most venerable people is act of healthcare vandalism when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn professes to be a caring, considerate anti-austerity leader in sharp contrast to huckster Tory government.

This cost-cutting exercise could be counterproductive as “The Centre” by helping venerable patients, keep them away from A & E and hospital admissions which would be infinitely more costly than this mostly volunteer run facility. It is more than a day-centre; it is a lifeline, second home for most venerable people in the society.

Council is already milking motorists from car parks, parking fines for trivial violations by unsuspecting motorists using every trick in the trade.

Let us hope that sense of fair-play will prevail and sanctuary will be granted stay of execution indefinitely.

Online petition is already endorsed by 900 people.

Kumudini Valambia By email

I am great admirer of Rameshbhai’s contribution in AV/GS. He is a versatile writer equally at ease in English and Gujarati. I was extremely pleased to read Jaya Paw’s letter, popular, renowned social worker and regular, original contributor but out of touch recently. She and other regular female contributors who are thin on the ground should be similarly honoured irrespective of number game, as we and indeed Asian community holds CB in high esteem. So certificate signed by CB will indeed be “Badge of Honour” on par with somewhat prejudice, predetermine patronage “Honours” dished out by politicians. We will cherish and display it on the wall, alongside our educational achievements. It would be nice if date is fixed in advance to avoid clash with summer holiday season.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Subscribe Today Asian Voice in UK for only £29 for one year

Mumbai to London

Rameshbhai Jhalla's article in AV of the 30th January light up my memories of Bombay. It was mid-50's, I was staying at Modh Vanik Hostel near Dadar GIP and I did my Commerce degree through Podar college. We were 50 boys studying for different degrees. It was a time for fun, frolics and freedom with great responsibility. After dinner at 6 pm, we used to go for walks on Vincent road, 8 to 9 pm listen to Radio Ceylon's Geetmala programme. We also learnt Bhagwat Gita, visited neighbouring places. We became very close friends and even now after 60 years our families keep in touch. I too stayed at Vanik Hostel on Pali Hill Road, Bandra, Vile Parle and Jai Bharat society, Khar where I rented a room when I was working as an Accountant. I was about to go to office after holiday when a sanyasi came and said he was going to Rameshwaram, so needed help. I gave my last 5 rupees that I had. He chanted some shlokas and said, “You have chances of becoming big in the next 6 months.”

Then on impulse I applied to British High commission, I got an employment voucher in 6 weeks! I got engaged in Dec. 1964 and married in Feb. 1965 and we migrated to London thereafter.

Upendra Kapadia Via email

Rewarding letter writers

ABPL has been at the forefront in recognising talent and rewarding achivement. Asian Achievers’ Awards (AAA) and Asian Voice Charity Awards (AVCA), among many others, are glittering examples of this! This pioneering initiative is not matched by any other weekly magazine or newsletter, be it in English or in other languages. It is therefore appropriate for AV and GS to reward their letter writers with a certificate of merit or better still, a plaque, as a tangible evidence of achivement which one can display on his/her mantel piece and cherish for years to come.

I started the ball rolling on this topic and many prolific writers of this column are on all fours with me on this. However, some with a holier-than-thou attitude, seem to want to throw the spanner in the works. These people probably do not believe in sentimental values or do not have appreciation for finer things in life. If rewarding achievement was a futile process, ABPL would not be spending time and money on AAA and AVCA. For me, a certificate or plaque will serve as a fond memory of my association with ABPL. After all, having published almost 300 letters is no mean feat!

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

Hindus are happiest in UK

Fact that Hindus are happiest is not surprising, supported by C. B. Patel in column “As I see it”. A happy Hindu is an asset to any country. But in layman’s language, Hindus are happiest due unshakeable faith in any of 33 crores God with fullest liberty to choose happily. Happiness is rooted in strong attachments to family.

Hindus seek solace in fact that whatever happens is God’s will. Every event has a happy motive. Joy or sufferings are as per karma. So no cheer/ no pain/ no swing between happiness and depression. Ahimsa teaches Hindu to avoid confrontation.

Money is root of evil, to be avoided in favor of frugal life. But he should worship prosperity as Godess Laxmi. Thus happiness in poverty and affluence. Hindus respect sentiments of parents during education, friendship, marriage etc. But the strongest pillar for happiness is faith in God, helping to keep away from elements that may hurt parents, society and family. Teachings of karma motivates him to perform good deeds and thus is a good incentive to be happy today to smile tomorrow, or a better circumstances in next birth. Thus one is happy even if his karma does not give desired fruits.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

Households in poverty

Overall poverty levels in the UK have stayed fairly flat at 20% during the past 25 years.

Half the people in poverty live in a working household. Julia Unwin, Chief Executive of Joseph Rowntree Foundation said that “a seismic shift needs to happen: we need to move from treating the symptoms of poverty to tackling the fundamental causes of poverty” in their Annual Conference on poverty on February 8.

In the past 19 years the number of semi-skilled jobs had gown down by 9.5%, while professional and managerial jobs had gone up by 7.9% and low-skilled up by 1.6%.

Culturally, the British do not value vocational jobs as Germans do. Many UK universities could be reformed back into Polytechnics to value vocational careers.

These poor households should be required to file an Annual Tax Return just like those not claiming benefits even if their income is below the personal tax threshold of £10,000. Government should credit their NI contributions automatically so that they get a decent pension.

We should merge the benefit claim system with the tax return system under HMRC so that we can have a better understanding of the true nature of poverty.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

ASIAN VOICE

Tel: 020 7749 4080

(Off Coronet Street)

Rates Valid from 1-10-2015

Please detach the form and send it with your payment or credit card instructions to address below

Karma Yoga House Fax: 020 7749 4081 E-mail: support@abplgroup.com 12 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HW

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

UK EUROPE WORLD 1 Year £29 £77 £92 2 Years £52.50 £141.50 £169 Subscriptions are non-refundable after 30 days

Visit our website: www.abplgroup.com NAME

ADDRESS POST CODE Email:

TEL:

I'd like to be kept up to date by email with offers and news from ABPL

Please charge my VISA / MASTERCARD / CREDIT / DEBIT CARD for £

Card No:

Signature

Card Expiry date

Date

UK Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

EXCLUSIVE

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Immigration Minister announces new enhancements to Indian visa service

Rupanjana Dutta

James Immigration Minister Brokenshire has announced an enhanced visa package exclusively for Indian visitors to the UK, during his five-day visit to India.

The improved visa offer builds on the deepening relationship between the two nations, as strengthened by Indian Prime Minister Modi's visit to the UK in November 2015.

The visa package is comprised of three main elements and will seek to provide a more convenient and flexible service to one of the UK's largest visa markets. In the year ending September 2015, 360,000 visit visas were issued to Indian tourists, a 17 per cent increase on the previous year.

As part of the announcement, the Minister revealed the launch of a new Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, which is India's most populous state. This will be the 16th in the country. The VAC network will be expanded further in 2016. Indian nationals will also now have greater access to mobile biometrics services, enabling them, for an extra charge, to apply for a UK visa from home or work.

The Immigration Minister also revealed the expansion of eligibility criteria for premium UK visa products. Previously only visit visa applicants meeting criteria including previous travel to the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or a Schengen country could apply for the Super Priority Visa (SPV), which pro-

James Brokenshire

vides a same-day service for applicants. From 1 March 2016, this service will also be available to first-time visitors and applicants under work routes. The 3 - 5 day priority service will also be expanded to visit, study and work routes, allowing more customers to get their visa decisions faster.

From the end of this month, Indian visit visa applicants will benefit from a new quicker and easier online application form. As well as taking less time to complete, the new online form will make it easier for customers going on holiday or for business to the UK and Europe, to apply for both UK and Schengen visas. Once the UK form has been filled out, customers will be able to

download an auto-completed Schengen application form to print and apply with. Initially the form will launch in English but it will be translated into Hindi, Tamil and Gujarati, making it more straightforward for customers across India to apply for their UK visit visas.

During a trip to a Visa Application Centre in Delhi, Immigration Minister James Brokenshire, said: "India is one of the UK's largest visa markets and thanks to our strong cultural and historic ties, both those of Indian heritage and those who visit the UK continue to make a significant contribution to UK society.

"We already have more Visa Application Centres in India than any other country and these further enhancements will continue to improve our service by bolstering our nations' tourism and trade links.

"The UK welcomes genuine visitors, students and workers, and we are keen to make the visa process as secure and straightforward as possible.”

As part of his trip the Minister will meet important UK visa customers from the education, travel and business sectors to gain insight into how they use the visa service. He will also hold meetings with ministerial counterparts in the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs.

The new online application form will launch at the end of this month and applicants will be able to access it fromwww.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa

11

Government announces Courts and Tribunals closures The government has announced that a fifth of all courts and tribunals in England and Wales are to close, despite widespread petitions and more than 10,000 signatures. 86 of 460 courts and tribunal hearing centres will shut as part of "modernisation" plans, HM Courts and Tribunal Service confirmed. The reforms aim to reduce the £500m annual cost of the courts estate.

Ministers said 48% of court buildings were empty at least half of the time last year, though the Law Society has warned closures could limit access to justice. Crown courts, county courts, family courts, youth courts, civil courts and tribunal hearing centres are among the centres that will close.

The government has published a schedule for the closures, with six phases planned between now and September 2017.

Shailesh Vara, Parliamentary Under Secretary of Justice told Asian Voice, “The government is committed to modernising the way in which justice is accessed and delivered. We are investing over £700m over the next 4 years to update the court and tribunal estate, installing modern IT sys-

Shailesh Vara

tems and making the justice system more efficient and effective for modern users...

“Many of the current 460 court buildings are underused: last year 48% of all courts and tribunals were empty for at least half their available hearing time. These buildings are expensive to maintain yet unsuitable for modern technology.

Court closures are difficult decisions; local communities have strong allegiances to their local courts and I understand their concerns. But changes to the estate are vital if we are to modernise a system which everybody accepts is unwieldy, inefficient, slow, expensive to maintain and unduly bureaucratic...”

RESTAURANT PREMISES IN IPSWICH A UK COMPANY WITH AMPLE RESTAURANT PREMISES IN IPSWICH IS INTERESTED IN URGENTLY CONTACTING ANYBODY WHO WOULD BE KEEN IN ESTABLISHING, PART-OWNING AND MANAGING AN INDIAN RESTAURANT IN THE SAID PREMISES. REQUIREMENTS:

1. TRACK RECORD IN THE DAILY MANAGEMENT AND RUNNING OF ANY TYPE OF INDIAN RESTAURANT;

2. SOME START-UP CAPITAL; 3. REFERENCES;

4. COMMITMENT;

5. ABILITY TO START WORKING IMMEDIATELY; 6. UK CITIZENSHIP, EUROPEAN UNION (EU)

PASSPORT OR UK PERMANENT RESIDENCE;

IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE, PLEASE E-MAIL US ON

mdf77@fastmail.fm OR CALL US ON

0027-82-779-3288

12

MEDIA WATCH

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

India’s GDP growth for the third quarter of the current fiscal (ending March 31) dipped slightly to 7.3 per cent, contrasting with China’s 6.8 per cent. The hopeful news that India’s fourth quarter is set to be markedly higher, thus taking growth for the entire year to 7.6 per cent, is encouraging. This would be a tad higher than the government projected 7-7.5 per cent.

India’s third quarter manufacturing sector, buoyed by lower input costs in the wake of the collapse of global commodities prices and also the sharp fall in oil prices, grew 12.5 per cent.

The latest GDP numbers will be a crucial factor in the upcoming budget to be presented to Parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on February 29. With rural demand sluggish, the Finance Minister may be tempted to inject a stimulus of public works, but that would likely entail a rise in the fiscal deficit current at 3.5 per cent. The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan, has warned against the possible perils of such a move, as it could raise inflationary pressure without achieving the desired rural growth.

The methodology for calculating growth, having raised doubts in certain quarters, though not apparently in the World Bank or IMF, has been met by the government justifying the present collation of statistics as an improvement since it takes into account the value added in the entire supply chain of goods and services.

(Mint, Hindu, Times of India, Telegraph February 9)

Restructuring Railways

India’s 163 year-old rail network is one of the world’s most extensive public transport systems, but over the years it was treated like a cash cow by ministers keen on expanding it for populist reasons – favouring their constituencies and generate job creation. A proliferating bureaucracy, declining efficiency and poor fiscal control and diminishing amenities have throttled development. Suresh Prabhu, a proven management consultant, was appointed to take charge and make the railways fit for 20th century purpose.

India’s enthusiasm stems from the fact that Eurasian Economic Union integrates the Russian market with those of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, offering a largely unexplored market of 180 million people with a combined value of $4 trillion. Pharmaceuticals, textiles and agricultural items are high on India’s export list.

Western economic sanctions against Russia make this a propitious time for India to enter this potentially significant space.

(Business Line February 8)

Naval Fleet Review

It was no ordinary occasion, India’s Fleet Review 2016 was a far cry from the previous one in 2001 when K.R. Narayanan was the country’s President. This time it was no fledgling force facing the world, but a blue water navy of 65 frontline warships (with

INS Arihant which completing its sea trials. This should aid Indian naval exports. More importantly, the waters around India are under watch by the Indian Navy, now the world’s largest after the those of the US, Russia and China, no mean achievement for the Make in India project. (Times of India, Hindu February 7)

India is set to sign a $3 billion deal with Israel for the purchase of sophisticated military equipment for the country’s armed forces, which includes the joint development of a medium range surface-to-air missile system of the Indian Army, and the acquisitions of laser designation pods for the Indian Air Force (IAF) Sukhoi 30MKI and Jaguar squadrons, as well as 250 advanced ‘Spider’ bombs capable of destroying underground fortifications and bunkers. The list has been placed before the Cabinet Committee for Security for final approval. (Times of India February 9)

Russia completes IAF delivery

Russia has completed its contracted delivery to the Indian Air Force (IAF) of Mi-17V -5s. Thew IAF plans to acquire another 48 of these helicopters for $1.1 billion. The CEO of Russian Helicopters, Alexander Mikheev, said: ‘India is one of the key markets for the company and a major operator of Russian helicopters and currently operates over 400 of these aircraft.’

Trade pact with Russian bloc

Moves to fast-track the projected Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the Russianled Eurasian Economic Union, New Delhi has exchanged the first feasibility draft report of the joint study group. ‘This is the fastest we have ever moved on a free trade pact with a trading partner,’ said an Indian official.

The Eurasian Economic Union was formed in July 2015 and both sides got cracking straightway.

Lance Naik Koppad who died

consciousness. He passed away on Thursday morning (February 11). A son of Karnataka, Lance Naik Koppad was determined to wear the uniform of a soldier, a profession which filled him and his nine comrades of the Madras Regiment with pride. The conditions on Siachen are truly terrifying, and death can strike without notice.

PM’s tribute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a moving tribute to the man who turned out to be the last survivor and struggled valiantly to the end: ‘No words are enough to describe (his) endurance and indomitable courage.’ The tribute fits the nine soldiers who perished in the service of their country. Let us never forget their supreme sacrifice, and feel humbled by their unflinching resolve in the face of adversity.

‘They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old….At the going down of the sun and in the morning/We shall remember them’

ISIL module busted

Indian warships

many more on order), destroyers, cruisers, submarines, anti-submarine corvettes, fast coastal patrol craft and an aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, helicopters and the naval air arm and marines who put on a dazzling display of their special skills. Also present were guest navies from the world’s leading powers, including the US, UK, France, Russia, China and Japan. They were accorded a warm welcome

by President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Robin Dhawan.

Coming of age

What has been eye-catching were the indigenous technologies on show: Indian designed warships with multiple weapon systems.

INS Vikrant, the 40 tonne Indiadesigned and manufactured aircraft carrier, nearing completion, and India’s first nuclear powered

these ISIL operatives were in search of weapons. (Times of India February 10)

New India-Israel defence deal

Measured steps

He has taken his time, with an expert advisory committee at his elbow, he has set about reforming an over-grown system, step by thoughtful step. The eight billion numbers who use the rail services every year are larger than the world’s population, hence the projected modernization has to be sure-footed rather than impulsive. He has decided on three benchmarks: streamlining the bureaucracy, reviving high standards of service and introducing the best available technologies.

Minister Prabhu’s Railway Budget, set to be delivered the weekend prior to the Finance Minister’s national budget will be awaited with interest. (Business Line February 8)

Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad, like nine of his dead colleagues, fell victim to an avalanche. He was comatose at an Army hospital in Delhi and never regained

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Putin award for Indian director Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded the ‘Order of ’Friendship’ to Ramayahi Shanmugan Sundar, Site Director of the Kundakulam Nuclear Power Plant ‘for major contribution for the implementation NPP Kundakulam project.’

The project entails four such plants, one which is operational, the second to go critical in the next few months, and the remaining two to be built. Located near Chennai, Tamil Nadu is the principal beneficiary of the power generation, which it shares with Kerala and Karnataka. (Russia India Report)

Surviving Siachen hero dies

Five days buried under 35 feet of snow and a temperature of minus 45 degrees centigrade, Lance

The Islamic State Iraq, Syria, Lebanon or ISIL, is attempting to spread its terrorist wings in regions beyond the Middle East, notably India, from platforms in Pakistan and Bangladesh. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s foremost anti-terror intelligence body, cracked open an ISIIL module on the eve of Republic Day. ‘While interrogating the arrested persons, we found references to West Bengal,’ said an NIA official. But with time leads began to appear.

Sleuths combing captured mobile conversations, discovered that

UK firms for Smart City hospitals A UK business delegation met Indian Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu to apprise him of its plans to build hospitals in the upcoming 20 Smart Cities across the country.

The idea was first mooted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Britain, when the subject came up in his talks with his British counterpart David Cameron. (Hindu February 9)

US delegation for Smart City entry

A 20-member US Business delegation, led by Bruce Andrews, Deputy Secretary, US Department of Commerce, also called on Minister Naidu to press the case for American companies.

Deputy Secretary Andrews explained: ‘India offers tremendous opportunities for American companies. The Smart City Trade Mission is keen to learn more about the market and new business opportunities. By creating a forum to explore avenues for collaboration, the Mission fosters engagement between the two countries.’ (Hindu February 9)

Sushil Koirala dies

Former Nepali Prime Minister, Sushil Koirala, died in Kathmandu on February 9, aged 78. A veteran politician and longtime President of the Nepali Congress, the largest party by far, Mr Koirala was the architect of his country’s constitution following the fall of the monarchy. His personal and party ties with India were always, warm, friendly and close.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, left, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the signing of several deals in New Delhi. see comment page 3

UK Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

London, Why I’m A Conservative

I am a Conservative. I won’t attack individual candidates in the London Mayoralty elections. But I am a Conservative.

I believe less Government is good, fewer regulations and the resultant greater freedoms. I want as Mayor the person whose first instinct is the same.

They may not always be able to deliver, but I want their instincts, and their values to accord with mine.

I believe that in a City in which transport is so vital, that the Mayor should make getting around and into the City easier for the many. I don’t want a Mayor who feels only the poor and hardest hit in Society should be our first or only priority.

I want a Mayor who recognises it is the employed, the worker, the commuter, the business person who pays the bills, who should be weighed heavily in their considerations.

I don’t want a Mayor who believes in focussing principally on spending money into areas which will not give a return on investment; instead I want a Mayor who believes with a business like mind that spending has to be paid for year after year from recurrent income thanks to investment in earlier years.

In such a rich City, I want a Mayor who understands that those without opportunity get access offered by the wealthiest in their City, whether it is through schemes to locate people in those areas so they can earn from local jobs, making commutes cheaper, or social programmes to ensure professionals in our biggest firms interact

with those who feel disenfranchised.

I believe in a City which is of international importance we need a Mayor who can be a global ambassador and with a business like mind pull in capital from around the world into London; who will fight for this City in Europe and the rest of the world.

I want a Mayor who believes in conservation, tradition, history and looks back at the history of this great City, and not just a rush to demolish and change for the sake of advancement.

I want a Mayor with friends in Central Government, whose political will won’t be impeded by people with whom he needs to work.

The bottom line is that business runs London and London pays for the deficits run by the rest of the United Kingdom – so I need a Mayor who makes it easier not for business alone, but the people who work in those businesses, the regular workers. If they are able to get to work easier, if they are happier with a greener, cleaner London, then London’s businesses are more productive. I need a Mayor who understands it is about making everyone in London more productive, both workers and the untapped unemployed. In a City of immense wealth, I want a Mayor pushing business to help the least advantaged, because it makes business sense, not because of class war.

I think my beliefs are best preserved by voting for the Conservative Party candidate.

Brit Indian leader appointed as a member of the HMRC Charter Committee Leicester based Mr Uday Dholakia has been appointed a member to the new Charter Committee to bring an external perspective to the HMRC's customer service. In a statement, it was announced, "Mr Dholakia brings valuable regulatory perspective and customer interests experience in better regulation in diverse areas including; Electricity Retailing, Broadcasting, Probation Service, Policing, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Solicitors Regulatory

Authority, Food Regulation and Civil Aviation. Mr. Dholakia, who chairs the BIS/ BRDO Trade Facilitation Panel of UK Regulator, is actively developing regulatory links with India, Brazil and East Africa" The new Charter Committee was established as an outcome of the 2014/15 Charter review which looked at Your Charter, Charter Governance and how HMRC further promotes Your Charter across to the

customers. The recruitment of the new Charter Committee was an outcome of the review. Edwina Dunn will chair the new committee as the Board’s Charter champion. The committee includes six other external stakeholders who collectively represent HMRC’s broad customer base – including individuals and businesses, tax professionals and people who have a disability. In line with the recommendations of the review, the Charter Committee were recruited through open competition.

Are you 16-24 years of age? Are you looking for a full time job?

Do you want to improve your qualifications?

The Adult Training Network is here to help you do both

If you live in the Boroughs of Hounslow, Hillingdon or Ealing we have apprenticeship opportunities, with a wide range of local employers, just waiting for you.

We offer accredited courses in Business Admin, ICT, Customer Service & Hospitality

Do you want more information and advice?

Please call or email to make an appointment or to find out more: 020 8570 1311, 020 8574 9588 OR apprenticeship@adult-training.org.uk

13

Domestic violence abuse victim stabs boyfriend to death Sophie Butler (20), was arrested after she allegedly stabbed her partner, Norasab Hussain (33), minutes after he left a message on her mother's phone, saying that Butler should open a brother.

Sophie Butler

A court heard that Butler was suffering from “battered women's syndrome” when she stabbed her boyfriend on 30th May, 2015, at around 4am.

The court heard that Hussain had called for an ambulance for himself.

However, once the paramedics arrived, they were

advised not to go inside until the police arrived. It is said that they got access into the property at around 2pm on 31st May. They found Hussain's body with a 4ins stab wound after Butler shouted out of a window, “Help, help, he is dead, I have killed him.”

Two psychiatrists ruled that Butler was suffering from “battered women's syndrome” after she repeatedly endured domestic abuse by her boyfriend, Norasab Hussain.

The court was also told that she had informed her family, friends, employer and medical staff that she was “subject to ongoing domestic violence at the hands of Mr Hussain”.

During her trial at Leicester Crown Court, Butler denied murder, however, she admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

It was also revealed in court that Hussain had

Norasab Hussain

allegedly been abusive towards his former partners.

Hussain's grieving family expressed, “Sophie Butler hasn't given us the details of what happened that night and we want to know what happened to him. Everyone has problems in relationships but no one deservers to be killed.”

Detective Chief Inspector, Dave Giles said, “The guilty plea to manslaughter is a positive outcome which fully takes account of Sophie Butler's actions in that she unlawfully killed Norasab Hussain.”

14 COMMUNITY

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Zac Goldsmith addresses Brit Hindus in North West London

Zac Goldsmith doing the Aarti with Cllr Ameet Jogia and Cllr Kanti Rabadia at Willesden Temple

In a whistle stop tour of north west London, MP and Mayoral candidate Zac Goldsmith visited a number of community centres and Temples, addressing hundreds of British Indians along the way as he outlined his action plan for Greater London to deliver more homes, better transport, cleaner air and safer streets. Even before being selected, Zac has visited more British Indian places than any other Mayoral candidate.

Ameet Councillor Jogia, who is part of Zac's campaign team said, "Zac is committed to engaging with London's diverse communities and I think the British Indian community appreciates the effort Zac has been making to engage with our community."

Zac has already been part of a number of events, including the renowned Janmastami festival at

Bhaktivedanta Manor and various Navarati and Diwali celebrations.

Last week Zac visited a number of Temples to meet Hindu congregations at Stanmore, Kingsbury and Willesden.

During his visit to Kingsbury, Zac, an avid cricket fan couldn't help taking a few balls on their indoor cricket pitch.

Anant Savani from the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Kingsbury said, "Zac’s visit to Shree Swaminarayan Mandir Kingsbury created quite a buzz with the community here. We have an especially strong relationship with the Mayor’s office, having not only enjoyed recent support for events we’ve held in central London, including Trafalgar Square, but the current Mayor of London himself joined us when Acharya Swamishree Maharaj opened our state-of-theart sports and community

facilities in May 2014."

Speaking to the Asian Voice Zac Goldsmith said, "I absolutely love attending British Indian events, they are so colourful and vibrant and I'm humbled by the warm reception I receive."

"The British Indian community make a tremendous contribution to London. They bestow conservative values with a focus on education, family and entrepreneurship values which help make this city a success.

“But London’s success as great city could be put at risk if Sadiq Khan is elected in May, with the capital used as a four year Corbyn experiment.

“I will stand up for Londoners and work with Government to deliver my Action Plan: more homes, better transport, cleaner air and safer streets - making Greater London a better place to live for all Londoners.”

EXCLUSIVE

Spouse visa funds: All eyes on SC hearing on Feb 22 There is still hope for nonEEA national partners of British citizens, refugees and people settled in the UK to get a fair deal in the spouse/partner visa financial cap imposed by the Government as the Supreme Court granted the permission to hear the appeal in the case of 'MM and Others' on February 22-24 after the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court decision that favoured the affected parties.

In July 2012 controversial new maintenance funds requirements were introduced for spouse/partner visas (affecting non-EEA national partners of British citizens, refugees and people settled in the UK). In effect, these require visa applicants to have available funds equivalent to a mini-

mum gross annual income of £18,600 (or higher in cases including non-EEA national dependent children). In many cases only the British/settled sponsor's employment income can be considered, because the non-EEA national's employment can only be taken into account if they are already in the UK with permission to work.

Various migrants' rights groups started campaigning against the financial requirement, which they consider to be unfair, disproportionate and counter-productive to the Government's intentions.

In June 2013 a report by members of the APPG on Migration called for an independent review of the requirement and its impact.

The Government has made some minor adjust-

ments to the policy, but overall is satisfied that it is operating as intended. It considers that the maintenance rules ensure that families are able to support themselves and the migrant partner's integration without being a burden on the general taxpayer. The lawfulness of the rules has been challenged in the courts.

In July 2013 the High Court found that certain factors in the way the financial requirement is applied represent a very significant interference with British citizens' and refugees' rights. It suggested some alternative ways of applying a financial requirement. However, on 11 July 2014 the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court's decision, following an appeal brought by the Government.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Chinese New Year celebration Dhiren Katwa A special celebration to mark the Chinese New Year of the Money was hosted by Chinese for Labour, a group which promotes the interests of Chinese people in the Labour Party.

Held at Southside, the new headquarters of the Labour Party in London, the prestigious reception featured food, drink, networking and a traditional dragon dance. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was guest of honour, praised the Chinese community for their contribution to the UK adding, “I am committed to building an effective working multicultural society in Britain.” He added: “Our Party has to reach out to all communities not just

running around in the three weeks before an election campaign assuming everybody is going to vote for us because we are brilliant, we are wonderful.”

VIPs included MPs Keith Vaz, Tom Watson, Liam Byrne, Seema Malhotra and Kate Green.

Guests were welcomed by Ashton McGregor and

Sonny Leong CBE, Chinese for Labour’s Vice Chair and Chair, respectively. Speakers included His Excellency Ambassador Liu Xiaoming from the Chinese Embassy and Iain McNicol, Labour’s General Secretary. To find out more about Chinese for Labour visit www.chineseforlabour.org

Continued from page 1 To further add to his joy, the film also won the Best Music Film Grammy, a day after the BAFTA event.

The documentary by Kapadia, who is a Westminster alumnus, had debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, in the summer of 2015.

Deemed as a “tragic masterpiece” by critics, the film depicted the life of the extraordinary musical talent, her rise to fail, her battle with alcohol and drugs, to her early death at the age of 27, in 2011.

Amy Some of Winehouse's musical hits include, Love Is A Losing Game, Back To Black, You Know I'm No Good, In My Bed, and Rehab.

The Westminster alumni, Kapadia used archive footage in the film, including home movies and audio interviews. Although many of Amy's friends took part in the film, her father, Mitch Winehouse was very vocal about his abhorrence for the final product, as he does not feel the film does

justice to the true essence of Amy. In 2015, Mitch Winehouse said that the film concentrated more on Amy's battle with drugs, and neglected her 'sense of fun'. He said, “We are very disappointed, it missed a trick and it was very hurtful for the family. That's what people just don't understand, they saw that film that came out a few months ago- which to me is abhorrent anyway- there is no sense of the fun of Amy. That was how she got through her problems- by laughing. That film. They think Amy died in July 2011 which is true. But it might sound like a cliché, but she comes to work with us ever day. That's what we have got to concentrate.”

Winehouse even plans to make his own film about the life of his daughter. He shared, “It is not going to be a revenge attack on Asif Kapadia, we are looking to do something positive and to talk about some of the positive things in Amy's life- like the foundation, all of Amy's wonderful friends

who were ignored in the film, and the other creative work Amy did. There are so many great things in Amy's life that were missed in that film. It was a great opportunity that Asif Kapadia had and he didn't grab it. Everyone had heard that rubbish. Let's hear something new about Amy, and this is what this is about- creativity and positivity.”

Despite Mitch Winehouse's disapproval of this film, it went on to beat the box office records for a British documentary, and looks like a very likely winner at the upcoming Oscar Academy awards.

While receiving the award at the ceremony, Asif Kapadia said, “In the end, it was all about Amy. We really fell in love with her when making the film.

And our aim and mission was really to try and tell the truth about her. To show the world what an amazing person she was, how intelligent, how witty, how beautiful she was, before it all kind of got out of control and went a bit crazy.”

A further appeal was made to the Supreme Court. In the meantime, the minimum income requirement remains in force. UK Visas and Immigration is resuming consideration of applications that had been put on hold pending the outcome of the Court of Appeal case.

The Supreme Court granted permission to hear the appeal in the case of 'MM and Others' on the minimum income requirement for partner visas in the Immigration Rules.

According BritCits, a registered charity, run by Sonel Mehta (founder), the Supreme Court will now hear the case with MM as the lead appeal on 22-24 February, with the other cases to only deal with the

points that MM has not dealt with.

Prior to 9 July 2012, parents of immigrants, who have acquired British citizenship and rights to live in this country were allowed to bring their dependents to live with them here, provided the applicant was able to look after them financially.

However post 9th July 2012, reviews to the immigration rules especially to the Adult Dependant Relative (ADR) route, made a mockery out of family values. Yet the government continues to make misleading statements suggesting migrants are welcome here as long as they are not a burden on taxpayers, or have no recourse to public funds.

The new rule also violates the sanctity of marriage in causing the separation of families, keeping citizens in exile, even forcing British children unnecessarily into a single-parent upbringing. It actually undermines the reality that family members being allowed to join their British family is beneficial to the UK – more taxpayers through additional household incomes.

The case to be heard at the Supreme Court from 22-24th February (Court room 1, open to public), as it is believed that some of the arguments in relation to the rights of British citizens under Article 8, to live in the UK with family, may well influence the ADR issues too.

From left: Liam Byrne, Kate Green, Seema Malhotra, Chinese Ambassador, Sonny Leong CBE and Iain McNicol

‘Amy’ wins Kapadia his BAFTA

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

British man arrested in India for false promise of marriage after sex

SP

TLIGHT

Ayisha Malik:

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

15

The Muslim Bridget Jones Sunetra Senior

First-time novelist, Ayisha Malik, is expanding the literary landscape – and also the minds of the British public with her spritely, new Romcom, ‘Sofia is Not Obliged’.

The title perfectly captures the book’s unapologetic energy, wherein we are presented with a fresh and humorous perspective on the world of Muslim dating.

We follow the turns and trials of Sofia, a thirty-something Hijabi woman, trying to balance her job in the publishing industry and the hard work of an errant love-life, while also doing her darnedest to maintain a sense of self.

“That’s actually how my story differs from Fielding’s Bridget Jones” Malik told us, “though Bridget was truly wonderful in her time, and there are many parallels with Sofia e.g both characters are very loveable and relatable, my heroine is more contemporary. Today, we might feel slightly uncomfortable with the focus Fielding had on dating, and finding a boyfriend as an end in itself.

Much of my book is based on the same theme of struggling against awkward social expectation, but does not show marriage for the sake of marriage; there’s more to it than that. It’s bigger.” Indeed, the most exciting element of Malik’s novel is what it says about the wider zeitgeist: “I wanted Sofia’s being a Muslim to come across very organically. It’s really showing the everyday life of a Muslim woman; how ultimately, her dating life is not that different to that in mainstream western culture”. Now available to buy on Amazon and from bookstores across the country, the gradual emotional integration exhibited

by Malik’s main character in the narrative, at once reflects a more unified representation in society.

Crispin Lamont

A 40-year-old British man, who has been living in India for the past 10 years has been arrested as he allegedly told a woman that he would marry her so that she would sleep with him.

Crispin Lamont, from Perth, Scotland, had allegedly met the 30-yearold woman on Facebook.

The alleged victim reportedly agreed to sleep with him after he told her he would marry her.

After allegedly sleeping with her, Lamont, who runs a chain of gyms in

Delhi, left her. She then reported him to the police, who arrested him. He was charged with rape as according to Indian law, if a woman sleeps with a man after consenting in the false believe of marriage afterwards, the man can be charged with rape.

It is said that Lamont has also made claims that he is a Guinness World Record holder, a former British Army officer, a national downhill slalom skier and a karate champion.

Indian-Israeli actress to star in Casualty

Nicole Abraham

Nicole Abraham, has just bagged herself a role in BBC One's emergency medical drama series, Casualty. This was followed by her stint in another medical drama, Doctors.

She is the daughter of an Indian journalist rom Kerala, Philip Abraham, who is better known to the people of Kerala as the editor of Kerala Link. Philip Abraham is also the councillor of Loughton Town Council.

Nicole always had an inkling towards musical theatre and used to perform with a troupe called West End Kids, when she used to be a young girl.

After leaving school, she focused more on performing arts and for the last three-and-a-half years, she has become active in the theatre and television circuit.

She shared, “Even when I was doing my degree in Literature and Writing, acting remained my passion and I used to go to acting classes on the weekends.”

Her role as a runaway teenager in Casualty will be aired in March.

Nicole has been auditioning for several roles and like many aspiring actors, she would like to work in films as well.

What gave you the idea for the novel, Sophia Khan is Not Obliged?

A mixture of having heard about other people’s Muslim dating experiences and my own, and just loving Bridget Jones. The structure and tone of the novels are very similar. I also wanted to reflect how Asian women feel today; we are driven towards our careers as much as finding someone and settling down. While the latter is still a part of life, we are not just sitting around waiting.

The book is about Muslim dating and the dating scene at large; could you give us some highlights?

Sofia meets a variety of people online, one of whom does end up being a love interest. She also meets a lot of unsavoury people, which all makes good fodder for the dating book she is compiling for work. One of the dates she goes on, for example, is just one of these blah encounters– they spend a couple of hours having coffee – and there is nothing to it. But then the man messages her with the egotistical assumption that she’ll want to see him again. When she doesn’t reciprocate, he angrily responds with an aggressive character assassination. It gives you that insight into how the dating world can be; that level of expectation of some Asian men, that just because a woman is in her thirties, she should be grateful for any attention.

At one point, Sofia unduly gets some abuse from a passenger who calls her ‘a terrorist’. Does cultural identity come into the novel in very incidental way?

Yes, I couldn’t ignore the negative bias and Muslim coverage in the media, and it was always going to be about a Hijabi Muslim navigating her way through London. I felt it would be disingenuous not to add the sort of things happening to a lot of people in

When you are that passionate about writing, you can't not do it!

the community. At the same time, it is a light-hearted, every day aspect of life that the novel is centred on, so it wouldn’t make much sense to talk about how difficult it is for everyone.

Cultural experience is there as food for thought, where unfortunately hostility is a part of the surrounding climate.

How did you get into writing?

I’ve navigated my through life with the view of getting published. I did a MA in creative writing, during which I was recommended to find a job in a publishing house as the best way to get into the business. You learn more about people and the industry; I was told ‘even if you get a position as a cleaner, take it!’ Finally, I ended up as a publicity assistant with Penguin Random House. A lot of the novel draws from this journey and my experiences along the way.

How did you stay motivated while writing the book?

The sheer will to finish! You love and hate the writing in equal measure.

Many times I would wake up and wonder ‘why am I doing this to myself?’ because you do think about a project you are investing so much time and energy into. But when you are that passionate about writing, you can't not do it!

'Sofia Khan is Not Obliged' by Ayisha Malik is out now (Twenty7, £7.99)'

I wanted to reflect how Asian women feel today

What are your top three writing tips?

Finish the first draft, and don’t edit as you go along. If you do that, you kill the flow of the story. Secondly; once you finish it, don’t look back for 6-8 weeks. Come back to it with a fresh perspective. Thirdly: get professional feedback. Don’t be afraid to do that.

Finally, what would be your advice to other young writers?

The publishing world is challenging; it’s not just about talent, but also your tenacity. You will have to accept several rejections and still not give up.

16

UK COMMUNITY

'MAJORITY OF MUSLIMS IN INDIA AG Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Economist, Author and Former Cabinet Minister Subramanian Swamy in K

Anand Pillai Islamic fundamentalism is no doubt growing, but within India its impact is still controllable, said economist, author and former Cabinet Minister, Dr Subramanian Swamy, on Sunday (February 14).

He was speaking at “Driven by Dharma – an audience with Dr Subramanian Swamy”, an event organised, hosted and supported by National Council of Hindu Temples (UK), Karma Yoga Foundation and Hindu Forum of Britain.

“I will not say it’s not serious but it is controllable because I find in our democracy, in our Parliament, in our polity, in our newspapers – a very overwhelming majority of Muslims who think this is their end if Islamic fundamentalism were to succeed.

In India a vast majority of Muslims will not speak out because of the threat that they might face from their radical elements, but in private conversations I would say an overwhelming majority of Muslims are not in favour of these jihadi Muslims because they know it will ultimately be a very bad situation.”

On tackling the menace, Dr Swamy said first the Hindus should be clear in their mind. The Muslim leadership is clear in its mind what it wants. The problem with Hindus is they all suffer from ‘Arjuna Disease’ – referring to Arjuna’s confused mind at the start of the battle of Mahabharata.

“If you decide to fight then you must plan to fight.

Although I don’t have a specific answer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mind is very clear and we are preparing for the possibility that the ISIS, Pak ISI, Taliban, Pak Army and al Qaida will wage a war with India. After the 10 years of corruption and lack of procurement of proper arms, we need at least two years to fill the gaps and after that the options will be available to us to do any retaliatory action, if any. ISIS has declared that India is an unfinished chapter of Islamic history. Well, we will finish that chapter for them. But yes, it’s a matter of worry,” Dr Swamy said.

He said there’s no such thing in the Constitution called unfettered absolute fundamental rights. The right to speak, the right to worship – everything is subject to reasonable restrictions. “So, therefore we will give an appropriate reply” for what people propagate.

He said these are only handful of people. Some of them are motivated from abroad. “Vast majority of Indians, particularly youth, are extremely nationalistic and very optimistic about the future and therefore you don’t

IN COMMAND: Dr Subramanian Swamy shares a light moment with National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) President Rashmikant Joshi (right), National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) General Secretary Satish K Sharma (left) and Hindu Forum of Britain President Trupti Patel at Shakti Hall on Sunday.

FOCUSED: National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) President Rashmikant Joshi delivering his speech on the occasion.

have to worry. We do have a reply.”

Throwing light on the status of Krishna temple in Mathura and Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Dr Swamy said: “Not only the Ram temple in Ayodhya will be built but also we are determined that the Krishna temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath temple are built at where they are stood. The question is about the sequencing. If the Ram temple principles are accepted, the other two become very easy. We have taken, in fact, the most difficult project – how to put across legally that we have a case.”

He said Hindus in India have suffered this for a long time. In Saudi Arabia they don’t let you build a temple. If you do so you will be in trouble. In most of the Arab coun-

tries you cannot hold a Sathyanaraya puja inside the house. Recently Kuwait expelled 9 people for holding Sathyanaraya puja inside their house. Let alone celebrating Diwali, even putting a picture of Shri Ramchandra in pocket when you go to work is not allowed in Saudi Arabia. You will otherwise suffer a heavy prison sentence, he added.

He said once the Ram temple is done, other two will fall in place. About the other 39,997 masjids, “Well, the RSS, VHP and others examined these and came to conclusion to bury the past history – these 3 you give, and forget the others. I have proposed to the Muslim community what I call the Krishna package (just like give me 5 villages or face Mahabharata war) – ‘Give us 3 temples and

TAKING QUESTIONS: Dr Subramanian Swamy speaking on the occasion as National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) General Secretary Satish K Sharma looks on.

keep 39,997 masjids’. Among Muslims, the Shias are with us, Bohras are with us, Sufis are with us. It’s only the hardcore Sunnis who are not with us. We have to isolate them. I am sure they will also come around. I am sure the Krishna package will be accepted, paving the way to peace and Hindu-Muslim unity.”

Muslim emperors had demolished 40,000 temples across India during their reign.

Dr Swamy said never be afraid of unwelcome developments in life. “What I try to educate people is – welcome negative developments, adverse moments, lean period, wilderness, and try to overcome them. This can be done by reading biographies.

By reading such books one can learn how best of leaders

bounced back in life when things seemed hopeless.”

Dr Swamy said the philosophy to imbibe is – “You have to understand that you are not an agent of change, events are the agents of change. Events are not in your control. You have to be positioned. When the event happens, you have to seize it.

Be relevant. Let people say anything. Do what you have to do. But one day there will be change in the events. The situation will change and you will be victorious.”

On declaring India as a Hindu state, Dr Swamy said: “None of us in India are in favour of declaring India as a Hindu state – the reason is we are already a Hindu state.

Why do I say we are already a Hindu state? Look at our Constitution. It says cow slaughter should be banned.

It does not say pigs should be ostracised or pig meat should not be eaten. But it does say cow slaughter should be banned. It says Sanskrit vocabulary is the only vocabulary that Hindi should use.

Therefore, all the main demands of Hindus are already there in the Constitution, except that the Constitution does not say that we are a Hindu state.

Moreover, we have never declared ever that we are a Hindu state. No Raja has ever declared that we are a Hindu state. Even Shivaji only said Hindu Rashtra. That is a nation of Hindus. But his commander-in-chief was a Muslim. That’s why we are truly secular. So let’s not propagate that we should be a Hindu state. It’s not a panacea. The demands of Hindus are already there in

UK COMMUNITY Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

17

GAINST ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM’

-voice.com

AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Krishna mode, offers Muslims to keep 39,997 mosques in return of 3 temples

CYNOSURE OF ALL EYES: Dr Subramanian Swamy seen with the team and volunteers of National Council of Hindu Temples (UK), Hindu Forum of Britain, Virat Hindustan Sangam and being interviewed by a TV channel on the occasion. Dr Swamy frankly spoke on various political and religious issues at the event.

POSING FOR THE CAMERA: Dr Subramanian Swamy with Gujarat Samachar News Editor Kamal Rao on the occasion.

the Constitution, it’s a question of implementing them.”

On propagation of Sanskrit language, Dr Swamy urged everyone to try to become, if possible, Sanskrit teachers for young children – that is teaching only conversational Sanskrit. “You don’t have to become a pandit.

Hold a one-hour Sanskrit class one day a week. At the time don’t speak any other language other than Sanskrit.

Sanskrit does induce in your body certain positive changes.”

When asked whether media have become antinational and is there a need to control them, Dr Swamy said: “No, it’s too sweeping a comment to say the entire media have become anti-national.

The best way for dealing with media is not to believe everything they say without cross-

checking. Read as many papers as possible as you will get the truth by reading different papers. Yes, some are slanted against you.”

Dr Swamy said one should have a good mindset to be in a winning position.

He said mindset is an attitude. “To develop mindset – remove fear by reading the Bhagavad Gita, learn the correct history of India and learn Sanskrit language. Do these things, everything will come automatically. Then you will find opportunities for you by which you can fight the way I have fought. I am not extraordinary. I am just ordinary.

The only thing is these are some of the things I have acquired which have become part of my armoury. Also, if you can learn some law parttime, it will be good for you.

Law is the weapon of modern

BRAINSTORMING SESSION: The audience at the event.

democracy. And it empowers you in a way that nothing empowers you. You have to live a simple, straightforward life and don’t hanker after the luxuries of life. They will come any way because of your karma. But don’t hanker after it. If you dedicate yourself then it is very easy to make this country into a great nation.”

He said if you are a coward no matter how much knowledge you have, you cannot win. You may have lot of strength, lot of people with you, but that doesn’t mean you will be strong. “Thousand goats in a group will run away seeing a tiger because fear is in their mind.”

He said one should not have irrational fear. A fighter must have certain characteristics. The Bhagavad Gita gives you all the dimensions of the mindset.

“The Gita says you have only one right in your life and that is the right of action.

Your action produces result, but you have no right on it.

You will get reward for your karma, but in what form it will come, when it will come – that only I (Lord Krishna) will decide. If you develop this attitude that I have only the right to act, the results of it are not in my hands, it is up to God, I have only freedom to act – the moment you live life with this mindset, you will not have stress. The moment the feeling of failure goes away from your mind, and you say this is my duty, I have to do it – you will become very strong. So if you want to fight, don’t fight thinking of the consequences that could happen to you or thinking of whether you will succeed or fail. Think that it is the right thing to do and therefore you

fight.”

So the fear of the future will immediately go if you decide something is right to do. Of course you have to plan it well. You should not be rash. But if you ever start thinking that what if this doesn’t work, what will happen to me – then you can never be a fighter, Dr Swamy added. Also, you can never tell when failure is actually success and when success is failure. It is difficult to say.

“At least in my life every time I have failed, I have risen to new heights,” Dr Swamy said.

He said mindset can be developed by meditation, good habits, rising early, doing yoga, pranayam – “these things will stand you in good stead in terms of good health and equanimity to deal with situations”.

Dr Swamy said: “Gandhiji said whenever you do or say something good for the public, first the media and others will ignore you, then they will criticise you, and finally they will surrender to you.”

That is what happened with Gandhiji also. When he started his movement in 1910s and 1920s, he was criticsed and today he is considered a great messiah, Dr Swamy added.

He said: “Similarly, Veer Savarkar said ‘With you if possible, without you if necessary and in spite of you, if it is inevitable’ – that’s the attitude you have to have. With you if you are willing; without you if you are not; and in spite of you if you oppose.”

Dr Swamy said the Indian history books need to be rewritten so that children are brought up with a new mindset. Take pride in your past,

not shame. No inferiority complex. Learn correct history of India to get rid of the distorted version of history.

“We have to have our identity that we are all one people.

Then you will feel pride in fighting for it. And one of the ways of doing it is to make your children learn Sanskrit.

Sanskrit learning itself produces positive internal changes,” he added.

Dr Swamy said you must know your mind and you must prepare your mind. You should not be afraid. The first thing that the mind must develop is the self-confidence and courage. He said intelligence has seven components – cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, moral intelligence, social intelligence, spiritual intelligence, environmental intelligence and innovative intelligence and they must be developed.

National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) President Rashmikant Joshi, National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) General Secretary Satish K Sharma, National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) Communication Officer Pt. Madhu V Shashtri, and Hindu Forum of Britain President Trupti Patel were present on the occasion.

National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) General Secretary Satish K Sharma anchored the programme, while Hindu Forum of Britain President Trupti Patel summarised the key points of the event. National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) President Rashmikant Joshi thanked Karma Yoga Foundation for their support and Mr CB Patel for allowing Shakti Hall to be used as the venue for the event. CB Patel has been a patron of the Hindu Forum of Britain.

National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) Communication Officer Pt. Madhu V Shashtri thanked Gujarat Samachar News Editor Kamal Rao for providing all the logistic support for the proper functioning of the event. Mr Rao was felicitated

by Dr Subramanian Swamy with a shawl on the occasion.

More than 100 people from various walks of life attended the programme.

Hindu Forum of Britain's Company Director Haribhai Halai was also present.

The event was a huge success and a great example of what Hindus working together can achieve i.e. the National Council of Hindu Temples (UK), Hindu Forum of Britain and Karma Yoga Foundation, supported by the young volunteers of Virat Hindustan Sangam-GB. The forum also took questions from the audience regarding various political and religious issues on the occasion. The event concluded with Shanti Mantra prayers.

18

ASIANVOICE

Asian Voice | 20thFebruary 2016

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel

Dear Financial Voice Reader, It’s barely 6 weeks into the year and I have already been to Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, with San Francisco this month also and then India thereafter.

(My wife is working in San Francisco – I’m just tagging along – just how I like it!).

When it comes to finance and making money, you know the most important lesson? It’s not always about how much you make, but how much you get to keep.

And when you travel as much of the world as I do, you end up doing deals with people from many countries.

And I’ve noticed over the years certain characteristics of people from certain countries. So if you are doing global business – here are some points of advice: Country A The people from this country always want to pay after the event, and always have excuses why they cannot. Essentially they cost me the most time in chasing them for payment. On the whole I try to get the money upfront, or avoid them generally – because once they get what they want, they don’t deny you did a great job, they just can’t seem to get their banking in order!

Others are very keen to steal and bribe to get ahead.

Country B The business people from this country talk big, usually claim to be royalty somewhere along the line, but sooner or later will ask you for money upfront before they can do their part of the deal.

Country C The people from this country I’ve found to be a bit freeloading. Here they will basically do very little, and then when the money comes from your efforts, their hand is out. Not confined to the people from this country alone, but this place has more than its fair share.

Country D The people from this country are very formal, and easily offended and strangely persistent even with terrible ideas.

Country E I’ve had the nicest experience and most fairness from people from this country. Indeed it’s known for its fairness.

Country F They talk a big game, and indeed deliver and pay up, then sooner or later decide they want out and will make excuses to try to blame you why things are not as they wanted them. Dishonest, and I try to avoid them too.

Country G I really don’t get the people from this place. I don’t think they want to even do business, just have a photo.

Very cliquey. Only want to work with their own.

Now, this is not very scientific, but here is the quiz.

Can you guess which countries I’m referring to from this list: UK, India, US, Nigeria, China, Japan, Australia

Indian minister seeks foreign equity in food retail Punjab has proven that foreign equity in food retail with 100 per cent local sourcing can be a win-win formula for everyone, union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said in Mumbai.

"I still oppose FDI in multi-brand retail, but my demand is FDI with 100 per cent sourcing only in the agricultural sector," she said on the margins of the 'Make in India Week.'

Walmart has 20 of its 25 outlets in Punjab and no kirana (grocery) shop has been driven out of business there, Harsimrat said, adding, "There is space for everyone to exist."

India currently allows at least on paper - up to 51 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in multibrand retailing. But no proposal has been approved as the current

government has not yet firmed up its stand on the subject and continues to hold consultations.

Far from displacing small traders, foreign equity in multi-brand retailing will boost India's agro industry in a big way, the minister said. Harsimrat said the "sunrise sector" of food processing currently accounted for only two per cent of the perishable produce and needed to do much more.

"It will benefit the consumer by reducing inflation, will reduce wastage, increase availability of fresh and processed variety of food at a stable price, and improve farming technology," she earlier said.

India allows 100 per cent FDI in food processing except for alcohol, beer, and sectors reserved for small-scale industries.

www.asian-voice.com

Seize the opportunity; Modi tells India Inc, global investors AsianVoiceNews

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has yet again managed to charm global investors, highlighting India's growth story and promising policy reforms to make business easier, including a transparent tax regime. “Come, make India your workplace.

This is the best time ever to be in India and it's even better to Make in India,” Modi told an audience of business and political delegates from 68 countries at the launch of the Make in India Week 2016 in Mumbai.

“We have carried out a number of corrections on the taxation front. We have said that we would not resort to retrospective taxation. And I repeat this commitment. We are also swiftly working towards making our tax regime transparent, stable and predictable with an all-round emphasis on ease of doing business,” he said. Addressing the leaders of different countries, he said, “My friendly advice to you is: don't wait, don't relax. Seize the opportunity and invest. If you take one step, my government will take two steps. We have already enacted a law for fast-tracking of arbitration proceedings. We are establishing dedicated commercial courts and commercial division in high courts. The transformation of the com-

Narendra Modi

pany tribunal is in the final stages.”

The PM also stressed the theme of “minimum government and maximum governance,” saying that to the advantages of the largest democracy, demography and demand, the government has added deregulation, which industries should cash on.

“Investment growth has shown 27 per cent increase through new proposals.” He said foreign direct investment grew by 48 per cent in 2015, the highest ever, at a time when it was falling across the world due to recession.” Modi promised huge growth in the manufacturing sector, which, he said should contribute 25 per cent to the GDP. This is not the time for incremental changes but quantum jumps, he stated. He also highlighted the Start Up India, Stand Up India initiative, promising to reduce patent fees by 80 per cent

to promote young and promising entrepreneurship. “Our government's concept of Stand Up India, Start Up India will serve the younger generation's aspirations and unleash greater employment and economic growth.”

“This century belongs to Asia. I would like to invite all those who are here and those not here to participate and make it your century.”

Make in India Week, which will run till February 18 at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, aims to showcase the country as an international manufacturing destination. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said his government had signed MoUs with three companies on the first day of the event. It is said to be the biggest business expo hosted by the country, with 68 countries expected to participate. The launch was attended by the Prime

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Ministers of Sweden and Finland and the Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and a host of industrialists including Oracle's global CEO Safra Catz.

Referring to his Make in India initiative which began last year as “the biggest brand India had ever created,” Modi said his government wanted to make India into a global manufacturing hub.

“When we started Make in India, the manufacturing growth was 1.7%. In the current quarter, it is expected to be 12.6%,“ Modi said.

He also said investment proposals in the last eight months had shot up by 27%.

Modi said the country had jumped 12 places in the World Bank rankings in the “ease of doing business” and 16 places in the World Economic Forum's global competitiveness index. Year 2016 will witness the highest ever coal production in the country. And 2015 saw the highest ever electricity generation and the largest production of motor vehicles in India, Modi added.

On new schemes in the pipeline, Modi said the formation of a Company Law Tribunal was in its final stages and that dedicated commercial courts were also being set up along with commercial divisions in high courts.

Jet, Etihad become fastest growing airlines in India UAE national carrier Etihad and Jet Airways have become two of the fastest growing airlines in India, due to their partnership which allowed both the airlines to collectively use Abu Dhabi as a hub for Indian globetrotters to travel between their country and the rest of the world. Directorate General of Civil Aviation data on international traffic for calendar year 2015, shows that the top 10 airlines in terms of flying passengers to and from the country mostly remained the same as last

year, except for that Etihad entered the list at 5, by flying 2140,000 passengers in and out of India. It was at number 16 in 2014 with a traffic of under 1000,000.

Jet Airways remained the single largest airline here in terms of interna-

tional passenger carriage, carrying 7070,000 flyers in and out of India in 2015.

While Etihad's growth over 100 per cent growth in India is mainly because of its competitive pricing, Jet has witnessed a surge in international passengers as it feeds into Etihad's hub at Abu Dhabi from 10 Indian cities. Together, both the airways carried around 9210,000 people in 2015, almost a million more than Air India and AI Expresss' combined figure of 8230,000.

Thanks to the Jet-

Etihad tie-up, now the top 10 airlines by international passenger carriage have four Indian and six Gulf carriers. Indian carriers' that fly abroad - AI group, Jet, IndiGo and SpiceJet together flew 18 million people in and out of India last year and Gulf carriers together were not far behind at about 15 million.

While Etihad India head could not be contacted, top travel industry figures in India said Etihad has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to woo Indian flyers.

Wipro buys US health services firm for $ 460 mn Wipro, in its fourth acquisition in less than six months, and its biggest since the $ 600 million buyout of Inocrossing in 2007, is all set to buy USbased insurance technology platform HealthPlan Services for $ 460 million.

The company fills a critical gap for Wipro. Last month, Wipro vice-chairman TK Kurien had said that insurance had “been a drag from just the time I took over in February 2011, till now.” He also said the company had not found a good candidate to buy.

HealthPlan Services offers technology platforms and

business process as a service (BPaaS) solutions to healthcare insurance companies in the US. It calls itself the US' largest independent provider of sales, benefits administration, retention, reform and technology solutions to the

insurance and managed care industries. It had $ 233 million in revenue in 2015, compared to $ 188 million in the previous year. It employs over 2,000 associates. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Obama administration has dramatically altered the health insurance landscape in the US. It established insurance exchanges (marketplaces) that Americans could use to obtain affordable coverage from competing private healthcare providers. “The partnership with HealthPlan Services positions Wipro to partici-

pate in the shift of the US health insurance industry towards a consumer-centric business model,” said Jeffrey Heenan Jalil, head of the healthcare life sciences and services business of Wipro.

“This will help us lower the cost of healthcare and transform the quality of the member experience,” he said. Jeff Bak, CEO of HealthPlan Services, said the combination of the two companies will give players the power to accelerate growth strategies while providing both BPaaS and competitive administrative service solutions.

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

REALESTATEVOICE Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Going with the flow

19

The market is changing, and we are having to change with it, in order to ensure we do not go down a dead end road.

The values at the higher end are softening, we have felt this in particular with a project which was earmarked as a high end house, because that is what the area demands, however we are having to go back to the drawing board to revisit the situation.

It is better to face the reality now than delay the problem or bury it.

The property was purchased as two flats in St John’s Wood, under one freehold title. This was good as it reduced the stamp duty we paid, at the time we tried to put a case in for four flats to reduce the stamp duty even further but our lawyer was not having any of it.

So on the basis of two flats we got a good reduction in stamp duty.

This point of not purchasing one house and instead two flats, has become pivotal in revaluating the deal.

There are rules which allow you to have a maximum of six tenancies as long as you have communal facilities to use, without the need for planning or any further regulation apart from those you would have in place already, such as gas safety.

This dispenses with the need for planning, and also prevents the property from being labelled as a HMO. This is a label which will devalue the property in the future and is a label which will be difficult to peel off at a later date. The reason is the Local Authority like cheap accommodation in the Borough because this allows normal people, like teachers and nurses to live there. Without this type of supply, they would be priced out of the borough.

Having two flats means the above can be implemented in both the separate dwellings, so in this case there would be six units in the flat below and six in the flat above.

You can rent a studio in this location any day of the week, the occupancy rate in prime London is 98.6%. This means whatever the market does, the rent will continue to flow in from this investment.

This in effect gives you some insulation from market conditions.

The alternative was to develop a £4.5m house and wait for the sale to occur. If it didn’t the option of rental is there, however the yield would be terribly low and this would affect refinancing, and it would be difficult to extract money from this. A BTL mortgage is based firstly on rental cover, the loan to value is almost irrelevant when considering BTL properties in London. The rate the capital growth has gone up by the rentals have not been able to keep pace.

And BTL mortgages have a rental cover meaning the rent typically has to be 125% of the monthly mortgage amount. So if your mortgage is £1,000 pm the rental needs to be £1,250pm. This is not easily achievable in Central London, we have just finished a development in Bryanstan Square W1 and the rental will be less than 2%. This causes an issue with the amount of money you can bor-

row. The valuation and the loan to value becomes redundant as the rental cover takes precedent and is the governing factor on how much can be borrowed.

The current mortgage products do not suit the prime spots of the London market. However I have heard there are products out there which allow you to borrow more to compensate for the deficiency in rent, using the same principal a bridging loan works, where all the interest is taken upfront. The issue is when you come to refinance you will be restricted in choice. This is a start but clearly is a long way off from addressing the issue.

Who knows if the rental demand and amounts are strong enough we may keep to this model on a long term basis.

The market evolves and you need to evolve with it, sticking to the original plan of things will cause more pain than moving to its tune.

BTL as a whole is changing. It is no longer necessarily the best way to hold property in one’s personal name when investing in property, in fact it could become a burden to do so from a cash flow perspective.

This does not mean property will become dead as an investment class, this is a difficult scenario to imagine occurring in the UK, rather the rules will change and to invest you will need to move with it.

We will be launching an investment deal which will aim to neutralise the anticipated changes which are due to occur and allow you to invest without paying over the odds in stamp duty.

This will be announced at our seminar on the 25th February 2016 in Wembley, currently we have packaged one deal in this way which ticks all the boxes. We expect the take up to be strong once investors are informed of the issues surrounding holding property on an individual basis. The amount of money this one deal can take up is limited as we only have the one for the moment.

The property has no planning risk, it is producing income from day one. The finance rates will be high street rates, it’s a plain vanilla deal which is designed to be held for the long term. The property is within a regeneration area which is anticipated to grow strongly over medium to long term.

There is a possibility for an enhancement in this investment by adding another floor to the block, the deal however is not sold on this basis, and stands strong on its own legs.

If you are interested in attending the seminar call the office to register your place.

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

27 Gloucester Place, London W1U 8HU

Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week

l Pooling funds with other investors not only spreads risk – it also boosts your buying power, opening up opportunities to own a share in a trophy asset with a relatively small outlay.

l A property crash is not like a stock market crash, you cannot lose all your money as the property is tangible, it doesn’t disappear.

20

LEGALVOICE

VISA BYTES

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Maria Fernandes

There have been 2 major reports which have made recommendations for further changes to working routes in the skilled and unskilled sector.

Skilled The Migration Advisory Committee was asked to carry out a wide ranging review and to recommend proposals for restricting numbers of migrant workers.

It has made the following recommendation: • The minimum salary threshold should rise to £30,000 to reflect the current degree-level skill requirement for Tier 2. As the typical pay of migrants in some occupations, such as healthcare and teaching, is below the new proposed threshold the MAC recommends this new minimum is phased in.

• An Immigration Skills Charge should be introduced, to act as a skills levy on firms using migrant labour. The revenue accumulated from the charge could be used to help raise skills in the domestic jobs market through training, and decrease the demand for migrant labour.

• That there should be a limit placed on in country switches in line with out of country limits.

• That the Government commission a more indepth review of skills shortages within the IT industry.

• That use of the Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) route for third-party contracting (which is primarily being used for IT contracts) be moved into a separate route and a higher salary threshold at £41,500 be applied. There is a view that costs are lower where there are migrant employees and that this depresses the overall costs giving them an advantage over companies that do not hire overseas labour.

• Extending the qualifying period with the company overseas for intra-company transfers from 12 months to 2 years for the short-term and long-term routes.

• There should be an active review of the jobs on the Shortage Occupation List. Employers should provide sufficient evidence when an occupation has been on the list for a number of years.

• Tier 2 (General) should not be is restricted only to occupations only on an expanded shortage occupation list (which was an option favoured by the Home Office) • There should be no restrictions on automatic work rights for dependents Domestic workers Following pressure about the effect of restrictions on the ability of domestic workers to escape from abusive employers, the government finally commissioned a review of the domestic worker arrangements which has reported back with very interesting findings. The key recommendations are as follows: • That all overseas domestic workers be granted the right to change employer. The absence of a right to change employers (tied employment) is incompatible with reasonable provision to protect them from abuse and harm.

• apply for annual extensions, provided they are in work as domestic workers in a private home The review finds that such extensions do not need to be indefinite, and overseas domestic workers should not have a right to apply for settlement in the UK in order to be adequately protected • that after extensions totalling up to 2 ½ years ( as opposed to the current 6 months) overseas domestic workers are required to leave the UK

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

Gujarat offers new incentives The Gujarat government has announced a new IT&ITes Policy offering several incentives, with a view to support and match with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India programme and promote the state's IT industry. The policy aims to increase investment, exports and turnover of the field and employment creation. The policy promises many incentives for creating IT and ITes parks as well as IT units.

Some of the main sops

include facilitation of land allotment, capital subsidy, stamp duty and registration concession, power tariff subsidy and electricity duty reimbursements, lease rental subsidy and VATCSTGST incentives.

The policy has also emphasised on innovation, entrepreneurship, setting up of educational and R&D institutions apart from focusing on financial services, mobile applications, animation, 3D gaming, digital entertainment, cloud and big data.

www.asian-voice.com

3 Indian banks suffer massive losses following bad loans AsianVoiceNews

Three state-run lenders; Central Bank of India, Dena Bank and Allahabad Bank have reported massive losses, prompting concerns over the unsteady state of the financial sector. “The surgery is not over... Something which has to be cleaned up has to cleaned up.

Everybody has to undergo the pain,” PNB managing director and CEO Usha Ananthasubramaniam said.

The trends available from the December-end quarter results and ICICI Bank's performance pointed towards tough times for other lenders as well following the Reserve Bank of India's bad loan clean-up drive. Analysts expect bank profitability to remain under stress for at least another quarter as RBI has given lenders two quarters to provide adequately for loans that are under pressure. Many steel and infrastructure companies are on the list where banks have had to keep aside more funds, known as provisioning, to stay within the regulator's red line. The banking sector has been in a bad state as bad loans soared following the impact of economic slowdown, which dented the books of companies after borrowed excessively during the boom

years to fund projects, some of which never took off. As a result, the volume of stressed assets were estimated at around £80 billion. Unlike previously, new rules mandate that banks set aside funds for potential losses to avoid ballooning of risk when loans actually turn into a non-performing asset. A loan is classified as an NPA if an instalment remain unpaid for 90 days.

This time, RBI's diktat after an asset quality review has gone beyond what banks classify as NPAs to include loans that were sticky. As a result, at the end of December 2015, the strict norms pushed up PNB, Central Bank and Dena Bank stock of gross NPAs by at least 49 per cent over the year ago level.

For Dena Bank, nearly a tenth of its advances have turned NPAs, while the ratio of gross NPA to

advances for PNB was only marginally lower at 8.5 per cent of their total loans, levels which have not been seen in nearly 15 years when a massive systemic overhaul was undertaken, including legal changes. Powered by a surging economy gross NPAs of commercial banks had declined from over 12 per cent in 2000-01, to a little under 2.5 per cent in 2008-09. However, loans started coming under stress after the 2008 financial crisis but RBI and the government sought to protect banks through a set of special measures.

The sustained slowdown, however, pushed RBI to finally crack the whip late last year as the ratio of NPAs and restructured loans where instalments were being paid on time added up to nearly 11 per cent of advances for the public sector banks at the

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

end of December 2014 and has been steadily rising.

While banks were expected to put up a poor show, the performance was much worse than anticipated and saw stocks tumble.

Govt to push bank reforms, says Jaitley The Modi government will soon initiate a series of reforms to improve governance in public sector banks (PSBs) which have reported losses in excess of £1 billion in an effort to get rid of bad loans.

Announcing plans for PSBs, finance minister Jaitley said India has not reached a stage where the government could pull out of banking. While privatization was not on the agenda, the government will address issues such as maintaining an arm's length relationship with banks and professionalizing bank boards. “Banks have to work on banking considerations. This is an area where we have probably erred in the past,” said Jaitley a the `Make in India' week. The finance minister said the PSU banks have played an important role in taking banking to the masses in the past and continued to do so under the JanDhan Yojana, which was launched by the Modi government 20 months ago.

Huge gap in India's IIP, GDP data raises queries Industrial production in India shrunk for the second consecutive month in December, pushed lower by manufacturing and mining, raising fresh doubts about the contradiction between the factory output number and the gross domestic product data released by the Central Statistics Office.

The GDP data for the current financial year had estimated manufacturing sector growth during October-December at an annual 12.6 per cent, but the latest numbers for the index of industrial production (IIP) point to a mere 0.9 per cent rise in the manufacturing sector during the quarter. The gov-

ernment, however, maintains that the two sets of numbers are based on different methods of calculation. While IIP is based on the production numbers filed by factories, the new GDP calculation uses the concept of gross value added. Senior economist at ICRA, Aditi Nayar pointed out that one of the factors behind the sharp spike in GDP-manufacturing numbers was the lower input costs. “The new base is closer to reality. Value added can grow faster than industrial production because of the difference in concepts one is a volume indicator while the other is valueadded, and both can

diverge under certain circumstances,” said Crisil chief economist, DK Joshi.

He also added that it was time to update the IIP so that it was more in line with the current production trends in the economy.

A survey, the Purchasing Managers' Index, released on January 1, had indicated that factory output had declined in December. The recent floods in Chennai may also have indicated that factory output had declined in December. “The floods in parts of southern India were a one-off factor that adversely impacted factory output in December 2015.

Nevertheless, the persisting

contraction in industrial production in December 2015, despite a normalisation in the number of working days, as well as the fairly widespread contraction in the sub-groups of manufacturing, are sources of concern,” ICRA's Nayar said.

“India's weak December industry figures add to the growing disconnect between the high-frequency data and the recent upbeat official GDP figures reported last week that showed the manufacturing sector growing 12.6% in real terms in the December quarter,” said Hanna Luchnikava, senior economist at risk analysis firm IHS Global Insight.

Vodafone told to pay up tax dues or face asset seizure The I-T department in India has asked Vodafone to pay up tax dues worth £1.42 billion or face action like the seizure of its assets.

The UK firm has described this move as a disconnect with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise of a tax-friendly environment.

The department on February 4 sent a notice to Vodafone International Holdings BV seeking taxes dues, which it says are due from its $11 billion acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa's India telecom business in 2007. The mat-

ter is under international arbitration.

"We can confirm that we have received a tax reminder from the Tax Department that also references asset seizures in the event of non-payment," a Vodafone spokesperson said. The British telecom major has disputed the tax demand over its acquisition of 67% stake in Hutchison, now called Vodafone India, arguing that no tax was due as the transaction was conducted offshore.

But the tax department's contention is capital gains were made on assets

in India. "The Indian government stated in 2014 that existing tax disputes, including ours, would be resolved through the existing judicial process," Vodafone said in the statement.

The company also made a reference to the promise made by Modi at Make-inIndia event in Mumbai on Saturday. "In a week when Prime Minister Modi is promoting a tax-friendly environment for foreign investors - this seems a complete disconnect between the government and the tax department,"

Vodafone said.

The Vodafone case relates to the retrospective amendment of the I-T laws carried out by the UPA government in 2012 to overturn the Supreme Court verdict, which had favoured Vodafone. The basic tax demand for Vodafone was £799 million, but the total outstanding, including interest and penalty, is estimated to have risen to £2 billion.

Vodafone says Income Tax Department issues notice seeking £1.42 billion in tax despite the matter under arbitration.

CURRENCYVOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

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

UK struggles to rebalance its economy This last week has seen economic, sentimental and political factors drag cable to a 15 month low.

The tone was first set with statistics on the UK's goods trade, showing a widening gap with the rest of the world by an additional £1.9bn to £125bn in 2015, official figures show.

The overall deficit - the difference between the amount the UK imports and what it exports - stood at £34.7bn in 2015. The Office for National Statistics also warned the latest figures would have a negative impact on its second estimate of fourth-quarter economic growth. It will publish its second estimate of fourth-quarter economic growth on 25 February.

Furthermore, Britain is very good at exporting services - financial, tourism, creative and legal - where the UK's trade surplus hit a record £90.3bn. However, it is notoriously bad at increasing the exports of goods as the UK struggles to rebalance its economy away from consumer consumption towards manufacturing. The strength of the pound for most of last year is only exacerbating Britain's difficulty selling abroad. A large part of the fall was however accounted for by depressed oil prices, which meant the cost of oil imports fell in value terms to their lowest level since February 2009. In the three months to the end of December, the UK's trade deficit

21

Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

stood at £10.4bn, compared with £8.6bn in the three months to the end of September.

This economic data was solidified by the sentiment of Chancellor George Osborne as he warned that the economy is facing a "dangerous cocktail" of risks in 2016, ranging from slowing global economic growth to volatile stock markets and the continuing slump in oil prices.

U.K. Manufacturing production fell for the third straight month in December.

Furthermore, GBP fell to 15 month lows against a basket of currencies amid global fears of a slowing economy and a lack of movement on interest rates.

Consequently, 10 year gilt yield slid to a record low of 1.2250 percent in the morning session before recovering to at 1.305 percent in afternoon trade. Interest rate markets are not pricing in a BOE rate hike until 2020 with Sterling overnight interbank average rates pricing in the chance of a rate hike in five years’ time. In addition, there is sentiment within the money market arena that some are factoring in a good chance of a rate cut in the coming months which would naturally push GBP even lower with the BOE leaving rates unchanged at 0.5% since March 2009.

The Eurozone has received little economic data over the previous

week and has therefore staying resilient in 2016. Portuguese government borrowing costs shot up to their highest level since 2014 yesterday. Portugal’s government debt is currently stuck at around 130 per cent of GDP. The interest rate on the government’s 10-year bonds rose above 4.4 percent. However, in a Portuguese budget approved last week by the European Commission, austerity will be harsher this year than in 2015. Despite the budget receiving approval, German finance Wolfgang Schauble said today that loosing the purse strings “would be very dangerous for Portugal”.

More positively, annual GDP growth for the European Area came out in line with expectations at 1.5% (down on last month’s print of 1.6%), but quarterly GDP growth was better than expected, at 0.3% versus an expectation of 0.0%.

Lastly, President Mario Draghi made a speech which signaled potentially further monetary policy easing is likely in March stating that the ECB is ready to do its part. Mario confirmed this when he said, “in the light of the recent financial turmoil, we will analyse the state of transmission of our monetary impulses by the financial system and in particular by banks”, the ECB will examine the impact of renewed declines in energy prices and “if either of these two factors entail downward risks to price

stability, we will not hesitate to act.”

The US has had some slightly encouraging data released mixed with dovish tones from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen while testifying to Congress. Yellen’s remarks caused dollar weakness against all major currency pairs as investor’s interpreted the speech as dovish. The salient message delivered was that additional rate hikes are still firmly on the agenda, however, the execution of these will very much depend on the stabilization of global markets. Looking at Fed funds futures rates, they show that that market is suggesting an unconvincing 6 percent chance of a rate increase in March. On the second day of testifying, Yellen gave a divergent directive on interest rates by stating that she is not ruling out negative interest rates as an applicable monetary policy for the US. These remarks seem brought on "in light of the experience of European countries and others that have gone to negative rates, we're taking a look at them again, because we would want to be prepared in the event that we needed to add accommodation.” With regards to data released, US retail sales for January came out stronger than expected, with monthly retail sales in January growing by 0.2% versus an expectation of 0.1% and the ex-Autos adjusted retail sales figure rising by 0.1% versus an expectation of 0.0%.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 16th February 2016 @ 5.40pm GBP - INR = 97.93

USD - INR = 68.46 EUR - INR = 76.31 GBP - USD = 1.43 GBP - EUR = 1.28

EUR - USD = 1.11 GBP - AED = 5.25

GBP - CAD = 1.98

GBP - NZD = 2.18

GBP - AUD = 2.01

GBP - ZAR = 22.52

GBP - HUF = 399.21

www.rationalfx.com

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

Safe as houses

With RationalFX you get: ȏ 0% commission & no hidden costs

ȏ Stop/limit orders & forward trades

ȏ Fixed exchange rates for up to 2 years

ȏ Online payments platform available 24/7

ȏ Low wire transfer fees

ȏ Personalised service

Sign up for a free account today: www.rationalfx.com/business or call our dealing desk: 020 7220 8181

22

UK

In Brief

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Virgins to be given free places at university

PRETORIA: Mayor of Uthukela district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has defended her decision to reserve 16 university scholarships for girls who can prove their 'virginity'.

Dudu Mazibuko said she was empowering students who had “decided to stay pure”, by offering scholarships to girls who can prove they are virgins. The province has the highest rate of HIV and Aids in South Africa, at 16 per cent, according to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We are just encouraging them to abstain until they are ready to face the world,” she said.

Korea executes army chief for graft'

PYONGYANG: General Ri Young-gil, chief of North Korea's military has been executed on charges of “corruption”, as per a South Korean news agency. General Ri was purged this month and also faced accusations of “pursuing personal gains”. While it is almost impossible to verify the report, rumours of General Ri falling out of favour with Kim has been doing the rounds since early 2014. Ri often accompanied Kim on inspection tours, but his name was conspicuously missing from state media reports of a recent major party meeting and celebrations over the recent rocket launch. If the reports hold to be true, it would be one of the most high-profile purges in North Korea since Kim ordered the execution of his own uncle, Jang Song Thaek, following a special military tribunal.

www.asian-voice.com

India flays US plans to give F-16s to Pak AsianVoiceNews

WASHINGTON: The US government has decided to supply eight F-16 fighter jets and other assorted military equipment worth nearly $ 700 million to Pakistan, amidst protest from US lawmakers, regional experts and New Delhi. The move prompted India to call for US ambassador to the South Block to register its displeasure.

The requirement certification from the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, sent over to the Congress revealed the cache of military goods Washington intends to sell to the country.

The DSCA said Pakistan has requested the sale of 8 F-16 Block 52 aircraft two C and six D, with the F100-PW-229 increased performance engine, and 14 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS).

Other items include 8 ANAPG-68(V)9 radars, and 8 ALQ-211(V)9 Advanced Integrated Defensive Electronic Warfare

Suites (AIDEWS).

The DSCA notification also said the proposed sale “contributes to US foreign policy objectives and national security goals by helping to improve the security of a strategic partner in South Asia... and enhance Pakistan's ability to conduct counterinsurgency and counter-terrorism operations.” The deal has been openly questioned by experts who say it just encourages Islamabad's bad

behaviour, including sponsorship of terrorism in the region. Some lawmakers said it encourages Pakistan to oppress its own people, citing the PAF's repeated bombings of the Baloch and Pashtun people.

“The idiocy stems from some within the National Security Council who stubbornly believe that a package of incentives will miraculously change Pakistan's behaviour.

This is the definition of insan-

4 Indian Americans selected for prestigious US award

New IS video shows 4-year-old blowing up a car, killing 3

LONDON: Terrorist organisation, the Islamic State, has released a new graphic video showing a four-year-old Briton blowing up a car and killing three people. Believed to be the son of Muslim convert Grace 'Khadija' Dare from South-east London, who had fled to Syria in 2012 and married Swedish extremist Abu Bakr, had appeared in another propaganda video a month ago. The latest video shows the kid dressed in the terror outfit's trademark camouflage clothing and a black headband, with his hand on the detonator. The three people killed were prisoners dressed in orange, tied up in the car before it blows up.

A masked man with a British accent also threatens PM David Cameron in the video.

EU set to restrict passportfree trips

BRUSSELS: Countries of the European Union is prepared to invoke an emergency rule to impose controls at several borders for two more years because of the ongoing migration crisis. The move will restrict passportfree travel, reversing a decades-old trend.

Each of the 26 countries in the Schengen Area is allowed to unilaterally put up border controls for a maximum of six months, but that time limit can be extended for up to two years if a member is found to be failing to protect its borders. Documents show that EU policy makers are preparing to make unprecedented use of an emergency provision by declaring that Greece is failing to protect its border sufficiently. With a sense of compromise, EU statement acknowledged the vast challenge facing Greece, saying “the very large number of arrivals is such that the external border controls of any member state would be placed under severe pressure.”

Jain temple demolished in Lahore

LAHORE: Punjab government in Pakistan has demolished centuries-old Jain temple in Lahore, provoking intense uproar from the opposition. Leader Mian Mehmood-urRashid has demanded an inquiry into the incident. The Jain community in India has urged the Centre to raise the issue with the neighbour, demanding steps be taken to find out and bring the idols back from the demolished building.

Dr Arati Prabhakar, Anil K Jain, Ganesh Thakur and Dr KR Sridhar

WASHINGTON: Four Indian American engineers are chosen amongst the 80 new members selected for the prestigious US National Academy of Engineering for their contribution to the society. Anil K Jain, Dr Arati Prabhakar, Ganesh Thakur and Dr KR Sridhar have been formally inducted in a ceremony at the NAE's annual meeting in Washingtion, the institute's president CD Mote Jr announced in a statement.

Jain is a distinguished professor in the department of computer science and engineering at the Michigan State University. He was elected for his contributions to the engineering and practice of biometrics. A B.Tech graduate from IIT-Kanpur, his research inter-

ests include pattern recognition, computer vision and biometric recognition. He was also a consultant to the Indian government's Aadhaar programme that provides a 12digit unique ID number to the residents of Indian citizens.

Dr Prabhakar, director of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in Virginia, was chosen for national leadership to advance semiconductor and information technologies. She has served on the National Academies' Science Technology and Economic Policy Board, and also has chaired the Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee for the US Department of Energy. As the

founding director of DARPA's Microelectronics Technology Office, she led a team of programme managers whose efforts covered areas such as optoelectronics, infrared imaging and nanoelecronics.

Thakur is the president of Thakur Services Inc. in Houston, Texas, and was named a member for leadership in the implementation of integrated reservoir management techniques. Sridhar, the principal co-founder and chief executive officer of Bloom Energy Corporation in California, was selected for the “contributions to transport phenomena and thermal packaging of electrochemical systems and generation of clean, reliable and affordable power.”

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

ity: pursuing a course of action even when it fails to produce the desired results,” said Prof Sumit Ganguly, a South Asia scholar at Indiana University .

“The intelligence community disagrees (with the proposed sale) but clearly those in the White House can overrule their analysis,” added Ganguly. “Many of the weapons Washington gives Islamabad are ill-suited to fighting terrorism, and continued transfers will do nothing to convince the Pakistani government to end its longstanding support for terrorist groups. In fact, US assistance gives Pakistan an incentive to foster a sense of insecurity concerning its nuclear arsenal and expanding ranks of jihadists,” Fair and Ganguly wrote in a recent co-authored commentary in Foreign Affairs.

Balochis hold anti-Pakistan stir outside White House

WASHINGTON: Baloch-Americans and leaders from Balochistan held a peaceful protest in front of the White House to seek United States' intervention in Pakistan's “forceful” occupation of the region.

“At least 35,000 Baloch are missing.

There is a grave violation of human rights on the people of Balochistan and all this is being perpetrated by the Pakistan Army and the ISI,” said Mama Abdul Qadir Baloch.

The protest was organised by the Baloch National Movement to condemn the alleged “coldblooded murder of its secretary general Dr Mannan Baloch” by the Pakistani army. The protestors called for an i n d e p e n d e n t Balochistan that can guarantee peace and stability in the region which currently suffers from religious extremism and terrorism.

Violence erupts days ahead of Uganda elections KAMPALA: Police clashed with opposition supporters after briefly detaining a leading presidential candidate twice, as he tried to hold rallies mere days before the general election. The conflicts hurt several people and killed at least one, as the cops fired bullets and tear gas to calm down the protesters hurling rocks. Main opposition leader Kizza Besigye, head of the Forum for Democratic Change party, was held after marching with thousands of supporters to a rally in Kampala. He was soon released afterwards, said a

party spokesperson.

“Police can confirm one person died during the confusion today,” said Kampala police spokesman Patrick Onyango, without indulging in further details. Leaders from the opposition said that three people were shot dead, but there was not independent confirmation.

FDC spokesman Semujju Nganda said “several” supporters were injured during the brush up with the police. “We protest in the strongest terms police brutality towards our supporters and targeting our candidate,” he said. But min-

ister for the presidency, Frank Tumwebaze said it was “madness” that Besigye even tried to hold a rally in the centre of the capital, accusing him of “seeking publicity... after sensing defeat ahead”.

He supported the police saying they had a duty to ensure calm.

The violence broke out three days before the presidential and parliamentary elections are due. Coleen Nantongo, FDC parliamentary candidate for Kampala Central said the unrest cast a dark cloud over the upcoming polls. “Uganda is

doomed”, she said. “We cannot have fair election when this is what the police do.

Whenever there are elections they tear-gas us and arrest us, so how can we be expected to have a fair competition?” FDC supported James Magara said the police action raised doubts that the election would be free and fair.

“There is no democracy in Uganda, and now the whole world will see it. Museveni does not want to lose so he sends the police after us, but this time we will not accept it. We will not let him continue like this.”

WORLD Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Nomination deadline

All entries and nominations must be received before midnight on 29 March 2016.

Finalists will be announced in May 2016.

NOMINATIONS OPEN NOW!

Are you a UK Based Charity who seeks to solve the most pressing social issues of our time, both in Britain and globally?

Nominate yourself for the Asian Voice Charity Awards 2016 by visiting our website www.asianvoicecharityawards.com

The Awards ceremony will be held on Friday 20th May 2016 at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, London

Award Categories

For Charities and Not-for Profit Institutions

I Charity of the Year

This award recognises a UK-registered charity for their outstanding work and contribution to society, as well as demonstrated excellence service and achievement in its work over the last five years.

There is are no criteria on the annual income, but the charity must demonstrate consistently delivered outstanding service for their size and yearon-year-growth I Start-Up of the Year This award is similar to Charity of the Year, but specifically for charities that have been operational for three years or less.

I Outstanding Achievement

This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated dedication, professionalism and integrity throughout their career, and who has produced an identifiably profound effect on the sector in the UK or otherwise through their work and management over at least a 15-year period.

I Most Enterprising

This award recognises a social enterprise or the trading arm of a charity that has made a significant difference to beneficiaries through its ability to generate income to meet its social goals over the last two years.

I Fundraising Campaign This award awards an overall campaign that used a variety of innovative fundraising approaches to display real quantifiable results to achieve or exceed its targets in the last 12 months.

I Outstanding PR Team

This award recognises excellence in charity PR, either in-house at a charity, or an agency undertaking a PR campaign on behalf of a charity.

Benefits of the specific PR campaign must be proven to show extensive press and media coverage in the last 12 months.

For Charity/Corporate Partnerships:

I Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility

This award recognises the best corporate partnership and corporate responsibility programmes. It honours a company which goes beyond simply CSR projects to engage in partnerships in the last two years with either UK-registered or international charities, social enterprises or unincorporated charitable projects, to demonstrate quantifiably positive impact to the community.

The partnership should demonstrate significant positive outcomes and impact, as well as innovation in its approach

I Consultancy of the Year

This award recognises a consultancy firm that has demonstrated a real commitment to the sector and sector organisations in its work, showing a real worth

in sharing its expertise during the last 12 months.

The work could take a range of forms: such as on the overall strategic direction of a charities, advisory services for philanthropy, social impact assessments, M&A activity, change management, leadership and development, business planning for charities and social enterprises. It could also relate to work not for one organisation, but more widely, such as thought leadership that has driven positive change in the sector.

I Investment Management Award

23

Indian-American in race to become US supreme court judge WASHINGTON: IndianAmerican appeals court judge Sri Srinivasan, who has pro-business credentials and a stellar resume, is in the race to become the US Supreme Court judge in place of Justice Antonin Scalia who died suddenly.

If he was nominated his background may make it more politically challenging for Republicans as they plan to block anyone put forward by President Barack Obama.

Srinivasan, 48, has served on the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Many names are likely under consideration and the White House has not showed its choice, but recent Supreme Court appointments have tended to be appeals court judges and the appeals court in Washington on which Srinivasan serves has often been a springboard to the high court. Scalia himself served on the court, as did other Supreme Court members Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The White House said Obama would wait until the US Senate was back in session before making a nomination. The Senate returns from recess on February 22. Republicans have called for Scalia's seat to remain open so that the

Sri Srinivasan

next president, who would take office in January 2017, can nominate a replacement.

Little is known about Srinivasan's views on divisive social issues like abortion and affirmative action.

But as a senior Justice Department lawyer in 2013, he was part of the legal team that successfully urged the high court to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, a law that restricted the definition of marriage to heterosexual couples for the purposes of federal benefits. The ruling helped pave the way for the court's ruling in June 2015 that legalized gay marriage nationwide.

Srinivasan was born in Chandigarh, India and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas, where his father was a professor at the University of Kansas. If appointed, he would be the first Indian-American to serve on the Supreme Court.

`Life threatening' cold wave sweeps northeast US

This award recognises excellence in the professional services offered to the sector, showing evidence of real quantifiable investment returns, especially within the last 12 months, but also within a wider timeframe context, and show a real understanding of the investment needs of charities, with which they work.

FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

020 7993 8987 or 0207 749 4085 or email: moeketsi@economicpolicygroup.com

Musharraf says Pak should grill Headley NEW DELHI: In an explosive interview, former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf attacked the Inter-Services Intelligence for training Lashkar-eTaiba and Jaish-eMohammed terrorists while calling 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed a Pakistani hero. In the wake of 26/11 attacks accused David Headley's deposition that has caused a massive rift between both the neighbouring countries, Musharraf said he did not believe that Headley could have been manipulated by intelligence agencies. “I don’t believe anything that

Pervez Musharraf

Headley had said...

Pakistan intelligence should interrogate Headley.”

While calling Jamaatud-Dawa chief Masood Azhar a hero in Pakistan, he noted the man was a terrorist. “Masood Azhar is a ter-

rorist and the law enforcement agencies would take proper action against him.”

Musharraf blamed India for derailing the peace process. “India derailed peace process every time and the country only wants to discuss terrorism.” He also said India should hand over the 2007 Samjhauta Express accused to Pakistan, also audaciously blaming the country for spreading terror.

“LeT is not involved in terror in Pakistan. Indian Intelligence agency is behind Pakistan attacks, had evidence against RAW agents,” Pervez said. He noted that anti-peace ele-

ments were on both sides of the border, but things won't improve until India addressed the core issues and Kashmir was one of them. “Those fighting for the cause of Kashmir were freedom fighters.” As per him, terrorist attacks against India were carried out for the Gujarat riots and the Samjhauta blasts. He accused India of dominating the peace talks. “You want to bulldoze us.” The former prez also pointed out that while the Pakistan army was on board over the peace talks with India, there was public support for acting against Indian army and law enforcement agencies.

BOSTON: A cold snap has seized the northeast United States with temperatures in several areas set to fall below zero, as Boston faced its coldest Valentines' Day in almost four decades. Officials warned people to stay indoors as the National Weather Service described it as “life threatening” cold.

Wind chill advisories were in effect over parts of nine states extending from northern Pennsylvania to western Maine, with forecasters expecting gusts up to 72 kph.

“Wind chills will be getting colder and colder as the day goes on,” said Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National

Weather 1979. “That one looks quite breakable,” he said. New York City prepared itself for the coldest night in 20 years. Mayor Bill de Blasio said officials had put on extra staff to help respond to residents who had lost their heat and had expanded efforts to bring homeless people into shelters. The temperature in Boston was expected to drop to -21.7°C overnight, but feel as cold as -34.4°C with the wind chill. That would be below the record low of -19.4°C set in temperatures for midFebruary come after a mostly mild winter and higher-than-average temperatures in the US Northeast and Midwest.

24

INDIA

www.asian-voice.com

Women's entry in temple: SC raps Kerala stand In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th Februay 2016

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has asked Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board whether according to them, spirituality is the exclusive domain of men and are women incapable of attaining the spiritual self. A three-judge bench led

by Justice Dipak Misra stumped the state government and the temple board by stating how the Vedas, Upanishads, and scriptures hardly discriminate between men and women.

“Is spirituality solely within the domain of men? Are you saying that women are incapable of attaining spirituality within the domain of

religion?" Justice Misra asked. "Can you deprive a mother?” Justice Misra asked at the hearing on the tradition followed in the temple of depriving women entry into Sabarimala. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, intervening on

Cong, DMK to fight assembly poll jointly

Ghulam Nabi Azad with M Karunanidhi

CHENNAI: The Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) have decided to fight the next assembly elections jointly.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad made the announcement after meeting DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

"I am more than sure that we will form a government under the leadership of DMK. On seat sharing, he said further talks would take place with the DMK. Welcoming the alliance, DMK treasurer M K Stalin said "Congress has promised full cooperation.

Karunanidhi has already given an invite to DMDK. We are hopeful of a positive response."

BJP gets Jayalalithaa’s tie-

up signal: Meanwhile, BJP which was struggling to find a suitable alliance partner, received a positive signal from the ruling AIADMK for a possible tie-up. Talks are on at the highest level, and the BJP has conveyed that it wants to fight at least 25 seats in districts the party feels it has significant influence, according to sources. The BJP has come down from its initial demand for 100 seats and is now eyeing 60 in the upcoming Assembly elections, it is learnt.

According to sources, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s initial stance of going it alone has been “diluted”, especially after the DMK-Congress alliance reports.

Sikh Marriage Bill to go on LS floor on Feb 26 PATIALA: The Sikh Marriage Bill, 2015, has been accepted and will be placed on the floor of the House on February 26. Patiala MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi, who had moved the bill in the Parliament said his efforts have been intensified to ensure that the Bill is supported by all MPs when it comes up for discussion and voting.

He went to the national Capital to sign a copy of the Bill to be sent for printing by the legislative branch of the Lok Sabha and also specify the financial implications of the Bill. The Sikh Marriage Act covers different aspects of the the Sikh marriage; right from the definition of a Sikh, registration of marriage, divorce, permanent alimony and maintenance and custody of the child, which did not find men-

tion in the Anand Marriage Act passed by the Centre a few years back.

Even though the Centre had passed the Anand Marriage Act to recognise Sikh marriage ceremony 'Anand Karaj' for the purpose of separate registration, the remaining aspects continued to be the same as that defined under the Hindu Marriage Act, following which the Sikhs had been demanding a complete marriage Act. Ever since the draft was presented on December 1, Dr Gandhi was meeting different MPs and head of religious institutions to support the Bill.

behalf of an association of law students in a batch of petitions challenging the prohibition of entry to women of a certain age into the temple, said there are “women brahmacharis too in this world.”

Jaising said, “Celibacy is not the exclusive privilege of men.

Article 25 of our Constitution says throw open the doors of public religious spaces to all human race. Are you saying that we are not part of the human race?”

Justice Misra said religion is different of cult culture.

“Cult culture has a core group.

Entry is restricted to others considered as outsiders.

Religion is wholistic Sanathana Dharma - and includes one and all without discrimination of sex, caste and gender,” he observed.

Appearing for the State government, senior advocate V Giri submitted that when a man prepares to go for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, the entire family, including the women and children, “cooperate. Over centuries, this prohibition has been ingrained in the minds of the devotees,” Giri submitted.

Meteorite parts found in blast samples from Vellore VELLORE (TAMIL NADU): A week after CM Jayalalithaa claimed a man in Tamil Nadu was killed by a meteorite, a lab in Trichy has concluded that the samples recovered from the site are meteorite fragments. According to a preliminary report by National College Instrumentation Facility in Trichy, a Scanning Electron Microscope study on samples retrieved from the campus in Vellore where the blast occurred shows the “presence of carbonaceous chondrites”.

“Carbonaceous denotes objects containing carbon or its compounds and chondrites refer to non-metallic meteorite parts containing mineral granules,” K Anbarasu, a geologist and principal of National College, said. The NCIF is an advanced laboratory set up by the Department of Science and attached to National College.

Meanwhile, a group of scientists from NASA had said that photographs of the site were more consistent with a

“land based explosion” and not that of a meteorite strike.

However, V Adimurthy, a senior space scientist at ISRO and a two-time chairman of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee, described the findings of the NCIF lab as “very significant”. “The report may be clinching evidence.

These findings should be shared with other material science experts,” he said.

Anbarasu said the preliminary SEM study was conducted on “small pieces of black material” found near the blast site. “The crater formed at the spot had been already disturbed by other investigators.

So we inspected the entire campus as any meteor incident would scatter several objects across the area before landing. Finally, we spotted several small pieces of this black material, one the size of a paperweight, on the terrace of a building nearby,” Anbarasu said. “It was not a common type of meteorite like an iron meteorite or stony meteorite.

We will repeat Delhi in Punjab: Kejriwal NEW DELHI: Delhi and said public health, quality of education Chief Minister Arvind and, the health sector Kejriwal is confident would remain top priabout winning neighority of his governbouring state Punjab. ment. He also said He said AAP would special cadre would be end the game for the constituted to keep BJP and the Congress teachers and doctors in the state. “We are Arvind Kejriwal away from adminiswinning. I am told trative work to maintain qualDelhi will be repeated there,” ity of services. Kejriwal blamed he said in an interaction with successive governments for top editors. “The Congress decline in quality of schools may be the runner-up as and hospitals in Delhi.

Akalis are in bad shape.”

“Public health and educaHe said AAP would deploy tion over a period of 20 years workers in every polling booth has been declined. No investand the party has already ments were made in these secstarted door-to-door camtors. Previous governments paigning across Punjab. “By had vested interests to boost the time others wake up, their the business of private schools game will be over.” Regarding and hospitals,” he pointed out. his party's plans for the The chief minister said his Assembly elections in Uttar government was making sure Pradesh, he said, “We will go that free medicines were availstep by step. We don't have the able at all government hospibandwidth in UP.” At the tals and that it was in the interaction session, Kejriwal works of introducing a compraised the initiatives carried prehensive health card system. out by his government in Delhi

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Kerala CM promises free rice for poor in budget

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has promised to provide 25 kg of free rice from the next fiscal to all families below the poverty line. His new budget proposals revolve around his slogan development and care. He has also set aside £10 million for a new project named 'Kanivu', for the poorest of the poor and those who suffer from various ailments. The CM has raised monthly pension for all those aged 75, to Rs 1,500, and has set aside £76.4 million to revive the beleaguered agriculture sector, also announcing a raise for the farmers' monthly pension to Rs 750. “A sum of £50 million is being earmarked to ensure that the benchmark price of one kg of rubber is kept at Rs 150.

Another sum of £10 million was set aside for building a new dam in place of the leaking Mullaperiyar dam.

Karnataka CM wears a Rs 7000,000 watch?

BENGALURU: Not really known for punctuality, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah's watch is the recent talk of the town after JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said the timepiece costs Rs 7000,000. Addressing an election meeting he said, “Siddaramaiah calls himself a socialist. But, he wears a foreign watch worth Rs 7000,000 and his shades costs another Rs 500,000.” Reacting to the allegations, the CM offered to sell both his watch and his shades to Kumaraswamy for Rs 500,000.

He said, “Kumaraswamy has no credibility. He believes in hit and run politics. His charges are utterly baseless. I did not buy this watch. A friend gifted it to me.”

Pregnant woman stripped, paraded naked in Telangana

WARANGAL: A 20 year old pregnant woman was stripped, assaulted and paraded naked in Wardhannapet in Telangana. According to a report, the attack was made by the relatives of the victim's husband's first wife. They allegedly injured her private parts with a burning piece of wood, stripped her, and then paraded her naked on the streets. The groups blamed victim, Anitha, for her husband's negligence towards his first wife. Police and bystanders later came to her rescue and admitted her to a local hospital. Cases have been registered against nine people, including her husband Banoth Ravi and his first wife Swaroopa.

Car pile-up on Haryana highway kills 5

NEW DELHI: Five people, including a family of four, were killed and 15 others were injured when 25 vehicles clashed with each other on the Delhi-Ambala National Highway-1 in Karnal district recently. A car collided with a stationary truck due to reduced visibility on account of dense fog. The crash was followed by other vehicles close behind, ramming into each other.

Karnal SP, Pankaj Nain said, “Five persons were killed in the mishap,” adding that four members of a family from Uttar Pradesh who were on the way to Punjab for a wedding lost their lives. The seriously injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, and the highway was cleared and normal traffic was restored soon after.

Khalistani militant walks free as Portugal rejects India’s plea

PATIALA: Portugal has rejected India's plea for the extradition of Khalistani militant Paramjit Singh Pamma, making way for his release. The Evora High Court set Pamma free on the order of Portuguese justice minister Frances Van Dunem. He will soon return to the UK where he has been living after he was granted political asylum in 2000. Pamma was arrested in Portugal on December 18, 2015, on the basis of a Red Corner notice issued by the Interpol in 2012, following a request put in by Indian authorities. He was extradited in connection to the 2009 murder case of Rulda Singh, chief of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, three blast cases and a fake passport case.

INDIA Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

THE SPIRIT OF MAHATMA

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Dr Rizwan Kadri

Dr Rizwan Kadri is a young historian known for his research on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Dr Kadri is currently working as an Associate Professor in Shree Swaminarayan Arts College, Ahmedabad. He is also a Ph.D. (History) guide in Gujarat University and Raksha Shakti University. During his academic career Dr Kadri has won many awards such as the ‘Gujarat University Gold Medal’, ‘Sanskar Award’, Jawaharlal Memorial Fund, New Delhi, Meritorious Prize. He is also known for his inspiring lectures, particularly on the Indian Freedom Struggle and Sardar Patel which made him very popular among the scholars as well as common people. In his English translation “The Spirit of Mahatma” Dr Kadri has added a new perspective to the relationship between Mahatma Gandhi and his personal secretary Mahadev Desai, who was like a son to him. Dr Kadri chanced upon this very valuable source of information while going through the file preserved in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi.

Asian Voiced will be publishing Dr Kadri's translation in a series beginning this week.

N

ew dimensions are added to the historical perspective with the discovery of new and unpublished sources of facts. This helps in bringing to life certain events. A lot has been written about Mahatma Gandhi and his private secretary Mahadev Desai who was like a son to him. Both scholars and lay readers know about their relationship. Yet, I chanced to hit upon a very valuable source of information and document which throws new light on their relation-

ship. I found this source preserved in the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi. This invaluable piece of writing, however, does not figure in the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi. While I was pursuing the private papers of the late Shri Pyarelal, I came across this invaluable archival manuscript written by Mahatma Gandhi. I am presenting here the English translation of this historically significant document written originally in Gujarati.

25

his forehead for days together and had kept aside his clothes for his son Narayan after washing them by his own hands.

Though Mahadev left his master bodily, his spirit remained with the Mahatma till the very last.

ATMA OF MAHATMA A. Bungalow November 23, 1943.

Memories of Mahadev The original manuscript of Gandhiji

I had published it on January 30, 2015 in a booklet titled “Mahatma No Atma” in Gujarati based on Gandhiji’s manuscript. I am happy to announce that Mahadevbhai’s son Narayan Desai, who was critically ill and was admitted to a hospital in Surat, not only heard the whole booklet but also greatly appreciated my efforts as was evident from the expression on his face. He

Part - I

breathed his last 44 days after this. I greatly regret the fact that Narayanbhai, who was like my father, is not amongst us to see the English translation of the booklet. The document is all the more important because

it combines Mahatma’s memoir of his closest aide and companion and his emotional bonding with him. Mahadevbhai’s sudden death on the morning of August 15, 1942 while in imprisonment in the Aga Khan Palace, Pune, had shocked Gandhiji and other inmates.

Gandhiji’s vivid description of the events leading to Mahadev’s death and the last rites performed by him reads like the script of a movie. It gives a live account of the fateful day and draws the readers into the emotional vortex that Gandhiji, Kasturba and other fellow prisoners passed through.

Gandhi has described his emotions in terms of his inner feelings as also his body language.

“Mahadev wanted to write my memoirs but the God took him away and here I am left to write his memoirs instead,” Gandhiji laments. Gandhiji has betrayed in his writing how even a steadfast person like him too is swayed by emotions. Gandhiji, who had carried the fire pot and led the funeral procession, also says how he followed the vedic rituals to carry out the last rites of Mahadev, just as a father does to his son. He has also given a heartwrenching description of Kasturba’s wailings which moved to tears everyone in the prison. The intensity of Gandhiji’s emotional attachment to Mahadev also bares itself in his description of the fact that he used to rub his ashes on

I would like that first we show these memoirs to Narhari, for specifying the dates etc, and if they seem worth it, they should be published. I would also like that the memories of those who had known Mahadev should be included along with this.

- Bapu Ever since the Kocharab Ashram was established on the bank of Sabarmati, Mahadev and Narahari had begun to come and meet me. At that time, the duo used to wear Deccani headgear, Pagdi. They use to join the prayers and put some questions to me as well. I recall that the Ashram opened in 1916 (1915). After some time there was this talk of Narhari joining the Ashram, and I liked that.

To be continued next week

Cong targets Modi over deals with India’s role in landmark discovery Anar Patel’s business partners of gravitational waves The Congress has taken a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over reports of land dealings in Gujarat involving CM Anandiben Patel's daughter Anar Patel. The party has demanded a probe into the land deals by an SIT under the supervision of the Supreme Court, and has sought Anandiben's resignation to ensure fairness.

A report said that business associates Dakshesh Shah and Amol Shripal Sheth own Wildwoods Resorts and Realties, which was allotted 400 acre near Gir Santuary. Of this, 250 acre was given away at an official rate of Rs 15 per sq m. “Filings with the Registrar of Companies show a number of transactions between her (Anar) and her business partners that started when the Gujarat government allotted 250 acres of public land to Wildwoods Resorts and Realties,” read the report.

Congress leader Anand Sharma attacked the PM, saying, “Shocking revelations in public domain make it clear that PM Narendra Modi, as Gujarat CM, allowed nepotism, conflict of interest and brazen plundering of public land to promote com-

mercial interests of entities closely connected to the kin of then Revenue Minister and present Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel. The PM must come clean. He and his colleagues said, 'Caesar's wife must be above suspicion'.

Here the King himself is there, he was Gujarat CM.” He mentioned the allotment of the 250 acre of government land next to Gir Lion sanctuary “without any valuation or price determination for a pittance” was made when Modi was CM. He stated the land was given to Wildwoods Resorts & Realties Private Limited at Rs 15 per sq m. “That means Rs 60,000 per acre.

The estimated market price of this land was to the tune of Rs 5000,000 per acre, i.e., a total of £12.5 million for 250 acres.”

He claimed one of the original promoters of the company and its present owners are Anar’s business partners. The firm changed hands in 2011-12. It was acquired by Parshwa Texchem (India) Private Limited, owned by Shah and Amol Shripal Sheth’s Anil Infraplus Limited.

“Currently, the ownership pattern of Wildwoods is Parshwa Texchem (50%), Anil Infraplus (49.9%),

Dakshesh R Shah (0.04%) and Anil Hospitality Ventures Limited (0.04%).

Shah and Texchem are business partners of Anar Patel,” he said.

Sharma said Wildwoods also brought an adjoining 172 acre of agricultural land. “Nonfarmers are not permitted to purchase agricultural land, but the firm was granted permission… In 2011, the state government permitted conversion of agricultural land to nonagricultural use,” he said.

However, State BJP chief IK Jadeja has promptly called the allegations “baseless” and accused the opposition party of trying to malign the CM by “falsely implicating” her daughter. He said the firm had been given the land for “the nonagricultural purpose in keeping with the rules and procedures.” He also claimed that no BJP leader was involved with the deal.

Meanwhile, Anar used social media to clarify, posting on Facebook, “I believe that to do ethical business with social morality is everyone's right. So far whatever I did, I did it in righteous manner... I get hurt when people have assumptions...

Truth always prevails.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have detected gravitational waves. We did it,” said physicist David Reitze of the California Institute of Technology, sending a wave of applause at a news conference in Washington.

Scientists have claimed to have observed the warping of space-time generated by the collision of two black holes more than a billion light-years from Earth. The team said the first detection of these gravitational waves will usher in a new era for astronomy.

The research, by the Ligo Collaboration, has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters. While the world rejoices in the breakthrough, it is of special bearing to India as the team included more than 60 Indians in all. Sanjeev Dharundhar, professor emeritus at the InterUniversity Centre of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, was one of the 1,000 key scientists involved in detecting the waves. While the community wasn't too accepting when he suggested the existence of these weak waves that can help detect black holes, he was brought into IUCAA in 1989, by Jayant Narlikar, to help develop techniques for the

detection of the signals.

The Laser I n t e r f e r o m e t e r Gravitational Wave Observatory, finished construction in 1999 in United States and Dharundhar led several groups to research theory based on the data provided by these observatories. Many of his students are today part of the phenomenal discovery. The existence of the waves were first proposed by Albert Einstein in 1916. They come from two black holes circling each other, closer and closer, until they finally collided.

The Indian Initiative in GravitationalWave Observatories was set up in 2009 with over 60 scientists from various institutions of the country like; CMI Chennai, ICTS – TIFR Bengaluru, IISER Kolkata, IISER – Trivandrum, IIT Gandhingar, IPR Gandhinagar, IUCAA Pune, RRCAT Indore and TIFR Mumbai. Some of the key tasks carried out by these groups were to decipher the LIGO response to signals, the dynamics of the black hole, and to analyse the energy radiated at the time of the collision of the black holes. Bala Iyer, a scientist at Raman Research Institute, Bengaluru, led a team in collaboration with

French scientists, to calculate the gravitational waves emitted by the black holes and neutron stars.

Karan Jani - Gujarat connection to discovery: Karan Jani (27) of Vadodara was one of the

Karan Jani

key members of discovery team and also one of coauthors of the research paper. Karan made the super computer simulations of the collision of black holes which matched exactly with the gravitational waves observed in LIGO detectors. Karan was the member of the research team that first saw the gravitational wave signal in September 2015. Former student of Shreyas High School, Vadodara, Karan completed his BSc from M S University and later obtained degrees in astrophysics, astronomy, and physics from Pennsylvania State University in US. At present, he is a doctoral scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US.

INDIA

26

www.asian-voice.com

Siachen soldier goes down fighting

Soldiers in Siachen are taught to “first survive and then fight.” Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad did miraculously survive, first for over five days buried under 35 feet of crystallized ice and then for another three days after being rescued from the glacial heights.

But he could not live to fight another day, dashing the hopes of millions of his countrymen praying for yet another miracle for the Siachen braveheart.

Koppad's organs finally gave way. The gritty soldier breathed his last at the Army (Research and Referral) Hospital in Delhi.

After an avalanche buried him and nine mates on February 3 on the glacial surrounds of Siachen, Hanumanthappa was found alive five days later.

None of the others survived the tragedy. Experts were unable to explain how his brain and body coped with the severe pneumonia, oxygen deprivation and multiple organ dysfunctioning for such a lengthy time. The miraculous nature of his survival had fuelled hopes that his body would respond to treatment at the hospital.

Lieutenant General B K Chopra, director general of the Armed Forces Medical Services, perhaps put it best when he said that each

Ramesh Koppad, minute the 33Hanumanthappa's year-old solcousin, who is also dier lived after a serving soldier. being rescued Defence minisfrom beneath Hanumanthappa ter Manohar the ice blanket Koppad Parikkar, three will be rememservice chiefs, Congress bered for his grit and will to vice-president Rahul survive. The soldier from Gandhi and Delhi chief Karnataka is survived by his minister Arvind Kejriwal wife Mahadevi and twoalso paid their tributes. year old daughter Netra.

In his message to the They had been flown to bereaved family, President Delhi with other family Pranab Mukherjee said, “I members and were present am deeply sad to learn at the hospital and later at about the passing away of Brar Square where his body, your son, Lance Naik shrouded in the India flag, Hanumanthappa Koppad. was placed. It was later Lance Naik Koppad was a flown to his home village in hero who demonstrated Dharwad district where the exemplary will power and final rites were performed. courage in the face of For most of the ceremoadversity. He made the ny Hanumanthappa's wife supreme sacrifice in the remained stoically silent. line of duty.”

But she broke down Prime Minister towards the end prompting Narendra Modi said, “He army chief Dalbir Singh (Hanumanthappa) leaves Suhag and his wife to step us sad and devastated. RIP forward to console her. “His Lance Naik daughter is too young to Hanumanthappa.” understand anything,” said

One year subsrciption

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

Asian Voice £29 Gujarat Samachar £29 Both Weeklies (separate) £58 Both Together for Subscriber only £35-00 Total Savings £23-00 You Save 40% By adding only £6 you can subsribe Gujarat Samachar

SUBSCRIPTION FOR

One year subscription of Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice is ONLY £35 (UK)

Please tick as appropriate:

GUJARAT SAMACHAR & ASIAN VOICE ASIAN VOICE

Europe and Overseas Subscription rates are being held the same as last year!

G.S.

UK A.V. Both

It means only 9 Pense a day

Rates Valid from 1-10-2015

EUROPE G.S. A.V.

Both

1 Year £29 £29 £35 £77 £77 £126 2 Years £52.50 £52.50 £63.50 £141.50 £141.50 £242

WORLD G.S. A.V.

Both

£92 £92 £169 £169

£150 £280

Please Note: Subscriptions are non-refundable after 30 days

Please detach this form and send it with your payment or credit card instructions to address below

GUJARAT SAMACHAR & ASIAN VOICE

12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW

Tel: 020 7749 4080 / 020 7749 4000 Fax: 020 7749 4081 E-mail: support@abplgroup.com

NAME

ADDRESS Email:

£

AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 20th Februay 2016

POST CODE

www.abplgroup.com

Click p.com rou for

abplg

e-Editio

n

TEL:

I'd like to be kept up to date by email with offers and news from ABPL

Please charge my credit card VISA / MASTERCARD / CREDIT / DEBIT CARD for Card Expiry date

Card No: Signature

Date

NOTICE: Subscribers who pay by credit or switch card, the transaction will show as made for Asian Business Publications Ltd (ABPL) on your bank statement.

Please make the cheque payable to Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice.

NOTICE: If you are going away on a holiday and would like to suspend Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice for that duration, please notify us in advance in written via email at support@abplgroup.com or via post (see below for address). We do not take any such instruction on phone. Please NOTE we are CLOSED on Saturdays and Sundays

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Lord Bhikhu Parekh honoured Sardar Patel University, one of India’s leading universities, has conferred an honorary doctorate on Lord Bhikhu Parekh. This is Lord Parekh’s 17th honorary doctorate. Professor Harish Padh, the ViceChancellor of Sardar Patel University, saluted Parekh’s academic achievements and his contribution to India’s and Britain’s cultural and political life. In

his convocation address Lord Parekh concentrated on the nature and causes of religious terrorism and how higher education could

equip students with the capacity to fight it.

Gujarat governor Om Prakash Kohli who presided over the f u n c t i o n , e n d o r s e d Parekh’s views and made insightful observations of his own on the dangers of terrorists hijacking religion.

CIO founder Tarakumar Mukherjee dead Founder of the Confederation of Indian Organisations Tarakumar Mukherjee breathed his last on 11 February, 2016, at the age of 92. He had travelled to Leicester, Britain from Calcutta in 1948, to play for the County Cricket Club.

Giving up his dream to go back to India, he married Lady Patricia in 1951, and settled down initially in Leicester, and later, Brentwood. He founded CIO in 1975, on the suggestion of the then Indian ambassador to Britain, B.K. Nehru. With the help of the institution, he has contributed widely to the country's race relations.

He fought continuously for the abolition of the gov-

ernment's institutions on disability, women and race relations, instead substitute them with a single organisation called the Equal Opportunities Commission. The government had eventually yielded to his proposal.

Mukherjee constantly rendered towards the interests of the immigrants, and worked to make the CIO's

views in par with their interests from 1975 to 1996.

He also founded the European Multicultural Foundation (EMF) and launched a campaign to work for the welfare of the coloured citizens of Europe.

At the 40th anniversary of CIO last year, Lord Navneet Dhodakia had said, “CIO stands first for the welfare of the coloured citizens of this country.

Tara Mukherjee, Kanti Nagda, and CB Patel were the three main people who went to the political meetings and gave a voice to the people of colour.” He remained the president of CIO and EMF till he breathed his last. His passing away is a great loss to both the organisations.

Continued from page1 can't relate to the issue that seems to intensify by the hour.

The cultural event titled 'A Country without a Post Office' was organised by students of the JNU to commemorate 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The event saw slogans like “Ye Kashmir hamara hai, saara ka saara,” “Tum kitne Afzal maaroge, har ghar se Afzal niklega,” “Hum kya chahte? Azaadi!” It soon ended into a one-on-one between the students and the protesters and resulted in the arrest of JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges. The university campus saw a heavy police presence who carried out a search in hostels looking for “anti-nationals”, after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh instructed the Delhi police not to spare anyone indulging in anti-India activities. Another FIR was also registered over the Press Club event, against DU lecturer SAR Geelani and his alleged associates all of whom have been booked for sedition, unlawful assembly, and criminal conspiracy. The police are looking for 10-12 students who participated in the event.

Action against the lecturer was taken suo motu by the police as the request to book the hall at the Press Club went through his e-mail ID and thus, he was treated as a co-organiser. Rajnath Singh went as far as to say that the event had the backing of Lashkar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed. The statement found immediate protests

from the Congress and other political parties which demanded evidence.

Addressing reporters, Singh said, “The incident at JNU has received support from Hafiz Saeed. This is a truth that the nation needs to understand. What has happened is unfortunate.

Any such incident that poses threat to the unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country will be dealt with strongly.” Congress party leader Manish Tewari gave a scathing retaliation saying, “The JNU incident again demonstrates the intrinsic fascism of the RSS, BJP and ABVP. These people feel the only voice in public discourse should be theirs. The fundamentalists, who occupy the highest seats in this government, want to use every opportunity to shut JNU and convert it into a shishu mandir.”

The Bharatiya Janta Party supported the home minister and said it was surprising that Congress was betraying such poor understanding of how terror groups operated online.

Party spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “They are taking advantage of the fact that the home minister can't put all intelligence inputs out in the public domain.”

Meanwhile, the university's own high-level inquiry decided that eight students, including two top members of the students' union; its president Kanhaiya Kumar and general secretary Rama Naga had prima facie engaged in “objectionable sloganeering” on the campus. “The high-level inquiry

conducted by a three-member committee submitted its interim report and recommended debarring eight students from academic activities. The report is based on the prima facie evidence based on JNU's own video footage. The interim report recommends the action because of objectionable sloganeering and indiscipline,” said registrar Bupinder Zutshi. Besides Kumar and Naga, the others to be implicated are Sayed Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh Kumar, Ananth Prakash Narayan, Aishwarya Adhikari and Shweta Raj. The entire situation has turned into a gala for the political parties as they pit against each other. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the authenticity of the video footage examined by the police “to find the truth”.

The Opposition has called out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to intervene in the crisis.

The PM assured them that he is the leader of the country and not just of one political party. Tempers in the ABVP camp flared up when Rahul Gandhi arrived on the campus. There was uproar as ABVP activists began shouting, “Rahul Gandhi go back”, demanding an apology from him for “supporting anti-nationals”.

They waved black flags at him and others. Rahul, however, managed to join Left party members Sitaram Yechury and D Raja and Congress' Ajay Maken and Anand Sharma at the venue.

Tarakumar Mukherjee

Student Arrest protesters lay siege to JNU

How to keep the FLU & COLD away FOOD

FITNESS

AsianVoiceNews

HEALTH&WELLNESS

27

AsianVoiceNewsweekly | Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

www.asian-voice.com

LIFESTYLE zinc include beans, nuts and whole grains. You can find selenium in broccoli, cabbage, spinach and brown rice, among others. You can also have your zinc and selenium in the form of oral supplements, but do check with your doctor; don't self medicate.

Get more water

During winter, we don't feel thirsty, and as a result, we get dehydrated without realising it. It lowers our immunity. Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water per day to help your body combat infection. You can also replace some of your fluid intake with hot soups and herbal teas chamomile and jasmine (which are great at unblocking the nose).

Weight-loss surgery reduces diabetes risk

A

new study says that weight-loss surgery could reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by around 80 per cent in obese people. More than 80 per cent of adults with Type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. "Our results suggest that bariatric

loss procedures on the development of diabetes.

They identified 2,167 obese adults without diabetes, who underwent one of three surgical procedures (laparoscopic adjustable banding, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric bypass) for weight loss from 2002 onwards. These

(weight loss) surgery may be a highly effective method of preventing the onset of diabetes in men and women with severe obesity," said Martin Gulliford, professor at King's College London in Britain.

We need to understand how weight loss surgery can be used, together with interventions to increase physical activity and promote healthy eating, as part of an overall diabetes prevention strategy, he added.

The researchers assessed the effect of contemporary surgical weight

participants were compared with 2,167 controls.

Participants were followed up for a maximum of seven years. During follow-up, 38 new diagnoses of diabetes among participants who had weight loss surgery were recorded, compared with 177 in control participants. Compared with controls, diabetes incidence was reduced by about 80 per cent in participants who had surgery, even after controlling for other important factors including smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Brown rice is very rich in vitamins and minerals and hence nutritionally more beneficial.

Basmati rice: Basmati rice is another unique species of rice originating from India. Basmati rice is also one of the varieties of rice used in many families.

There are different variants of Basmati rice available in the market at varying costs.

Just like all species of rice, basmati is available in white or brown versions, depending on the extent of the milling process.

Brown basmati rice is comparable to other types of brown rice in nutrient content (although it does contain about 20% more fibre compared to most

other types of brown rice), and white basmati rice is comparable to other types of white rice. Basmati rice and Jasmine rice are longgrain varieties that have been cultivated to bring out distinctive flavour profiles.

Long grain of the rice gives a royal look to the rice recipe prepared, be it plain jeera rice or vegetable pulao.

Basmati rice has a typical, unique aroma. In the case of basmati, this aroma is due to the presence of a chemical called 2-acetyl-1pyrroline, which is found in basmati rice at about 90 parts per billion. That's about 12 times more than in other types of rice, giving basmati its special aroma.

Get more haldi

Haldi is a brilliant anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral weapon that helps prevent and heal bacterial and infectious attacks. Half a teaspoon twice a day of pure, organic haldi in milk will make your immune system sing.

Get more silver

inter is the time of cold and flu. Even as science is discovering newer and faster cures for other, deadlier, diseases, there is no known cure for the humble common cold. The best way, then, to combat the common cold is to prevent it from entering your system.

And the only way you can do that is by building your immunity.

Nutritionally, this can be done by just tweaking your diet so that your body can put up a fight.

W

R

ice is a staple food in most Indian homes. However, there are different varieties of Rice available - Basmati Rice, Brown rice and White rice. Following are the health benefits of these three varieties.

White rice: The milling and polishing processes of white rice removes most of the important vitamins and other nutrients from it. So WHO suggests and recommends that white rice be fortified with important vitamins and mineral premixes, as polished rice is nothing more than refined starch. Further research is required to build the evidence-base on the use of fortified rice and to develop global technical guidelines for rice fortification.

Health benefits include: Gastrointestinal: White rice is one of the eas-

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

Get more protein

Protein is one of the key building blocks for antibodies that help resist infection. Raise your intake of protein during the season where you are prone to the 'flu'. For vegetarians, good protein sources include dal, soyabean, quinoa and tofu.

Get more zinc

Silver is an important mineral that wonderfully aids immunity.

Drinking/eating in silverware or from water bottles/matkas in which you have kept small silver coins infuses ions into the liquid, which again has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. You also get electrodes of silver that are commercially available, which can be put into water, thereby releasing ions.

Get more vitamin C

Boost your intake of fresh amla shots or citrus fruit like oranges, mausambi, kiwi and guava to boost your immunity. You can also have daily oral doses of Vitamin C but again, do check with your doctor. Whatever you do, make sure that you are geared to put up the best possible fight against the dreariest of viruses.

Benefits of different types of rice Minerals like selenium and zinc improve immunity and the sources of

iest and quickest foods to digest and requires only an hour to completely digest.

Since white rice is low in fibre, it is very soothing to the digestive system and easily digested. So, it is great for relieving digestive disorders like diarrhoea, dysentery, colitis and even morning sickness. It is the best food for infants, young children and old people.

Overall energy: the body needs carbohydrates to function and white rice is an excellent source of energy. Protein: Every 150g of rice has about 5 grams of protein. Rice

powder is also used externally as a soothing powder in cases of skin inflammation such as small-pox, measles, prickly heat, burns and scalds.

Brown rice: Brown rice has several health benefits.

However, it is not very commonly used in Indian households mainly because people are ignorant of the health benefits of brown rice and secondly that it is costlier compared to white rice. The health benefits of brown rice includes: Brown rice is an excellent source of soluble fibre.

It helps to lower the levels

of 'bad' LDL cholesterol in the blood. There is also some suggestions that the oil present in brown rice or extracted rice bran oil may help lower harmful cholesterol levels and blood pressure, whilst raising the levels of 'healthy' HDL cholesterol. The fibre in brown rice means that the digestion time of this carbohydrate is slower than processed grains, including white rice. This means that there is a more controlled slower release of sugar into the blood stream and it has a lower glycemic index (GI) compared to other grains.

www.asian-voice.com

28

Harish Uthaman joins Nayantara in her next Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

A

ctor Harish Uthaman is set to become the law once again for his next yet-untitled Tamil film that also features Nayantara. He had played cop in his previous films 'Jil' and 'Paayum Puli'. “Harish plays a tough police officer and gets to share the screen space with Nayantara. Unlike his previous police avatars, this one is a much refined character. Both of them essay very important roles in the film,” a source said. The film will be directed by debutant Doss Ramaswamy, and produced by film-maker Sarkunam. The film does not have a male lead and solely revolves around the actress. Music will be composed by Vivek and Mervin.

A

Kamal to direct, produce & act in an English flick!

H

ollywood has opened its doors wide open for Indian actors and this time, it is calling out to Kamal Haasan.

The 'Vishwaroopam' actor has reportedly decided to direct and act in a Hollywood flick, which will be produced by himself along with his friends. The film is expected to go on the floors soon, as Haasan is already discussing the script with his associates.

While the actor has conceivable experience making quality movies with the help of the latest technology, it seems like the veteran performer has his eyes set on the coveted Academy Awards.

'Ishq Forever'

Rahman's son sings in 'Nirmala Convent' AsianVoiceNews

'Loveshhuda'

R Rahman's son AR Ameen has recorded a song in Annapurna Studios' film 'Nirmala Convent'. His song was released on Feb 14, marking Valentine's Day. The movie will also mark the debut of actor Srikanth's son Roshan and, star Shreya Sharma, a child artiste seen in films

like 'Jai Chiranjeeva', 'Robot' and 'Dookudu'. Five schedules have been shot until now in five different towns; Jaipur, Medak, Nainital and Chikmangaluru. Presented

by Nagarjuna and produced

by Annapurna Studios, the film is a youthful romantic entertainer.

V

Kumar being a part of the project. “Akshay being a part of the film is just a rumour. It's not true,” he said. Based on Tamil novel 'Lock Up', by M Chandrakumar, the film is partly inspired from events from his own life. Currently running in theatres, the movie features Dinesh, Samuthirakani, Ajay Ghosh, and Kishore.

'Visaaranai' to be remade in Hindi

etrimaaran's 'Visaaranai', a film about police brutality is all set to be made in Hindi. The remake rights have already been bought by director Priyadarshan.

Confirming the news, the filmmaker said, “Yes, the Hindi remake rights have been acquired by Priyadarshan.” However, he denied reports of Akshay

'Neerja'

Ratna Pathak Shah is my filmi maa: Fawad Khan

P

A romantic drama musical film directed

by Sameer Sippy. It will feature newcom- A man falls in love with a stranger and finds himself on the crossroads of love and practicality. er Krishna Chaturvedi and Ruhi Singh.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

The story of flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who saved passengers of the hijacked Pan Am flight in Karachi, the movie stars Sonam Kapoor and Shabana Azmi.

akistani actor Fawad Khan who will soon be seen on screens across the country with 'Kapoor And Sons' has called actress Ratna Pathak Shah his permanent mother on screen. The actor's debut film 'Khoobsurat', across Sonam Kapoor saw the veteran actress play his mother, and she will play the same in Shakun Batra's upcoming. “I think she is my permanent filmi maa. I think working with a veteran actress like her was great. I am completely new,” he said at a recent press interview. He also called her a party animal offscreen. “It is a delight to work with actors from whom you can learn something. She is very giving and collaborative. She is a party animal.”

29

www.asian-voice.com

Political satire is my style: Abhishek Sharma AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Director Abhishek Sharma of 'Tere Bin Laden' fame is all set to release a spin off on the original, with 'Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive.' With a knack for satires and the ability to mock the un-mockable, the offbeat director talks about his forthcoming film with Asian Voice.

Mitul Paniker

Why do you touch topics conventional directors like to stay away from?

(Laughs) Well, maybe I'm not a conventional director. I like to touch subjects that are universal and in the current situation.

Tere Bin Laden is a mockery or a satire on whatever is happening around the world right now. My day starts with the newspapers and I look into new stories.

So that's my style. I really like political satires.

Don't you think putting a humorous touch on such a controversial person risky? The first movie attracted a few controversies, have people begun to oppose the second part?

No. It has not, until now. The first one did see controversies, but they died down because there is nothing offensive in the film. If you create comedy to provoke people, that's when it can become controversial. In my case, it's a mockery. It's a reflection of the society. It's just MAD magazine humour.

Yes, we are making fun of people and situations, but we are not doing it to provoke anyone.

despite which it was a huge success in Pakistan's piracy market. Almost everybody in Pakistan have watched the film, loved it, and loved that Ali Zafar has been part of a Bollywood film. Banning is just a government thing.

Ali has made a cameo in the new film. Is he your lucky mascot?

It's not about being a lucky mascot.

His character in the first movie was something only he could have played, and was right for him. The very nature of the film, the structure, was soft. Only Ali could have played that character. He couldn't have played what Manish Paul has done now, which is the character of a film-maker. Ali Zafar on the other side, had played the role of a fictional role of himself. We are simply making fun of everything and everybody in this distorted world, and we are having a ball.

Was Manish Paul your first choice for the lead role?

When I write, I am never thinking about any actor, I just build the character. Manish was recommended for some other film by my producer. She knows that as a director I am very keen on new faces. So I met him and realised he can carry the whole film on his shoulders, and I offered him Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive as the main lead.

Do you expect your movie to be banned in Pakistan again?

It's a given! After Bin Laden's assassination, it's a given that they might ban the movie in Pakistan.

They banned the first part also,

Deepika-Vin to get intimate

N

ot only will Deepika Padukone and Vin Diesel star opposite each other in 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage', they will get intimate too. Directo DJ Caruso has confirmed that both the actors have shot steamy scenes in the movie, commenting on the pair's chemistry. The movie has garnered a lot of attention since the time Deepika posted pics with Vin on her Instagram. While she has romanced several Indian actors onscreen successfully, we can't wait to see her with the Hollywood superstar!

FIR filed against Sunny Leone, team 'Mastizaade'

A

complaint h a s been filed against Sunny Leone, Vir Das, Tusshar Kapoor and director Milap Zaveri at the Adarsh Nagar police station in Delhi. It is said that the FIR has been l o d g e d against them over a scene in the movie 'Mastizaade' where condoms were discussed inside a temple. The movie is an adult-comedy which narrates the story of two guys who fall in love with two identical looking women.

Anushka Sharma sweats it out for ‘Sultan’

Asian Voice | 20th Februar 2016

I

t was a lot of work finding a leading lady for Salman Khan, and after a lot of hassle, the makers of 'Sultan' finalised on Anushka Sharma. While a few looks of the actor as Sultan Ali Khan have already done the rounds on social media, people were getting in a frenzy to see how Anushka would look wrestling out here opponents.

Amidst her break up with cricketer Virat Kohli, the actress can be seen sweating it out to get into the shoes of her character. In the pictures shared on Instagram, Anushka is seen training real hard for her role. Well, it's not just her look that has been revealed. The latest update is that Salman

will sport two different looks in the movie; a clean shaven young boy and the other with a trendy moustache.

Salman and Anushka starrer 'Sultan' is about a wrestler from Haryana, and his battles of life; per-

sonal and professional. Not only will the actor be seen in two different avatars, both the leads will have an intense love story. The movie will also have a scene where Salman's character gets slapped by Anushka Sharma's.

Katrina wants poetic adjectives

“I

have said this already, I want to hear more adjectives... I want to hear dreamlike, talented, wistful, beautiful- I want to hear poetic ones,” said Katrina Kaif during the promotions of her film 'Fitoor'. Fed up of people calling her “hard working”, the actress wants the industry to work hard on their compliments.

Responding to a question about when Salman Khan called her “most hard working in the industry” and almost like a “mazdoor”, Katrina said, “If my co-stars find and feel that I'm a good worker and a hard worker, that's good because in all

seriousness there is so much riding on a film, everyone puts in so much of their life, hard work and money. So the most you can do is to give your best, work with your full heart, work as much as you can, then leave it up to God.” Her co-worker in 'Fitoor', even Tabu had recently claimed that Katrina was the most hard working actress.

During the promotions of the film with Aditya Roy Kapur, the actress has visited various cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and A h m e d a b a d .

However, she still wants more. “If I had my way, I would have gone to every city, at least 8 or 9

Mallika Sherawat meets 'charismatic' Obama

A

ctress Mallika Sherawat, who has seemingly lost her grip in Bollywood is having the time of her life in the US as she bumped into none other than POTUS Barack Obama, again. Tweeting a selfie with the President who was all smiles for the camera, she wrote, “Had the good fortune of meeting the one and only, the charismatic president Obama again “)! #PresidentObama” She however, did not reveal where and when she met Obama this time. The actress had last met him in 2011, at a tea party in Los Angeles.

more. But there is only so much time and we can only do that much in the time we have.

We have tried to get the message about the film out there. It's a film that we really believe in.

It's a film made with a lot of love and passion, and now we would have to leave it up to fate and the audience and see what the response is going to be.”

3 women who 'adorn' Amitabh's life

V

eteran actor Amitabh Bachchan recently shared a photo of the three women who “adorn” his life. Sharing a picture of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, daughter Shweta and granddaughter Aaradhya, Big B wrote, “Orchids are varied but rare and of some value ..to them that reach out to me such value is worthy of its presence ..But worthy are them that adorn my life ..my 3 beauties ..flowers on the right side of the hair dressing and all.” He also said, “Ladies are special ..they always were and shall always be ..”

30

UK

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Duchess of York moves to Switzerland

The Duchess of York has moved into the ski Chalet Helora

The Duchess of York has applied to become a permanent resident of Switzerland, as she feels “free and happy” there, viewing the place as her “home”.

She said, “I have regularly returned for holidays

to Verbier [Switzerland].

My family has followed me over the years. We feel free and happy, we feel at home. Anyway, I call it 'my home'. I find here a positive energy that allows me to focus on new philanthropic activities.”

Coming Events

l From Sunday, 17th April, 2016, Shree Jalaram Mandir Greenford will be re-locating to: Stewkley House,NO. 2 Wandsworth Road, Perivale Middlesex, UB6 7JD. l Hanuman Chalisa: Sunday 21st February, 11am5pm. Social Club Hall, Northwick Park Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ. l Free evening talks in English- "Essential Values of Mahatma Gandhi" by Swami Chidatmanandha: Wednesday 30th March- Friday 1st April, 7:30pm9pm, Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd April, 6:30pm8pm. Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon CR9 1DG. l Pujya Gurudev's life depicted through dance & music, choreographed by Usha Raghavan: Sunday 21st February, 6:30pm- 8:30pm. Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE. For tickets, contact: 020 8203 6288. l Mahashivratri: Monday 7th March, 7:30pm- 10pm.

Chimney Kirti, 2 Egerton Gardens, Hendon NW4 4BA. Contact Smita Samani: smita@chinmayauk.org l Register for the six-week Chinmaya Dharma Seva course starting on Sunday 17th July to Saturday 27th August. For more details, email: chinmayagarden@gmail.com l Gau Katha: Thursday 25- Saturday 27th February, 11am- 2pm. International Siddhashram Shakti Centre (UK), 22 Palmerston Road, London HA3 7RR. Visit: www.siddhashram.com l Sow & reap property seminar: Thursday 25th February, 7:30pm, Wembley.

Contact: 020 7096 2068.

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Deputy Editor: Anand Pillai Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Email: anand.pillai@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Reshma Trilochun Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: reshma.trilochun@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Head - New Projects & Business Development: Cecil Soans - Email: cecil.soans@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Senior Business Development Manager: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Advertising Sales Executive: Rintu Alex - Email: Rintu.alex@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4003 - Mobile: 07816 213 610 Business Development Manager: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com Leicester Distributors: Shabde Magazine, Shobhan Mehta Mob: 07846480220 (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

Study: void poverty by finding love Finding love can be the key to avoid poverty, according to a study.The British Cohort Study, which keeps record of 17,200 children born in April 1970, was analysed.

The analysis shows that there are four fundaments to avoiding poverty: finish school, avoid being a teenage parent,

avoid being unemployed for long periods before your mid-20s, snd finding love and being in a long-term relationship.

Couch potatoes risk having shrunken brains Remain physically inactive and you'll end up shrinking your brain size.

A study has suggested that if you are idle, or a couch potato, during your middle-age, you are

at a higher risk of shrinking your brains.

The research associated the lack of fitness among those aged in their thirties and forties with a smaller size brain two decades later.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 The Sun moves into your

solar twelfth house. This is the time to listen to your intuition, to take a break from the hectic pace of your life, and to reflect. You might naturally retreat a little and take more private time for yourself now. Time to take stock of your projects now and not start anything new for a while.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The Sun puts a spotlight on

your solar eleventh house.

You will benefit from networking in this period and you might find some great ideas through others now. Working in a team will also benefit you. You are more attracted to that which is progressive or unconventional during this cycle.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 The Sun puts a spotlight on

your solar tenth house.

Satisfaction and fulfilment during this cycle comes from being professionally responsible and contributing to the world in practical ways. You will get a lot of support from authority figures during this transit. Avoid the pitfalls by being confident and positive.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 The Sun begins its transit of your solar ninth house now. In this period you seek to expand your experiences and awareness, whether through philosophical thinking, travel, or simply activities that take you away from your mundane routines. It's an excellent period for looking at your life from a different perspective.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 The Sun’s transit of your solar eighth house begins on the 19th. Personal transformations and intimate matters fulfil you most during this period. There may be a strong focus on other's money, such as the resources of a partner, inheritance, banking and loans, or taxes. You are more in touch with the deeper and even primal elements of your own personality. l Talk on nutritional vegetarian diet for the elderly: Tuesday 23rd February, 1:15pm. Sangam, 210 Burnt Oak, Broadway, Edgware. l Asian Voice Youth Conference: Wednesday 23rd March, 5:30pm- 9pm. Register on: aveditorial@abplgroup.com l Gandhi Nirvan Deen- Wednesday 2nd March, 6pm- 10pm. Kadva Patidar Centre, Kenmore Avenue, Harrow, Middlesex HA3 8LU. l BVG- The Indian Choir of England- Sounds of Divine India: Saturday 27th February, 7pm.

Harrow Arts Centre, Harrow. www.harrowarts.com l The Mayor's Big Sing: Sunday 21st February, 6:30pm. The Rose Theatre. www.rosetheatrekingston.org/whats-on Tel. +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain International Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

Asian Voice Head Office

Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080, Fax: 020 7749 4081 www.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Asian Voice switchboard: 020 7749 4000 Gujarat Samachar switchboard: 020 7749 4080 Advertising Sales: 020 7749 4085 asianVoiceNews AsianVoiceNewsweekly AsianVoiceNews linkedin.com/company/asian-achievers-awards

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23 The Sun’s transit of your solar seventh house--your partnership sector. This can be a time of much learning in your close relationships. It's not the time to push your personal plans forward; rather, it's a cycle in which you give back to a special someone, and compromise in order to find some balance in your life.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

The Sun puts a spotlight on your solar sixth house. This is a period that finds you tending to many different details of your daily existence--your work, daily routines, and health matters. You may be in the position to take charge in your work, or to take charge of your health and diet.

Do not be hypercritical of yourself.

The Sun continues to put a spotlight on your solar fifth house. This is a time when pleasure-seeking and creative activities come into focus and grab much of your attention. You are particularly personally charming and ready to perform and to express yourself creatively. It is also a good time for romance and connecting with children.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 The Sun begins its transit of your solar fourth house. This is a period for getting in touch with your innermost feelings and spending more time and energy on home and family. Use this energy to find ways to improve your family relations and your home environment. A good time to explore your inner needs so that you can nurture yourself and others.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

The Sun begins its transit of your solar third house. A time in which you are most likely to be busy communicating.

Used well, this could be a period in which you come up with solutions to a number of problems. You will be proud of your intellectual accomplishments, ability to socialize and make connections.

The Sun’s transit of your solar second house begins on the 19th. This is the most "financial" period of the year for you. You have an increased interest in your own possessions, during this period. You are more attracted to objects and belongings that give you a sense of comfort, status, or luxury now. Careful with your extravagant spending habits.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The Sun moves through your solar first house. You experience a renewal of energy and vitality now, and it's a strong time for increased personal confidence. The emphasis is on self-expression. You are more decisive and forward-looking now, and you put more faith in your own abilities.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

SPORT

www.asian-voice.com

Windies stun India, lift U-19 World Cup AsianVoiceNews

The Indian Under-19 team’s quest for an unprecedented fourth World Cup title ended in disaster on Sunday as the West Indies out-witted the side, coached by Rahul Dravid, by five wickets in a tense summit clash to clinch the coveted trophy for the first time since its inception at Mirpur in Bangladesh.

Put in to bat by the Caribbeans on a green-top amid overcast conditions, the script went completely awry for the Indians, who were dismissed for 145 in 45.1 overs with Sarfaraz Khan’s 89-ball 51 being the only noteworthy contribution.

In reply, the West Indies made heavy weather of the chase in a slow-moving but thrilling match to overhaul the score in 49.3 overs.

The heroes for West Indies were man of the match Keacy Carty (52 not out off 125 ball) and Keemo Paul (40 not out off 68 balls) both of whom kept their cool in the high-pressure game to take the side home.

Chasing the modest target, the Caribbeans were not

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

off to the best of starts as both their openers - Gifron Pope (3) and Tevin Imlach (15) - were dismissed with just 28 runs on the board.

Skipper Shimron Hetmyer (23) and Carty then put together a 39-run thirdwicket stand to steady the rocking boat.

However, left-arm spinner Mayank Dagar gave India the much-needed breakthrough when he got Hetmyer caught at long on

by Armaan Jaffer. Next man in was Shamar Springer (3), the West Indies’ most successful batsman of the tournament with 282 runs prior

to the final. But the righthander could not make an impact and struggled for nine deliveries before an attempted slog sweep had him caught by Jaffer, off Dagar again.

While wickets were tumbling around him, Carty kept his cool to plough on even though the scoring rate was painfully slow. The 69run stand between Carty and Paul made all the difference in the end as the unbeaten Indians finally found their match in the summit clash.

The Indian fielders were also guilty of spilling a few

EXCLUSIVE

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

ICC goof-up on Kotla cricket ground

good chances, which could have tilted the match in their team’s favour.

Earlier, the Indian batsmen faltered when it mattered the most as the three-time champions were bowled out for 145. The same batsmen, who helped India stay unbeaten earlier in the competition, failed to apply themselves in the big game.

Sarfaraz was the lone exception as he saved India the embarrassment of being bowled out for a sub-100 total with a fifth fifty plus score in six innings, also making him only one to score most half centuries (7) in the history of the tournament. Chemar Holder kept things tight to maintain pressure on the Indian batsmen. There are lessons to be learnt for Indian boys. For the West Indies colts, it is time to take back home a lot of joy. For both, this tournament was a firm, bold step towards growing into mature men.

‘Ethics4Sports’ aims to address discrimination in sporting world The University of Leicester is involved in a new international project to address challenges faced by many in the world of sport, including racism, sexism and the use of drugs.

The project, ‘Ethics4Sports’, also aims to produce an app for recording and reporting incidents during matches and inside sports clubs around Europe and will develop innovative mechanisms to promote ethical behaviour in grassroots sport by enhancing the capabilities and skills of sporting bodies.

The issues to be covered by the project include:

• Questions of fairness, inclusion and inequality (e.g. in relation to racism, sexism and disability discrimination in sport); • Issues around the use of drugs in sport; • Cheating and gamesmanship; • Relations with game/match officials; • Perceived divisions (if any) between professional and amateur sport in respect to ethics; • Social & cultural variables that may impact on our understanding and perceptions of ‘fairness’ John Williams from the University of Leicester’s

Department of Sociology and new unit for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Engagement (DICE) said: “This is an amazing opportunity to work with colleagues from across Europe in order to compare attitudes and practices in relation to ethical practice in local sport. Our sports specialism at Leicester will fit very well in this project. We hope to be able to identify good practice as well as looking at different perceptions of fairness in different cultures.”

John Williams recently attended the first meeting for the E4S project held on

31

the City of the Sant Cugat, Spain together with representatives of EU public and private organisations.

On January 25 – 26 2016 the academics and practitioners from the Municipality Of Sant Cugat (Spain), Sant Cugat Creix (Spain), Scuola di Pallavolo Anderlini (Italy), ERC Iserlohn (Germany), University of Rennes (France), University of Leicester (UK), and AFC Barwell, Leicestershire (UK) recently gathered in Sant Cugat, just outside Barcelona, to begin the 2year development of the E4S project.

In a major goof-up, the International Cricket Council (ICC), on its official website, removed Delhi's Ferozeshah Kotla from the list of venues for the 2016 World T20 Championships, which gets underway in less than a month's time. The glitch was set right later but not before causing a flutter in the BCCI and DDCA. Kotla is scheduled to host four World T20 games apart from women's T20 matches. But the venue has been dogged by controversies lately and it's status as a venue remains under question. The ICC, in a rush to declare the final fixtures list, not only removed Kotla as one of the venues but also named Nagpur and Bengaluru as replacement centres. The BCCI, however, was clueless about the development.

“We have not made any changes to the World T20 venues list yet. Kotla is very much scheduled to host the matches. I will need to have a word with ICC regarding these fixtures,” Board's Game Development manager Ratnakar Shetty said. Within half an hour of Shetty's comment, Kotla was restored as one of the seven World T20 venues.“It must have been a communication or technical error which resulted in this mistake. The correct fixtures are back on the website.

The call for change of venues has to come from the host board, in this case the BCCI. We can't make that decision. If there are any changes in venues, ICC will be the first to inform the media,” a source at the ICC said.

Finch dumped as Australia skipper for World T20

Aaron Finch has been dumped as Australia's captain in the shortest form of the game and replaced by test skipper Steve Smith just a month before the start of the World Twenty20. Selectors also axed wicketkeeper Matthew Wade from the 15-man squad for the tournament in India. Test gloveman Peter Nevill, who has never played a limited overs international, was picked instead. Opener Finch, who has been struggling with a hamstring injury, was named captain in September 2014 but only skippered the side on six occasions as Australia concentrated on other forms of the game. Finch, however, remains in the squad for the tournament in India. Smith's elevation makes him captain in all three formats of the game. “We think now is the right time for Steve to lead Australia in all three forms of the game as it offers us important continuity, not only ahead of the World T20, but beyond that tournament as well," selectors chief Rod Marsh said in a release. "(Finch) will have benefited enormously from the leadership opportunity and will remain a highly-respected leader within the Australian squad." Wade, who had been Australia’s limited-overs wicketkeeper since Brad Haddin's retirement from the short formats following last year’s World Cup success, paid the price for his recent patchy form behind the stumps.

Squad: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane Watson, Adam Zampa.

Boxers, shooters keeps India on top at South Asian Games

Boxers hardly broke a sweat to scoop all the seven gold medals up for grabs, while shooters ended their campaign with an outstanding tally of 25 gold medals to ensure that India’s reign at the top remained unhindered in the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati.

On the penultimate day of competitions, the Indian contingent continued to be perched at the top with 289 medals (173 gold, 86 silver and 30 bronze).

Sri Lanka were second on the table with 174 medals (25 gold, 59 silver and 90 bronze, followed by Pakistan (90 medals - 11 gold, 33 silver and 47 bronze). Besides, the boxers and shooters’ good show, the Indian women’s foot-

Manoj Kumar

ball team also won the gold medal, defeating Nepal 4-0 in the summit clash. The boxers were the stars of the show with all the 7 men in the final notching up mostly comprehensive victories.

Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L Devendro Singh (49kg)

began India’s gold rush when he thrashed Pakistan’s Mohib Ulla at the SAI campus in North Eastern Hill University.

The London Olympics quarter-finalist was adjudged the winner on a split decision of 2-1.

Next man in was 35-

year-old former national champion Madan Lal (52kg) and he too prevailed over another Pakistani opponent in Mohammad Syed Asif to be adjudged 30 winner. World No.2 and World Championships bronze-medallist Shiva Thapa (56kg) was the fan favourite of the day and he impressed the boisterous crowd to prevail over Sri Lankan W Ruwan Thilina.

Against the aggressive Lankan who was aiming for head butts, Thapa had a defensive strategy to avoid his initial blows. World no.6 Vikas Krishan (775kg) put up a brave front, fighting through flu to down Pakistan’s Tanveer Ahmed.

The Olympic medal prospect prevailed over his

opponent with some feisty uppercuts and was adjudged 3-0 winner unanimously.

Another from the Indian boxing hub of Haryana, 20-year-old Dheeraj Rangi, who had secured a silver medal at the World Military Games in South Korea last year, defeated Pakistan’s Ahmed Ali in the 60kg gold medal bout.

Experienced boxer Manoj Kumar, the 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, was also adjudged winner in an unanimous decision of 3-0 against Dinidu Saparamadu of Sri Lanka in the 64kg category.

Commonwealth Games medallist in Mandeep

Jangra (69kg) survived a closely-fought contest against Afghanistan’s Rahemi Alla Dad to win 30.

At the shooting range in Guwahati, Indian shooters made yet another clean sweep on the final day to sign off with a staggering 25 out of 26 gold medals on offer.

Rio Olympics bound Gurpreet Singh shot gold in men’s individual 25m rapid fire pistol with a total of 28 hits on target, while Sweta Singh grabbed another yellow metal in women’s individual 10m air pistol event with a total score of 194.4 even though she was shooting with her spare gun at the Kahilipara Shooting Range.

www.asian-voice.com

32

twitter.com/AsianVoiceNews

www.facebook.com/AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 20th February 2016

Ravichandran Ashwin spins India to series victory against Lanka Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed four wickets in their seriesclinching

Ravichandran Ashwin

ninewicket victory over Sri Lanka in the third and final Twenty20 international at Visakhapatnam's ACA-VDCA Stadium on Sunday.

The off-spinner claimed three wickets in his first seven deliveries and finished with 4-8, best by an Indian bowler in this format, as Sri Lanka folded for 82, their lowest

total in Twenty20 Internationals.

Chasing the small target, India romped home with 6.1 overs to spare to seal the series 2-1. Opener Shikhar Dhawan top scored for the hosts with an unbeaten run-a-ball 46 but it was Ashwin's guile that laid the foundation for India's comprehensive victory. Put into bat, Sri Lanka got off to a nightmarish start with Ashwin opening the attack for India. The spinner drew Niroshan Dickwella forward with his third delivery to get him stumped before trapping Tillakaratne Dilshan legbefore wicket with the sixth. The wily spinner struck another blow with the first ball of his second over when rival captain Dinesh Chandimal holed out in the deep. Sri Lanka's first 21 runs cost them their top half and only Dasun Shanaka (19)

and Thisara Perera (12) managed double digit scores in their abject batting capitulation against the Indian spinners who claimed seven of the 10 wickets. To make it worse for them, the tourists were also handed out a couple of poor decisions with Asela Gunaratne and Sachithra Senanayake given caught out even though replays did not suggest any contact between bat and ball on either occasion.

Defending the paltry score, Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for 13 but Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane (22 not out) steered India to victory to ensure they remain the top ranked team in this format. Ashwin, who claimed nine wickets in three matches, grabbed both man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards.

Banned Pak umpire threatens to sue BCCI

Tainted Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf hit out at the BCCI for imposing a fiveyear ban on him for corruption, saying that the Indian Board did not have any evidence to pronounce him guilty. Rauf, 59, who was part of the ICC's elite panel and officiated in Test matches, was accused of accepting expensive gifts from bookies besides placing bets on Indian Premier League matches in the 2013 edition. “What authority does the BCCI or IPL have to ban me when the court in Mumbai told the police they had no evidence against me?”

Rauf asked.

The ban means that Rauf, who served for 13 years as a top international umpire, is barred from umpiring or being associated with any BCCI-related activity.

“The BCCI and IPL appointed an investigation commissioner and they claimed I fled from India without completing my IPL assignment which is not true. I completed all my assignments and left India in fact one day after

Asad Rauf

my assignments ended,” Rauf claimed.

Rauf claimed that the police investigation had found nothing against him.

“The court said Rauf earns more than 3 million rupees a month so accepting small gifts like jeans, T-shirts or caps is not a big issue,” Rauf claimed.

Rauf said he would be sending a notice to the BCCI and IPL through his lawyer and will sue them for the ban which has tarnished his reputation and image. “The BCCI or IPL is no authority to ban me.

Even if the Pakistan Cricket Board is not willing to take up my case, I will do it through my lawyer,” he said.