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VOL 41. ISSUE 33

80p

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe 22nd December to 28th December 2012

BJP gets a prime ministerial face for 2014 Lok Sabha elections

Bokhiria of BJP by 17,146 votes, while Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil was defeated by minister of state for fisheries Purushottam Solanki of the saffron party by 18,554 votes in Bhavnagar rural constituency. Both were strong contenders for chief ministership in the event of Congress coming to power.

Modi confidante and minister Anandiben Patel has won Ghatlodia seat while Modi's right hand man Amit Shah, an accused in the Soharabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, won the Naranpura constituency comfortably.

However, ministers in the Modi government-- Dilip Sanghani (Amreli), Jaynarayan Vyas (Siddhpur) and Fakir Vaghela (Vadgam) were

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The prospects of chief minister Narendra Modi’s prime ministerial aspirations have brightened on Thursday with the BJP returning to power in Gujarat by securing 115 seats in the 182-member assembly. Congress had no option but to sit back and watch as Modi romped home to an easy victory in Maninagar in an unequal fight against Congress candidate and surrendered IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt's wife Shweta Bhatt by nearly 90,000 votes. At the same time, Modi led his party to a record-breaking third win in the state with 115 seats - one seat less than what it had won in 2007. Shankersinh Vaghela led Congress got 61 seats.

Gujarat recorded its highest voter turnout of 71.3 per cent in the two-round elections to pick a new 182-seat assembly.

Former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel's Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP), which had been set up with the sole intention of opposing Modi, managed to win only two seats while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) got two seats, Janata Dal United ( JDU) won one seat and independent got one.

Interestingly, Modi's victory has not only given the saffron party something to cheer about, but has also given it a prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections.

Congress suffered a major blow when its state unit chief Arjun Modhwadia lost the Porbandar seat to Babu

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defeated. Out of three Congress MPs who contested the election two won and one lost. Vitthal Radadia, MP from Porbandar, who was recently in news for brandishing a gun at a toll plaza after the attendant sought to see his identity card, and Somabhai Koli Patel (MP) won while Kuverji Bavaila (MP) lost the seat.

Shankersinh Vaghela, who spearhead in the poll campaign for Congress and former state chief minister, managed to win Kapadvanj seat defeating Kanubhai Dabhi of BJP by a margin of 6597 votes. Keshubhai Patel scored a facile victory in Visavadar in Saurashtra defeating BJP’s Kanubhai Bhalala by over 42,000 votes. Though BJP registered an emphatic victory,

five of its ministers fell by the wayside.

Modi seeks Keshubhai Patel’s blessings: Chief

Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called on Keshubhai Patel and sought his blessings after

BJP’s victory in the assembly elections. Modi drove to the residence of Patel, who fell out with the BJP stalwart and floated his own party ahead of the election, in Gandhinagar to meet him. “Modiji had come to seek blessings after his win in the elections. I congratulated him for the win,” Patel said after Modi’s visit.

My six crore Gujaratis are the real heroes: Modi Modi in his victory speech said, “We have set an example in the country.

Respect all those who have decided to give the country a new direction. These polls show a new trend of the people's faith and my confidence in myself are the two pillars that helped me win and which will help me to lead the state in the coming 5 years that will bring a change in Gujarat.

Continued on page 26

Indian woman's death prompts abortion law repeal Savita Halappanavar

Keval Dhokia It has taken the “untimely and tragic death” of a female Indian dentist in an Irish hospital, Continued on page 11

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Dr Chizo Agwu

MBBS, MRCP, MSc, PCME, FRCPCH.

Dr Agwu graduated in 1986 from the University of Nigeria Teaching hospital in Enugu. She began her Post Graduate Training in 1990 and worked in hospitals in the Manchester area, London and Birmingham. She became a consultant Paediatrician in 1998 at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and is currently the Clinical Director. Her specialist interest is the care of children with Diabetes and Endocrine problems. She is married with two grown up children.

1) Please tell us about your current position?

I am a Consultant Paediatrician specialising in the care of children with Diabetes. I am the National Chairman of the ACDC (Association of Children’s Diabetes Clinicians). I am also the Clinical Director of Paediatric Directorate at Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust as well as being an Honorary Snr Clinical Lecturer at University of Birmingham. I am a

member of the Examinations board of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

I am an Examiner for the M R C P C H Examinations.

2) What are the warning symptoms of type-1 diabetes?

You should suspect Type 1 diabetes if a child develops excessive thirst, excessive urination, weight loss. The child may become lethargic, tired.

The child’s appetite may increase

although in some cases they may loose their appetite.

3) How do you see treatment for type-1 diabetes evolving in the future?

I think more children will

use the artificial pancreas. An artificial pancreas needs an insulin pump and continuous blood glucose monitoring system (CGMS). The insulin pump is a device that delivers insulin whilst a CGMS is device that can measure blood glucose minute by minute. Researchers are working on a computer programme that will feed the information from the CGMS to the insulin pump so that it delivers the correct amount of insulin automatically.

dren and their families. I also enjoy my management roles as I am in a position to help improve the quality of care we deliver. I enjoy the fact that I can combine both.

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

I have been lucky in my career and have not had many obstacles. I thoroughly enjoy what I do

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

I would adopt a policy that would ensure long term financial stability for the NHS.

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

Professor Charles Brooks. I worked as his Registrar at the M i d d l e s e x hospital/University college hospital London. I admired the breadth of knowledge he had. I developed my love for Diabetes and Endocrinology from him.

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

Mother Theresa.

I admire her generosity of spirit. I think it is important that those of us who are lucky in life always give back. I would be interested in knowing what motivated her to devote her entire life to charity and what kept her going.

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

I love working with chil-

7) And the worst?

Lack of time……..I wish I had 48 hour days to fit in everything in!

8) What are your long term goals?

I hope to develop further in my management role and in the future take on further national roles

The Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards 2013 It is that time of year again…The Asian Voice Public and Political Life Awards nominations. The awards celebrate the achievements of those who have made a special contribution to our political or public life over the last 12 months in a variety of fields.

The Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards represent Asian Voice’s modest effort to honour a number of outstanding individuals from different communities, walks of life and diverse political persuasions who serve society in their own special way, and who contribute significantly, in whatever they do, towards making a

better world today and for the future.

It is the sixth year the awards have been presented and as in previous years, the event will be attended by 250 high profile politicians from all political parties, successful people from the world of business and community leaders.

The awards for

achievements in 2012 will be handed out at a prestigious ceremony in the Members Dining Room of the House of Commons on 7th February 2013.

This year, as every year, we are seeking your nominations for the awards. Please send your nominations for Political and Public Life Awards to: ppla2013@hotmail.com

2012 Winners Cabinet Minister of the Year Shadow Cabinet Minister of the Year Liberal Democrat Minister of the Year Junior Minister of the Year Labour Backbencher of the Year Conservative Backbencher of the Year Parliamentary Journalist of the Year Diversity in the Public Services Award Journalist of the Year TV Personality of the Year Business Demonstrating Sustained Growth of the Year Young Entrepreneur of the Year Parliamentary Service Award Broadcaster of the Year Lifetime Achievement in Health Business Person of the Year Restaurant of the Year Asian Broadcaster of the Year School of the Year Business in the Community Local Government Award

Rt. Hon Andrew Mitchell MP Rt. Hon. Yvette Cooper MP Paul Burstow MP David Gauke MP Stella Creasy MP Gavin Barwell MP Anushka Asthana John Hannett Riz Lateef Jameela Jamil Mr Deepak Nangla Rajesh Agrawal Staff of message service Nick Ferrari Dr K. Anji Reddy Bharat Shah Chak 89 ATN BANGLA HABS Lycamobile UK Ltd Councillor Jagdish Sharma

2011 Winners Parliamentarian of the Year Conservative Minister of the Year Junior Minister of the Year Special Award for Achievement in Film Conservative Backbencher of the Year Liberal Democrat Backbencher of the Year Labour Backbencher of the Year Journalist of the Year Business in the Community Award Lifetime Achievement Award Local Government Award Charity of the Year Businessperson of the Year Contribution to Sport in the UK Columnist of the Year TV Personality of the Year Restaurant of the Year Asian Broadcaster of the Year Face of the Future Award International Entrepreneur of the Year Community Award Professional of the Year Creative and Entertainment Co of the Year

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Rt Hon Michael Gove MP Ed Davey MP Tariq Anwar (The Kings Speech) Nadhim Zahawi MP Julian Huppert MP Anas Sarwar MP Paul Lewis Kantesh Popat Nirmal Sethia Luftur Rahman & Dr Neeraj Patil (joint award) Path to Success – Anita Choudhrie Fukhera Khalid Leicester City Football Club Yasmine Alibhai Brown Rudolph Walker Curry Fever B4U Arjun Rajyagor Subaskaran Allirajah Ranjit Mathrani Professor Iqbal Singh Naz Choudhry

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

COMMENT

A titan departs The House of Tata has long been the jewel in India’s crown. As the country’s foremost business group, Tata straddles every part of the Indian economy. Over the past two decades, India’s liberalized economy has presented new opportunities to Indian companies to stretch their wings abroad, even as foreign investment was welcomed in India.

In a globalized world this surely was the right thing to do and Tata did so with conspicuous success. Today, its international earnings exceed its domestic profits.

Corus Steel, Jaguar and Land Rover are now internationally established Tata brands, as is Tata Consultancy Services in software. The transformation from national to multinational is a tribute to the vision and enterprise of the current head of the firm, Ratan Tata, who took over reins in 1991 and led from the front. His has been a truly towering achievement, one without peer in the modern annals of India’s business.

Let us not also forget the immense Tata contribution to Indian education, medicine and science, a tradition begun by the founder of the company Jamsetji Tata, and continued without let or hindrance by his successors. The House of Tata which has combined business with ethics and excellence, a model for others.

But all good things must end. Ratan Tata had

decided that December 2012 would be the best time to retire and hand over charge to a younger man with business acumen and experience, buttressed by a science education. He was closely involved in the selection process which oversaw the appoint of Cyrus Mistry as the head of Tata Sons, the group’s holding company.

Ratan Tata has created a strong and secure platform for the Tatas to move forward and meet the myriad challenges - some predictable, others as yet unknown - of the 21st century. His act will be hard act to follow. Much the same was said of his predecessor, the legendary J.R.D. Tata. Ratan Tata, proved to be his own man, did things his own way and came out tops. And so it goes. The mantle of authority passes from one generation to the next, each leaving its special stamp on the Tata name.

Build on all that is best in the Tata legacy, do what needs to be done, and bring the past and future into the present. The House of Tata has just done that, as Ratan Tata’s remarkable career has shown only too well.

A prosperous India means a buoyant Tata. They have marched in step for the past century and a half and are destined hopefully to do so for the next hundred and a half. One should not tempt Fate and ask ffor more. It has been a fabulous journey.

Fellowship helps transform Rajasthan backwater A recent scene in a Rajasthan village in the district of Bharatpur was one of hope. The village in question, Bajhera, was where 18 foreign volunteers arrived to help in a housing project for the very poor, those, that is, who had fallen well below the poverty line.

It began with Habitat for Humanity India, which had sanctioned loans on easy terms for building brick houses for families living in mud hutments. Habitat chose Lupin Human Welfare and Research Foundation, a philanthropic organization with long experience of the area, as its partner in project implementation.

The Lupin Foundation chose two beneficiaries, Vijay Singh and Taj Prakash. The foreign volunteers comprised professionals from the US, Britain and Japan. They included teachers, doctors, nurses, accountants, engineers and students.

The villagers were impressed by their enthusiasm and capacity to tough it out in a forbidding environment. They helped carry the bricks and mortar to the construction site; they worked with masons and labourers alike. Cariola, a retired nurse from the US, said: “My desire to bring about a change in the life of the poor man has been fulfilled after coming to India.”

For physician Leinen Crock, on her second visit to India, it was a blessing to be able to serve

the poor. Retired engineer Barack Renchie was in Kerala during the tsunami a few years back helping resettle victims of the disaster. But it was a rare experience this time to help build houses for people without a roof over their heads.

Overall, financial assistance has been made available for the construction of 80 low-cost houses and repairs to some 200 dwellings in the district, said Lupen Foundation Executive Director Sita Ram Gupta. Twenty houses had been built and more than 100 repaired, With the two houses in Bajhera village almost built, the volunteers returned to base in the state capital, Jaipur. Mission accomplished, their heads were not turned; and modest though their achievement had been, as they themselves recognized, their first small steps had opened the way to larger footprints, the totality to come, conceivably, a great leap forward.

The host community were much taken by the foreigners’ respect for the dignity of labour, also by their willingness to toil and sweat in harsh and uncompromising conditions, by their ability to transform sympathy into action. The volunteers were touched to the core by the appreciation of their hosts. Both sides were uplifted by mutual fellowship. The fusion of ends and means had brought them together an endeavour that struck all the right chords.

Lost memory of forgotten hero needs to be restored Alan Turing, a mathematical genius, died by his own hand in 1954, aged 41. He had been convicted of homosexuality in 1952 then considered a criminal offence. Recruited from Cambridge University to work at top secret Bletchley Park on the German Enigma code during the Second World War, his contribution to its success was widely believed to have shortened its duration.

Turing has passed into public obscurity - his mathematics known only to a chosen few; all that remains of his memory is the blue plaque on the wall of the London family home in Maida Vale, where he lived as a child and grew up as a boy.

Now, Cambridge astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, and a number of distinguished British scientists including Lord Rees of Ludlow, Astronomer Royal, Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society and Baroness Trumpington, who worked for Turing at Bletchley Park, have posted a joint letter to The Daily Telegraph asking that he be posthumously pardoned. Describing Turing as “one of the most brilliant mathematicians of the modern era,” the signatories recalled his services to the nation in its darkest hours.

“Yet successive governments seem incapable of forgiving his conviction for the then crime of being a homosexual, which led to his suicide.” They urged Prime Minister David Cameron to exercise his authority and formally forgive “this British

hero.”

It may be recalled that in 2009, the then Labour Prime Minister Gordon Brown, issued an apology, describing the way Turing was treated as “appalling”. But the official pardon proved elusive. Earlier this year, an appeal for pardon was turned down by Justice Minister Lord McNulty, who admitting the case was “shocking” decided a pardon was “not considered appropriate as Alan Turin was properly convicted of what at the time was a criminal offence.”

Is the letter of the law so deeply cast in stone that it cannot be reversed even if it is contrary to the principles of natural justice? Must one indulge in legal casuistry to save officialdom’s face?

Christmas is a time of good cheer, of goodwill towards all men, even to those who memories have been besmirched. It is in the Christmas spirit that Mr Cameron should initiate due process and a pardon for a wronged man who did his state great service.

The reputation and moral authority of politicians and the political class in Europe and Britain alike are at their lowest ebb. Banking fraud, questions for money in Parliament and much else have lowered their public prestige. Popular discontent grows by the day. Over and above this, the law should not be turned into an ass.

www.abplgroup.com

Thought for the Week

Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him - Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

“Our London” Navin Shah

GLA Member for Brent and Harrow

Ed Miliband’s strategy for stronger integartion The Hall of the National Association of Patidar Samaj in Tooting became a centre of national focus last week when the Labour leader Ed Miliband unveiled his strategy for strengthening social integration in Britain. The launch which I attended was of a very significant nature for two reasons. Firstly very subject of integration and the second being Labour’s ability to learn lessons and go forward under the leadership of Ed Miliband.

Until I arrived and heard Ed speak and answer questions I wasn’t too sure about the ‘message’. What didn’t help was the media reports prior to the announcement that the speech was all about immigrants’ ability to ‘converse’ in English. Thankfully, the speech and the ensuing dialogue with a very large presence of youth from diverse backgrounds and origins was a much, much more and of very powerful importance for the future of Britain.

The theme of the new strategy was far from simply proficiency in the English language. Ed Miliband’s vision was about celebrating the success of diversity and laying a strong foundation for more vibrant community. Ed Miliband talked about experience of his parents, who arrived in Britain as Jewish refugees from the Holocaust. He wants to see Britain build a home of "richness, variety and diversity".

Referring to Team GB's success in the Olympics, Ed highlighted this cultural richness and said "We should celebrate multiethnic, diverse Britain. We are stronger for it – and I love Britain for it.”

Right from the beginning he made clear his strong opposition to assimilation and his total belief in one ‘one nation’ but people with multiple identities. To me this is very important because a lot of time when people talk about integration they often suggest or

expect assimilation and that is wholly wrong and unacceptable. I’ve always believed that people should maintain their cultural, social and religious values and identity but keep an open mind and heart by embracing good and great values that every culture and religion brings with it. The central message of Ed Miliband’s strategy was that of the ‘Nation Building’ and building a true bond between all communities.

It is in this context that he talked about priority for proficiency in conversing in English language to help create a better bond, to have integrated & thriving economy, improving the quality of health care sector and so on. Ed’s message on immigration was very honest and refreshing when he made a special emphasis on “Immigration” as a vital issue that needs fair and honest airing. From his own family’s personal example Ed talked about the contribution made by immigrant communities for whom Britain has been a natural and safe home.

But at the same time it is important that anxieties about immigration are not swept under the carpet he’s promised Labour would promote a mature and full debate on immigration. The launch of this important strategy paves way in the right direction to strengthen diversity and take on board difficult and controversial issues in a fair and honest manner.

We have a clear direction of travel and detailed policies underpinning the vision will follow in due course.

I was pleased that whilst Ed Miliband delivered a well thought out vision after which he spent a considerable amount of time answering questions which ranged from the issues about recession to clamping down of Indian student visas, controversies about the extradition policies and citizenship issues faced by Nepali community in the UK.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Kapil’s

Twitter: @kdudakia

KHICHADI

Indian Journalists' Association confers Lifetime Achievement Award on Sir Charles Wheeler

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

Immigrant bashing from Left, Right and Centre!

In times of national economic crisis it seems there are many in society, media and public life that will jump on the bandwagon of bashing the immigrants.

Traditionally there was a tendency that such abuse would be meted out by those from the right or the far right.

Increasingly it seems that those on the left and the centre have also seen that there is great merit in them joining this immigrant bashing to garner public support, and I assume votes.

Wholesale unchecked immigration from Europe was of course by courtesy of the last Labour government. Under the pretence that it was a European mandate and they could not do nothing millions came into the UK unchecked.

However, the people who got the stigmatic blame for all the ills in society tended to be those from the Indian and African sub-continent. I’ll let you judge if you feel colour or faith had anything to do with it also.

No doubt some bright spark from the civil service came up with the idea of having a ‘Citizenship Test’ that applicants had to pass (get 75% correct) before their application could be considered (try it out if you wish: http://www.ukcitizenshiptest.co.uk/ ).

I am certain in my mind that if the average Britain was asked to take the same test, a sizeable proportion would fail.

So what would that tell us about the Brits in Britain? That they are any less British for failing their own Citizenship test? Of course if you are from Europe, you can walk into Britain and do what you like and that is perfectly acceptable to Governments of all colours. So in Britain the state will wilfully discriminate against certain communities from certain countries whilst allowing others to walk in free and unchallenged. The state is endorsing a policy of creating 1st and 2nd class citizens. And as far as I can tell, the vast majority of ethnic minority MPs and Peers have either turned a blind eye to this rampant state discrimination or are in such fear of their party whip, they dare not step out of line. To me it seems they have abdicated their responsibilities to their communities.

So what was it that riled me sufficiently that I thought I had to put pen to paper? Well it was none other than Ed Miliband himself.

On 14th December he thought he would conjure up immigration and out do the far right by saying that public sector jobs should only be for those who can communicate in English. On the face of it, it seems reasonable. However, let’s disaggregate his contention and see if what he said really does make sense, or is he a numpty who has jumped on yet another bandwagon to bash the immigrant?

Did you know that there are more than 5.7 million people who work in our public services? Yes, you read that

correctly. Now how many of those millions do you think are unable to communicate in English? I did ask the Labour press office and also Ed Miliband (at least three times) that same question and so far they have failed to respond. I think we all know why – he has no leg to stand on and has been caught out scaremongering the public by spreading misinformation.

In his eagerness to counter the results of the 2011 Census data, Ed has not just jumped the gun; it seems he has decided to machine gun everything in sight in the hope that he hits something worthwhile.

His other contention being that having English language will get people to integrate. There is nothing new in that argument except that knowing how to communicate is just one element that assists someone to integrate.

However, there are currently 10’s of thousands in the country who can communicate very well in English and have chosen not to integrate. This shows that the individuals concerned must also want to integrate and until that pre-requisite is in place, the integration process cannot start.

Language is of course an important tool to access the many services we have on offer. Language/s allows people to express their thoughts and respond to their neighbours.

Languages empower people to be greater than the result of their monolinguistic acumen. However, is it not the case that the vast majority of immigrants are in fact bi-lingual with many more having more than three languages?

Politicians of all colours will use every excuse to appear tough on immigrants. The 2011 census has rattled all the parties to their core and they have realised that certain communities are growing at a much faster rate than many of the others. They are all so scared that they dare not tell us what it is that is on their minds. Under the pretence of the term ‘Asian’, the truth is that they are scared of the huge increase in the Muslim population. In fact from the previous census the Muslim community has increased by 100%. It has gone from 2.5% of the population to now stand at 5% of the population (or 2.7 million). Rather than engaging with all communities with respect, the current trend is to bash them all up so that the far right parties do not get the public vote.

UKIP are doing great. The LibDems as I had predicted are destroyed and can be ignored for a decade or so now.

Labour and the Tories should know better, yet both David Cameron and Ed Miliband are playing with fire. Can they contain the fire they have started or will it burn out of control if they continue to stoke it?

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Marina (middle) and Shirin Wheeler accepting the IJA Lifetime Achievement trophy on behalf of their late father Sir Charles Wheeler from the Indian high commissioner in the UK Dr Jaimini Bhagwati (Photo Courtesy: Clayton Barreto)

London-based Indian Journalists' Association (IJA) has conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012 posthumously to Sir Charles Wheeler, who was BBC's correspondent in Delhi from 1958 to 1962. The award was accepted at an IJA Christmas dinner over the weekend by Wheeler's two daughters Shirin and Marina Wheeler.

Three years ago, IJA, established in 1947 and one of the world's most durable and successful foreign correspondents' bodies, instituted an annual lifetime achievement award. It announced this would go to either an eminent Indian foreign correspondent who served in the United Kingdom or an eminent British foreign correspondent who served in India.

In the first two years, the coveted prize went to Dicky Rutnagur and S Nihal Singh. Wheeler is, therefore, the first Briton to receive the recognition.

His daughters described this as "a great honour as it came from his professional peers". The trophy a Waterford crystal bowl was presented by the Indian high commissioner in the United Kingdom Dr Jaimini Bhagwati.

In a riveting double act, the Wheeler sisters recounted their father's career. Not only did Sir Charles report significant stories from India like the 1962 Chinese invasion and before this the Dalai

in 2008 at the age of 85.

The Daily Telegraph, the highest circulated British broadsheet, recorded in an obituary he "was the last working member of the stylish post-war school of television reporting and one of the few British television journalists to whom the term distinguished could properly be applied".

Wheeler's association with India, however, went deeper. While serving there Charles Wheeler and his Sikh bride he fell in love Dip Singh with and married a beautiful Indian Lama's arrival in India woman Dip Singh. Now from Tibet in 1959 and Lady Dip, she lives in the Queen Elizabeth II's first county of Sussex. One of state visit to India in 1961, her regrets, her daughters but with his piercing style revealed, was the fact that returned there in 1977 to because of circumstances do a series of despatches she had to give up her on the Emergency and the Indian nationality and general election of that take up British nationality year. during her husband's Other than his stint in tense Berlin assignment.

India, Wheeler did postDaughter Shrin folings in Berlin while the lowed in her father's footcity was still divided and where his daughters were steps to become a BBC born and Washington durjournalist and presenter out of Brussels. Marina is ing the civil rights movea barrister, whose husband ment, the Vietnam War is the Mayor of London and Watergate.

Boris Johnson.

Wheeler died of cancer

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Invited guests at the IJA dinner

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Asian elite reject positive discrimination

WE ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER

Keval Dhokia Senior Asian leaders from both the public and private sector have rejected the notion of positive discrimination in recruitment, as a way of increasing the disproportionately low level of ethnic minority people in the senior management of organisations in this country. They all voiced concern at the under-representation of Asian people in government as well as the private sector.

The Indian-origin chief executive of controversial outsourcing giant Serco Group, Chris Hyman, who grew up in apartheid South Africa, announced that: “Positive discrimination doesn’t work for me because it devalues success”, adding that employers shouldn’t “do diversity because (they) have to but because they want a competitive advantage.”

Attending the launch of new think-tank Diversity UK, in Holborn, Mr Hyman joined a panel of high-level speakers including Baroness Verma, Minister for Energy and Climate Change, and Bala Mahendran, CEO of Basildon Council, to address an audience of young Asian professionals, community leaders and businessman Oliver

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ing in the Asian community by Mr Joshi and CEO of Basildon Council, told the audience how he had been maimed as a child, making him “not only an ethnic minority but also disabled”.

He was also asked about ‘ghettoisation’ and the isolation of ethnic communities into enclaves, which generally had lower levels of English language proficiency, and access to the opportunities that led to senior management jobs outside these ethnic enclaves. Mr Mahendran said: “We need to deal with this from the grassroots level, to prepare people to compete in a globalised environment, and improve the skills of minorities so that they are prepared to take on higher responsibilities.

“This isn’t even about dumbing down standards or performance to cater to badly represented groups; I agree with Chris, I think diversity is an asset and benefits UK plc. Also, interracial marriage has been on the rise in Britain and the most recent cen-

L-R: Dilip Joshi MBE, Bala Mahendran, Chris Hyman CBE, Lopa Patel MBE, Baroness Verma, Sushila Khoot & Shanthi Waas

Rothschild.

Chairing the board of trustees of the new thinktank, Dilip Joshi, opened the proceedings by saying: “We have a formidable panel here today that illustrates the public and private sector potential of diversity in the workplace.

I am a Gujarati who, like

so many, came here after Idi Amin’s expulsion of Indians from Uganda, and I am proud to be here to open this ground-breaking event.”

Young Asian representatives of and various managers in the financial services industry were also present as Lopa Patel,

founder and CEO of Diversity UK, lambasted Goldman Sachs for their poor record on ethnic variety at its higher echelons.

She said: “When you look at Goldman’s board what you essentially see are white men. I’m glad to see that they took part in the London Evening Standard’s jobless campaign by offering 10 young, mostly Asian, people apprenticeships.

“We are tracking their progress to see what is stopping these minorities from reaching the top, and we have created this forum to bring the debate into the public arena, so we don’t just have to talk about this over the ‘kitchen table’.”

Bala Mahendran, described as the ‘Godfather’ for his stand-

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sus figures show that mixed race people are the fastest growing demographic in this country. So I think there has been great progress in integration over the last few decades, but we have a long way to go.”

Baroness Verma, a Conservative party member of the House of Lords, gave the final speech of the evening. She said: “During a recent trip to Scotland on government business I was subjected to an unjustified level of searching, and was not allowed through the airport until I told them I was a Minister of the Crown. My experience shows that prejudice is very much alive and well.

“We haven’t made enough progress on diversity because we assume the glass ceiling isn’t there to be removed and we accept second best. We shouldn’t have to still promote diversity but we also shouldn’t accept the status quo. Our generation must not allow things to remain the same for the next generation.”

6

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Tesco proves that building brands and understanding consumers isn’t easy

By Spriha Srivastava

Suraj Sharma

the new generation star Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, the director of Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon directs LIFE OF PI, based upon Yann Martel’s beloved book, which went on to become one of the biggest publishing events of the past decade.

An epic adventure of magical realism, LIFE OF PI follows the story of a young man’s incredible survival at sea against almost impossible odds.

A remarkable breakthrough in the use of 3D technology, PI will take audiences on an emotionally captivating journey that will inspire, touch and transport them to a place of discovery they will be unable to forget.

LIFE OF PI stars newcomer Suraj Sharma as Pi, Gerard Depardieu, Rafe Spall, Irrfan Khan and Tabu.

Yann Martel’s novel has been adapted into a screen play by David Magee (Finding Neverland), produced by Ang Lee, Gil Netter (Water for Elephants), David Womark (Stardust), co-produced by David Lee. Cinematography by Claudio Miranda (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), editing by Tim Squyres (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon).

Production Design by David Gropman (Date Night), music by Mychael Danna (Little Miss Sunshine).

But the star of the show is 19 year old Suraj Sharma who was offered the role just as he was completing his schooling in Delhi after which he moved on to do his under graduation from St. Stephen’s college in Delhi University.

I caught up with him for a short chit-chat and found him extremely enthusiastic about his work and his new career. I asked how he felt about his plunge into the world of cinema and he said, “It was great to just plunge into it. You know, I went in with no expectations. I started off with no expectations and somehow I got this amazing gift, and the best thing you can do is plunge into it, you know? What else could

you do? You don't know what you're doing. You just go for it.”

A total of 3,000 young Indian men auditioned for the role of Piscine Molitor Patel, the titular Pi in director Ang Lee’s eagerly anticipated adap-

non-franchise film opening of all time after Avatar. Life Of Pi is the second highest opening film of all time for Twentieth Century Fox after Avatar in India.

Several Indian celebrities excitedly tweeted

Mo Luthra Branding Consultant www.moluthra.com As we gear up for Christmas, one place I can imagine most of us will visit will be a Tesco store. The third largest retailer in the world; a far cry from its humble beginnings in Burnt Oak, in 1929.

Regardless of how big you are, business is always about taking risks and rolling the dice in order to grow, and with that, nothing is guaranteed.

Tesco is certainly not immune to this. At the beginning of the month they announced that they would quit on their American brand ‘Fresh and Easy’, closing about two hundred stores across California and

Nevada. At an estimated £1.6 billion, this American gamble certainly wasn’t cheap.

The root of the problem was that they misunderstood the American market.

The store design was larger than convenience ones but smaller than full scale supermarkets; which was confusing for Americans, as was the self-service checkouts.

Also they stocked them with own label produce and a heavy flavouring of ready meals. While this has worked so well in the UK, it certainly didn’t go down a treat in America.

A business from a corporate level can dictate what its brand stands for and how it is meant to be understood.

What it can’t control is the feelings and responses from the consumer.

This is why creating brands is so tricky. We are not dealing with linear relationships but complex systems which have many inputs.

Cultural attitudes, individual preference, existing competitors, all these and many more play an integral role in developing a brand.

To further add complexity the consumer

doesn’t often know what it is they want. That’s why market research at times can be a poor indicator of whether an idea will fly or fall flat. This is because what people think and what people do, can be very contradictory.

A famous example of this from the 70’s is Akio Morita, the then head of Sony Corporation. Sony did lots of consumer research around portable music. Funnily enough, the research came back and stated ‘there was no demand for mobile music’. Morita completely ignored that and said let’s build the Walkman anyway, and the rest as they say is history.

Like any good business, Tesco is not deterred from hunting out another challenge. It is looking to increase its stake and commitment in India and to expand into Tesco branded retail stores.

These are planned to be built in Bangalore and Mumbai and should be coming very soon.

Wishing all readers at Asian Voice a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year, from Mo Luthra, branding consultant.

Mud throwing at India House upsets Indians tation of Yann Martel’s 2001 novel. It was actually Sharma’s younger brother who was to read for the part, but Suraj went along with him to keep him company, so he auditioned too. When I ask him how his brother feels about how it worked out, he laughs.

Suraj was only 16 when the audition process started. “Initially everything was just surreal and unexpected,” he says. “It’s continued that way. It’s funny to say this, but it’s literally like I’ve been on this boat and I’ve been drifting around and doing all these things and seeing all these things that I never thought I would do or see. It’s quite unbelievable.”

With the Tamil and Hindi versions releasing on 20th December 2012 in 2D and 3D, the film is already enjoying box office success in India since it opened on the 22nd of November. The film had the fifth biggest opening weekend of 2012 in India and the tenth highest of all time among MPA titles.

It is the highest nonfranchise opening of this year and the third highest

about the film when it released in India.

Everyone from Bollywood’s acting royalty to the industry’s acclaimed directors and musicians and the respected Indian media are singing Life Of Pi’s praises Mr. Lee never considered shooting scenes set in Pi’s childhood home of Pondicherry, India – anywhere but the former French colony. “While we were working on the script I scouted and there is really nothing else that compares to French India,” Mr. Lee explains. “It’s unique and somewhat unfamiliar to the rest of the world. It’s like you can just drop a camera anywhere there, turn it on, and the picture will be beautiful.”

The movie has done a great job and an even better job done by young Suraj Sharma who played the role of Pi with amazing emotional depth considering he just 19. With absolutely no prior acting experience, this is Suraj’s launch in the world of cinema. With the age and a blockbuster on his side, Suraj has proved that he is definitely here to stay.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

A recent report in a popular Indian daily said that the Indian high commission in London is considering lodging a firm protest with the British foreign office about yet another failure on the part of the London metropolitan police to provide protection to its premises.

A group of unruly protesters armed with horns, megaphones and pots and pans descended on the

entrance of the diplomatic mission a fortnight back, depositing a substantial quantity of mud at the main entrance of the building to block access. They demanded the Indian government debar mining at the Niyamgiri in Odissa, India.

Soon after the incident, Indian diplomats apparently summoned the London metropolitan

police's diplomatic protection force to express its "displeasure" and seek an explanation.

The police reportedly said they are looking at the video footage to identify the trouble makers. The high commission's security officers are assisting them in this task.

Asian Voice could not reach India House for any further comments on this incident.

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Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House,12 Hoxton Market London N1 6HW or email: george@abplgroup.com

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7

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Fly Etihad to Ahmedabad Etihad Airways has launched daily flights to the Indian city of Ahmedabad since November 2012. Asian Voice editor CB Patel was invited to enjoy one of the inaugural flights to experience first-hand the route on the airline which has just won the World’s Leading Airline for the fourth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, considered to be the “Oscars of the travel industry”:

CB’s experience “Check in at Heathrow was extremely smooth with welcoming smiles and an efficient service. Of course this comes as part of the experience when you get to fly on their Pearl Business Class! After some gift shopping for friends and family, I went through to the lounge which had a relaxing ambience to enjoy some complimentary refreshments and drinks before boarding. I was lucky to enjoy a fast-track service to board the aircraft and to my seat in the Pearl Business Class cabin. This class offers the latest inflight entertainment technology including a wide range of film and music channels and games. For the business traveller, seats offer USB, IPOD and Ethernet sockets so one could work and stay connected to the office easily. One of the main things people enjoy or complain about on flights is the food, but I was spoilt for choice. The quality of food on my flights was superb with an international á la carte menu offered for breakfast, lunch and dinner, catering for vegetarian and non-vegetarians. The on-board food and beverage manager also offered wines which comEtihad Airways’ new service to Ahmedabad will offer nearly 1,000 seats a week into the Gujarati city and the November 2012 launch coincided with the beginning of the peak travel season in India. The airline anticipates strong traffic flows from Ahmedabad to Abu Dhabi and onto its European and US destinations. It also under-

plimented each passenger’s choice of meal. And to top it off, if you did not want a meal, you could choose from their Kitchen Anytime menu which offers a range of snacks to be served whenever you wished.

What I was really pleasantly surprised by were the lieflat beds which have in built massage panels –I certainly took advantage of this and fell asleep during my massage! After my meal and a very comfortable nap, we landed for a short stopover in Abu Dhabi where my transit was smooth and I again enjoyed the Business Class lounge facilities to rejuvenate before the final leg of my journey. After a freshly brewed cappuccino and some fresh warm pastries in the lounge, I went to stretch my legs and explore the airport which I discovered is spotless. It offers fantastic duty free shopping, the airport itself was airy and beautiful in architecture, and very easy to navigate around.

Soon enough, it was time again to board the plane, where I was served a breakfast menu with hot and cold options. Although I was really full and knew that when I landed, my relations in Ahmedabad would also be plying me with more food, I could not resist their tempting menus! After watching some TV and chatting to my fellow passengers, before I knew it, we were ready to land. As soon as I exited the airport, the familiar sights and smells reminded me how great it was to be back home, and that I will be coming back as often as I can. And now that I’ve experienced Etihad, as the flight was so comfortable, staff extremely efficient and all my needs catered for, Etihad Airways will definitely be my preferred airline of choice to fly to India and I would recommend anyone to fly with them.” lines Etihad Airways’ commitment to serve the major population centres across India. With the addition of Ahmedabad, Etihad Airways now flies to nine Indian destinations including the cities of New Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Kochi.

Etihad Airways’ President and Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “Etihad Airways is committed to serving the Indian market and people, whether in India or the diaspora. We are delighted to launch this new service and are committed to serving our customers in Gujarat. Our daily, two-class A320 service to Ahmedabad is another step in expanding our presence on the Indian Subcontinent and connecting key strategic cities with Abu Dhabi. We are confident that the addition of the Ahmedabad service will further strengthen commercial and cultural ties between India and the UAE and will lead to continued strong growth in traffic flows between India, Abu Dhabi and beyond.”

To book your Etihad Airways flight, call their appointed agents Brightsun Travel on 0208 819 0486 or book online at www.brightsun.co.uk

8

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Jacintha buried in India amid uproar

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Restaurant Entrepreneur with a Passion for India Ed Francis is 29 and has spent the last decade working in, and running, restaurants in London – including five years for the Soho House group. Currently he runs The Hampshire Hog in Ravenscourt Park, splitting his time between the pub and volunteering for a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Kolkata called The Hope Foundation. Ed is now combining his two passions and opening a restaurant in Mumbai that will train young adults from the street before finding them jobs in hospitality.

The body of hoax-call nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who allegedly hung herself two weeks ago, arrived in Mumbai from London on Sunday afternoon, accompanied by husband Benedict Barboza and his children Junal, 16, and Lisha, 14, as it headed towards their hometown of Shirva in Karnataka state, South India. Mrs Saldanha, a devout Catholic, left instructions for her funeral in one of three suicide notes that she wrote.

Hundreds of local mourners who descended on the family home to pay their last respects through a glass casket in which Mrs Saldanha’s face could be seen, were greeted with a coffin lid resting on the front wall, bearing a plaque saying: ‘Royal Nurse Jacintha Saldanha.

RIP.’ In her notes, she criticised staff at King Edward VII hospital for treating her badly after the incident, and blamed the radio hosts for driving her to her death. Mr Barboza, answering questions after the ceremony, said he had not yet taken a decision on whether to pursue legal action against the hospital nor did they know whether they would sue the Australian radio station. The now-notorious duo have not apologised to the family formally, and have gone into hiding due to the intensity of death threats that they have received.

The wife and mother of two grew up and completed her nurse’s training only 20 miles away in the city of Mangalore.

During a memorial service at the Our Lady of Health Church in Shirva, conducted by Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, around 2,000 people packed in to sing hymns and listen to brief eulogies about the woman who apparently died in an "unfortunate incident".

He said: “Jacintha Saldanha spent her entire life looking after people who were sick and today it is our turn to show our appreciation of her work

and her life," said Dr Lobo. He added: "Jacintha was a good mother, good wife and understood the pain of people.”

The family asked for photographers and cameramen not to take pictures inside the church or at the nearby graveyard where Mrs Saldhana was buried after the service,

but they managed to broadcast footage of the memorial service and burial to international media channels nonetheless.

The three remaining members of the family were left holding each other for support as the crowd of mostly strangers swelled around the burial ground.

Keith Vaz attacked for Jacintha role The senior Asian MP’s involvement with the Saldanha family questioned Some sections of the media have discredited Mr Vaz for “appointing himself the Saldanha family’s official spokesman” and allegedly turning “a private tragedy into a very public circus”. He has even been mocked by the Daily Mail for acting “like Tony Soprano at a Mafia funeral” and criticised for his close presence in almost all of the Saldanha family’s photos since they came out in public.

The right-wing newspaper carried on its attack on the Labour MP writing: “There are well over a million people of Indian descent living in Britain. Are they all incapable of fighting their own corner without the counsel of the Right Honourable Nigel Keith Anthony Standish Vaz MP? Then again, Vaz has assiduously played the race card throughout his career.”

This comes after Mr Vaz came out strongly against the Australian radio station, Southern Cross Austereo, whose prank call led to nurse Jacintha Saldanha’s suicide by hanging a fortnight ago. He criticized its conduct in dealing with the deceased’s family in a letter stating: “There has been no written apology, no request for a meeting with the family and no attempt to travel to the United Kingdom to express contrition.”

Benedict Barboza, Mrs Saldanha’s husband, and his two children turned to the chairman of the home affairs select committee to support them in managing the media ordeal which they have inadvertently been thrust into. On 10 December Mr Vaz, before giving an emotionally charged statement outside parliament alongside the family, appeared on BBC News saying: “I’m not sure that they are getting the kind of support that the DJs in Australia appear to be getting.”

Southern Cross, which verbally apologised for the stunt, announced last week that it would donate its advertising revenue until the end of 2012 to a fund for Saldanha's family, with a minimum contribution of A$500,000 (£324,936). Mr Vaz wrote to the Southern Cross chief executive Rhys Holleran saying: “I would be grateful if you could let me know how you arrived at this figure and why you think this adequately deals with this serious and important issue.”

Mr Vaz replied to his critics by saying: “ The family approached me because of my position on the home affairs select committee and (because) there was a police investigation being conducted.” He added that he was determined for them to be told "the truth" about what had happened and has called for an additional inquiry by the King Edward VII hospital to establish all of the facts leading up to Mrs Saldanha’s death.

Mr Vaz also played a prominent role in supporting the parents of Anuj Bidve, the Indian student who was shot dead in Salford, earlier this year. The parents flew to Britain and visited the MP in parliament while Greater Manchester Police filled them in on their investigation into his murder.

Ed is passionate about India and its culture. He has no Asian heritage, but his interest in the country came about in a special way. He worked for the daughter of Dame Joan Plowright, who is a Patron of the NGO he now volunteers for. He and his team were approached as a business to assist with fundraising, and he made his first trip to the slums of Kolkata in October 2010.

Ever since, he has been fascinated with the culture of India both historically and sociologically.

He sees India as “A nation steeped in tradition, governed by religion, yet increasingly looking to the west for cultural inspiration and opportunity,” Ed told us.

“Seeing a country from the bottom up really connects you with what makes it tick. It’s fascinating how India works once you stop seeing through western eyes.”

Ed says that doing business in an emerging country gives him cause for concern on a daily basis. But he is working with a local partner, and so will be guided through all the potential barriers.

“Ensuring I’m not taken advantage of!” he laughs.

Ed’s business is born out of a desire to combine his twin pleasures; his job and his p a s s i o n .

“Mumbai fits the bill perfectly.” He says. He is opening a western-style restaurant and bar in the south of the city that caters for “discerning locals as well as international visitors. It will be simple, stylish and fun with an emphasis on imported British products and great food!”

The restaurant will also fund a training school that will take former street children, train them for six months alongside experienced staff, and then place them in employment with

Ed Francis

Like Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, the restaurant group that uses the magic of food to give unemployed young people in the UK a chance to have a better future? Ed answers, “I guess so.

Although I think it’s important to make a distinction between the issues that the young adults face here, and in India. In India, their lives can often be despicable, with no route out of grinding poverty without intervention. It’s this heart-wrenching hopelessness that fuels my desire to help.”

London has an unpar-

Mumbai, but a huge market to tap in to. I think it’s a great place to do business and the right venue would be hugely successful.”

Ed recently won a competition that enabled him to travel to India with Richard Branson. It came about because Virgin Media runs a community for young entrepreneurs called Virgin Media Pioneers, which encourages the development of fledgling businesses through collaboration and resource sharing. They invited members of the free-to-join forum to state why the trip would benefit their business. Ed’s plans fitted the bill perfectly and he was one of five chosen to join the Virgin trade mission.

Richard Branson spent an hour chatting to Ed and other Pioneers in Delhi at a Virgin Atlantic party. Ed says, “he was very forthcoming with advice, easy to talk to and bounce ideas off.

Then in Mumbai, we had a 30-minute q and a with him, which was hugely inspirational.

We were also introduced to local entrepreneurs and young business people. Many of whom are keen to sup-

alleled but saturated dining scene, says Ed, which is why he is not setting up in the British capital.

Great sites are snapped up by corporates with much deeper pockets than him. “There are a few established western restaurants and bars in

port my project moving forward.

In terms of ongoing support, I am hopeful that Virgin Atlantic will sponsor return visits so I can move my project forward more quickly than would have otherwise been possible.”

other restaurant and hotel groups in the city – giving them a career and a sustainable route out of poverty for them and their families.

Ed is in discussion Mumbai-based with NGOs to ensure he provides a successful programme. He’s also talking to restaurant groups so that their criteria are met at the other end.

It’s fascinating how India works once you stop seeing through western eyes

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

9

Miliband urges Britons to embrace diversity Keval Dhokia Ed Miliband traveled to the Shree Kadwa Patidar Samaj hall in Tooting last friday to defend last weeks census figures, which showed around one in seven people were now born outside the UK. In a direct rebuke to the Home Secretary, Theresa May’s, speech attacking these immigrants last week the leader of the opposition said: “I say this as the child of immigrants. I wouldn’t be standing here if it hadn’t been for the generosity of Britain.

“We are a multi-ethnic, diverse Britain and increasingly so as the census showed.

And let’s recognise the way the British people have embraced this diversity.

Because frankly we’ve had our fair share of doomsayers in Britain over the years.”

Mr Miliband’s speech was purposely conciliatory to Britain’s foreign born population after Mrs May claimed that immigrants put unsustainable pressure on public services like the NHS. He said: “Our NHS is staffed by nurses from all over the world.

One third of Team GB medal winners had parents or grandparents born outside this country. A

quarter of Britain’s Nobel Prize winners were born overseas.”

However Prime Minister D a v i d Cameron, riled by his opponents comments, spoke out while on a trip to Brussels: “"(Labour) presided over a completely broken immigration system that over 10 years allowed 2 million people net (sic) to come to the UK – that is two cities the size of Birmingham. What we inherited was a complete and utter meltdown and mess. Theresa May made an excellent speech in which she explained some of the steps she has taken, including closing down 180 bogus colleges. The challenge for Ed Miliband is: will you now support these steps that you opposed and for 10 or 13 years refused to put into place?"

Admitting that the previous Labour government had made mistakes in its immigration policy, Mr Miliband claimed sufficient English language skills were key to harmonious integration, and unveiled his alternative

We wish all our readers, supporters and advertisers

A Merry Xmas and a very Happy New Year

Please note there is no 29th December issue as we shall be away on a Christmas break.

See you all in the New Year 2013

job and less able to make the most of living in Britain.”

Moreover, London has become particularly more diverse with all four of the top foreign born constituencies in the country falling within the city – (London Borough of) Brent (55 percent), Newham (54 percent), Westminster (53 percent)

and Kensington and Chelsea (52 percent). Mr Miliband said: “I went to a comprehensive school where today there are young people whose families come from over 60 countries, with 50 different languages spoken. It is part of the success story of London: a truly global city. I love the diversity of London.”

Language. three point plan to aid in the assimilation of these The only Asian memnew migrants into British ber of the Labour shadow society. The proposals cabinet, Sadiq Khan, were: echoed these sentiments, Transfer of funding adding: “We need to do from translation materials more to make sure everyone in Britain knows how to English language lesto speak English. Those sons for newcomers to who do not speak English Britain; are less able to get a good Employees in publicly funded jobs that involve interaction with members of the public should be required to have a certain level of English language proficiency before being recruited; Schools and parents of foreign born pupils should agree in writing to share the responsiThe Queen visited the Downing Street on 18th December, the first monarch to attend the meeting bility of ensuring of senior ministers for more than 230 years. David Cameron welcomed the monarch on the steps their children are of Downing Street before presenting her with a gift of a set of place mats bought after a Cabinet fully comfortable whip-round to mark her Diamond Jubilee. The Prime Minister revealed the last time a Cabinet had been attended by the head of state was George III in 1781. with the English

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10

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Suicide by nurse

Miliband’s speech

Daydreams and reality

We must accord sincere condolences to family of Late Mrs J. Saldhana. Our kindest thoughts must be with them at this period of grief.

While it is true that many questions will remain unanswered, there are some which must be raised for introspection by all and sundry. A nurse who delivers new lives as profession and inspires confidence among new mothers resorted to severe act of suicide is unimaginable.

Why did she not counsel herself? Why did she not seek advice of her superiors or senior staff, or a church priest etc?

Was she ignorant about Samaritans who could have solved her dilemma? Why did she impose death sentence on herself when many countries have banned it and UN is mulling to ban it in all countries?

Even if she was tried and found guilty in court, punishment would never never have been death sentence.

Why did she take all the blame for prank when she was accidental victim?

She could have shrugged her shoulders and pointed at the DJ s and radio station owners. However, any perpetrators must be punished harshly even though they had no evil intentions. Harsh punishment can be best deterrent for future thoughtless pranksters.

Hospitals must tighten security for in coming calls and allocate code to VVIP callers. Also it must appoint one single spokesman to dispense information, so any person on duty cannot be trapped.

Such VVIP callers can be referred to appointed spokesman or bulletin.

Please remember that life is the most precious gift of God and nothing is worth sacrifice of such gift. Suicide is a sin and insult to God.

Ed Miliband in his speech last week in Tooting acknowledged that the Labour party got it wrong when it came to immigration. This is a good start. The only mistake he thinks of the last government made was not insisting new immigrants learn English. The truth of the matter is that under the Labours 5.5 million foreign migrants arrived in this country and most of the jobs went to foreign-born workers. Most of the workers who came to the country do not speak English and they were recruited to carry out semi and unskilled jobs since British born people are not willing to go for low paid jobs since they are better off being unemployed because of the generous unemployment and social security benefits.

The enlarged common market has allowed thousands immigrant workers from Europe to come to UK to look for jobs and they can claim benefit too.

The labour party allowed thousands of spouses to come here from Indian sub continent especially from Bangladesh and Pakistan who do not speak English too.

These people should be tested for the basic knowledge of English in their own country.

The Labour party is against assimilation and this has resulted in Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and polish colonies in all towns and cities in Britain. Nobody says that people who come here should abandon their culture, but in a multi-cultural and multi-religious society, people should accept that Western culture. They should not isolate themselves saying that we will not take part in Christmas festivities since they belong to different religious groups.

There is no shortage of skilled and unskilled workers in this country but they are not paid proper wages and the foreign workers are exploited by offering low wages.

In short Ed Miliband is ‘naive’ in saying that by asking immigrants to learn English he can solve the immigration problem.

In your Asian Voice of 15 December 2012, I read with interest two contrasting ‘dreams’ of hope; that of the Freedom Team of India who are a small group of NRIs set up about three years ago who would like a ‘platform’ to transform the ‘inefficient and inadequate governance system of India’ into a ‘modern, prosperous and just society’, and the other is that of the Asians who were expelled from Uganda 40 years ago.

When India achieved independence in 1947, there was widespread belief that being a vast country with a huge and diverse population it would not survive.

But it did survive, and it is very much alive today. Why? Because the people of India made it survive. They worked hard for it and were prepared to make sacrifices. Today, we see India prospering in many fields and producing intellectuals who contribute to its economy and promote social welfare. We see progress being made in its infrastructure. Poverty levels are going down through availability of jobs and more opportunities. We see village life improving. Of course, it is always very easy to play down positives and highlight negative issues like corruption and sanitation. But one must compare like with like. If you are happily and comfortably settled in a small country like Britain, then it is unfair to belittle India when its task of governance is so enormous.

Ugandan Asians never talked ill of the regime which expelled them. Instead, they minded their own business, worked hard, became prosperous and contributed to Britain’s economy. So, the moral of the Ugandan Asians’ story is simply this: If you want to help India, then be always there in person, join hands with the local initiatives and not ask for a ready-made independent ‘platform’.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

Death of the nurse a race issue It is with great sadness to learn about yet another Indian life of a hard working much respected qualified nurse has been taken away in this country under a different difficult circumstances. I was not surprised to read that even after Jacintha’s complain to some responsible person, the hospital had decided not to take any disciplinary action against her colleague. I assume because she was Indian, she might have become an easy option of ignorance. This sort of unfairness is still a wide spread acceptable practice within big organisations, especially local governments, and public bodies. There might be all sorts of Equality and Diversity slogans or in paper policies, but when it comes to challenging the foundations of all this, there are no effective outcomes, unless you are well supported. But in most of the cases, workers, just give up. I have seen too many cases, where Asian members who suffer, are left in isolation or asked to leave.

Also some papers were quick to point fingers at MP Keith Vaz For speaking on behalf of the family. If he was not there, who else was going to support the family during these tragic circumstances?

Arun Vaidyanathan Via Email Where was Jacintha’s local or Hospital area MP ? If this incident was involving a white person, there would have been a lot of hard hitting wide National coverage.

Jatish Shah Northampton

Homing in on Gujarat I must congratulate Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for producing the Indian Property 2012 supplement aimed at attracting NRI second-home buyers to Gujarat.

This amazing production bristles with eye-catching luxury apartment blocks and homes in the most elegant environments which compare favourably with the very best on offer from other holidayhome hotspots such as Spain, Balaeric and Canary Islands, Italy, Greece, France and Cyprus.

I particularly like the look of those

Uttambhai D Mistry Bolton superb villas on page 8 dotted with palm trees, and can imagine the fortunate owners snoring away the sun-drenched afternoons on the spacious balconies.

As publisher-editor CB Patel says in his foreword message: “If the two million British Indians (including one million British Gujaratis) are looking for investment in their place of birth or ancestral homes, it can be said for sure that Gujarat is an attractive investment option.” He rightly adds: “Owning a property in India is not only an instinct but an emotional bonding.”

Rudy Otter Via Email

A healthy old age It was interesting to read letter of Jayesh A Patel in your issue who narrated four stages of human life as visualised by our ancient ‘Rishis’. Old age is the age of experienced wisdom, an age of positive thinking and spirituality. Instead of being burden on the family/society a person should always try to be independent in all respects and live respectfully.

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Gay marriages and Asian community It is not so unusual or uncommon for me to agree with my Muslim friends who mostly derive from fringe communities like Daudi Bhora, Ismali and Shia IthnaAsheris. Your lead article in last week’s AV (Asian leaders say “No” to gay marriage) reflect our views, our way of thinking which we feel is in our inbuilt cultural heritage.

It is indeed fool hardy on the part of the Coalition Government to bring up such a divisive legislation, especially when the country is crying for a firm leadership to solve our massive economic crisis. It is indeed not a priority for even gay people most of whom are satisfied with the civil partnership bill introduced not long ago. There is not much difference between this bill and the reform of HOL bill that was confined to dustbin as soon as it was debated in HOC. I hope Labour MPs in HOC will support some 100 Conservative MPs who would oppose it and put an end to this political nonsense that may cause deep division on the religious, ethnic and cultural divide.

It seems “Church of England” will be forbidden from conducting “Gay Marriages” while other religious establishments like mosques, temples, gurdwaras and synagogues will have the freedom of opting in to carry out Gay Marriage ceremonies.

As there are so many restrictive clauses and strong opposition from practically every religion, including Catholics, only a tiny percentage, perhaps no more than 10% of the religious places would apply to conduct such ceremonies, perhaps with the exception of Quakers and Unitarians.

PM David Cameron would like to be seen as a liberal Conservative, a reformer but in the process he may strengthen the right wing of his party and many Asian members may desert the sinking ship at the next election.

Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email Instead of restaurant food and drinks, home cooked vegetarian food is good for health. Sensible life style of earlier age group helps a person lot in old age. Daily exercise such as Yoga is good for our body and mind. All diseases originate in mind.

Instead of hospitals and medicines (sometimes necessary) let nature heal us, daily prayer is food for the soul as good food is for the body.

In old are over activeness and over passiveness are both risky, person should follow middle way as preached by Lord Buddha. Married couples in third stage of life Vanaprastha, should follow Ramkrishna Parmanhsa and Gandhi’s life which helps stability and long life. I know of 2 people in London enjoying life at 92 without any disease or regular medication, thanks to their ‘Vaishnav’ life style.

Good health in old age is the best of all possessions.

Dhanjibhai Tanna MBE Pinner

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

11

Foreign students stranded Vijay Arjune – a safe pair of hands in the RAF due to visa woes Christmas is the last time foreign students see their parents before going away for a whole year, until they finish their exams.

After arrival in autumn, the longest break is usually Christmas before the summer holidays, which are taken up mostly for preparation of exams, or part time job hunts (permitted hours within visa rules) to cope the expenses of living in a foreign city.

But reportedly the UKBA's slack in momentum for extending visa leads to thousands of foreign students at British universities ultimately spending Christmas apart from their families due to delays in visa processing which leave them without passports for months and unable to exit the country.

Students complain of waits between four and seven months to extend an existing visa or update it when starting a new course, as the UK Border Agency struggles to cope with staff cuts and constant updates to immigration rules.

Daniel Stevens, international students officer for the National Union of Students, estimates that “thousands” of school-age

children and adult students are unable to return home this year. The NUS estimates that foreign students are worth £12.5bn a year to the UK economy.

According to Dominic Scott, chief executive of UK Council for International Student Affairs, the delays have worsened as new requirements such as biometric processing make the system more complicated.

Separately, a report by John Vine, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, found that despite agency data showing that 85 per cent of student visa cases were dealt with within the four week target, his own investigation found only 12 per cent completed within this time. The Border Agency says it warns customers that applications may take as long as six months, and that it will deploy extra staff in areas where demand is high.

But Keith Vaz, a Labour MP and chairman of the Commons home affairs committee, is not persuaded. “The agency doesn’t care that it takes so long, and it thinks delay is an important part of immigration control,” he says.

GP jailed for assaulting patients A lecherous GP who sexually assaulted women patients during medical examinations over three decades was jailed for 11 years last week. Dr Gousul Islam, 70, (pictured) regularly made inappropriate comments and propositioned patients and staff for sex.

In his consulting room at a village surgery, he serially groped teenage girls and young women.

Judge Simon Lawler said this was the ‘worst case of its kind by a professional man’ he had encountered in 40 years.

Michelle Colborne, prosecuting, said Dr Islam ‘exploited the naivety’ of his patients and ‘he suc-

ceeded because as the GP in a close-knit community he was in a position of trust and status and power.’ He was finally caught when one victim went to police in March 2010 and others came forward. He was suspended by the General Medical Council and will now be struck off. The jury found him guilty of indecently assaulting seven women patients between 1970 and 1995.

Indian woman's death prompts....

Continued from page 1 to force the Irish government to announce that it will be legalising abortion in rare cases. The authorities in Ireland decided to amend its abortion laws after coming under intense pressure from citizens and the Indian government, for not allowing Savita Halappanavar to have an abortion that would have saved her life.

Her parents announced on Thursday that the amended abortion law should be named after their deceased daughter, because it was her death that caused a revaluation of the abortion issue in the country.

Savita’s father, Andanappa Yalagi said: “I appeal to the government

to name the legislation in her memory.”

Speaking at their home in Belgaum, in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, the parents welcomed the decision by Ireland to repeal legislation that makes abortion a criminal act and to introduce regulations allowing abortions when a woman's life is in danger.

Mr Yalagi said his daughter had repeatedly asked for a termination of the pregnancy and he blamed the doctors for her death: “They watched her die. They should be punished.”

The high-profile case is now being investigated by the catholic country’s health authorities, after the

Vijay Arjune started his professional life in commercial banking, but it never quite gave him the challenge and adventure that he realised he was seeking, so he joined the Royal Air Force. Nine years later he is still enjoying every day.

“I wanted a job which would stretch me, interest me and give me a sense of self worth. I discovered that the RAF offered the opportunity and funding for future academic study through the Enhanced Learning Credit scheme and, as I was keen to attain a degree but did not want to burden my parents with having to fund my studies or accrue a large amount of debt through student loans, this seemed ideal.” Said Vijay.

So, anticipating the chance to travel and to develop his own skills and qualifications, Vijay took the plunge, joined up and trained in the critically important role of a Flight Operations Assistant.

“I provide mission and operational support to Air Traffic Control, Station Operations and Squadron Operations, which allows for job rotation breaking the monotony of a regular 9-5 role. My duties are vital to flight safety and vary from carrying out final checks on departing or recovering aircraft, booking diplomatic clearances for aircraft transiting overseas and liaison with numerous internal and external agencies to aid in the safe transit of all aircraft and aircrew at home and in operational theatres.” Explained Vijay, who can be justifiably proud of the value of the work he does, not least since he has won two Flight Safety Awards and a Commendation from Commander in Chief Strike Command.

Whilst training and working in his specialist area, Vijay has taken full advantage of the study and learning opportunities offered by the RAF, he said: “Since joining I attained a BA (Hons) in Business Studies studying part time at De Montfort University Leicester over four years. Then I did a Post Graduate Diploma in Management at the University of Lincoln, again part-time on half day release and am hoping to complete my Masters 31-year-old, who was 17 weeks pregnant, died at University Hospital Galway following a miscarriage.

Abortion is currently illegal in Ireland and the four Catholic Archbishops of Ireland, including a senior Cardinal representing the Pope, Sean Brady, have criticised the decision by the government as going against the Christian principles that they embody.

Vijay Arjune

Degree in Business Administration next year.

All supported by the RAF, for which I am very grateful”.

Vijay’s other aspiration for travel has also been satisfied. He told us: “ “I have had the opportunity to travel to many countries experiencing their culture and ways of life whilst carrying out my duties in the RAF. I have supported NATO operations in Afghanistan on four occasions where I have forged lifelong friendships, and come to appreciate the importance of my role in the RAF in trying to bring safety and stability to that country. I have supported numerous training and evaluation exercises in Arizona and Las Vegas USA, Oman, India, United Arab Emirates, Sweden, the

Falkland Islands and Cyprus to name a few, as well as taking the opportunity for adventurous training in exercises ranging from Rock Climbing in Spain to Mountain Biking in North Wales. It’s been amazing!”

Vijay is from a small close knit, family orientated background. Did he have any qualms about fitting-in in the RAF? “Initially, I did worry

that people might not understand or appreciate my culture, lifestyle and humour, however, these apprehensions were all answered when I started initial recruit training and realised that everyone, regardless of racial back-

ground, shared the same concerns. Throughout my career in the RAF I have never had issues with practising my religious beliefs or expressing my opinions as an individual.

I have always had parity of treatment alongside my peers and embrace the RAF ethos and core values which I believe has made me a greater asset to society as a whole.” Said Vijay candidly.

Now, Vijay has the rank of acting Sergeant and is looking forward to thirteen more years of service: “I am thoroughly enjoying my current role as a RAF Recruiting Consultant at the Armed Forces Careers Office in Nottingham” He said.

“This job gives me the opportunity to engage with a large cross section of the community sharing my experiences and achievements which, I hope, is an incentive and inspiration to the many young people who, like myself 9 years ago, may be unsure about the benefits of a career in the RAF.” Vijay is now hoping to become a substantive Sergeant, with a view to going for a commission once he has finished his Masters Degree. In the mean time, his expression says it all, Vijay is a man who is definitely happy in his work.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Scrutator’s V.P.Menon, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s principal aide, describing the integration of the subcontinent’s princely states into the paramount Indian Union, warned that the new India could not afford to be afraid of its own shadow. When the carrot failed to persuade, the stick assuredly did. Statecraft requires that this be so when the situation warrants.

Addressing the media recently, Admiral D.K.Joshi spoke of the Indian Navy’s willingness and ability to traverse the seas in the defence of the country’s economic interests. He referred to the navy’s force projection capabilities as its ship-building programme continued apace, into which was factored China’s military modernization.

India’s National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon appeared to take umbrage at Admiral Joshi’s forthright words.

Mr Menon issued a broadside, directed ostensibly at the media (which simply reported the facts), but with Admiral Joshi as the real target. He accused newspapers of overblown reportage of the Chinese threat and claimed to have established a model of cooperative endeavour with China. The proof every pudding is in the eating, hence Indians would do well not to rock’n roll just yet, and to maintain their pessimism of the intellect as an antidote to Mr Menon’s optimism of the will.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid (Telegraph December 11) threw in his rupee’s worth by reminding us of China’s presence in India’s neighbourhood, and the need to adjust to the reality that India and China were now partners of a sort, maybe - since some partners, according to Beijing’s diplomatic code, are more equal than others.

Which is what breeds in many Indian minds an abiding suspicion of China’s unfriendly (to put it mildly) neighbourhood activities such as nuclear weapon itself, as it happens, in May 1990. Any serious nation’s foreign policy must surely be the sum of its parts – which requires that military chiefs also contribute to the decision making process. They are not here to play watchmen responding to a burglar alarm. Time to get real, Gentlemen!

Fitting riposte Most encouraging was retired Admiral Sushil Kumar’s blistering edi-page riposte in The Times of India (December 10).

Entitled “Don’t Be On The Back Foot”, it carried the following strap-line: “Those who seek to dilute navy chief Joshi’s message don’t really understand sea

ty complex does not lie only across the McMahon Line but extends even to India’s dimension Soldiering, flying and sailing the high seas are a part of a demanding profession. At the highest levels, they require considerable technical knowledge and intellectual discipline, not to speak of abundant reserves of courage. Filing clerks follow a more predictable routine, are more comfortable with clichés and shibboleths.

Indo-Russian naval exercises

Admiral (retd) Sushil Kumar

power.” Put simply, their intellectual reach falls short of their grasp. Grievously so, it would appear.

“The admiral’s message,” explained the author, merely conveyed the classical role of any navy such as ours which has a blue water capability. It is universally known that navies are meant to swiftly deploy operate in any oceanic area where the interests of a nation require it do so…..did not the media get it right when it linked the navy chief’s message to China’s aggressive maritime posture?

Rather than fault the media, we need to seriously introspect on India’s timidity. Why do we always remain on the back foot when dealing with China?.....What this recent incident shows is that our inferiori-

India and Russia have concluded a two-day naval exercises, code-named INDRA, off the coast of Mumbai. This followed earlier exercises between their Armies on the China-Mongolian border. Meanwhile, Russia has delivered the first two of the promised six MiG 29 upgrades to India. New avionics and increased firepower and mid-air refuelling capability will increase the shelf-life of the aircraft by 40 years. The remaining 57 upgrades ware to be carried out in India.

And while on the subject of acquisitions, Bharat Electrical Ltd (BEL) has signed a lucrative deal with its Israeli counterpart for the joint production of missiles for India’s warships (Hindu December 11).

Ukraine calling Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovitch was in India for a 4-day visit. Before leaving Kiev, he told a reporter that “It’s time to end the drift in Ukraine’s ties with India.” He said: “My current visit to India, the first by a Ukraine head of state in 10

Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovitch and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

years, is designed to give a new impetus to our relations after a period of drift under the previous Ukraine administration. I hope for significant intensification of our economic ties and political contacts at the highest level.”

The “drift” alluded to by President Yanukovitch was the “colour revolution” in the country instigated and funded by the US and its allies, which ended in mayhem and chaos, as the two Western surrogates, President Yushcenko and Prime Minister YuliaTymoshenko, fought each other to a standstill.

A broad defence agreement was one of five pacts signed in New Delhi following delegationlevel talks between the Ukrainian President and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

With 30 per cent of the former Soviet Union’s military industrial complex located in Ukraine, the advantages for both sides are self-evident. More so, as Ukraine’s defence enterprises have been rationalized and contracts agree no longer hazardous undertakings with far-flung units.

New course charted Ukraine is already modernizing India’s 100-plus fleet of military transport aircraft and has provided India with engines for its naval ships. As with Russia, India hopes construct a relationship with Ukraine from buyerseller to joint producers. With Ukraine strong in aviation, space, metallurgy, shipbuilding, engineering, chemistry and infrastructure, closer interaction with India is indeed bright (Hindu December 10,11).

Silver lining The sun appears to be breaking through the clouds at last. After weeks and months of gloom on the economic front, Industrial growth bounced back to 8.2 per cent in October and an upbeat Finance Minister Chidambaram detecting the first green shoots of economic recovery.

A surge in manufacturing output pushed industrial production to a 16 month high.

Economists, however, advised caution as the high growth was based on a low base effect and strong demand.

Mr Chidambaram was circumspect, saying “one swallow doesn’t make a summer. But let

us see how we go forward in the in the next four months.

Investments are taking place, capacity is being created and consumption is happening in consumer du rables and nondurables,” he said.

The capital goods output also showed remarkable improvement, up 7.5 per cent in October, as against a massive contraction of 26 per cent in October 2011. ((Hindu December 13)

Priority projects In a bid to remove mega project bottlenecks,the government has set up a Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as a single window for clearances worth Rs 1,000 crore each, there being at present 100 such projects in the pipeline awaiting approval. The scheme was first mooted by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram several years ago but this was shot down by some of his colleagues

on the ground that only large firms would be the beneficiaries.

It was different time, for nothing is as strong as an idea whose time has come.

President of the Federation of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ((Ficci) R.V. Kanoria welcomed the decision, saying “this will also give a strong signal to investors that the government wished to expedite projects.”

Mr Chidambaram explained: “Our problem is not conceptualizing projects. Our problem lies in getting numerous clearances and getting the project off the ground within a reasonable time.” (Hindu December 14)

US intelligence projection 2030 Scarcely believable in the context of the routine mayhem in Parliament caused by elected legislators lacking all understanding of the dignity of their calling and of the institution they are privileged to represent: the US intelligence community in a report recently released projects a surging India and a decelerating China astride global commerce as movers and shakers of the world economy.

India and China were not in step now, the latter significantly ahead in economic development.

But come 2015 and beyond, an accelerating India would reduce the gap and take the lead from 2030. The two nations hereon will dominate Asia, which “will be well on its way to returning to being the world’s powerhouse, just as it was before 1500,” says Global Trends 2030: Alternative Worlds.

(Times of India December 11)

Silent Sitar

Pandit Ravi Shankar

The Sitar is silent. Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery of his instrument earned him a global following, died, aged 92, at his home in California. How the West was won by music Indian classical music alien to most Western ears was a theme he made his own. His association with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison was a trans-

Ravi Shankar with Yehudi Menuhin

Ravi Shankar with George Harrison

formative trans-continental experience to be enjoyed in the great concert halls of Europe and America. Through all the acclaim that came his way, he remained true to the classical Indian tradition in which he was reared.

Together with his older brother, Uday Shankar, the maestro of Indian dance, who first enthralled Western audiences in the 1930s, Ravi Shankar incarnated the Epiphany of India’s soft power.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Political Sketchbook

www.PoliticalAnimal.me

Alpesh Patel’s

The Politics of Immigration and Allegiance Speaking truth to power is what Indians like Gandhji and the Sardar were good at. Taking their inspiration, when asked this past week by UK Government officials for input on British visa policy, I said, ‘there are 2.5% people of Indian origin in the UK. Over the past 40 years they have been probably the greatest net contributors per capita to the Government’s coffers – more so than even the native population per capita.

You’re in a recession, looking for growth.

Have you thought about doubling the number of Indians here? We have over 40 years proven track-record that Indian migration self-selects risk-takers and the successful. In fact, under current migration rules, probably 80% of the Asian Rich List would not qualify today.’

This is timely, because also last week Lord Popat initiated a Debate in the House of Lords that Parliament ‘takes note of the contribution made by the Ugandan Asian community in the United Kingdom on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of their expulsion from Uganda.’

I don’t like the term Asian. We mean Indian. Consider not just the loss to Uganda – history proves that, but also to India, who said of the 60,000 Ugandans they were not India’s responsibility.

Today those 60,000 generate per capita more GDP than the nation of India.

The debate today about immigration may not be in the terms Powell framed it in the 70s. But make no mistake – and make it clear – Indians add net value to whichever country they go. Throughout history, everywhere, this has been true of Indians.

So when your country is in a hole, like a recession, of your own making, you want to get out of that hole – you better call for special forces – and they better be, need to be, Indian. History, data, the census, office of national statistics all prove it. Time and again. We

punch above our weight. You shoot yourself in the foot, as the Ugandans did, in not recognising it. As Lord Popat said in his speech, ‘[We] make up 2.5% of the population, but account for 10% of our national output….But we are also fiercely patriotic. We believe in Britain, in its values, its traditions.’

This is timely also because this past week Lord Ahmed asked in the House of Lords, ‘To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the Government of India the issue of ratification by India of the United Nations Convention against Torture and its optional protocols, and the proposal for a visit of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture to India, including Kashmir.’

This worries me because in the first public speech in two years, the Head of MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence and security service, said earlier this year, ‘in the past about 75% of counter-terrorist casework was linked in some way to Pakistan or Afghanistan. That had now been reduced to below 50%’.

Bringing up Kashmir, in the manner Lord Ahmed does, is clear where his allegiances lie. Is it co-incidence, that the question on Kashmir was answered by Baroness Warsi in Parliament? The Baroness who has previously said on the issue of Kashmir, ‘I know the people of Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir have great expectations from me, my party and coalition government…regarding dispute of Kashmir.’

My point is not about Kashmir. India can look after herself. Britain’s Foreign Office is well aware of where her Parliamentarian’s allegiances truly lie.

But my point is - it is one thing to limit all immigration, including Indian immigration to the UK, it is quite another then to attack Indians, from Britain, who have done so much for Britain. And that is speaking truth to power.

April 2013 Legal Aid Cuts for Divorce, Cohabitees & Children Matters are just around the corner

By Savita Sharma Solicitor & Director At this time of year, many of us will look to the future and consider changes in our personal lives which affect our families.

The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 which comes into force on the 1st April 2013 means the end of legal aid for many, if not all family cases; in particular those relating to residence of children (or “custody”), contact arrangements and prohibited Steps Orders (to protect a child being removed from the care and control of their primary carer or out of the jurisdiction). Legal aid will also cease for cases relating to family finances which inevitably need to be resolved when parties separate, such as those relating to the former matrimonial home, others assets within the marriage including Pensions and also Properties/Assets owned between cohabiting partners.

Legal aid will still be available if the person is deemed a victim of “domestic abuse” However, falling within the Government’s definition of this will not be easy. Justice is for all of us in society and it is essential that the public can avail themselves of legal services if the need arises in family and children cases. So what is “domestic abuse” and how do you prove it? From just physical abuse, the definition includes emotional abuse, financial abuse, coercion or control and or the isolation of a victim from family and friends. Therefore acts such as preventing partners from leaving the house or access to a phone or psychological cruelty are now included. It has been well documented that victims of domestic violence often do not come forward to prosecute their perpetrators for a number reasons. As

such, obtaining evidence of convictions or Injunctions may be difficult. Just because you do not have this does not mean the domestic abuse did not happen.

For victims to fall within the exemption of the domestic violence, they will have to show a conviction or a caution against the perpetrator. Also a fact finding in a civil matter will suffice. If that is not available, they will have to show evidence from a doctor or a medical report confirming that the doctor had examined the victim in the last 24 months and is satisfied that the victim has had injuries or a condition consistent “with those of a victim of domestic violence” Letters from health professionals involved with the victim or from domestic violence support organisations may also be relied upon.

However, there is a real issue for those people who do not fall within this exemption but have limited financial resources to pay for legal advice. They will simply be no legal aid available to deal with applications in respect of children and financial applications after April 2013.

We at Duncan Lewis have always maintained that legal services should be available to everyone in society, not only for those who can afford to pay.

We are avid supporters of Legal Aid and our work with the Legal Services Commission has helped us to be proactive in assisting all clients. Our Family and Child Care Department has 85 staff, spread over 7 offices across London who specialise in this type of work. Most if not all the solicitors are accredited Panel members of either The Law Society or Resolution. We have the expertise to help and it is very important for those who may be considering separation, or are separating and believe that they may be eligible for legal aid that they seek advice very quickly so assistance can be provided to secure legal aid before the 31st March 2013.

Offices across London l City of London l Hackney l Lewisham l Southall

Path to Success In January 2012, London based charity Path to Success decided to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s many years of service by contributing in the lead up to this momentous year by running a campaign in her honour.

Their flagship campaign “60 for 60” Wheelchair Appeal was to provide 60 wheelchairs for 60 NHS hospitals in England. They joined forces with Miriam Gonzalez Durántez, Chief Patron, and spearheaded by founder Anita Choudhrie whose vast experience of the charity world led her to extend

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l Harrow l Islington l Shepherd’s Bush l Tooting

Tel: 020 7923 4020 - www.duncanlewis.com

Hon Norman Lamb, Minister of State for Care and Support, Mrs Dawn Pammenter, Mr Gary Pammenter, Nic Bungay, Director of Policy, Comms and Care at the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, Jamie Pammenter – Wheelchair Recipient, Tanvi Vyas - Trailblazers Campaigns Officer – Accepted “Admiration Award” on behalf of Luke Baily

her vision of philanthropy in the UK.

Anita Founder

of

Choudhrie, Path to

Success said: “We are aware of the great work that the NHS is doing for patients’ requirements and we wanted to collaborate with the Hospitals and help some of the patients by providing the wheelchairs. Our philosophy is to help those who are so keen to turn their inability into ability. We hope the growth of Path to Success will help achieve a change in the destiny of a targeted

society or a single individual.”

Through the year Path to Success held 4 Regional Events in England to hand over 83 wheelchairs. On 6th December 2012, Path to Success celebrated their achievement in a reception at a London venue.

Amongst the supporters in this event was Hon Norman Lamb, Care Minister, who presented the last wheelchair to

Ealing Hospital’s Children’s ward and marked the 83rd wheelchair donated by the charity. Most of the wheelchairs, donated are specialized and have supported individuals under health threatening situations. The individuals are able to manoeuvre their lives with a little more purpose and independence.

Continued on page 30

VISITED BY MANY NATIONAL CELEBRITIES AND BOLLYWOOD SUPERSTARS!

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UK

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Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

VOucher

Namaaste Kitchen

Camden town has its own charm.

A bit of rock and roll, a bit of street fashion, a bit of merry making- a perfect place to chill out.

Obviously that includes a little bit of indulging in fanciful food and Indian curry obviously leads the choice.

Stone throw away from Camden Town station, Namaaste Kitchen, a unique discovery of Chef Patron Sabbir Karim is a modern Indian bar and grill that specialises in contemporary and healthy Indian cooking. The restaurant boasts of a certain style and class, ambience and hospitality and serves the most authentic Pakistani and Indian food especially grills prepared fresh in the full view of the audience.

Besides grills, the restaurant makes one of the best curries, parathas and most authentic biryanis you can find in the heart of

Ratings Taste Ambience Location Service Decor

: : : : :

***** ***** ***** ***** ****

London. If you have any special dietary requirements, Namaaste Kitchen caters to your special needs as well including a gluten free menu. There are seldom any restaurant in central London that spoils its customer with such variety and choice. Every month this restaurant offers its guests a menu that is especially drawn from a different regions of India. It could be Kerala or Goa or somewhere else, as a part of its Regional Food Festival.

Namaaste Kitchen has received a series of awards over the years since opening, including in the recent Asian Curry Awards. The restaurant may appear small at the entrance, but once you are inside, you have a spread with brilliant cream, dark wood work and soft lighting. Though always very busy the staff is extremely attentive and the service is one of the best experienced so far.

With the spicing as diverse as it can get, dishes- whether its okra with mango, and baby aubergines flecked with sesame, mustard and

curry leaves or elegant and subtle tasting malai tikka (chicken marinated in cream cheese and homemade yoghurt) or fiery laal maas (lamb with roast red chillies) from Rajasthan always sings with a mesmerising freshness.

With a long wine and a good beer list, the desserts served are a perfect blend of the East and the West. If you are looking to have good time, Namaaste Kitchen is the right place to dine for a tasty, modern, well within budget meal in the heart of London.

If you are a reader of Asian Voice, cut this original voucher along the dotted line, show it at the restaurant and get £10 off per table (dining minimum two).

Offer valid till March 31, 2013.

Address: Namaaste Kitchen 64 Parkway, Camden/Primrose Hill, London NW1 7AH. Tel: 020 7485 5977 020 7284 0222

Competition Answer the following simple question and win a FREE meal worth £50 at Namaaste Kitchen Q: What is the name of the Chef Patron of Nammste Kitchen? a. Karim Ahmed

b. Sabbir Karim

c. Sabbir Ahmed

Please email your correct answer to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by January 21st 2013.

The winner will be chosen on a lottery basis from the correct entries.

For more details on the restaurant or to book see http://www.namaastekitchen.co.uk.

A glittering gala of the good and the great rani Singh

confidently and easily, standing out in his The list of attendees at the own-design jacket and 2012 Asian Who’s Who scarf suit, thanking all awards ceremony and prehis supporters rather sentations read like an Asian than himself and using Who’s Who. From successful a quote he chose just a business magnates to peers, few minutes earlier. the distinguished audience Lord Raj Loomba invited by host and organizpresented the Asian er Jasbir Sachar to the Leadership in Dorchester Hotel Monday Community Service 10 December listened for the award to Dr Ashraf most part attentively as DJ Chohan, a Pakistani Tony Patti introduced and orthopedic surgeon. chaired the proceedings conAfter that, Rajesh fidently and seriously, withAgarwal presented the out attempting any wiseAsian Leadership in cracks. 2012 is the Silver DVK Group Chairman Deepak Kuntawala (centre) with the Young Entrepreneur award Banking award to Sanjay Jubilee anniversary of the Newatia, Managing trading family with roots in Enoch Powell. Lord Dholakia Asian Who’s Who as it celeDirector and Investment Partner Africa and founded DVK, which quoted one of the latter’s brates 25 years. Mr Sachar’s late at Credit Suisse AG. The Asian is a leading international comspeeches. wife and the event and directoLeadership in International modity trading and boutique Lord Dholakia was on the ry’s co-founder, Kanwaljit, was Business award was presented to finance organization based in advisory selection panel which remembered both in the proNamita Kapoor, who became the Gherkin, in 2001. He has led also included Lord Karan gramme and on stage.

CEO of the IVS Group Ltd after it to phenomenal growth and Bilimoria, CBE, DL, Lord Raj The opening keynote speech joining it in 2011. rapid expansion. Deepak spoke Loomba, CBE, Mr Nazmu

by Lord Navnit Dholakia, PC, The final award of the Virani, Mr Surinder Mongia, Mr OBE, DL, Deputy Leader of the G. S. Gujral, CBE, and Joginder Liberal Democrats, was the most Pal Sangar. impressive of the evening. It Mr Gujral, who was Asian of appeared, as always, impromptu, the Year in 2001, sat noticeably but was rich in content and quietly, demure and dignified quotes. Lord Dholakia is rare in through the proceedings, not that he doesn’t even use notes; seeking attention, recognized by he keeps entire speeches in his all, and watchful. On the rare head. He talked about how Mr occasion when he did stand up Sachar had dreamt of the contrihe was noticeable for his height bution an Asian Who’s Who and smart turban. could make right from the early After the drinks reception 60s and that the 25th anniverand the starter course the prizes sary was a great opportunity for were awarded; first off, DVK celebration. He also spoke of the Group Chairman Deepak economic and social contribuKuntawala was given the Asian tion that South Asians have Leadership as Young made to Britain confounding the Entrepreneur award by Lord negative images that were someKaran Bilimoria, one of his Lord Navnit Dholakia with DJ Tony Patti times projected by people like heroes. Deepak is from a historic

evening was the Asian of the Year Award which went to Ravi Gidar, the Founder and Managing Director of Gold Care Homes for the elderly. It was presented by Joginder Pal Sangar.

Everyone at the event loudly praised Mr Jasbir Sachar for his work, but Mr Sachar was humble, going round to all the tables to make sure that guests were happy and comfortable. The entertainment on stage of dancing and music was enjoyed by all; especially the glamorous costumes and dhol drumming.

Towards the finale, Mr Sachar invited all previous recipients of the Asian of the Year award up on stage for the media and the audience to appreciate. It was a roll call of the good and the great; Lord Dholakia, Lord Swraj Paul, Gurdip Gujral, an historic line up with some noteworthy individuals of a senior age.

And among the audience, was the world’s oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, a sprightly 102 years old. He leapt up, invited onto the platform, and spoke energetically to the audience in his native Punjabi. Also present this evening was filmmaker Gurinder Chadha.

The event was well attended by young and old and lots of ethnic media but for this reporter present there was a touch of nostalgia because seeing so many of a senior generation all together in one room was historic and unusual. May all who were there go on to enjoy continued success and good health for many years to come.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

15

If you have any particular topics you would like covered on my page, please let me know.

tanveer Mann

It’s CHRIstMAs!!

Here are five quick ways to save a little cash during Christmas:

MusIc

1. Share the Christmas cooking.

Christmas is about spending time with family so why not turn family bonding into a budgeting bonus by getting everyone to contribute their favourite Christmas dish? It’ll save a lot of money and it is enjoyable!

2. Limit your Christmas Parties.

Christmas parties take place every other day in the month of December so costs can quickly add up. So try to be more selective about the functions you attend and avoid some of the stress as well as the cost.

3. Streamline your stocking fillers. Fill up stockings with homemade gifts like cookies and chocolates. That way you can cut down on expensive gadgets and useless knick-knacks. Homemade

creative gifts are also more special.

4.

Recycle your wrapping paper.

Every year we waste around 100 square kilometres of wrapping paper during Christmas, according to CB Environmental.

There are lots of ways to reduce this waste but one of the simplest is to open your presents carefully and keep your wrapping paper for the next year.

5. Choose a tree with the future in mind. Re-using an artificial Christmas tree or decorating a living tree outside your house is cost

effective and could be more environmentally friendly than buying a real tree every year.

Alternatively, buy a living tree and keep it in a pot in the garden – that way you can bring it indoors every year!

special Performance by Roach Killa, rocks the stage!

Due to heavy public demand, the producers of GiMA (Global Indian Music Academy) ‘the equivalent of the US Grammy’s’ have released a very special performance by Roach Killa from this year’s awards ceremony, that took place at the Yash Raj Film Studio in Mumbai a few weeks ago.

Roach Killa’s DEBUT performance in India truly made a large impact and ignited a spark of interest for this extremely talented artist. The songs ‘Din Raat’ and ‘Oh Girl’ were given an extra Punjabi / Bhangra flavour for this special performance. Since the initial airing of the awards across the globe by STAR TV, the youtube hits have exceeded two million.

This music video is a special release by GiMA to highlight the exceptional talent that occasionally graces the stage.There is

no doubt that in December 2012 Roach Killa is the most in demand Asian Urban act in the music industry. The string of hits delivered by this artist has been exceptional. January 2013 Roach, again will be travelling to India to shoot his forthcoming video due for release in February 2013. Expect ‘something groundbreaking’!

RAPID FIRE INTERVIEW Chandni Priya is a human resources professional turned founder of “Indiaah” which educates children about India and its rich culture and heritage. Having worked in corporate houses like Accenture and Infosys Technologies in the past, Chandni has now ventured into training kids. Her time in different parts of India evoked a passion to explore and appreciate the country’s varied culture and she is now keen to share her knowledge with the younger generation here in London.

1.How did the idea for “Indiaah” come about?

Indiaah was conceptualized after looking at the growing urge in parents in getting their children acquainted with India.

During my interactions with a lot of parents who have settled abroad, I got this unanimous concern about the lack of forums where their kids can experience the Indian culture.

This led to the inception of “Indiaah”, where children can learn about India’s culture, heritage, festivals, geography, etc. while learning to read, write and speak in Hindi.

2. How is “Indiaah” different from other Hindi Classes? What is your teaching methodology?

We understand that learning a second language can be difficult. Therefore in order to make the learning process effective, we have included a lot of fun, art & craft, and activities that kids enjoy in a

group. We use text books, flashcards, games, pictures and audio visual modes of learning, all aimed at making the sessions more productive.

3. How will the classes be run?

The entire course is for one year, which has been broken down into 4 terms of 3 months each.

Learning will progress with each passing term.

Focus will be given towards reading, writing and speaking in Hindi. As per the current schedule, classes will be held at two locations. One at the Harrow Arts Centre (HA5 4EA) and another in Burrells Wharf Function Room (E14 3TW). These are weekly classes of one hour, generally conducted during weekends or after school hours. Please visit our website to know the exact schedule of the classes. The groups are split into two: Group I: 2.5 yrs up to 5 yrs and Group II: 5 yrs - 12 yrs.

4. Do you think it is important for kids of today’s generation to learn to read, write and speak Hindi?

Research proves that children who learn a second language have superior reading, writing, analytical and social skills, as well as more extensive vocabularies than their monolingual peers. Apart from enhancing a child’s cognitive abilities, learning Hindi will also give children an advantage in our increasingly global marketplace. More impor-

www.punjabeeblonde.wordpress.com tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com

HEALTH YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT… With Christmas around the corner, and a break from work, you tend to get lazy and want to indulge in some quick and tasty fast food, as a ‘reward’ for all the hard work you have done. Yet more than a reward, the food you are eating is really just catalyst to the grave. After Business Insider released an article on Monday (17th) titled “11 Amazing Facts about the McDonald’s Rib”, I was left in utter shock; I had to share my disgust.

Eating artificially enhanced products, and low quality cheap food has become the norm in this day and age but have you ever stopped to question what exactly you are eating? Evidently, the mass amounts of obesity in the U.S. should be a wake up call to pose the question, but people refuse to face the facts.

SO here they are again, placed in front of you, in yet another attempt to get across the dangers of eating fast food.

1) Fast Food is nothing but a concoction of harmful and health-damaging chemicals, which is why the makers can afford to sell things like burgers at such low prices.

2) McDonald’s beef and chicken contain ‘pink slime’ scrap meat covered with ammonium hydroxide. This fake meat provides no nutritional value and is chemically contaminated from ammonia, the toxic cleaning agent found under the sink.

3) The meat they use is actually fat trimmings and connective tissue that are separated from the bone – scrap meat that is not fit for human consumption.

4) McDonald’s McNuggets contain 7 different ingredients making up the ‘meat’, many of which contain sub-ingredients. Instead of using real meat, the ingredient list utilizes sodium phosphate, safflower oil, wheat starch, dextrose, and autolyzed yeast extract – a particularly dangerous substance very similar to the toxic MSG 5) The meat taken from cattle is usually cut by a streamline of workers at such a vast speed that often they cut the wrong part of the animal such as the bowels, which can cause a mixing of the food with the animals waste, and are then sold to restaurants.

These are only a few of a large number of startling facts about Fast Food. For more information, visit www.naturalsociety.com. tantly, by experiencing their culture and language first hand, they will be more confident about their Indian roots. Therefore, I strongly believe that learning Hindi will help in opening up more avenues for kids in today’s generation.

5. Where do you hope to see Indiaah in the next ten years?

In the next ten years I would like to see Indiaah as the “go-to” place for learning Hindi and for gaining cultural awareness about India. In the coming years I plan to build a community of not only kids but also their parents so that each area has its own Indian hub where kids get an opportunity to experience their culture with active involvement of parents.

Visit: http://indiaah.wix.com/indiaah for more information about the classes

Ha Ha.....

He He.... :P I say no to alcohol, it just doesn’t listen.

A magician was driving down the road -- then he turned into a drive way.

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.

16

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Premji & Lakshmi Rai are pairing up again The Ballelaka hit couple Premji and Lakshmi Rai are pairing up again for a song from the upcoming comedy movie "Onbadhula Guru" starring Vinay, Anjali and Lakshmi Rai in leading roles. The pleasant surprise in the movie is that Jiiva will be appearing for a short while in a cameo role. This song, which was composed

by K, is supposedly going to be a smash hit with the youth of our generation, say sources. The song takes place in a pub with Vinay and Aravind dancing along too. The shooting of the song went more than well and we look forward to see Premji and Lakshmi Rai bring the house down with their antics in the new song!

Rajnikanth turns 62

Tamil cinema icon Rajnikanth, idolised by millions, turned 62 on 12-12-12. Actor-director Raghavendra Lawrence and music director Vijay Antony have come out with a special musical video dedicated to Rajnikanth, even as TV channels aired a series of programmes on him, including airing some of his biggest hits. Radio FM channels were not far behind in celebrating his birthday. Born Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, he transformed his simple life from a bus conductor in Bangalore to a much followed superstar a decade later, with a larger than life style and mannerisms in his films. Discovered by celebrated director K Balachander, a recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and cast along another top star of Indian cinema Kamal Hassan in his 'Apoorva Raagangal' in the mid 70s, Rajnikanth shaped his initial career with negative roles.

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

'Silambattam' girl Sana Khan is currently playing the lead role in a Malayalam film titled 'Climax', which is said to be a biopic on late actress 'Silk' Samantha. Directed

by Anil, the film is scripted by Antony Eastman, who directed a movie titled 'Inaiyai Thedi' which had 'Silk' Smitha in the lead role.

It is said that 'Climax' attempts to throw light on the last days of the popular actress and the trauma she underwent due to some people around her. Says Antony, "I have worked with many actresses. Based on their real life experiences, I have penned the script of “Climax.” Some portions are based on the happenings in the life of Silk Smitha."

Hot Garam masala Manisha Koirala's surgery successful Actress Manisha Koirala, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer, underwent a successful surgery in New York. "Manisha underwent a surgery on Monday at around 9 am. I got a message from her family members and they said it was a successful surgery," said a source. "Manisha's mother, father and her brother are by her side. One of her close friends is also there with her," the source added. Manisha was admitted to the Jaslok Hospital Nov 28 after she reportedly fell unconscious. However, the reason behind her illness was not made clear. Later it was reported that she was flying to the US for treatment for cancer.

Shotgun keen on film with Big B Shatrughan Sinha, fondly known as Shotgun, is keen on doing a film with Amitabh Bachchan. The two are said to have discussed various possibilities of coming together, and a project is now being designed for them. "We haven't worked together since 'Shaan' and 'Kaala Patthar'. It would be really nice to work with him again. He's a good actor and a fine human being," said Shatrughan. "After my heart surgery, (one of) my first social outing was to his 70th birthday party. I told him I wouldn't have stepped out to such a crowded gathering for anyone else. I broke my golden health rule for a golden human being," he added.

Hema Malini selected for Bharat Muni Samman

Renowned film actress and Bharatanatyam exponent Hema Malini has been selected for the prestigious Bharat Muni Samman this year for outstanding contribution to the field of art and culture. Named after the author of Natyashastra Bharat Muni, the award has been instituted by Bhubaneswar-based organisation Kalingayana Touryatrikam. The award is to be presented to Hema Malini for her contribution towards promotion of Indian arts and entertainment on December 18, the concluding day of the three-day Bharat Muni Festival, said a release from Kalingayana Touryatrikam. Mema Malini, 64, will be the fifth recipient of the award. The earlier recipients are Thankamani Kutty, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Jasraj and Ratan Thiyam.

Bipasha, Malaika, Shaan, Atif Aslam & Bolly Flex at Flex FX fete

Sana Khan to reveal 'Silk' secrets

Flex FX celebrates the 10th year anniversary in spectacular fashion with a new musical dance extravaganza and bring you Bollywood like you’ve never seen it before.

Bollywood Showstoppers takes place on ‘The O2’ on 7th April and the ‘LG Arena’ on 5th April. The Showstoppers include Bollywood icon Bipasa Basu, the dancing queen Malaika Arora Khan, sensational Shaan and the rockstar return of Atif Aslam.

All performing live and exclusive, supported by the UK’s most popular Bollywood dancers Bolly Flex led by the pioneer Naz Choudhury & classical dance sensation Leena Patel.

Executive Producer Jaspal Bahra said, “it is a great concept and it has been many years since Bollywood stars performed in the UK. Naz Choudhury, producer/Artistic Director added, “This project is a huge honour for me and all of us in Flex FX and I’m really looking forward to.” Sale of tickets will start on Friday, 14th December at 9 am.

The cost of ticket starts from £ 20. Book the tickets at the earliest so that you can get the best seats in the house. Showstoppers is your ticket to Bollywood. Join us on our 10th anniversary celebrations. The year 2013 will see the rise of the Flex FX industry. For more information visit www.flexfxproductions.com

Vidya Balan-Siddharth Roy Kapur tie the knot Bollywood actress Vidya Balan tied the knot with UTV head Siddharth Roy Kapoor last week in a ceremony which saw a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions.

The wedding rituals went on for over an hour at the well-decorated Green Mile Bungalow in Bandra in the presence of family members of the bride and groom.

"The wedding ceremony was a mix of both Punjabi and Tamil traditions. The food served was South Indian," said a source close to Vidya. The 34-year-old actress underwent three changes in costume during the wedding ceremony, one of them being a

mustard saree with a pink blouse, matching the groom's yellow kurta and pink turban. The wedding festivities for the couple began on December 11 with a private dinner which was followed by a mehendi ceremony on December 12. The couple will reportedly be hosting a reception in Chennai.

Vidya, who never confirmed rumours about her relationship with Siddharth, kept mum about her wedding as well and the celebrations are being kept as private as possible.

The 'Kahaani' actress, who was born in Kerala and grew up in Mumbai, made her Bollywood debut with the 2005 film 'Parineeta'.

Ekta Kapoor to do 3-year course at the Harvard university!

Producer of many television soaps and film, Ekta Kapoor is now planning to get back to school. Ekta confirms the news saying, she has taken up a Business Development course at the Harvard University, for which she will be flying to the US on May 3, next year.

She has taken up a three year course, for which she will need to attend only 1 month every year. The actress is excited about getting back to studying and says in her absences her parents will take care of Balaji Telefilms. On the other hand, Ekta has two big releases next year, Sanjay Gupta's “Shootout at Wadala” which will be released on May 1 and Milan Luthria's “Once Upon a time in Mumbaai 2” which will be released on August 8.

Imaran Khan undergoes intense training for Matru’s role No wedding bells for Kunal Kapoor now Much has been written about Kunal Kapoor's hush-hush relationship with the Big B's niece Naina Bachchan. It was during the shooting of Kunal's last film “Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana,” that it was reported how this Bachchan scion would visit the sets to meet her beau. However, it comes straight from the horse's mouth that there are no wedding bells for this couple in the near future. Kunal comes clean on the issue and states, “My relationship is really in a very happy phase at the moment. I am a very private person and don't like to discuss my life. I will announce my marriage as and when I decide to get hitched. But it is not happening in the near future.”

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Hrithik Roshan will end 2012 on a high as the talented actor receives two further accolades to add to his many reputable achievements. Hrithik has confirmed his international star status as the Bollywood celebrity chosen to front popular manufacturer, Mattel’s ‘Hot Wheels’ toy cars.

The actor has already shot various commercials and endorsements for the brand in Mumbai earlier this year. Hrithik attempted to enter the Guinness Book of World Records on 4th December 2012 when he attended the event in India in conjunction with Hot Wheels to launch the world’s largest vending machine.

Hot Wheels and Hrithik combined forces to launch a 25 foot play station called the ‘Hot Wheels Thrill Machine.’

Last week Hrithik attended the 12th Marrakech International Film Festival in Morocco, as 100 years of Indian cinema was celebrated with viewings of classic films. Hrithik and wife Sussanne walked the red carpet at the opening ceremony on 30th November, as the film festival began with the biggest names in Indian cinema, both past and present, in attendance. Hrithik and Sussanne also attended the ‘Tribute to Indian Cin ema’ segment on 1st December.

Hrithik enters 2013 for another blockbuster year. He will start the year filming Fox Star Studio’s Indian remake of the Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz starrer “Knight and Day” with leading lady Katrina Kaif this Spring. The year will culminate with the release of his home production, “Krrish 3” also.

Bollywood’s poster boy Imran Khan has certainly toughened up his image lately and is almost unrecognisable as the rugged hero figure in director Vishal Bhardwaj’s forthcoming rustic North Indian film “Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola,” which is released through Twentieth Century Fox on 11th January 2013. Acclaimed director Vishal Bhardwaj (Omkara, Maqbool) requested Imran to completely get into the skin of his character ‘Matru’ by immersing himself in the Haryana way of life.

The actor spent a month, dedicating five hours every day with five ‘Jhat’ (a North Indian caste) boys from Delhi to imbibe their language and mannerisms. The rigorous training schedule meant that Imran had to change his body language and also learn the language of Haryanvi for the role. So intense was his training that he had to eat with the Jhat boys, go shopping with them, and possibly the most daunting, he had to only speak and respond in Haryanvi, not uttering a word of English for a whole month.

Imran was mentored for the part by theatre maestro NK Sharma, who runs the Delhi-based Act 1 Theatre Group. After the month-long, intensive training session was completed, and both Vishal Bhardwaj and NK Sharma were convinced that Imran could pass for a true native Haryanvi, did the young actor begin shooting for the film. Set in the rustic surroundings of a village in Haryana in India, “Matru ki Bijlee ka Mandola” is a comedy-drama about Harry Mandola (Pankaj Kapur), a wealthy industrialist who loves his drink, his daughter Bijlee (Anushka Sharma) and the unusual bond they both share with Harry’s man-Friday, Matru (Imran Khan).

Sherlyn Chopra more desirable than Kate Moss, Charlize Theron!

Sherlyn Chopra is sure going places. Soon after reports of her debut film has generated immense curiosity among her fans, there are reports that the Playboy cover girl Sherlyn Chopra has bagged the 63rd spot on the list of Top 99 Most Desirable Women of 2013, in a poll on the international website AskMen. Surpassing

names like Rachel Weisz, Tina Fey, Katie Holmes, Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, Charlize Theron and India's Bipasha Basu (who bagged the 67th spot), Sherlyn went several notches up. "Around 20 million readers are said to have voted for this poll, which makes it a list that truly reflects who men from all over the world really celebrate," said Sherlyn's publicist. Sherlyn may also set foot at the Cannes Film Festival, playing the female lead in Rupesh Paul's international motion picture “Kamasutra 3D.”

18

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

India lowers 2012-13 growth forecast to 5.7 per cent

Dear Financial Voice Reader, Some surprising facts for you to wonder about over Christmas: • Who would have thought that the best performer in the FTSE 100 would be Lloyds in the past year. Up 80%.

• You would have known Aberdeen Asset Management would be up there if you followed my newsletter and blog – it is up 65% this year.

• Would you have bet RBS would be up 50% or that Barclays would double in size? Well Barclays is a bad example. They are still at 1996 price levels. Buying Barclays shares is like being in a time machine.

• With High St bankruptcies would you have bet on Next – now at £37 and up 35% this year. I remember as a student buying some at 22p!

• Again if you looked at my blog during the year you would not be surprised I have liked Babcock and Wolseley this year – both up 32% so far.

• Diageo and advertising agency WPP I continue to like into next year – also up 30%.

• Who stinks? BG Group is down 25%. Morrison’s down 20%. And Anglo American and Tesco all down over 15% this year. If they return next year to regain the ground they lost this year you will make 20% return. If they regain half that ground you are still up 10%. I could live with that.

• Vodafone annoys me. Charge me a fortune and still stagger at 1998 levels. But I bet you any money over the next two years it will at some point be up 20% from today’s value. And when it is – sell it!

And so here is a strategy. Find the companies which have been in the FTSE 100 for the past 10 years – so we know they are survivors. Then see which have lost more than 15% this year. Look to see if they have been about 20% higher than today’s price at some point in the past two years. Then work on the basis they will recover that at some point in the next two year – else you end up with a load of survivors anyway, but potentially make 20% on your money.

You know why people like property over shares.

Property is leveraged so makes returns quicker – except at the start of a credit crunch. The same thing in shares is to ask your broker for a margin account – so if the above shares do that you make 40% say instead.

But beware – you could end up with holding sometime, like with property, in negative equity. But at least Vodafone pays a dividend.

Tata Sons appoints Cyrus Mistry as chairman from Dec 28 Tata Sons, the holding company of the over USD 100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate, on Tuesday formally announced the appointment of Cyrus P Mistry as its chairman from December 28, when incumbent Ratan N Tata retires from the group.

Tata will be the honorary Chairman Emeritus of the group. "The Board of Directors of Tata Sons announced the appointment of Cyrus P Mistry as the Chairman of the Board after Ratan N Tata retires on December 28, 2012," Tata Sons said in a statement.

The Board has decided to confer on Tata the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus, it added. Mistry, 44, was chosen as Tata's successor in November last year and was appointed Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons, whose board he had entered in 2006. Mistry belongs to the Shapoorji Pallonji & Co, a leading construction firm. His family is the single largest shareholder in Tata Sons with 18 per cent stake.

Earlier this month, Tata Motors had appointed Mistry as its chairman with effect from December

Cyrus Mistry

28 after retirement of group chief Tata. Mistry has also been appointed as the Chairman of Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.

Last month, Tata had stepped down as chairman of Tata Global Beverages, making way for successor Mistry, who was also inducted into the board of Indian Hotels Company.

Tata Consultancy Services had inducted him as Deputy Chairman.

Tata Sons is the promoter of the major operating Tata companies and holds significant shareholdings in these firms. About 66 per cent of the equity capital of Tata Sons is held by philanthropic trusts endowed by members of the Tata family. It owns the Tata name and several Tata trademarks, which are registered in India and around the world.

The Indian government on day lowered the economy's growth forecast for the current financial year to 5.7 per cent, down sharply from an earlier projection of 7.6 per cent announced in March, owing to unfavourable global and domestic conditions. In the mid-year economic analysis tabled in Parliament, the finance ministry, however, said it was on track to meet the fiscal deficit target of 5.3 per cent.

Growth has slumped in recent quarters due to the lingering uncertainties in the global economy and domestic policy inaction. The country's gross domestic product (GDP) has expanded by just 5.4 per cent in the first half of 2012-13. The finance ministry said in the report that growth was likely to improve in the second half the current financial year and it would remain between 5.7 and 5.9 per cent.

Submit your selfassessment on time or face a fine from the tax man

"It should be possible for the economy to improve the overall growth rate of GDP to around 5.7 to 5.9 per cent for the year 2012-13," the report said. Addressing a press conference, Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan said the

current financial year. The economy grew by 5.5 per cent in the first quarter and 5.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2012-13.

"This is not the growth rate that we feel comfortable with," Rajan said.

In the report, the

Indian economy had bottomed out and the growth was likely to improve in the second half of 2012-13. He said a series of reform measures taken by the government would help propel economic growth above 6 per cent in the second half of the

finance ministry said the slowdown were due to a combination of domestic and global economic conditions. "The slowdown in growth in advanced economies and near recessionary conditions prevailing in Europe resulted not

only in lower growth of international trade but also lower capital flows," it said.

Turning to domestic factors, rainfall in the monsoon season of 2012-13 has been below normal, particularly in the key months of June and July. This affected sowing and resulted in a lower growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors, the report said.

High cost of borrowings due to the tight monetary policy of the Reserve Bank of India has also negatively affected the economic growth. "The cost of borrowing remains at elevated levels and this has had an impact on investment and growth in the economy, particularly that of the industry sector," it said. "Bottlenecks in project implementation have made financing more difficult and investors more cautious," the ministry added.

Quality for Community Mayank S. Rawal, FCQI CQP

The cost of achieving Quality ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) said that those who submits an online self-assessment tax return should make sure it is completed and returned to HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) by the end of January or face a £100 fine whether you owe tax or not.

Chas Roy-Chowdhury, ACCA head of taxation said: “There is no escaping the fact that if you do miss the deadline, HMRC will fine you. At a time when money is tight for the majority of people, the last thing you need is to pay for something that could be easily avoided.

“HMRC will take seriously any errors in your returns, so I would urge anyone to make sure they seek the help of a professionally qualified accountant. HMRC will apply a £100 fine if you are just a day late in submitting your return, this applies whether you owe tax or not.”

For more information on self-assessment tax returns visit: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/s a/index.htm For more information, please contact: Ray Allger, ACCA UK Newsroom + 44 (0)20 7059 5788 +44 (0) 7540 919 819 Ray.allger@accaglobal.com

Fundamentally every time a task towards organizing a community event or a community task in general is re-done, the total cost increases. This could include for example rewriting an event flyer, repurchasing material and equipment of different specification, re-doing the monthly /yearly accounts, time taken in decision making. If a mistake is made in ordering a product or service, it may need to be re-ordered or scrapped, and this causes a failure cost.

It should be noted that the satisfactory level of service offered by your community organization is absolutely vital towards maintaining, and increasing a membership base.

In essence the cost of achieving a quality service or product is the total of costs incurred through the following: 1) Cost of preventing deficiencies and poor quality of service being offered to members 2) Cost of appraising the service offered to members, and of products purchased by the organization.

3) Cost of failing to meet the community organization’s intended requirements.

Typically these types of costs would be classified as follows; Cost of Prevention: Costs incurred to prevent poor quality of services

offered to your members.

Typical examples would include member surveys, market surveys of similar events, administrative expenses, administrative salaries, supplier reviews, event progress reviews, documentation checking, team planning meetings, safety equipment purchase to prevent injury, training courses for committee members. The key objective of prevention costs is to minimise both appraisal and failure costs.

Cost of Appraisal: Costs associated with evaluating the service being provided, and related to inspection of each and every stage of event preparation, inspection of purchased goods upon receipt, community hall maintenance costs, repetitive checking of documentation / accounts, external approvals and application of licences for community regulatory compliance.

Cost of Failure: Failure costs can be classified into; Internal; Costs associated with deficiencies before the event is delivered to members, and External: for deficiencies after the event. Typical costs in these categories would relate to; cost of discarding products, troubleshooting of failed products, repair and re-work of products, and equipment, investigation costs, costs of additional tasks other than those budgeted, complaint investigations, lost/cancel-

lation of community hall booking, warranty claims, penalties/fines, loss of members loyalty and attendance at events, lost opportunities for community event sales, reduction of ticket prices, legal fees, natural environmental incidents affecting community services, overtime costs for paid workers, inventory losses – difference between perceived, and actual quantity of community assets/goods.

A thorough analysis of costs in each category will help identify opportunities for improvement, but normally these types of costs are overlooked by community organizations for the simple reason that common finance systems are not designed to identify them, so the overall strategic approach to each situation should be as follows; 1) For each deficiency or failure cost, there is a root cause.

2) Each cause should be preventable and rooted out.

3) Prevention is always better than cure and cheaper.

Determining the total quality cost of your event would be the sum of all categories above, and by efficient management of these costs, and by eliminating error’s/deficiencies before they are identified, will lead you to a successful event first time, every time.

With best wishes for a Quality festive season

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

19

Don’t expect the deal to work, instead learn to work the deal

Suresh Vagjiani Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

My attention was focused on the Allsops auction this coming Tuesday.

The reason: it's coming up to Christmas, and this is the time of year when the property industry quietens down. People are busy getting drunk and generally in holiday mood, so even if they're 'working' there’s not much work being done.

Anything which keeps buyers preoccupied is a good thing, as it serves to keep them away from the auction room. This is something I saw during the auctions during the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympics.

An auction room which should be fully packed was half empty.

Consequently property which should have sold at top prices failed to do so. These properties were sold later just after the auction for more money.

It’s rare you get a deal on the plate, normally you need to work the deal or take a view on incomplete information, often this comes from having come across a similar scenario previously. When looking at auction properties at times the name of the seller is also mentioned, especially if it's a corporate body, such as a Housing Association or Fixed Charge Receiver etc. When there’s a property being sold on the instructions of a receiver it means it has been repossessed from someone. A mortgage company appoints a receiver to act on behalf of the borrower – believe it or not – to obtain the most money from the property. Often these properties are put into the auction, this way the sale is transparent and there is no chance brown envelopes have been passed by somebody to secure a sale.

Now, althou gh o f cou rse no o ne likes being repossessed, some people like to carry on ho lding on to what the y have rather than accept the situ atio n and move forward .

For example, some people when they are about to be stripped of their property, they start to work overtime and find various means of holding on to their belongings. One of the ways they do this is to create a tenancy for a small amount, or simply not provide the details of the tenant - in which case the auction house has to then sell the property as 'tenancy terms unknown'. The danger for the buyer is this means you can have a sitting tenant; this can reduce the value of the property to possibly half.

Previously we purchased a block of flats sold by the ex-husband of a lady who lived in one of the flats in the block. The lady was managing the block and therefore had in her possession all the agreements, the ex-husband did not. So the property was sold with unknown tenancies. However our enquires told us they were all AST’s though we hadn't seen the paper work, and so we purchased managed to property for about 65% of its true value.

A couple of receiver sales with unknown tenancies in the upcoming Allsops auction jumped out at me, the first one was a flat in Mayfair, a triplex consisting of 1500 Sq Ft and a long lease of 148 years in a portered block.

The property is being sold on the instructions of receivers; the current owner is the 'tenant' paying zero rent. This look suspicious as it’s a repossession with a rental of zero. It could be the former owner will come back and purchase the property through another party at auction as he will be able to terminate the tenancy, which no one else can do, not as easily anyway. This will allow him to purchase the property for potentially 50% of the value and resell the property at market price. He

The Real Deal Christmas has come early n We have secured a great BTL property in Westminster n Purchase price of only £250,000 n This comes to only £577 per Sq Ft, comparables are above £700 per Sq Ft on the same road n In a period conversion n Share of Freehold n Only 1% stamp duty n £62,500 deposit req @ 25% n Or £37,500 deposit req @ 15% n Great first time buy

could net £1m if he manages to purchase at £2.25m and sell at £ 3.25m - the property has been guided at £1.75m. The £3.25m is going by a conservative value of £2166per Sq FT, which is very conservative for this location.

The other property which caught my attention is a freehold house, again sold by fixed charge receivers, this property is on the border of Kenwood Park in Hampstead. This time there was no tenancy in place, simply the property is being occupied by the owner's relative according to the auctioneer's information.

This property has not been internally inspected and the information given has been obtained from previous marketing material. This means the property must be purchased blind, i.e. without it being seen internally. This alone is enough to scare most purchasers, certainly end users will be put off by this but even the few which are happy to purchase blind, they will be put off by the unknown terms of tenancy. This could mean they cannot evict the tenant or if they can it will possibly be through a lengthy legal process. This leaves only a segment of die hard investors for the purchase.

The other issue will be that you may need to purchase the property in cash, as the there are no guarantees in being able to get the mortgage valuer into the property. This then knocks out a lot of buyers for this property, which is presumably the idea. Unless one is happy to take the challenge on and have their cash parked in the property.

However, when purchasing a property in this situation, things may not always be so abysmal, it may be possible that someone purchases the property, sends a letter from their lawyer and the problem disappears. Or perhaps they sit down and negotiate with the tenant a settlement figure along with the threat of legal action.

Either way this property which ordinarily would been sold for full value with vacant possession has been scarpered by an unknown tenancy and the problems which came with such a purchase.

This filters the number of buyers heavily. Only those with a strong appetite for risk and who can take a punt will go for these types of properties. In short the number of buyers will have been whittled down, which seems to be the objective.

If you analyse what’s really going on it is to do with human behaviour and what motivates humans is not common sense or logic. It's emotion.

The emotion o f fear and loss is what d rives human s more th an gain an d pleasure .

When you have an unknown in an investment it scares people more than is justified, and therefore most run the other way. The fear of loss weighs more strongly than the pleasure of a gain and so the way this manifests is as an irrational response. When something is unknown most people will consider the pessimistic angle rather than the fair one.

I guess there is only so far you can analyse these types of situations, you can look at them in several different ways and put figures to them and then something which you haven’t anticipated happens. You need to have the expertise around you to handle every eventuality, and I guess the bottom line is: Do you feel lucky?

Whilst I'm writing this article my colleague is in the auction room bidding for the Park Lane lot, time will tell whether we are successful.

It only takes two people to drive the price up in an auction. There's a lot of cash chasing prime property lots, so anything can happen.

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

0207 313 4595 Westbourne House, 14-16 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RH

Tips of the Week l Buying a BTL property is not like buying a home. Don’t get emotional regarding the BTL property, you’re allowed to get emotional about your home. l Property prices in good locations tend to be high, but these are the areas where you get the maximum capital appreciation. So it’s better to save or club together to ensure you purchase a diamond.

20

fInancIal voice

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

India's central bank keeps rates unchanged maria@abplgroup.com

Maria Fernandes

Should we trust our politicians?

This week the Office for National Statistics released Census data which indicated that the number of people born outside the UK has increased by 63% from 2001 to 2011. This has led to claims that this was the result of “uncontrolled immigration” and led to the Home Secretary accusing immigrants of pushing up prices of property. Boris Johnson, newly returned from India, expressed concern as he felt Indian businessmen feel that the environment for Indian business is hostile. An interesting fact from the census was that 51% of those born abroad were aged 15-29. The significance of this is the fact that we have an aging population and there is an urgent need to inject those of working age who can provide taxes to plug the gap that will paralyse the country in the future.

Tony Blair realised this and he was taking measures to ensure that this was sufficiently addressed.

Ed Miliband has now jumped on the bandwagon, abound with confessions and regrets, and insisting that immigrants

that the public’s main concern is immigration. It really isn’t except among the literati. The fact is that when a country faces economic woes, immigration becomes the scapegoat.

We now live in a global world, which is fluid and forever changing. In the US the white population has decreased substantially over the years and one of the reasons Romney lost was his failure to understand the demographics of the voters.

The number1 hit and one of the most popular songs in the UK and beyond is Gangnam style, a song that is sung in Korean. It is clear evidence that we live in a changing world where barriers of race, colour or language are being broken down. Politicians need to understand this new landscape and re-draw their lines of battle.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com.

must assimilate and that they must speak English.

This is unobjectionable as a statement. If only it was as easy as that. I wonder sometimes whether he truly understands the struggle of immigrants shunned from mainstream jobs through racism.

Their tenacity resulted in many of them setting up in business and becoming successful despite this. It is this success that is now lauded.

Leaving the rich and successful aside for a moment, lets face it, the care workers who were the butt of further criticisms, take jobs that nobody else wants. The work is hard, the hours are long and anti-social and the pay is poor. Ask any care home owner why they prefer migrant workers. These staff often have substantial skills lacking in local residents, are reliable and turnover of these staff is much lower than the general population. This industry is already in crisis. Attacking it when it is already down is opportunistic and unwise.

Politicians of both parties, and the papers appear to have this view

Jaguar Land Rover may build plant in Saudi Arabia Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) signed a preliminary deal to build a plant in Saudi Arabia, extending its expansion in fast-growing markets having already started work on a plant in China.

The British luxury marque, owned by India's Tata Motors, signed the deal to look at the possibility of making 50,000 Land Rovers a year at a Saudi plant costing some 4.5 billion riyals, the country's commerce and industry ministry said in a statement.

A spokesman for JLR said the agreement was "purely exploratory" and it was too early to provide any details. JLR has seen huge demand over the past year from emerging markets such as China, Russia and countries in the Middle East for its luxury SUVs and sleek sedans,

offsetting sluggish growth in developed markets.

The company and its Chinese partner Chery Automobile said last month they had laid the foundation stone for a factory near Shanghai. "I can't make any statement for these kind of investment figures. We have just signed a letter of intent .... it's a letter of intent to investigate the project," JLR Chief Executive Ralf Speth told reporters in the Saudi capital.

"A memorandum of understanding is ... scheduled in the next year and this memorandum of understanding will have more facts and figures."

The proposed plant, which will assemble fourwheel-drive Land Rovers, will likely start up in 2017 and will be located in

Yanbu on the kingdom's Red Sea coast, said Azzam Shalabi, head of the Saudi commerce and industry ministry's industrial clusters programme.

Saudi Arabia, which does not have an existing automotive industry, is seeking to develop local industry to diversify its economy away from oil exports, leveraging its abundant natural resources and low electricity prices. JLR said in its statement it had already identified opportunities for aluminium component production in the country, but it did not specify where the investment for the proposed plant would come from.

The company would not lose British jobs to any new Saudi plant, Speth said.

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quarter review of monetary policy on Oct 30, the RBI had lowered the CRR by .25 per cent, but had kept unchanged the repo and reverse repo rates, which determine lending and borrowing rates by commercial banks. As per latest data released last week, the annual rate of inflation based on wholesale price index declined to a 10-month low of 7.24 per cent in November

against 7.45 per cent in the previous month.

However, wholesale price-based food inflation increased to 8.50 per cent in November this year from 8.32 per cent recorded in the corresponding month of previous year.

This was largely due to an exponential rise in the prices of cereals, rice, wheat and pulses, according to data released by the ministry of commerce and industry. "The new combined (rural and urban)

CPI (consumer price index) inflation increased in November, reflecting sustained food inflation pressures, particularly in respect of vegetables, cereals, pulses, oils and fats," the bank said. Meanwhile, the growth in the country's gross domestic product in the second quarter of this fiscal at 5.3 per cent was marginally lower than the 5.5 per cent logged during the first quarter - which has been a matter of concern for all stakeholders.

But the Reserve Bank relented in giving in to demands for a rate cut citing inflation as a key reason. However, in its future guidance the RBI said there is a possibility of policy easing in the fourth quarter, if the core inflation continues to decline.

"In view of inflation pressures ebbing, monetary policy has to increasingly shift focus and respond to the threats to growth from this point onwards.

Liquidity conditions will be managed with a view to supporting growth as stated in the SQR (second quarter review), thereby preparing the ground for further shifting the policy stance to support growth," it said.

Kingfisher says will restart operations in phases

Gopinath set to float new airline next year

Ignoring pleas from industry, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept all key policy rates and reserve ratios unchanged in a review on Tuesday but said its focus now shifts towards spurring growth that has taken a hit in recent months.

"In view of inflation pressures ebbing, monetary policy has to increasingly shift focus and respond to the threats to growth from this point onward," the country's central bank said in a statement on its mid-quarter review of the monetary policy. "Overall, recent inflation patterns and projections provide a basis for reinforcing our October guidance about policy easing in the fourth quarter.

However, risks to inflation remain and accordingly, even as the policy emphasis shifts towards growth, the policy stance will remain sensitive to these risks," it said.

Accordingly, the bank rate remains unchanged at 9 per cent, the repurchase (repo) rate at 8 per cent, reverse repo rate at 7 per cent, the cash reserve ratio at 4.25 per cent and statutory liquidity ratio at 23 per cent. In the second

Debt-laden and grounded Kingfisher Airlines said on Monday it would "restart in a phased manner," with own funding, and will not seek banks' support. Kingfisher, saddled with a debt load of $1.4 billion, has not flown since October, and is under immense pressure to raise equity fast to keep its licence intact. "We have also shared a full recapitalisation plan which will be further discussed with a small designated group of bankers," Kingfisher said in a statement, after a meeting with its lenders.

Meanwhile, Kingfisher in stake sale talks with Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways and other investors, has capped foreign portfolio investment in the company at 3 per cent, carving space for a foreign investor to buy as much as 46 per cent of the embattled carrier.

India allows foreign investment of up to 49 per cent in local carriers.

Overseas institutional investors currently hold

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Exactly a decade after he launched India's first lowcost carrier (LCC) Air Deccan and five years after he was forced to sell it off, Captain G R Gopinath is all set to make a comeback with a startup. Three foreign LCCs are learnt to have approached him to take up to 49% stake in the proposed new venture for which he has already applied to the aviation ministry to get a licence.

The non-compete agreement Gopinath signed while selling Deccan to Vijay Mallya's nowgrounded Kingfisher in 2007 ends on January 28, 2013. Gopinath said that he would finalize the partner in two to three months and hopes to launch the airline by mid-2013.

The past three to four years have not seen any new airlines and only witnessed Air Deccan, MDLR, Paramount and Kingfisher either shutting down or losing their identity.

2.46 per cent of Kingfisher, according to stock exchange data.

Kingfisher said earlier this week it was in talks with Etihad Airways and other investors about taking a stake. The decision to limit FII investment was taken "with a view to keeping the company's capital structure in readiness for transactions that may be identified in the future for the benefit of all stakeholders of the company," Kingfisher said.

Kingfisher has been trying for more than a year to find an investor, without success. It is saddled with $2.5 billion in debt, according to one estimate. A fresh cash infusion into the struggling carrier could come from a financial or strategic, Indian or non-resident investor, Kingfisher said.

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financial VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

21

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

A fiscal cliff solution, the present America desperately wants for Christmas

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 18th December 2012 @ 2pm GBP - INR = 88.93

As 2013 rapidly approaches, typically people think about the changes they are going to make to their lives. In the US, congress is currently negotiating in order to make sure that certain changes do not happen.

The impending US fiscal cliff, set to initiate 1st January, will bring about an austere environment; the product of taxes raises, spending cuts and tax cut expiries. President Obama and Republican House Speaker John Boehner are currently locked in negotiations to find a deal that will sidestep the problems that the fiscal cliff would bring, whilst also trying to appease critics that say the levels of US debt are exorbitant.

Rapidly approaching their adjusted debt ceiling, the US owes nearly $14trillion. The fiscal cliff was originally designed to reverse the runaway debt train; however exogenous factors such as the global slowdown and Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sovereign debt crisis have stunted the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic performance.

Considered tame by its usual standards, the low American growth is not considered substantial enough to endure the

$607billion fiscal cliff, with analysts predicting the nation would be plunged into recession.

With time running out, you may think that this is an emergent problem; however Obama, the rest of congress and the public have been aware for many months. It appears that both the Republicans and Democrats have been procrastinating until now and as such the now urgent problem is being combatted.

At the start of the month, Obama and Boehner were at loggerheads with both branding each other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unreasonableâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as they battled to find a deal. Now that the event is looming on the horizon, it appears both have awoken to the necessity that a deal is sought.

Initially conceding that the wealthiest will need to take higher taxes, Boehner showed the first necessary signs that negotiation was possible. He

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still maintained that President Obamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship social spending programs such as Medicare will need to be slashed.

On the evening of the 17th, Obama submitted his newest offer to Boehner. This deal is not expected to be the final draft, and will require further retort and response, however there is tangible progress being made between the two.

There was already an innate belief that a deal would be hashed out to prevent the fiscal cliff; resultantly the dollar has significantly weakened recently.

Even as the lack of progress frustrated congress, investors maintained their faith that a solution would be found. The consequences to the economy if one is not found are deemed too great.

Going forward as the two move closer to a deal, the dollar may see further weakness as investorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worries are soothed.

Going in search of greater returns elsewhere, currencies such as the euro have already benefitted from investor confidence and leading towards Christmas we could see this at its nadir.

USD - INR = 54.85 EUR - INR = 72.25 GBP - USD = 1.62 GBP - EUR = 1.23 EUR - USD = 1.32 GBP - AED = 5.95 GBP - CAD = 1.60 GBP - NZD = 1.93 GBP - AUD = 1.54 GBP - ZAR = 13.86 GBP - HUF = 354.87

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 areâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;the commercial foreign exchange rates provided by RationalFX. For a live quote or to find out more about how RationalFXâ&#x20AC;&#x201A;can help you, call us on 0207 220 8181.

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world

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

In Focus Washington: The United States has resumed bankrolling Pakistan with American tax dollars despite the unstable country ramping up nuclear weapons production and its political leadership paying little or no taxes.

The Obama administration has reportedly sent to the Congress on December 7, Pakistan's tab for a $688 million payment that constitutes Islamabad's bill for deploying its troops and providing infrastructural support to the US in its war in Afghanistan.

The payout, going through without any protest or discussion in Washington, is said to be the first since

John Kerry

summer this year, after payment of the so-called Coalition Support Fund (CSF) was suspended amid worsening ties between the two countries due to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden last year and the Salala attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The Obama adminis-

Pakistan may disintegrate again, warns A Q Khan Islamabad: Pakistan is at present in a worse situation than it was in 1971, said disgraced nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, warning that "the day will not be far off when we disintegrate again" if social evils are not rectified soon. "The country is at present in a worse situation than it was in 1971. It is plagued with all kinds of social evils. If we don't rectify this soon, the day will not be far off when we disintegrate again. In order to rectify the situation, the first and foremost necessity is to disengage ourselves from the foreign war and put our own house in order," Khan wrote in an article "Events of 1971" in the opinion section of the News International. Khan was referring to the IndiaPakistan war of 1971, which led to the birth of Bangladesh.

"It is most unfortunate that we in Pakistan have also not learnt any lessons from our past tragic mistakes. The breaking up of Pakistan on December 16, 1971, was one such recent event.

"Millions of Pakistanis are fully aware of the reasons behind that tragedy, but it seems that our rulers and the

Census data points to US becoming a nation of minorities in 2043 Washington: The United States will become a nation of minorities in 2043 when whites will cease to make up a majority of the population, the US Census Bureau said.

In its first set of projections based on the 2010 census, the federal agency said the non-Hispanic white population is expected to peak in 2024 at 199.6 million in 2024 and then slowly decrease.

Other racial and ethnic groups will meanwhile keep growing.

Hispanics will double in numbers to 128.8 million in 2060, or nearly one in three US residents, as will Asians, to 34.4 million or 8.2 per cent of the projected total population of 420.3 million. Census Bureau also projected that for the first time, in 2056, residents of the United States aged 65 or older will outnumber young people under the age of 18.

A Q Khan

establishment are oblivious to these, despite the fact that it was such a traumatic experience," he wrote.

Khan was put under house arrest in 2004 after confessing to have sent nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea and sought the nation's forgiveness. He later retracted his remarks and alleged that he had been forced by former president Gen (retd.) Pervez Musharraf to make the statement. His opinion piece said that the country was broken up, "hundreds of thousands of people were killed, women were raped and almost 92,000 army and other personnel were taken prisoner". "...As is usual here, nobody was held responsible for such a big and tragic disaster."

tration has ostensibly felt the need to buy Pakistan's support for its upcoming drawdown from Afghanistan despite serious misgivings in Washington.

Non-proliferation circles have been replete in recent days with reports of Pakistan's "reckless" drive towards deploying (small) tactical nuclear weapons, which arms control advocates feel will be easy for jihadist groups to intercept or hijack during their transportation to battlefield stations. A recent study produced by a Pakistani investigative think tank revealed that 60% of country's cabinet and two-thirds of

Asif Ali Zardari among Pak leaders who evade taxes Islamabad: A majority of Pakistani parliamentarians and politicians, including President Asif Ali Zardari, are tax dodgers, a report on rampant tax evasion among the country's political elite has revealed. The Centre for Investigative Reporting in Pakistan's report said twothirds of the country's elected political leaders failed to submit any income tax returns last year. The 70-page report said that out of 446 members of the Senate and National Assembly, 300 did not file their tax returns. Those who did paid an amount that does not match their living standards. Out of 126 parliamentarians, who paid their taxes, only 15 paid above $10,500 and 68 below $1,060. PM Raja Pervez Ashraf paid only $1500 income tax which is an insignificant amount not matching his declared wealth.

Out of 54 ministers, 34 did not file tax returns. The prominent among them include deputy PM Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, interior minister Rehman Malik, railways minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Benazir Income Support Programme chairperson Farzana Raja and

Hafiz Saeed against MFN status to India

Lahore: The Defa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) formed by Jamaat-ud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed launched a “movement” to oppose the move to grant Most Favoured Nation status (MFN) to India. On the pattern of a campaign against the reopening of Nato supply routes, today we announce the launching of a movement against giving MFN status to India,” Saeed said addressing thousands of people who joined a “peace march” to the Wagah land border with India. Besides opposing the move to give India MFN status, the event marked the fall of Dhaka in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

During his address, gathered members shouted slogans in support of jihad. The DPC is an alliance of over 40 religious and extremist groups, including JuD, Jamaat-e-Islami and Jamiat

federal lawmakers did not file tax returns last year, a scroll of shame that reportedly included the President, the finance minister, and the foreign minister. Regardless, Pakistan has powerful supporters in Washington who have pressed for ladling out US tax dollars in the belief that America needs to remain invested in the country, none more than Senator John Kerry, President Obama's putative secretary of state.

Kerry was the co-author of the so-called Kerry-LugarBerman law which authorized a five-year $7.5 billion payout to Pakistan subject to a slew of conditions and caveats.

A Q Khan

Ulema-e- Islam-S, formed by Saeed after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a Nato air strike last year. Saeed, for whom US offered a $10 million bounty this year, said his group will not allow Pakistan to become an “Indian colony” and claimed India had opened “training camps” in Afghanistan.Former ISI chief Hamid Gul, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Samiul Haq and JuD leader Amir Hamza also addressed the gathering.

Asif Ali Zardari

commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim.

Fahim is not registered for even National Tax Number (NTN). Foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar, considered among the richest cabinet members, paid just $725.

In the Senate, Aitzaz Ahsan was the highest taxpayer with $136,589 while Mushahid Hussain the lowest taxpaying senator. He paid less than a dollar in 2011. Jehangir Tareen was the highest taxpaying National Assembly member with $179,507. The lowest taxpaying was PML-N's Sheikh Rohail Asghar, who paid $ 175. Former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani and his 25 cabinet members had acknowledged in their nomination papers for the February 2008 general elections that they did not pay a single penny as income tax.

Gilani even registered for NTN in 2010, one-and-half-year before quitting.

Egyptians narrowly back statute

Cairo: Egyptians voted narrowly in favour of a constitution, shaped by Islamists but opposed by other groups who fear it will deepen divisions, officials in rival camps said on Sunday after the first round of a two-stage referendum was wrapped up.

Next week’s second round is likely to give another “yes” vote as it includes districts seen as more sympathetic towards Islamists, analysts say, meaning the constitution would be approved.

But a close win, if confirmed, Mohamed Morsi only limited cause for celebration as it would show a wide rift in a country where he needs to build consensus on tough measures to fix a fragile economy.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which propelled Morsi to office in a June election, said 56.5% of the voters backed the text of the draft constitution.

Official results are not expected till after the next round.

18 kids among 27 killed in US school shootout

Newtown (Connecticut): At least 27 people, including 18 children, were killed when a shooter opened fire at an Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut last week. There was speculation that the shooter may be the father of one of the students at the school. If confirmed, it would be one of the worst mass shootings in US history. The principal and school psychologist was among the dead. The alleged attacker, 24, was armed with four weapons and a bullet-proof vest.

Assange to run for Oz senate

Sydney: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has confirmed his intention to run for a seat in the Australian Senate in the 2013 election. He indicated he would be a Senate candidate, and added that 'a number of very worthy people admired by the Australian public' have indicated their availability to stand for election on a party ticket. The founder of the whistle blowing website said he was able to fulfill the requirements to register as an overseas elector in either New South Wales or Victoria.

Berlusconi is engaged to girl 48 years his junior

Rome: Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has revealed he is engaged to a woman almost 50 years his junior, and says that "finally I feel less alone". The 76-yearold media baron said his engagement to 28year-old Francesca Pascale is "official".

Berlusconi's second wife left him in 2008, citing alleged dalliances with young women.

He is now on trial on charges of having sex with an underage woman and using his office to cover it up. His girlfriend Francesca Pascale is a TV presenter.

Car bomb kills 19 in Pakistan

Islamabad: At least 19 people were killed and 74 injured when a powerful car bomb exploded close to government offices in Jamrud town of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber tribal region. The explosion follows a deadly Taliban assault on the airport in Peshawar over the weekend which left 15 people dead, 10 of them attackers, underlining the strength of militants in the country's restive tribal regions and adjoining areas.

Indian techie convicted for allegedly groping woman

Washington: An Indian software consultant, on a work visa in the US, was convicted by a Chicago court for allegedly groping a woman while they were seated next to each other aboard an aircraft. Srinivasa S Erramilli, 45, remains free on bond pending sentencing, which has been set for April 26, 2013. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Incidentally, he was convicted twice previously for identical crimes.

Landmine blast kills 10 girls in Afghanistan

Kabul: A car bomb exploded outside of a compound housing a US military contractor in Kabul the Afghan capital blowing apart an exterior wall, killing at least two Afghan workers and wounding 15 other people. In another part of the country, a suspected landmine killed 10 young girls in the east of the country.

N Korea defies world, launches rocket

Seoul: North Korea launched a long-range rocket days before its young ruler marks 12 months in power, intensifying the threat posed by the nuclear-armed state and provoking global condemnation. The US and its allies were infuriated and even China expressed “regret” at the successful launch by its wayward communist ally - while also calling on all sides to avoid “stoking the flames”. The launch triggered plans for an emergency session of the UN Security Council.

Facebook removes Taliban recruitment page

San Francisco: Facebook has taken down a page used by the Islamist guerillas of the Pakistani Taliban to recruit new fighters, a spokesman for the US-based social network site said. Earlier, the US-based SITE Intelligence Group said the Umar Media TTP page used Facebook as "a recruitment" tool.

23

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd december 2012

IndIa January

• India steps up pressure for release of NRI kids in Norway (the kids were in custody of Norway Child Welfare on basis that their parents were not looking after them) • BJP President Nitin Gadkari backs Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi for PM’s post.

• Kite enthusiasts from 42 countries flock to Gujarat.

• Homai Vyarawalla, India 1st lady photographer dead at 82.

February • India, Italy in diplomatic row over killing of fisherman • 2G scam: India’s Supreme Court pulls up PMO (Apex court sets time limit to decide on issue of sanction)

March

• Gay sex not a crime, accepts Indian government • Gujarat to have first camel milk dairy soon • Ahmedabad wins World City Prize as most livable city • Thirty eight year old Akhilesh Yadav, son of Samajwadi Party chief minister Mulayam Singh, becomes CM of UP • Asian Voice / Gujarat Samachar launches Coffee Table book on Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III in Vadodara

April • Seven Asian owned companies among fastest growing in Britain • Gujarat Chief m i n i s t e r Narendra Modi opens India’s first canal top solar power project in Gujarat • 6 Indian origin scientists honoured with Fellow of Royal society • Agni-V launches India into elite ICBM club • West Bengal CM Mamta named among world’s most influential people • India gearing up for second milk revolution with launch of national dairy plant at Anand • BJP wins, Cong drubbed in Delhi civic polls • SC wants VIP quota for Haj to go

May • Grand celebration marks 40th anniversary of Gujarat Samachar –Asian Voice at Ahmedabad • Scams during Mayawati’s rule worth `400 bn: Akhilesh Yadav • Railways may leave out 50 locos for Pakistan • Bihar’s farmer’s 12- year- old son cracks IIT-JEE • Gujarat government agrees to raise subsidy to Akshaypatra • Gujarat kids excel in British Council organized writing completion.

June • India surrogacy hub at Anand aims for Guinness record • Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gives full marks to UP govt headed by son, CM Akhilesh Yadav • Kerala bans Gutka, paan masala • YSR Congress leads; Jagan arrested in asset case • Russian prosecutors decided against taking forward their case seeking a ban on trans-

lated version of Bhagwat Gita issue that had enraged the nation • Anna Hazare dares PMO to punish him if he is anti-national • Eighty per cent voting in crucial Andhra Pradesh • Arrest Nithyanand and seal his ashram, orders Karnatak Chief Minister

July • India’s former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee set to win the presidential election on July 19 • Time magazine calls Manmohan Singh a PM of ‘under achiever’ • Hindi makes debut in China at Guangdong University of foreign students • Flood kills over 500 animals in Kaziranga national park in Gulaghat district • 20 Naxalites killed in encounter with CRPF in Chhattisgardh

August •

Patriotic fervor marks India’s Independence Day • Air shuttle service takes off in Gujarat • Mamta Bannerjee breaks age old Independent Day tradition • Ramdev ends 5-day fast that was against corruption • Gir-Somnath becomes Gujarat’s 27th district • Former CM Keshubhai launches his Gujarat Parivartan Party

September • Gujarati film shortlisted for Oscars • Gujarat-origin woman of London dies in Badrinath in bus mishap • Modi challenges Rahul to come and campaign in Guajrat • Aarushi murder case: Court grants bail to Nupur Talwar

October • 26/11 probe: India seeks to send NIA team to Pak • Gujarat BJP to launch its own channel • Chidambaram promises new fiscal plan, tax law changes • Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s speech in Rajkot lackluster: Modi • Rural development minister jairam Ramesh slammed over remarks made on toilet, temple in Nagpur • Gujarat assembly polls on 13 / 17 December

November • Manmohan Singh reshuffles Cabinet; inducts 22 ministers • Prince Charles, Camilla in Bangalore for holistic healing • RSS distances itself from Gadkari controversy • I have no energy left, support Uddhav and Aditya, Bal Thackeray tells Sainiks • Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray passes away • Guj CM Modi uses 3D telecast to address audience in 4 cities as part of election campaign • Third front adds extra interest in Gujarat Assembly polls.

December • Sitar Maestro Pt Ravi Shankar passes away • Gujarat assembly poll: countdown begins • BJP promises 5000,000 homes, 3000,000 jobs

• Congress promises free laptops, tablets • Modi says Congress has anti-Gujarat mind set • Arvind Kejriwal launches party in Maharashtra, Aam Aadmi Party seeks irrigation scam probe • Mayor of London Boris Johnson visits India • Sixty eight per cent voting in phase 1 of Gujarat assembly poll

world January

• Pak PM Gilani in fix, gets Supreme Court contempt notice regarding reopening of graft case against President Asif Ali Zardari • Google, Facebook oppose web control in Delhi High Court • Italian ship mishap - Indians on board recollect horror • Mosque, Hindu temple site attacked with fire bombs in New York

February • US pledges $2.4bn aid to Pakistan in 2013 • Former President P e r v e z Musharraf knew that Osama was in Abbottabad • Ukranian girls face jail term for insulting Indian flag • Seventy four dead in Egypt’s worst soccer disaster • Two hundred and seventeen killed as Syrian forces shell Homes group

March • Government to relax Sunday trading laws during Olympics 2012 in London • I prefer jail term to death sentence: Pak PM Gilani • India to reopen Consulate in Karachi

April • Pak jails Osama’s family for illegal stay in their country • Pak moves towards MFN (most favoured nation) status for India; Gilani • Keep off South China Sea, India warned • Emergency declared as tornado- hit Texas • UK families lose 500 pound as new tax year starts

May • Air India to get `300 bn for turnaround plan • Overseas operation of Indian banks under scrutiny • Manmohan must put foot down on Siachen • Taliban storm Pak prison, free 384 inmates

June • US to exempt India from Iran sanctions • Islamists put camel bounty on President Obama • US seeks clarification from Pakistan on Afridi’s sentence • Pakistan tests 5th N-capable missile in just 45 days.

• Al-Qaeda No 2 Abu al-Libi killed in drone attack.

• China, India boosts IMF crisis, US stays away • Swedish firm IKEA to invest $ 1.9bn in India

24

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

• India a seeks access to Headley, Rana (key plotter of 2008 Mumbai terrorattack) • Twenty one 21 years on; Suv Kyi (Myanmar Opposition leader) accepts Nobel prize • Pakistan ranks 13 in failed state index

• Will take action if India provides evidence against Hafiz Saeed: Hina Rabbani Khar • Pakistan Taliban threatens Indians over Kasab hanging

uk

July

January

• Thirty six World War II British fighters found in Myanmar • Bhopal gas tragedy: US counrt absolves Union Carbide of liability • China builds infrastructure for Mansarover pilgrimage • NASA astronaut Sunita Williams makes history on her 2nd space visit • Global climate is changing, earth warms up

• Britain demonizing the tax migrants • Brent Council’s Labour leader CIIr Ann John investigated over Shirdi Sai temple planning application • Asian Tory fundraiser lands in controversy regarding his comments to MoS ( Mail on Sunday) • Redbridge’s first Labour Mayor elected in 10 years announced • Murder of Indian student Anuj Bidve raises safety concerns regarding Asians in Britain

August • Book on Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership qualities to hit the stands in China • ZI convicted in Gujarat riots case, 61 acquitted • Three Gujarati tourists killed in Kashmir grenade attack

September

• Ban Pakistan ministers from Britian, demands MPs • Canada wants to sell N-reactors to India • India signs visa agreement with Pak • Britain hailed for greatest Paralympics

October • Five Indian Americans among Forbes 400 richest • Kingfisher faces financial crunch, led to suspension of all aircraft • An Egyptian American man behind anti-Islam film that has stocked violent protest across Muslim community around world, was arrested in California • US intelligence group finds Qaida link in envoy killing • British –Japanese duo wins Nobel for stem cell research • Anti-Buddhist rage strikes Bangla,11 shrines torched • Abu Hamza connected with Al-Qaida face maximum life sentence in US • Lahore Chowk named after Bhagat Singh

November • Super storm Sandy batters US east coast; 30 killed • Obama retakes lead over Romney • Pak Parliament may be dissolved in January • Pervez Mushraff to contest general election from Chitral • Obama promises support to Myanmar • 26/11 men are trained in LeT camps, admits Pakistan officials • Americans give Barack Obama another term • Sunita Williams sets new record; embarks on 7th Space walk • Pakistan politicians told not to visit Malala

December • India to overtake China by 2030: US report • Hillary is people’s choice for 2016 presidential bid • UN endorses India’s Aakash outreach • David Headley, Rana to be sentenced in January

February • Britons moving to India for jobs • Queen Elizabeth to launch her diamond jubilee tour with Hindu school visit • Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar and British Foreign Secretary William Hague met in London • Religious freedom under threat in London • India Nobel laureate Amratya Sen honoured in US • Attempted murder of MBA student Praveen Reddy in E. London raises safety concerns among Indians in UK

March • Sweatshops for London Olympics 2012 tarnish the games image • Lambeth Council approves planning permission for Basaweshwara statue in London • Asian and Oriental centers to tackle youth unemployment • 1 in 5 abortion clinics suspected of breaking law • Economist Dr Jaimin Bhagwati says that security development is my key mantra

April • Protest against Dow Chemicals to be dropped as sponsorer in Olympics 2012 • Diaspora makes India the top money recipient of remittance • India-UK agree to push trade and investment

Singh, Murad Qureshi among winners • Bhopal gas tragedy campaigning group asks British MPs to boycott London Olympics 2012 till Dow Chemicals steps down as main sponsorer

June • Baroness Warsi –Britian’s fallen angel • Proud Britons celebrate Queen’s Jubilee • Baroness Warsi apologises –Cameron demands further investigation regarding the failure to register a holding of 605 of shares in a spice manufacturing called Rupert’s Recipes • Six arrested over Copland community school fraud have bail extended • Olympic ticket sold on black market • Three immigration court judges found to rule in favour of foreign criminals • Leeds Trinity University College seeks university status • RT Hon. Keith Vaz, MP, celebrated his 25th anniversary in Parliament

September • Youth unemployment the burning problem • Keith Vaz meets IJA members to celebrate 25 years of his parliamentary career • Bollywood star Hema Malini awarded at 12th AAA of Gujarat Samachar/Asian Voice • Lyca Mobile ranks 2nd in The Sunday Times track 100 league table • Pride of the Asians Community honoured at Asian Achievers Award 2012 organised by Gujarat Samachar/Asian Voice • Indian family to launch court action for return of Koh-i-noor diamond • UK still giving millions of pounds in aid to wealthy countries

October

• Gurkhas survive army cuts, soldier awarded Victoria Cross for bravery • Thousands gather at Anand mela at Harrow Leisure Centre, it was organized by Gujarat Samachar/Asian Voice

July • University applicants from UK students for courses in autumn down by 8.95 per cent • Pakistan’s People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto fails to appear for law exams • Twenty-one year old trainee pilot Jaskinder Kaur Samra died in plane crash • Al Qaida terrorist Habib Ahmed back in prison after breaking the terms of his license • Liberal Democrats launch Dadabhai Naoroji award • Chancellor George Osborne and his opposite number Ed Balls clash over banking inquiry at House of Commons.

• Communities and leader must confront child abuse- Nick Clegg, Deputy PM take a call against this ill practice • Operation Blue star Gen Kuldeep Singh Brar attacked in London • Seven British nationals killed in Nepal plane crash • Real story behind UK Government to engage Gujarat CM Narendra Modi • Community questions government plan to sell citizenship in £1mn • Borris Johnson stands for the struggling middle class

• Miss India UK winners get crowned at gala event in East London

November • Princess Anne to unveil statue of Noor Inayat Khan

August • BBC bosses attend secret dinner paid for by KPMG • Oxford introduces new dress code

• AR Rahman students arrive for music collaboration • CIIr Thaya Idaikkadar elected as new leader of Harrow Council • PM hosts gala Diwali reception at 10

May • Prime minister David Cameron launches Conservative Friends of India • Lakshmi Mittal retains crown as Britian’s richest man • IJA hosts welcome dinner for Indian High Commissioner • BBC expresses regrets over comments on Sikhism • Foreign students shun UK due to visa restrictions • Shear gold awarded with Business excellence awards 2012 • Indians shine in London assembly and local election - Navin Shah, Dr Omkar

Anuj Bidve killer jailed • Kiara Stamleton shot him

• Lord Khalid Hameed receives Freedom of the city of London award • Anni Dewani murder suspect pleads not guilty • Four thousand people call for retrial for triple murder at riots • Asian Voice/Gujarat Samachar organize successful letter writer’s seminar • London dazzled in grand opening of Olympics • London bids flamboyant farewell to Olympics 2012 • Indian student

Downing Street • Ireland’s Catholic anti-abortion law causes the death of woman at Gallway hospitals • British envoy writes to Omar, says UK will revoke travel advisory

25

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012 December

• • • • • •

• •

• The Indian origin nurse Jacintha Saldanha working in London hospital dies of suicide. She was facing an insult of a prank played on her by Australian RJs on the radio Immigration in the UK sees biggest fall in 20 years The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced that they are expecting their first baby Lord Raj Loomba granted award at the Forbes Philanthropy Awards 2012 Hindujourney invited to attend Interfaith Young Council at the House of Lords London Mayor Boris Johnson visits India Hindus and Sikhs accuse government for ‘failing to confront the truth’ about sexual grooming Free multi-faith primary school in Hayes welcomes Hindus Post Tsunami Japan now lures British travelers to holiday in their country

SportS January

• • • • • •

•

• Australian Ricky Ponting scores 1300th test run • Mahela Jaywardene reappointed Sri Lanka captain cricket India regain second spot in ODI ranking Match opener Virendra Sehwag completes 8000 runs in test series Australia crush India by 122 runs in first test in Melbourne Sri Lanka thrash South Africa by 208 runs in second test at Kingsmead Make-or-Break case of Gautam Gambhir Sachin Tendulkar’s son padding up for life in cricket Sania to lead Indian challenge in Fed Cup

February • No dropping of Dow, asserts IOC Chief Rogge • Ricky Ponting dropped from Australian ODI team • South African Richard Levi makes T20 history (he took 45 balls to reach his hundred- quickest in T20) • Pak cricketer Kaneria named as go-between in fixing case • After much haggling, ECB retains explosive Gayle • India regain second spot in ODI ranking • Religious Yusuf loses contract with Leicestershire • India hold SA, win hockey series 3-1

• Eoin Morgan has been dropped by England for the tour to Sri Lanka and replaced by Samit Patel • Australian captain Michael Clarke named Australia’s player of the year

April • In IPL, Sehwag keeps Dare Devils at No.1 spot • Rajasthan Royals consign Deccan Chargers to third defeat • England win second Lanka test • Djokovic beats Murray in ATM Miami Masters

• Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jaywardene quits T20 captaincy • IPL teams in South Africa

• Australia beat England; retain women’s World Twenty20 title

November • Roger Federer downs Andy Murray for seventh Wimbledon crown • Sangakkara beats Don Bradman’s record

August • Kolkata Knight riders, Delhi Daredevil win in IPL 2012 • Alastair Cook, Tim Bresnan and Sangakkara named Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year • Indian MPs beat British MPs in Twnety20 • India’s cricketer Yuvraj Singh returned home after treatment of rare germ cell cancer in USA

• Britian’s Andy Murray demolished Roger Federar and got Olympic gold for Tennis • Bronze for Saina Nehwal in Badminton • Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina lead India to series win in ODI • Olympic fiasco: Mystery girl Madhura Nagendra walked with Indian team on the ground

• Indian eves win Women Twenty20 Asia cup • BCCI rejects Sharmila’s demand for Pataudi trophy • Yuvraj, Harbhajan make comeback, Suresh Rana dropped for England tests • ICC gets innovative - allows day-night test matches.

• Sebastian Vettel wins indian grand prix

May • Kolkata in IPL final for first time • Indian woman boxer Mary Kom qualifies for London Olympics • Mahela Jayawardene guides Delhi into playoffs • Spot-fixing: BCCI suspends five players: Abhinav Bali, Sudhindra, Mohnish Misra, Amit Yadav and Shalabh Shrivastav • Olympic flame lit for London Games • England Lions crush West Indies by 10 wickets • Tennis ace Roger Federer has become world No 2 after winning his third Madrid Masters title against Czech Republican Tomas Berdych • BCCI invites Pakistani club for Champions League Twenty20 • Cook and Bell seal England win over Windies

June • Vishwanathan Anand retains world chess crown when he won over Boris Gelfard of Israel in Moscow in World Chess Championship.

March • Rangana Herath strikes leave England reeling in Galle • Mary Kom, Sarita Devi win gold medals at Asian Women’s b o x i n g Championship • Srikkanth says let Sachin decide about retirement from Cricket • Lionel Messi breaks Barcelona goal scoring record • Sri Lanka thrash Australia in 2nd final ODI series • Kevin Pietersen helps England whitewash Pakistan 4-0

book (Spain thrashed Italy 4-0 to retain European title, biggest victory margin in World cup or Euro final) • Former England captain David Beckham not picked for Great Britain Olympic team

• Badminton champion Saina Nehwal conquers Thailand open Gran Prix in Bangkok • Saina Nehwal overcomes LI Xuervi to lift 3rd Indonesian Open title • England’s rising cricket star Tom Maynard dead at 23 • Seventy-one year old bowler David Wilson died after cricket ball hits his head • Indian tennis mess: Paes in no hurry to take Olympic call • Sri Lanka crush Pakistan in first test

July • Former England batsman and scorer in County quits cricket after 25 years • Record-breaking Spain rewrite the rule

• Alistair Brownlee wins gold for GB in men’s triathlon • Vijay Kumar wins silver in 25m rapid fire pistol event • Murray clinches Olympic gold

September • Harbhajan Singh, Chawla wreck clueless England • Saina signs three-year deal worth `400 mn • Pietersan left out of England test squad for India tour • Andy Murray wins US open • India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the second Test in Bangalore to win the two Test series 2-0 with Man of the Match as Virat Kohli • Olympic medalists Vijay Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt were jointly conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award-India’s highest honour • No Indian in ICC team of the Year • Alastair Cook is England’s new Cricket captain

• Saina wins prestigious Denmark open title • England start Indian tour with warm-up game • Kevin Pieterson included in England squad for India tour • Bombay HC upholds BCCI’s decision to terminate Deccan Chargers

December • India go down to Pak in bronze medal match at the Champions trophy hockey championship

• Barcelona forward Lionel Messi breaks record with 86th goal of the year • England give India 7-wicket drubbing at Eden Gardens • Cricketers Yuvraj, Bhajji, zaheer dropped for Nagpur test • Ricky Ponting bows out after 17- year test career • South Africa crush Australia to clinch series

October • Sandeep Patil replaces Srikkant as BCCI chief • India knocked out of World Twenty20 despite win • ICC bans spot-fixing - Umpires boards to investigate • West Indies crowned WorldT20 champions

• Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupati says 2013 would be his last year on tour • International Olympic committee suspends India • India top Champions Trophy Pool a despite Germany loss in Hockey • The ‘Sleeping Giant’ of world football Inter Milan ready to enter India with European clubs keen on forging strategic alliances with Indian partners.

• India England teams return to practice for Kolkata test.

26

gujarat asseMbly polls 2012

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Congress fails to create Modi - the leader with a difference any impact on electorate

Arjun Modhwadia, Shaktisinh Gohil and Siddharth Patel

By AV Correspondent The opposition Congress which does gain some solace in having gained a couple of seats more than the previous elections in 2007, has managed to reach a tally of 61 with all the party’s senior leaders having to bite the dust. The party has been out of power for the last 17 years in the state.

The party’s state president Arjun Modhwadia lost from his constituency in Porbander while the leader of the opposition Shaktisinh Gohil too lost from his constituency against BJP strongman Puroshtam Solanki.

A hyped up faceless campaign which targeted the policies of the CM, failed to create a connect with the voters. Senior party leaders remained incommunicado but admitted that they need to

do a serious introspection on what led to party’s loss especially of three senior leaders.

“The posters of the Congress put up in various parts of the state spoke of issues ranging from unemployment to people being homeless, their slogans did raise curiosities but failed to connect with the youth which turned up in large numbers to vote for the BJP and Modi,’’ said political historian Vishnu Pandya.

He said that campaign by central leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi too did draw large crowds but Rahul restricted himself to references in the past and Sonia too did not create an impact through her speeches.

Pandya said that the choice of candidates and political novice like Shweta Bhatt, wife of suspended IPS officer Sanjiv

Bhatt, also showed the helplessness of the party to take on someone like Modi. “It was being just shown as a symbolic fight, instead of that they should have preferred a political heavyweight which would have convinced the voters that they were ready to take on Modi,’’ said Pandya.

Congress spokesperson, Manish Doshi said that the results were indeed a setback after the kind of response that they had been receiving after the declaration of their 12 point programme which included free homes for women. “We will look into the reasons, analyse and work for the future and not repeat the present mistakes,’’ said Doshi. He said that it was indeed worrisome that excepting Shankersinh Vaghela most of the senior leaders of the party had lost.

Narendra Modi, whose hat-trick in Gujarat could possibly pitchfork him as a prime ministerial candidate of BJP in 2014, has always remained a leader with a difference, a personality you may love or hate but cannot ignore.

The 62-year-old former RSS pracharak is no ordinary politician and has carved out a name for development in a state that has always nurtured talent and entrepreneurial skills.

But Modi has more share of controversies and is yet to live down the stigma over the post-Godhra violence that claimed many Muslims in March 2002 months after he had taken over as Chief Minister replacing Keshubhai Patel.

In a state considered the Sangh Parivar’s Hindutva laboratory, the Chief Minister is accused of polarising the state on communal lines. In fact, he is the most targeted leader in the current times with his opponents ready to go to any extent to hurl invectives on him.

However, he has admirers in equal measure in his party and outside. Modi made feeble attempts to woo the Muslims but the controversial BJP strongman has always projected an air of unconcern.

His critics say that Modi will always have to carry the taint of 2002 Gujarat riots after the Godhra train carnage for which he has consciously avoided expressing regret or offering any apology. In one recent interview, he had, however, said if he was guilty of involvement, he can be hanged.

Modi’s admirers, on the other hand, hail him as “Hindu Hriday Samrat.”

The situation is so polarised in Gujarat that Sonia Gandhi’s remarks accusing Modi of being a “merchant of death” had created a huge controversy in the 2007 Assembly Polls.

The description is said to have cost the Congress dear that the party shied away from raking up the issue of postGodhra riots altogether in the current elections.

After 11 long years as Gujarat Chief

Minister and his third consecutive success at the hustings, Modi may have propelled himself as a strong contender as party’s candidate for Prime Minister’s post in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

“No need of looking behind ...FORWARD!....We want infinite energy, infinite courage, infinite patience...” Mr. Modi said on the microblogging site Twitter in the wake of trends that he was set to create a hat-trick. It was interpreted in some circles as a subtle comment indicating his intention to be in the prime ministerial race. In fact, he has created history by emerging as the first BJP chief minister to have third successive win at a time when the party is in dire need of a strong leader to get back to power at the Centre.

The election was different for Modi as it was for the first time that elderly Keshubhai, whom he had replaced as the Chief Minister in 2001, parted ways with the BJP and floated his Gujarat Parivartan Party to rid the state of an ‘emergency like situation.’

Given the bitter parting of ways, the 2012 polls was the litmus test for Modi, who had consciously tried to build bridges with the minorities by holding Sadbhavana fasts all over the state. At the same time, he did not give ticket to a single Muslim in a bid not to ruffle the feathers in the Hindutva camp. Modi also had reached out to his core constituency by organising state-wide yatra by projecting Swamy Vivekananda as his ideal on his 150th birth anniversary.

In the wake of the 2002 riots, the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had reminded him of his “raj dharma”, but L.K. Advani and the late Pramod Mahajan helped Modi to survive as the Chief Minister.

After that there was no looking back for the RSS pracharak who had moved to the BJP long back, first as organising secretary of the party in Gujarat and later an office-bearer at his headquarter in Delhi.

Hat-trick for Modi in Gujarat Continued from page 1 I will work for the betterment of the people. I want to take Gujarat a lot further. I want to take to that place where development itself knocks at the door of the state. The results of the Gujarat elections have proven that the citizens of this country know very well what is right and what is wrong."

Himachal Pradesh goes to Congress: The Congress is all set to form the government in Himachal Pradesh after winning clear majority in the state. Congress has won 36 seats one more than the required seat to form the government.

Congress has given the credit of its victory in HP to the collective leadership. Commenting on the results, Union finance minister P Chidambaram said that this victory was the result of collective leadership in Himachal Pradesh. However, he refused to reveal whether veteran leader Virbhadra Singh would be made chief minister of the state. We projected the Congress Party. Virbhadra Singh was the HPCC President.

What we have achieved in Himachal is a tribute to

the collective leadership and the unity of the Congress Party in Himachal Pradesh," he told media persons outside the Parliament in Delhi.

Gujarat win emphatic, Himachal a disappointment: Jaitley BJP leader Arun Jaitley termed his party’s win in Gujarat as “emphatic” and its loss in Himachal

third in a row with Narendra Modi at the helm,” he said. He said votes for the BJP defied caste and community. “We have got votes of tribals and minorities. This kind of vote is not on a particular agenda,” Jaitley said.

When asked what went wrong with the Congress’ strategy in Gujarat, Jaitley said: “The Congress did

When the economy is doing badly and you cannot improve its performance, you must talk it up.

Chidambaram has tried to translate this idiom into the Congress party’s performance in Gujarat,” Jaitley said. Jaitley was evasive when asked about a bigger role for Modi, especially as the BJP’s prime ministerial candi-

could have contested a little better. The rebellion in the party could be a factor in BJP’s defeat. The defeat is more on account of the BJP’s internal troubles than a vote in favour of the Congress. We could have won in Himachal if there were not so many rebels.”

Commenting on the Gujarat results, Lord Dolar Popat said, “There

Narendra Modi’s victory speech at an event organised opposite the BJP Party Office in Khanpur, Ahmedabad.

Pradesh “disappointing”.

“The margin of victory in Gujarat indicates it is an emphatic win. In 2002, we got a nine per cent lead in vote share. This increased to 10 per cent-plus in 2007 and this time too, it is expected to be in doubledigits,” Jaitley said.

“Our victory in Gujarat is the fifth in a row (since 1995) and the

not know which way to go.

It did not pitch any national or state leader against Modi. They wanted to duck development and leadership. By ducking, you never win an election.”

He also took potshots at Chidambaram, who said Congress was a winner in Gujarat despite losing.

“Chidambaram is an experienced finance minister.

date.“This is not the issue of the moment. I cannot discuss it on national television right now. Modi is a very senior leader and is extremely popular with the party’s rank and file. His views matter and are taken seriously in the BJP.” On Himachal Pradesh, Jaitley said: “Himachal was disappointing. We led a good government. We

was certainly never any doubt about Modi’s victory in Gujarat, but his popularity and landslide win has proved that Modi is a very credible candidate to become India’s next Prime Minister. Today Modi’s influences spans outside of Gujarat and he is a leader who is extremely popular both within the party and country and

whose views are taken very seriously. Modi’s leadership has transformed Gujarat into one of India’s economic powerhouses and many other states are following suit. If the Party wants to campaign on the economy and efficient government and if it wishes to replicate Gujarat’s successes across India, then Narendra Modi is the likeliest candidate who can achieve this.”

Overseas Friends BJP, UK: Overseas Friends BJP UK conveys its good wishes to six crore population of Gujarat, Bhartiya Janata Party and chief minister Narendra Modi.

The opposition parties and media which was criticizing Modi by alleging that there was no development in 11 years in Gujarat, allegations of neglecting comman man, CM being selfish and dominating the rule, have been given a fitting reply by people of Gujarat. Do not speak such a lie or else Congress will be in a bad shape all over India in 2014 election. Bharatiya Janata Party’s able leader Narendrabhai Modi will emerge as Prime Minister in an appropriate time.

- Lalubhai Parekh, President, Overseas Friends of BJP, UK

gujarat asseMBly polls 2012

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

No. Constituency 1. Abdasa 2. Mandvi 3. Bhuj 4. Anjar 5. Gandhidham(SC) 6. Rapar 7. Vav 8. Tharad 9. Dhanera 10. Danta(SC) 11. Vadgam (SC) 12. Palanpur 13. Deesa 14. Deodar 15. Kankrej 16. Radhanpur 17. Chanasma 18 Patan 19. Sidhpur 20. Kheralu 21. Unjha 22. Visnagar 23. Becharaji 24. Kadi (SC) 25. Mehsana 26. Vijapur 27. Himmatnagar 28. Idar(SC) 29. Khedbrahma(ST) 30. Bhiloda(ST) 31. Modasa 32. Bayad 33. Prantij 34. Dehgam 35. Gandhinagar(S) 36. Gandhinagar(N) 37. Mansa 38. Kalol 39. Viramgam 40. Sanand 41. Ghatlodia 42. Vejalpur 43. Vatva 44. Ellisbridge 45. Naranpura 46. Nikol 47. Naroda 48. Thakkarbapa Nagar 49. Bapunagar 50. Amraiwadi 51. Dariapur 52. Jamalpur-Khadia 53. Maninagar 54. Danilimada (SC) 55. Sabarmati 56. Asarwa (SC) 57. Daskroi 58. Dholka 59. Dhandhuka 60. Dasada (SC) 61. Limbdi 62. Wadhvan 63. Chotila 64. Dhangadhra 65. Morbi 66. Tankara 67. Wankaner 68. Rajkot-East 69. Rajkot-West 70. Rajkot-South 71. Rajkot-Rural (Sc) 72. Jasdan 73. Gondal 74. Jetpur 75. Dhoraji 76. Kalavad(SC) 77. Jamnagar(Rural) 78. Jamnagar(N) 79. Jamnagar(S) 80. Jamjodhpur 81. Khambaliya 82. Dwarka 83. Porbandar 84. Kutiyana 85. Malavadar 86. Junagadh 87. Visavadar 88. Keshod 89. Mangrol 90. Somnath 91. Talala (GIR) 92. Kodinar(SC) 93. Una 94. Dhari 95. Amreli 96. Lathi 97. Savarkundla 98. Rajula

Win Chhabildas N. Patel (Cong) Tarachand Chheda (BJP) Dr. Neema Acharya (BJP) Vasan Ahir (BJP) Ramesh Maheshwari (BJP) Vaghaji Patel (BJP) Shankar Chaudhary (BJP) Parbat Patel (BJP) Joitabhai K.Paetl (Cong) Kanti Khardadi (Cong) Mani Vaghela (Cong) Mahesh Patel (Cong) Liladhar Vaghela (BJP) Keshaji Chauhan (BJP) Dharsi Khanpura (Cong) Nagarji Thakor (BJP) Dilipsinh Thakor (BJP) Ranchhod Rabari (BJP) Bhalvantsinh Rajput (Cong) Bharatsinh Dabhi (BJP) Naranbhai Patel (BJP) Rushikesh Patel (BJP) Rajanibhai Patel (BJP) Ramesh Chavda (Cong) Nitin Patel (BJP) P I Patel (Cong) Rajubhai Chavda (Cong) Ramanlal Vora (BJP) Ashsin Kotval (Cong) Dr. Anil Joshiyara (Cong) Rajendra Thakore (Cong) Mahendrasinh Vaghela (Cong) Jaysinh Chauhan (BJP) Kaminiben Rathore (Cong) Shambhujii Thakor (BJP) Ashok Patel (BJP) Amit H. Chaudhary (Cong) Baldevji Thakore (Cong) Pragjibhai Patel (BJP) Karmshi Patel (Cong) Anandiben Patel (BJP) Kishore Chauhan (BJP) Pradipsinh Jadeja (BJP) Rakesh Shah (BJP) Amit A. Shah (BJP) Jagdish Panchal (BJP) Dr. Nirmala Vadhvani (BJP) Vallabh Kakadia (BJP) Jagrupsinh Rajput (BJP) Hasmukh Patel (BJP) Gyasuddhin Shaikh (Cong) Bhusan Bhatt (BJP) Narendra Modi (BJP) Shailesh Parmar (Cong) Arvind Patel (BJP) R.M. Patel (BJP) Babu Jamna Patel (BJP) Bhupendrasinh Chudasma (BJP) Laljibhai KoliPatel (BJP) Punambhai Makwana (BJP) Somabhai Patel (Cong) Varshaben Doshi (BJP) Samji Chauhan (BJP) Jayantibhai Kavadiya (BJP) Kantibhai Amrutiya (BJP) Mohanbhai Kundariya (BJP) Mohd. Javed Peerjada (Cong) Indranil Rajguru (Cong) Vajubhai Vala (BJP) Govind Patel (BJP) Bhanuben Babriya (BJP) Bhola Gohil (Cong) Jayrajsinh Jadeja (BJP) Jayesh Raddiya (Cong) Vitthalbhai Radriya (Cong) Meghajibhai Chavda (BJP) Raghavji Patel (Cong) Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (Cong) Vasuben Trivedi (BJP) Chimanbhai D. Sapariya (BJP) Punamben Madam (BJP) Pabubhai Manek (BJP) Babubhai Bokhiria (BJP) Kandhal Jadeja (NCP) Jawahar Chavda (Cong) Mahendra L. Mashru (BJP) Keshubhai Patel (GPP) Arvind Ladani (BJP) Rajesh Chudasma (BJP) Jashabhai Barad (Cong) Jashubhai Barad (Cong) J.D. Solanki (BJP) Punjabhai Vansh (Cong) Nalinbhai Kotadiya (GPP) Paresh Dhanani (Cong) Bavku Udhad (Cong) Vallabhbhai Vadhasiya (BJP) Hirabhai Solanki (BJP)

Lose Margin Jayanti Bhanushali (BJP) 7613 Kishorsinh R. Parmar (Cong) 8506 Amir Lodhia (Cong) 8973 V K. Himbal (Cong) 4728 Jayshree Chavda (Cong) 21313 Babulal Shah (Cong) 9196 Geniben Thakor (Cong) 11911 Mavji Patel (Cong) 3473 Vasant Purohit (BJP) 30291 Gamaji Kharadi (BJP) 26990 Fakir Vaghela (BJP) 21839 Govind Prajapati (BJP) 5284 Rajendra Joshi (Cong) 17706 Gova Rabari (Cong) 20809 Kiritsinh Vaghela (BJP) 600 Bhavsinh Rathod 3834 Dinesh Thakor (Cong) 16824 Jodhari Thakor (Cong) 5871 Jaynarayan Vyas (BJP) 25824 Babuji Thakore (Cong) 18386 Ashaben D. Patel (Cong) 24201 Bholabhai Patel (NCP) 29399 Rajendrasinh Darbar (Cong) 6456 Hitu Konodiya (BJP) 1217 Natwarlal Patel (Cong) 24205 Kantilal Patel (BJP) 8759 Praful Patel (BJP) 12356 Rambhai Solanki (Cong) 11380 Bhoja Makwana (BJP) 50137 Nilaben Modaya (BJP) 31543 Dilipsinh Parmar (BJP) 22858 Undesinh Zala (BJP) 35923 Mahendrasinh Baraiya (Cong) 7014 Rohitji Thakor (BJP) 2297 Jugaji Thakore (Cong) 8011 Suresh Patel (Cong) 4225 D. D. Patel (BJP) 8028 Dr. Atul Patel (BJP) 343 Dr.Teshwiniben Patel (Cong) 16983 Kamabhai Rathod 4148 Ramesh Dudhwala (Cong) 110395 Murtuzakhan Pathan (Cong) 40985 Atul Patel (Cong) 46932 Kamlesh Shah (Cong) 76672 Dr.Jitubhai Patel (Cong) 00000 Narsinh Kanani (Cong) 49302 Bhagwan Bharvad (Cong) 58352 Gita Patel (Cong) 49251 Dhiru Dudhawala (Cong) 2603 Bipin Gadhvi (Cong) 65425 Bharat Barot (BJP) 2621 Samir Khan Sipai (Cong) 6331 Shweta Bhatta (Cong) 86373 Girish Parmar (BJP) 14301 Bharat Patel (Cong) 67583 Mangal Surajkar (Cong) 35045 Laxmansinh Thakore (Cong) 37633 Pradhumansinh Chavda (Cong) 18845 Mahendra Shah (Cong) 28277 Manhar Makwana (Cong) 10640 Kiritsinh Rana (BJP) 1561 Himanshu Vyas 17558 Devji Fatepura (Cong) 11972 Jayeshbhai H. Patel (Cong) 17403 Brijesh Merja (Cong) 2760 Maganbhai Vadaviya (Cong) 15407 Jitibhai Somani (BJP) 5311 Kashyapbhai Shukla (BJP) 4272 Atulbhai Rajani (Cong) 24978 Mitul Donga (Cong) 28477 Lakhabhai Sagthiya (Cong) 11466 Bharatbhai Bodhra (BJP) 10847 Chandu Vaghasiya (Cong) 19766 Jasumatiben S. Korat (BJP) 18033 Haribhai Patel (BJP) 2943 Dr. Dinesh Parmar (Cong) 6119 R.C. Faldu (BJP) 3304 Mulu Bera (BJP) 9448 Jitendra Lal (Cong) 2862 Hardasbhai Khava (Cong) 28191 Abhabhai Karmur (Cong) 38382 Mulu Kandoria (Cong) 5616 Arjun Modhvadia (Cong) 17146 Karsan Odedara (BJP) 18474 Ratibhai Sureja (BJP) 4402 Bhikhu Joshi (Cong) 13796 Kanu Bhalana (BJP) 42186 Maganbhai Kotdiya (Cong) 7937 Dr.Chandrika Chudasma (Cong) 15714 Rajshi Jotva (BJP) 2096 Govind Parmar (BJP) 1478 Mohan Vala (Cong) 8477 K. C. Rathod (BJP) 7507 Kokilaben Kakdiya (Cong) 1575 Dilipbhai Sanghani (BJP) 29893 Valji Khokhriya (BJP) 2764 Prabhat Dudhat (Cong) 2384 Babubhai Ram (Cong) 18710

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Constituency Mahuva Talaja Gariadhar Palitana Bhavnagr(Rural) Bhavnagar(East) Bhavnagar(West) Gadhda(SC) Botad Khambhat Borsad Anklav Umreth Anand Petlad Sojitra Matar Nadiad Mehmdabad Mahudha Thasra Kapadwanj Balasinor Lunawada Santampur (ST) Shehra Morva Hadaf(ST) Godhara Kalol Halol Fatepura (ST) Jhalod (ST) Limkheda(ST) Dahod (ST) Garbada (ST) Devgadhbaria Savli Vaghodia Chhota Udepur(ST) Jetpurpavi (ST) Sankheda (ST) Dabhoi Vadodara Citu(SC) Sayajigunj Akota Raopura Manjalpur Padra Karjan Nandod(ST) Dediyapad(ST) Jambusar Vagra Jaghdiya(ST) Bharuch Ankleshwar Olpad Mangrol(ST) Mandvi(ST) Kamrej Surat-East Surat-North Varachha Road Karanj Limbayat Udhna Majura Katargam Surat-West Choyashri Bardoli(SC) Mahuva(ST) Vyara (ST) Nizar (ST) Dangs (ST) Jalalpor Navsari Gandevi (ST) Bansda (ST) Dharpur(ST) Valsad Pardi Kaprada(ST) Umargam(ST)

Win Bhavnaben Makwana (BJP) Dr. Bhartiben Shiyal (BJP) Keshu Nakrani (BJP) Pravin Rathod (Cong) Parsottam Solanki (BJP) Vibhavariben Dave (BJP) Jitubhai Vaghani (BJP) Aatmaram Parmar (BJP) Dr. T. D. Maniya (BJP) Sanjay Patel (BJP) Rajendrasinh Parmar (Cong) Amitkumar Chavda (Cong) Jayant Patel (NCP) Dilip M. Patel (BJP) Niranjan Patel (Cong) Poonambhai Parmar (Cong) Devusinh Chauhan (BJP) Pankaj Patel (BJP) Gautam Chauhan (Cong) Natwarsinh Thakore (Cong) Ramsinh Parmar (Cong) Shankarsinh Vaghela (Cong) Mansinh Chauhan (Cong) Kalubhai Malivad (BJP) Gendalbhai Damor (Cong) Jetha Ahird (BJP) Savita Khant (Cong) C.K. Raulji (Cong) Arvindsinh Chauhan (BJP) Jaydrathsinh Parmar (BJP) Ramesh Katara (BJP) Dr. Mitesh Garasiya (Cong) Jashwantsinh Bhabhor (BJP) Vajesinh Panada (Cong) Chandrika Baria (Cong) Bachu Khabad (BJP) Ketan Namdar (Independent) Madhu Srivastav (BJP) Mohansinh Rathwa (Cong) Jayanti Rathwa (BJP) Dhiru Bhil (Cong) Balkrishna Patel (BJP) Manishaben Valik (BJP) Jitu Sukhadiua (BJP) Saurabh Patel (BJP) Rajesh Trivedi (BJP) Yogesh Patel (BJP) Dinu Patel (BJP) Satish Patel (BJP) Shabdsharan B. Tadvi (BJP) Motibhai P. Vasava (BJP) Chatrasinh Mori (BJP) Arunsinh A. Rana (BJP) Chhotubhai Vasava (JDU) Dushyantbhai Patel (BJP) Ishwar Patel (BJP) Mukesh Patel (BJP) Ganpat Vasava (BJP) Prabhu Vasava (Cong) Praful Panseriya (BJP) Ranjit Gilitvala (BJP) Ajay Chokshi (BJP) Kumar Kanani (BJP) Janak Kachhadiya (BJP) Sangita Patil (BJP) Narottam Patel (BJP) Harsh Sanghvi (BJP) Nanu Vanani (BJP) Kishor Vankavala (BJP) Raju Patel (BJP) Ishwar Parmar (BJP) Mohan Dhholiya (BJP) Punabhai Gamit (Cong) Kantibhai Gamit (BJP) Mangal Gavit (Cong) R. C. Patel (BJP) Piyushbhai Desai (BJP) Mangubhai Patel (BJP) Chhana Chaudhri (Cong) Ishwar Patel (Cong) Bharat Patel (BJP) Kanu Desai (BJP) Jitu Chaudhri (Cong) Raman Patkar (BJP)

Lose Margin Bharat Thakar (Independent) 28352 Sanjaysinh Sarvaiya (Cong) 32844 Babu Mangukiya (Cong) 16028 Mahendrasinh Sarvaiya (BJP) 14325 Shaktisinh Gohil (Cong) 18554 Rajesh Joshi (Cong) 39508 Dr. R. M. Kanani (Cong) 53893 Pravin Maru (Cong) 10342 Kunvarji Bavliya (Cong) 10005 Sandeepsing Chudasma (Cong) 15386 Naina Solanki (BJP) 21034 Jaswantsinh Chauhan (BJP) 30319 Govind Parmar (BJP) 1394 Niranjan P Patel (Cong) 987 Dipak Patel (BJP) 12192 Vipul Patel (BJP) 162 Sanjay Patel (Cong) 6487 Jitendra S. Patel (Cong) 6587 Sundarsinh Chauhan (BJP) 4181 Khumansinh Sodha (BJP) 13230 Pratikshaben Parmar (BJP) 5500 Kanu Dabhi (BJP) 6597 Rajesh Pathak (BJP) 17171 Hirabhai Patel (Cong) 1909 Mansing Bhamat (BJP) 24078 Radhu Bharwad (NCP) 28725 Valabhai Damor (BJP) 11289 Pravinsinh Chauhan (BJP) 2868 Rajendrasinh Jadav (Cong) 30056 Rajendrasinh Patel (Cong) 33206 Dita Machhaar 6264 B D Vaghela (BJP) 40073 Punjabhai Baria (Cong) 15331 Nagarsinh Palas (BJP) 39548 Mohindraben Rathod (BJP) 35774 Bhupendrasinh Chauhan (NCP) 83753 Khumansinh Chauhan (Cong) 20319 Dr. Jayesh Patel (Cong) 5788 Gullsinh Rathwa (BJP) 2305 Sukhram Rathwa (Cong) 4273 Abhesinh Tadvi (BJP) 1452 Siddharth Patel (Cong) 5122 Jayshree Solanki (Cong) 51899 Kirit Joshi (Cong) 58237 Lalit Patel (Cong) 49867 Jayesh Thakkar (Cong) 41535 Chinnam Gandhi (Cong) 51785 Jashpalsinh Padhiyar (Cong) 4308 Akshay Patel (Cong) 3489 Haresh J. Vasava (Cong) 15727 Amarsinh Vasava (Cong) 2555 Kirankumar Makvana (Cong) 18760 Iqbal Patel (Cong) 14318 Babubhai Vasava (Cong) 13304 Surjeetsinh Mangrola (Cong) 37190 Maganbhai Patel (Cong) 31443 Jayesh Patel (Cong) 37058 Tejas Chaudhri (Cong) 31106 Hemlata Vasava (BJP) 24394 Bhagirath Pithvadivala (Cong) 61371 Kadir Pirzada (Cong) 15789 Dinesh Kurchhbudin (Cong) 22034 Dhirubhai Gajera (Cong) 20359 Jaisukh Jalavadiya (Cong) 49439 Suresh Sonavane (Cong) 30321 Dhansukh Rajput (Cong) 32754 Dhanpal Jain (Cong) 71556 Nandlal Pandav (Cong) 43272 Ushaben Patel (Cong) 69731 Satish Patel (Cong) 67638 Nitin Rana (Cong) 22272 Ishwar Vahiya (Cong) 11687 Pratapbhai Gamit (BJP) 13556 Paresh Vasava (Cong) 9924 Vijay Patel (BJP) 2422 Ranjit Panchal (Cong) 17867 A. P. Patel (Cong) 15981 Bharti Patel (Cong) 26177 Naresh Patel (BJP) 25616 Sumitraben Chaudhri (BJP) 15298 Dharmesh Patel (Cong) 35999 Hemant Desai (Cong) 37311 Prakash Patel (BJP) 18685 Govind Patel (Cong) 28299

Beginning of a new chapter, says Modi

Narendra Modi took to twitter and blog to thank his supporters for voting him back to power in Gujarat for a third time in a row and making him the Chief Minister for a record fourth time. He posted on his blog – “The people have spoken yet again and they have spoken loud and clear! The results of the 2012 Gujarat

27

Assembly elections have yet again established the victory of development politics and good governance over everything else!”

On twitter he wrote – “This is not just a victory of Gujarat, but also a message to everyone that development and good governance triumph over divide and rule politics.”

“It's a victory of Gujarat's model of Sarvasparshi (all pervasive), Sarvasamaveshak (inclusive) and Sarvangi (holistic) Vikas.” he added. He further twitted – “Gujarat has written a new chapter with a new language in the annals of Indian politics - one that rewards unity, harmony and Vikas.”

28

india & travel

Purvi Apurva Shah ne can take out “Gujarati from O Gujarat” but cannot take

out “Gujarat from Gujarati.” In broad sense it means that Gujaratis will never forget their homeland Gujarat, what may come. “Once a Gujarati, you are always a Gujarati.

The 1,600 km long coast line of Gujarat has become an enterprising spirit for Gujaratis.

That has enabled many Gujaratis to settle abroad and be successful. But wherever they go or whatever they do they are always Gujaratis.”

Two iconic NRG figures – Mr Ganpatbhai Patel from USA and Mr CB Patel from UK – made the above statement during an interactive programme on 14th December at the NRG Centre of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Ahmedabad. They were specially invited to talk on the role of Gujaratis in eco-

nity abroad. In fact these publications serve as a connecting link between Gujarat and Gujaratis living abroad.

“Mr CB Patel, popularly known as CB, was hailed as an unpaid Ambassador of Gujarat.

Anyone in London who wanted to know about Gujarat usually contact CB. He has always promoted and kept Gujarat in hearts of people abroad.

Gujaratis, especially women, had to leave the luxurious life in E. Africa and come to London, and started their life from scratch. Inspite of hardship, they have given the best to their children and have also seen that they are brought up with Indian values,” said Kokilaben Patel, Managing Editor, Gujarat Samachar.

“Dreams, Attitude, Persistence and Commitment are the secret of NRGs success in foreign land,” said CB referring to the 4 flash-

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

According to the number of population, if we calculate it would be .002% of Gujarati prisoners. There is only one Hindu Chaplin in England prison. There is surely something in Indian lands that make us all peace-loving. There are more than 30 lakh of whites in England, majority are non-British. Our community has worked very hard, have gone out of their way and earned their living. They have their own houses and savings. In fact there are so many Indians, especially Gujaratis, who are business tycoons.

“Gujarat has always been a center of trade – and it is trade and business that took Gujaratis abroad. They’ve been active traders in Africa since the 13th century and many of them are big businessmen now. Many of the first generation immigrants started off as shopkeepers and small traders.

Later generations have

Through these publications CB has been playing a pioneering role in strengthening relations between Britain and India, particularly Gujarat. He has been trying to solve NRIs' problems in the fields of immigration, racial discrimination as well as in social and political fields.

Mr Ganpatbhai Patel has been a very successful businessman in USA. With humble beginnings, he has emerged as a prominent Gujarati businessman and industrialist. With his strong desire to establish an education center to promote hi-tech education in Gujarat, he made a generous donation of Rs 11.5 crore resulting in the establishment of Ganpat University in Mehsana, North Gujarat.

This University has grown into a leading multi-disciplinary university, attracting students from not only India, but also from the Middle East and Africa.

Mr CB Patel from UK and Mr Ganpatbhai Patel from USA were invited to talk on Gujaratis in Britain and USA at NRG Centre Programme at GCCI, Ahmedabad. Also present are Mr Prakashbhai Bhagwati, GCCI President, Mr K. H. Patel, Chairman, GCCI NRG Committee/ NRG Centre, Mr Arvind Agrawal, IAS, Principal Secretary (NRI), Govt. of Gujarat, Mrs Kokilaben Patel, Managing Editor of Gujarat Samachar and Mrs Ganpatbhai Patel.

nomic and political fields and their involvement in business and industry in Britain and USA. The function was graced by Mr Prakashbhai Bhagwati, GCCI President, and K H Patel, Chairman, GCCI NRG Committee/ NRG Centre.

Mr Arvind Agrawal, IAS, Principal Secretary (NRI), Government of Gujarat, was the chief guest. All of them conveyed their good wishes for the progress and success of NRGs. “There are six NRG centers in Gujarat that supports and help NRGs coming for tourism, medical aid, investment, trade or any other requirement. It also helps Gujaratis in Gujarat to trade abroad,” says Mr Bhagwati. He appreciated the support of Gujarat Government and Mr Agarwal for running the NRG centres well.

He said, “It is indeed a matter of pride to observe that 50% of Indian population in UK is Gujaratis. In both the countries, UK and USA, Gujaratis have progressed well.

The Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice published and edited by CB Patel have made a huge difference by serving Gujarati commu-

boards in the hall. “One thing is to go and settle successfully in foreign land and second and more important is that with success, we also serve our own motherland.

Like Ganpatbhai who has opened a university in Gujarat and is contributing a lot for education of Gujaratis,” says CB. He said, “Gujaratis are the largest segment of nonresident Indians (NRIs) and they’ve established themselves all over the world. England has 10 lakh Gujaratis, of which 8 lakh are settled ones and others are overseers. After all, migration is economic migration. Surely Gujarati migrants have made good progress and contributed a lot for the progress of their adopted country. One lakh twenty thousand are household Gujaratis and around 40,000 are self-employed.

“What sets Indians apart from others: It is sense of shame and sense of gratitude. And maybe that is why the number of Gujarati prisoners in UK is the smallest. On 14th March 2012, there were 71,000 prisoners in UK of which 636 were Hindus, 700 Sikh, 450 Jews and 8,600 Muslims, (approx)

branched out considerably. Yes, today you’ll find physicians, scientists, engineers, hoteliers and other professionals of Gujarati origin in most countries. But it’s in business that Gujaratis have made their mark, and their economic clout is tremendous. Capital formation is in our blood,” says CB. “Gujaratis have always managed to stay connected to their motherland and the diaspora has done yeoman service to the state of Gujarat – helping out in times of calamities, investing in businesses and projecting the state as an investment destination.

An inherent spirit of adventure and entrepreneurship in Gujaratis takes us places in the world.” CB showed the readiness to extend help to anyone visiting London.

Like he said, “Even we had dreams and had gone empty handed…..”

CB Patel, Publisher and Editor of ‘'Gujarat Samachar” and “Asian Voice’', is an iconic figure in UK. These two newsweeklies have recently completed 40 years with great success and are the largest newsweeklies of their kind in Europe.

Mr Ganpatbhai also talked about the Gujarati influence on others.

During this time of mixmarriage, Gujaratis have always left their influence on other communities. He remembered an incident, “My daughter’s white husband named their new born as ‘Uma,’ name of Hindu goddess Umyamata. And now they prefer ‘rotis’ to hamburgers. Anyway Americans have to depend on Gujaratis, as in morning they need to buy a doughnut from Gujarati shop, go for lunch to Subway run

by Gujarati, then have a visit of Gujarati doctor in the evening and at night sleep at the Motel run by Gujarati.” Mr Ganpatbhai said jokingly. “We have made a lot of difference to other countries. It is always we who have to help our extended white family to get involved in our culture, to thrive in and celebrate our tradition, community and customs. This willingness to help each other is what makes Gujaratis thrive and make it big wherever they are. And they have had some phenomenal success as a community in all their adopted lands.

By Roger Aitken It was a smooth flight. I had arrived at Prague’s Ruzyne airport. But wait a minute, a sign that greeted me as a throng of passengers raced past boutiques towards passport control proclaimed ‘Vaclav Havel Airport’. The facility had just been rebranded in honour of the late Havel, dissident, playwright and the Czech Republic’s first President.

“Could I have a stamp please?” I asked a passport official. After what seemed like an eternity a page in my passport was endorsed ‘PRAHA - RUZYNE’. Job done and despite European passport stamps having largely disappeared under the Schengen Agreement.

Various architectural styles confront you en route during a 25-minute taxi ride to the city centre, from grey Russian and yellow painted dwellings from the communist era to refined suburban piles nearer town.

A special characteristic here is the use of two numbering streets systems concurrently in red and blue, which was introduced in 1771 during the AustroHungarian empire. Blue signs are typically three-digits and signify older properties.

Finally we reached our destination, the 5-star Hotel Boscolo near the Old Town. This opulent former bank also housed a post office where before the Velvet Revolution mail was intercepted. Now a visit the city’s Museum of C o m m u n i s m (www.muzeumkomunismu.cz/) was a must.

A sense of history pervaded as I proceeded to my room over seemingly unending black and white marble floors. Modern pastel drawings hung along corridor walls and deft design touches mixed with high ornate ceilings. Lunch soon brought me round.

The waiter poured me a glass of Czech red wine before serving the main course of roast suckling pig, salad, sautéed potatoes and local mustard.

Early next morning I took a swim in Boscolo’s ambient basement pool, fuelled up on a hearty breakfast before embarking on a walking tour. Just minutes in our Czech guide Daniela piped up in perfect English: “This is New Prague Town established in 1348 by Charles IV.” New? That might just be borderline semantics as Prague has three ‘New Towns’ besides the Castle area -

the first dating from 1230.

Prague, the city of a thousand spires, is a symphony in stone and worthy of a visit. It’s also a place you can return to several times as it is virtually impossible to see all the historical and cultural sights in one short visit.

Baroque, gothic, renaissance and art nouveau architectural styles abound. The extensive historic centre is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites.

In the Old Town (Staré Město) and Josefov area one can see the Astronomical Clock on the Old Town Square, the Church of Our Lady with its 80m high tower, the vaulted gothic Old New Synagogue from 1270 and the old Jewish cemetery.

In the Lesser Town (Malá Strana) and Hradčany you will discover the Prague Castle complex with St. Vitus Cathedral, which houses the Czech Crown Jewels, as well as Charles Bridge and the Franz Kafka museum (www.kafkamuseum.cz).

The Muncipal House, a 100-year old art nouveau styled building is a major civic landmark and a must see. Contained within is Smetana Hall for classical concerts and the French Restaurant. This building saw the independence of the country signed.

If you have any spare time after that then why not head to the Strahov Monastery, a Czech abbey founded in 1149, which houses stunning library collections of antique books (c.50,000) in the Theological and Philosophical Halls adorned with magnificent painted ceiling frescos.

Those wanting some action could try the Skydive Arena’s free fall simulator (www.skydivearena.cz/).

And, an ascent of the Zizkov TV Tower offers stunning panoramic views from a 100m high observation gallery. Attached to the tower’s pillars are crawling ‘babies’, designed by Prague-born artist David Černý. For the 2012 Summer Olympics he created ‘London Booster’, a double decker bus with mechanical arms for pushups.

Why not cap things off with a descent 30m underground on a tour of Prague’s Collectors (www.kolektory.cz/en/).

Be astonished at the labyrinth tunnels running 90km along which engineering and mains service networks are laid.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Winter special: amazing hair care tips Winter, a season when the temperatures continue to drop and the days seem to get darker and darker…a season that brings cold, snow and to a lucky few, a break from work or school…a season of whacky flus that you would never want to strike at your door...a time to don all your coats and hats, for the cold has taken hold!

Awestruck by the beauty of winters? Don’t just get lost in the ‘dreamy’ picture, but devote your attention towards the downside of these cold winds too. For, winter weather can wreak havoc on your hair and leave you with a feeling of cursing this blissful weather. But, you don’t have to worry for we bring you the best hair care tips to leave you with those beautiful locks that you would love to run your fingers down this winter season.

Oil your hair properly: In winters due to cold winds, the temperature outside is cool, but, the temperature indoors is gen-

Porridge boosts memory

A bowl of oats will set you up for a day of better memory retention. The wholegrain they contain floods you with the B vitamins you need for information recall. Studies have also shown that adding a spoonful of antioxidant-packed honey will improve spatial memory, according to studies by the University of Waikato, New Zealand. For a timesaving prescription, Quaker Honey and Nuts Flavour Oatmeal combine the goodness of both.

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...

erally warm, so due to this change in temperature, it is very necessary to oil your hair properly to avoid them from breakage. Use warm oil to massage your hair and scalp for at least one or two hours to restore the moisture of your tresses. If after shampooing your hair, little bit of oil is left over, just let it be and don’t shampoo them again as this will ruin the conditioning effect of the oil.

Avoid using too much of shampoo: It is a fact that due to cold winter winds, not just your skin, even your hair and scalp are left dry. So avoid shampooing your hair much at least not more than twice a week. Also, never use very hot water for washing your hair in winter as it leaves your hair tattered and frizzy. To avoid such a condition, use lukewarm water to retain the moisture of your hair.

A hair conditioner is a must: To fight against winters, the best method is to apply a good conditioner each time you wash your

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TABLETS For all women over 40 years Gentle IRON+Vitamin syrup hair. But make sure not to apply conditioner on your scalp but only on the strands of hair. This provides a shine to your hair and prevents them from breakage. Another important point is to choose a conditioner as per your hair type. Like, if you have dry hair, choose a conditioner that will restock your hair with essential substitutes needed by them.

Avoid using a hairdryer: Ideally, it is always good to let your hair dry naturally. If due to some reason, you are using a hairdryer, don’t over dry as this will hamper your hair badly and leave them frizzy and damaged. Another advice that will help you maintain healthy hair is by setting your hair dryer on the ‘cool’ mode while blow drying as cool air damage your hair less though it might be a little time consuming.

Cover you crown: Love your hair? Then cover your crown ladies to protect your hair from those whacky cold winds. Make sure to wear a scarf, a hat or a cap to lock the moisture of your tresses to save them from breakage. But, keep in mind that your scarf or cap should not be very tight as it hampers blood flow in the scalp.

So, try these amazing tips for healthy hair that will leave you with a beautiful feeling even as the mercury drops.

29

HEALTH & VITALITY Tablets

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By Mamta Saha kspalondon.com Psychologist

Relationship Etiquette Part 1 his weeks article is all about Relationship T Etiquette.

Most people

intuitively know the importance their impact can have on other people. It would be no exaggeration to say that people are the most valuable resources that we have. Since relationships are so central to life it is important to know the etiquette around creating and maintaining strong relationships.

Firstly, do not judge a book by its cover.

Psychologists say that perceptions are formed within 7 seconds of meeting someone. Whist this is insightful often our initial perceptions may put us off from creating rapport with another person. Be the bigger person, challenge your initial judgements especially if they are negative and look for areas of common ground.

Secondly, if you have a tendency to negatively voice your views about people’s appearance and clothes stop in your tracks.

This behaviour will most definitely damage your relationships and credibility; trust will be broken and will take a very long time to rebuild. Remind yourself firstly that not everyone is superficial and when you point one finger at someone there are 3 pointing back at you. This pompous behaviour will not help you win any brownie points with anyone.

Thirdly, if you have a natural tendency to offend people with the comments you make, start thinking before speaking.

Extraverts have tendency to talk and then think, however Introverts think and then speak. Take a leaf out of an Introverts book. Before you speak ask yourself: Why am I talking? (W.A.I.T). Try to listen more and be more curious about others (this builds relationships).

Refrain from looking down your nose at people (judging) and become more open to the possibility that everyone has something

unique to offer; you may learn something new.

Lastly be consistent with your behaviour.

When you are consistent you create trust and credibility. If your behaviour changes on different occasions this sends out mixed messages around your authenticity and reliability as an individual. If you change when people are around ask yourself why you are doing this and what is driving your behaviour. Ask yourself if it is building or breaking your relationships.

If you want to raise your own self-awareness seek feedback from people you trust and start to understand the impact you have. Ultimately the world is a very small place and personal branding has never been more important than now. Seek to build relationships as opposed to damage them. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ us on FB, follow us on Twitter and email us: mamta@thinkspalondon. com. Good luck!

5 tips to prevent ‘square eyes’ from too much tech use

5 tips to prevent ‘square eyes’ from too much tech use Melbourne: Looking at a computer, tablet or smartphone screen for longer hours may ruin your eyesight, says experts who have also suggested five tips to prevent it.

A recent research by body+soul and OPSM has found Nearly 60 per cent of Australians spend up to eight hours a day looking at a screen.

If you spend a lot of time using a computer,

dim lighting can help minimise eyestrain. To protect from this experts have suggested to use dimmer bulbs and to position your screen so that you do not have direct window light in front or behind it.

A study from the SunyState College of Optometry in New York found that smartphone

users hold their devices closer to their face than they would hold a book, forcing the eyes to work harder.

As a solution to this problem, smartphone users are advised to minimise the strain by using a font that’s easy to read, such as Verdana 12-point, on all devices.

Spending more than two hours a day on a tablet may also put pressure on your neck, shoulders, arms and hands, so experts have suggested using a desktop for longer jobs.

Low contrast text and backgrounds tire the eyes while reading dark text on a light background is easiest.

The bright lights and

sharp movements in video games force your eyes to focus and refocus constantly, which causes eyestrain.

Look away for 10 seconds every 10 minutes, use an anti-glare screen, blink often and position your screen below eye level to avoid this, experts added.

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Chak 89 wins British Curry Award 2012

This week paid subscribers of Asian Voice will receive our informative annual calendar 2013 along with their newspaper

Coming Events l 18-22 December, 7pm, Shared Memories: What makes Dalston so hip? , Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, Dalston E8 3DL, 020 7503 1646 l 2013 New Years Day-108 Hanuman Chalisa, Tuesday, 1st January 2013 from 11am to 6pm followed by Mahaprasad. Contact Shree Jalaram Mandir Greenford on 0208 578 8088 / 9285 l Pankaj Sodha New Years Eve Dinner and Dance, Dec 31st, Sattavis patidar Centre.

Contact: 02089049191 Mr Frank Khalid with the awards

Chak 89, in Bond Road, Mitcham faced stiff competition to take home the award for best restaurant.

Known as one of South London’s finest Indian restaurant, Chak 89 is a hidden gem. Based in Mitcham, Chak 89 is respected by all its diners for its fresh and traditional cuisine and its unique décor creating the perfect ambience which gives its diners the ultimate experience.

The pioneer behind Chak 89, Mr Frank Khalid, who wanted to give the public the authenticity of traditional Indian cuisine, complimented by the perfect ambience and attentive service allowing people to have a memorable experience. Opened in 2005, Chak 89 was as a 60 seated restaurant overlooking one of its 400 seated banquet hall, the other being a 200 seated banquet hall, Chak 89 quickly became the talk of the town and in 2006 had to undergo a major refurbishment to increase the size of the restaurant to 140 to cater for diners who flock to the restaurant to acknowledge the dining experience.

Handpicked by Mr Frank Khalid himself, the team of chefs at Chak 89 specialise in all types of cuisine allowing them to

cater for all types of palates in the banqueting halls and serve traditional Indian Cuisine in the restaurant.

With its Swarovski Chandeliers, cinema screen with surround system, centralised air conditioning, 5 star decor and parking facilities, Chak 89 has become one of the hottest venues in London.

Today, Chak 89 is honoured to have Major Bollywood Stars, Politicians, Music Artists, Professional sportsman amongst its list of clients.

Most recently Chak 89 announced working in partnership with Asda, where Chak 89 will run their own delicatessens, in selected Asda stores across London, retailing our very own quality and fresh Indian cuisine directly from the Chak 89 menu, allowing the consumer to indulge in the ultimate Chak 89 experience. This would also allow the public to enjoy restaurant style food in the comfort of their home at supermarket prices.

Recently, Chak 89 launched its Mobile App available on iPhone, making Chak 89 the first Asian venue to have an app, giving potential clients all the information they require for their special day.

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nihir Shah - Email: nihir.shah@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4089 - Mobile: 07875 229 111 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Path to Success Continued from page 13 On this evening, for the first time Path to Success presented their “Admiration Award”, an yearly award which is to Honour an Individual, who in spite of being vulnerable in any sense of terms, gives back to the society, to those who need help, change their destiny to a more positive and successful future.

The award was presented to Mr Luke Baily,(22 years of age). He is a key member of the Charity Trailblazers network of young campaigners. Luke has helped to organise events for Young Disabled People in the Parliament.

He has played an integral role in all campaigns, specially the challenges faced by young disabled people; inspiring and motivating them, using air travel to

receive a good service.

As the charity’s 2012 campaign has come to an end, Path to Success has already decided for their next task. To support and help to raise funds for the new residential home for St Wilfrid’s Centre in Sheffield, a place where 600 homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded are welcome all year around.

They have a difficult mission ahead of them to raise £1.8 million pounds within the next two years for the new structure.

For more information about Path to Success, v i s i t www.pathtosuccess.org.uk . “Thanks to your understanding that Charity has time and place in our Daily Lives, let all you successful people continue to do good today and everyday to come.” Path to Success.

There may be a certain amount of unfinished business to be dealt with. Therefore you will need to adopt a fairly flexible policy in order to accommodate the odd twists and turns of everyday life. There are planetary energies firing you up preventing you from sleeping properly. Give yourself plenty of physical outlets to calm you down mentally.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 The flow of good energy this week makes you want to be responsible which can benefit you socially and personally. Financially, you have everything going for you. Be prudent and do not fritter away your good fortune. You should avoid using credit, simply because your spending habits may be excessive and impulsive.

Jupiter, the planet of plenty graces your solar 1st house for some time to come, bringing noticeable improvements to your environment. This will hold you in good stead as you have a lot of important jobs to finish around the house such as decorating and for some buying or selling of properties.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 The fiery planet Mars, continues to occupy your opposite sign for some time to come. Its influence will help you to maintain a high energy level and achieve positive results in anything that requires drive and initiative. If you are involved in a fairly competitive field of activity, you will be the one who comes out on top.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23 Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change.

This week the focus is your house of family and home.

Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The domestic scene may prove to be active and harmonious as long as you use tact and diplomacy.

Intense focus is what is needed now so do not let yourself be distracted by non-essentials. The gentle influence of Venus ensures that most things run smoothly and that your cash-flow remains viable.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 Domestic and home matters are disturbed and a source of concern to you.

You could find family members hostile and difficult to reason with. It is a period of handling matters with utmost diplomacy and calmness. Mercury and Venus in your 3rd house of communications make it that much easier to communicative clearly.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

This is a good time to cut back on extravagant spending and consolidate your finances. Your social calendar is likely to keep you very busy and you will have lots of opportunities to promote yourself. For some of you this is also a good time to meet like-minded people which could lead to romantic liaisons.

207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad Tel/Fax: +91 79 2646 6061 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +919426636912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consultant (P.R): Kamlesh Amin Tel: +91 922 710 4308 Email: kamleshamin123@yahoo.co.in Consulting Editor (BPO): Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 (M) +91 9913346487 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Neeta Patel, (Advertising Manager) (M) +91 98255 11702 International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group(South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jainmedia@eth.net

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Asian Voice switchboard: 020 7749 4000 Gujarat Samachar switchboard: 020 7749 4080 Sales: 020 7749 4085

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 The focus is on finances this week, but that doesn’t mean you should worry yourself sick. Rather, it is about finding new and improved ways to boost your earnings potential. Don’t let nebulous tendencies interfere with your plans. It’s fine to consider several options but don’t get caught up in indecision. Schedule networking opportunities later this week.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 A blast of personal energy comes your way, and showing your leadership skills works for you now. Romance and pleasure are highlighted this week. The flowing, expressive, and spontaneous energy surrounding you attracts likeminded people. Be sure to take time to enjoy yourself, preferably around others!

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

The transit of two planets in your Solar 12th House indicates that experience will put you in a deeply reflective mood. This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. It will be good for you to get involved in therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

You have everything to gain by following creative inclinations. If you have new ideas, now is the time to put them into practice.

Whatever your present interests you are likely to find that new doors open and the way ahead offers increased scope for expressing your real self. A great time to meet and interact with people.

SPorT world

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

Pietersen impresses Flower, set to be offered a full contract

Kevin Pietersen is set to be offered a full central contract by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after team director Andy Flower was impressed by the righthander's on and off-field behaviour and contribution in the historic Test series win in India.

Pietersen's successful reintegration into England's dressing room will be officially acknowledged with the award of his full contract at the end of ongoing tour of India.

Flower confirmed that the extension of Pietersen's fourmonth contract is all but a formality.

"The contract won't be a problem, Kevin has been excellent in every way," Flower said after England defeated India 2-1 in the justconcluded four-Test away series. "We don't always get on with people all of the time, in any walk of life, and everyone has made an effort to make it work. It's been really good fun and he should be very proud of the way he's operated out here both as an individual and as a player," the former Zimbabwe captain added.

Flower knows the value of Pietersen's 186-run knock in the second Test in Mumbai, and said his innings

Time for split captaincy? Sunil Gavaskar backs Virat Kohli The last time England won a Test series in India, present England skipper Alastair Cook was barely a month old.

On Monday, Cook proudly led his team to a historic victory, even as MS Dhoni stoically contemplated yet another debacle.

In a sense, Dhoni can consider himself fortunate to be leading India in this era. Back in the 1970s, Ajit Wadekar won India three Test series in a row; including two historic away triumphs against England and West Indies.

But one 0-3 loss against England in 1974 and he was gone. From Bishen Singh Bedi to Kapil Dev to Sunil Gavaskar, nobody has been given a longer rope as Indian skipper than Dhoni.

Dhoni has led India to 04 drubbings in Australia and England - and survived.

Hard-won victories against lowly ranked teams like New Zealand and West Indies were allowed to lull India into a sense of complacency, even though the alarm bells should have been clanging.

The chickens finally came home to roost against England. It is possible that a weakened, transitional team would have lost anyway. But Dhoni's unimaginative field

placements, whimsical team choices, ignoring of certain players - Rahane has been warming the benches for over a year now - and needless clashes with curators certainly didn't help.

If anything, his lack of effective leadership probably cost India the series.

Has the time come for a split captaincy? There's a growing chorus asking for Dhoni's replacement as Test captain - and some of the voices are well respected.

As a selector several months ago, Mohinder Amarnath had asked for a change in Test leadership, something that cost him dearly. But even legends like Sunil Gavaskar and former chairman of selectors Krishnamachari Srikkanth have said that Dhoni needs to go. So has another former great, Abbas Ali Baig.

played a big role in England's turnaround in the series after the crushing defeat in the first Test in Ahmedabad.

"In that Test (Mumbai) he showed real skill in Indian conditions on a pitch that

turned on the first day," Flower was quoted as saying.

"For him to score as quickly as he did there and put such pressure on the opposition bowlers really helped us turn the series around," Flower said. "He also scored a 73 and a 54 in the series, important innings, and he's been excellent in the field and in the dressing room," he added.

Pietersen was on a fourmonth trial after being welcomed back into the team following his banishment last summer for sending provocative texts about team-mates to South African players.

Tendulkar slips to 22nd spot in ICC Test rankings Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday slipped out of the list of top20 Test batsmen after his awful run in the just-concluded four-match series against England while Australia skipper Michael Clarke regained the numero uno position.

Tendulkar, who dropped three places to 22nd, managed to aggregate a mere 112 runs with a lone half-century in the Kolkata Test.

The other notable Indian batsmen like Virender Sehwag and Cheteshwar Pujara also slipped in the rankings, dropping a notch to 25th and 26th respectively.

Virat Kohli gained four places to be ranked 37th while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained static at 38th.

In bowling, Pragyan Ojha lost four places to be ranked ninth while R Ashwin made it to the 20th position after gaining two sports. Out of form seamer Zaheer Khan was static at 15th while Ishant Sharma’s improved show in the Nagpur Test helped him gain a place to 32nd.

Clarke, who entered the Hobart Test trailing numberone ranked Shivnarine Chanderpaul by just one ratings point, now leads the

that Gautam Gambhir fetched at an IPL auction, but never before has such money been offered in hockey for a mere four-week stint.

Even the most lucrative European leagues only offer about $25-30,000 (`1,300,000-1,600,000) for a six-seven month stint. In HIL, players will probably take home about twice that amount in less than a month.

There were plenty of similari-

ties between HIL and Indian Premier League player auctions. There were the familiar ‘marquee’ players on offer and there was a salary cap `35 million - imposed on owners. Indian hockey stars were in demand with teams needing 14 domestic players compared to 10 foreign players in each side.

Dutch stalwart Teun De Nooijer became the league’s most expensive player, taking home `4,761,000. Initially, UP had bought De Nooijer for `3,596,000 but as he is a marquee player, he is supposed to receive 15% more than the highest-drawing player in the team, in this case Raghunath.

“I am really excited to be here for the auction. I didn’t know what to expect as this is the first time that hockey

Action at a Glance Finally, Nayan Mongia gets `10 mn from BCCI

Ex-India cricketer Nayan Mongia finally got his due from Board of Control for Cricket in India for his services to cricket. Mongia was handed over a cheque of `10 million by BCCI towards its one-time settlement scheme announced earlier this year. The BCCI had announced this scheme to extend financial help to former senior cricketers

who had played both domestic and international games and retired before 2004. BCA secretary Sanjay Patel recently handed him the cheque. Several former international cricketers from Baroda like D K Gaekwad, Anshuman Gaekwad and Narayan Satham were handed over the cheques in the first phase. There was uncertainty over paying money to Mongia due to technical issues.

"The BCCI had earlier announced that the scheme would be applicable for cricketers who had retired before September 2004. I played my last first-class game in December 2005 for Baroda and then retired," Mongia said. "Later, the BCCI extended the deadline to December 2004 and I was included in the list of beneficiaries.

Indian women defend kabaddi title

West Indian by nine points.

Clarke’s knocks of 74 and 57 in the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka that was won by Australia by 137 runs, played a part in helping him race to the top.

England’s captain Alastair Cook, who was the other contender for the top spot, remained in fourth position after losing 38 ratings points following his double failure in the Nagpur Test which ended in a draw. He now trails Clarke by 52 ratings points.

The bowlers table is still headed by South Africa’s Dale Steyn while Sri Lanka’s spinner Rangana Herath dropped two places to fourth.

Also moving up is England’s paceman James Anderson in sixth (up by one).

IPL-style auction brings big money to hockey The yet-to-start Hockey India League became the sport’s most lucrative tournament in the world last week, when its five franchise owners liberally opened their purses at an IPL-style auction, the first ever such event in hockey.

Indian captain Sardar Singh was the most sought after player and went to the Delhi Waveriders for `4,250,000, a big jump from his base price of about `1,500,000.

The biggest surprise of the day was drag-flicker V R Raghunath’s winning bid of `4,140,000 by Sahara UP Wizards, way up from his base price of `760,000.

The inaugural HIL will run from January 16 to February 10 next year. The money may seem like small change compared to the Rs 110 million

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players are being auctioned.

The league itself will be very good for young Indian hockey players and hope it’s the turning point for the sport,” De Nooijer, one of three HIL brand ambassadors, said.

The other two brand ambassadors, Sardar and Jamie Dwyer of Australia, were also top draws. Dwyer was bagged by Jaypee Punjab Warriors for `3,269,000 but will take home `4,260,000 because of his marquee player status.

“It feels good to be appreciated for your performances.

I was a little late in arriving so couldn’t keep track of the proceedings but was delighted by my eventual price. I am sure the other boys in the team are keeping a close eye on the proceedings at the auction,” Sardar said.

Indian women were in top form as they easily defended their crown thrashing Malaysia 72-12 points in the final of the Kabaddi World Cup at the Guru Nanak stadium in Ludhiana last week. The final match was divided into two halves, each half comprising of two quarters of 15 minutes each.

The Indian team started with a bang and raced on to a 22-3 lead in the first quarter, mostly on the back of some brilliant raids by Priyanka Devi and Priyanka Pilaniya. They kept the pressure going and were 42-6 ahead by the interval. Stopper Anu Rani put in a stellar show along with raider Sukhwinder Kaur as India took complete control of the match. The second half the Indian team dominated once again as they scored 16 points compared to Malaysia’s 4 and by the end of the third quarter India were leading by 58-8. Stoppers Jatinder Kaur and Mandeep Kaur impressed in this quarter. The fourth quarter was a stroll in the park for the Indian team as they scored 14 more points and took their second half tally to 30 points. The Malaysian women could score just 4 points in this quarter and an overall 6 points in the second half.

Priyanka Devi scored 13 points for the team while Priyanka Pilaniya and Sukhwinder Kaur got 8 points each.

Stoppers Jatinder Kaur and Anu Rani bagged 11 and 8 points respectively. For Malaysia, raider Manpreet Kaur scored 4 points and stopper Rekha got 2 points.

India thrash Pakistan to win World T20 for blind

A defiant India beat Pakistan by 30 runs in a thrilling final of T20 World Cup for the sightless at the Central College ground in Bangalore last week. Batting first on a warm day, India scored 258 runs for eight wickets in the stipulated 20 overs and restricted Pakistan to 228 runs for eight wickets in their 20 overs to lift the World Cup. For India, Ketan Bhai Patel hit a hurricane 98, while Prakash Jayaramaiah contributed 42 and vice-captain Ajay Kumar Reddy 25, while for Pakistan Mohammed Jameel posted a breezy 47, Ali Murthaza 38 and Mohammed Akram 32.

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England scripted their first series win in India since 1984-85 after the fourth and final cricket Test ended in a dull draw at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on Monday.

England, starting the day at 161 for three, batted India out of the game by going on to make 352 for four in their second innings when the play was called off an hour after tea on the final day.

The stars for England were Jonathan Trott (143) and Ian Bell (116 not out), who took the game away from the hosts by forging a 208-run stand from a precarious 94 for three on day four. England had made 330 in their first innings and India responded with 326 for nine.

The draw meant England got their hands on the Anthony De Mello Trophy as they won the four-match series 2-1. It was a remarkable comeback for the visitors, who bounced back after a heavy loss in the first Test at Ahmedabad.

The Indian bowling,

Asian Voice - Saturday 22nd December 2012

first series loss at home since 2004, when they lost 1-2 to Australia.

Anderson, Trott rested for ODIs

that looked inferior to England's attack throughout the series, failed to come up with something special on a slow wicket, responsible for producing a drab affair.

The match ended with Gautam Gambhir rolling his arm over for the first time in Tests, demonstrating that the India ran out of options. While Trott completed his eighth Test hundred before lunch, Bell

got his first big score of the series minutes before the end of the game. For Bell it was his 17th Test century that took his team home safely.

If the pitch did no good to India's cause, their sloppy fielding let them further down.

Sehwag was once again caught napping at first slip, dropping Bell off Piyush Chawla. His late reaction to Bell's cut short

led to the slip-up. Sehwag had also dropped Kevin Pietersen on the penultimate day of the game.

England skipper Alastair Cook led from the front and was deservingly picked as the man of the series. The southpaw amassed 562 runs at an a average of 80.28 to be series' highest run-getter, smashing three hundreds in the process.

For India, it was their

England have rested fast bowler James Anderson and batsman Jonathan Trott from the next month’s One-Day series against India and replaced them with Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler. The visitors have also included young batsman Joe Root in the Twenty20 squad for the upcoming two-matches series.

“Woakes and Buttler get their chance as two of the stars of the tourists’ Test series victory are given a rest,” the ECB said in a statement. After the two T20 games the England team will return to their homeland for the Christmas break and then return to India in the new year for five ODIs, starting January 11.

Anderson had originally been selected only to play the first three matches of the five-ODI series.

Woakes, who is currently

playing domestic cricket in New Zealand, has played six ODIs, taking seven wickets at 29.14 and scoring 72 runs. Buttler, the 22-year-old Somerset batsman, only has one ODI cap under his belt. In that match, against Pakistan in Dubai, he collected a second-ball duck.

Root was added to the T20 squad that was weakened by the injury to Stuart Broad, who will be replaced as captain by Eoin Morgan.

Twenty20 squad: Eoin Morgan (C), Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Alex Hales, Michael Lumb, Stuart Meaker, Samit Patel, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Joe Root, James Harris.

ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonny Bairstow, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter, Stuart Meaker, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes, Jos Buttler.