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23rd September to 29th September 2017

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

UK welcomes HH Mahant Swami Maharaj

Riz Ahmed has become the first man of Asian and Muslim origin to win an acting award at the Emmys.

Ahmed was awarded the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for The Night Of in which he plays Nasir "Naz" Khan, a Pakistani/ Iranian-American college student accused of murdering a young woman.

The show actually partly examines the brutal effects of racism within the criminal justice system. It tackles the same racism Riz says he has experienced himself as a youth, according to his interview with The Sun. Wembley boy Ahmed, was born to a British Pakistani family in 1982.

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, spiritual head of the Mandir and the global BAPS Swaminarayan fellowship, will be visiting the UK to attend a month of devotional events from 22 September 2017.

Riz Ahmed

Continued on page 16

Modi gifts Narmada dam to India project on our own. There was a Celebrating his 67th birthday, tirade of false allegations at us and Prime Minister Narendra Modi giftseveral conspiracies were hatched ed to India the Sardar Sarovar dam, to stall this project. But we were a mega-project constructed on determined not to make it a tool for Narmada river. It is expected to political disputes.” Addressing a change lives in Gujarat and the rally in Dabhoi, 60 km from adjoining states. As the ruling Kevadiya where he formalBharatya Janta Party leans on water as a crucial ly dedicated the 138.68 See page 3 metre vote churner in the dam to India, Modi upcoming state elections, for comment took a swipe at the Modi fired shots at the Opposition saying the proCongress and Narmada Bachao ject hit roadblocks when the ruling Andolan. government gave more importance to their party than the nation.

Refraining from taking names, 'I have a detailed account of all Modi said, “No other project in the those who tried to stall this project, world has faced as many hurdles as but I will not name them as I don't the Sardar Sarovar Dam, but we want to indulge in political mudwere determined to complete the

slinging,” Modi said. He recalled how the World Bank turned its back on the project, after a massive misinformation campaign was led on the dam's environmental impact.

“But we were determined... World Bank or no World Bank... we will ensure that the dam is built,” he said.

Talking about waters from Narmada reaching Rajasthan, Modi said, “Then vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and BJP leader Jaswant Singh were surprised how water from Sardar Sarovar Dam had reached Barmer without any agitation or struggle. Whenever people who considered nation above their Continued on page 26

Salman Khan honoured with Global Diversity Award in the UK, presented by Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP. See P2

Ministry of External Affairs in India have affirmed that NRIs who abandon their wives could face cancellation of their passports and even be deported to India.

See P7

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

AsianVoiceNews

to

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

with

Keith Vaz, MP

Jagtar Singh Dhindsa

1) Which place or city or country do you most feel at home in?

I feel very much at home in Watford as I have for the past 30 years been involved in decisionmaking process to make the facilities and services of Watford relevant to the diverse communities that live here.

2) What proudest ments?

are your achieve-

I have been an elected Councillor for the past 20 years during which time I have served in the 4 member Cabinet, Leader of my group and this year I am serving as the Chairman of the Council (Civic Mayor). It is not the above roles that have made me proud but rather the opportunity these roles bring to serve Watford and to be involved in the decisionmaking process to bring

about positive change for the diverse community that Watford is proud of.

3) What inspires you?

Achieving goals that at one time seemed near impossible. Seeing the progression of the children from deprived backgrounds into roles where they are now leading in big organisations with their heads held high. I also feel that due to the efforts and collective action of the BAME people like myself can be very proud of our culture and heritage. During my mayor Making ceremony I proudly wore a turban whilst we all listened to the Sikh national anthem…Wow – this is achievement.

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

People of strong faith and people of colour have continued to face obstacles due to lies from those in opposition political parties. At one point in my political career I stood strong in my belief for the need to support a new mosque in North Watford.

I did not see this campaign as an obstacle

Vision India Foundation World Governance Expedition

A young delegation of Indian leaders is in London for the World Governance Expedition. It is being organised by Vision India Foundation an initiative headquartered in India.

The 20 member delegation of political, academic and entrepreneurial leaders is here to understand the public policy and governance landscape in the United Kingdom.

They were received by the Indian High Commission at India House on September 11th.

World Governance Expedition is an annual program to understand the best practices and policies to deliver effective governance. The

expedition is hosted in a different country every year. Last year the expedition was hosted in USA and this year it is being hosted in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Alok Sharma Hon'ble Minister for Housing, welcomed the group of young leaders in London. The delegation has had meetings with

representatives from the cabinet office, the govt operational research services, leading think tanks, academic institutes, media groups, barrister community and city councillors.

Vision India Foundation will come out with a report at the end of this expedition that encapsulates the best practices in governance and policy making.

instead I stood firm in my views which resulted in losing my seat however constituents respected the fact that I stood by my principles and I was re-elected a year later.

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

Shaheed (martyr) Bhagat Singh who was a freedom fighter who dies for his cause at the age of 23.

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

Meeting with the diverse communities of Watford and beyond to listen to what people need and campaigning for change.

7) And the worst?

I enjoy my role so I can’t really think of anything. I suppose the only part is that sometimes change takes time and I get frustrated with people not getting what they need in a timely manner.

8) What are your long term goals?

To win the Watford Mayoral seat or a parliamentary seat to have influence at a broader level for more people.

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

I would encourage the development of more political awareness and involvement from an early age at grass root levels to have an impact on the bigger issues faced by the overall population of the UK. I would bring about changes to create a better spread of social housing to combat discrimination due to poverty as recently demonstrated at Grenfell.

10)

If

you

were

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

I would like to spend time with Nelson Mandela to hear first-hand about his struggle and experience during the apatite in South Africa. He proved that patience can also be a winner although at his own personal expense. My favourite quote by him is ‘For to be free is not merely to cast of ones chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others’.

Voters to be required to show ID before casting a ballot voter ID in time for next year.

Instead it will run a separate pilot examining the security of postal votes, including spot checks to ensure people know they have voted and live where they say they do. It follows an investigation into voter fraud by former Tory chairman Sir Eric Pickles. The report identified 18 local authorities which had had significant problems with electoral fraud in recent years.

Voters in five areas of England are to be required to show ID for the first time in an election next year, in an effort to cut fraud. If successful, the trial could be extended across the country.

The Electoral Commission recommended in 2014 that voters should be required to prove their identity before casting a ballot. Some 44 people in the 2016 local elections were caught trying to use another individ-

ual’s vote, known as ‘personation’ – up from 21 in 2014. Pilot tests will be held at local elections in Woking, Gosport, Bromley, Watford and Slough in May 2018, with photo and nonphoto ID being trialled in different areas to see which works best.

The east London borough of Tower Hamlets, which has been the subject of almost half of all electoral fraud claims in the past five years, told ministers it could not introduce

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has been honoured with the Global Diversity Award 2017 in the UK Parliament. The actor received this award for his contribution to the Indian film industry as an actor, producer, television personality, singer and philanthropist.

Previous recipients of the award include Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan, actor Aishwarya Rai, Chinese action icon Jackie Chan, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, American Civil Rights leader Jesse Jackson and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton.

Presenting the award, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP

honour to present him with the award. I am proud that young Asians worldwide have role models like Salman Khan.”

Calling the award a Salman Khan with Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP t r e m e n d o u s and other guests honour, Khan said, “My father reportedly said, “Salman would never have believed Khan is a role model and a that I would make it here. I hero to millions of people would like to thank the worldwide. fans for the respect that “Besides his Indian they have shown me. cinema success, Salman is “Although I have a well- known philanreceived many film thropist and his NGO awards, this is the first I Being Human has done life have received personally changing work supporting so I am incredibly humthe underprivileged in bled.”

India. It is a tremendous

Salman Khan honoured with Global Diversity Award in the UK Pic courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, PrMediapix

Jagtar Singh Dhindsa came to the UK in 1973 aged 10. The next few years shaped Jagtar’s thinking as he experienced racism and migrant related discrimination from a young age. He always stood up to bullies and those displaying attitudes and beliefs that are not compliant with an equal and fair society.

He was educated at a comprehensive school and went on to successfully complete an engineering apprenticeship with Rolls Royce.

It is at Rolls Royce that Jagtar got his first flavour of being elected as a shop steward with his union. Jagtar then joined the prison service as an instructional officer involved in the rehabilitation of prisoners through teaching life learning skills. He has been an elected Councillor for the past 23 years and during this time held important roles such as the Leader of his group, a four-member cabinet portfolio holder. Jagtar recently became the Chairman (Civic Mayor) of Watford Borough Council. He stood as a candidate as elected mayor in Watford during 2014.

He is an active and dedicated trade unionist and currently holds the role of Branch Assistant Secretary.

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COMMENTS

India-Japan axis, an Asian landmark The pomp and heraldry that greeted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to Ahmedabad (see Media Watch, page 12) was no ordinary show. Its message to the region, to Asia and the world at large was crystal clear: the Indo-Japanese relationship, never less than friendly, had reached a new level of understanding, marking a defining moment in bilateral ties, and of transcending significance for the emerging global order.

The quantum of Japanese exports to India has risen exponentially in recent years with the ascension to power of Shinzo Abe. Under his dynamic leadership Japan has emerged from the shadows to occupy centrestage with other Great Powers. In the post-war decades, Japanese leaders and the political class were content to play a self-abnegating role in regional and global affairs.

During this period Japan rose phoenix-like from the ashes of defeat to become an industrial and technological superpower, yet remained a self-effacing pygmy fearful of its own shadow. What Mr Abe has done with steadfastness and unusual brilliance has synchronized Japanese diplomacy with its massive economic and technological strength.

Developments on the Asian mainland – most notably China’s rise – have been the catalytic agents in Japan’s recent affirmative policies on the international front. Mr Abe has made multiple visits to Moscow in search of a formal peace treaty ending the Second World War. The

US blocked the treaty in earlier years as part of the Cold War. The confusion and unpredictability of American foreign policy has given traction to the leavening of the Japanese national interest with the demands of its American alliance.

President Obama’s pivot to Asia was little more than a masquerade. President Trump’s mood swings have prompted Asia’s two emergent powers to join forces in a far-reaching collective enterprise that promises to straddle continents.

Geography and demography are key. Japan is an archipelago off the Asian continent with limited natural resources and an ageing population. India with its billion-plus population, mostly the aspiring young, represents a dynamic market with untold opportunities.

It is also within easy reach of the Middle East and Africa, particularly its east and south. Japan is a formidable naval power; India’s extensive military embraces land, sea and air. These are complementary strengths.

The Japanese foot print in Delhi’s spanking metro speaks for itself. Now, Japan will showcase its bullet train technology linking Ahmedabad to Mumbai, then Mumbai to Delhi, creating a huge and transformative belt industrial belt as it proceeds.

Scientific research from stem cells to defence beckons. The future is in the making, and it’s a future that works. Decisively.

Afghan Foreign Minister in Delhi Afghan Foreign Minister, Salauddin Rabbani, was recently in Delhi exploring ways to bring his country’s relationship with India even closer. He spoke optimistically of US President’s recent demarche on peace and stability in Afghanistan. If the truth be told, such optimism is scarcely fit for purpose. What the Afghan people have seen and heard are the same reassuring words followed by the same appalling deeds: the cavalier American bombing of hospitals and dwellings and the scandalous deaths of innocent Afghans. The unabated bombings and killings of the Taliban have added to the toxicity, as have the cynical activities of the Pakistan military in abetting and funding jihadi terrorism for strategic reasons, it is claimed.

It was the Unted States and Pakistan that joined forces to create the inferno in Afghanistan, which, boasted the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, President Jimmy Carter’s

National Security Advisor, was designed to entice and trap the Soviet Union into intervention. That ended almost three decades ago. America is currently engaged in its longest foreign war, with no end yet in sight.

Foreign Minister Rabbani appeared enthused by President Trump’s warning to Pakistan to behave or else face a US aid cut-off. This charade has been going on for years to little or no effect. China, meanwhile, plans a peace conference with three participants: China, Pakistan, the Afghan government, with possibly the Taliban on the side.

President Ashraf Ghani’s regime must come up with something more credible than the replay of a bad movie.

Indian economic aid and military training for the Afghan defence forces have not been a game-changer and never will be, given Pakistan’s proximity and its role as spoiler.

New thinking in Kabul is surely the need of the hour.

Peter Hall: Passing of a cultural icon Britain’s soft power is an asset that has long transcended its military muscle. Yet it is the latter which dominates the country’s political discourse. Nato exercises, the roll-back of Russian power and much else in similar vein are sacrosanct: as if these are, or will be, the determinants of seminal historical change.

Peter Hall, who died recently at 86 after a long illness, symbolized all that was (and is) enduring in the cultural life of Britain. He was the embodiment of his country soft power, which remains its true strength. Hall was an iconic figure in theatre as a director and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. His distinguished career spanned more than half a century during which he staged the production of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Waiting for Godot’; and in 1960, aged 29, he founded the Royal Shakespeare Company, of which he was leader until 1968. Later, in 1973, Hall moved the Old Vic to the present purpose built London’s South Bank of the

Thames. Hall directed The Merchant of Venice (1989) with the noted Hollywood star Dustin Hoffman playing Shylock. He was also an internationally acclaimed opera director.

Among Hall’s memorable stage productions were Harold Pinter’s ‘The Homecoming, Peter Schaffer’s Amadeus and Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Bedroom Farce.’ His last production was Shakespeare’s ‘Twelfth Night’ in 2011, the year when his illness was detected, and from which he was never to recover.

The theatre paid him the following tribute: ‘Peter Hall was an internationally celebrated stage director and theatre impresario, whose influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled’ - every word richly deserved. Peter Hall was a remarkable man, of whom his country, and a world that respects and embraces culture, can be truly proud. Whence cometh another?

A red letter day in the history of India The dedication of Sardar Sarovar dam to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be red letter day in the history for India. A tribute to the people of Saurashtra and Kutch, the Narmada dam will provide water to farms and households. The water can push the development of Gujarat coast - commercial, industrial and maritime activities. Addressing farmers, Modi said it was time for blue revolution in Gujarat. Despite its controversies, the dam is a symbol of India's growing prowess. It will provide drinking water to 131 urban centres and 9,633 villages of Gujarat and irrigation facilities to 73 talukas in Gujarat. Besides Gujarat, the canal will also irrigate 2,46,000 hectares of land in the desert districts of Barmer and Jalore in Rajasthan. The completion of the dam is a testimony of the dedication and perseverance of Modi government and successive state government of Gujarat.

The foundation stone of the dam which was

conceptualised by Sardar Patel in 1946, was laid by then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961. However, it has been delayed for 56 years because of trumped up and exaggerated concerns on rehabilitation of dam affected people. No project in the world have possibly faced so many hurdles. Many people conspired to stop the project, launching a massive misinformation campaign resulting in the World Bank's refusal to fund the project.

The present height of the dam -138.68 meters-was originally sanctioned during the tenure of Chimanbhai Patel as chief minister of Gujarat. Later, disputes led to a restricted height until permission to raise to its maximum height was granted by the Narmada Control Authority in 2014. The dam faced legal challenges starting 1995, when Medha Patkar of Narmada Bachao Andholan moved the Supreme Court against the project.

The court stayed the work, vacating it in February 1998.

The dam serves as a dream for the people of Gujarat.

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

3

Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

Cllr Sachin Shah Leader of the Harrow Council

Like everyone, I want to see a clean, safe and trouble-free borough Regrettably over the summer we witnessed a number of incidents involving knife crime in Harrow itself. The safety of our residents is our number one priority and we continue to work closely with our partners Harrow Police, schools, StreetDoctors and local businesses to keep our streets in Harrow free of knife crime and one of the safest boroughs in London.

I am pleased that there are now increased police patrols and searches for weapons in known Harrow hotspots as part of Operation Sceptre, a London Wide Police operation in which more than 500 arrests have been made and 400 weapons removed off the capital’s streets. Our trading standards officers are also working with our local schools to keep knives away from the streets in Harrow. They’ve also carried out a number of test purchases to make sure local businesses are not breaking the law selling knives to under age teenagers.

And that’s not all - we know it’s also about changing behaviour which is why we have partnered with StreetDoctors to work with young people who have found themselves caught up in knife crime. It’s easy to point fingers, but it is crucial that we engage with our young people and not alienate them. So these workshops will help give them the skills and knowledge needed if they ever find someone injured.

Importantly it will also encourage young people not to carry weapons by talking about recent cases where teenagers just like them have lost their lives to knife crime.

Night life in Harrow is usually trouble free, however we cannot be complacent - we want to make sure residents and visitors who come to Harrow to enjoy a night out get home safely. So we are piloting our “Safe Havens” scheme in partnership with Harrow Business Improvement District and Harrow Police. It’s a secure space in the centre of Harrow where, between 10pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday, people can come to get help, advice, a bottle of water, hot drink, a taxi or even a pair of flip flops if the heels have become too much. Police Officers and medical professionals will be on hand to help anyone in need or worried. Last weekend I joined the team to see first-hand the great work they are doing - I was very impressed and want to thank everyone involved including Harrow McDonalds who kindly donated the refreshments available and Harrow Street Pastors for the flip flops.

The first two (of three) Safe Haven’s have taken place and we’ve received some great feedback from our partners. During the first weekend there was just one arrest for an assault that took place outside a local pub - with Police and Paramedics close by they were able to make a swift arrest and provide medical aid to the victim.

Continued on page 6 Editor: CB Patel

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Dr Aman Puri: Proud to be Indian

Dhiren Katwa

Midlands’ highest-ranking Indian diplomat, Dr Aman Puri, is the youngest among his counterparts in the UK. Appointed in February this year, I caught up with Dr Puri, pictured, to find out more about him,his vision, mission and aspirations within his term of office.

Dr Puri’s diplomatic career began in 2005 with a three-year stint at the Indian Mission to the European Union, based in Brussels. He then moved to the Passport Office in Chandigarh, in the Punjab – the city in which he did his schooling at St John’s High School – where he spent just over a year. Then from 2010 until 2013 he served as Deputy Chief of Protocol which entailed organising foreign visits for the Prime Minister of India as well as those for world leaders visiting India.

From 2013 until 2016 he served as Regional Passport Officer in New Delhi. More recently, he was a director in the Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, India.

In his current role as Indian Consul General, based in Birmingham, his prime responsibilities include: protecting and promoting the interests of Indian citizens as well as of British Indians across the Midlands and North of England; overseeing the provision of consular services; promoting bilateral trade between India and the

Dr Aman Puri

UK; and building upon and establishing new networks across relevant private and public sector organisations to further enhance the reputation of India in his geographical patch. Of the 35 Consulate General of India staff in Birmingham, just over half are based in-house.

I asked Dr Puri what brings him the greatest satisfaction in his role: “To see how well members of the Indian diaspora are doing across all sectors in the UK.” He explained: “As a diplomat, it gives me immense pleasure that the perception of India has improved over the years. Today British nationals, in particular, look to India as a country with huge opportunities. Indians are now not only jobseekers but job creators in the UK.” He cited Tata – the single largest employer in UK after the NHS - as a shining example.

I queried the visa system and process which continues to receive mixed responses and reactions from the public. Dr Puri reported that last year, more than 20,400 people travelled to India on e-

visas, a facility that has been extended across 161 countries for entry through 24 airports, seaports too. The Consulate in Birmingham receives on average 300 visa applications each week.

Also, in the last 5 years, almost 14,000 Overseas Citizenship of India, or OCIs, have been granted, each taking, on average, a month or so to process.

Dr Puri, who will turn 42 in January, told me that he is keen to establish a stronger connection with second and third generation British Indians. “I’d like to tap into their talents and hear their ideas on how to improve relations between India and the UK, particularly from a trade and investment perspective.”

A dentist by profession, Dr Puri has two sisters, both doctors, based in the United States. His father is also a doctor, his role model too, and his mother, a housewife, who lives with him.

Asked what one key message he’d give our readers: “It is high time for people of all faiths and religion to take on this extremism and lead

Indian High Commission rekindles links with Liberal Democrats

The links between Indian High Commission and the Liberal Democrats Party UK were rekindled at the Liberal Democrats Friends of India dinner hosted by the High Commissioner of India Mr YK Sinha at the Party's autumn conference in Bournemouth earlier this week.

The event was attended by a number of the great and the good from the Lib Dems including the leader Sir Vince Cable, the CEO Nick Harvey and Lord Navnit Dholakia together with a host of peers as well as former party leader Tim Farron plus several former MPs including Sir Simon Hughes and senior local councillors.

Welcoming the guests former MP for Leicester South Parmjit Gill recalled that Liberal Party was the first UK Party to elect an Indian - Dadabhai Nairoji - to the British Parliament in 1892. Parmjit was the second in 2004.

Lord Dholakia who established the Lib Dem Friends of India many years back said he was sorry that the link between the High Commission and The Lib Dems had weakened over the

L i b e r a l Democrats could do to help that process.

The High Commissioner spoke about the fact that as a growing economy India going to become an increasingly important strategic trading partner for the uk Cllr Rabi Martins, Ambassador Dinesh This role will Patnaik, Deputy High Commissioner of become even more India to UK, HE Y K Sinha, High critical in the conCommissioner of India to UK, Rt Hon text of BREXIT He Vince Cable, Lord Navnit Dholakia and said the Liberal Parmjit Singh Gill Democrats had an past few years One of the traopportunity to play the role ditions of the link was for the of an honest broker in the Commission to host a dinner process which he was at our annual autumn conpleased to hear Sir Vince ference But the last of these Cable say the Liberal was some five years back Democrats were up for.

Lord Dholakia thanked the Concluding the proceedcommissioner for renewing ings with a vote of thanks to that tradition. the Commission for hosting Sir Vince Cable spoke of the event and to Vice Cable the important part India for fitting it in his heavy plays in the British Economy schedule Councillor Rabi and that it was essential for Martins said Lib Dem Friends that the business and politiof India would put itself at cal future of the UK that this the disposal of the High relationship was maintained Commission to progress the and strengthened He propositions from both pledged to do all he and the sides.

their lives not in separated, segregated communities but as one truly responsible citizen contributing to peace and harmony in our society” Earlier this month, the European Parliament debated and adopted a report on EU political relations with India. The report received huge support across a majority of the political groups in the European Parliament.

Speaking during the debate in plenary, Neena Gill CBE, Labour MEP for the West Midlands, said: “This report on EU-India relations is key in terms of building our relationship with one of the world’s fastest growing major economies and a global power.” She added: “We share a vision for the future based on our values including sustainable development and we face many of the same challenges - climate change, terrorism, protecting the rule of law, managing migration with respect for human rights, and tackling inequality while ensuring that our citizens are ready for the technological era.”

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Big grocers take aim at UK’s local corner shops

Britain’s convenience stores, once the Cinderellas of the retail sector, are starting to attract suitors.

The biggest UK grocers, including Tesco and J Sainsbury, are battling for a slice of the local market because their larger stores have proved less popular than executives anticipated during a building spree that ended only in the middle of this decade.

The dominant chains have the financial clout and buying power to supply convenience stores more efficiently. Meanwhile financial weakness may be forcing some wholesale groups to seek a buyer, according to several analysts and executives who follow the sector.

“If you’re a food supplier, you’ve got very aggressive buying teams from the big supermarkets constantly challenging your terms,” says one. “It’s got to be tempting to make up some of the lost margin by hitting the smaller players with a worse deal.”

As many of the supermarkets increasingly struggle to find new locations — Neil Turton, a former chief executive of convenience chain Nisa, says the decent local sites have gone — they are turning to acquisition.

There is a “frenzy of activity”, with no competitor wanting to be “left on the shelf”, according to one industry figure. Tesco is attempting to buy Booker, the biggest convenience wholesaler, while the Co-operative Group and Sainsbury’s have made bids for Nisa.

Heathrow airport security guards ‘stole £7million in cash in an elaborate plot that sounds like a Hollywood movie’

n Driver Mohammad Siddique accused of pulling off a classic 'inside job' with security guard Ranjeev Singh Two Loomis security guards stole £7million in cash from Credit Suisse bank in a Heathrow Airport heist described as "one of the biggest in British criminal history", a court heard.

Jurors heard the pair are accused of staging a fake robbery in a classic "inside job" which was worthy of a Hollywood script. The 28 bags of cash weighing nearly half a tonne have never been recovered.

Mohammad Siddique, 31 and Ranjeev Singh, 40, are on trial at Kingston Crown Court both charged with conspiracy to steal the cash belonging to the Swiss Bank.

The money was picked up by their Loomis intentional truck to deliver to the Bank of Ireland. Jurors learned they picked up the money from the BA cargo depot at around 8.30am with Siddique driving the armoured van and Singh the security guard.

Shortly after leaving the depot, Singh went to the toilet, but when he came out Siddique had driven off with the £7million in cash. Instead of raising the alarm Singh waited for 20 minutes, smoked a cigarette, before telling colleagues in another van what had happened.

In the meantime it is alleged the cash was being transferred from the Loomis security van into a second

vehicle parked in a quiet secluded road in Feltham, west London.

The jury were told the pair, along with others, allegedly staged the heist on the van. Siddique was found a few hours later tied up in a remote area near Gerrard's Cross.

The defendants were described as "firm friends" and had requested to be partnered for their rounds, which was not usual protocol, but was agreed by Loomis. The prosecution claim that Siddique has admitted his involvement and said he had no choice because "his family were threatened".

The jury were told Rafaqat Hussain, 41, has already pleaded guilty to his part in the plot, and was described as one of the organisers.

Siddique, of Slough, Berkshire, and Singh also of Slough, both deny one count of conspiracy to steal £7million from Credit Suisse. The trial continues.

Asian Voice |

How will the connections you make today impact tomorrow?

23rd September 2017

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Parents of MenW victim urge students to get vaccinated Parents of London student Paawan who died in a little less than 48 hours after falling ill with meningitis, have asked young people to get shots immediately. Jas and Baldev Purba, pictured, who lost their 20 year old girl last year, said her loss inspired them to raise awareness about the dangers of the disease.

Paawan had missed the Men ACQY vaccine which is offered free to teens and university students since 2015.

“Paawan was just about to start the second year of her pharmacology degree at the University of East London last August when she suddenly became ill. At first her symptoms seemed nothing more than flu.

Less than 48 hours after he first symptoms appeared, she died in hospital. She had contracted the MenW strain of meningitis. Our loss is especially hard given how young Paawan was. Words will never do justice to how truly amazing she was. As a family we want to do what

we can to help raise awareness of the Men ACQY vaccine that is now available to people Paawan's age, so that maybe we can prevent this happening to another family,” her mother said.

One of the most aggressive and

life-threatening forms of meningococcal diseases, MenW leaves its survivors with life-altering disabilities, including brain damage and loss of limbs. Early symptoms include headache, vomiting, limb pain, fever, and cold hands and feet.

Fighting Cancer for a new lease on life “The next 30 seconds of your life are going to be the scariest 30 seconds of your life.”

The doctor sat 24 year old Vithiya Alphons in a room. “I'm really sorry to say, but you have got acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), it is a type of blood cancer.

It is life-threatening. You might not be here in a couple of days or months,” he said. Just two days into her final year at Cardiff University, Alphons was an average person; fit and young, about to begin her final year in optometry.

The doctor told her it was advancing at such a speed, that she could potentially die within hours.

In the next two hours, Alphons went through a bone marrow biopsy and began a course of chemotherapy.

She described it as strong enough to make her constantly throw up. “In

Vithiya Alphons

between I sat on my bed worrying about how my parents, who were on their way from Walthamstow, London, would take it,” she said. She went through an intense 10-day course of chemotherapy, and stayed in hospital for three weeks after, later travelling to London where she underwent another round of chemotherapy at University College London Hospital. The whole treatment took a hard toll on

The Hindu Council of North (UK) organised an action packed Rass Garba event on Saturday 16th September 2017 at Wythenshawe Forum Manchester when an audience of over 700 was present. The event commenced with a complimentary live music by Kala Shree Music Group from Rajkot India sponsored by Indian Association Oldham. The actual event commenced with a lighting of a divo by Mr Chakraborty, Head of Chancery at Consulate General of India Birmingham accompanied by President of Hindu Council Mr. Dashrathbhai Nayee and General Secretary Mr Kantibhai C Mistry.Winners for Garbo Shree Bharatiya Mandal, Ashton U Lyne, Runners up for Garbo Veda Mandir, Bolton, Winners for Rass Indian Association, Oldham, Runners up for rass Gujarat Hindu Society, Winners for costume Indian association, Oldham and Runners up for Costume Gujarat Hindu Society, Preston.

her as she remained sick up to 15 times a day and had diarrhoea up to 25 times.

“I was so tired, I couldn't eat. I started losing my hair within a week and told the nurses to cut it off. It was so hard. Weeks before, I had been independent, living on my own, I was cooking, cleaning, shopping, studying, everything on my own. Now I couldn't even open a water bottle. I couldn't eat, I couldn't walk, I couldn't feed myself. Every night I would wonder if I could see the next morning,” Alphons described.

After the second round of chemo, she was told she was in remission, however, if she didn't have a bone marrow transplant, the cancer would be back within six months. Doctors told her she had two months to find a match, “but warned me it would be difficult because of my Tamil heritage- both my parents were born in Sri Lanka.”

The bone marrow register for people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds is severely short. Alphons described her odds of finding a 100 per cent or even 90 per cent match not good. If the match is closer, it becomes

easier for the body to accept the cells. However, if it rejects them, it becomes life-threatening.

The student got more chemo that bought her more time, meanwhile, her family and friends got tested and organised donor drives in London, where people could come and do a mouth swab to register.

“People I didn't know then started doing their own donor drives. There were drives in Birmingham, Cardiff, Germany, Canada, and France. More than a thousand people turned up at one and they ran out of the testing kits. At another people were queuing out of the door in the rain, but time was running out,” she said.

Doctors said they will have to make do with her mother, who was only a 50 per cent match. Alphons was told there was a 40 per cent chance of death if my body rejected the cells.

Amazingly, her body began to accept her mother's stem cells. While it takes up to five years to fully recover from the transplant, her drive to graduate helped her shift back to Cardiff a month after she was reluctantly given the go-ahead by doctors. She stayed with her mother, and studied from home. At clinics where she had to treat members of the public, patients were vetted to make sure they had no visible signs of coughs or colds.

Vithiya graduated in July this year, will start a job at Colchester Specsavers, one she had lined up before she fell ill.

She also found the love of her life, who waited for her to recover first.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Teen commits suicide after over a year of bullying In a case that brings to light just how necessary it is to address bullying, a 15 year old British-Indian boy took his own life after months of harassment in school. The Leicester schoolboy was taunted by bullies his age, who called him a paedophile and a f**got every day for more than a year. They even threatened him about knowing where he lives and raping his mother.

Brandon Rayat did everything he could to fit in. He suffered physical and psychological abuse every day until he could no longer feel he could go to school. “The bullies got in his head sucked the life out of him. It just wasn't Brandon. He was a handsome boy and a lot of girls took a shine to him as he got older, I think the bullies were jealous of that,” his mother Mina, said. “He even shaved his hair off so he could be like them, he just wanted to be accepted. He wanted to go to university and become a doctor, he had his whole life planned out. But these boys were relentless.”

However, it took a “breakdown” for the victim's parents to realise

just how serious things were at school. “He came running into the house one day and he was screaming 'I want to die, I want to die'. I had never seen him like this before, so I made a GP appointment,” Mina said. The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service prescribed antidepressants in December 2015, and recommended him to return to school. The dosage was increased four times over an eight month period. An inquest held last month heard coroners conclude that opportunities had been missed by mental health services to assess Brandon face-toface after he had told a psychiatrist 11 days before he took his life, that he had tried to strangle himself.

Brandon's parents, Mina and Raj have now started the Stop Ignoring Me campaign. It aims to criminalise bullying and introduce mental health and anti-bullying training into the school curriculum. Also, CAMHS has introduced an outreach crisis team to help mental health professionals treat children in their homes.

UAE gives visa on arrival for Indian citizens with UK/EU residency The UAE Cabinet has approved regulation to receive entry visas on arrival for Indian passport holders with EU or UK residency who arrive in the country. The decision closely follows an IndiaUAE Partnership Summit announcement that aims to encourage investment in medium-sized projects.

Following the decision, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said, “I chaired the

Cabinet meeting that we started by congratulating over one million pupils in public and higher education in their new academic year.” As of May 1 this year, Indian passport holders with a valid American visa or a Green Card were granted UAE visa on arrival at all ports.

The meeting also saw the Cabinet introduce a community service based correctional programme, to encourage rehabilitation through social service for minor offences.

Like everyone, I want to see a clean, safe and trouble-free borough Continued from page 3 A great result for all although I’m not sure the trouble maker felt this way.

Making Harrow clean is also a big priority for us, – that’s why we’re making crime pay by cracking down on filthy habits. Last year our zero tolerance approach saw around 8,000 fines issued for anti-social behaviour and now we’ve introduced tough powers with our new borough-wide Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO).

Anyone caught taking part in anti-social behaviour will now face on the spot fines of £100. We are not afraid to take tough action against those intent on making our borough a dirty and unpleasant place to live - this includes fines for urinating, defecating and spitting in public, leaving dog mess and smoking in children’s play areas.

We’re also targeting careless drivers who drive over footpaths and verges, and the PSPO will also help us to tackle street drinking and problematic public drunkenness.

I’d like to thank everyone who took part in our consultation, supported our plans and our partners for working with us to make this happen. All this work means we can deal swiftly and effectively with offenders and make sure Harrow remains a great and safe place to live and work.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

NRIs to get passports cancelled if they abandon their wives Rupanjana Dutta God has answered to the prayers of the migrant Indian wives, who have been abandoned, harassed or subject to domestic violence by their Non Residential Indian (NRI) husbands.

Ministry of External Affairs in India has taken cognisance of the situation and have affirmed that NRIs who desert their wives could face cancellation of their passports and even deportation to India.

Statistics show that thousands of Indian women move to the UK every year, following their husbands as dependants, with dreams to create a house filled with love and laughter. But the reality is often different.

Hundreds of these women find themselves abused and exploited due to a provision in immigration law in which the sponsoring partner - the husband - is able to cancel his partner's visa by merely writing an email to the Home Office, leaving the women in limbo.

These wives who are then either abandoned in India on pretext of a vacation, or are thrown out of their houses in the UK, controlled and ill-treated mostly for financial reasons,

are even driven to commit suicide or beg on streets. Most of them have no idea that the High Commission of India has a women cell, that may be able to advise them free of cost, though certain limitations exist. That is where organisations like the Indian Ladies in the UK come forward to assist the helpless women.

India's Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj has also come on board to support this organisation's women. Taking cognisance of various complaints about women being deserted by their better halves in a foreign land, the Ministry has created a special panel, that promises to 'hear and see', investigate and provide support wherever possible. According to reports, the panel also recommended that cases of domestic violence should be included in the extradition treaties signed between India and other countries. Compulsory registration of NRI marriages and increasing financial aid from $3,000 (ÂŁ2215) to $6,000 (ÂŁ4430) provided by Indian missions to the women who have been abandoned by their husbands were among the key recommendations made by the panel.

An Indian Ministry official

affirmed that both Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi have taken up the issue seriously and have also addressed it on several public forums. Once the passport of the NRI man has been cancelled and he is present in India, he will not be allowed to leave the country till the case goes on. He would be deported to India even if he was residing abroad.

The panel will be responsible for carrying on with the extradition process of these NRI husbands back to India to attend the trial proceedings. It is reportedly extremely difficult to get the husband back to the country and face legal proceedings as far as cases of dowry and domestic violence are concerned.

Indian Ladies in the U K (ILUK), a nonprofit organisation, has 21,000 members and is made up of the first generation migrant Indian women in the UK. Founded in 2015, ILUK's primary focus is campaigning on behalf of vic-

tims of domestic violence, forced marriage, spousal abandonment and international child abduction. The group has helped hundreds of women in the UK in a variety of ways.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) stated that as many as 346 cases and complaints from women were recorded in 2014. Most of the complaints involve husbands deserting their wives after marrying them in India, taking the child away from the mother or taking them abroad and abandoning them in foreign countries. Speaking to Asian Voice, ILUK Founder Poonam Joshi said, “I welcome the recom-

mendations made by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Since I began Indian Ladies in UK (ILUK) we have been approached by hundreds of women who have been callously deserted by their husbands in India. It's appalling that these vulnerable women are left abandoned by the men they are supposed to trust. I have seen first hand the emotional and psychological toll this takes on the victims and the perpetrators have got away with it for too long. We have helped many of these women in whichever way we can but it has been very apparent that we need cooperation and action from both the British and Indian governments as well as expanding the ability of Indian embassies around the world to help victims. So the MEA panel's policy recommendations are a step in the right direction. I sincerely hope that India's politicians take the lead of our Foreign Minister and the Women and Child Development Minister and introduce these recommendations into law. Whatever the outcome, I am determined to continue our fight for justice for these forgotten victims of India's patriarchy.�

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Ancient Indian mathematical text at Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries revealed to be centuries older than previously thought The origin of the symbol zero has long been one of the world’s greatest mathematical mysteries.

Today, new carbon dating research commissioned by the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries into the ancient Indian Bakhshali manuscript, held at the Bodleian, has revealed it to be hundreds of years older than initially thought, making it the world’s oldest recorded origin of the zero symbol that we use today.

The surprising results of the first ever radiocarbon dating conducted on the Bakhshali manuscript, a seminal mathematical text which contains hundreds of zeroes, reveal that it dates from as early as the 3rd or 4th century – approximately five centuries older than scholars previously believed. This means that the manuscript in fact predates a 9th century inscription of zero on the wall of a temple in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, which was previously considered to be the oldest recorded example of a zero used as a placeholder in India.

The findings are highly significant for the study of the early history of mathematics.

The zero symbol that we use today evolved from a dot that was used in ancient India and can be seen throughout the Bakhshali manuscript.

The dot was originally used as a ‘placeholder’, meaning it was used to indicate orders of magnitude in a number system – for example, denoting 10s, 100s and 1000s.

While the use of zero as a placeholder was seen in several different ancient cultures, such as among the ancient Mayans and Babylonians, the symbol in the Bakhshali manuscript is particularly significant for two reasons. Firstly, it is this dot that evolved to have a hollow centre and became the symbol that we use as zero today.

Secondly, it was only in India that this zero developed into a number in its own right, hence creating the concept and the number zero that we understand today – this happened in 628 AD, just a few centuries after the Bakhshali manuscript was produced, when the Indian astronomer and mathematician Brahmagupta wrote a text called

Brahmasphutasiddhanta, which is the first document to discuss zero as a number.

Although the Bakhshali manuscript is widely acknowledged as the oldest Indian mathematical text, the exact age of the manuscript has long been the subject

of academic debate. The most authoritative academic study on the manuscript, conducted

by Japanese scholar Dr Hayashi Takao, asserted that it probably dated from between the 8th and the 12th century, based on factors such as the style of writing and the literary and mathematical content. The new carbon dating reveals that the reason why it was previously so difficult for scholars to pinpoint the Bakhshali manuscript’s date is because the manuscript, which consists of 70 fragile leaves of birch bark, is in fact composed of material from at least three different periods.

Marcus du Sautoy, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford, said: “Today we take it for granted that the concept of zero is used across the globe and is a key building block of the digital world. But the creation of zero as a number in its own right, which evolved from the placeholder dot symbol found in the Bakhshali manuscript, was one of the greatest breakthroughs in the history of mathematics.”

"We now know that it was as early as the 3rd century that mathematicians in India planted the seed of the idea that would later become so fundamental to the modern world. The findings show how vibrant mathematics have been in the Indian sub-continent for centuries."

The Bakhshali manuscript was found in 1881, buried in a field in a village called Bakhshali, near Peshawar, in what is now a region of Pakistan. It was found by a local farmer and was acquired by the Indologist AFR Hoernle, who presented it to the Bodleian Library in 1902, where it has been kept since.

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Revolutionising medical services for UK's disabled people Rupanjana Dutta Samit Kumar Biswas, the CEO of Advatech Health care is trying to bring medical revolution for disabled people in the UK. His company Advatech was launched in Kolkata when Samit was exploring the opportunities of Medical Tourism for India.

Having had a 20+ years experience in the healthcare industry Samit was well networked with all the major hospitals in India.

During the process of moving patients, tissues and samples from one region to another, it became apparent that there were clear gaps in organising efficient medical transport.

Launched as India's first tech based Medical tourism and private service event in Kolkata, it was attended by various dignitaries including the British Deputy High Commissioner and Healthcare UK’s senior officials. Speaking to Asian Voice, Samit said, “Looking into the propositions and deliverables, the British High Commission invited us to set up our business in the UK. Then on 17 February 2012 we set up our business in the UK.” Born in Katwa, East Bardhaman, Samit has a degree in Zoology from Katwa College and an MBA from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT). “I always wanted to be a doctor since childhood, as

Samit Kumar Biswas

well as a businessman,” Samit added with a smile.

But after working for various MNCs for almost 14 years and looking into the healthcare service delivery and awareness gap in the society, he decided to start Advatech Healthcare in 2010, with a focus on patient services.

He lived in Kolkata till he moved to the UK, and now lives with family in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

Since 2012 till end on 2015 Samit did some extensive market studies in London, Leicester and Leeds.

Their initial business model in India was Medical Tourism and Ambulance services. But looking into the current demand in the UK healthcare markets they decided to launch nonemergency medical transportation services Hippo Cabs. Hippo in Greek means Disability.

Samit told Asian Voice, “In Kolkata we were running the Ambulance

business and incidentally we launched World’s First Android based mobile application BookMyAmbulance.

So when we came here, we started approaching various ambulance service providers like London Ambulance Services, Yorkshire Ambulance Services and NHS as well.

But being a healthcare Start-Up it was very difficult to convince them about our solutions.

“At the same time lots of disabled peoples and long term medically challenged patients are struggling for their day to day transportation. NHS A&E has an all time high waiting list for patients.

Hospital bed rotation was all time low. That was causing a huge expenses to the NHS and emergency patients could not getting the required admission.

Then we decided to focus on non-emergency transportation, instead of emergency ambulance

services and launched Hippo Cabs.

“Looking into the 11.4 millions disabled peoples in the UK and almost 15% of the Global population being disabled - this is the need of the hour for both disabled people and patients with long term medical conditions.”

But with recession and market instabilities, why did he choose the UK? Samit said, “NHS & Healthcare in the UK is considered as 'Gold Standard' in the World . So if we are doing something in healthcare, we should learn from the leader.

Incidentally our launch event in Kolkata was attained by the UK officials and they invited us to set up a business in the UK.” As of now Advatech is operating in Southend-onSea in Essex with their 70+ different types of wheelchair access vehicles (WAV) and supporting 20 care homes, two NHS hospitals, 2 GP Surgeries and few private hospitals.

They have also applied for £45 million worth of contracts from four NHS Trusts.

Though the business is still not profitable in the UK, Samit connects with the community through local activities, making people aware about their services.

He concluded by saying, “Our aim is to become the UBER for disabled transportation or nonemergency transportation in the Global market and be the UK’s answer to the UBER.”

PwC praised for publishing pay gap data to tackle “ethnicity challenges” Britain's Asian community has applauded the honesty of PwC in the UK, that has published voluntary data suggesting Black, Asian and minority-ethnic staff (BAME) who work at PwC in the UK earn almost 13% less than other employees.

Currently reporting on BAME pay isn't required under government regulations. PwC said it had published the 'pay gap' data to help it speed up progress on the issue.

The BBC reported that the firm has admitted that BAME workers were statistically paid less, because more of them worked in junior or administrative roles, and they ensure this data will help the firm to tackle “ethnicity challenges”.

This admittance been

regarded as a step towards the right direction, as the country is trying to ensure the Asian community is able to break the existing glass ceilings.

The landscape is definitely changing at a pace so

far unseen and technology has been at forefront to assist these changes.

A young community representative wrote on social media, “Well done PwC for publishing this report. Now that they

know the figure, they can work to improve. Will others follow?”

PwC Chairman Kevin Ellis said, “The more transparent we are with our diversity and social mobility data, the more we hold ourselves accountable to achieving real change.”

The firm's figures since 2014, has been regarded as a move which had helped “shine spotlight on gender issues.”

It said, "We're hoping that BAME pay reporting can do the same for tackling ethnicity challenges," it said. The gender pay gap for 2017 was 13.7%, down from 15.2% in 2016.

The company published this new BAME figures alongside its annual results for the year to the end of June.

UK

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Zishan Nurmohamed: From Council Estate to Ernst &Young Associate Partner Going from being a youngster growing up on a council estate to becoming an Associate Partner at Ernst & Young LLP requires true grit. It’s not an easy walk, but Zishan achieved it with humility and grace.

But he is happy to be living at another location now. “I have no shame in admitting that I feel relieved to be fortunate enough to bring up my kids in a nicer part of the country.�

Zishan is currently an Executive Director at EY and will be an Associate Partner from 1 October 2017.

Growing up on a Council Estate

Background and Early Memories Having migrated to the UK in the 1970s, Zishan’s parents were born in East Africa. His family originates from Kuch in Gujarat. His early memories of growing up on the council estate are frankly put. He says, smiling, “I used to throw tantrums when Mum picked me up from school. I remember the spot where I realised I had dropped all my mini eggs after school one day and where I used to watch trains from our apartment window in our high rise block. I couldn’t stop crying when I didn’t get picked for the school football team!�

It was on this estate, though, that Zishan met some of his best friends – some of them have remained close to him for over 30 years.

(shank is slang for knife). The challenge is the lack of aspiration that growing up in that type of environment gives you. There is little sense of self belief, and you grow up with a narrow view of the opportunities that exist.�

Trajectory- how did Zishan get from then to now?

Zishan says it was both tough and dangerous. “I was mugged three times in my teenage years, watched yobs sitting on my car at night- too scared to remove them- and once had a pig’s head left at our front door. As with many of us I was called a Paki on more than one occasion.� “My home town is now known as “ S h a n k Town�

Zishan says that the biggest inspiration in his life was and is his Mother. “She was a simple non-educated checkout operator at Tesco and wanted me to achieve something better.

Kismet is powerful, and I believe Allah is guiding me through my journey without me even realising it. I would pray and opportunities would just open up. I always wanted to work at a Big Four accounting firm and despite not making the grade to join as a graduate I stayed determined and eventually joined as an experienced hire. On my first day I promised myself I would sign audit reports in EY’s name and used to practice my EY signature. 12 years later I put it into practice.�

My goal is now to inspire my children to exceeding their potential, they mean everything to me.

How has Zishan made it at EY ahead of other ethnic peers?

Zishan Nurmohamed

He says it is about adaptability. “You have to realise how Western working culture operates and when it is and isn’t appropriate to interchange your DNA with conventional working practice. It’s not about changing who you are, but about adapting to your

work environment and its commercial needs. This broadens your skill set and you realise how much boardrooms value a different way of thinking.�

Zishan has adapted, he says, but stays true to his values.

We have continued to grow from strength to strength and the future is exciting. “I pray five times a day, fast during Ramadhan, say Salaam to my Muslim colleagues and hug them at Eid. EY is an inclusive workplace and supports you bringing your true self to work.

This philosophy comes from our Chairman, Steve Varley, D&I and race strategy are amongst Steve’s top priorities.

The firm also has a 10% target BME partner intake and a BME Leadership programme.�

EY’s Role in Indian Commerce in the UK “Disruption is the buzz word. Industry 4.0 and the digital world are core to this.

However, the rise of the BME market is also disruption.

The Parker report, which discusses boardroom diversity, speaks of the importance of boardroom ethnic diversity.

As a global firm, 90% of our client base consists of mid-market (entrepreneurial) businesses. We are well equipped to support the journey of entrepreneurs through our flagship entrepreneur of the year programme and growth navigator offering.

We maintain close links with our offices across the Indian subcontinent.�

Zishan on Asian business in the UK “I admire Asian entrepreneurs, not only the first generation but also the second generation. Folk such as Vivek Chadha who won our London EOY Rising Star award are inspirational.

One of the best statistics I read was published in the Daily Telegraph in 2007 where Asian Wealth grew 69% in seven years vs UK GDP growth in the same period of 23%.

We have continued to grow from strength to strength and the future is exciting.�

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READERS’ VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Asian Achievers Awards are the best

Being a longstanding advertiser in your publications and one of the oldest sponsors of the Asian Achievers Awards, my attention was drawn to a front page article in Asian Voice about the Asian Achievers Awards.

I read it thoroughly and concur with the views expressed in the article.

The issue that was raised in the article about the recent proliferation of Awards is indeed worrisome and I say this as a concerned member of the Asian community and a commercial sponsor. Awards such as yours are sacrosanct due to the immense public service they have been doing to the Asian diaspora by recognising their blood sweat and tears which has today taken them to a place of envy where they rightly belong.

I am afraid that new entrants such as British Asian Achievers Awards by naming themselves similar to yours can blur the distinction between established and respected Awards such as yours and pretenders. It is important for publications such as Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to publicly highlight and educate members of the Asian community and commercial sponsors about this distinction so that they are not misled into getting involved with Awards that do not serve any worthy cause whatsoever.

Kind regards

Suresh vagjiani Sow & Reap

AAA: The Real Awards

I read your lead story pertaining to Asian Achievers Awards (Triple A) in last week’s Asian Voice.

Triple A has become, from a humble beginning to a mega 17th event. I have not only witnessed these extremely well organised events but I have been a recipient of one of the awards.

Past 16 events which I hold in high esteem, have been thoroughly enjoyed by a large attendees. From start to finish it gives freshness in variety of items, delicious food, charity auction and the high light of the evening the declaration of awards. The events keeps one thoroughly entertained and the evening to remember for many weeks and months.

It is sad that such events are mushrooming instead of amalgamating and making the event bigger and show the Asian Unity to the larger British society.

One such organisation wrote to me stating that I would be offered an award and that I should contribute towards the cost and buy a table, no need to mention that I did not get the award.

My best wishes for the 17th AAA Event.

Kanti Nagda Harrow

National dignity

Jubel D’Cruz and your Editorial “Something rotten in the State of India” have erred in stating that one single murder by thuggish morons reflects negatively on the whole nation, democracy and tolerance. Is this the quality of patriotism after 70 years of India’s positive performance at home and abroad? Jubel wrongly points finger at Hindu extremists, when police investigations are going on and are inconclusive.

Such wanton blame is insult and lack of confidence in all the achievements by India, Hindus, religion and ruling party. You have pointed to freedom of press/ speech prevalent in England. But Indian public suppressed for 1000 years, is not mature to British level. England rose from soul destroying poverty and ruled over an empire; what is India’s record to match?

Democracy is much alive in India where any citizen can call P.M. as “merchant of death”, "goon", “butcher” and “maniac”; India as “rapistan”.

Regarding intolerance, please look at persecution, bordering on genocide, of minority and fellow citizens by our neighbors. It is logical to push the victim to sainthood and martyrdom. Justice to the aggrieved party, must be done, and seen to be done; but without compromising our national dignity, ego and image.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

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Bias against Hindus

I expect the BBC to have bias against Hindus but not Asian Voice, that's the theme in "Something rotten in the State of India" editorial of 16th Sep 17 in my opinion. Linking Hindutva and her murder, a favorite theme used by western media to denigrate Hindus.

Firstly nobody has claimed or been linked to her murder, if you want a religion linked to regular murder I can name it for you. Secondly she was anti Hindu and pro Naxal, not a journalist but an owner of a journal set up by her father. Her support for Naxals lead her into a feud with her brother and co-owner of the journal, leading to a court conviction against her.

For the world's largest democracy I see very little that is rotten in the State of India, it has more freedoms than most except for the blot of emergency under Indira Gandhi's term and as for what is a Hindu I quote wikipedia "Hindus have a a diversity of ideas, no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist, hence arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult.

Jayesh A Patel Wimbledon

Boris’ gamble

Hard-core Brexiteer Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, has raised the spectre of £350 million per week again and committee. that it will be paid to NHS, as promised in the referendum campaign. He has done this without getting the okay from the Prime Minister Theresa May nor the Chancellor of Exchequers Philip Hammond. He has unilaterally broken rank in his bid to challenge the weakened leadership of Theresa May. By doing so he has put his foot in his mouth and is hurtling towards the Brexit cliff. Yet he has not been sacked. His timing is perfect, it is just before the Tory conference is to take place. This clearly shows there is a divide in the Tory party. By giving this statement he has acted in very crafty way. If his move fails, it may come to haunt him for a long time.

Bloomberg says: British business leaders urged Prime Minister Theresa May to seek a three-year transitional period after Brexit, warning failure to secure more time would jeopardize “our collective prosperity.” “Our businesses need to make decisions now about investment and employment that will affect economic growth and jobs in the future,” according to the letter. “Continuing uncertainty will adversely affect communities, employees, firms and our nations in the future.”

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader and a long-standing critic of Johnson, made clear her disapproval of the timing of his article, the day after the Parsons Green bomb in London. “On the day of a terror attack where Britons were maimed, just hours after the threat level is raised, our only thoughts should be on service,” she tweeted. It will be interesting to see if the Boris's gamble will pay or will it backfire. Let us wait and watch.

Baldev Sharma Rayners Lane, Harrow.

Asian Voice with excellent article

In the Asian Voice of last week I read the follwing articles, that I feel were of outstanding quality, over and above the usual excellent news from UK and abroad.

The articles that I loved were: Zaki Cooper on Indian Jews, Weding in Geneva, Ahmedabad Industry - my city, JLR Electric, Gauri Lankesh among others.

RDS Bharat Oza Wilmslow Cheshire

Are you subscriber of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samchar if not then Subscrib now and get a Free Diwali Magazine and an Informative Calendar 2017

£3.50

Diwali 2016

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Welcoming young readers to write in our Diwali issue Dear Readers, Diwali is now just over two months away. The New Year is knocking at the door waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness. Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will once again be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself. This year we are once again inviting our young readers to send in their articles for the English section.

1. If you are between 5-25 years of age, write an article in English on either of the following topics in no more than 350 words, along with a suitable photo: l how do you celebrate your Diwali every year OR l Your most memorable Diwali with friends and family OR l how do you celebrate Diwali in your school'.

2. If you are 2-25 years of age, you can also draw/paint a picture of what Diwali means to you or your memorable Diwali, with a suitable photo caption, your full name, age; scan and send the picture to the the below address, by the mentioned deadline.

3. If you are within 9-25 years of age, you can also write a short story within 350 words or a poem within 150 words for our Diwali special.

4. If you are a part of an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, please tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 300 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi).

Send your articles/stories/poem with your photo and/or painting/picture to aveditorial@abplgroup.com.

Last date of entry: 30th September 2017.

- Asian Voice

Unreliable Royal Mail

When we first arrived to these shores in mid-sixties, our appreciation was concentrated on two wonderful services we received daily on our door-steps. One was delivery of fresh milk early in the morning, come hell or high water, along with associated products and settle bills at week-end.

The second dependable service was provided by lustre Royal Mail, (RM) letters delivered to us every day except Sundays, unlike in Dar where we had to go to local post office where one could hire a postal box.

While shopping revolution has put paid to milk home delivery, postal service still operates in similar manner with one sole exception. Lacklustre RM is no longer even half as reliable as it used to be. While we had never lost a single letter for some fifty years, recently we lost two recorded deliveries within a month, to our utter surprise, dismay and disbelief.

My MP kindly took it up and as usual we received sugar quoted words like we aim to provide best service possible but our letters were never found. Now our friend, an elderly lady, posted urgent letter by “Special Next Day Delivery” She paid £6:45, King’s ransom for someone living on state pension. It has not reached its destination, under five miles radius after four weeks!

As lackadaisical, materialistic RM has attracted so much bad publicity recently, I hope RM will take our concerns seriously and give us back wonderful, dependable service we once enjoyed. It is high time for RM to be expedient, pay reasonable compensation for lost items rather than giving stamp booklets. I sincerely hope that next Labour government under JC will renationalize RM which has failed us and state ownership is the norm in most EU countries.

Kumudini Valambia By email

What do you think?

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

EDUCATION/COUNCIL

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Residents urged to have their say over Harrow’s future policing

Navin Shah AM is encouraging residents and stakeholders to take part in an upcoming consultation on The Mayor of London’s draft Public Access and Engagement Strategy.

A public consultation meeting, organised by Metropolitan Police, will be taking place on 26th September at 6:30pm, at the Harrow Civic Centre, and Mr Shah is urging his constituents to attend and have their say on the future of policing in Harrow.

This will be an opportunity for residents to give their views and ask questions about a wide ranging issues affecting the future of Harrow’s policing structure. The Mayor’s consultation includes closing some police stations, front counters and Safer Neighbourhood Bases. The Mayor’s strategy promotes measures such as increased online reporting and increased police visibility through two dedicated PCs and one PCSO per ward to keep London and

Londoners safe.

Mr Shah has previously written to the Mayor about policing in Harrow, and in his response the Mayor assured him that Harrow Police Station would remain open, including a 24-hour front desk.

Navin Shah AM said: “It is disgraceful government cuts have meant that police have to put in place cost cutting measures.

London has already had to implement £600 Million cuts imposed by the government and further £400 million savings have to be found by the Mayor of London and Met Police to meet the government requirement.”

“In my view it is fundamentally wrong to subject emergency services like policing and fire to such horrendous cuts putting at risk the safety of Londoners. The plans to shut police stations and merge borough commands were spearheaded by former Mayor Boris Johnson.

I’m pleased that Mayor Khan has given me a com-

mitment to keeping Harrow Police Station open and have in place a team of three dedicated officers in each ward to strengthen local community policing by end of the year.

“It is very important that people attend the public consultation and fill out the Mayor’s questionnaire on his draft strategy.

I urge all my constituents to make their voices heard.” It is not too late for Nick Hurd, local MP for Ruislip Northwood Pinner who is also Minister of State for Policing and the Fire Service to withdraw the government cuts to London’s police service and keep London and Londoners safe.”

School becomes first to change start time to 10am to allow pupils to 'fully wake up' A London academy has become the first school in Britain to introduce a 10am start after research showed that teenagers do not fully wake up until mid-morning.

Headmistress of the UCL Academy, Geraldine Davies, allows children to arrive at 10am but to leave at 5.30pm. She argues that the school, which has been open since September, is already seeing positive results. She told The Sunday Times: ‘Youngsters are turning up

alert and ready to learn and are focused and engaged in lessons.

‘We have no hard data on exam results yet, since we have only been open six months, but the aim is to rigorously review the effects. Pupil and teacher surveys have so far been positive.’

There have been calls to expand the project across Britain after research from the school’s sponsors, University College London, Oxford and Harvard showed that

teenagers are predisposed to go to bed later and waking between 9am and 10am. This pattern, named the adolescent ‘time shift’, continues until the body clock starts to change at the age of 21.

Pupils at the school, which is the first in the UK to be sponsored by a university, have had a positive response, with some adding that they are able to eat a nourishing breakfast and read through lessons before school starts.

SATs for seven-year-olds scrapped from 2023 Controversial tests taken

by England's seven-yearolds will be scrapped by 2023, but nine-year-olds will have to sit times table tests under new plans.

Announcing the end to compulsory SATs, the government said children would instead have a "baseline" check in reception year, aged four or five.

This would allow their progress to be tracked and would "free up" teachers, the education secretary said. But times table tests for year four pupils will be introduced in 2019/20.

The Key Stage 1 tests in reading, writing, maths and science - used to monitor schools' progress have been compulsory for seven-year-olds in England with around 500,000 children taking them each year.

But they have proved controversial, with many teachers and parents opposed to putting young pupils through the tests.

Those who support the

tests argue that they ensure schools are helping children grasp the basics and identify children who are struggling.

The government announced on Thursday that they would no longer be compulsory from 2023.

Instead there would be a baseline assessment of children's abilities in their reception year, at the start of their schooling, which would then be used to measure their progress throughout the school.

Children will still sit SATs at age 11.

Schools would also not

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be required to submit assessments of pupils' reading and maths to the government aged 11 because they were already being tested in year 6.

This would help "free up teachers to educate and inspire young children while holding schools to account in a proportionate and effective way," Ms Greening said.

But times table tests initially floated last year for pupils aged 11 - would be sat two years earlier in year four, from 2019/20 to help children's "fluency in mathematics".

‘East End Eton' sends 21 pupils to university to train as doctors, dentists and vets

n Inner city school has some of the poorest students in the country

An inner city school in one of London's most deprived areas dubbed the 'East End Eton' has sent 21 pupils to university to train as doctors, dentists and vets.

The students all attended the London Academy of Excellence, (LAE) and are starting courses at some of the country's most prestigious colleges.

According to the school, LAE saw 59 per cent of pupils achieve A* and A grades with 18 achieving at least three A* grades.

The school boasts that 99 per cent of all its grades were in the A*-C range - compared with 77 per cent nationally.

Headmaster Scott Baker said: '99 per cent of all grades at A*-C is our best result to date, is significantly above the national average, but, most importantly, it simply means that every student who comes to LAE makes incredible progress and achieves the top grades required to study at a top university.'

The school said 148 of pupils are heading to

Russell Group Universities with 15 going to Oxbridge.

According to the Sunday Times, one of those seeking to become a vet is Afsana Begum, 18, who is the youngest of six children of Bangladeshi origin. She told the paper: 'My dream is to work as a vet in a zoo.'

She has accepted a place at Nottingham University where the minimum requirements are an A in both Chemistry and Biology, with at least a B in another subject - not including General Studies. Many of the students at LAE are from the London Borough of Newham, which is one of the most deprived in the

city. According to census data, 46.5 per cent of the 330,000 residents describe themselves as either Asian or Asian British. Some 26.5 per cent say they are white, while 18.1 per cent are black or black British.

Privately educated children are over-represented at medical schools. While 7% of the pupil population are educated at fee-paying schools, they make up 22% of medicine and dentistry undergraduates.

The figures show 40 per cent of residents are Christian, with 32 per cent of the population Muslim and 8.8 per cent are Hindu. Some 9.5 per cent claim they are not religious.

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MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

One of the disturbing aspects of the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar is its spill-over into India. The egregious Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Chairman of the UN Human Rights Commission, a habitual India-baiter, has attacked India for initiating movers to deport illegal Rohingya refugees in the country.. The Indian government has defended its decision on the grounds that their presence posed national security threat based, presumably, on intelligence reports. One must ask Mr Al Hussain whether as a Muslim and an Arab he is using, or abusing, his position in pursuing a private agenda, seeing that he is obviously blind to the awful Saudi Arabian depredations in Yemen, where millions of innocent citizens are homeless. thousands killed, and a raging cholera epidemic decimating what is already a broken society.

Mr Hussain had the cheek to censure India for human rights violations in general. What would he know about these things, when the Yemeni dead are Muslims killed by other Muslims – the story, alas, of the Middle East as a whole.

But to return to the Rohingya issue and its impact on India: a truly disturbing feature was recent monster pro-Rohingya demonstration in Kolkata which brought life on its streets to a standstill, resulting in chaos and traffic jams with an overwhelmed police helpless bystanders.

territory was part of East Pakistan (Hindu September 14).

Indo-Japan duet In Ahmedabad It was a roadshow like no other in living memory for the citizens of Ahmedabad, now a UNESCO heritage city. It did them proud, as Prime Ministers Narendra Modi

facial recognition system, which can be used to unlock the device to access apps messages or make calls.

Uniqueness Using the True Depth Camera system, the iPhone X detects user looks at the phone with a specific purpose, and not simply for a casual browse. There are other novel features which make this machine a new and dazzling experience for the customer (Mint September 14).

Rohingyas petition Supreme Court The 7,000 Rohingya community in Jammu and Kashmir has petitioned the Supreme Court of India against any possible deportation order, saying that no one among them who had any association with terrorism, and that police visits every month monitored the community’s activities.

The petitioner stated that they paid their monthly rent to landowners, who have made no complaints against them. The Supreme Court bench, under Chief Justice Dipak Misra, has asked the government for clarification of policy (Hindu September 14)

Chakmas, Hajongs given citizenship Minister of State in the Home Ministry, Kiren Riijiju, said that as per Supreme Court direction, the government would grant Indian citizenship to more than 100,000 Chakma, Hajong Buddhists and Hindus from the Chittagong Hill tracts of East Bengal, who fled the country because of religious persecution in the 1960s, when the

Bullish Unilever CEO Polman

Paul Polman CEO of Unilever is happy that Unilever’s Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever has doubled its profit margins. While a lot had changed for Unilever, he says ‘Unilever’s value and values is to benefit the billions, and not simply the billionaires. He hoped Unilever would double its India business in the next seven years.

Telangana hamlets on solar power

GST Council cut rate of 40 items

About 300 homes in four Telangana hamlets in Nalgonda district have been getting uninterrupted 24-hour solar power for domestic needs. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Verizon Data Services India, Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Ltd and Rural Electrification Corporation have joined together to install a 125 watt solar panel in the hamlets

The GST Council has cut the tax rate of 40 items of daily use and softened the blow on the auto industry by introducing only a part of the 10 per cent cess on automobiles, and imposing it in graded form. Technical hitches faced by taxpayers using the GST network were part of the teething problems, which would be overcome in due course, said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley (Times of India September 10).

Recovery from October: expert Hugo Erken, Senior Economist, Rabobank’s Research Global Economics & Markets, who had correctly predicted India’s economic slowdown in the first two quarters, says that recovery will start from the third quarter beginning October (Business Line September 10).

Dealing in facts Let us be clear about the facts. In August, Rohingya militants initiated a campaign of violence against the Myanmar police and army. The response has been clearly disproportionate, leading to an exodus of biblical proportions into neighbouring Bangladesh, from where an anguished Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appealed to the Myanmar authorities to facilitate their return home.

The international community, for their part, should step in with help to alleviate a desperate situation and, having done so, suggest measures for a long-term solution to this ongoing tragedy. India has pressed Myanmar to take remedial steps to staunch this outflow of traumatized humanity (Times of India, Hindu, Telegraph September 13-15).

eventual success, he said (Hindu September 15)

Russia’s slow response to privatization Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a welcome ceremony at Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat

and Shinzo Abe, following a warm embrace at the airport, set out on a colorful 8-mile drive into the walled city and Mahatma Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram. The motorcade was preceded by a motorcycle escort before a crowd of many thousands. It was a spectacular setting to a truly historic occasion, marking a landmark in relations between Asia’s two foremost regional powers.

Bullet train The two prime ministers laid the foundation stone of the high speed ‘bullet train,’ designed to run between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Apart from Japanese technology, there will also be training for the 4,000 Indian staff. The entire project has the potential to revolutionize Indian rail travel, with spin-offs on domestic communications.

Fifteen agreements were signed covering a wide spectrum of science, technology and critical areas of industry (Hindu, Times of India September 15) See page 3 for comment.

Apple’s dazzling launch Apple’s next generation iPhone, launched on the 10th anniversary of iPhone, was worthy of the occasion. It is what it was cracked up to be – a wonderful display of technological innovation and skill associated with the Apple name. It has a new iPhone All Bionic processor that is 75 per cent faster than its predecessor, and is designed with algorithms for the

concerned.(Business September 14).

Line

Cotton plucking game-changer Manual plucking of raw cotton will soon be a thing of the past. Cotton farmers will have the option to switch to a battery driven machine that is designed to do the job with a 20 per cent saving in labour costs and the bonus of improved productivity. The Tamil Nadu government is promoting the venture (Business Line September 12).

Indian startup ecosystem better than Japan’s Sounds fictional, but the statement emanates from a tried and tested Japanese entrepreneur with considerable experience in India.

Taizo Son, a mobile games businessman and brother of Masayashi Son, one of the world’s leading technology investors, is a powerful and hugely respected figure in his own right. He has set up ‘Gastrotope,’ an accelerator, through his incubator ‘Mistletoe’ with Indian collaborators GSF and Infobridge.

Interest in India Asked by a reporter about what triggered his interest in India, Taizo Son replied that he became interested in food technology, hence his tie-up with GSF. ‘India is the greatest farming country in the world,’ therefore its potential in agriculture with new startups is huge and exciting. Failure is inevitable, but it is the road to

Russian defence suppliers find state-owned Indian entities more attuned to their comfort zone than private companies. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, Russia accounts for 68 per cent of India’s arms imports, followed by the US with 14 per cent and Israel with 7 per cent. A Russian industry expert confirmed that Russian companies were more comfortable partnering Indian public sector units. This makes sense, since the PSUs have proven expertise in handling Russian technoly systems, whereas private companies are still are something of an unknown quantity.

Deepening cooperation

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India-Russia war games India and Russia are preparing to undertake a joint military exercise, named Indra, in the Russian Federation from October 19-29, will involve all three services, army, navy and air force – the first of its kind undertaken by India (Hindu September 14).

Indian artillery sets world record The new advanced towed artillery gun system being jointly developed by the Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) and a private sector consortium, set a world record in range, hitting a target 48.074 kms distance. The specially made ammunition was essemtial to the success of this 155mm artillery piece, part of the Army’s modernization programme currently under way. Following the preent Pokhran tests in Rajasthan, the next round will be conducted in Sikkim in December (Hindu September 16).

Amarnath yatri Jihadis killed The Lashkar-e-Toiba mastermind behind the attack on the Amarnath pilgrims on 10 July Abu Ismail and his associate Chota Qasim, both from Pakistan, were tracked and killed in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir (Hindu, Times of India September 15).

Exports, foreign exchange reserves buoyant India’s exports have climbed 10.3 per cent, to reverse a 5-month slowdown. This represents a yearon-year rise to $23.8 billion, according to data released by the Commerce Ministry in New Delhi.

The recovery was led by engineering goods, petroleum products and chemicals, and by rising demand in foreign markets.

However, industry sources have warned that the improvement will have to be sustained over a sufficiently lengthy period for confidence to return.

Meanwhile India’s foreign exchange reserves have crossed $400 billion for the first time, reaching $400.726 billion at the weekend (Hindu, Business Line September 16).

Briefs

Victor Kladov, Director, Rostech Corporation, which comprises 700 companies in defence and other strategic sectors, said ‘Russia is deepening cooperation with India amid strong global competition.

Only Russia has been transferring 100 per cent technology, allowing firms to set up full-fledged manufacturing weapon systems.’

Russia has licensed the manufacture of SU-30MKI fighter aircraft, T 90 tanks, RD-33 jet engine, while the lethal supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles are part of a joint Indo-Russian venture.

ISRO’s satellite launch arm’s international services, Antrix, will be treated as exports, and hence attract zero GST. However, 18 per cent domestic tax will be unchanged.

Amazon has tied up with the Bank of Baroda to offer microloans to sellers.

Indian relief supplies are being air-lifted to Bangladesh refugee camps for fleeing Rohingyas. Sikhs have set up free food kitchens along the Indo-Bangladesh border for the refugees.

Kamov helicopters

Nagpur-born Divya Deshmukh, became a chess enthusiast at the tender age of four. His parents, Jitendra and Namrata Deshmukh, encouraged his passion. Now 11, he has become the World Cadet Chess Champion in the under-12 category, played recently at Pocos de Caldas, Brazil (Hindu September 4).

Russia’s most recent ‘Made in India’ initiative, the Kamov-226KT helicopters are being manufactured by India’s stateowned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Russia is currently eyeing $10 billion worth deals with India.

All’s well that ends well (Business Line September 11).

11-year old chess whizz kid

UK

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Retired senior judge warns of the lack of safeguards in the power of attorney system in England and Wales

The Need for Muslim Freedom Fighters Everywhere Muslims are under attack it seems. Not from the West, but other Muslims. Islam needs freedom fighters.

Freedom from the Muslims that will kill them in Iraq, that will kill them in Syria and that will kill them in Afghanistan.

And that will kill them in Pakistan.

As Muslims are slaughtered still in Syria, survivors ask on BBC why the world watches and does not help? Is it because one day the West is asked for help, the next attacked for giving it? And when the West takes Syrian refugees, one it turns out has been arrested for the London Tube bombing last week. Yet the West remains willing and able – as always to send her sons into harm’s way to save Muslim lives.

For all the energy that goes into killing an American Ambassador and daring and co-ordination for attacking US consulates, and Embassies around the world, you’d think you would be able to save each other in Syria, as much as kill Westerners elsewhere? You would think you would have influence over your own community, more than non-Muslim Westerners do? You would think if you can send over fighters from Bradford to Pakistan, to Afghanistan, you could divert them to humanitarian help in Burma and Bangladesh.

So if ever I hear another idiot unable to tell the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist, it is this – a freedom fighter would die for his beliefs, but would rather live for them, and would rather others lived too. A freedom fighter

spends more energy on saving lives, than killing lives.

Why are there more Muslim protests worldwide over words in a movie, than over dead Muslim babies in Syria? I have common cause with Islam. I want there not only to be more Muslim freedom fighters, but proof that the Muslim brotherhood exists too, to save Islam in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan, as it wipes itself out.

When Pope Benedict visited the Blue Mosque in Istanbul he said, ‘May all believers identify themselves with the one God and bear witness to true brotherhood.’

Muslims of the world, unite, you are your brother’s keeper. A Catholic has told you – a Pope no less, a Hindu commoner has told you –when will the Muslim brotherhood tell you?

And to the Muslims in Pakistan, I remind you the words of the founding father of your nation, Mahatma Gandhi, ‘death for me would be a glorious deliverance rather than that I should be a helpless witness of the destruction of …

Islam…that destruction is certain if Pakistan ensures no equality of status and security of life and property for all professing the various faiths of the world, and if India copies her. Only then Islam dies in the two India's.

Islam flourishes only if it stops Muslims killing Muslims. Only if it protects those of other faiths. That is what my faith teaches me.

Solutions4Health appointed as Slough health provider Solutions 4 Health Ltd has been appointed by Slough Borough Council as the new provider of health visiting and school nursing service for Slough residents Solutions 4 Health Ltd has been working in Slough for many years, providing health promotion services on behalf of the council.

Solutions 4 Health will officially take over the service provision on 1 October.

The current skilled and dedicated workforce who provide the service at the front line will move across to Solutions 4 Health when the new service launches in October.

Cllr Sabia Hussain, cabinet member for health and social care, said: “Giving children and young people the best start in life and opportunities for positive lives is one of the council’s five priority outcomes.

“The health visiting

and school nursing services are central to achieving this and I am pleased we now have an exciting opportunity to further develop the service to ensure it meets the needs of families in Slough.”

Leena Sankla, Director of Public Health & Lifestyle Services, from Solutions 4 Health, said: “We are delighted the Council has entrusted us to deliver cohesive, integrated, and transformational services for children, young people, and their families across Slough” “We look forward to welcoming the exemplary team of health visitors and school nurses into our supportive, focussed, and caring culture. The team will be provided with additional support, resources, and innovative ways of working” “We are committed to building on the existing strong local foundation and our established part-

This week paid subscribers of Asian Voice will receive a copy of our magazine in honour of HH Mahant Swami Maharaj with their newspaper.

nerships with the voluntary sector, primary, and secondary care” Solutions 4 Health won the tender following a rigorous internal procurement process. As a local authority we are required to ensure we obtain good value in the services we purchase. This is achieved through a competitive tendering process where suppliers are scored against an agreed set of criteria, demonstrating they represent good value for money and can provide quality services.

The new service will: n provide an integrated 019 public health nursing service, and up to 25 years for individuals with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) n continue to provide the services currently being delivered n implement changes to improve accessibility; including a single point of contact, extended hours and an on-line provision.

Solutions 4 Health are an experienced provider of health improvement services in both Slough and across the UK. Solutions 4 Health provide a number of other services in Slough, including cardiowellness4slough, eat4health, fallsfree4life and Smoke Freelife Berkshire.

The Court of Protection (CoP) grants Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) to the families or close friends of individuals lacking mental capacity to make decisions regarding their health and wellbeing, finances Helen Cummings and property matters.

Denzil Lush, a senior judge in the CoP for twenty years, says people should be aware of the risks associated with LPA documents. Lush wrote, in Cretney & Lush on Lasting and Enduring Powers of Attorney, that the “lack of transparency causes suspicions and concerns which tend to rise in a crescendo and eventually explode.”

The power-of-attorney (PoA) process can reassure those lacking mental capacity and their loved ones. It also carries great risks, including financial abuse – e.g. the coercion of an elderly person into signing deeds, wills, or PoA documents.

In 2003, Frank Willett, in his 80s and suffering from dementia, appointed neighbour Colin Blake his PoA. Blake persuaded Frank to have a will drawn up making him “principal beneficiary”. Blake took full control of Frank’s financial affairs with LPA. Frank’s daughter Lesley and her husband lived over 300 miles away and initially supported the agreement, believing his assets would be safe.

Blake started to take money from Frank’s savings, withdrawing almost £9,000, putting £15,000 into his building firm account and investing £70,000 in a French property.

Frank moved into care in 2004. Blake registered the Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) with the CoP, allowing him to sell Frank’s house. Lesley and Brian Felton challenged this; however, they failed to demonstrate that Blake was unfit to be Frank’s attorney, without access to Frank’s bank accounts.

In 2007, Blake sold his home, liquidated his company and moved to France.

Toilet trained boys leave girls behind in physics Academics have put forward an unusual theory about the gender divide in physics. It is a new take on the arc of learning.

The gender gap in physics, where girls are traditionally left behind, may be the result, not of brain structure, but of boys’ fondness for urinating at targets.

In the UK, only one in five of pupils who studies A-level physics is a girl.

Australian academics have now explored the gender divide.

Anna Wilson, adjunct associate professor at the Australian National University and colleagues put forward their theory in the Times Education Supplement.

Meanwhile, Frank’s care bills were in arrears, despite his house being sold for over £130,000.

Office of the Public Guardian investigated in 2008 and revoked the PoA. When Frank passed away in 2009, Lesley and Brian overturned Frank’s will created under Blake’s influence. After the police pursued him, Blake pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to 4.5 years.

Upon sentencing Blake, Judge James Spender QC said: “I’m quite sure that you took advantage of his [Frank’s] dependence as he deteriorated and you abused that level of trust.”

Since this case, changes have been made, with LPAs replacing EPAs in 2007.

The EPA regime was a simple process where a short form was signed by the person in question and their chosen attorney.

LPAs are more complicated and thorough.

To appoint an attorney, you need someone to provide a certificate confirming your mental capacity, which can be provided by a solicitor, doctor or non-relation who has known you for more than two years.

LPAs must be registered with the court before use. When registering, certain designated individuals must be notified to protect against rogue attorneys. However, Lush’s warning raises questions regarding the safety of PoA documents.

Author, Helen Cummings, is a Trainee Solicitor in the Public Law and CoP Department at Duncan Lewis, with experience in litigating a broad range of areas, including Judicial Review in various areas of public law such as children and community care and CoP proceedings.

Duncan Lewis' Court of Protection Department assists individuals in publicly and privately funded cases from offices across London and throughout the UK. The department is Legal 500 recommended leading practice for cases that overlap mental health and capacity and deprivation of liberty safeguards. The firm is applauded for its specialism in judicial review claimant matters and higher courts work. For more information, please contact Duncan Lewis Solicitors on 0333 772 0409.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

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Punjab CM launches initiative for British- Brum welcomes BAME Punjabi youth to connect with ancestral roots orchestra, Chineke!

Charusmita The Chief Minister of Punjab, Capt. Amarinder Singh, was in London last week to launch Punjab government’s global initiative in the UK. The initiative called ‘Connect with Your Roots’ (CYR) is aimed at 16-22 years old Punjabi-Origin students living abroad who wish to reconnect with their ancestral roots. It will particularly involve those students who have never been to India and would like to visit and interact with their fellow students in the universities in Punjab.

The senior Congress leader also focused on Punjab as a state which is increasingly becoming lucrative for investments. He said, “Anyone interested in starting an industry in Punjab will have a singlewindow clearance within four days.”

Capt. Amarinder Singh

The CYR initiative will have the state government organising 15-days’ tours of Punjab for groups of 15 once in every two months.

Addressing the attendees in Punjabi, Capt.

Amarinder said, “It is our desire through this initiative that the generation of youngsters who have only heard stories about Punjab or seen it on television get to really know Punjab and what we call ‘Punjabiyat’. We want them to judge the onground reality of today’s Punjab themselves. We want them to understand

the aspirations of their counterparts too, in a conducive environment”.

In the first phase of the CYR programme, the countries to be covered will be Canada, the United States, Australia and European Union member countries. The first three groups in the initial six months will be from the UK. The cost of travel to and from India will have to be paid by the selected students and the Punjab Government will bear the rest. The Indian High Commission will publicise the initiative to the British

Punjabi community in the UK, and will also extend help wherever needed, as mentioned by the High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr. Y.K. Sinha.

There will be a tailormade itinerary for every group and will involve sight-seeing of historic sites in Punjab like the Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and the Wagah Border, apart from suggested sites by the participants themselves, including their ancestral villages. The programme will require students to live in home-stays in village areas in Punjab for a few days. Capt Amarinder added, “These are not intended to be ‘political trips’ and anyone with an alliance with any party is welcome to visit and speak to whoever they wish.”

The first tour is expected to begin as early as next month around Diwali or by November.

Dhiren Katwa

Birmingham’s Symphony Hall hosted Europe’s firstever Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic (BAME) orchestra, Chineke! Last Saturday evening (Sep 16) began with a private VIP drinks reception and featured a pre-concert conversation with Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE, pictured, Founder & Artistic Director of Chineke!

Fresh from their BBC Proms debut, Chineke’s performance captured the likes of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Mendelssohn’s popular Violin Concerto.

The orchestra is led by iconic violinist Tai Murray who has become an essential personality in today’s classical musical world.

With pin-drop silence and rapturous applause a relevant moments, the concert mesmerised the house-full audience. Chi-Chi was awarded an OBE this year for Services to Music in the

Queen’s Birthday honours list. Chineke’s Patron is Baroness Patricia Scotland QC. Speaking about her project, Chi-chi said: “My aim is to create a space where BAME musicians can walk on stage and know that they belong, in every sense of the word. If even one BAME child feels that their colour is getting in the way of their musical ambitions, then I hope to inspire them, give them a platform, and show them that music, of whatever kind, is for all people.”

To find out more about Chineke!

Visit www.chineke.org

UK Bengalis gear up for Durga puja festivities Rupanjana Dutta Every Bengali across the globe terribly miss Kolkata during the Durga puja festivals. Nostalgic they try and recreate Kolkata's puja ambience in their local community halls with much devotion, pomp and gaiety. The weather in Britain is unlike that in Kolkata during Durga puja.

With chilly winds and autumn setting in, people are in their layers, but you will still see women in traditional sarees, men in Indian kurtas disembarking the tube, bus, cars and taxis, happiness radiant on their faces.

Keeping these happy faces in mind, Dr Sumit Konar, a postdoctoral researcher in University of Edinburgh, originally from Burdawan has created an interactive google map that tells you where your nearby Puja in the UK is. With 40+ organisations who have already provided their informations on this map, it intends to give you a comprehensive idea of all the Durga pujas that are being held in the UK. Speaking to Asian Voice he said, “The UK Bengali population is floating. This map will be particularly helpful for those who are new to the UK and will help them to plan for proper 'Puja Parikroma'. The map also allows Puja organisers to share photos and Puja schedule.

When you look at the map, you can see several dots. It tells you where the pujas are being held.

When you click on them, you see details about those pujas and whatever informations the organisers have provided. I expect the numbers on the map to grow till the puja and my next plan is to launch an app. That will make porikroma even more

easy.”

Hindu Pragati Sangha in Mile End, East London is one of the oldest Pujas in London. Like every year it is organising their puja at 33 Rhondda Grove, East London, on the premises of their temple. The puja was established in 1977, though initially held in community and school halls, it moved to a freehold building in 1985.

An organisation called Spandan was formed 7 years back when a number of likeminded Bengalis decided to create a piece of Bengal right here in Croydon, South London. It was formed to re-create and preserve the rich Bengali tradition down the lineage. But Spandan Croydon Durga Pujo started last year at Katherine Street and was deemed a resounding success based on the spontaneity of the people, their feedback, and the fabulous times. They are celebrating Durga puja again this year from 27th till 30th September. It will also include cultural activities involving the younger generations.

The Essex Indians in

Brentwood are organising their second durga puja at the Bishop Hall Community centre. The puja decorations are inspired from Kalighat's 'Potua' locality, the idol is created by Sanatan Rudra Pal and much of the decorations will also be contributed by the famous Neel Kaushik.

Cultural activities will involve youngsters, and their puja will be from 29th September to 1st October. They will also live stream durga puja celebrations at Paschim Vihar in Delhi on 29th September.

London's famous Camden puja is in its 54th year. Like previous years, the London Durga Puja Dusserah Committee will start the festivities from 27 September till 1 October 2017 at Camden Centre, London.

Programmes will include dance drama viz. 'Mahishashura Mardini' as well as 'Agomoni songs' by young students from Dakshinayan UK. Bengal's famous Lopamudra Mitra and Joy Sarkar will be performing live here on 1st October and a reunion by BE College and Jadavpur University alumni in the UK will be hosted on 29th

and 30th September.

London Sharad Utsav (LSU) is organising their pujo at the famous Ealing Town hall, in West London, from 28th September to 1st October including their famous 'Kumari Pujo'. This year their cultural performances by LSU’s own artists, Bollywood night by local band Eastern Euphony and beauty contest for ladies ‘Debi’. On the final day, LSU is going to host a premiere of upcoming Bengali movie ‘Projapati Biscuit’ from the makers of Praktan, Posto and Open Tee Bioscope.

Aadi Shakti near Uxbridge, North West London is organising a puja for the first time. It will be held at Harefield Academy, Nothwood way from 29 September till 1st October.

Not only in London, Manchester, North West Bengali Hindu Cultural Association will also celebrate Durga Puja festival at Indian Association of Oldham, in Oldham, from Tuesday 26th September to Saturday 30th September.

Milton Keynes Ananda Club (MKAC) is celebrating it's 29th Durga Puja this year with high spirit. Over the years the club has growth from strength to strength expanding in every way, reliving the spirit of Durga pujo thousands of miles away from where it originates, making sure the younger generation is able to taste the spirit of the single biggest Hindu Bengali celebration to the fullest. In the words of Sourav Auddy, the Joint Treasurer of MKAC, "What started back in 1989 in Milton Keynes, with 11 families, today has come to be UKs largest durga puja celebrated in a Marquee, over 650 square

meters (>7000 sq ft) area, hosting nearly 5000 visitors over the five day festival" They will host Durga Puja celebrations from 26th to 29th September this year in Ashton, Northamptonshire, (NN7 2JN) and also to be a part of the Bollywood musical extravaganza on 14th October in Milton Keynes.

Shrimoyee Chakraborty's restaurant Calcutta Street in London is organising a special feast over 4 days to celebrate Durga puja, combined with Storytelling, Antakshari, live music and a set menu of authentic Bengali food.

Idol making Bengal Heritage Project which is a joint initiative of LSU, School of Oriental and African Studies of London University will showcase Bengal’s idol making to the world. Under this initiative of famous idol maker Kaushik Ghosh, clay idols will be made live in front of the Puja visitors. The artists’ demonstration will bring the sculpting art of Kolkata to the SOAS premises together with a rich ensemble of heritage textiles, jewellery and other artefacts showcasing historical connections in the IndiaUK year of culture. The clay sculpting process will be open to viewing on 2nd-3rd and 5th7th October.

This will be an example of the combined effort for cultural integration from LSU along with the other UK Pujas like Wales Puja (Cardiff), Midland Bengali association (Birmingham), Cambridge Puja committees.

Honourable chief minister of West Bengal, Smt Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate this idol making process on 22nd September 2017 electronically and remotely from Kolkata.

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Boris Johnson may resign from cabinet

Boris Johnson could be resigning from the cabinet as Foreign Secretary if Prime Minister Theresa May signals she will pursue a “Swiss-style” Brexit, even though he is publicly denying he will walk away from the Cabinet.

The foreign secretary reportedly told reporters in New York he would not resign and denied the cabinet was split over Brexit policy, insisting: “We are a nest of singing birds.”

But it is understood that Johnson may consider resigning if May talks about “soft Brexit” advocated by Chancellor Philip Hammond, when she makes a key speech in Florence.

The Telegraph reported on Tuesday that the foreign secretary could even quit the cabinet before the weekend if May signals that she will sign up the UK to paying for access to the single market permanently in an arrangement similar to staying in the European Economic Area (EEA).

The foreign secretary – who is supported by other proleave ministers, including Michael Gove, was unhappy about some of the wording in early drafts of the speech.

Fourth Hull Indian Mela celebrates Indian culture

Thousands of people flocked at Hull City Hall on September 16, for the biennial Hull Indian Mela.

Organised by the Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire Hindu Cultural Association, the celebration saw dance performances by Bollywood dancers, Dhol drummers, cookery classes, stalls selling crafts and jewellery, topped with authentic Indian cuisine from local Indian restaurant Tapasya. The event ended with a spectacular fireworks show on top of the City Hall

London to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti

Like every year, this year as well, the Indian High Commission and India League will be celebrating the annual Gandhi Jayanti celebrations at the Tavistock Square, London on Monday 2 October 2017 at 11am. The event, that is open to public, is usually attended by HE Y K Sinha High Commissioner of India to UK, Mayor of Camden, local Councillors, Asian MPs and Peers, community leaders and organisational heads. The High Commissioner and the Chairman of the India League will address the gathered audience along with the Mayor of Camden.

Mahatma Gandhi, known as the Father of the Nation for India, was born on 2nd October 1869 in Porbandar and was the preeminent leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. His birthday is considered world wide as the International day of Non Violence.

The statue at the Tavistock Square in London was the first Gandhi statue in the UK. Besides these many other community organisations will be organising inde- pendent events to mark Mahatma's birthday.

AMAN DOSANJ: Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

SP

15

TLIGHT

THE REAL-LIFE JESMINDER

Sunetra Senior

T

he first ever footballer to play for England, Dosanj has scored – or rather handled - more than a few goals.

Dosanj held the high-pressure, international post of goalkeeper back in 1999, after being endorsed by ex-England goalkeeper, Sue Bucket, “who saw something from the first training session, and went to speak to the parents at the end. I was extremely proud to have not only represented my country, but been the first British Indian to play at an international level, and of course, before a boy too!” The young champion was also lined up to travel out to the US on a scholarship, at the same time Gurinder Chadha’s Bend It Like Beckham was launching in cinemas.

“When I met Parminder Nagra,” she told us, “it was actually quite funny; we were exactly the same height and like her, I was mistaken to be a lot younger than I was,” Dosanj told us.

“We also had flack for not being able to make round chapattis (I was spoilt by having two really strong women, in my Mum and Granny, raise me, and so they cooked). The major difference, however, was that my parents bought me up to have an opinion and open mind, and so were really supportive when my coach told me that I had talent and could play for the country with the right training and help.”

It seems then that a sympathetic route to becoming an iconic sporting symbol has also bred in Dosanj a significant political fight. With regard to the changing state of racism, Dosanj said: “I think this and intolerance has just become a lot more acceptable in society. I haven't lived in England for 9 years (she now resides in Canada), so I can't fully say, but the last time I was back was for about 2 months, just after Brexit. I think we can learn from trying to become better. When I spoke with some of my friends about Brexit, they told me how their immigrant parents voted out because when they came to England all those years ago, they didn't have help. Where's the compassion in that? Sometimes we need to be reminded of all of our similarities to accept the differences.” Over her vast career, Dosanj has headed the Football Association’s anti-racism ‘Kick it Out’ campaign as ambassador, and continued to speak out for diversity in sports. Thus, Dosanj emerges more than an example of gender equality and a product of cultural progress, but that of the power of the individual as interconnected with community, and literally grassroots action: “I was never naturally gifted, and I don't think anyone really is, but I was willing to put in the hours and received a lot of reassurance. My successes in sport and the ability to pick myself up (even when it's really hard to and hurts), helped me believe that I can

do anything I set my mind to. I don't think it's a case of male and female, but well-guided aptitude.”

What motivational piece of Hopefully, talking contemporarily, advice would you give to and building on the message of the young and aspiring sportswomen pop-cultural millennial film, Dosanj today? added: “the future is in training Keep believing in yourself; my young people in teams that aren’t story looks very shiny, but I've had segregated: whether it’s race, gender so many set-backs. At the end of the etc. The only way you can get better day, despite the significance of soliis by playing with people darity, if you don't believe in from different walks of yourself, who will? I've life.” And, of course, experienced racist comdefending an open ments, I've had my mind. extended family ask The major difference whether I was a between the film and Are boy or a girl, peomy story was that my there ple questioning parents brought me up other similarmy sexuality, but to have an opinion and ities between none of that open mind, and so you and Bend mattered to me. I were really supportive It Like knew I wanted to Beckham’s play for Arsenal when my coach told Jesminder? and England, but I me of my talent I used to also knew I wanted sneak out of wedto get my degree and dings and family gathonto a Marketing graduate erings with my Dad to play scheme. I stayed true to myself football for my team! and fought for it, whatever that meant.Women are as capable as What grabbed you most men. Indians are as capable as other about football? ethnicities. Let's figure out how I think the sport has tremendous we're going to get more Britishpotential to bring people together, Indians and people of different especially when it comes to the backgrounds into the Premier international stage.

League teams and representing our country.

Why were you personally Also, from a practical standdrawn to the position of goalpoint, getting into the academies keeper? very young is crucial.

I have an older brother who is 4 years older than me and he obviousFinally, in terms of excitement ly wanted a brother! He used to take and show of skill respectively, me out to the garden and fire shots what have been some of your at me. I also think it's the most favourite sports generally. It seems intelligent position on the pitch and like you’re not afraid to experione where you can see everything ment? happening. When I was 10, I signed Growing up I played cricket, tenon for Red Star Southampton (which nis, volleyball, but mainly football then got affiliated with with my siblings. As I've become Southampton FC), and the training older I enjoy going for hikes, being which followed kept my passion outdoors and adventuring. My main alive from there. I didn't know I passion these days is cooking - and I would only grow to 5 ft 2, but I still can even make round chapattis!? represented my country with a lot of hard work. https://twitter.com/amandosanj

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UK

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Parsons Green tube bomb 'built in garden shed' Rupanjana Dutta Police has arrested has two refugees one from Iraq and the other Syria in connection to the Parsons Green bombing that injured 30 people. The alleged attackers may have built his bomb in a shed at the bottom of the back garden of his Surrey foster home, it has emerged. Detectives are investigating whether the outhouse in Sunbury-onThames could have afforded the 18-year-old suspect the privacy he needed to allegedly construct the device.

Though the Met Police have not confirmed the identity of the refugees, sources have revealed one of them were Yahyah Farroukh, 21, a Syrian refugee, who was arrested outside the chicken shop where he worked in Hounslow on Saturday night just hours after police caught another 18 year old suspected for planting the tube bomb at the Port of Dover.

Farroukh was allegedly studying at the West Thames College in Isleworth since 2013, though originally he is from Damascus, according to his facebook profile.

The Iraqi refugee who has been arrested allegedly trying to escape from Port of Dover, remains in the custody of police. Both men are believed to have spent some time at the home of elderly British carers Ronald Jones, 88 and Penelope Jones 71. The couple were honoured in 2010 with an MBE for services to children and families. Police are searching their home too, and have learnt to have fostered at least 268 children, including refugees from conflict zones, in the last four decades.

What happened on Friday It was a typical Friday morning.

Commuters boarded a packed eastbound district line from Wimbledon, which is the longest tube line in the London underground, to go to work. The district line travels through Westminster, where the Parliament is, and also passes through many major tourist sites and national railway stations like V i c t o r i a , Blackfriars, Cannon Street. When the train just pulled into Parsons Green Station in south-

Yahyah Farroukh

west London at 8:20am, 5 stops from where the train had started, an "improvised explosive device" detonated, believed to be on a timer.

The explosive was in what looks like a white bucket, (often used by builders) in a supermarket carrier bag, and went off in a loud bang and flash. The train doors fell open moment this happened, people ran for their lives to the platforms.

Police vehicles were heard rushing down the west London road, with sirens blazing as they pass supermarkets, furniture stores and music shops. The station is a very small one.

There are no escalators or lifts, with a tiny staircase, and people were trampled, as they panicked to get out.

And bit by bit, commuters who were stuck on the trains behind are being allowed to exit, as things settled.

Police immediately put up cordon around Parsons Green station, with every side street blocked off by blue and white tape.

Immediately other tube stations were also put on high alert. A commuter Vivek, who was using Canary Wharf station an hour after the Parsons Green incident told the newspaper, “There were heavy checks at tube station now.

People looked alarmed.” Canary Wharf which is 10 miles away from the Parsons Green station, is a major financial district of London.

Thirty people were hurt

at the incident, though none seriously and are being treated in hospital, mostly for burn injuries and the incident is being treated as terrorism, police confirmed.

Parsons Green is essentially a quiet residential area with the popular Chelsea Football Club at stone's throw away distance. Police has requested commuters to be vigilant and not keep looking at their phones while they walk or travel.

Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations of the Metropolitan Police Service said, "This was a detonation of an improvised explosive device. The scene currently remains cordoned off and the investigation continues...

"Londoners can expect to see an enhanced police presence, particularly across the transport system across the day."

He asked the public to remain "vigilant" and said they should "not be alarmed".

Mr Rowley said anyone who took pictures or videos at the scene can upload them to ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.

What witnesses saw Witnesses have described seeing at least one passenger with facial injuries, while others spoke of "panic" as alarmed passengers left the train at the station. There was a stampede, people falling on each other- a total chaos when nobody knew what exactly was happening.

Ronan Breen a local resident, lives around the corner from the incident.

Married to an Indian woman from Kolkata, every day in the week he drops off their 3 year old daughter to a nursery close to Parsons Green station, and then takes the tube from Parsons Green to his office in central London.

On Friday he was late by a few minutes, and police cars just zoomed passed him

towards the station, and he heard helicopters hovering above the head, when he realised something was terribly wrong.

As he approached the station, he was told what may have happened, and he was left shocked. Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively he said, “I started late from home today. So I escaped this carnage by a few minutes. I had to find an alternative way to get to work.”

Passenger Peter Crowley said he was sitting in the carriage, travelling from Wimbledon, when the explosion happened.

He reportedly said his head was burned by a "really hot intense fireball above my head" and added: "There were people a lot worse than me."

BBC London presenter Riz Lateef, who was at Parsons Green on her way in to work, said: "There was panic as people rushed from the train, hearing what appeared to be an explosion.

"People were left with cuts and grazes from trying to flee the scene. There was lots of panic."

Afzal Ahraf, a visiting fellow at Nottingham University Centre for Conflict and Terror said, said, "It is an indication that the terrorist threat is still live. we are very fortunate that in this particular case, nobody seems to seriously hurt. I am sure suspects will be arrested soon after CCTV footages are analysed. If the explosive today was substantial the result would have been catastrophic. My daughter was on the train behind this train where the explosion happened, and it could have easily been her today on the train. I was on a train when the 7/7 bombings happened in London, and it could have easily me dead in one of those explosions. We have some of the best security services in the world and counter terrorism units in the world and they are keeping the threat low. But we do need to think about how to eliminate this threat, and that is looking at the global political situation which feeds as the motivation for this horribl e incident" This is the fifth terrorism incident of 2017 in which an attack has taken place. It's the only one this year in which nobody has died. The previous four saw 36 people killed. The Met Police is now being assisted by MI5 on the investigation.

Riz Ahmed conquers Emmys Continued from page 1 His parents moved to the UK from Karachi during the 1970s. He is a descendant of Sir Shah Muhammed Sulaiman the first British Indian to become the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh during the colonial era.

He attended Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood through a scholarship programme. He graduated from Christ Church College, University of Oxford with a degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which he has said he found to be a bizarre experience.

He later studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he explained: “When you first start seeing black or Muslim characters in mainstream culture, they can start off as the stereotypical portrayal — it’s the cab driver, the shopkeeper, the drug dealer.

“And then sometimes, hopefully, you move beyond that, and it’s still storylines that are tied to that character’s ethnicity, but they’re working against those stereotypes.

“I was lucky that I came into the game just when we were moving from that stage one caricature into stage two.”

At his acceptance speech Ahmed added, "I want to say it is always strange reaping the rewards of a story based on real world suffering.

"But if this show has shown a light on some of the prejudice in our societies, xenophobia, some of the injustice in our justice system, then maybe that is something."

He also thanked the South Asian Youth Action and The Innocence Project for helping him prepare.

Backstage, commenting on his win, according to The Independent news report, Ahmed said: "I don’t know if any one person’s win of an award, or one person snagging one role, or one person doing very well changes something that’s a systemic issue...I think that’s something that happens slowly over time."

"In terms of US and the UK, I’m really proud to be a Londoner. I’m really proud to be from the UK. I’m also really aware that actors of color often have more opportunity in the US, but I think ultimately now we see that TV in particular is a global medium," he added.

"People are streaming shows or watching them all around the world. Hopefully we’ll see a globalisation of our storytelling."

Ahmed told journalists after the Emmys that “what we’re starting to see is more awareness around how beneficial it can be to tell a

diverse range of stories and to tell them in a way that’s authentic.”

“And I think awareness is the first step to real change,” he added.

Only two other actors of Asian descent have won at the Emmys before: Archie

Aziz Ansari with Lena Waithe

Panjabi in 2010 for The Good Wife and Shohreh Aghdashloo in 2009 for House of Saddam.

Taking the twitter speaking about Ahmed's great win, actress and author Meera Syal wrote, “Lump in throat remembering being kid with big dreams, brown skin and no map. And now this...”

Television and host of the Subaltern podcast and author, Nikesh Shukla wrote, “Shame he had to go and get accolades in America for Britain to notice. Wish more roles had been available for him here.”

Ahmed's win in the US is indeed a proof that glass ceilings still exist for Asian actors in the UK, which many have been fighting against for years. However Ahmed's victory a week after the 16th anniversary of 9/11 feels particularly noteworthy, as a man whose chances of being “randomly” searched in any airport remains really possible in this Islamophobic world, Ahmed has instead been bestowed with a shimmering golden trophy. However it remains a pity, that Ahmed's talents were much less acknowledged in the UK (e.g. with our own Bafta), and he had to move to the US, to establish his abilities.

Akram Khan MBE, a famous dancer and choreographer of Bangladeshi origin in the UK, in an exclusive interview with the newspaper earlier said, though such glass ceilings are much less seen in the world of dance, he has definitely heard about it from his actor friends in the UK. Ahmed’s win wasn’t the only breakthrough of the night. Aziz Ansari, the son of Indian immigrants in the US, won the comedy writing award for Netflix’s “Master of None,” after making history last year as the first South Asian person nominated for a leading role in a television series. He shared this year’s comedy writing award with Lena Waithe, who became the first black woman to win an Emmy for writing on a comedy series.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Britains Disappearing Dalits -

Where have 350,000 British Citizens gone?

This Sunday, the Sunday Times added its own significant weight to the long running campaign to vilify and denigrate British Hindus, by declaring that 50,000 British Dalits were suffering from the scourge of "caste discrimination". In doing so Jon UngoedThomas has merely served to declare to the world, just precisely the degree to which the Colonialists’ Hinduodium "hatred of all things Hindu", still pervades the pillars of the British establishment.

On the 4th March 2013 the evangelical Christian fundamentalist Bishop Lord Harries of Pentregarth declared to the world that 480,000 British Dalits suffered at the hands of other British Hindus on a daily basis. Lords Deben, Singh, Sheikh, Alton and others added their voices to emphasise the scale of the horrors blighting the daily lives of 400,000 of her Majesty's subjects. Baroness Flather and other peers leapt to denounce the morally bankrupt acts of the demonic Hindoos who had brought their uncivilised religious prejudices and practices to the sacred sinfree shores of Great Britain.

The Sunday Times has simply overlooked the obvious question - where have 350,000 British Dalit victims gone?

The untruths which were peddled that day have been thoroughly scrutinised, documented and accepted as false by all unbiased observers and as a result the Conservative Government refused to permit a flawed law, founded upon religious hatred and prejudice, to be enacted.

After a further in-depth review of the data and the process of legislation, it became clear to Ministers that not only was the pogrom in the Lords wholly unjust but also that the involvement of the academics such as NIESR and indeed the Equality & Human Rights Commission itself, was neither independent nor without prejudice.

The Government permitted the British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities to participate directly in an open Consultation, one conducted by the Equalities Office itself, a consultation which closes today on the 18th September 2017.

Remarkable however is the action of the Sunday Times, who one day before the closing date, the date upon which its capacity to influence the consultation would be at its peak, chose to publish atrocity literature, propaganda intended to harm the Dharmic traditions of the UK.

An oversized picture of a radiant young woman was displayed under a distasteful (and subsequently changed online) headline "Why is this woman untouchable?" The Sunday Times revealed that there are now less than 50,000 Dalits in the UK, and rather than investigate the worrying disappearance of at least 350,000 of her Majesty’s subjects, who appear to have been ethnically and surgically cleansed from

NIESR report highlighted 28 out of 32 cases (all anecdotal and unacceptable in any robust study) as involving Sikhs and not Hindus. Does the Times give appropriate proportionate mention of British Sikhs? No. Why not?

Jon Ungoed-Thomas seems to have noticed none of this, being specifically focussed on internationally airing the views of evangelical Christians and Activists such as Meena Verma and Satpal Muman, both of whom view the problem to be "Hindu fascists", all again without providing a shred of evidence.

Satish K Sharma Disappointing but not surprising is the these sceptred isles, chose fact that the Times had no instead to present a litany interest in publishing a balof anti Hindu prejudices, anced unbiased article presented in a manner choosing instead salacious designed to simply ignite "eyeball grabbing" imagery hatred of Hindus. supported by writings which Even the deeply flawed fit Rajiv Malhotra's descripand prejudiced work protion of "atrocity literature" duced by the EHRC accepted i.e. " literature generated by that "caste and religion western interests with the intersect in complex ways explicit goal to show the and in any definition of target non-western culture caste for the purpose of legas committing atrocities on islation, it ought not to be its own people, and thus associated with any particujustifying Western intervenlar faith group ... and that tion", a favourite strategy of caste, whilst being distinct, evangelical and colonial is not a feature of any spemovements alike and recogcific religious group, but nisable as having been pervasive across cultural deployed by the Sunday traditions was the consenTimes. sus view amongst acaIn a letter to the Sunday demics."

Times, Swami Ambikananda Even the NIESR report Sarasvati (a non-indian of so skilfully misrepresented "white Caucasian" descent ) by the Honourable Lords, writes " Young, beautiful clearly stated "The findings women are still used to sell of the study should not be everything from cars to used to suggest that caste washing machines, but why discrimination is any more was it necessary to use her perpetrated by one ... relito sell your position on the gion or regional background caste legislation? Is not than another." using another person ~ who and yet the Times happens to be a radiant focussed singularly and woman ~ one of the most specifically upon the British insidious forms of bias and Hindu Community, ignoring discrimination?" completely that even the Swami Ambikanandaji

continues " I am a sannyasin, a Hindu monastic, and thereby a member of the final and most honoured of the four ‘life callings’ of Hinduism.

In your view I am also an untouchable insofar as I was born “out of caste”. I was initiated into the Holy Order of Sarasvati on the banks of the sacred Ganges by a Brahmin, the then president of an old, established and orthodox Hindu ashram (monastery) who showed no signs of being disturbed by my untouchability. In the UK I have founded and headed a Hindu Chaplaincy through my local temple, and have enjoyed good standing in my local Hindu community for whom I regularly perform weddings, funerals, prayers and other sacraments. Do some people like me more than others? I’m sure of it. Does that have anything to do with my untouchability? I don’t think so ~ it’s probably more to do with my rather abrasive wit than my birth. In short, as an untouchable, what you are describing in your article is not something I have direct experience of.

Satish K Sharma, General Secretary of the NCHT(UK) wrote :- It is clear that the Sunday Times has deliberately targeted the British Hindu community with the publication of this article. Although mentioned in the article our organisation NCHT(UK) were not contacted by the author of the article. Its timing, its design and its biased content are specifically intended to influence the uninformed observer and to incite hatred against Hindus - which surely is a hate crime, an offence. Rt Hon Amber Rudd, Home Secretary announced as part of the Hate Crimes initiative, “Hate crimes are pernicious; they send the mes-

sage that some people deserve to be targeted solely because of who they are or who they are believed to be.

Clearly the Sunday Times article seeks to influence people in the manner in which they perceive Hindus, and this influence is biased and singularly negative. At the very least a retraction or

minds that our rulers are preferable to any other which, in the present state of the world, they could ever hope to enjoy". Clearly the desire to rule Hindus is deep rooted.

Losing India, the "Jewel in the Crown", held in bondage by violence, rape, plunder and theft, 70 years

Swami Ambikananda Sarasvati

public apology is due.

Noteworthy is the observation that other past articles have been similarly discriminatory and harmful for both India and Hindus but it is tragic that even 70 years after the collapse of the white supremacist colonial Empires, the instruments of white supremacy are still asserting their racist world view.

On Sunday 17th January 1847, the Sunday Times editorial announced "Weak and divided as the Hindus are, we should yet be unable to govern them, did not the conviction exist in their

ago, could be seen as an act of natural justice but misplacing 350,000 of Bishop Lord Harries' carefully and diligently protected British Dalits, in the world of the 21st century would seem to be a failure of Biblical proportions. Noting the position and actions of the Sunday Times in both 1847 and now in 2017, it would appear that little has changed in over 150 years and that the loss of empire and the diminishing tolerance of white supremacy is still troubling the institutional instruments of supremacist rule.

Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh has also raised their concerns regarding The Sunday Times article. Their letter will be published in next week's Asian Voice.

16

UK

www.asian-voice.com

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Parsons Green tube bomb 'built in garden shed' Rupanjana Dutta Police has arrested has two refugees one from Iraq and the other Syria in connection to the Parsons Green bombing that injured 30 people. The alleged attackers may have built his bomb in a shed at the bottom of the back garden of his Surrey foster home, it has emerged. Detectives are investigating whether the outhouse in Sunbury-onThames could have afforded the 18-year-old suspect the privacy he needed to allegedly construct the device.

Though the Met Police have not confirmed the identity of the refugees, sources have revealed one of them were Yahyah Farroukh, 21, a Syrian refugee, who was arrested outside the chicken shop where he worked in Hounslow on Saturday night just hours after police caught another 18 year old suspected for planting the tube bomb at the Port of Dover.

Farroukh was allegedly studying at the West Thames College in Isleworth since 2013, though originally he is from Damascus, according to his facebook profile.

The Iraqi refugee who has been arrested allegedly trying to escape from Port of Dover, remains in the custody of police. Both men are believed to have spent some time at the home of elderly British carers Ronald Jones, 88 and Penelope Jones 71. The couple were honoured in 2010 with an MBE for services to children and families. Police are searching their home too, and have learnt to have fostered at least 268 children, including refugees from conflict zones, in the last four decades.

What happened on Friday It was a typical Friday morning.

Commuters boarded a packed eastbound district line from Wimbledon, which is the longest tube line in the London underground, to go to work. The district line travels through Westminster, where the Parliament is, and also passes through many major tourist sites and national railway stations like V i c t o r i a , Blackfriars, Cannon Street. When the train just pulled into Parsons Green Station in south-

Yahyah Farroukh

west London at 8:20am, 5 stops from where the train had started, an "improvised explosive device" detonated, believed to be on a timer.

The explosive was in what looks like a white bucket, (often used by builders) in a supermarket carrier bag, and went off in a loud bang and flash. The train doors fell open moment this happened, people ran for their lives to the platforms.

Police vehicles were heard rushing down the west London road, with sirens blazing as they pass supermarkets, furniture stores and music shops. The station is a very small one.

There are no escalators or lifts, with a tiny staircase, and people were trampled, as they panicked to get out.

And bit by bit, commuters who were stuck on the trains behind are being allowed to exit, as things settled.

Police immediately put up cordon around Parsons Green station, with every side street blocked off by blue and white tape.

Immediately other tube stations were also put on high alert. A commuter Vivek, who was using Canary Wharf station an hour after the Parsons Green incident told the newspaper, “There were heavy checks at tube station now.

People looked alarmed.” Canary Wharf which is 10 miles away from the Parsons Green station, is a major financial district of London.

Thirty people were hurt

at the incident, though none seriously and are being treated in hospital, mostly for burn injuries and the incident is being treated as terrorism, police confirmed.

Parsons Green is essentially a quiet residential area with the popular Chelsea Football Club at stone's throw away distance. Police has requested commuters to be vigilant and not keep looking at their phones while they walk or travel.

Mark Rowley, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations of the Metropolitan Police Service said, "This was a detonation of an improvised explosive device. The scene currently remains cordoned off and the investigation continues...

"Londoners can expect to see an enhanced police presence, particularly across the transport system across the day."

He asked the public to remain "vigilant" and said they should "not be alarmed".

Mr Rowley said anyone who took pictures or videos at the scene can upload them to ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk.

What witnesses saw Witnesses have described seeing at least one passenger with facial injuries, while others spoke of "panic" as alarmed passengers left the train at the station. There was a stampede, people falling on each other- a total chaos when nobody knew what exactly was happening.

Ronan Breen a local resident, lives around the corner from the incident.

Married to an Indian woman from Kolkata, every day in the week he drops off their 3 year old daughter to a nursery close to Parsons Green station, and then takes the tube from Parsons Green to his office in central London.

On Friday he was late by a few minutes, and police cars just zoomed passed him

towards the station, and he heard helicopters hovering above the head, when he realised something was terribly wrong.

As he approached the station, he was told what may have happened, and he was left shocked. Speaking to Asian Voice exclusively he said, “I started late from home today. So I escaped this carnage by a few minutes. I had to find an alternative way to get to work.”

Passenger Peter Crowley said he was sitting in the carriage, travelling from Wimbledon, when the explosion happened.

He reportedly said his head was burned by a "really hot intense fireball above my head" and added: "There were people a lot worse than me."

BBC London presenter Riz Lateef, who was at Parsons Green on her way in to work, said: "There was panic as people rushed from the train, hearing what appeared to be an explosion.

"People were left with cuts and grazes from trying to flee the scene. There was lots of panic."

Afzal Ahraf, a visiting fellow at Nottingham University Centre for Conflict and Terror said, said, "It is an indication that the terrorist threat is still live. we are very fortunate that in this particular case, nobody seems to seriously hurt. I am sure suspects will be arrested soon after CCTV footages are analysed. If the explosive today was substantial the result would have been catastrophic. My daughter was on the train behind this train where the explosion happened, and it could have easily been her today on the train. I was on a train when the 7/7 bombings happened in London, and it could have easily me dead in one of those explosions. We have some of the best security services in the world and counter terrorism units in the world and they are keeping the threat low. But we do need to think about how to eliminate this threat, and that is looking at the global political situation which feeds as the motivation for this horribl e incident" This is the fifth terrorism incident of 2017 in which an attack has taken place. It's the only one this year in which nobody has died. The previous four saw 36 people killed. The Met Police is now being assisted by MI5 on the investigation.

Riz Ahmed conquers Emmys Continued from page 1 His parents moved to the UK from Karachi during the 1970s. He is a descendant of Sir Shah Muhammed Sulaiman the first British Indian to become the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court in Uttar Pradesh during the colonial era.

He attended Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood through a scholarship programme. He graduated from Christ Church College, University of Oxford with a degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) which he has said he found to be a bizarre experience.

He later studied acting at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he explained: “When you first start seeing black or Muslim characters in mainstream culture, they can start off as the stereotypical portrayal — it’s the cab driver, the shopkeeper, the drug dealer.

“And then sometimes, hopefully, you move beyond that, and it’s still storylines that are tied to that character’s ethnicity, but they’re working against those stereotypes.

“I was lucky that I came into the game just when we were moving from that stage one caricature into stage two.”

At his acceptance speech Ahmed added, "I want to say it is always strange reaping the rewards of a story based on real world suffering.

"But if this show has shown a light on some of the prejudice in our societies, xenophobia, some of the injustice in our justice system, then maybe that is something."

He also thanked the South Asian Youth Action and The Innocence Project for helping him prepare.

Backstage, commenting on his win, according to The Independent news report, Ahmed said: "I don’t know if any one person’s win of an award, or one person snagging one role, or one person doing very well changes something that’s a systemic issue...I think that’s something that happens slowly over time."

"In terms of US and the UK, I’m really proud to be a Londoner. I’m really proud to be from the UK. I’m also really aware that actors of color often have more opportunity in the US, but I think ultimately now we see that TV in particular is a global medium," he added.

"People are streaming shows or watching them all around the world. Hopefully we’ll see a globalisation of our storytelling."

Ahmed told journalists after the Emmys that “what we’re starting to see is more awareness around how beneficial it can be to tell a

diverse range of stories and to tell them in a way that’s authentic.”

“And I think awareness is the first step to real change,” he added.

Only two other actors of Asian descent have won at the Emmys before: Archie

Aziz Ansari with Lena Waithe

Panjabi in 2010 for The Good Wife and Shohreh Aghdashloo in 2009 for House of Saddam.

Taking the twitter speaking about Ahmed's great win, actress and author Meera Syal wrote, “Lump in throat remembering being kid with big dreams, brown skin and no map. And now this...”

Television and host of the Subaltern podcast and author, Nikesh Shukla wrote, “Shame he had to go and get accolades in America for Britain to notice. Wish more roles had been available for him here.”

Ahmed's win in the US is indeed a proof that glass ceilings still exist for Asian actors in the UK, which many have been fighting against for years. However Ahmed's victory a week after the 16th anniversary of 9/11 feels particularly noteworthy, as a man whose chances of being “randomly” searched in any airport remains really possible in this Islamophobic world, Ahmed has instead been bestowed with a shimmering golden trophy. However it remains a pity, that Ahmed's talents were much less acknowledged in the UK (e.g. with our own Bafta), and he had to move to the US, to establish his abilities.

Akram Khan MBE, a famous dancer and choreographer of Bangladeshi origin in the UK, in an exclusive interview with the newspaper earlier said, though such glass ceilings are much less seen in the world of dance, he has definitely heard about it from his actor friends in the UK. Ahmed’s win wasn’t the only breakthrough of the night. Aziz Ansari, the son of Indian immigrants in the US, won the comedy writing award for Netflix’s “Master of None,” after making history last year as the first South Asian person nominated for a leading role in a television series. He shared this year’s comedy writing award with Lena Waithe, who became the first black woman to win an Emmy for writing on a comedy series.

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17

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Britains Disappearing Dalits -

Where have 350,000 British Citizens gone?

This Sunday, the Sunday Times added its own significant weight to the long running campaign to vilify and denigrate British Hindus, by declaring that 50,000 British Dalits were suffering from the scourge of "caste discrimination". In doing so Jon UngoedThomas has merely served to declare to the world, just precisely the degree to which the Colonialists’ Hinduodium "hatred of all things Hindu", still pervades the pillars of the British establishment.

On the 4th March 2013 the evangelical Christian fundamentalist Bishop Lord Harries of Pentregarth declared to the world that 480,000 British Dalits suffered at the hands of other British Hindus on a daily basis. Lords Deben, Singh, Sheikh, Alton and others added their voices to emphasise the scale of the horrors blighting the daily lives of 400,000 of her Majesty's subjects. Baroness Flather and other peers leapt to denounce the morally bankrupt acts of the demonic Hindoos who had brought their uncivilised religious prejudices and practices to the sacred sinfree shores of Great Britain.

The Sunday Times has simply overlooked the obvious question - where have 350,000 British Dalit victims gone?

The untruths which were peddled that day have been thoroughly scrutinised, documented and accepted as false by all unbiased observers and as a result the Conservative Government refused to permit a flawed law, founded upon religious hatred and prejudice, to be enacted.

After a further in-depth review of the data and the process of legislation, it became clear to Ministers that not only was the pogrom in the Lords wholly unjust but also that the involvement of the academics such as NIESR and indeed the Equality & Human Rights Commission itself, was neither independent nor without prejudice.

The Government permitted the British Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities to participate directly in an open Consultation, one conducted by the Equalities Office itself, a consultation which closes today on the 18th September 2017.

Remarkable however is the action of the Sunday Times, who one day before the closing date, the date upon which its capacity to influence the consultation would be at its peak, chose to publish atrocity literature, propaganda intended to harm the Dharmic traditions of the UK.

An oversized picture of a radiant young woman was displayed under a distasteful (and subsequently changed online) headline "Why is this woman untouchable?" The Sunday Times revealed that there are now less than 50,000 Dalits in the UK, and rather than investigate the worrying disappearance of at least 350,000 of her Majesty’s subjects, who appear to have been ethnically and surgically cleansed from

NIESR report highlighted 28 out of 32 cases (all anecdotal and unacceptable in any robust study) as involving Sikhs and not Hindus. Does the Times give appropriate proportionate mention of British Sikhs? No. Why not?

Jon Ungoed-Thomas seems to have noticed none of this, being specifically focussed on internationally airing the views of evangelical Christians and Activists such as Meena Verma and Satpal Muman, both of whom view the problem to be "Hindu fascists", all again without providing a shred of evidence.

Satish K Sharma Disappointing but not surprising is the these sceptred isles, chose fact that the Times had no instead to present a litany interest in publishing a balof anti Hindu prejudices, anced unbiased article presented in a manner choosing instead salacious designed to simply ignite "eyeball grabbing" imagery hatred of Hindus. supported by writings which Even the deeply flawed fit Rajiv Malhotra's descripand prejudiced work protion of "atrocity literature" duced by the EHRC accepted i.e. " literature generated by that "caste and religion western interests with the intersect in complex ways explicit goal to show the and in any definition of target non-western culture caste for the purpose of legas committing atrocities on islation, it ought not to be its own people, and thus associated with any particujustifying Western intervenlar faith group ... and that tion", a favourite strategy of caste, whilst being distinct, evangelical and colonial is not a feature of any spemovements alike and recogcific religious group, but nisable as having been pervasive across cultural deployed by the Sunday traditions was the consenTimes. sus view amongst acaIn a letter to the Sunday demics."

Times, Swami Ambikananda Even the NIESR report Sarasvati (a non-indian of so skilfully misrepresented "white Caucasian" descent ) by the Honourable Lords, writes " Young, beautiful clearly stated "The findings women are still used to sell of the study should not be everything from cars to used to suggest that caste washing machines, but why discrimination is any more was it necessary to use her perpetrated by one ... relito sell your position on the gion or regional background caste legislation? Is not than another." using another person ~ who and yet the Times happens to be a radiant focussed singularly and woman ~ one of the most specifically upon the British insidious forms of bias and Hindu Community, ignoring discrimination?" completely that even the Swami Ambikanandaji

continues " I am a sannyasin, a Hindu monastic, and thereby a member of the final and most honoured of the four ‘life callings’ of Hinduism.

In your view I am also an untouchable insofar as I was born “out of caste”. I was initiated into the Holy Order of Sarasvati on the banks of the sacred Ganges by a Brahmin, the then president of an old, established and orthodox Hindu ashram (monastery) who showed no signs of being disturbed by my untouchability. In the UK I have founded and headed a Hindu Chaplaincy through my local temple, and have enjoyed good standing in my local Hindu community for whom I regularly perform weddings, funerals, prayers and other sacraments. Do some people like me more than others? I’m sure of it. Does that have anything to do with my untouchability? I don’t think so ~ it’s probably more to do with my rather abrasive wit than my birth. In short, as an untouchable, what you are describing in your article is not something I have direct experience of.

Satish K Sharma, General Secretary of the NCHT(UK) wrote :- It is clear that the Sunday Times has deliberately targeted the British Hindu community with the publication of this article. Although mentioned in the article our organisation NCHT(UK) were not contacted by the author of the article. Its timing, its design and its biased content are specifically intended to influence the uninformed observer and to incite hatred against Hindus - which surely is a hate crime, an offence. Rt Hon Amber Rudd, Home Secretary announced as part of the Hate Crimes initiative, “Hate crimes are pernicious; they send the mes-

sage that some people deserve to be targeted solely because of who they are or who they are believed to be.

Clearly the Sunday Times article seeks to influence people in the manner in which they perceive Hindus, and this influence is biased and singularly negative. At the very least a retraction or

minds that our rulers are preferable to any other which, in the present state of the world, they could ever hope to enjoy". Clearly the desire to rule Hindus is deep rooted.

Losing India, the "Jewel in the Crown", held in bondage by violence, rape, plunder and theft, 70 years

Swami Ambikananda Sarasvati

public apology is due.

Noteworthy is the observation that other past articles have been similarly discriminatory and harmful for both India and Hindus but it is tragic that even 70 years after the collapse of the white supremacist colonial Empires, the instruments of white supremacy are still asserting their racist world view.

On Sunday 17th January 1847, the Sunday Times editorial announced "Weak and divided as the Hindus are, we should yet be unable to govern them, did not the conviction exist in their

ago, could be seen as an act of natural justice but misplacing 350,000 of Bishop Lord Harries' carefully and diligently protected British Dalits, in the world of the 21st century would seem to be a failure of Biblical proportions. Noting the position and actions of the Sunday Times in both 1847 and now in 2017, it would appear that little has changed in over 150 years and that the loss of empire and the diminishing tolerance of white supremacy is still troubling the institutional instruments of supremacist rule.

Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh has also raised their concerns regarding The Sunday Times article. Their letter will be published in next week's Asian Voice.

18

FINANCIAL VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Chandrasekaran looks to cut off Tata Tele business The telecom services provider has been searching for a new partener after DoCoMo decided to pull the plug three years ago

Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran is currently evaluating the option of winding down mobile services business, Tata Teleservices, following failed attempts to sell the beleaguered unit. If the operations are suspended as expected, the conglomerate will take a hurtful hit on its balance sheet as Tata Tele holds a consolidated debt of over £3.40 billion.

Tata Tele has around 45 million subscribers with about 4 per cent share of the Indian mobile telephony market.

However, disposing of its telecom spectrum could lessen its total debt. A company spokesperson said, “As far as Tata Teleservices is concerned, the group is examining all options at this point in time.” The telecom services provider has been searching for a new home after Japanese partner DoCoMo which owns 26

Sterling soars to highest since Brexit vote result

The British pound has surged above $1.36, its highest level since the results of last year's Brexit. Sterling strengthened by more than 1.6 per cent to hit $1.3616, its highest since 2016. It also climbed 1.3 per cent against the euro. The pound had already recorded its best day since April, after investors brought their bets forward on when the Bank of England would raise interest rates after it signalled it would do so in the “coming months”.

The currency built on gains after BoE policymaker Gertjan Vlieghe said, “The appropriate time for a rise in Bank might be as early as in the coming months.”

British government bond yields soared for a second successive day, with two and 10-year bond yields up almost 10 basis points each.

Communications, Tata Steel, Tata Industries and Tata Capital Financial Services also saw a drop in value in their investment in the financially unstable Tata Tele.

N Chandrasekaran

per cent of its stakes, decided to pull the plug three years ago.

Tata was engaged in advanced discussions for a potential sale with Vodafone under former Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry. It, however, fell through over valuation differences. Tata Tele's closing down will now happen only after lenders agree to a loan recast programme. The company has approached lenders' consortium led

by SBI for the same issue.

Other group companies like Tata Power, Tata

Tata Sons may shed its 'public ltd' tag Meanwhile, Tata Sons, has initiated a proposal to turn itself into a `private limited company' from a `deemed public company,' which would intensify the battle between the holding company and its former chairman Cyrus Mistry. The most significant implication of this step will be that it places restrictions on Tata Sons' shareholders from selling their stake to external investors. The Mistry family , which holds an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons, has objected to the proposal and may move court. Tata Sons has called a shareholders' meeting, seeking

approval to amend its Articles of Association to become a private limited company and alter its Memorandum of Association to change its name from Tata Sons Ltd to Tata Sons Pvt Ltd. The change in Tata Sons' legal structure requires 75% of the company's shareholders to approve these special resolutions. The proposals will also have to be cleared by the National Company Law Tribunal.

The Mistrys intend to vote against the resolutions. In a statement, Tata Sons said that the reinstatement of Tata Sons as a private company was considered by the board to be in the best interests of the company. The Mistrys have termed the Tata Sons move as “yet another act of oppression of the minority shareholders of the company at the hands of the majority shareholders.”

Insolvency case filed against Reliance Communications Swedish company Ericsson's Indian subsidiary has filed insolvency petitions against Reliance Communications and two of its companies to recover unpaid dues.

The telecoms equipment maker is seeking a total of Rs 11.55 billion from the three companies, as per a stock exchange filing.

Ericsson had signed a seven-year deal in 2014 to operate and manage Reliance Communications' nationwide network. Its filing said the case would go before the National Company Law Tribunal on September 26.

It said, “Ericsson has

Anil Ambani

done this as a last resort in order to resolve an issue regarding debt that Reliance owes to Ericsson for services provided under a contract. As the legal process is ongoing, we don't have any further comments at this point.”

Anil Ambani-owned

Reliance Communications reported its third quarterly loss in a row last month and is trying to find ways to cut its debt after creditors gave it a reprieve on loan repayments until the end of 2017. The losses are partly a result of competition from free voice and cut-price data plans offered by Reliance Jio Infocomm, owned by his elder brother Mukesh Ambani.

Ericsson aims to recover Rs 4.91 billion from Reliance Communications, Rs 5.35 billion from Reliance Infratel, and Rs 1.29 billion from Reliance Telecom.

Infosys to hire 2,000 workers in US Infosys is all set to open a technology and innovation hub in Raleigh in North Carolina. The centre is expected to hire 2,000 American workers by 2021. The company said it would hire 10,000 American workers over the next two years and establish four technology and innovation hubs in the US. Spread across 60,000 sq ft in a new facility in Raleigh and has the capacity to house 500 employees.

President and deputy chief operating officer, Ravi Kumar said the North Carolina hub is part of the company's investment in the future of US tech work-

force and would focus on delivering cutting-edge solutions in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data and advanced analytics, cloud and big data. He said, “The hub will support the development of co-created solutions for our valued clients in North Carolina and the surrounding region.

Attracting and retaining a skilled and motivated workforce is crucial to Infosys, and the new tech hub-along with the robust

training programme we are developing with the North Carolina Community College System and proximity to tier-one research universities - will expand Infosys' existing North Carolina network to better serve clients in the IT, life sciences, clean technology and advanced manufacturing sectors.”

The new hires will include recent graduates from the state's prestigious network of colleges, universities and community colleges, as well as local professionals who will benefit from upskilling through Infosys' training curriculum.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Trump projects faring well in India

Three years after US President and billionaire Donald Trump arrived on his private jet for a dealmaking tour to India, the country has become the only major developing country where his business fares well. After winning the elections, Trump dropped several international projects, promising not to engage in new foreign deals that could trigger conflicts of interest.

However, his Indian deals appear to remain unaffected. While in office, Trump has been building a strong bond with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his company builds ties with some partners who have faced legal troubles.

In western India, a pair of shiny black Trump buildings with gold insignia tower over the city of Pune. In nearby Mumbai, a 75-story Trump skyscraper will be one of the tallest in the megacity. In a swanky suburb of Delhi, two Trump partners have big plans. And in Kolkata, a new Trump tower is under way.

Modi was one of the first to visit Trump after he took office and invited daughter Ivanka to lead a delegation to a business summit in November. All of this has raised fresh questions about whether Trump Organization's deals with politically-connected foreign tycoons could put his interests ahead of the nation's and entail special treatment by foreign authorities.

India is a key US ally in Asia and its rivalry with both Pakistan and China fosters many areas where Trump and Modi need each other -nuclear weapons, anti-terrorism, Afghanistan and trade, among others. So far, Trump doesn't seem to

Donald Trump

have spared India in policies ranging from visas for technology workers to the Paris climate accord. Still, the risk that he might let his business interests outweigh national needs - or that India might cut him a break on taxes or permits in exchange for policy tweaks - remains a big concern for government ethics experts in the US. A spokesman for Modi did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Asked about potential conflicts in India, the Trump Organization said it's “very proud of the success we have achieved in that market with five active properties under various stages of development.” The White House referred questions to the Trump Organization.

Trump's Indian partners Atul and Sagar Chordia celebrated the US victory by flying immediately to New York to congratulate the president elect, increasing congressional calls for Trump to divest his businesses. He opted instead to hold onto his assets and hand management to his two older sons. Whatever concerns have been raised in the US regarding the blending of business and policy, Trump's election seems only to have increased the value of his brand in India.

India's forex kitty hits $400bn for first time Indian forex reserves crossed $400-billion mark for the first time last week. Currently, the reserves are enough to fund more than a year of imports. Foreign exchange reserves have increased by $6.6 billion during the first quarter. The reserves have risen by $30 billion since Urjit Patel took charge as RBI governor in September 2016. The increase provides the RBI with ammunition to tackle volatility in the forex market.

The highest contribution to the reserves has been from foreign portfolio investors. During the April-September quarter, foreign direct investment surged by $7.2 billion in the reporting period from

$3.9 billion in the same period last year. Foreign institutional investment flows increased by $11.9 billion in the first quarter from $1.2 billion in the same period last year.

The central bank's buildup of reserves comes ahead of the US Federal Reserve exiting its stimulus -a move which is expected to result in funds moving back into US dollar assets. Accretion to reserves are expected to slow down with a widening of the current account deficit (CAD) and rising crude oil prices. Foreign institutional investors have pulled out $810 million from the equity market in September on the back of $1.7 billion in August.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

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A DOUBLE WIN AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

We have started work today on a small property in NW8.

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

The property was sourced originally for £233k, the investor was a no nonsense type buyer who lived abroad. The property is an ex council flat on the ground floor of an estate, a one bedroom flat built in the 70’s. It was in poor condition, and was crying out for conversion, as for a one bedroom apartment you do not need a large kitchen. This was built when people used to cook at home daily, three times a day, with tea in between as well. Times and trends have changed, and having a kitchen the size of a bedroom does not suit the current needs of tenants.

Neither is it very profitable. Therefore, the obvious move to make on this property was to convert the kitchen into a bedroom, and have the kitchen as part of the living room. Perhaps this is the easiest way to make

money from a property, almost instantly. We have done this numerous times. It increases the rental amounts and amazingly the capital value as well, despite the fact there has been no increase in the square footage. The property moves into another league, from a one bedroom to a two bedroom. We have had properties increase by £80k just on the basis of this simple conversion.

The entry price on one deal was £250k, the cost of conversion was just over £10k and shortly after we had an offer for £330k.

The investor never saw the property, he let us see it for him. Before purchasing, he wanted to know the works costs upfront. We had it estimated at £10,000.

Unexpectedly, he wrote the cheque out for the exchange amount and the work costs there and then for the deal to be done.

The total investment

AGONY AGENT IS HERE TO HELP! Before the really cold months set in, here are some of my top tips for winter proofing your property: 1. Don't ignore the small print Is the tenant aware of what is required as agreed in the tenancy agreement? Most tenancy agreements require tenants to take such reasonable actions expected of a householder, particularly between the months of

19

October to February, by heating the premises to prevent damage by frost or freezing.

turning off electric devices at the wall.

3. Heating is key

2. Decide on responsibilities If the property will be vacant for any period of time, over Christmas for example, the tenant should ensure that the last person to leave the property for the unoccupied duration carries out simple tasks like clearing out fridges/freezers and

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

While the most effective way of heating a home will vary from property to property, tenants planning extended periods away should always remember to leave heating on at a low level, for example 12c, which avoid the possibility of freezing to the plumbing/heating systems, prevent condensation and also

required in cash, including the works and all fees was £69k, the rest was raised by way of a mortgage.

The mortgage was only £510pm, against a rental of £1,600. This means there was a positive cash flow of £1,000 per month.

The same tenants stayed there for five years. This is good, as this means no void periods, and normally no major repairs.

The builder told me he couldn’t do the conversion for £10k. I responded by telling him that by hook or crook he needed to get the job done. It needed to be rentable as a two bedroom, that was the criteria.

Somehow or another the works were completed within the budget and the property was rented for £1,600pm. The cash used to purchase the property was only £69k.

Five years later, the owner needed some cash, so a quick sale was required. which should be enough to prevent mildew and mould growth. The most effective way to achieve this is not to have the heating on for one hour in the mornings and evenings, but to leave it on constantly, with the boiler thermostat set to "low" or "min" and the room thermostats set to 12c. Radiator valves should be left fully open, and any thermostatic radiator valves turned up to "max". If the tenant is out daily, they should ensure that the heating is put on for a period of time in the evening, the easiest thing to do is to set the

The property was naturally in rather a bad state after 5 years of council tenants occupying it and it did not present very well on resale; therefore, the only way it could be sold on was to an investor. Another of our investors purchased this property for the sum of £375k. Work has even started prior to the completion, as both the seller and the buyer are ‘in house’. We took several quotes for this rather small project, but in the end the investor opted for a clean up and fresh paint rather than doing anything of substance. The cost of timer. This will ensure pipes do not freeze and avoids damp in the property.

4. Water systems and pipes Leaks must be reported to you as soon as possible, and the leak lagged until it can be dealt with. Make sure that the tenant is aware of the location of stop taps and that they are easy to shut-off in case of an emergency.

Advise them to check on waste pipes and heating boiler overflow pipes to ensure they are not getting iced up.

works will come to approximately £3,500.

The property, in my opinion, will be worth £450k post works, in a few months.

In summary, the original investor put £70k into the deal in February 2012. He made roughly £1k per month, which is a 17% gross return on his money. After five and a half years he has made £142k, which is a 200% return on his money after 5.5 years. This equates to 36% per annum.

We are confident the current investor will experience similar returns in time.

5. Get to know the neighbours If your tenant knows their neighbours, they may wish to ask them to keep emergency contact details and also your contact details or your agent’s contact details. This is particularly vital in flats and apartments where an issue could rapidly cause problems for other homes in the block.

Look out for more tips in my next article. In the meanwhile, if you need my help, please get in touch!

l A lovely one bedroom apartment with a huge reception room, a cloakroom and separate kitchen. l In need of minor refurbishment. l Long lease plus share of freehold.

St. Edmunds Terrace, NW8 Purchase Price: £430,000

Specialists in Central London Property Sourcing

l Expected resale is £600,000.

Call us now for more information!

0207 993 0103

info@sowandreap.co.uk www.sowandreap.co.uk 27 Gloucester Place, London, W1U 8HU SowandReapProperties

Sowandreapuk

Turning land into cash Get in touch about our land opportunities

20

FINANCIAL VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 23rd Septmeber 2017

Indians now park their offshore wealth in tax havens of Asia

Consultant Editor Financial Voice Alpesh Patel Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you en route to Singapore where on a recent visit I was speaking to Eduardo Saverin, the co-founder of Facebook. I meet a lot, a hell of a lot of billionaires, in what I do for the British Government – in searching for the best entrepreneurs around the world and landing their companies into the UK. I meet the Rothschilds in Palaces.

I am a lucky observer of wealth and have learnt long ago the difference between a class act and a money act.

But I have never met a more humble genuine ultrarich person as Eduardo. The irony is the jumped up moderately rich I meet who are worth a fraction of a decimal point of a billion will happily be arrogant, will happily claim credit for the wealth built by their humble parents, for inheritance, attribute brilliance to themselves, not to chance.

They will happily have photos of themselves with fat cigars stuffing their faces, strutting in fine suits and expensive watches, as if they still need to prove themselves. They will photo-shop their wealth on the covers of tacky magazines, and then they wonder why they are never truly part of the Establishment, the closed rooms which they are desperate to get into where the real decisions are made.

Top lessons I learnt as a Barrister and from some very English gentlemen and ladies: 1. The chap with the smartest suit usually has the least money. The guy at the back of the room, with the scuffed shoes, and the cheap looking watch, is usually the money in the room 2. Money doesn’t chase, or try hard. Those shocked that they have it do.

3. Never ever chase glory. Never be nouveau riche.

Don’t know what nouveau riche is? Then you don’t know why nobles oblige is class either.

4. Class does not look over the shoulder of the person you are speaking to see if someone more important is present 5. Class does not in reality throw parties to show wealth 6. Little money shouts, big money is silent 7. The more you want it, the more you show it, the less the decent want to be around you.

8. It helps when you know what the charity you are raising funds with an over-priced gala dinner actually does.

9. Poor does not make you better. But rich guarantees you usually are not.

10. You’re not as rich as Warren Buffett and he follows all these rules.

11. A Birkin is vulgar.

12. Camels pass through the eyes of needles before the rich enter heaven – the Bible told me so.

And a young billionaire in an un-ironed shirt and jeans unspotted by everyone in a room, who maintains eye contact as you discuss how to help nations aspire to better for their citizens is worth a million arrogant millionaires talking about their wealth.

Alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

Offshore wealth held by Indians in tax havens have risen nearly 90 per cent since 2007 to $62.9 billion, about 3.1 per cent of the country's GDP, in 2015. The data released by Baselbased Bank of International Settlements (BIS) on bilateral foreign holdings, also revealed that Switzerland is no longer the preferred destination. Over 53 per cent of the Indian wealth is now held in Asian tax havens like Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Bahrain, and Malaysia.

The Swiss now holds only 31 per cent of Indian wealth, down from the known 58 per cent in 2007.

The new estimates hint that the Indian government's much-publicised

Vijay Rajguru

growth prospects for Alcentra given our global platform and industry leading capabilities and Vijay is a strong addition to the firm. He broadens and deepens the leadership team and brings significant experience as we look to expand our business in the US direct lending and loans space. Vijay will also be responsible for Alcentra's capital markets

fight against hoarding of black money in foreign banks is not serving much purpose.

Economist Gabriel Zucman of UCLA and his colleagues Annette Alstadster of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and Niels Johannesen of the University of Copenhagen calculated that total offshore wealth in the world was $8.6 trillion, about

11.6 per cent of world GDP. “Among countries with a large stock of offshore assets, one finds autocracies (Saudi Arabia and Russia), countries with a recent history of autocratic rule (Argentina and Greece), alongside old democracies (United Kingdom and France).

Among those with the lowest stock of offshore assets, one finds relatively

low-tax countries (Korea and Japan) alongside the world's highest tax countries (Denmark, Norway),” they said.

There is wide disparity among the countries in terms of what share of their GDPs is secreted away in offshore tax havens. From just a few per cent of their GDP in Scandinavian countries, the wealth rises to 15% in Continental Europe, and to as much as 60% in Russia, Gulf states, and a number of Latin American countries. China has about $287 billion offshore wealth, which is 2.4% of their 2015 GDP. Analysts say the reason these variation exists cannot be easily explained by tax rates or institutional factors.

Suzuki to make electric cars in Gujarat Japanese company Suzuki Motor has decided to make electric cars at its factory in Gujarat to sell across India and the world. It will become the first commercially-available electric car for Suzuki.

Suzuki, Maruti's parent company, it will use India as a key global manufacturing base.

Chairman Osamu Suzuki who was present at a business leaders' meet last week, said, “For the last 35 years, we have been working towards 'Make in India' with you all.”

The company will also put in a fresh $600 million in the state for a new plant at Hansalpur with a capacity of 2,50,000 units.

Suzuki will also increase investments in the state to

Vijay Rajguru appointed co-chief investment officer of Alcentra

Alternative fixed income specialist for BNY Mellon Investment Management, Alcentra Limited and Alcentra NY has announced the appointment of Vijay Rajguru as their new Co-Chief Investment Officer. He will oversee the company's global direct lending and loan businesses in Europe and the US, with focus on growing the US direct lending and loans function as part of Alcentra's growth plans in the US. Rajguru will work alongside Chief Investment Officer and President Paul Hatfield, and report directly to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Forbes-Nixon.

Forbes-Nixon said, “I am excited about the

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

activities where he will utilise the previous extensive experience working with private equity houses, banks, and legal advisers.”

Vijay joins the $33 billion company from GoldenTree Asset Management, where he was partner. Before that, he was Managing Director, and Head of Loan Capital Markets at Barclays Capital.

Alcentra is a global asset management firm with assets under management of approximately $33bn. Alcentra has an investment track record that dates back to 1998.

Strategies include: senior loans, high yield bonds, direct lending, structured credit, distressed debt, and multi-strategy credit.

over $2.1 billion as it moves to boost annual manufacturing capacity in Gujarat to 7,50,000 units in the next couple of years.

Production for plant Awith a capacity for 2,50,000 units annually, has already begun and is being used to manufacture one of its best-selling cars Baleno. Work for plant B is under progress and has a production target set for

2019. The company will also set up a combustionengine plant at the facility for 5,00,000 units.

Also, a lithium-ion battery factory that will charge electric, hybrid, and other vehicles from the company's stable, will be set up.

Toyota company Denso will provide the technology, while Toshiba will chip in with cell modules. The three companies together will invest $180 million for the plant, which will be operational by 2020. The batteries are expected to be used to power Maruti and Suzuki's electric vehicles, some of which could be allnew ones, while others will be clean fuel variants of

existing petrol/diesel models.

Mahindra and Ford sign pact for electric vehicles In another development, Mahindra Group and Ford Motor agreed to explore a strategic alliance, designed to leverage each other's strength in areas such as mobility, connected vehicles, electric vehicles product development and distribution within India and abroad.

The companies said that they aim to gain from the "benefits of Ford's global reach and expertise and Mahindra's scale in India and successful operating model". The agreement, they said, would allow each to leverage their mutual strengths "during a period of unprecedented transformation in the global automotive industry."

RBI not comfortable with cryptocurrencies The Reserve Bank of India has reportedly not taken a liking to “non-fiat” cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

Executive Director Sudarshan Sen said, “As regards non-fiat cryptocurrencies, I think we are not comfortable. Bitcoins for example... That's a private cryptocurrency.”

Addressing the India Fintech Day conference in Mumbai, he stated that the central bank is studying the aspect of the RBI issuing a digital currency in place of the physical one.

“Right now, we have a group of people who are looking at fiat cryptocurrencies. Something that is an alternative to the Indian rupee, so to speak.

We are looking at that closely,” Sen said. The apex

bank has consistently cautioned everyone about the usage of cryptocurrencies, citing several concerns.

Earlier in February, it had said, “Any user, holder, investor or trader dealing with virtual currencies is doing it at their own risk.”

It cites concerns on virtual currencies like Bitcoins, stating that they pose potential financial, legal, customer protection and security-related issues.

Then deputy governor, RBI, R Gandhi said in

March, “I believe its potential is being overstated. We can see that in these types of solutions for virtual currency, there is no central bank or monetary authority. Value seems to be a matter of speculation.

Legal status is definitely not there. While this is a purported objective of a VC, it puts natural limit for its progression, and finally, the usage of VCs for illicit and illegal activities has been reportedly as uncomfortably large.”

CURRENCY VOICE

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Foreign Exchange

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Interest rates may rise in coming months Paresh Davdra is CEO and Co-Founder of RationalFX

Britain’s pound jumped by well over a cent recently to hit a one-year high against the dollar, after the Bank of England warned interest rates were likely to rise for the first time in more than a decade in the “coming months”.

Sterling initially dipped on the publication of the policy decision, as markets reacted to the fact that only two BoE policymakers had voted for an immediate rate hike.

Sterling was on track for its best week in over two years, after a 2.4 percent climb. Policymakers said a rate rise was likely to be needed in the coming months if the economy keeps growing and inflationary pressures continue to build, as their tolerance for above-target consumer price growth was lessening. All of them thought rates could rise faster than financial markets expect.

The BoE said the economy was doing a little better than it had expected last month, and that inflation was likely to exceed 3 percent in October - slightly above previous forecasts.

Bank of England policymaker Gertjan Vlieghe largely echoed the BoE’s message a day earlier. Vlieghe, who has been a strong advocate of ultra-low borrowing costs, said rates might need to rise in the coming months.Bank of England Governor Mark Carney made a speech at the

International Monetary Fund’s headquarters in Washington.

Reiterating the central bank’s new view that interest rates are likely to rise in the coming months.

Following a more hawkish tone from the BoE, two of Britain’s “Big Four” banks have forecast higher UK interest rates over the coming year, following the Bank of England’s warning last week that rates were likely to rise “in coming months”.

Both now expected the central bank to raise rates by 25 basis points in November and by a similar amount in May 2018, having previously seen rates staying at their record lows until the end of 2018.

The euro slipped against the dollar following rumours that a growing number of European Central Bank policymakers were concerned by the strength of the euro and may go slower tightening monetary policy as a result. Formal talks over the future of the bank’s stimulus scheme were only beginning, meaning the ECB is highly unlikely to take any decision to start reining it in.

The euro continued its bullish run despite the ECB’s decision to leave the main refinancing rate unchanged at 0%. Although the bank also left unchanged its monthly €60 billion asset purchase, President Mario Draghi highlighted the monetary authority’s plans to

Tuesday 19th September

21

reduce bond purchases and said that the ECB will decide on the “calibration” of its policy beyond 2017 this Autumn.

The ECB president also commented on the economic outlook for the monetary union adding a “broad based” recovery is underway across all nations and industries. Draghi did not however overlook the “very substantial degree of monetary support” needed by the euro zone over the coming months.

After the bank cut its inflation forecasts for both 2018 and 2019 by 0.1%, Draghi stated that the core figure has not increased by as much as expected and also warned that headline inflation could potentially enter negative territory towards the end of this year. The bank did however upgrade its growth forecast for 2017 and 2018 to 2.2% compared to 1.9% in June.

A report published by the U.S. Labour department showed that the economy created only 156,000 jobs in August. Analysts had originally expected the figure, which excludes the farming sector to show an increase of 179,000 from the previous month.

In addition, the unemployment rate, which was initially forecast to remain unchanged at 4.3% rose to 4.4%. There was also an increase in average hourly earnings, which rose by less than

expected to 0.1%. Markets were predicting a 0.2% gain.

Fed policymaker Lael Brainard said the US should be cautious about raising interest rates until it is confident of a rebound in Inflation which is falling well short of target. Brainard, a permanent voting member on the Fed’s monetary policy committee who has in the past convinced colleagues to delay tightening, said there is a high premium on guiding inflation back up to target so as to retain space to buffer adverse shocks with conventional policy.

U.S. consumer prices accelerated in August amid a jump in the cost of gasoline and rental accommodation, signs of firming inflation that could allow further monetary policy tightening from the Federal Reserve this year. The Labor Department said its Consumer Price Index rose 0.4 percent last month after edging up 0.1 percent in July. Economists had forecast the CPI rising 0.3 percent in August. Other data on Thursday showed an unexpected drop in the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits last week. Though the data was impacted by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the labour market remains healthy with increasing reports of worker shortages in some industries.

Weekly Currencies

As of Tuesday 19th September 2017 @ 5.30pm GBP - INR = 86.7

USD - INR = 64.27 EUR - INR = 76.92 GBP - USD = 1.35 GBP - EUR = 1.13

EUR - USD = 1.20 GBP - AED = 4.95

GBP - CAD = 1.66

GBP - NZD = 1.84

GBP - AUD = 1.69

GBP - ZAR = 17.99

GBP - HUF = 346.63

www.rationalfx.com

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

Tuesday 19th September

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22

INTERNATIONAL

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Myanmar 'does not fear international scrutiny': Suu Kyi NAYPYIDAW: Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's incumbent State Counsellor, addressed the ongoing Rohingya issue, as global criticism deflects on her regime. In a state address she condemns “all human rights violations” in the country, and said, “After several months of seeming quiet and peace, 30 police outputs were attacked by armed Muslim groups.

Consequently, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army was declared a terrorist group.” She said she was committed to the “rule of law” and peace and stability “for all people”. Suu Kyi said Myanmar “does not fear international scrutiny”, adding that she invites observers to come to Myanmar and look at the situation for themselves.

Global media has been rife with reports on the atrocities being meted out to people of the community. The UN estimates over 400,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since the army's response to the August attacks. Suu Kyi said “peace and stability is something we

Aung San Suu Kyi

had to achieve after nearly 70 years of internal conflict”, claiming that several Muslim villagers have remained in Myanmar and have not fled.

International observer organisations and human rights groups have alleged a “disproportionate army response” to the August attacks.

“Our government has emerged as a body committed to the defence of human rights, all within the borders of our country. We condemn all human rights violations, Myanmar is committed to peace and rule of law,” she said. Suu Kyi spoke about

“allegations and counterallegations” in a clear reference to global rights groups saying the Myanmar army is committing human rights abuses. She said her country is “complex”, hinting that it is hard to overcome all the challenges in shortest time possible”.

Addressing the 400,000 Muslim Rohingyas who fled to Bangladesh, she said she is “concerned to hear” about them. Myanmar is “prepared to start refugee verification process for those who wish to return” from Bangladesh.

“We would like to find out why this exodus is happening, we would like to talk to the people who have fled.

The government has been making every effort to restore peace and stability and to bring harmony in Rakhine communities,” she said.

Most refugees of the community, who spent over a week trekking across country from Rakhine, to reach the Bangladesh border, walked to existing camps. Many families do not have a shelter over their heads and refugees

have been fighting for food and water deliveries. A Rohingya refugee said she handed over her jewellery to a Bangladesh boatman to get across the river frontier from Myanmar. “We walked by night for three or four days to avoid the military and then came over by boat. We don't know what we will do or where we will live but if people here feed us, we will stay.

We don't want to go back,” she said.

Bangladesh has seen a surge in the numbers of refugees since the violence that began last month. While there were already 300,000 Rohingya in makeshift camps, the most-recent round of violence that began on August 25 after Rohingya fighters attacked over 30 police and army posts, instigated new waves of asylumseeking community members flooding to the neighbouring country. The mostly Muslim minority is not recognised as an ethnic group in Myanmar despite having lived there for generations. They are denied citizenship and are virtually stateless.

YouCanFreeUs fights against human trafficking Tanya Dutta NEW YORK: International humanitarian organisation, YouCanFreeUs has dedicated itself in a fight against human trafficking across the world through advocacy, rescue and rehabilitation.

Founded by Sujo John, the organisation has prompted several global leaders to raise their voice against the issue. After moving to the US in February 2001, Sujo and his wife became one of the hundreds present in the North and South Towers of New York's World Trade Centre that fateful day of the attacks.

His survival became the launchpad of his career as a motivational speaker. Sujo, today, shares his story of hope, restoration, and change to universities, sporting events, Fortune 500 companies, and festivals in hundreds of cities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Speaking about the 9/11 attacks, he said, “The terrorist attacks of 9/11 has truly changed my life in ways too hard to enumerate.

Beyond the fact that I have now transitioned into motivational speaker post the event, the biggest impact has been the desire to think and work towards building my legacy. Till that day I was driven to chase success in ways the world measures success but now I am more passionate about making the world a better place.”

“Post 9/11, I have been involved with various charity causes around the world. My primary focus for a while was on education and healthcare.

However, in 2010, I had an experience that changed me forever. A visit to the brothels of New Delhi and seeing the horror of human trafficking convinced me to step up and be a voice in the fight against human trafficking.

This birthed YouCanFreeUs which is an international human rights organization fighting human trafficking around the world through advocacy, rescue and rehabilitation,” he added. “We now have our projects and resource hubs in USA, Canada, India, Norway, Poland, and most recently in

Sujo John

the UK which is being lead by Clarissa Anderson who had been involved with the charity from its initial stages.”

The organisation holds awareness campaigns and events including 5k runs, fashion shows, art exhibitions, and TV and radio shows across many cities in the United States, Canada, India, Poland, and UK. They are currently expanding their scope to address prevention of human trafficking through a comprehensive educational curriculum called the VOX Initiative.

“Awareness events are a big part of educating society on the evils of human traf-

ficking. When good people are made aware of this problem, there will be few that will step up in different ways to help fight this evil.

Our awareness events also serves as a prevention strategy as information is disseminated to young people on the dangers of human trafficking.

Awareness events also help us raise funds for our work and we find new partners who carry the same passion as we do to combat human trafficking,” Sujo said.

When asked what safety measures they provide women to stop gangs from re-capturing them, he said, “Locations of our safe houses are never published and access to them are also very limited. Our girls are encouraged not to reveal the physical location of our safe houses to anyone that are in contact with while they are with us. Our safe houses are also far from the red light areas and when we bring them to our safe houses on the first day, we try hard to make sure that no one is following us.”

Islamic group told not to comment on Kashmir

NEW DELHI: India firmly and unequivocally told the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that it would be better off not commenting on India's internal affairs.

Replying to comments on Kashmir made by Pakistan, which was using the OIC to comment on the troubled state. Pak made its comment on behalf of the OIC, of which it is a member.

Sumit Seth, first secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to UN, said, “Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has no locus standi on India's internal affairs, we strongly advise the OIC to refrain from making such references in future.” Seth gave the response using the “right of reply” after Pak poked the country. “The OIC in its

statement contains factually incorrect and misleading references to the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. India outrightly rejects all such references. The Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inseparable part of India,” he said.

A 57-nation body that says it is “the collective voice of the Muslim world,” the OIC has often made com-

ments on Kashmir. It once talked about “gross human rights violations in Kashmir” and said the Kashmir dispute posed a threat to the peace and security of the region. In April, it said it “backs Pakistan” on the Kashmir issue, adding that it believes there is a need to put “pressure” on India on the issue of alleged human rights violations in the state.

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

North Korea again fires missile over Japan

SEOUL: North Korea has conducted its longestever test flight of a ballistic missile last week, sending an intermediate range weapon that went firing over Japan into the northern Pacific Ocean. The missile triggered the US ally's emergency alert system for the second time in a little less than a month. Ever since US President Donald Trump threatened North Korea with “fire and fury” in August, the country has conducted its most powerful nuclear test. It threatened to send missiles into the waters around the US Pacific island territory of Guam and launched two missiles of increasing range over Japan. Indirectly criticised by both, India and Japan, for aiding Pyongyang's nuclear competencies, China responded saying it was “irresponsible” to blame Beijing for the tensions.

Former executive puts bounty on Hillary's hair, jailed

NEW YORK: Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive who is awaiting sentencing for a fraud conviction, was sent to jail after a federal judge revoked his bail because he had offered $5,000 for a strand of Hillary Clinton's hair.

Shkreli, who was free on $5 million bail while he awaited sentencing, had made two Facebook posts offering cash to anyone who could “grab a hair“ from Clinton during her book tour. At the hearing, Judge Kiyo A Matsumoto said that Shkreli's post could be perceived as a true threat. “That is a solicitation to assault in exchange for money that is not protected by the First Amendment,” she said.

Slain Indian's widow gets US work visa

WASHINGTON: An Indian woman, who lost her residency rights in the US following the murder of her techie husband in a suspected hate crime, can stay in the country for now after an influential lawmaker helped her get a temporary work visa.

Sunayana Dumala, whose husband Srinivas Kuchibhotla was killed at a Kansas bar in February, fell out of status because her permission to reside in the US was tied to Kuchibhotla through marriage, Congressman Kevin Yoder said. “We're not going to let this happen to Sunayana” Yoder said on Twitter.

Dumala managed to regain her residency status, which she had lost after the killing of her husband.

Pak man sentenced to death over blasphemy

LAHORE: A Pakistani judge has sentenced a Christian man to death after finding him guilty of insulting Islam's Prophet in the eastern Punjab province. The man was identified as Nadeem James, 35, who was arrested last year after he sent a poem to his Muslim friend on WhatsApp. Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone accused of insulting Islam can be sentenced to death. Domestic and international human rights groups say these laws are often misused to settle personal scores and target minorities.

Knife-wielding US student shot dead WASHINGTON: A knife-wielding student was shot dead by the police at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, US, authorities said. The Georgia Tech Police Department responded to a call about a person reportedly carrying a knife and a gun near a school dormitory. Officers arrived at the scene and tried to make contact with Scout Schultz, 21, who was holding a knife. Schultz was not complying with the police as he approached the officers before one of them fired, striking him. He was taken to a hospital where he died later.

Former Egyptian president Mursi jailed for 25 years

CAIRO: An Egyptian court sentenced ousted president Mohammed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood to 25 years in prison in a final ruling over a case accusing him of spying for Qatar. Mursi, democratically elected after Egypt's 2011 revolution, was overthrown in mid-2013 by then-general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, now the president, following mass protests against his rule. He was immediately arrested. Egypt's Court of Cassation reduced Mursi's sentence in the Qatar case to 25 years in its final ruling, from an original 40 years. Mursi is already serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012.

WORLD-INDIA

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23

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

US closer to designating Pak terrorist state

WASHINGTON: The relationship between US and Pakistan reached a new low after President Trump lashed out at the nation for nurturing terror groups.

Islamabad is believed to have devised a “three-option diplomatic policy,” including an extreme case scenario where it will block access for US and Nato supplies to land-locked Afghanistan.

Actions prior to this will include, according to media, limiting diplomatic ties with US and reducing mutual cooperation on terrorismrelated issues and noncooperation in US strategy for Afghanistan. Pakistan has also warned that it would not buy any more F16 jets from the US, and would lean towards China.

After giving Pakistan a taste of the kind of financial vulnerability it is under by banning operations in the US of Habib Bank, the country's leading financial institution, for regulatory violations, the Trump administration has indicated it has more weapons up its sleeve.

Among them: Stripping Pakistan of the status of a non-Nato ally, cutting off all aid, imposing travel ban on suspected ISI personnel in

the US operating undercover, and finally, formal designation of Pakistan as a terrorist state.

Withdrawal of non-Nato ally status and designating it a terrorist state would limit weapons sales and probably affect billions of dollars in IMF and World Bank loans, along with access to global finance.

Pakistan supporters in the US have long argued the country was “too big to fail” and applying too much pressure on it would push it into China's arms. But, the US appears to have reckoned that the country is already firmly in the Chinese camp, and Beijing can do little to stave off a financial meltdown if Washington decides

to put the squeeze on a country whose elites have greater affinity for London and New York than for Beijing.

Talk of a western visa ban terrifies Pakistani military and political elites such as Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif, who owns prime property and camp out in the west whenever things get too hot at home.

Pakistan bravado in threatening to cut off US access to Afghanistan comes ahead of a possible meeting of its new PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi with vicepresident Mike Pence in New York on sidelines of the UN General Assembly. President Trump appears to have little time or patience with a

country whose proliferation activities are being recalled again following North Korea's aggravations in the nuclear and ballistic missile sphere.

Even the state department, whose bureaucrats have long advocated a cautious line on Pakistan fearing its collapse and a “loose nukes” scenario, appear to have fallen in line with the White House's get-tough policy stemming from Islamabad's perfidy regarding using terrorism as a policy instrument.

On Pakistani television, some talking heads and anchors are now discussing the imminent collapse of the country's economy if US puts the squeeze. Pakistanis are also stunned that many reports now rank Bangladesh ahead of it in several economic metrics, including exports and foreign exchange reserves. But the country's hardline nationalists and fantasists believe China, and perhaps even Russia, will come to its rescue.

Pak SC dismisses Sharifs' review petitions ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Supreme Court dismissed the review petitions filed by the deposed Prime Minister and his children against the July 28 Panama Papers judgment. A five-judge SC bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa had taken up the petitions seeking review of the court's ruling which disqualified Sharif and ordered the the filing of corruption cases against him and his children - Hussain, Hassan and Maryam Nawaz, son-inlaw retired Captain Mohammad Safdar and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. "For the reasons (to be) recorded later, all these review petitions are dismissed," Justice Khosa announced. The reasons will be revealed later in a detailed order. With the rejection of the review petitions, Sharif's disqualification as a member of the Parliament remains valid.

Nawaz Sharif

The Sharif family and Dar will now face corruption cases filed by the National Accountability Bureau in the accountability court.

Speaking to the media after the verdict, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Fawad Chaudhry said the court's decision is a victory for the nation. On July 28, Sharif was dismissed by the apex court and stepped

down after a probe into the Panama papers scandal revealed he had not declared income received from a firm owned by his son in Dubai. The Panama Papers revealed in April 2016 that three of his four children had set up offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands through which they owned property in London, leading the top court to order an investigation after a year of protests by the opposition.

Rift in family over Sharif's successor The sequence of events that followed the disqualification of Sharif from office has exposed a rift within the Sharif family and the ruling PML-N over the question of who will be the successor of the ousted premier. The byelection for a National Assembly seat in Lahore, that fell vacant with Sharif

becoming ineligible to remain a legislator, has brought in the open the split in the party between his daughter, Maryum, and his younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif, who is currently the CM of Punjab.

Knowing the delicacy of the power struggle, Nawaz, after his ouster, had announced his younger brother to be his successor but to be a PM, Shahbaz had to be elected to the National Assembly. As a stop-gap measure, Shahid Abbasi was announced PM. Sharif also launched his daughter to be his unofficial political strategist and spokesperson.

“By announcing Khaqan Abbasi first as the country's interim PM and then permanent, Sharif has successfully denied control of PML-N to his younger brother till next election in mid-2018,” said analyst Nusrat Javed.

Hafiz Saeed's JuD to enter 2018 Pak general elections LAHORE: Hafiz Saeed's Jammat-ud-Dawa is all set to enter the political scenario in Pakistan as a senior member of the outfit said it would contest the 2018 general elections. Front for terrorist outfit Lashkar-eTaiba, the JuD announced that it would launch the Milli Muslim League (MML). Sheikh Yaqoob, a JuD-backed candidate who was defeated by ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif's wife Kulsoon Nawaz

Hafiz Saeed

from a parliamentary seat that fell vacant after he was disqualified by the Supreme Court, said the front “will field candidates in every constituency of the country in next year's election.”

“We have got a good response in NA-120. It was our first election and people have welcomed. We are here to stay in the political field. People want a party that talks about making Pakistan strong against its enemies- India, United

States, and Israel, and at the same time help them in solving their basic livelihood problems,” he said.

Yaqoob was placed on a US treasury sanctions list of those designated as leaders of terrorist organisations, in 2012. The MML was formed when Saeed was put under house arrest in Lahore.

JuD was declared a foreign terrorist organisation by the United States in June 2014.

Trump appoints IndianAmerican Raj Shah to key post

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American Raj Shah to a key position in his communications team, the White House says. Trump also appointed his confidant Hope Hicks as his Communications Director. "Raj Shah will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary," the White House said. Shah formerly served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director. Shah, 32, was one of the few handful of Trump's aides who landed in the White House within hours of him being sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on January 20.

Indian-origin doctor stabbed to death in Kansas

HYDERABAD: Dr Achutha Reddy, a well-known psychiatrist hailing from Andhra Pradesh, was stabbed to death in the US state of Kansas. The police arrested a suspect, 21-year-old Umar Rashid Dutt, in connection with the murder and have sent to him to jail. The motive for the murder is still unclear. The accused was a patient of Dr Reddy. Police said the clinic manager had found Dr Reddy being assaulted by a man. The doctor managed to run from the clinic but he was pursued by the accused and stabbed again in the alley behind the clinic where his body was found when the police arrived.

Arundhati Roy out of Booker 2017 shortlist

LONDON: Authors from the UK and the US dominated the 2017 Man Booker Prize shortlist, while Indian writer Arundhati Roy failed to make the cut. Arundhati, who won the literary award for her debut book `The God of Small Things' in 1997, had featured on the long-list for her latest novel `The Ministry of Utmost Happiness'. The book was described as “a rich and vital book“ that “comes from the bowels of India“ by the judges. The short-list includes Paul Auster for `4321', Emily Fridlund for `History of Wolves', and George Saunders for `Lincoln in the Bardo', Mohsin Hamid for `Exit West', Fiona Mozley for `Elmet' and Ali Smith for `Autumn'.

25 killed in Malaysia school fire

KUALA LUMPUR: At least 25 people, including students and teachers, were killed in a fire at a religious school in the Malaysian capital. The fire at the Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah broke out in the early hours. Officials said fire engines were at the site within minutes, and the blaze was put out within an hour. In Islamic schools - where children study the Quran – they often live in the schools. The caused of the blaze is not yet clear.

Pak model found dead in a hotel room

KARACHI: A newly-wed woman was found dead under mysterious conditions at a hotel in Karachi. The police and family suspected that she was a model who has been murdered by her husband to whom she got married about two months ago after they met on Facebook. The police initially suspected that it was suicide case.

However, later the investigation confirmed that the newly-wed was murdered. After the autopsy, doctors confirmed that she was hanged to death.

Man attacks soldier with knife in Paris

PARIS: A knife-wielding man attacked a soldier in Paris last week, the latest assault to raise questions over whether France's anti-terror patrols are a target for extremists. The soldier, who was part of an anti-terrorism operation, tackled the man and was uninjured. The attacker was taken into custody. The man had lunged at the soldier at the central Chatelet metro station, making reference to Allah, a police source said.

The attacker was not previously known to police.

Investigators have opened an anti-terror probe, government spokesman said. The incident came with France still on high alert following a string of terror attacks which began in January 2015 when jihadist gunmen stormed the offices of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 12.

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TN Speaker disqualifies 18 rebel AIADMK legislators The United party sacked its jailed general secretary VK Sasikala from the top post

CHENNAI: Eighteen legislators loyal to sidelined deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran of Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK, have been disqualified by the state assembly Speaker under the anti-defection law. In a statement Speaker P Dhanapal ordered “disqualification of 18 lawmakers under the anti-defection law.” A total 19 AIADMK lawmakers had submitted a letter to Governor CV Rao withdrawing their support to Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

They asked Rao to initiate the process to install a new CM. After the move, party Chief Whip S Rajendran wrote to the Speaker asking to disqualify

K Palaniswami

the MLAs who rebelled against Palaniswami. After the Speaker issued notices to the rebel MLAs, one of them switched over to Palaniswami side.

HC to hear their pleas The Madras high court, meanwhile, agreed to hear

Andhra CM asks partymen to ready for an early poll GUNTUR: Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu has hinted at an early Assembly elections in the state, as he asked his party cadre to make sure the victory of the party by a huge margin.

He was addressing partymen recently after securing a landslide victory over opposition YSR Congress party in Nandyal by-polls and Kakinada municipal election.

Naidu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants elections for the Parliament and assemblies of all states to be conducted simultaneously, and would prefer to go for the state polls by the end of 2018.

Elections for Andhra Pradesh is expected by April-May 2019.

He asked party leaders to prepare the Yellow Book carrying the details of the poll strategy,

N Chandrababu Naidu

style of electioneering and booth management which will be followed by the party during the next polls as a handbook.

“We have time till December 2018 to deliver on our promises and let's aim at winning all the Assembly seats,” he said.

He cautioned party workers not to become over confident and to be prepared for the next election without taking any chances.

Now, Ram Rahim on trial in murder cases

against his boss stating he was under pressure from “baba and his goons”.

T h e Panchkula court has issued notice to CBI and Ram Rahim on the plea for Gurmeet Ram Rahim September 22, ROHTAK (HARYANA): Cult seeking responses whether leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Khatta Singh can be allowed who has been lodged in to depose at the end of the Rohtak's Sunaria jail after a trial. Khatta, in his applicaCBI court convicted him for tion, has claimed that he was raping two of her female folliving in the Sirsa-based Dera lowers, now faces hearing in when the crimes were comtwo murder cases where he is mitted in 2002, and that he cited as the main conspirator. has personal knowledge about Panchkula DCP Manbir the circumstances in which Singh said, “Hearing has victims Ranjit Singh and begun. Ram Rahim has also Chhatarpati were killed. appeared through video conWhile the former was killed ferencing.” The self-styled near his village in godman's former driver Kurukshetra district in July Khatta Singh, meanwhile, has 2002, the latter was shot dead moved an application before in front of his house in Sirsa a the court, urging it to recouple of months later in record his statement. Singh October the same year. CBI was a witness in the murder claims that both of them were cases against Ram Rahim and killed at Ram Rahim's orders had recorded his statement in after they tried to expose the 2007. He, however, turned nefarious activities of dera.

their pleas against the disqualification.

Justice M Duraiswamy allowed an urgent mention made by senior counsel P R Raman on behalf of the legislators.

Meanwhile, the united AIADMK moved to consolidate its position by sacking its jailed general secretary VK Sasikala from the top post. At a general council meeting, the group headed by Palaniswami and deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam announced that the late J Jayalalitaa would be the party's permanent general secretary.

In another meeting, Palaniswami hinted at a possible endorsement of a future

alliance with the BJP at the Centre. Palaniswami said the AIADMK government could have done much more for Tamil Nadu if it had aligned with the central government.

Addressing the party cadre, the CM defended his party's close relations with the BJP and slammed the DMK for alleging that the state government has turned out to be a “slave” of the Centre.

“We are neither slaves nor servants to the Centre,” he said. “We are just cordial with the Union government. Only then we will be able to get projects for Tamil Nadu and get approvals for our own welfare schemes,” he said.

Kamal Haasan set to launch party CHENNAI: If sources are to be believed, actor Kamal Haasan is all set to launch his own political outfit by the end of the month. A close aide to the actor said, “Preparations to float a political party is in progress and the announcement is likely in a few days.

Vijayadashami or Gandhi Jayanthi may be considered appropriate to make the announcement. He is yet to share the final details with leaders of his fans' groups but the upcoming local body elections have made it a necessity for him to step in.”

Another source said, “This is the crucial time to enter. He thinks that there is a political vacuum in Tamil Nadu. He is overwhelmed by the response from the public on his recent statements taking on politicians in the state. He is busy meeting key faces on his fans' groups besides sharing his ideas and draft papers for the new party with people whom he respects.” He said Haasan feels it is necessary to enter politics at the current juncture before any major alliances are forged by the Opposition DMK or the warring factions of the ruling AIADMK. It is reported that the actor feels that the local body elections with over 4,000 candidates, may be the best oppor-

Kamal Haasan

tunity to engage with people at the grassroots. “We have well-disciplined members of fans' groups in all districts, in each and every taluk. A local body election would be the best platform to give them an opportunity to serve people,” sources said. About his alleged proximity with Left leaders, they said Haasan had met many people over the last few months for feedback on his political plans. “On his mind is not a typical political party, like Vijayakanth's, to contest in elections alone. He believes that people need to be politicised. He will play a key role in the upcoming local elections,” they said.

The 'Dasavathaaram' actor met with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on September 1, after which he announced his plans of entering politics, and how it would be “in the middle of things, not leaning to any side.”

Court orders attachment of Mohali railway station

MOHALI: A local court has ordered the attachment of Mohali railway station and two locomotives after the railways failed to pay the enhanced compensation rates to the residents of a village from whom it had acquired land in 1999. Counsel for the petitioners, Gurwinder Singh Sandhu said, “The court gave the orders after railways failed to turn up for the hearing.” The land was acquired by the railways in Kambala village to construct the Chandigarh-Ludhiama rail line.

Official vehicles of the concerned railway officers will also be attached.

Railways have been asked to file a reply by September 22 failing which the court will

give orders to auction the property to pay the compensation to the original land owners.

Sandhu said, “Although these attachment orders are given in one petition, there are numerous land owners who have not been compensated as per the enhanced rates given by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The HC had then sent the case to the district court.”

The case pertains to the acquisition of over seven acres of land for £1,70,000.

Railways had announced an award of Rs 5,52,000 per acre in 2001 which was enhanced to Rs 7,50,000 in 2004 and further raised to Rs 23,34,000 after the villagers approached the court alleging inadequate compensation.

Kerala priest abducted by IS freed after 18 months

NEW DELHI/MUSCAT: A Catholic priest from Kerala has been rescued in Yemen, 18 months after he was abducted by Islamist militants during a deadly attack on a care home in port city Aden.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted, “I am happy to inform that Father Tom Uzhunnalil has been rescued.” He was abducted by terrorists of the Islamic State after they stormed the care home run by Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in March, last year. The attack had killed approximately 15 lives.

Uzhunnalil was found and moved to Muscat from where he is now scheduled to return to Kerala. The priest thanked God and praised Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said and the Indian government.

Govt pay scale to Telangana temple priests

HYDERABAD: Telangana government said priests and employees working in temples will be given the state government's pay scales from November. An official release from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's office said the 'Dhoop Deep and Naivedyam' programme set to be implemented in 1,805 temples, will be extended to 3,000 other temples across the state. “We will give Rs 6,000 per month to another 3,000 temples in the state. With this, the 'Dhoop, Deep, Naivedyam' scheme will be implemented across 4,805 temples in the state,” Rao said. He added that as per records, temples in Telangana have about 83,000 acres under their control and the government will take special care to protect them from encroachment.”

Kerala actor Dileep's wife applies for anticipatory bail

KOCHI: Kerala actor Dileep's wife Kavya Madhavan has applied for an anticipatory bail in connection with the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault of an actress in February. The move came amid speculation that she too might be involved in the case. Kavya and her mother were questioned ahead of Dileep's arrest on July 10 for his involvement in the conspiracy that led to the unfortunate incident. In her plea, the actress alleged that the investigating team of officials were completely “biased, partisan, and ill-motivated”. She also accused them of “selectively leaking news” to the media against her to carry out “valueless but targeted media trial” in the case.

By-polls to Gurdaspur LS seat

NEW DELHI: By-polls to Punjab's Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat and Kerala's Vengara assembly seat is scheduled to be held on October 11, 2017.

The Election Commission released a statement saying, “There are following clear vacancies in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies which need to be filled.” Both, Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail will be used in the by-elections. A spokesperson for Punjab Chief Electoral Officer's office said, “A notification for the Lok Sabha seat will be issued on September 15. The last date for submission of nominations will be September 22.”

CBI to probe murder of Gurugram school student

GURUGRAM: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that the probe into the murder of a student from Ryan International School has been transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. He said the management of the school's Gurugram branch will be taken over by the Haryana school board for a period of three months. The district collector will be made in charge of the school management. Khattar met with the family members of the 7 year old whose throat was slit in the school's washroom on September 8.

Drug-addict allows his friends to gang-rape wife

CHANDIGARH: A drug-addict in Chandigarh reportedly allowed his seven male friends to rape his wife in exchange for money to buy drugs.

Dakha police, after conducting an inquiry on the wife's complaint has booked the seven accused.

The victim's husband has also been booked. The 22 year old, in her complaint, said she was married in 2011 and has a child with the accused. She said he was addicted to drugs and would run his house expenses by offering her to his friends. Acting SHO, ASI Nagar Singh said a manhunt has been launched to nab all accused.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Dr. Hari Desai

The Vision of Dr. K.B. Hedgewar and RSS “Sangh never was anti-Congress nor is ”, asserted the Sarsanghchalak One of the founders and Sarkaryavah, Balaji Huddar, turned Marxist leader and a supporter of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Pune like him in 1904. Dr. Hedgewar had a dream of seeing the Hindun Nation become invincibly powerful and shine in its full and effulgent glory; and this, he was convince, could be achieved only by nurturing the RSS to its full stature, according to his official biography, “Dr. Hedgewar, the Epoch Maker”.

As a student of Kolkata’s National Medical College, Hedgewar had come in close contacts with the revolutionaries and had joined the secret organization, Anushilan Samiti apart from becoming instrumental in bringing weapons for Vidarbha revolutionaries, according to his biographer and RSS ideologue Rakesh Sinha.

Prof. Sinha, in the biography published by the Publication Division of the Government of India, gives description of Hedgewar joining other revolutionaries in preparing bombs at Dr. Moonje’s residence.

Hedgewar was arrested for throwing a bomb at a Police station in August 1908 but was released due to lack of evidence. He was a link between the revolutionaries of Bengal and CP during 1910 and and brought weapons secretly whenever he came to Nagpur, records Sinha.

Hedgewar’s code name in the secret revolutionary organization was “Cocaine” and the code word for the weapons he was bringing was “Anatomy”.

The Congress Convention was to be held in 1920 at Nagpur. The Central Province Congress leaders including Dr.

Dr. Hedgewar had a dream of seeing the Hindun Nation become invincibly powerful and shine in its full and effulgent glory

O

n the auspicious day of Vijaya Dashami in 1925, some 25 closed friends, proud of their Hindu heritage met at Nagpur under the leadership of a Congressman Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (1 April 1889-1 June 1940) and launched an organization which was to be named Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) the very next year on 17 April 1926.

Before this meeting Dr. Hedgewar had gone to Ratnagiri to consult Barrister Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.He established the organization with the intention of promoting the concept of the Hindu Nation and drew upon influences from social and spiritual Hindu reformers such as Swami Vivekananda and Aurobindo to develop the core philosophy of the RSS. Some of the friends who attended the meeting at Hedgewar’s residence to 1914-15 establish RSS included Bhauji Kaware, Anna Sohani, Vishwasrao Kelkar, Balaji Huddar and Bapurao Bhide. The Indian National Congress(INC) was a movement to fight for the rights of the people of British India. One of the prominent Congress leaders of Central Province(CP), Dr. B. S. Moonje, who later became a firebrand leader of Hindu Mahasabha, saw young Keshav as a prospective

Dr. Hedgewar and his successor M. S. Golwalkar(Guruji)

Moonje were keen to have Lokmanya Tilak to preside over but unfortunately Tilak died on 1 August 1920. It shocked most of the Tilakites since Tilak was an icon for all the revolutionaries in the Congress. Dr. Moonje along with Dr. Hedgewar, the then joint secretary of Nagpur city Congress, were involved in organizing the Congress Convention at Nagpur, gave a thought to who be invited to preside and they zeroed down the name of Aurobindo Ghosh. Both went to Pondicherry (now Puducherry) where Aurobindo had settled down since 1910.

Aurobindo turned down the invitation to return to active politics and preside over the Nagpur Congress.

Gradually Mahatma Gandhi replaced Tilak in the Congress which was not liked by the revolutionaries and pro Hindu leaders since Gandhi was a moderate like Gopal Krishna Gokhale.

Hedgewar was to be the first Sarsanghachalak (Supremo) and Huddar the first Sarkaryavah(General Secretary) of RSS. The first chief of RSS refused to be the Guru but he preferred Bhagva Dhvaja(Saffron Flag) to be the Guru for RSS. Not many people would know that RSS

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When Moonje insisted the participation of RSS as an organization in the Bhaganagar(Hyderabad) Satyagraha organized by the Hindu Mahasabha, Dr.

Dr. B. S. Moonje

Bardoli Satyagraha. In 1938 itself, Hedgewar sent invitation to Bose, the Congress President, to be the chief guest for the Pune RSS Camp, but Netaji wrote back to express his inability to join him since the local Marathi Congress leaders were against accepting the invitation.

Unfortunately, Dr. Hedgewar died in 1940 but before his death he had nominated Prof. Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar ( Guruji) as his successor.

Now that the front organization of RSS, BJP, is ruling over India and many Indian states, the new generation of Swayamsevakas and BJP rulers must remember the words of the founder Sarsanghchalak, recorded by Palkar in the biography of Dr. Hedgewar in conversation with Mahatma Gandhi at Wardha in 1934 : “The Congress leaders keep the name of the residence as Parna-Kuti ( Hut made of Leaves) but inside the Parna-Kuti the arrangements are royal. In RSS we follow simplicity and do things ourselves with involvement.”

None should forget the contribution by those who laid the foundation stone of the organization some nine decades ago.

Next Column: Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha in Coalitions (The writer is a Sociopolitical Historian. E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com)

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founder had praised the Congress President Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for the Purna Swaraj resolution in December 1929 Congress at Lahore and given a call to celebrate 26 January 1930 as Purna Swaraj Day in all RSS Shakhas !

Doctorji did participate in two Satyagrahas following the calls given by the Congress and was imprisoned twice. But he never involved RSS in the Satyagrahas. He expected the Swayamsevakas to par-

Hedgewar turned down his request but allowed the Swayamsevaks to participate in their individual capacity.

At a later stage, one of the founders of RSS, Balaji Huddar, turned to Marxist ideology and became the leader of the Communist Party of India. Despite the ideological differences, Dr. Hedgewar continued to maintain not only friendship with Huddar but he even invited him to address the Shit Shibir of RSS at Nagpur in 1938!

The year 1938 was important in the life of Doctorji since the Congress leadership was at loggerheads with him. His official biographer, N. H. Palkar writes in “Dr. Hedgewar Charitra” that Dr. Hedgewar was furious since the organization he had selflessly worked for last so many decades was expressing doubts in his integrity and the functioning of RSS. When he received a letter from the Central Province Congress on 10 November 1937, asking him to give clarifications about certain issues on RSS, he wrote back saying: “ Now it is not my age of a student to appear for an exam and reply the questionnaire you have sent. Since you are trying to brand us as anti-Congress in the name of public, I would like to state that we appreciate your guts to accuse us of and clarify that the Sangh was never anti-Congress and not anti-Congress even now.” The RSS founder attended the Congress Convention at Kolkata in 1928 and had met Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, when Vallabhbhai Patel shined up as the Sardar at the national level after the

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Modi, Abe lay foundation stone for bullet train Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe last week laid the foundation stone in Ahmedabad for India's first £11 billion, 508 km high-speed rail project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The ambitious project is being implemented with nearly 90% financial support and technology from Japan.

To be built on elevated corridor with a seven-km undersea tunnel in Mumbai, the project will be based on the famed Japanese Shinkansen high-speed railway system with a record of zero casualties in its 50 years of operation.

Modi government has set an ambitious deadline to complete the project on August 15, 2022 when India marks 75 years of Independence. The project will be executed through a special purpose vehicle, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. “The bullet train project will take care of high speed, high growth and high-end technology,” Modi said, describing it as “a symbol of New India”

PM Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe shaking hands after laying the foundation stone for bullet train

that his government wants to build by 2022.

According to him, the bullet train project will be “humanity friendly” and “eco-friendly” and will usher in the next generation economic growth along the corridor between the two cities.

However, launching the ground breaking ceremony of the project just two months before the Gujarat Assembly polls has invited sharp reaction from the opposition Congress. “Its good to have bullet train but lets not forget that Ahmedabad is yet to have a metro train despite the

Gujarat government talking about it for 10 years.

And also under his government, railways have seen highest number of accidents and daily there is an incident of train derailment in the country,” said Congress leader and in charge of Gujarat Ashok Gehlot.

“Japan has been a friend of India and this friendship has stood the test of time,” Modi said, giving credit for speedy implementation of the project to his “personal friend” Abe. In his address, Abe said he hopes to enjoy the beauty of India through the win-

dows of the bullet train in next few years. “I would like to state that IndiaJapan partnership is special, strategic and global and Japan is committed to support ‘Make in India’ and Japanese industries were working with the country to boost the manufacturing base in India,” he said.

India’s Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd will tie up for manufacturing the rolling stock for bullet train project, Abe said. Stressing on the strong Indo-Japan partnership, Abe said, “A strong India is in favour of Japan and a strong Japan is in favour of India.”

As part of the project, a training centre in Vadodara is being set up to train over 4,000 employees who will be responsible for execution, operation and maintenance of the bullet train. Once operational, the train is expected to service 15 million travellers a year.

“The construction sector in India will also get a big boost not only in terms of investment but also with

respect to new technology and work culture. This project is likely to generate employment for about 20,000 workers during the construction phase, who will be trained specialist to take up construction of such projects in India,” a statement stated.

A large number of cooperation agreements and investment intentions were also signed between the two countries. The MoUs were in the fields of disaster risk management, civil aviation, skill development, connectivity , science and technology, as well as economy and commerce.

Moreover, 15 Japanese companies signed investment intentions for Gujarat. An agreement was signed for India-Japan Investment Promotion Roadmap between the department of industrial policy and promotion, Union commerce and industry ministry, and Japan's ministry of economy, trade and industry.

Also, an agreement was inked for infrastructure development in MandalKhoraj region.

Key features: Length 508 km double line.

Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail will be passing through two states, Maharashtra 155.642 km and Gujarat 350.53 km and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli 2 km. Longest 21 km tunnel with 7 km under sea at Thane Creek.

12 stations: Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Bilimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, Sabarmati.

Except Mumbai, all other stations will be elevated.

Maximum Design Speed - 350 kmph while maximum operating speed of 320 kmph.

Journey time: - 2.07 hrs (limited stops), 2.58 hrs (stopping at all stations).

Maintenance of Trains – Sabarmati (Depot & Workshop) and Thane Depot.

Operations Control Centre (OCC) at Sabarmati. High Speed Railway Training Centre which was earlier planned at Gandhinagar will now be located at Vadodara.

Celebrating Life: Saakarben Ravaliya It takes a lot of strength to see the silver lining in the worst of situations. The words, “You have cancer...” is enough to bring down the mightiest, however, it barely even touched Saakarben Ravaliya. “It is okay... It could have been worse.

What if it was an unexpected accident? We have time to fight back in this situation and we will fight the cancer,” she said. Her infectious spirit and passion continues to light up lives in the Ravaliya family days after she died.

Her passing away was celebrated in a way synonymous to her personality.

Approximately 5,000 persons saw her off. The family

did not wish for a conventional unhappy mourning of their beloved's death.

They didn't wish to hurt the family matriarch's sentiments that way. After all, how fair would it really be to grieve after someone who celebrated each day until her last? Saakarben's husband and owner of Rajkot's famed Seasons Hotel, Vejabhai said, “I still remember that day... She had been healthy her entire life. Not even a fever. She, however, wasn't feeling well on April 7, when we took her to a doctor. After some tests, we found out she had blood cancer.

While we were shaken by the news, we quickly accepted reality. Our entire

news. However, she wasn't as upset and instead took it in such stride, she rather gave us the strength to face it.”

“Saakar filled our lives with incomprehensible joy. We thought, why not give her a positive, jovial see-off when we have spent our lives living happily together? We couldn't get ourSaakarben Ravaliya selves to mourn family- son Ketan, daughter for a person who has given Bhoomi, and daughter-inus nothing short of love law Namrata, we sat down and optimism for as long next to her and broke the as she lived. The entire

Modi gifts Narmada dam to India Continued from page 1 (political party) have a chance to rule, Narmada project has progressed.

But whenever those who considered party more important than country were in power, there have been numerous hurdles in the project.” The PM has been passionate about the project since his earlier days as chief minister of Gujarat. He had even gone on a 51hour fast to mount pressure on the Congress-led UPA government, in 2006, for permission to increase the height of the dam.

Decades-worth of controversies Envisioned by the country's first deputy prime minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, founding stone of the Sardar Sarovar project was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on April 5, 1961. Dispute over the project ensued after a report was prepared over means of distributing the Narmada water among Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. After negotiations reached a dead end, the

Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal was established in 1969.

The NWDT studied multiple reports and stud-

ies made by the three states, and gave its verdict in 1979. It was decided that of the 35 billion cubic metres of water available

family decided to not give her grieving departure.”

Vejabhai informed that after she was diagnosed with cancer, they took Saakarben for treatment at Mumbai's MB Agrawal Hospital. They later took her to the US, for better and more versatile treatment. After admitting her at MB Anderson Hospital, Houston, Texas, doctors decided that she will undergo a bone marrow transplant. Fortunately, her son Ketan was a match and the operation was conducted successfully. New blood only begins to form 20 days after a transplant.

Saakarben's health began

to deteriorate on the 10th day and she took her last breath on September 9.

Saakarben's life has been inspirational to those who knew her. Born in a village in Kutch, Gujarat, in 1956, education wasn't given much importance in her Ahir community at the time.

However, she went on to graduate from Adipur College. For as long as she lived, she equally contributed in the family business, and looking after the home.

“Even though she isn't present amongst us physically, she continues to remain in our thoughts,” Vejabhai said.

for consumption from the dam, Madhya Pradesh would receive 65 per cent, Gujarat 32 per cent, and Rajasthan and Maharashtra would be eligible for the remaining 3 per cent. The Planning Commission finally approved the project in 1988.

As the project was undergoing construction, social activists found the dam did not meet the required environmental and social conditions as shown by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.

One of the first to raise their voices was Medha Patkar who first visited the site in 1985. Several activists, including Arundhati Roy, and Baba Amte protested against the project, prompting the

World Bank to conduct a review. A bank commissioned panel concluded that inadequate assessment had been made by the Indian government and the World Bank prior to sanctioning the project, cancelled its authorised loan to the Indian government.

The current height of the dam has been raised to 138.68 metres with a usable storage of 4.73 million acre feet of water. While inaugurating the dam, PM Modi performed Narmada aarti and offered prayers at the site. “There have been many who politicised the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam. But we overcame all conspiracies against Maa Narmada to complete the Sardar Sarovar project,” he said.

AsianVoiceNews

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health lifestyle

Beta Carotene: Not Exactly a Nutrient but an Essential Compound for Your Overall Health Beta carotene, one of the nutritional organic compounds clubbed under the umbrella of vitamin A, is essential for maintaining healthy vision, radiant skin and a rock-solid immunity. It is crucial for bone growth as well as tissue and skin repair.

Beta carotene is also characterized as an antioxidant vital for proper functioning of the immune system. Regular consumption helps in protecting cells against damage. Beta carotene is essentially a carotenoid pigments found in plant sources, responsible for their rich red-orange and deep green hue. It isn't actually a nutrient but a compound which is used by our body to create vitamin A. Since beta carotene is recognized as an antioxidant - compounds that are capable of repairing cell damage and warding off cell-damaging free radicals - its regular consumption has also been linked to cancer prevention.

Beta carotene and health: Some of the previously conducted studies have linked beta carotene consumption to reduced cognitive decline. Beta

carotene along with vitamin K and folate has been known to enhance brain power, notes an online report published on Harvard's health portal.

"Carotenes - that include alpha-, beta-, and delta-carotene are sources of vitamin A. These have anti-cancer and heart protective properties and protect mucous membranes of the body," as mentioned in Dorling Kindersley's book Healing Foods.

Beta carotene and vitamin A: The significance of vitamin A for healthy functioning of the body is undeniable. The nutrient

A woman was teaching Sunday school class. The topic for the day: Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Christ.

“What did Jesus do on this day?” she asked. There was no response, so she gave her students a hint: “It starts with the letter R.” One boy blurted, “Recycle!” *** My high-school English teacher was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day I received a B minus on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the valentine season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I received in return a valentine from the teacher. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINEUS.” *** About a year had passed since her amicable divorce, and Carol decided it was time to start dating again.

Unsure how to begin, she thought she’d scan the personals column of the local newspaper. She eventually came across three men who seemed like they’d be promising candidates. A couple of days later, Carol was checking her answering machine and discovered a message from her ex-husband. “I was over visiting the kids yesterday,” he said. “While I was there I happened to notice you had circled some ads in the paper.

Don’t bother calling the guy in the second column. I can tell you right now it won’t work out. That guy is me.” *** Two kids are on their way to Sunday school when one says to the other, “What do you think about this Satan stuff?”

“Well, you remember Santa? This could turn out to be your dad too.”

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

is not produced by the body but derived from dietary sources. "About 8% of the beta-carotene in the diet is converted to vitamin A in the body. Try to get much of the extra vitamin A you need from the beta-carotene in yelloworange vegetables and fruits (carrots, tomatoes, cantaloupe) and in deepgreen vegetables such as spinach," notes another online report published on Harvard's health portal.

How to add beta carotene to your diet?: Still wondering how to add beta-carotene to your diet? It can't get simpler than this.

Look around and load up all fruits and veggies that are yellow, orange or deep green in colour.

These would certainly include oranges, cantaloupes and other citrus items; greens, peppers, carrots, mangoes, apricots and more.

Alzheimer's disease really can be avoided by following a healthy lifestyle even if you're predisposed to get it, the largest study of its kind has revealed.

Exercising, monitoring blood pressure and watching less TV are the three key factors that will help build brain resilience and keep the disease at bay.

Researchers at the University of California in Irvine began the '90+ Study' in 2003. Tests were carried out on the 1,700 participants every six months to monitor their cognitive ability. Post-mortems were conducted upon their death.

Astonishingly half of the dementia-free patients had the hallmark brain plaques - which lead to memory loss and dementia - when they died.

Meanwhile half of the dementia

patients did develop symptoms of memory loss - even without having these build-ups in their brain.

Professor Claudia Kawas, lead researcher, suggested the reason for such 'cognitive resilience' in those who should have developed dementia but remained free of it was

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To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement any advice. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

Lewis Hamilton going vegan is proof that animal-free living isn’t a minority interest anymore This weekend, Lewis Hamilton announced that he’s recently turned to veganism. The BBC reported him as saying that he hasn’t touched red meat for two years, stopped eating chicken at the beginning of the year, and recently gave up fish in favour of a plant-based lifestyle.

But unlike many athletes, he hasn’t done it simply for performance purposes.

Endurance athletes like Ross Edgley like to cut out animal products and up their micronutrient intake ahead of events to prepare the body better for undergoing a lot of stresses.

But Lewis says that his decision to go vegan is an environmental one.

He doesn’t actually mention which documentary has spurred him on, but for those of us who spend our evenings glued to the vegan section of Netflix, it sounds like he’s been

watching stuff like Cowspiracy and What The Health – two of the most terrifying films on the net.

‘As the human race, what we are doing to the world… the pollution [in terms of emissions of global-warming gases] coming from the amount of cows that are being produced is incredible,’ he’s reported to have said.

‘They say it is more than what we produce with our flights and our cars, which is kind of crazy to think. The cruelty is horrible and I don’t necessarily want to support that and I want to live a healthier life.’

Healthy lifestyle builds brain resilience and really will keep dementia at bay

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Professor Kawas also noted it was important to keep blood pressure under control.

Professor Kawas esti-

mated that if these interventions were taken by more people there will be two million fewer dementia cases in the US by 2050.

But she was also clear to point out that the findings are not yet decisive, and that the risk factors for the devastating disease need further research.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

‘Haseena Parkar’

Biographical film on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena

‘Newton’

A government clerk tries to run a free and fair election in a conflict area in central India.

‘Bhoomi’

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Nayanthara in Arivazhagan's next film

D

irector Arivazhagan who recently announced his upcoming movie, set to be Malayalam actress Manju Warrier's Tamil debut, is also reportedly in talks with Nayanthara for another project.

“It is true that Nayanthara has been approached for Arivazhagan's script. Talks are underway, but nothing has been finalised yet. However, this is altogether a different project and not the untitled flick featuring Manju Warrier. Arivazhagan is hopeful about getting Nayanthara on

board,” a source said.

They added that GV Prakash has been given the green signal for one of his projects.

“Everything has been finalised from GV Prakash's end, but there are things that are to be decided from the producer’s side. So, which ever project materialises first, Arivazhagan would be taking that up as his next,” the source added. An official announcement is expected to be made in the coming weeks.

4 heroes and 4 heroines for Mani Ratnam's next

An action-thriller featuring Sanjay Dutt and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Taapsee Pannu defends her bikini post

A

s powerful as the internet is, the place is without a doubt a harbour for sexists who think they can decide what women can wear. Known for her strong, powerful roles on the silver screen, 'Pink' actress Taapsee Pannu found herself on the receiving end of online trolls who did not react well to two bikini pictures she posted.

Pannu shared two photographs from her upcoming film 'Judwaa 2', in which she was seen posing

in a blue floral bikini set.

While some drooled over her perfect figure, there were others who chose to troll and body shame her. A Twitter user who took offence to the pic commented in Hindi, “In our country, we have freedom of expression, so why don't you remove the remaining clothes also.

Your brother must be feeling proud of you after watching this.” The actress, however, took it in stride and replied, “Sorry, I don't have a brother, otherwise I would've asked him and told you. But for now, will a sister's reply work?” The actress is in fact happy that she has finally become one of the actors to receive a backlash for a picture or a look.

“I was very happy to receive the backlash. I used to think everyone is getting it, why haven't I got it yet. So, finally I got it,” the bubbly actress quipped. “I used to keep reading articles which read this actor received backlash and that one got it too. So, I used to think, I have a hot body too. I should also receive it.”

T

he bigger, the better, seems to be ace director Mani Ratnam's motto. After reports of leading stars Simbu, Vijay Sethupathi, and Jyothika joining his upcoming massive multi-starrer, it has been recently heard that the film will supposedly have four heroes and four heroines. While the male leads have been confirmed to be Arvind Swami, Simbu, Vijay Sethupathi, and Fahad Fassil, auditions are on for two female leads while, Jyothika and Aishwarya Rajesh remain confirmed.

Music for the film will be

E

given by AR Rahman and Santosh Sivan will handle the cinematography. Thrilled to be part of the project, 'Vada Chennai' actress Aishwarya said, “Yes, I am doing the film and I am very excited to be a part of it.

I have said this in several interviews too, that I wanted to work with him (Mani). Finally, my dream has come true.” She added, “I am not allowed to reveal any details about the film.

All I can say is this will be completely different from Mani Sir's previous films. I am happy I got this offer at this stage in my career.”

Dulquer plays four different avatars of Shiva in 'Solo'

Bhavana to act even after marriage

merging strong from a personal problem she faced earlier this year, actress Bhavana said she would continue to act after her marriage. The Tamil and Malayalam star who recently got engaged to 'Sandalwood' producer Naveen, is expected to tie the knot in January, next year.

“Naveen is someone who has understood me very well; he

realises what are in my list of priorities.

He is someone who treats women with respect and dignity and I'm sure he would support all my endeavours. As such, he won't disagree to my continuing in films after our marriage. I love him a lot,” she said.

The 'Nammal' actress was recently kidnapped and molested by a bunch of men.

B

ejoy Nambiar's anthology 'Solo' will star Dulquer Salmaan playing four different avatars of Lord Shiva. A source close to the film said, “Dulquer plays four roles, Shekhar, Trilok, Rudra, and Shiva, and all the four characters, in a way, represent Lord Shiva.

It is a Shiva anthology. The theme of the film is based on the song, Shiv Taandav, which was released recently.”

They added, “The makers are planning to release the look of Shekhar and Trilok in the coming weeks. The movie has two stories of love and two stories of rage. Lord Shiva is known for his extreme emotions when it comes to love and rage and the film taps into that.”

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

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AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

We live in a sick society:

Kangana Ranaut F

ighting the bull by its horns, 'Simran' actress Kangana Ranaut wishes to change the way women are portrayed in Indian cinema. Making the headlines for her blatant fight against nepotism and some of B'town's very powerful men, Ranaut said, “We have always had female characters where they cry for the men who left them. The roles have always revolved around the male narrative, but this time Hansal Mehta has treated a woman like a human being in 'Simran'. She has her dreams, and is being celebrated with all her flaws.”

The actress began the infamous nepotism debate, calling director Karan Johar the flag-bearer of nepotism, and locked heads with Bollywood's leading actor Hrithik Roshan. She has often

voiced her struggles as an outsider.

However, things seem to have changed for the 30-year-old. “I am the leading face of Bollywood. I have done some very significant work, and I have received three national awards. My films have done well. Some of the films have broken boxoffice records. So, how can I be an outsider? I am an integral part of the industry. Let's see what happens in the future.”

“There is always stupid, small talks about women. When a woman becomes successful, she is called out saying she slept her way to the top. This is said even when a lady producer is making a big film. It is not just in the industry that it happens, it happens everywhere, and women as always spoken about in this manner.”

Hard work matters, says Anupam Kher

Deepika and Salman to romance in 'Kick 2'?

V

eteran actor Anupam Kher is all set to produce his next venture, 'Ranchi Diaries', his second stint as a promoter of a film. After his last production 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara' found critical acclaim, Kher was expected to indulge fully into the particular area

of filmmaking. However, it never happened. When asked what clicked with 'Ranchi Diaries', he said, “When Sattwik (Mohanty) came, he had the same look which I had when I had gone to meet Bhatt Sahab (Mahesh). I thought if I could help then why not.

Whether the film does well or not, it is up to the audience, but my job was to bring the film to a certain level.

“With the last film I

Priyanka spreads smiles on the face of Syria children

E

ver since reports of a sequel to Salman KhanJacqueline Fernandez starrer 'Kick' have surfaced, fans have been eagerly waiting for more updates. However, several sources inform that the audience might not be able to see their favourite onscreen jodi. 'Kick 2' is all set to bring in the brand new pairing of Salman and leggy lass Deepika Padukone.

“Deepika Padukone is being considered for 'Kick 2' with the film going on floors sometime next year.

As Jacqueline and Salman are already working together in 'Race 3', it only makes sense to give the audience a fresh pairing. However, the final call is up to Sajid and Salman,” a source said. Currently, Khan is busy shooting for 'Tiger Zinda Hai', after which he will shoot for 'Race 3' with Jacqueline. Dippy, is busy with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati'. Salman and Deepika fans wanted them to collaborate for a film since ages. In fact, Salman had even joked about it when Deepika had visited him on the sets of Bigg Boss 10. And looks like everyone’s wish might finally come true.

I

nternational actress Priyanka Chopra met with Queen Rania Al Abdullah, during her recent visit of Jordan. Expressing her excitement in meeting the Queen, PeeCee posted a picture of them standing next to each other oozing grace and elegance.

“I had the privilege and honour of meeting Her Majesty, @queenrania of Jordan again... this time in Amman. It is amazing to see the full extent of support that the Kingdom of Jordan has provided during the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis. The numbers are staggering and overwhelming but the good work continues day after day,” she wrote on Twitter. She added, “Queen Rania is a true inspiration. Her tireless efforts to help those in need comes straight from the heart and has always been consistent... as a UNICEF Eminent Advocate for Children, she leads by example as is so evident by the countless programmes for children that

Vidya turns into 'quirky' radio jockey

T she is involved in. She does this all with such grace and cam. The meeting and our discussions, further reiterated my commitment to help children the world over... because every child matters, no matter where they come from. I'm looking forward to meeting her again at the United Nationals General Assembly in NYC next week which we both will be speaking at.”

produced, I wanted to be a tycoon but I almost went bankrupt. I really did this.

Nothing worked. I wanted an 'Anupam Kher Studio Limited', and then I realised I didn't even have five thousand rupees.” He added, “I am a living example that if you work hard, you'll succeed. I came to this city with Rs 37, today I am the producer of this film. Hard works matters.”

he first teaser of Vidya Balan's 'Tumhari Sulu' is finally out, and it appears to be nothing short of a fun ride. The one-minute long teaser was released on YouTube, in which we see Vidya practising for a late night radio show. An innocent, simple-looking, sareewearing housewife, the actress is seen talking to her listeners in a sexy voice.

A comedy-drama directed

by Suresh Triveni, the movie also stars Neha Dhupia and Manav Kaul in pivotal roles.

30

UK

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

Plumbers ‘are overcharging women and pensioners by more than 50 per cent’ Plumbers are routinely charging women and pensioners huge amounts more money to carry out work - an investigation has found.

Research found elderly and female customers are being quoted an average of 53 per cent more than men for the same jobs.

The findings have been slammed by charities such as Age UK and the Fawcett Society who called the situation "an

injustice".

The investigation tasked a middle-aged woman, a middle-aged man and an elderly gentleman with contacting a list of 90 companies across England to ask how much it would cost to install a new mixer tap in their kitchen.

On average the female caller was quoted £86 compared with £74 for the male caller, a difference of 16 per cent.

Coming Events

l The Nehru Centre: A Friend's Story, play set in and around a college campus in the 1940s.

Date: September 20, 21 Time: 8pm Venue: Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe, London Sari, Renowned dancer and choreographer Daksha Sheth celebrates the unique garment.

Date: September 23, 24 Time: 8pm and 3pm Venue MAC Birmingham Date: September 27 Time: 7.30pm Venue: Festival Theatre Edinburgh Date: September 29, 30 Time: 7.30pm Venue: Tramway, Glasgow l The Leicester Brahma Samaj: Musical Evening by Panchal Live Entertainment Date: October 29 Time: Lunch 1pm to 2.30pm, Show 3pm to 6pm Venue: Shree Lohana Mahajan Hildyard Road, Leicester, LE4 5GG l Tarang: The National Ensemble For Indian Music Performs "UNDONE" Live Date: October 7 Time: 7.30 PM Venue: The BECK Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE. l Nazrul: Jibon Porikroma- A Tribute

by Mujibar Rahman Date: September 27 Time: 6.30PM to 8.30PM Venue: Conference Room, Idea Store Whitechapel, 321 Whitechapel Road,

London E1 1BU l Bolton Hindu Forum celebrates Dussehra 2017 Date: September 30 Time: 4 PM onwards Venue: Bolton Indian Sports Club Hacken Lane Bolton BL3 1SD l Navnat UK celebrates NavratriSeptember 21 to 29, DussehraSeptember 30, and Sharad PoonamOctober 6 Doors open at 7.30pm Venue: Navnat Centre Printing House Lane Hayes UB3 1AR l Samanvay Parivar organises Navratri Mahotsav Date: September 21 to 29 Venue: Harrow High School, Gayton Road, off Kenton Road, Harrow HA1 2JG l Shree Bharatiya Mandal presents Navratri Mahotsav Date: September 21 to 29 Time: Aarti- 7PM, Garba 8PM onwards Venue: Shree Ambaji Mandir, Indian Community Centre,103 Union Road, Ashton-u-Lyne OL6 8JN l Mandhata Youth and Community Association organises weekend Gujarati classes- Mandhata Gujarati School Date: Every Saturday, from September 9 to October 14 Time: 10.00AM to 12.30PM Venue: Barham Primary School Danethorpe Road Wembley HA0 4RQ

Sneh Joshi

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Whether you’re single or

attached you’ll have to go through a lot, as deep psychological transformations are taking place in all types of relationships. Don’t be afraid to experiment, trust your hunches, go with your gut feeling. Solutions to minor problems should be considered very carefully.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Responsibility is your key word, especially at work. Set your own goals, rather than trying to meet those set by someone else. Your ability to manage what you have on your plate earns respect from others around you. You will benefit in every way if you learn to self-discipline and pace yourself wisely.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 It is essential that you

adopt a very open attitude now for this is a time of lucky opportunity and a chance to greatly enrich your working life and at home. New windows on the world are about to open and this will have a maturing effect on you.

There is a rather secretive aura surrounding new romance.

It’s all about communications, as they take centre stage this week. Regarding love there will be a struggle between devotion and freedom. You need to feel completely consumed by the passion of your lover, and yet you need personal space to explore your own thing.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

The older caller was quoted an average of £90 — 21 per cent more than the younger male caller.

The greatest difference between the sexes was in the north east of England, where the female caller was quoted 53 per cent more on average. Older customers also appeared most likely to be ripped off in this region, with the elderly gentleman quoted 36 per cent more.

BOOK LAUNCH

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Chandrika Rathod’s ‘Mother’s Wisdom’ launched Dreams and aspirations are all we have; some big, some small. However, turning them into reality takes dedication. That is exactly what Chandrika Rathod has done. Leaving school at the tender age of 18, Chandrika dreamt to be a receptionist and write poems. She even said that in a Harrow Times article entitled “Front page girl” 30 years ago.

Chandrika, now a receptionist at VW Citygate, daughter of current Secretary of Hindu Council Brent Mr. Manubhai Makwana and Mrs Jayaben Makwana, has achieved her dream with the launch of her

second book entitled “Mother's Wisdom” on Saturday 9 September at Daal Roti. The event was well attended and with number of dignitaries including the Mayor of Brent, Council leader and

C. B. Patel of Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar.

Mother’s Wisdom is a powerful book of quotes that’s all about providing inspiring messages to guide the young minds. Mr Patel said that Chandrika was “idealistic, creative and was touched by her poetry”. Council leader, Muhammed Butt, said that it is “important today to give hope and encouragement to people to move forward”.

Signed copies of Mother’s Wisdom and her first book Words of Soul can be purchased by emailing Chandrika at wordsofsoul@outlook.com

Portrait of Menaka Guruswamy unveiled at Rhodes House, Oxford University Human rights advocate and constitutional lawyer Dr. Menaka Guruswamy has achieved the rare distinction of having her portrait unveiled at Rhodes House in Oxford University. The unveiling was done at an event held on September 16 in celebration of ’40 years of Rhodes women’, organised by the Rhodes Trust.

Guruswamy is a graduate of NLSIU Bangalore and a Rhodes Scholar.

After completing a BCL from Oxford University, she did an LL.M. from Harvard Law School, where she was a Gammon Fellow. She had worked in the office of the Attorney General for India, at a law firm in New York and and as a Human Rights Consultant to the United Nations.

In her acceptance speech Dr. Menaka

Guruswamy said: “It is a remarkable privilege to be part of this sisterhood of extraordinary women Rhodes Scholars – you are rocket scientists, artificial intelligence designers, lawyers, teachers, doctors, researchers at the cutting edge of new discoveries, artists, poets, writers, activists and political leaders. You are trouble makers for you unsettle the status quo. You inspire me, you have taught me and you set high standards for me.

Behind every successful woman there is always a wonderful family, and a fierce statute that prohibits sex discrimination.

“For us women these Rhodes scholarships are only but 40 years old. For us, this is not the oldest scholarship in the world. It is a young sisterhood of talented women, making change by our very existence and by our persistence, almost always against great odds in our professional and personal lives.

“Today’s Rhodes Scholars better reflect the beauty of the diverse world we live in, and also reflect, the intent of Rhodes House, the Trust and selection committees to better reflect this diversity of human experience and imagine the world rather differently from how the first founder did.”

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The pace of everyday life will gather momentum and there may be times when you find it hard to keep your act together. Any obstacles that have stood in the way of your heart's desires should melt into the background soon.

Your self-confidence will be extremely high and this will be helped by various encouraging events.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Relationships look great as Venus and Mars help to enhance your personal magnetism and put you in a gregarious mood. There are subtle transformations taking shape in you life and a feeling of helpful influences in the background. There is much to suggest that you are in tune with your inner self.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. Mentally you will be in top form, perhaps feeling quite passionate about expressing your ideas and views. Indeed, for many aspiring Librans there is much to suggest that a goal you have been striving towards will at last be reached.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

You should enjoy a very popular phase in your life where everyone wants to invite you to parties. This will give you a chance to meet people and pursue any romantic liaisons that might present themselves. Your communications are extremely high making it easy to close those lucrative deals.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 If you are your own boss, then you can look forward to a fairly good week.

You may find the next seven days a little frustrating, because this is a week where you will need personal space. You may be absorbing new ideas about how to create financial independence, others may not understand, so be careful.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. New beginnings are favoured around now. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent.

Affairs of the heart are likely to flourish.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 It would be a mistake always to blame the other person if your experience and expectations of love turn out to be disappointing. It is said that if you do not learn from past experience you will be condemned to repeat it until you do learn. You now have an excellent opportunity to sort out where things may be going wrong. The hard part is that you will have to be honest with yourself.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20 All close ties of love and affection will benefit from the gentle influence of Venus.

If you are married or have a well-founded relationship, it seems that the pattern of events will somehow draw you closer together emotionally. Those who are not yet totally decided, this is a fine time to do some serious thinking. A good time to sort your joint resources.

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SINDHU BEATS OKUHARA, WINS KOREA SUPER SERIES AsianVoiceNews

PV Sindhu became the first Indian badminton player to lift the title in Korea after she beat Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the women’s singles final at Korea Open Super series in Seoul on Sunday. This was her third Super Series title and second this year. In a rematch of the World Championships final which was won by Okuhara, Sindhu avenged her loss from Glasgow and won the Korea Open Super Series final 22-20 11-21 21-18 and claimed the title.

Sindhu and Okuhara played a neck-and -neck first game before the Japanese dominated the second game. Sindhu and Okuhara were once again playing a tense third game before Sindhu began edging ahead. Okuhara tried making a comeback late in the third game but Sindhu held fort. The Indian defended Okuhara’s smashes and came up with her own powerful shots to keep a slender lead.

Okuhara saved one match point before surrendering the game 21-18 and eventually the title.

Ajay Jayaram was the first Indian to reach the final of Korea Open in 2015 and Sindhu became the second one but went one step ahead of Jayaram by winning the title. Sindhu began the match with net play and Okuhara looked a little uncomfortable. The Indian took a small lead

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but as the game progressed, Okuhara was looking more confident. At the break in first game, Okuhara led 11-9 after a strong net game.

Sindhu, who had relied on down the line smashes and then net drop shots, changed it to long crosscourt shots. She was trailing after the break but quickly levelled up things.

It was a point-by-point tussle between the two as it went neck-and -neck till 17-17. Sindhu then faultered and committed unforced errors and Okuhara had two game points when a shot went wide. The Japanese could have claimed the game but Sindhu, with some luck, saved both match points

before taking the game 22-20.

The match took a different shape in the second game. Okuhara stepped up her net game by returning Sindhu’s drop shots. Her returns were quicker from the net which disturbed Sindhu’s plans. Okuhara’s stunning net play forced the players to not get involved in long rallies and Sindhu took time to adjust to this change. Okuhara led 11-6 at the break. But, it was no different story as Sindhu kept falling behind.

She looked tired as Okuhara continued to make her cover every part of the court. The number of unforced errors increased and Okuhara ran away with the game.

Sindhu dedicates her victory to Modi on his birthday Sindhu, meanwhile, dedicated her victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I dedicate this Victory for our beloved Prime Minister Shri Modiji on his Birthday for his untiring and self less services to our Country, (sic)” she wrote re-tweeting PMO India’s tweet where Modi had extended greetings to her. Modi, through the Prime Minister’s Office Twitter account had wished Sindhu earlier, “Congratulations to @Pvsindhu1 on emerging victorious in the Korea Open Super Series. India is immensely proud of her accomplishment.”

Davis Cup – Canada shut out India India lost 2-3 to Canada in the Davis Cup World Group play-offs at the Northlands Coliseum. The visitors were trailing 1-2 going into the final round of matches and needed to win both the reverse singles in order to win the tie. However, their hopes were dashed when Ramkumar Ramanathan lost in straight sets to 18year-old sensation Denis Shapovalov, which handed the Canadians an unassailable 3-1 lead.

Ramanathan did try his best and gave his World No 51 opponent a tough time in the second set before eventually going down 3-6, 6-7, 3-6.

Yuki Bhambri then defeated Brayden Schnur in the inconsequential fifth and final match to grab a consolation victory for the Indians. The 157 ranked Indian defeated the Canadian, ranked 202, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in an hour and 44 minutes. India have failed to cross the play-offs hurdle for the fourth year in row. They lost to Serbia,

India lost the tie after Denis Shapovalov defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan

Czech Republic and Spain in their previous three attempts. The Mahesh Bhupati-led side will have to start again in the Asia/Oceania Group I in 2018 to get to the play-offs stage.

Canada thus have earned their spot back in the 16-nation World Group after losing the first round to Great Britain in February this year. In a nervous start, Ramanathan lost 11

straight points but gradually the serve and volley strategy helped him negate Shapovalov's fiery ground strokes.

The Chennai youngster took some time to settle but by the time he controlled the butterflies in his stomach, Shapovalov had gone up 4-1 with a break of serve in the opening set. It was one-way traffic till the eighth game as the Canadian left-hander lost only three points

till he came out to serve out the opening set.

Ramanathan tried to serve and volley but Shapovalov was quick with his returns, hardly giving time to the Indian to charge the net finish the points. Ramanathan did pose a few questions in the ninth game with some sharp returns, earning two breakpoints, but Shapovalov used his big serve to save both and served it out with an ace.

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Asian Voice | 23rd Septmeber 2017

Pakistan mark cricket’s return with series win

Pakistan celebrated the return of international cricket with a thumping 33-run win to clinch the final Twenty20 match and the series against a World XI team at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium last week. The hosting of the short series is a major step towards convincing international teams to begin touring Pakistan again, with Sri Lanka already due to play a Twenty20 match in Lahore on October 29. Foreign teams have refused to tour Pakistan since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore in March 2009.

Under Sarfraz Ahmed, Pakistan team outplayed the World XI - with cricketers from seven countries - in the decider to match the important occasion by claiming the series 2-1.

Pakistan had won the first match by 20 runs before World XI levelled the series with a sevenwicket victory in the second ODI. World XI captain Faf du Plessis hailed the series as a big step and success. “This has been a huge success,” said du Plessis. “We wanted to come here and play a small part in cricket coming back to Pakistan. Thank everyone for the opportunity for coming here. We were joking about it, the blokes were saying we should do this every year. For a lot of guys who don’t play a lot of international cricket these days, this was terrific competition against a strong Pakistan side.”

Batting for World XI, only Thisara Perera, with a 13-ball 32 including three sixes and two fours, and David Miller, who hit a 29-ball 32, made significant contributions. Others never got going in a shaky chase which saw three World XI batsmen run out. Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali finished as the best bowler with figures of 2-28.

Pakistan had piled up 183-4 after they were sent into bat. Pakistan’s innings was built around opener Ahmed Shehzad’s 55-ball 89 and a 31-ball 48 by Babar Zaman. The two added 102 runs for the second wicket after Pakistan lost Fakhar Zaman for 27. Shehzad fell 11 short of his second Twenty20 hundred as he attempted a single off a wide ball. He cracked eight boundaries and three sixes. His and Pakistan’s only hundred in a Twenty20 international had come against Bangladesh during the World Twenty20 tournament in 2014. Shoaib Malik hit two sixes in his seven-ball 17 not out as Pakistan added 58 in the final five overs to reach 183.

Sri Lankan seamer Perera was the pick of World XI’s bowlers with 2-37 in his four overs.

During the innings break the Pakistan Cricket Board arranged a lap of honour for retired greats Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq. The two were given a standing ovation by a packed 25,000 crowd. The series was arranged as part of Pakistan’s efforts to bring back international cricket to the country, which has only hosted Zimbabwe for a limited-over series in 2015.

Pak batsman faces 10- year ban for spot-fixing Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif is likely to be handed a ban of up to 10 years by the threemember anti-corruption tribunal of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The tribunal headed by a former judge of the Lahore High Court is expected to announce its verdict on Khalid's spot-fixing case at the earliest. The tribunal has imposed a five-year ban on another Pakistan batsman Sharjeel Khan for similar offences in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this year. Sharjeel and Khalid were sent home from Dubai at the start of the PSL in February after being suspended under the PCB's anti-corruption code. A top PCB official said that the tribunal, which also included a former chairman of the board and former Test captain Wasim Bari, could end up finding Khalid guilty on all eight counts of breaching the PCB's anti-corruption code.

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Asian Voice | 23rd September 2017

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INDIA CRUSH AUSTRALIA BY 26 RUNS IN FIRST ODI

Riding on all round performances by Hardik Pandya and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, team India managed to defeat Australia by 26 runs in a rain-curtailed match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai last Sunday. With this victory, Virat Kohli-led team India have taken a 1-0 lead in the 5-match ODI series.

Australia were set a target of 164 runs in 21 overs through Duckworth and Lewis System after rain finally relented in Chennai.

After winning toss and electing to bat first, India set 282 runs for team Australia. India made what could be termed as the worst start to their innings, losing their first three wickets of just 11 runs.

Though opener Rohit Shrama (28) and Kedar Jadhav (40) tried to find their feet slowly, it seemed that the pitch was assisting the Australian pacers.

However, India rode on contrasting half centuries from all-rounder Pandya (83) and former skipper Dhoni (79) to help India recover from a precarious 87-5 and post a score of 281-7 in their stipulated 50 overs against the Steve Smith-led side.

It was Pandya's careerbest ODI score, surpassing

his previous best figures of 76, which he notched up against Pakistan in the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy final in England earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Dhoni, who also struck four boundaries and two sixes in his 75-ball knock, also forged another healthy 72-run seventh wicket stand with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (unbeaten at 32) after the loss of Pandya.

For Australia, pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile was the pick of the bowlers as he claimed the wickets of opener Ajinkya Rahane (five), and

skipper Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey (both for noughts). James Faulkner and Adam Zampa also chipped in with a wicket each.

However, a couple of fielding blemishes cost Australia dear. Debutant Hilton Cartwright failed to hit the stumps with a direct hit from cover and Dhoni was handed a reprieve when on 7. Smith, who had earlier dropped Rohit Sharma (28) at slips, let his team down in the 28th over.

He did the right thing by brining Coulter-Nile back, but couldn't hold on to a Pandya edge low to his left

with the latter on 13.

India entered this series after having swept Sri Lanka across formats recently, and the team is gradually becoming a ruthless unit with players for every condition and situation. Australia, on the other hand, have returned to India for the first time since their fiery and controversial Border-Gavaskar series earlier this year, which India won 2-1 and which ended with Kohli declaring some of his friendships with the Australian players had been irreparably damaged.

No doubt about Dhoni playing 2019 World Cup: Ravi Shastri India's head coach Ravi Shastri dismissed doubts about Mahendra Singh Dhoni's international future, and said that the team management could not think of removing the Ranchi stalwart considering his current form and fitness. Dhoni was in top form in Sri Lanka, having scored 162 runs with a strike-rate of 82.23. The former India skipper, who played his 300th One-Day International (ODI) in Sri Lanka, also grabbed eye balls with his quick reflexes behind the wicket, becoming the first wicket-keeper in ODI history to effect 100 stumpings.

Shastri asserted that Dhoni has both fitness and current form on his side and that the team will need him in the next ODI World Cup in 2019. Shastri compared Dhoni with the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev and said his achievements need to be respected.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Shastri, who took over as India coach in July this year after Anil Kumble resigned from the post, lauded Dhoni's performance in Sri Lanka and said that there's still a lot to come from him.

The 55-year-old Shastri added that Dhoni remains the best wicket-keeper in India in ODIs. "A player is evaluated on the basis of his current form and fitness and Dhoni has both. If you see his wicket-keeping, he is the best in ODI cricket.

His fitness is superb, he batted well in Sri Lanka.

And let me tell you, it was

just a tralier what you saw in Sri Lanka now wait for the movie," he said.

Shastri said if Dhoni can continue to perform like this then there's no question of not having him in the 2019 World Cup. "If he continues to play like this, there no question of not having him in the team for the 2019 world cup. You can't even think of a team without Dhoni," he said. On inclusion of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina, Shastri said: "Doors are not closed. They will be inducted only after they are

declared fit." Shastri said: "I have a problem. The amount of cricket that we are playing, we need at least 20 to 25 players. It is very difficult for a single player to play all forms of cricket.

Players need rest."

Shastri said, he has talked to BCCI officials seeking rest for the players after the series with Australia. "It is better that T20 is organised later, since there is hardly any time left between the Sri Lanka series and the South Africa tour."

Shastri said, the first two matches against Australia were vital. "We have to win the first two matches. These will decide the fate of the series.

Australia will get a tough challenge. Our bowling attack is strong." During an interview, Shastri remarked: "Maybe I will never live to see our team win all matches in Australia or in England, as we did in Sri Lanka."

Bumrah moves to 2nd spot in T20I rankings for bowlers Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah jumped to the second spot in the rankings for bowlers in T w e n t y 2 0 International (T20I) cricket.

Bumrah, who picked up 1/38 during the one-off T20I against Sri Lanka on Jasprit Bumrah September 6, leapfrogged South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir. Bumrah has 737 rating points. Meanwhile, Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has risen 21 spots to grab a careerbest sixth position in the rankings for batsmen after he helped complete a 2-1 victory over the World XI in the Independence Cup series played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The 22-year-old started with a fine innings of 86 and followed it up with two other useful knocks of 45 and 48 to finish as the highest run scorer in the series with 179 runs, eight more than his compatriot Ahmed Shehzad, who has gained nine slots to reach joint-22nd position.

The batting chart is continued to be led by India captain Virat Kohli. Shoaib Malik was another Pakistan batsman to gain as his 94 runs in the Lahore series saw him gain four slots to reach 30th position. Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan has gained 32 places to reach 66th rank among bowlers.

West Indies batsman Evin Lewis's knock of 51 has helped him gain one spot to reach a careerbest third position while his opening partner Chris Gayle's score of 40 has helped him gain four slots to reach joint-22nd position.

Meanwhile, the Windies side has overtaken England in the team rankings. They were in fourth position with 117 points before the match but is now third with 120 points. On the other hand, England has lost four points to slip from second to fourth position with 119 points.

Suicide attack outside Kabul cricket stadium, 3 killed

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest at a checkpoint outside a cricket stadium in the Afghan capital of Kabul while a T20 match was underway, killing at least three people and injuring seven more. The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirmed the blast. Two policemen and a civilian were killed by the blast, interior ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said. Initial reports had said the explosion occurred at one of the gates of the stadium but officials later clarified that the bomber had blown himself up near a checkpoint. At least seven security personnel and civilians were injured.

Officials also said all players participating in a Shpageeza Cricket League match within the stadium and the spectators were safe. They added the match was stopped immediately after the blast. The league is a professional T20 series that was started in 2013. No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Kabul has witnessed devastating attacks by both the Taliban and the Islamic State in recent months. Cricket has become one of Afghanistanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular sports and the national team, many of whose members have trained in India, has become increasingly successful, raising the profile of the game. A small number of foreign players are playing in the league.