AV 29th October 2016

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Vol 45 | Issue 26

CYRUS MISTRY SACKED, RATAN TATA BACK

MAY LIGHTS UP DIWALI AT NO 10 P18

29th October to 4th November 2016

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Jungle Juggernaut: Calais Camp Cleared

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

Rupanjana Dutta

The new Prime Minister Rt Hon Theresa May kept the tradition of Diwali alive at 10 Downing Street by organising a reception for Britain's Indian community on Monday 24 October 2016. Attended by several MPs, Peers, business and community representatives, No 10 was buzzing with the spirit of Diwali. She welcomed more than 150 key figures from across the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.

The stairs leading to the reception were beautifully decorated with chains of orange and yellow marigolds and were dotted with candles.

Inside the main hall there was a huge Annakut displayed by the BAPS Swaminarayan Temple.

The evening started with an introduction on Diwali

by Reema Patel from BAPS Swaminarayan Temple. She then invited Rena Amin and Henal Patel to put a garland around the Prime Minister

Riot police push back people lining up to register at a processing centre in the "Jungle" camp in Calais

Anand Pillai

AT HOME: PM Theresa May lighting the special lamp at 10 Downing Street to celebrate Diwali

and tie the 'nara chadi' (bracelet) around Mrs May's wrist.

The Prime Minister was joined by His Excellency Dinesh Patnaik, Acting Indian High

46 Church Road, Stanmore, Middlesex, London HA7 4AH

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Commissioner, and Jitendra Patel, Trustee of Neasden Temple, in the traditional lamp lighting ceremony.

Mrs May was also flanked by the Secretary of

State for International Development, Priti Patel, Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities, Sajid Javid, Continued on page 8

It's a jungle out there. The real world is severe – the migrants at the Jungle camp in Calais will vouch for this statement, as they prepared on Tuesday for their final day in the infamous refugee camp.

Till the last reports came in, authorities were on the verge of taking down the shacks, tents and other makedo shelters that thousands have called their home over the past two years.

Thousands of residents who have left the camp were warned in no uncertain terms not to return to the camp as it would be a “blind alley” in their attempt to reach the UK. Sylvie Bermann, France’s ambassador to the UK, said French police would remain in the northern port to prevent new camps being established.

“The government is determined to stop people coming back to Calais. We won’t let them come. It has to be clear that Calais is a blind alley, and you can’t come to this country. We will leave policemen there for the time being,” she told BBC radio.

More than 2,000 police, including riot squads, have been deployed to Calais as the “Jungle” is being closed down and demolished.

Around 2,000 residents, mainly Sudanese and Eritrean, were taken by bus to 80 accommodation centres around France on Monday.

Continued on page 4

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ONE ONE with Keith Vaz, MP

Asian Voice 29th October 2016

to

Harshadray Nandlal Sanghrajka

Harshadray Nandlal Sanghrajka was born in India in 1941 but brought up and educated in Kenya. In 1958, at the age of 17, Harshad started working for an international oil company and in his 11 years of service moved up to Executive post in Management.

In 1968, Harshad joined IBM Corporation in Nairobi. He worked in many countries on assignment: United Kingdom, Trinidad, USA and Germany in diverse fields of ITC as well as in professional and managerial positions.

Harshad took voluntary early retirement from IBM in 1994 at the age of 53.

He was an active member in the community in Kenya since the late 60’s and served as Hon. Secretary of Sthanakvasi Jain Sangh for over 8 years. In addition, he served as a member of the Executive Committee and as Joint Secretary of the Hindu Council of Kenya for several years. He was a member of the Asian Advisory Board to the British High Commissioner in Nairobi. One year before he migrated to the UK in 1978, he was instrumental in the startup of the Ratri Shakha.

Harshad has been an active community worker in the UK since 1978 and has served on the committees of various organisations. Having accepted the post of a Trustee of the Institute of Jainology in 2001, he was Hon. Secretary to the Board of Directors for 10 years and is currently the Deputy Chair.

He worked as a consultant to the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) to review the Non-statutory Guidelines for Religious Education. He represents the Institute at the Inter Faith Network of UK and other organisations.

Tributes paid to missing Hayes woman after murder investigation launched An outpouring of grief from the community has followed the news that Pardeep Kaur from Hayes , who was found dead last Saturday (October 22), may have been murdered. The 30-year-old had been missing for six days when her body was found by detectives on waste ground underneath the Harlington High Street flyover at around 4.30pm. Ms Kaur was last seen at around 4pm on Sunday, October 16 in Harlington High Street, before she was reported missing when she did not turn up for work as a housekeeper at a hotel at Heathrow.

The Sikh Welfare and

Pardeep Kaur was found dead on waste land near Harlington High Street

Awareness Team, based in Hayes, posted on Facebook on Sunday: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the news emerging of Pardeep Kaur.

God bless her soul. Her life should not have ended so

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soon' Two men, aged 30 and 31, were arrested on Wednesday October 19 in connection with the victim's disappearance and have been bailed until a date in December. No new arrests have been made but the Metropolitan Police say the death is being treated as suspicion and a murder investigation is under way. Ms Kaur's next of kin have been informed and a post-mortem examination is due to take place in due course.

DCI Mark Lawson, from Major Crime Command, said: “At this early stage of the investigation I am appealing to any witnesses in the Carlton Avenue and Bedwell Gardens area who may have been driving to work to come forward as they may have seen Pardeep walking to work at about 6.30am on Monday, October 17.”

Anyone with information is urged to call the incident room on 0208 358 0200 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800555111.

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

SOAS and got my masters in I n d i a n Religions, followed by a Doctorate in Jainism from t h e Netherlands.

3) What inspires you?

People dedicated to the good causes of helping community, eliminating poverty, compassion towards 1) What is your current position?

In professional life, I am retired. In social life, I am a Director and Deputy Chair of the Institute of Jainology.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

I took early retirement at age 53 to dedicate time to the community. I went to

all life.

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

I thought it was lack of education in my younger days. However, in later life I realised that even without higher education I could achieve more than those who were qualified.

5) Who has been the

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biggest influence on your career to date?

People I have worked with.

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

Satisfaction. To be able to give back to the community.

7) And the worst?

Not able to inspire people to divert their finances from temple building to education.

8) What are your long term goals?

Just carry on.

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

Create wealth through efficiency and reduction of waste in all aspects of life.

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

Lord Mahaveer because he can lead me to liberation.

Secretary of State for Wales Attends Indian Honorary Consul Brexit Event The Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns called for greater links with India and the rest of the world in the lead up to Brexit.

Speaking at the Consular Association in Wales event at Cardiff Castle, Alun Cairns said: “We must look beyond the continent to the wider world, the Prime Minister and the UK government want us to be global leaders in free trade.

“We won’t have the access that the European Union provided so individual relationships are even more important than they were previously. The Honorary Consuls will be a valuable asset in achieving this.”

The Secretary of State was the guest of Raj Aggarwal the Honorary Consul to India, and he is also the President of the Consular Association in Wales. He was sat at the top table with Indian captains of industry Bemlindra Jha, the CEO of Tata Steel UK, and Sanjeev Gupta Executive Chairman of Liberty Steel.

In his speech Mr Cairns added: “As we leave the EU, we are not turning our backs on our European friends and

Bemlindra Jha, Alun Cairns, Carwyn Jones and Raj Aggarwal

allies but the relationships we have through Honorary Consuls are even more important because they are our window on the world, and the world’s window on Wales and the UK.” The Honorary Consular Association in Wales seeks to build trade and cultural links in Wales and currently have consuls to 29 countries around the world.

Mr Aggarwal said: “Now more than ever Wales needs CAW to build relationships and links to their respective countries both in the EU and the rest of the world.

The expertise, network and knowledge of the Hon Consuls will forge stronger links and remove the hurdles and

red tape. They represent countries with huge markets and a thriving consumer demand for quality welsh products. I have always said that our aspiration is to bring the World to Wales and take Wales to the World. That is now needed more than ever before.

“We must increase our efforts to maintain market share in Europe, but also to steal a march elsewhere in the rest of the world. The newer emerging markets in India is a key area for growth. These markets will give us more options.

At present we are only scratching the surface of these territories, it is the work of the Hon Consuls to open up new trade relations in these areas.”

C MMENTS

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Asian Voice |29th October 2016

Indo-Russian ties surge Much drivel was written about the alleged demise of the Indo-Russian relationship in the run-up to the BRICS Summit in Goa, with an imbecilic piece by a broadsheet, recommending that India reorient its foreign policy and make relations with The United States and China cornerstones of its foreign policy.. The way to proceed with China, it said, was to place India’s tactical nuclear weapons on the Chinese border - which is a sure way to start a nuclear war! Lodged in these absurdities was the assertion that Russia is now a satellite of China, a unique reading of Russian history, one has to admit.

It was with considerable relief, therefore, to read a truly enlightening article by P.S.Raghavan, India’s former ambassador in Moscow, who retired a few months ago. A fluent Russian speaker long regarded as India’s foremost expert on the country, his piece appeared in the op-ed page of the Hindu (October 19) and its data, analysis and conclusions are best shared with readers of Asian Voice.

Let us commence with one of his last Newsletters from Moscow at the end of June. In it he writes: ‘India-Russia relations have continued to intensify in multiple areas, particularly since 2000 (when President Putin came to power). We now classify our relations as a “special and privileged strategic partnership.”A practice of holding annual Summits with leaders of the two countries was established in 2000. The dialogue architecture also includes annual meetings of an Inter-Governmental Commission for Trade & Economic Cooperation, set up by our External Affairs Minister and Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin, and an Inter Governmental Commission for Defence Cooperation, headed by our Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, and the same Russian Deputy Prime Minister. A number of sub-committees in various defence and civilian sectors meet periodically and feed their decisions into Inter-Governmental Commissions. In addition, there are regular meetings of National Security Advisers, Central Bank heads, and Trade and Industry bodies, among others. These multiple bilateral forums provide opportunities to various stakeholders to periodically sensitize the two governments on initiatives requiring attention or resolution.’

This provides the background to Mr Raghavan’s Hindu article, where he opens thus: ‘The Indo-Russian Summit in Goa on October 15 was high on both symbolism and substance. The joint dedication by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin of Unit 2 of the Kudankulam power plant and the pouring of concrete for Units 3 and 4 projected a unique partnership in nuclear energy eight years after India’s foreign collaborations in civil nuclear energy were legitimized. Russia remains the only foreign country involved in nuclear power production in India. Mr Modi invoked a Russian proverb to reaffirm India-Russian friendship in a changing world: “An old friend is better than two new ones.” The

informality of a one-to-one conversation of the leaders over lunch also showcased the intimacy of relations.’

Defence Cooperation

Mr Raghavan continued: ‘The three projects (worth $10.5 billion) are notable not only for their functional importance but also for the speed of their progress from announcement to agreement.’ This and a further $2 billion for a leased Russian attack submarine to the Indian Navy (see page 12) constitute a package involving the joint manufacture of Kamov Ka226T helicopters, the construction of the S-400 air defence system - considered the best in the world – in India, and the construction of four naval frigates by Russia for the Indian Navy. ‘These agreements, consolidate Russia’s position as India’s principal defence partner. Over the past 10 years , Russia provided 70 per cent of India’s defence imports; the US was next with 14 per cent…The effort to strengthen non-defence pillars of the India-Russia partnership shows progress. Agreements for Unit 5 and 6 in Kudankulam are under finalization and six more in the pipeline,’ writes Mr Raghavan.’ He also underscored the $5.5 billion Indian investments in Russia’s energy sector, and Russian company’s Rosneft’s $12.9 billion investment in India’s private sector Essar Oil (see page 12).

New Institutions

The decision to establish a ministerial-level Military Industrial Conference to identify new projects and resolve pending issues, and a Science and Technology Commission to facilitate development and sharing cutting-edge technology could have a far-reaching impact on defence ties, taking them to an even higher level.

Glitches sorted

In close-door sessions, India reportedly aired concerns on aspects of Russia-China ties, and Russia-Pakistan demarches. According to official Indian sources, Russia assured India that it would do nothing to injure India’s national interests. India expressed satisfaction at Russian explanations and assurances. However, lines of communication would be kept open to remove possible misunderstandings.

Sanctions against Russia

Much like the premature announcement of the American writer Mark Twain’s death, Western government and media pronouncements on the demise of the Russian economy, were greatly exaggerated, opined Mr Raghavan, who quoted International Monetary Fund statistics to sustain his point. A healthy current account surplus, low unemployment levels at 6 per cent, undervalued corporate stocks and external sovereign debt of only 13 per cent and an IMF upgrade of the Russian economy, not to speak of the multiple ways large European companies have avoided the sanctions regime were present ground realities. Prime Minister Modi and his team of advisers have designed India’s Russia policy on firm ground.

Digital India theme at Trade Fair The forthcoming 36th India International Trade Fair in New Delhi will have Digital India as its theme. Last year’s theme was ‘Make in India.’ Digital India will receive full and detailed exposure in Hall No 1 at the Pragati Maidan. ‘There will be industry interaction via seminars, panel discussions and tech-talks during the event.

Success stories of grass root-level contributions/achievers of the Digital India Movement , especially by women and backward sections of society will also be highlighted by during the event,’ said an official source.

There are to be games/demonstrations of services – the highlight of progress thus far, coupled with an awareness programme, such as Digi Swachha Abhiyaan – eWaste collection and quizzes and contests on social media, explained another official.

With around 150,000 people expected per day during

this 14-day event, the government wants to showcase the meaning and impact of the digital revolution on women, students, Dalits, farmers, employment and multiple areas woven into a seamless narrative.

Digital India is one of the most ambitious schemes of the Modi government and has achieved myriad successes in each project it has taken up. For example, there have been 103 crore Indian enrolled with an Aadhar number, more than 350,000 are using MyGov to assist government and more than 200,000 citizens have stored and shared two or more documents through ‘Digital Locker’.

‘When I see IT products for common people like escholarship, e-hospital and Jeevan Pranam, I get personal satisfaction at Digital India’s automatic role,’ said Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of IT and Law, who said how much he appreciated the numbers of people involved in these projects.

Pioneer Indian woman botanist Sixty years after she helped establish the Botanical Survey of India, botanists and scientists from different disciplines are celebrating the life and work of the pioneer Indian botanist, E.K.Janaki Amnal, who died in 1984. Outside botanical circler, her name has not resonated in the public space. But public exhibitions about her are now putting this right. A Keralite, Janaki Amnal is credited with the study of chromosomes of thousands of species of flowering plants titled ‘The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants, which she co-authored with British biologist C.D. Darlington.

‘At a time when the country is focusing on educating the girl child, we must not forget scientists like Janaki

Amnal who chose a life of scholarship over marriage. She was one of the first women scientists to receive the Padma Shri way back in 1977,’ said Botanical Society of India Director General Paramjit Singh. He said when the BSI developed a new gallery, it was decided to host a year-long exhibition on the life of this remarkable woman. The exhibition in Kolkata has been housed in the same building in which Janaki Amnal once worked.

Six large blow-ups on her life and her contributions to botanical science, along with several letters highlighting the impediments she had to face as a woman scientist during her professional life in a male-dominated subject are exhibits.

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We live by encouragement and die without it - slowly, sadly, angrily.

- Celeste Holm

As I See It

CB Patel

With best wishes for a happy Diwali and a prosperous, peaceful future for Great Britain, India and our friends everywhere Surprisingly but rather providentially Prime Minister Theresa May had to take over the reigns of power in the aftermath of Brexit vote.

Great Britain is facing enormous challenges of trade, relationships, currency fluctuations, investments, taxation, quota, preferences, international relationship, defence, prices, real estate market as well as the centuries old partnership with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth.

But Britain has faced serious challenges in the past and come out very well. We hope, resolve, pray and act so that this great nation becomes stronger to face the future and PM Theresa May is doing her utmost in the prevailing circumstances, most of which are not her choice or creation.

On Monday she invited Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists to celebrate Diwali at 10 Downing Street, On Wednesday she is supposed to preside over the Diwali in the Parliament organised by Hindu forum of Britain.

India also is marching forward on all cylinders.

USA in the view of the forthcoming Presidential election, is facing some uncertainty but with its enormous vitality they will succeed against all odds.

At ABPL inspite of the vagaries of the print media we are facing the future with substantive strength and enormous

optimism. Indians everywhere are full of entrepreneurship, hope, confidence and hold a sterling reputation for peaceful coexistence. It has been based on strong foundations of our heritage and values.

India has remained almost intact where several other countries have fragmented or faced multi faceted divisions.

Our spiritual and philosophical well being is nurtured by our scriptures and our sages.

Recently Pujya Pramukh Swami Maharaj departed for heavenly aboard. His spiritual successor Mahant Swami Maharaj has taken over with all the pomp and dignity.

Such is the inner strength of our age old culture and tradition.

Every year we submit our Diwali special during the auspicious days around Dhanteras. This year I deeply regret that Diwali special may be delayed by a few days.

ABPL does not suspend the regular issues for 3 weeks or more prior to Diwali. Last week our esteemed subscribers received 2 special theme based magazines. Please forgive us for a delayed Diwali issue.

Once again I pray to the Powers that may be, to bless all of us with the best wishes of a happy Diwali and a prosperous, healthy and peaceful new year.

CB Patel

Om Namah Shivaya

Editor: CB Patel

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Asian Voice |29th October 2016

Race Equality trophies given to rising stars

By Dhiren Katwa The BBC, publisher HarperCollins and the Royal Air Force were named among the 11 winners at the 2016 Business in the Community Race Equality Awards.

Held on Tuesday a fortnight ago at Hilton Park Lane, London, the awards, now in their 10th year, celebrate outstanding practice, innovation and dedication to race equality and inclusion in UK workplaces.

The glittering roundtable ceremony, which featured a drinks reception, entertainment by singer Byron Jackson and pianist Richard Black, a fourcourse meal, was attended by over 500 guests. Among organisations represented included DWP, HSBC, Imperial College London, Google, MOD, Ministry of Justice, PwC, Network Rail, Shell, Santander, Oliver Wyman and Tesco.

The Employee Network Awards, private and public sector, went to

Team RAF: Winners of the Recruiting Diverse Talent (Public Sector) Award

HarperCollins and the BBC, respectively.

St Mungo’s, a homelessness charity, was presented with the Inclusive Workplace Culture Award. Judges chose the MAMA Youth Project for the Developing Talent Award. TeachFirst scooped the Future Workforce Award. The Role Models in the Workplace Awards, large and small organisation, went to Indi Hothi of Ernst & Young and Joshua Oware of Rare, respectively. The evening’s host was ITV News presenter Charlene White.

Awards founder Sandra Kerr OBE heaped praise on the winners and finalists, “all should be incredibly proud of their achievement,” she said. Guests heard from Dr Nicola Millard, Customer experience Futurologist at BT who spoke about the importance of diversity of thought in future work.

Guest speaker, Baroness Susan Williams of Trafford, who was appointed a junior minister in July this year, spoke about the importance of embracing race equality and inclusion in the work-

place. Her speech came just days after it emerged that her department, the Home Office, was trying to censor a report that makes blunt and damning criticisms of ministers’ failure to manage the impact of mass immigration, integrate minorities and tackle extremism. The report, by the government’s integration tsar, Dame Louise Casey, has been ready for months, but publication has been delayed after Home Office officials expressed “concern” and “unhappiness” about its content and language.

Britain’s ethnic minorities make up 14 per cent of the national population. By 2051, one in five people in the UK will be from a BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) background, representing a scale of consumer spending and political voting power that business and government alike cannot afford to ignore. A full list of winners, Highly Commended and finalists can be found at www.bitc.org.uk

Jungle Juggernaut: Calais Camp Cleared Continued from page 1 Around 5,000 remain and the French authorities and charities expect around 2,000 to resist being moved which could spark clashes, with hundreds of British and French anarchists also believed to be in the area.

Young people could be seen crouching down by metal barriers while police formed a protective circle around them.

Amid reported tensions between the French and British governments over the pace of transferring unaccompanied children, Bermann said there were 600 in special centres in Calais waiting to be processed.

“It’s impossible for the French to know if they really have families in the UK. So we gave the list to the UK Government and now they will have to process,” she said.

The operation to clear the tents and shelters is expected to take three days.

The “Jungle” has become a key symbol of Europe's migration crisis, housing some 7,000 residents in squalid conditions.

The operation to close the camp has been largely peaceful so far, but concerns remain that some migrants will refuse to give up their attempts to cross the Channel.

The consequence of this demolition would be to scatter people across the region, leaving them prey to the dangerous human trafficking gangs. When part of the “Jungle” was cleared by French authori-

ties earlier this year, it is believed that around 100 children disappeared.

Some politicians in France have stated that the only reason the “Jungle” exists is because the people there want to come to the UK. The government has been flayed over the pace of efforts to transfer children with a right to be in the UK. Some of the first arrivals earlier this week provoked speculation over their ages amid suggestions some appeared to look much older than teenagers.

In an eleventh hour gesture, Britain has taken almost 200 teenagers over the last week, either because they have family links here already, or under the Dubs amendment requiring the government to give refuge to vulnerable children stranded in Europe. The 200 teenagers include 60 girls identified as at high risk of sexual exploitation.

The fate of hundreds of unaccompanied children is a concern, with charities warning they could become lost in the clearance chaos.

The minors are the only group permitted to remain in the camp. They will be housed in shipping containers in a secure area of the camp where they will wait to be assessed by French and British authorities to decide where they will be sent.

In May the UK government had promised to give asylum to thousands of unaccompanied minors.

The decision certainly must have got the approval

of the mainstream because of emotional reasons, principally. Though it was very humane to make such an annoucement that would earn the country lot of goodwill, ideally asylum policy has to both compassionate and informed by common sense.

Home Office figures show that in September 2015, nearly two-thirds of child refugees whose ages were challenged by officials turned out to be over 18.

This has deep practical repercussions. It is the local taxpayers who pay the bill for schools and social care that, in some cases, may not be appropriate.

Also, putting adults into places reserved for children is a risky affair.

Something similar happened in Sweden in 2015.

Stockholm accepted 35,000 child asylum seekers last year. Today the ground reality is – schools there have been overburdened; adults claiming to be children have taken to heinous crimes. Now the authorities in Sweden are casting doubts on the ages of 70% of those claiming to be between 15 and 17 years of age. Lately, they have begun the processs of rigorous age tests as well. But then that is like going for cure rather than preventing things in the first place.

The British people want to see children who need asylum helped to settle in the UK. Britain is a very generous and accommodating nation. But the asylum system has to have integrity. This is because if proper check is not kept on the inflow of asylum seek-

ers, it will lead to exploitation, which in turn will lead to criminality and may turn popular opinion against a worthy endeavour. To prevent problems in future, Britain should be shrewd enough to raise questions about the process beforehand, which is, in fact, a responsible thing to do.

Another important thing is – bulldozing the Jungle camp will solve little. As long as the root problems are not tackled, the Jungle will be replaced by another and yet another.

UK and France must make sure that the northern French coast does not become a magnet for migrants.

The wavering leadership of Francois Hollande has also contributed to the Calais crisis. The “Jungle” could have been cleared long ago. It is incredible that the French government has allowed the “Jungle” to grow in size to accommodate almost 10,000 people, before taking action. The French authorities allowed a shanty town to come into being, looked the other way on crime gangs and let it become a political issue in the presidential election campaign. These are people that France hoped would just go away.

Instead, they have been allowed to fester in the “Jungle”. The migrants have then used the camp as a base to make desperate, dangerous raids into the Port of Calais, or the Channel Tunnel, and to break into the back of lorries crossing to the UK. Many have lost their lives

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We wish all our readers, advertisers and supporters a very Happy Diwali

The clocks will be going back by 1 hour, on Sunday 30th October 2016.

Don't forget to change the time on your clocks!

Hindu Forum of Britain to celebrate Diwali at Parliament The Hindu Forum of Britain in association with Karma Yoga Foundation have organised the 15th Diwali celebrations at the House of Commons on 26th October from 4pm onwards. The reception will be hosted by Bob Blackman MP, Lord Dholakia, Virendra Sharma MP, Caroline Lucas MP, Rt. Hon Nigel Dodds MP and Rt. Hon. Angus Robertson MP. The Prime Minster Theresa

May is also expected to attend the celebrations.

This multi-party reception is the only event that encompasses and invites members and peers from all political parties to share the colourful and wondrous Diwali celebration with prominent Hindu community and religious leaders as well as leading business figures from across Britain. The inviteonly event is not open to the public.

Tories retain Cameron’s Witney seat The Tories have retained former prime minister David Cameron’s former seat of Witney in a by-election, but with a majority reduced by over 20,000 votes.

Barrister Robert Courts won but saw the majority he inherited from Cameron slashed from over 25,000 at last year’s general election to just 5,702.

The Conservative party’s vote share dropped from 60% in 2015 to 45%, as the Lib Dems surged past Labour into second spot.

Liz Leffman polled

11,611 votes as the Lib Dems’ share increased from 7% to 30%.

Meanwhile, Labour Party’s Tracy Brabin held the Batley and Spen seat where Jo Cox was MP before she was murdered in June.

The former Coronation Street star received an 85% share of the vote in the seat, which was not contested by other major parties out of respect for Mrs Cox, who was shot and stabbed in her West Yorkshire constituency.

Cameron congratulated his successor as MP for Witney for his victory.

in the process.

The government concerned must understand that a policy which ushers in illegal migrants to the Channel will not stand it in good stead.

The need of the hour is to stem the migrant flow from the European Union. For that France and Britain have to work together in a conscientious manner.

Just because the migrant camp is being shut, that does not mean the problems will be over.

No-one should be optimistic. Everything from the past suggests that the Calais migrant problem is chronic, and liable to deteriorate.

The example of a previous Calais crisis is fresh in everyone's minds – Sangatte.

From 1999 to 2002, a few miles to the south of

the “Jungle” on the other side of Calais, a former Eurotunnel hangar was turned into a Red Cross holding centre for migrants. Originally conceived for just a few hundred, by the end it was holding more than 1,500 Afghans, Iraqi Kurds and Kosovans. Every week, many were being smuggled into the UK. The French and UK governments agreed that Sangatte was acting as a magnet. For migrants, it was a necessary stepping stone on their route to the UK, because it was here that contacts and arrangements were made for the final illegal crossing.

And so, in December 2002, it was wound up.

While the UK agreed to take in some 1,300 Kurds and Afghans, France coped with the rest.

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Asian Voice |29th October 2016

Kelvin MacKenzie cleared by press regulator We reported some time back about the former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie who sparked outrage through his column in The Sun, suggesting the Channel 4 newsreader Fatima Manji, who wears a hijab was not the right choice of the presenter in bulletin covered the Nice attacks in July.

The press regulator, Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) received over 1,700 complaints promoting it to investigate MacKenzie’s claims. Last week Ipso cleared MacKenzie saying that "While the columnist's opinion was undoubtedly offensive to the complainant, and to others, these were views he had been entitled to express. The article did refer to the complainant

Kelvin MacKenzie

but it did so to explain what triggered the discussion about a legitimate subject of debate: whether newsreaders should be allowed to wear religious symbols."

Fatima Manji complained to Ipso saying that the article had breached clause one (accuracy), clause three (harassment) and clause 12 (discrimination). In their ruling, Ipso said Mr MacKenzie "was permitted to identify what

Harrow doctor who ran illegal money lending business spared jail

Fatima Manji

prompted his discussion, rather than merely raising it in the abstract".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Ms Manji said: "I think the fact that Kelvin MacKenzie can write a column and suggest that I am somehow sympathetic to a perpetrator of a terrorist attack, that somehow I am not like the rest of us, that I am the other, means that other people are now open to attack."

Woman with chest pains died after being told to take paracetamol A woman died from a heart condition a couple of days after a paramedic told her to take paracetamol for chest pains.

Carol Wilson had been suffering from chest pains

for a few days. Her husband Peter called 111 on January 1, 2015. A paramedic came to the couple’s home in Sheffield around 7am. But instead of giving her a heart scan

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or taking her to hospital, they told her to take paracetamol.

Seventyyear-old Carol Wilson, who had three sons, died in her sleep two days later.

A Harrow doctor who ran an illegal money lending business has been spared jail.

Dr Arjan Savani, 49, a consultant at Central Middlesex and Northwick Park Hospitals, pleaded guilty to two counts of illegal money lending. He issued loans, totalling more than £1million to hospital colleagues over a period of approximately five years.

The court heard Dr Savani ran a well-organised and profitable business from his places of employment, two hospitals in Harrow during January 2011 to December 2015.

During a search of Dr Savani's house, loan records were found which demonstrated that the loan shark had received payments totalling more than £880,700.

Dr Savani admitted to issuing loans ranging from £500 to £50,000 to his customers since 2011. He said that he knew he was acting illegally but was of the view that it would take too long to obtain a license.

Simon Mortimer, prosecuting, said Dr Savani had deliberately preyed on members of the Filipino community who also

Dr Arjan Damjibhai Savani

worked at the hospital over a prolonged period of time.

The court heard how Dr Savani did not declare any of his income from the money lending business to HMRC, and in total he had

received interest in excess of over £280,300. He had lent money to more than 90 individuals and had issued more than 270 loans during his period of operation.

4-bed flat let out to 18 tenants; landlord lands in trouble A landlord has been fined £162,000 after 18 people were found living in slumlike conditions in a fourbedroom flat opposite Hyde Park in Kensington.

Sixty-four-year-old Abbas Rasul charged an average of £800 a month in rent from each tenant, pocketing nearly £15,000 a month.

Many of the tenants occupying the house were believed to be migrant

workers who work at some of London’s luxury hotels.

Hammersmith Magistrates Court heard there were no fire doors, smoke detectors or alarms in the property, some rooms lacked basic lighting and there was only one kitchen.

Rasul and his companies were fined £162,000 and ordered to pay £3,498 in costs.

Grunwick Strike: Short Jayaben stood tall among titans She came, she saw and she conquered, perhaps would be an apt description for Jayaben Desai, the face of Grunwick strike, who never took things lying down. A short Gujarati woman, Jayaben stood tall by taking on the mighty Grunwick employers for the injustice meted out to the factory workers.

In August 1976 six Gujarati women walked out of the Grunswick photo processing factory in Willesden, North London.

Led by Jayaben, their grievances included low pay, poor working conditions and the owner’s refusal to allow union recognition. The strike lasted for two years, peaking with a day of action on 11th July 1977, in which an estimated 20,000 supporters joined the picket line.

Facing a heavy police presence and right-wing pressure, the union leadership were forced to withdraw their support, and the strikers were subsequently defeated. However, their strike was a game-changer in the struggle against racism. Grunwick strike became one of the greatest shows of black, white and Asian solidarity on the picket line that Britain has ever seen. The company employed 440 people, 80% of whom were Asian. The

Photo courtesy: Facebook (© Pete Webster/Grunwick 40)

Aaditya Kaza & Anand Pillai

L-R: Dawn Butler MP for Brent Central, Gasper Fernandes, Graham Taylor, Chanrikaben Patel, Mahmood Ahmad, Urmilaben Patel, Jack Dromey MP for Birmingham Erdington, Laxmiben Patel, Vipin Magdani, Malchior Fernandes, Kanti Patel

strike began after bosses dismissed Devshi Bhudia for working too slowly.

Three others walked out in solidarity.

Jayaben Desai too walked out but not before giving her employer a piece of her mind. She said: “What you are running here is not a factory, it is a zoo. But in a zoo there are many types of animals.

Some are monkeys who dance on your fingertips, others are lions who can bite your head off. We are the lions, Mr Manager.”

She and her son Sunil joined four workers picketing outside after being fired. By the end of the week, 170 workers were out the door. These Asians were facing then what the East Europeans are facing today in Brexit Britain.

Workers took on the violence meted out on behalf of racist boss George Ward, and the government colluded to undermine sol-

idarity. The cops were on the bosses’ side, regularly attacking the picket line and arresting strikers.

They punched, kicked and dragged pickets across the road by their hair.

The inability or unwillingness of the trade union

Such was the support that residents would come out, give refreshments to the protesters, giving a boost to the movement.

Jayaben used to say: “There’s no barrier too great, no mountain too high that we can’t climb.”

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the government panicked. The solidarity shown by workers was not matched by the union leaders, who called a halt to the mass pickets after the government commissioned an inquiry.

Jayaben and others did a picket outside the TUC building as well to show that they were now at loggerheads with the TUC leadership and they felt betrayed or sold down the

Jayaben Desai during the Grunwick Strike

leaders to offer real solidarity was astonishing.

TUC general secretary Len Murray told the strikers, “We are not just behind you, we are up there with you all the way.” But his words were never turned into action.

river.

The strikers fought on bravely, before finally admitting defeat on 14 July 1978. Their action had lasted 670 days.

The consequence of the demise of the Grunwick

strike was it led to the wider demise of the trade union movement. The feeling among many Asian workers that white workers were irredeemably racist took a major blow. It challenged stereotypes, changed the face of trade unions and inspired a generation of people to stand up against injustice.

Jayaben, who passed away in 2010, will remain an iconic figure in the labour movement history of Asian workers. Her movement changed the image of trade unionism forever. It was the prerogative of the white men till Grunwick happened.

To celebrate and commemorate the strike, ‘We are the Lions’ is having an exhibition at the Willesden Library, showcasing unseen photographs, banners, posters, soundtracks and first-hand stories of the workers. The exhibition is a different slice of Gujarati history in the UK. This comprehensive exhibition about the strike was researched and curated by Poulomi Desai. The idea for the exhibition was conceptualised almost a year ago by Sujata Arora, chairwoman of the Grunwick Organising Group and a Willesden resident for many years.

Sujata approached the council and the Brent Museum which then took

it forward.

At a private viewing of the exhibition last week, a few of the strikers and demonstrators gathered for a reunion of sorts, reminiscing the two years they fought for justice. Among the strikers who attended the evening was the Secretary of the Grunwick Strike Committee, Mahmood Ahmad.

Speaking to Asian Voice, Poulomi Desai said: “I went through some of the national archives, the material in the Brent Museum, discovering recently released special branch files. I also had talks with some of the unsung strikers. This exhibition is targeted at the younger generation. I am hoping ordinary people’s history is brought to light through this work.”

‘We are the Lions’ exhibition runs from 19 October 2016 to 26 March 2017 at The Library, Willesden Green, 95 High Road, Willesden, London, NW10 2SF. Visitors to the exhibition can enter free of charge from 9am-8pm on weekdays and between 10am-5pm on weekends.

On 2nd November, the Khalili Lecture Theatre in SOAS will host a film screening called The Great Grunwick Strike 1976-78 followed by a panel discussion. The screening will take place from 7-9:30pm.

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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8

DIWALI

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

May lights up Diwali at No 10 Continued from page 1 Shailesh Vara MP, Lord Gadhia and Foreign Office Minister Alok Sharma.

Shrutidharma das from the Hare Krishna Temple took the podium and said this Diwali he would like all to focus on three things: to give, to forgive and to be grateful.

tival. Its messages apply to every single one of us – whatever our background, whatever our faith.

“Now I have to say I haven’t read all 24,000 verses in the epic poem about Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya. But I do know the story of his homecoming from the many Diwali celebrations I have attended in

Theresa May, HE Dinesh Pattnaik and other guests look on as Reena Patel from BAPS Swaminarayan Temple speaks about the meaning of Diwali

so proud to have Priti Patel in the Cabinet; Alok Sharma in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; MPs like Shailesh Vara and Rishi Sunak in the Commons; and peers like Jitesh Gadhia, Dolar Popat, Sandip Verma and Ranbir Suri in the Lords.

“When talent is unleashed, our education system offers more choice and opportunity. Indeed, it is Hindu Schools, like the Avanti Trust, which are achieving great things and underlining why we need to go further in supporting faith schools.

“Our economy becomes more successful and dynamic – including those up-andcoming industries that attract such a diverse range of entrepreneurs, like technology, film and, close to my own heart, fashion.

“And our society becomes stronger, as people from all backgrounds play their part in making our schools, hospitals, police forces and armed forces the best they can be.”

Commenting on her upcoming visit, Mrs May concluded by saying, “...As we gather here today, as we celebrate the achievements of British Indians and all our many diverse communities, I want us to remember the

“Not only to our commumy own constituency over nity but also to Britain. In the the years. Over a number of words of the Prime Minister I years the children have acted would like to say: Celebrating out the story.”

Diwali at No 10 stands for a Relating the message of fairer Britain,” he added, finDiwali to her role and the ishing his speech with some contributions of the diaspora Sanskrit shlokas. The Prime to the British society, she Minister spoke about the said, “The values he embodimportance of Diwali, the ied are values which we can reach and scale of appeal, the all heed. Values of charity, story and values of the Indian sacrifice and responsibility; diaspora in the British societo paraphrase Mahatma ty in every field and the importance of IndoBritish relationship, in the light of her upcoming visit to India.

Rt Hon Theresa May, addressing the Indian diaspora exclusively for the first time, said: “Thank you, and welcome to 10 Downing Street. It is great to have Prime Minister Theresa May with Acting Indian High so many of you here at Commissioner Dinesh Pattnaik and wife Poonam, Shailesh Vara this special time of the MP, Priti Patel MP, Rami Ranger, Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Alok year and an honour to Sharma MP, Sajid Javid MP, Rishi Sunak MP, singer Navin Kundra host my first Diwali and other guests reception as Prime Minister. importance of removing the Gandhi: losing ourselves in “For me, one of the most barriers that prevent people the service of others. remarkable things about this from reaching their poten“Values of good conduct festival is the sheer scale of its tial.

– dharma – taking the right reach and the universal “I want us to be proud of path and ensuring that good appeal of its message. what Diwali means to our triumphs over evil.

“Look at India – over a nation – after all, it was here “Values of hope, optibillion people, speaking hunin Downing Street that Prime mism, of forgiveness – of the dreds of different languages, Minister Modi chose to start new beginnings and clean following various different the last Hindu New Year. slates represented by the faiths – united by this festival “And, next month I am Hindu New Year as people of light. delighted to be returning his wear new clothes and say “Look at the rest of the visit when I go to India – it prayers for the year ahead. world, and the colourful celewill be my first bilateral out“I think these are the valbrations taking place from side of the European Union ues we need more than ever Singapore to South Africa, and I’m going from Delhi to as we forge a new, positive, Australia to Nepal.

Bangalore – a true celebraambitious role for Britain in “And look at Britain, tion of relations between our the world. where, right now, people are countries and our shared “The mission of my govbuying gifts on Leicester’s ambitions for the future. ernment – that fairer Britain Golden Mile, preparing pen“Above all, I want to – is to build a country that das on Soho Road in wish you all a Shubh works for everyone – a counBirmingham, and stringing Deepawali and give my best try where no matter who you up lights on Wembley’s wishes to those celebrating are, you can achieve your Ealing Road – all in time for Bandhi Chhor Diwas too.” dreams. five holy days that are such Vegetarian starters, “The achievements of our an important part of our mocktails and Indian sweets British Indian communities national life.” were catered for all by – one-and-a-half million Speaking about the Ragasaan. At the exit, volunpeople – demonstrate just importance and message of teers from BAPS how much a country can Diwali, she added, “When we Swaminarayan Temple disachieve when talent is analyse the true meaning of tributed boxed prashad for unleashed and people of all Diwali, its relevance extends guests to take away with backgrounds are able to fulfil beyond India, beyond the them. Also was present their potential – that’s what Indian diaspora and even Larry the cat, the Chief is important. beyond the Hindus, Jains, Mouser to the Cabinet “Our political system Sikhs and Buddhists who, in Office to wish everybody becomes more representative different ways, mark the fesgoodbye. and more effective – and I am

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Bank of Baroda celebrates Diwali Diwali unites people across and gives one Message “Only good prevails irrespective of power and might of evil.” This festival of light illuminates darkness & negativity and spreads Joy & Positivity.

Bank of Baroda, UK Operations celebrated Diwali on 13th October 2016 with Financial Institutions, Banks and Customers at Sheraton Grand London, Park Lane. The celebration was graced by Lord Swaraj Paul, GP Hinduja, Dhimant Trivedi, Chief Executive, Bank of Baroda and many dignitaries. It was an Indian Culture studded celebration beginning with Lighting the Lamp, Ganesh Vandana followed by Classical Indian Dances on Devi and entertainment on Bollywood music added the befitted spark.

Bank of Baroda, India's International Bank, is in 109th year having presence in 25 countries serving millions of customers worldwide.

Bank’s wide and century long global existence is symbol of customers and stakeholders trust.

In 1957, Bank entered UK and has grown gradually year by year from a Forex house to a Financial Institution. London is Global Financial Hub and UK Operations, especially Integrated Treasury Operations, International Business and Global Syndication Centre, have been performing key roles exceptionally well. With mix of Digital Products, Bank’s Retail Base is also

Mr Vasant Parekh, Lord Swraj Paul, Mr Dhimant Trivedi, Chief Executive, Bank of Baroda, Mr Anil Puri and Mr Xiao Lu

Mr and Mrs Dhimant Trivedi with Mr and Mrs GP Hinduja

Mr Dhimant Trivedi, Chief Executive, Bank of Baroda addressing guests

expanding.

Mr. Dhimant Trivedi welcomed guest and expressed warm Diwali Greetings on Behalf of the Bank. He also explained Bank’s Win-Win philosophy as against established

philosophy of Competition. Mr. Trivedi acknowledged trust and confidence of Bank’s customers and stakeholders and expressed Bank’s determination to deliver it.

Add a festive flavour this Diwali home as well.

Diwali is all about She does this family bonding, by popping welcoming in the into her nearNew Year with your est Asda and loved ones and picking up the feasting on homeingredients. made traditional “Last year delights. we had a big When Uma came to Diwali dinner London in 1974, as at home, and a teenager, she guess what missed the excitewas on the ment of Diwali. But menu?

My as time went by and favourite she got married, she Besan Barfi ensured that she and everyone celebrated every loved it! When Diwali in a grand people praise manner with her inyour cooking, laws. it makes you Initially, she was Last year Uma hosted her entire family of 35 at home feel proud of stressed about yourself. whether her chilfollow the same traditions.”

“Being Punjabi, we also dren would also follow the Last year, she hosted her had chole bathure on the Diwali traditions like she entire family of 35 at home. menu. From the chickpeas did when growing up, but For Manavi Maharshi to the gram flour, Asda had not anymore. “...What has the supermarket gave her a all the ingredients on offer, made it easier for us to sense of belonging. With which made it so simple for teach these traditions in her brother and sister-inme to cook. This year, we our children is that unlike law moving to London have relatives coming over in the 70’s, supermarkets recently, she now ensures again. What’s on the today, such as Asda, have a that she follows her mothmenu? Well, that’s a secret wide Diwali range, which er’s traditions, whether it but I can tell you one thing, makes us feel accepted as a comes to making mathris I have found all my ingrecommunity and makes it or besan ka laddoos, so that dients at Asda!” easier for our children to she can make them feel at

UK Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Abhishek Sachdev: Providing Important Advice to Bankers Abhishek Sachdev is the founder of Vedanta Hedging, the UK’s largest FCA authorised derivative consultancy. The Vedanta team are regulated derivative experts for types of UK corporate.

Abhishek has provided evidence and advice to the Treasury Select Committee, the Prime Minister, several Ministers and was paid to advise the FCA itself.

Vedanta Hedging is a successful and trustworthy firm.

Mr Sachdev has been an Expert Witness and Advisor in more than 450 derivative disputes; including Interest Rate derivatives, LIBOR, Securitisation, Structured Products and FX derivatives. Popular in the media, he has also been a guest on top British TV and radio channels such as Sky TV, BBC TV, BBC Radio 4, to say nothing about newspapers such as The Telegraph and The Times. All of these wouldn’t have been possible without the influence of

Abhishek Sachdev

Abhishek Sachdev on the growth of the company.

In 2014, Abhishek was also elected as the first ever British Indian Councillor in Hertsmere. He further increased his majority in his (Conservative) Potters

Bar Parkfield constituency in the 2015 election.

Early childhood

Born in Barnet, North London, Abhishek is the son of newsagent shop owners. As a youngster, Abhishek used to help his

services, and in particular parents in their shops. He explaining complex conspent some summers cepts in simple terms. This working in a small is what led to me leaving newsagent kiosk just oppothe Bank in 2011 to set site the McDonalds in up Vedanta Liverpool Street.

Hedging.”

Dreaming of W h e n something I genuinely more, the believe that I would Sachdev saw business y o u n g not be where I am owners Sachdev today if I had not read b e i n g saw himself Economics at t a k e n as a banker advantage just like Durham. I worked by those affluhard and achieved the of banks, he ent UBS highest First Class decided to gentleman Honours from the provide them he used to entire Economics with a helping serve cigahand. His idea rettes and course was to create an sweets to. Talking independent firm about his job today, that would help business Abhishek says: “It is with owners protect themselves great pride that my derivaagainst possible losses tive consultancy is now regarding interest rate and based in premium offices currency risk. in New Broad Street, just Abhishek’s aim was to 100yds from this very same improve financial services kiosk!” to benefit hard working How he chose his businesses. Abhishek was career surprised that even some of As Abhishek has always the largest hoteliers and been interested in care home owners in the Economics, he was headUK (including listed hunted to join a fast-track PLC’s) did not use indescheme to Senior pendent hedging advice.

Management at a global Turning point bank. Every experience is At the age of 15 valuable, and after working Abhishek was lucky for nearly 10 years in the enough to meet his Guru, bank, Sachdev felt as Morari Bapu. It happened though he could achieve one day when he came something more with the back from school and knowledge he gained. received his first blessings When mentioning his from Bapu. The teachings departure from the Bank in of Bapu were not new to 2011, he conveys: “I have his parents, but this was always enjoyed financial

9

the first time that Abhishek had got to know the spiritual leader himself. Guru also blessed him with a new name when Abhishek was just 16.

Describing this miraculous experience, Sachdev conveys: “From this point, my life took a new path and in fact my Guru has shown me (via the teachings of the ancient Hindu poem the Ramayana) how to act as an ideal student, son, husband, father and how one should serve their community. I believe that all aspects of my life have immensely benefited from striving to be a better Hindu.”

Biggest challenge

Abhishek recalls that one of the biggest failures of his life was missing by 0.2% the grades he needed to go to my first choice of university. But later on he joined Durham University, which introduced him to a whole new world of people, cultures and new incredible achievements that perhaps wouldn’t be there at his first choice of university. All that is done is for the better.

Sachdev confesses: “I genuinely believe that I would not be where I am today if I had not read Economics at Durham. I worked hard and achieved the highest First Class Honours from the entire Economics course.”

10

READERS’ VOICE

www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

The threat of terrorism to India It is only right that the learned Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, should show very serious concern, regards the threat of terrorism, to India and the international community. India has very hostile neighbours, who occupy thousands of square miles of Indian territory, and still laying claim to more Indian territory. At present China has thousands of troops camping on India’s borders.

To show how serious this matter is, in the 1950s, when the first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, the Delhi police at the last moment decided not to provide security for the games. The games committee came to the Delhi public school on Mathura Road in New Delhi, and requested their oy scouts and girl guides to provide security for the stadium and the athletes.

I was a patrol leader in the boy scouts and one of the people responsible for the security of the stadium and the athletes. There was hardly 100 of us in the boy scouts and girl guides, there was not a single incidence of anti-social behaviour or theft.

Now for the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, they required 100,000 troops to provide security, for the stadium and the athletes.

The UN needs a new constitution, in order to be democratic, in the cause of world peace. When the UN placed sanctions on Iraq over half a million children under the age of 10 died.

India can take this opportunity in order to solve the problem of international terrorism by calling a international conference in the cause of world peace. All countries need to sign an international peace treaty. So that if any country or terrorist attack another country then the rest of the countries will go to its aid. At the same time incorporated in it, a treatry of human rights so that if anyone violated the human rights of its citizens then they can be tried in the International Court of Human Rights.

As long as one person’s terrorist is another persons freedom fighter you will have a situation such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya. What so called failed states need is a new constitution to unite its citizens rather than military action. Because the rule book of western democracy is based on a principle of divide and rule the result we have is perpetual wars for perpetual peace.

Jal Framji Cheshire

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

Removal of Gandhi statue in Ghana

So some professors at the University of Ghana have succeeded in their campaign to remove the statue of Gandhi from campus.

Gandhi inspired some of the greatest black leaders.

Harris Majeke, a former South African ambassador to India, said: “While Nelson Mandela was the father of the South African nation, Gandhi is our grandparent.”

Mandela was greatly influenced by Gandhi, as was Desmond Tutu, who credits the success of South Africa’s truth and reconciliation commission to the influence of Gandhian thought. Gandhi made a huge impression, too, on Martin Luther King.

Surely these leaders understood Gandhi better than the professors at the University of Ghana?

They further accuse Gandhi of perpetuating the caste system; yet no one has done more to stand up for the rights of India’s lower classes.

Meanwhile, will those same professors accusing Gandhi of racism acknowledge the role some people in Ghana played in selling tens of thousands of their countrymen to the slave trade?

Nitin Mehta Croydon

India calls BRICS nations to trade more The Indian Vice President, Hamid Ansari's call during BRICS nations first trade fair in Goa to trade more in their currencies was timely and makes shrewd commercial sense (AV article 22 Oct p18).

In 2016 there were severe major fluctuations in exchange rates, often due to political reasons rather than just underlying economic reasons. Against the US Dollar, year to date fluctuations have been: revaluations: Brazil 23.8%; Russia 15.9% and South Africa 8.6% and devaluations U.K. 17.3%; Argentina 14.6%; Mexico 8.9% and Turkey 5.7% (FT Analysis. Currencies, 15/16 Oct, p21).

If it is known that country A regularly trades with country B on a long term basis a decision could be made to trade and settle in each other's currencies. International transaction costs as well as unpredictable losses/gains due to currency fluctuations can be avoided.

Nagindas Khajuria By email

A reason for giving thanks

This October many holy festivals of different culture and religion are being celebrated by pomp and pageantry here in Toronto, Canada and different parts of the world.

The main theme in celebrating festivals is deep faith, trust and importance of God in one's life to live happy, healthy and peaceful life though there are ups and downs, going through hard times but strong belief in Almighty Lord will overcome one by one hurdles to live good life.

42 years back at this time 3 weeks before Thanksgiving I immigrated to Canada with my pregnant wife Bhavna and four and half year old daughter Alpa and started looking for job. At that time my wife's cousin Naren Patel was visiting Toronto and called us to meet us. He came with his friend Harish to see us and while talking I told them that I am looking for job and Harish asked me to apply for Scotia bank data centre where he was working and gave me phone number. The following day I applied there and also with other companies. Just before Thanksgiving weekend I got call from bank that I have the job but that one is in night shift and I can start after Thanksgiving weekend which I gladly accepted and worked for bank for almost 24 year.

My wife also worked for TD Canada Trust and now we are enjoying retired life as our two daughter got good education with University degrees, married and live in their own home. So for us our first Thanksgiving in Canada turned out to be real Thanksgiving which we cherish forever and we believe that if you live straight forward life then directly or indirectly God will give when you needed anything most in your life, may be not right away but at the right time.

Suresh and Bhavna Patel Markham, Canada

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Putin supports Modi’s terror strategy

In a recent joint communication with Russian President Putin after Goa conference, PM Modi received unconditional support for his uncompromising stand against terror and successful post Uri surgical strike by Indian commandos in POK. But it needed strong talking and Modi’s undoubted diplomatic skill to win over Putin whose recent adventure; joint army exercise with Pakistani army drew diplomatic rebuff from India in no uncertain term. PM Modi also told Chinese President Xi that their two nations could not afford to go soft on terror, no matter from where it originates. But as usual Modi received lukewarm support from China, refusing to condemn Pakistan by name or mention terror mastermind Masood Azar already sanctioned by U N Security Council. Then no one expected China to act differently.

Perhaps Putin’s support was assuaged, assured by $24 billion “Defence and Energy” deals signed by two nations, India’s strong performing economy, cornerstone of Modi’s policy, with liberal investment by Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, Britain with EU support and India’s policy to encourage “Make it in India” will play a significant part in India’s advancement on international stage, although how America will interact with India under “President Hilary Clinton” if she becomes President after November election, as fiduciary Hilary is perceived to be unfriendly to Modi and India.

No wonder American Hindu organizations, perhaps erroneously are backing Donald Trump.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

Killer clown craze

It is inevitable that any craze that takes over America follows to Britain sooner or later.

Unfortunately most such crazes are anti-social and detrimental to our well-being.

Killer clown craze is the latest American import that may result in serious crime and prosecution. Some clowns are dressed dangerously, even carrying knives to frighten people, especially children and such incidents are being reported to police in increasing numbers, police even issuing notices, making schools and parents aware of these dangerous, mindless and harmful activities, especially that Halloween night is almost upon us when children may dress-up as ghosts and witches for innocent fun in true British tradition.

It is only question of time before irritated parents may take law into their own hands and beat up such criminals who take pervert pleasure in frightening children and women without realizing the consequences of their mindless act, their stupidity.

So please make your children aware of this craze and report such incidents to their teachers and parents.

Kumudini Valambia By email

Navratri festival

Kumudiniben (Asian Voice) and Mukundbhai (Gujarat Samachar) wrote about recent Navaratri festival. Kumudiniben draws attention to road side garbas in Harrow; similar to garbas held in cities of Gujarat. Alfresco celebration indicates Aryan roots of festival to propitiate energy, omnipresent in form of elements that generate/ sustain life, mother of creation, Jagad-Amba. Gurus propounded that navaratri garbas were meant as worship of mother energy in spiritual ethos. Pleasure, joy and cheer were not the main agenda but bi-product, in social, family and community atmosphere. Later, celebration was confined to indoor-homes or temples.

This allowed gurus to discipline devotees and keep away unruly folks, who might use the celebratory freedom and immunity to indulge in lascvicious, promiscuous, unsocial or anti-social behavior. Currently festival is cheapened, commercialized and garbas polluted with bollywood tunes and lyrics. Mukund Samani states, we fall short of respecting ladies in spite of grandiose celebrations. Many girls under 18 years of age are married off against their will. He mentions a court verdict against wife who wanted her husband to separate from his parents. Such verdict may encourage supression of newly married women. Instead of merits from godesses we can/ should earn more merit by respecting our womenfolk.

Ramesh Jhalla By email

As I See It

An eye-catching article by the mighty pen of none other than CB. Patel, the respectable Editor of the vastly circulated weekly of the European Asians, seems to be extra-ordinary and out standing on its own. I sincerely wish and firmly believe that our talented and beloved Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May if by chance happens to read the particular article, surely she would drop a piece of letter thanking CB. Patel, if she does not dare to ring him. The article “As I See It” is really impressive and encouraging and it highly strikes the learned reader in the true sense. The well-experienced writer has given his brilliant opinion about the Indo-UK relations siding India’s relations with Other European countries. If only respectable Shree Patel was in politics, surely he could have played a major role to fasten unbreakable ties between well developed India and very matured Great Britain.

However, dedicated Editor, CB. Patel has contributed grossly in developing a good image of British Indians in the UK as well as in India. Most of us are aware of the fact.

However, I herewith convert my sincere and whole-heartily congratulations to the well respected and ably matured CB. Patel for his excellent thought.

Dr H. V. Kerai (PhD) Writer, lecturer and critic

Open invitation

A top police officer has caused outrage by intimating that people who leave their dooes and windows open, and if they get burgled, they should not expect the crime to be investigated. Now that winter is upon us and days are getting shorter and nights are closing in, burglaries and other crimes will be on the increase.

The tell tale signs would alert burglars that people are not at home and would want to take advantage of the absence of the owners. Some of these burglars have become more daring and get into the house at night even when people are sleeping at home.

To try and avoid being victims of crime, it has been suggested that we keep our doors and windows locked at all times and do not open the door to strange people who ring the bell. Keep some lights on when we go out and, better still, invest in a burglar alarm.

This way, we can help ourselves and not waste police time on preventable burglaries.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

UK Asian Voice |29th October 2016

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AskTenants to help choose the perfect home An accountant who was stuck in a one-year contract at a moth-infested house, has used her experience to help others find the right home for themselves.

Payal Bhavnani, 46, launched her free-to-use website AskTenants, to help people make wellinformed decisions before signing rental contracts.

The woman and her family was bound by a oneyear contract in East Sheen - a place that turned out to be the stuff nightmares were made of.

"The place erupted into a moth hive with hundreds of them flying everywhere.

Freya stopped sleeping in her room, she used to scream and come out of her room on seeing moths. It was an absolute nightmare and even put pressure on our relationship," Bhavnani said.

She informed that the damp was so "bad we

couldn't keep clothes dry inside the wardrobes.

There was severe condensation and mould everywhere."

Her website meanwhile, allows people looking to rent a place, to rate their accomodation and landlord responsiveness.

"There are so many checks which tenants have to undergo and pay for via estate agents, whilst knowing nothing about the land-

lord. I decided to take the level of information provided one step further and provide police information and other social data to the website, allowing people to get a really complete picture of not just the property, but the surrounding area."

Bhavnani added that the website would "encourage landlords to up their game or risk receiving a low score."

Foreign students 'not exempted from migration figures' Downing Street has said it is "categorically not reviewing" whether foreign students should be excluded from net migration figures.

The prime minister's spokesman clarified the government's position after earlier saying there would be an overall review of immigration policy.

The chancellor has

suggested foreign students and highly skilled workers are not a major area of concern.

The government is committed to bring net migration down below 100,000. But according to Office for National Statistics estimates, net migration to the UK, rose to 333,000 in 2015 - the second highest figure on

record.

In evidence to the Treasury Select Committee last Wednesday, Chancellor Philip Hammond said decisions about what was covered by the net migration target should be guided by public perception and suggested highly skilled workers could be exempt.

IN SUPPORT OF PHARMACY Clearly the widely publicised pharmacy cuts intended by the government are going to have profound and hugely devastating effects on all concerned - pharmacy, various service providers and patients.

Pressures on staffing and skill mix Already there is enormous pressure around the skill mix in pharmacies and these cuts will inevitably add to the evergrowing concerns. Will pharmacy be adequately equipped to meet the constantly rising demands of delivering new and wider professional services ? Will they be reliable, safe and of high quality, and tailored to meet the individual needs of patients ?

The obvious way of controlling costs against falling profits would be to reduce the numbers of staff. But this will certainly compromise the high level and different range of services now being offered.

Potential patient impacts The services currently offered to patients by pharmacies at zero cost and often out of goodwill, may be at serious risk of being withdrawn or charged for, e.g. home delivery services. This could have a significant impact on the elderly and housebound.

Compared to the local white population, South Asians are more prone to diabetes and heart disease. Pharmacy services in these areas may be somewhat limited but it is absolutely necessary that pharmacists continue to provide the required level of extra advice and support for these patients to maintain a healthy lifestyle, minimise risk and manage their conditions effectively. This applies to all other chronic and long term conditions.

The question now is whether pharmacy will have the time, resources and appropriately trained workforce to carry out these services effectively.

Could there be a further exacerbation of the Inverse Care Law and for its murky

head to reappear whereby those patients in most need are not likely to obtain the services required?

Closure of pharmacies may save money for the government in the short Dr.Mahendra G Patel term, but there needs to be clear and concise solution for effective provision of a high quality service which will meet the needs and expectations of everyday users in the long term.

Despite these challenging and turbulent times that pharmacy now faces, it is not surprising that the pharmacy regulators, The General Pharmaceutical Council, has now issued a clear warning for pharmacy owners to continue delivering safe and high quality services and remembering to put patient care at the forefront.

It needs greater thought, opinion, and deliberation to properly establish if some of these under investigated government assumptions in terms of implementing funding cuts are truly realistic, achievable and most importantly best for the patient.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society alongside other national pharmacy organisations are opposing these drastic cuts and striving hard to make pharmacists' concerns heard and addressed with conviction and purpose.

About the author Dr.Mahendra G Patel PhD FRPharmS FHEA Fellow of NICE. Principal Enterprise Fellow in Pharmacy Practice University of Huddersfield, Adjunct Professor of Pharmacy Wilkes University Pennsylvania USA, Visiting Senior Lecturer Faculty of Medicine University of Sheffield, Board Member Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Join the fight to #BeatLeprosy

Today 51 children will be diagnosed with leprosy Children like Champa from Bangladesh, who discovered she had leprosy at just 9 years old. Luckily we reached her before leprosy could cause life-changing disabilities.

However, many more children are living with undiagnosed leprosy because they are unaware of the symptoms, and everyday it causes more damage, taking away their mobility, sight and hope.

It costs just £5 to screen an entire school for leprosy – helping us to find, diagnose and provide treatment to more children like Champa before leprosy takes hold.

Text LEPRA to 70500 to donate £5 Or donate online www.lepra.org.uk Text charged at £5 plus your standard network rate. Lepra will receive 100% of your donation. UK residents 16+ only. Obtain bill payer’s permission. Customer care number 01206 216700. Registered Charity Number 213251 (England and Wales) SC039715 (Scotland)

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For opportunities in the ARMY Visit our website www.army.mod.uk

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MEDIA WATCH

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Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

The BRICS Summit in Goa was a notable success for India and Russia, contradicting the Jeremiahs prognosticating the collapse of the IndoRussian special relationship, This was not to be, and was never remotely on the cards (See page 3) Another landmark for Indian diplomacy was the parallel presence at Goa of a grouping of nations known by the acronym BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sector Technical and Economic Corporation). These countries include Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Thailand, pivoted around India, all seeking to interact with the members of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) on the mutually beneficial issues of trade, investment and technical cooperation. While SAARC wanes, BIMSTEC waxes.

BIMSTEC leaders in Goa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stature as an international statesman rises by the day. He has rightly made jihadi terrorism the theme of his major speeches in multilateral forums for reasons that are self-evident. Mr Modi declared against Pakistan as the ‘mother-ship of terror,’ China took umbrage, announcing that no country, ethnic group or religion should be made synonymous with terrorism.

The Chinese spokesman’s words should be a reminder to the Indian public of the limits of Sino-Indian relations, of China’s cloven hoof concealed in the velvet glove of platitudes and sweet nothings.

nuclear warheads in August. The commissioning ceremony was performed by Navy Chief, Admiral Sunil Lamba. With the Army and Air Force already equipped with nuclear-weapon delivery systems, India’s deterrent triad, and second strike capability, is now complete. India has a no first-use policy. A second nuclear powered submarine, INS Aridhaman, is on the verge of completion (Hindu, Times of India October 18)

Russian sub for India

BSF kill seven provocateurs

India’s Border Security Force shot dead seven Pakistan Rangers along the Line of Control in Kashmir. It was in retaliation for a Rangers’ sniper attack, which injured an Indian trooper. The response was swift and telling. India’s has raised the stakes. (Hindu, Times of India October 22)

Minatory voice

Pakistan is useful to China not because of its human capital or economic riches, but because its proximity to terror groups it uses as instruments of high policy against India. This bitter pill must be swallowed, however reluctantly, in the interest of India’s survival. The minatory and scornful tone of Beijingbased corporate lawyer, possibly cover for government official, Kai Xue, in which he likens India to ‘an overconfident hare in a premature sprint for glory before exhaustion leaves him in the dust of the steady tortoise,’ which, evidently, is China. (Edit page, Times of India, October 18)

India completes nuclear triad

India has quietly commissioned its first operational nuclear powered submarine, INS Arihant, which is equipped with underwater ballistic missiles armed with

Russian nuclear powered Akula II submarine

A couple of days after the BRICS Summit was concluded, Alexei Nikolski, a correspondent of the Russian paper Vedomosti, reported that India and Russia had clinched a $2 billion deal for the 10-year lease of a second Akula II attack Russian submarine to India, following talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Putin on the sidelines of the Summit in Goa. In April 2012, the lease for the first such submarine was reached for training purposes for Indian submariners. This is in line for India’s long-term goal for a large fleet of nuclear-powered submarines as part of its triad deterrent. An Indian delegation had visited Moscow in September to negotiate this transfer (Hindu October 20). See also page 3

Eyes in the sky guided strikes

Up in the sky, 526 km high, were a number of ISRO satellites guiding India’s recent strikes across the Line of Control in Kashmir.

India is on the fast track to developing a significant capability called ‘C4ISR’ or ‘command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.’

India’s

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Aerospace Command is manned by experts with the desired understanding of implementing surgical strikes. Along with tracking jihadi terrorist movements in real time, ISRO’s world-class capabilities allow India to give out accurate navigation signals – a Herculean endeavour overseen

by ISRO’s 17,000 sophisticated workforce.

Present situation

Today, India has 33 satellites in earth orbit and one in Mars orbit.

These include 12 communications satellites; seven navigation satellites and 10 earth observation satellites and four weather monitoring satellites in the Asia Pacific region. ISR Chairman Kiran Kumar said: ‘The Indian space agency will not be found lacking in helping secure India’s national interests now and in future.’ (Report, Kunal Anand, former Director, Technology, BBC Worldwide, currently Managing Director of his own California-based company specializing in military space activity. Refer website)

Miniature BrahMos

India and Russia are set jointly to develop a miniature BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. A new version of the missile will be its first upscale, and is designed to be a game-changer. It will be portable weapon with only three men to operate it. Talks on the project lasted several months and have now been concluded. The larger version of the 290 kmrange, Mach 3, BrahMos is already in service with the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. India and Russia are planning to extend the range of the missile from the present 290 km to over 600 km. Plans are also afoot to increase their speed to hypersonic levels (Economic Times October 14, 20)

Kamath optimistic on BRICS’ lending

Indian Banker K.V. Kamath

A year and more after K.V. Kamath’s appointment as President of the New Development Bank of BRICS, he submitted a report card to recent BRICS Summit in Goa. In an interview with the press, he said the first target of the bank was to establish a loan-disbursement figure. It proved difficult to achieve, but in the end the target was achieved. ‘So we start the second year on a firm foundation with the ability to look for more growth. So far this year, we have done $900 million of lending…

For the coming calendar year, we are looking at $2.5 billion lending,’ he said. Kamath, a former director of ICICI Bank in India, is one of the most respected names

Prime Minister Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin. See page 3

in Indian banking. He told his interlocutor that he was ‘very bullish’ about the direction of Indian economy (Mint October 17)

Indian to lead $100bn SoftBank tech project

Japanese telecom and internet giant SoftBank’s founder Masayoshi Son, who has been betting big on India, took a further bet appointing Rajeev Misra, currently head of its strategic finance, to lead the SoftBank Vision Fund, launched in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to spot companies that the partners believe will become big players of the future. Misra has a Master’s in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. He also holds a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT-Delhi.

Softbank goal

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, said: ‘Over the next decade, the SoftBank Vision Fund will be the biggest investor in the technology sector. We will further accelerate the information revolution by contributing to its development.’

(Times of India October 18)

India the place for Sovereign funds

With global volatility in commodity markets, sovereign wealth funds have turned to India as the place to be. The value of the Indian stocks held by these investors has risen 32 per cent in the first eight months of 2016.

Some of the world’s largest funds, such as Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global, the Singapore Government’s Investment Corporation and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority hold a a big pie of the listed Indian stocks. ‘With 36 completed deals, India wins the prize for the most attractive target country

of 2015 by number of operations…the broad diversification of investments across sectors is a definite sign of economic vitality,’ said a report of the Sovereign Investment Lab (Business Line October 17)

Rosneft deal is Essar’s lifeline

Debt-ridden Ruia-owned Essar Energy Group, needed money badly and Russia’s state-owned Rosneft company wanted access to a large oil market in the world’s fastest-growing, hence a deal was struck on the critical convergence of interests.

Significantly, the signatures to the $12.9 billion deal ((the highest ever FDI inflow into India) were affixed in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin at the bilateral Indo-Russian meeting at Goa on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

Geopolitical ramifications

This is a subtle but clear message from both countries to the United States and world on the US-EU sanctions regime targeting Russia. The deal also involves third parties, which skirts the sanctions. BP is an indirect entry since it has a 19 per cent stake in Rosneft. Essar will be able to make a substantial reduction in its burgeoning debt, while the Russian buyer will look to build a modern network of retail outlets across India, which in turn will shake up the Indian refining and sector: stymied for decades and crying out modern technology and global retail practices.

Narendra Taneja, an Indian energy expert, ‘It will change the image of India as an investment destination in oil refining and retail. Saudi Aramco, Chevron and Kuwait Petroleum may want to enter soon, most likely in partnership with Indian oil PSUs’ (Public Sector Undertakings).

(Business Line October 17)

PM Modi, Myanmar leader Aung San Ssu Kyi. India to support Myanmar in development and security

UK Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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Indian tanker captain to receive 2016 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea

Britain’s Brilliant Defence of India on Terror from Pakistan As I ready for the PM’s visit to India where she will speak at the event where I am chairing sessions, one of the most idiotic things I have read from anti-UK-India relationship messengers in the past week is: ‘The UK government is soft on condemning terror from Pakistan’ This comes about because the FCO in reply to a public petition seeking condemnation of the terror attacks issued a statement which some people thought was not strong enough; presumably because we didn’t undertake from Britain a missile strike, or drone strike, on terror camps in Pakistan.

The statement from the Foreign Office however was brilliant for India and far more than what the petitioners, myself included, had hoped for. It’s just that the subtlety of was lost on the public – but the public were not the audience, the Government of Pakistan and India were the audience – regardless of how selfimportant we petitioners think we were.

That UK Foreign Office statement said that not only were the terror camps in Pakistan but that Pakistan had to do more to stop the exporting of terror. But that wasn’t the best bit.

By also saying that the UK Government stands to help poor Pakistan because it is suffering from this disease of terror, it makes it impossible for Pakistan

to deny assistance, interference and Britain acting as India’s de facto proxy and taking sides.

You see, if the UK Government had simply said ‘Pakistan exports terror’ – as the petitioners wanted, then what about getting UK involved? Those words would have been the end of it. But actions are better than words. So how can Britain involve itself in the internal matters of Pakistan on India’s behalf?

This way is how. By effectively stating, we agree with your difficult problems, so since we both agree, let us help you. And how can you refuse our help, when you yourself say you have suffered. The British are good at this type of diplomacy.

And anyone claiming Britain is soft on terror shows a disturbing lack of knowledge of politics, because they forget the words of Prime Minister Camerson in India that ‘Pakistan cannot allow itself to export terror’ and of Minister Liam Fox, who will also be with PM May in India in November, who said ‘Pakistan is the most dangerous country in the world’.

So the grandstanders need to sit down.

The British have actually done more than you even thought to ask for. So don’t call us Brits soft on terror. It’s an insult to those who died on 7/7 and to our soldiers in armed conflict. We do a lot more to counter terror than any other country in the world, including India.

Captain Radhika Menon, Master of the oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajya, is to receive the 2016 International Maritime Organisation Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for her role in the dramatic rescue of seven fishermen from a sinking fishing boat in tumultuous seas.

The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June last year.

Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India, for the rescue of all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage.

Through wave heights of more than 25 feet, winds of more than 60 knots and heavy rain, on 22 June, the second officer on the Sampurna Swarajya spotted the boat 2.5 kilometres away, off the coast of

Captain Radhika Menon

Gopalpur, Orissa.

Captain Menon immediately ordered a rescue operation, utilising the pilot ladder and with life jackets and buoys on standby. It took three arduous attempts in the lashing wind and rain and heavy swells before all seven weak and starving fishermen, aged from 15 to 50 years old, were brought to safety on board the ship.

Their families had already considered them to be lost at sea, but thanks to the rescue, led by Captain Menon, they were reunited with their loved ones a few days later.

Captain Menon is the first female captain in the

HALF PRICE TOYS!

Indian Merchant Navy and will be the first female to receive the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. This annual Award was established by IMO to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment.

The recipient of the Award is invited to a special ceremony at IMO to receive a medal and a certificate citing the act of exceptional bravery performed.

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Iman Qureshi: Writing Raw

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Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Revenge porn and web trolls fuel rise in violent crime An increase in violent crime has been fuelled by a sharp rise in internet abuse, including revenge porn and internet trolling, official statistics have revealed.

The Office for National Statistics has put a figure on internet abuse for the first time as it revealed that 77,387 incidents were recorded by police last year.

The offences (revenge porn and web trolling) pushed the number of violent crimes above one million in the year to last June – a 24 per cent rise.

Revenge porn and threatening emails and messages

Sunetra Senior

It is no wonder that abounding writer, Iman Qureshi, has made the full conversion to creative writing, solely focussing on short fiction and scripts, where she had previously split the time between journalism and law training; it has left her completely free to pursue her intuitive gift for exploring inner worlds. “Whether they’ve been critical pieces or stories,” she told us, “I’ve enjoyed looking at the overlapping terrains of gender, race and sexuality, and the art of storytelling, in particular, allows you to focus on individuality and human relationships as the natural point of these many beautiful intersections.”

Indeed her witty debut play, Speed (2014), which detailed the perplexing yet revealing experience of twenty-something speed dating, opened to great reception when the wordsmith herself was just 27, with comment about ‘what looks like one thing as a surface with the usual shorthand descriptions – we all know that bankers (one of the five speeddaters in the play) are insufferable – fall away and give rise to something deeper and more stimulating’ (Asian Culture Vulture Review). *** Her recent short story too, Naz, included as part of the new and originally enchanting anthology, Love Across A Broken Map, goes to the very heart of two apparently dissimilar characters - ‘and really, it’s like Kat and I have stepped out of that stupid kids nursery rhyme- I’m snakes and snails and she’s all lavender, spice and everything nice’ reads one of the lines – to slowly and movingly highlight their mutually enriching qualities and the delicate, devoted development of their problematic but beautiful romance. Iman puts the inspiration and recurring relationship-orientated theme down to the fact that she’s “a sucker for love stories”, but all things considered they seem to transcend that. With her two short films in the proverbial pipeline – one called ‘The Shift’, in which an underlying bond forms between two women trapped in the same sexist bind, and the other, a tale named ‘Home Girl’, about a girl who comes out after her mother’s death – Iman’s partiality towards compassion and social cohesion is the drive most abundantly clear.

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accounted for a third of the 24 per cent surge in violent crime.

Revenge porn is where jilted lovers post explicit images of their ex-partners online, while internet trolling is where culprits send menacing emails or social media posts.

There was also a 9 per cent increase in knife crime to 29,306 incidents, and a 7 per cent rise in gun crime to 5,244 offences within the 12 months to June.

The number of sexual offences recorded by police rose 14 per cent on the previous year, the ONS said.

2 diet drinks a day 'double the risk of diabetes' What was the Influence for your story, ‘Naz’?

I wanted to explore the relationship of two people who are so different from each other and to make that love work. I think it’s a common scenario – the challenge is so great when you meet someone so unique and contrasting to you and you’re taken by who they are: what they do, how they live, where they come from! You’re in awe of them. In ‘Naz’, the love interest, Kat, seems to glide through life and her privilege allows her to do that, while the first person character is more insular and unhappy. Her background, too, is more difficult to negotiate. It becomes about what they can learn from each other. As the writer, I was really rooting for them to work out!

The story is very honest, with typically Asian characteristics being quite incidental and secondary. Your story, amongst others in the collection, evades the issue of being ‘too Asian or not Asian enough’.

Yes, I enjoy writing stories that don’t respond to those trappings. The number of times I’ve been pushed to write about Islamophobia and terrorism is unbelievable. Muslims and those of ethnic minority backgrounds are as complex as any white person.

What sort of literature speaks to you?

I’ve just finished reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It’s a 700page novel about four friends. The story charts the whole life span of these friends, from their births to their deaths and at no point does it mention in which year it is set. It’s so rich with inner life and almost doesn’t worry itself with factual detail. That sort of concept really interests me. One of the characters has a mysterious past and the novel is based around that: it’s compelling and heartbreaking all at once.

Have you found your law degree to have helped with your writing?

Yes, in the sense that law is brimming with cases full of possible stories. It’s all about people who are either messing up, or messing each other up, and the legal sphere by its very nature is very conflict-driven. That’s the core of a good story. I’m also interested in bending morality and pushing the limits of what’s accepted: what society considers being right and proper, and what happens if we don’t do this. My stories do have LGBT community characters, for example, who are underrepresented and deserve more acknowledgment. The

rules for life should be dynamic and flexible and law paradoxically reflected that for me.

You write a lot about modern dating: what compels you to this?

It brings a fascinating mash of personalities and there’s a lot of humour and drama where people are working to find common ground. It’s rich material to mine!

Your short story ‘Naz’ was excellent.

What is your advice for writers, especially writing within the short story medium, to translate an emotive account to the page?

I think it’s about tapping into your character. You need to understand what your character wants and show that emotionally – visually, even. Channel it through what they say and do. That’s what will make it universal and engaging. I enjoy doing this with random things! For example, looking at really weird sexual fetishes that a character might have and making that accessible to the mainstream. People want to be taken on a journey about a topic they know nothing about.

And a plot-based question: how do you whittle down to the kernels of your stories?

Heighten the tension and push the revelations: what does your audience/the characters find out? What do they learn about each other? For example, in my short film ‘The Shift’, it looks as if one woman has the better lot, when in reality both the female characters are being given a raw deal.

We’ve shown that through small, but meaningful gestures.

For ‘Home Girl’ I spent a whole day in the script writing process, really thinking about the dramatics. It’s a very immersive process.

What would you say have been some of the highlights of your career?

Having my play Speed picked up and put on stage has been a massive life event. I saw an idea that’s lived purely in my imagination, captured so brilliantly on stage. It was wonderful to work with such a talented director (who I’m working with again right now) and great actors. The collaborative spark took this intimate subject matter to a whole new level. I do enjoy that about the theatre and film forms: that you can show emotions rather than just speaking them. twitter.com/imanqureshi

Want to keep diabetes at bay? Don't think Diet Coke would be of any help. Even two glasses of calorie-free drinks a day could double the risk of developing diabetes. According to a study, diet drinks can be just as bad for you.

Scientists believe that calorie-free drinks make us feel hungrier, prompting us to reach for sugary food.

And they also suspect that artificial sweeteners interfere with the bacteria in our gut – which may trigger diabetes.

The team from the

Karolinska Institute in Sweden studied 2,874 adults who had completed a year-long diary about their intake of drinks.

People who drank two or more sweetened drinks a day – whether sugary or artificially sweetened – were 2.4 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found for every 200ml of sugary fizzy drink drunk each day, the diabetes risk increased by 21 per cent. The same amount of diet drink consumed every day increased the risk by 18 per cent.

Chemical scare at London City airport London’s City airport was evacuated after just after 4pm on Friday as the airport experienced a suspected chemical incident following fire alarms going off. 500 passengers and staff were evacuated by police as paramedics treated 25 people at the scene for breathing difficulties and two members of the ground staff were taken to hospital as a precaution.

The airport was closed for 3 hours as air traffic to the airport was stopped or diverted to other airports while police investigated the source of the scare. The Metropolitan Police said they found a tear gas canis-

ter which they believe was disposed of by a passenger before checking in and the canister discharged accidentally. The police said they are not treating the incident as terror related.

The airport reopened after 7pm as police declared the terminal safe.

An airport spokesman said: “Passengers were evacuated safely and we thank them for their patience.”

Number of vasectomy operations comes down The number of vasectomy procedures conducted each year has come down by nearly two-thirds in the last decade, new figures have revealed.

NHS data have shown that while there were 31,216 vasectomies in 2004/05, there were just 11,113 in 2014/15.

Experts say this fall in number is partly attributed to men having children later in life. Many could be avoiding the procedure in case they divorce and re-

marry and want to have more children later in life.

The statistics also showed that there was a fall of 16 per cent in the number of vasectomies in just one year from 2013/14 to 2014/15.

Vasectomies are more than 99 per cent effective, according to the NHS. The procedure involves cutting, blocking or sealing the tubes that carry sperm from a man’s testicles to the penis. It takes around 15 minutes.

UK Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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Loomba Foundation recognises support from the Hinduja Foundation for educating 500 children of poor widows for five years in five states in India Over 300 people gathered together to celebrate the Loomba Foundation’s work at its annual charity gala dinner on the 13th October at the Dorchester Hotel; the evening, which also celebrated Diwali, and the 147th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and International Day of NonViolence, highlighted the continuing work of the Foundation, its successes this year, which most notably included publication of the World Widows Report, and its support for the coming year.

The Master of Ceremonies welcomed guests and introduced the President of the Foundation, Cherie Blair CBE QC, whose passion and drive behind the Foundation and plans for the future to empower widows in all 30 Indian states, spoke of the generosity of the many supporters of the Foundation. Everyone was touched by the video introduced by Mrs Blair showing the world leaders who have been moved to support the Loomba Foundation’s work after learning about widows and their plight, including the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, Hilary Clinton, Laura

Lord Loomba CBE, Acting High Commissioner Mr Dinesh Patnaik, Mr Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Party, Mr Gopichand P. Hinduja,Co-Chair of Hinduja Foundation and Guest of Honour Mr GP Hinduja receiving a Memento from the Loomba Foundation in appreciation for educating 500 children of poor widows in India

Bush, Yoko Ono, Kajol Devgn and Sir Richard Branson, to name but a few.

Mrs. Cherie Blair, commenting on how the video touched everyone’s heart said: “Tonight, we have amongst us a unique philanthropist and leader of the Indian community in the UK, who, together with his three brothers and through the Loomba Foundation, has educated 500 children of poor widows for 5 years in five states in India,” as she welcomed the Guest of Honour Mr. G.P. Hinduja, CoChairman of the Hinduja Foundation. On behalf of the Loomba Foundation,

Mrs Blair was honoured to present Mr. Hinduja a memento recognising the generous support of the Hinduja Foundation.

Mr. G.P. Hinduja, echoing Mrs Blair’s sentiments about the powerful messages shown in the video spoke of how his own mother was a widow and how this had affected his philanthropy. Speaking from the heart, Mr. Hinduja, representing the Hinduja Foundation, talked about his own experiences and the way his foundation’s philanthropy is based on his father’s beliefs, who was: “keenly aware of the debt he owed to society: the need to tran-

scend commercial activities and extend help to those less fortunate.”

Powerfully reiterating the significance of the work of The Loomba Foundation and the importance of the evening, to raise awareness of the plight of widows, Mr Hinduja said: “From my own family’s personal experience I understand the importance of helping widows and their children, who suffer in silence on losing their loved one.”

Praising highly the work of the Loomba Foundation, Mr Hinduja added he has spoken to the Head of the Hinduja Foundation in India, “who confirmed his full satisfac-

tion with the work of the Loomba Foundation,” and further said that Hinduja Foundation will always be supportive to its causes.

Mr Hinduja also kindly offered a dinner with the famous cricketer Mr. M.S. Dhoni to raise funds for the Foundation, which was auctioned. Many of the guests donated £1,000 each and the dinner raised over £15,000. The proceeds from the evening, raised through silent and live auctions and pledges, will be used to empower widows in India through the Foundation’s sewing machine projects.

Lord Loomba CBE, Founder and Chairman of the Loomba Foundation in his vote of thanks said “I am hugely grateful to Mr.

G.P. Hinduja and his three brothers, who have supported the education of 500 children of poor widows for five years in five states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Naidu, Utter Pradesh and Uttrakhand, through the Loomba Foundation.

These students were selected from the poorest of poor families, who would not have otherwise received an education.

They received over this period a scholarship, which has supported the costs of their school uniform, books, lunches and healthcare”. Lord Loomba added that he was indebted to Mr Hinduja and his family for their generous support on the night and over the years.

The Sportsman Casino & Zaman Restaurant – a package of entertainment you don't want to miss Rupanjana Dutta It is often said that if you are bored of London, you are bored of life. And to a certain extent the various forms of entertainment in this city make it more exciting than others. One such key place is The Sportsman Casino, right on Oxford Street, below the Thistle Hotel.

I have been to the same Casino for a Diwali party 4 years ago, and had a sumptuous dinner at the Zaman restaurant a couple of times, but when I walked into the casino this time, the excitement had reached a new level. The ambience was totally electric, as happy people gambled on different tables – three card poker, punto-bunco, American roulette, blackjack and so much more. Greeted with a big smile, the dealers looked friendly and for a beginner like me, I even had a live demonstration of how to play.

The Casino allows betting from £2 onwards, and anything from £10 and above have a separate section, that can prove to be an exciting spot for corporate hire. From champagne to soft drinks all are available for self help as well as waiters who come around asking in case you want to order anything else.

The Casino opens from 12 noon, and has an open door policy for anyone above 18 years of age and has fantastic reward facilities. During a quick tour of the newly refurbished casino, Joshi Haque, Customer Relations Manager, told Asian Voice, “Sportsman Casino treats its loyal, regular and high end customers with equal importance. It is never about how much you spend with us. It's also about returning customers.

“We offer instant memberships to

high end players and also to regular customers depending on the points they have earned through their frequent visits and games.

“Membership treats include all kinds of perks – such as bespoke services to hospitality to free tickets for some of the most sought after games like cricket, football or rugby matches.

“Our casino has many visitors from India, especially Delhi and some from Mumbai. Of course being close to Edgware Road, many Arabs too visit us. It is interesting to know how the customer requirements work – they are always different and we love to make the experience unique for everybody.”

The Sportsman Casino has a homely atmosphere.

The welcoming and friendly staff with the longest serving years at the Casino, make it a warm and cosy place to go back to – much less intimidating and judgemental than

other West End Casinos. From greeting you at the door to a certain level of personal attention – they make sure you are comfortable playing whatever you would love to. Not only that, you are free to use the dining space right next to the gaming tables, and enjoy any particular dish the head chef Zaman and his team of 16 other chefs have to offer in their restaurant, served exclusively for you at the Casino.

The restaurant Zaman, named after head chef Mahmud Zaman, is situated at the lower ground floor. Very well illuminated with a hint of orange, Zaman's cuisine extends from Chinese to Thai to Italian to English to Indian – more of a global food joint. The taste of food is authentic, quite classy, and the quantity is generous for a West End restaurant.

On one side of the restaurant, there are slot machines, and it's truly awesome to see how many people actually play on those, while sipping on to their favourite drink. There is a bar at the restaurant as well. The two sides of the restaurant are

separated with a glass wall, or a transparent divider with Zaman's hologram. The staff, including the Manager, have a keen eye for detail, are courteous and they offer every dining member equal attention and hospiltality.

The restaurant also has undergone a sea change since my last visit and 'upped its look' into this chic, fine dining, highend place, with affordable prices, and a menu for everyone.

Speaking to Asian Voice, head chef Zaman said, “I have been in Britain for the last 24 years, and have experience in the field for over 30 years. I have worked in various hotels. Having started as a kitchen porter, climbing the ladder to become a chef, including at Hilton, and soon followed by joining this establishment and becoming the head chef, finally having this restaurant named after me.

“I have personally designed the halal menu that includes many mouth-watering delights, but we have quite a few items for strict vegeterians too. My kitchen staff here are mostly Bangladeshi and I am doing whatever possible to help the Asian curry industry, in this period of austerity.

In fact one of the most popular dish in this restaurant is Biriyani – and every day at least 25-30 plates are sold.

“Last year I won the 'Chef of the Year' award at the Asian Curry Awards and this year I won the Lifetime Achievement category.”

The award is a huge triumph for Zaman, celebrating his artistic style and love for experimental cooking. It is also a recognition of Zaman's commitment to offering the very best dining experience that is both accessible and affordable to customers.

16

SPECIAL

British Asian retail comes of age

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AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Aaditya Kaza

The evolution of the British Asian community in this country is one that has been examined many times. But today we bring a new angle to consider, one of the power of the community through its retail and purchasing power.

In 1498, when Vasco da Gama opened a direct maritime route between South Asia and Europe. Many South Asians travelled to Europe by sea in the next century as sailors, slaves and servants.

The earliest known Asians in Britain were the Lascars in the 17th century, who were employed by the East India Company as they travelled the world and plundered its riches.

Among the most eminent early Bengali Muslim migrants to England was Sake Dean Mahomet, a captain of the British East India Company who founded London's first Indian restaurant, the Hindoostane Coffee House in 1810.

The story of the Asian migration we know today started Post-World War II the immigration of Asians was continuous, though several distinct phases can be identified. In the aftermath of World War work-

Sake Dean Mahome

ers were brought to address the labour shortage that resulted from the War. These included AngloIndians who were recruited to work on the railways as they had done in India. The workers who predominantly came in the 1950s and 60s, mainly from Punjab and Gujarat arrived from India and worked in the foundries of the English Midlands. Sikhs coming to London either migrated to the East to set up business-

es where the wholesale, retail and manufacturing elements of the textile industry were located.

Many Sikhs moved to West London and took up employment at Heathrow airport and the associated industries around it, otherwise known as Southall.

At the same period, the then newly formed National Health Service appointed a large number of medical staff from India.

Indian’s were particularly

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favoured as the British had established medical schools in the Indian subcontinent which conformed to the British standards of medical training.

During the 1960s and 1970s, a large influx of East African Indians especially Gujarati’s but also large numbers of Punjabis who already held British passports, arrived in the UK after they were expelled from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Many of these people had been storekeepers and wholesale retailers in Africa and opened shops when they arrived in the UK. As the community grew so did the requirement of providing known food, so they opened corner shops and became shopkeepers. As the community expanded and moved to other parts of the UK the need for Asian retail services increased manifold.

ketplace. 80% of the Asian population are under 25 years old. Most of these second and third generation ethnic minorities are upwardly mobile with a high standard of education and disposable income.

With the coming digital age, computer literacy is particularly high amongst young consumers. This suggests a high level of engagement in e-commerce otherwise known as ‘e-tail’, success in the future as they get older.

British Asians are not just hardworking and inspirational, however, they are also economically a significant force, as backed up by research. For example, ethnic minority consumers are three times more likely to own a BMW than the population in general and twice as likely to own a Mercedes-Benz, according to Starfish Research. Accounting for a

ethnic minorities. A report has revealed that almost half of all ethnic minority groups would take more notice of advertising if it included someone from their own ethnic minority group, particularly so for Asians. The diversity of the group ensures major companies come up with culturally creative ways to advertise. Supermarkets, for example, have special offers and unique promotions especially during Diwali, Eid, Vaisakhi and other South Asian festivals.

The advent of the internet and other modern technology has fundamentally changed the retail sector.

The ‘e-tail’ experience is propagated by millennials—those born roughly between 1978 and 1995— who are already shaping the consumer experience with everything done online with the help of smartphones and tablets.

The Asian community which started off by doing low skilled jobs like shopkeeping, factory labour and housekeeping and cleaning jobs. Over the years they brought themselves up to doing high skilled jobs like doctors, banking, legal service, software etc, thanks to education and wealth from hard work and being thrifty.

The inexorable rise and influence of the Asian community is linked to the economy and the purchasing power among its members. In the UK, the retail sector contributes 8% of GDP. South Asians, it is said to contribute 6% to the overall UK GDP, whilst making up only 4% of the population. Other sources predict that the figure may be even higher. The Centre for Social Markets estimates that British Asian businesses contribute as much as 10% of total GDP. Today ethnic minorities in the UK also represent a younger and growing mar-

twelfth of fashion spending, with continued net inward migration, British Asians will continue to grow in numbers as will the group’s spending power.

For example, British Asian consumers are keen purchasers of hi-tech products with their ownership of laptops, digital cameras and iPods/MP3 players being above the national average, making them an important consumer group for manufacturers of hitech goods. The same applies to mobile phones, where there are high levels of mobile phone ownership amongst ethnic minority groups, especially smartphones.

Keeping this in mind advertisers and major brands are eager to target this high-income disposable generation of the Asians. The ‘one-size fits all’ approach to advertising communication is no longer adequate for brands to effectively build awareness and trust amongst

Today’s consumers want emails, alerts, product suggestions, which they can filter and sort according to the preferences they care about. Consumers also engage in “Showrooming”, when people enter a store to try a product but then buy product online for cheaper. The applies mainly for clothes and fashion.

The advent of online shopping has led to retailers also benefiting. The rise of e-commerce, mobile, and social are all leading up to the biggest development retailers have seen ever, the emergence of big data. For the first time, we have technology that can collect and analyse the data generated by consumers with every click and even physical movements in stores. Retailers of the future will have the ability to target and personalise their marketing campaigns based on data about customer preferences, behaviours, lifestyles, and realtime locations. For example, Argos discovered that 1.6 million pieces of customer content could be fed back into their business decisions to improve both the customer experience and the bottom line. Argos now uses online customer reviews to gauge the level of dissatisfaction with products customers might not have bothered to return.

www.asian-voice.com Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

17

18

FINANCIAL VOICE

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Centre launches UDAN for better air connectivity The Central Government of India has announced the final Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under which the fares are capped at Rs 2500 for half of the seats in one-hour flights.

The scheme, called UDAN or 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik', aims to provide connectivity to un-served and under-served regional airports for the common man at affordable prices.

The subsidised fares will be funded through a levy or fee on departure flights on major routes.

The scheme will be based on market mechanism as well as bidding for a minimum of 50 per cent seats in the participating airline's flight and the rest would market-based pricing. Bidding of the seats will be conducted through a reverse auction basis, meaning, the airline quoting the lowest subsidy will be allowed to fly.

Helicopter services will be part of the scheme too.

Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey said, "The successful bidder would have exclusive rights to operate the route for a period of three years. The support would be withdrawn after that as the route is expected to become self-sufficient by then."

UDAN caps the fare for a one-hour journey of approximately 500 km, on a fixed wing aircraft or a 30-minute journey on a helicopter at a price of Rs 2500, with proportionate pricing for routes of various lengths and flight durations. Minimum frequency of flights on each RCS route would be 3, maximum of 7 in a week.

Choubety said that the interested entities can submitted their proposals to be part of the scheme from today. The government also plans to spend over Rs 4000 Crore rupees on upgrading 50 unserved and underserved airports

to support the scheme and boost regional air connectivity.

Airline operators flying under the scheme will have to provide half the seats of the flight-minimum of nine and maximum of 40.

The remaining seats can be sold at market prices.

While the viability support is being offered for three years, the tenure of the scheme is 10 years. The Centre will support the project by keeping the rate of excise duty levied on jet fuel bought from regional airports at just 2 per cent.

It will also give a service tax exemption on 90 per cent of the taxable value of tickets of flights for one year.

"Airlines support is very crucial for the scheme.

We can have non-functional airports but not nonfunctional airlines. We are cautiously optimistic about the scheme," said Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju.

CBI files FIR against UKbased arms dealer The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a case against UK-based arms dealer Vipin Khanna and abroad-based companies, in a case of alleged kickbacks worth over USD 5.70 million in connection with three aircraft deals signed with Embraer in 2008.

Sources from the CBI said Khanna, along with Brazil-based Embraer and Singapore-based Interdev Pte Ltd in connection with the deals totalling $208 million. They said the agency, which had registered a preliminary enquiry in September, has converted it into a regular FIR as enough prima facie material has been found by it to proceed in the case. A leading Brazilian newspaper had reported that Embraer had paid commuissions to a UK-based defence agent to finalise the deal with India.

The three aircraft which were to be used by the Defence Research and D e v e l o p m e n t Organisation, were bought in 2008 and customised for

serving air-borne radar system for the Air Force.

Defence procurement rules of India clearly state middlemen are strictly barred in such deals. Khanna had faced CBI probe in a gun deal involing South African company Denel in which the agency had to file a closure report as it could not gather enough evidence from abroad. He had also faced a probe in the Barak missile deal with Israel and sale of arms to Pakistan.

Sources linked to the case said it is alleged that the commission in the deal was routed through Austria and Switzerland.

Embraer has been under investigation by the US Justice Department

since 2010, when a contract with the Dominican Republic raised US eyebrows.

The company released a statement saying, "Since 2011, Embraer has publicly reported that it has been conducting an extensive internal investigation and cooperating with the authorities on investigations regarding alleged violations of the FCPA. The company voluntarily expanded the scope of the investigation, systematically reporting the progress of the case to the marker. The company is not party of the legal proceedings in Brazil.

Therefore, it does not have access to the information contained therein."

UK’s SSP Group enters Indian travel food market UK food & beverage specialist SSP Group, a food and beverage operator in travel locations, is going into the Indian market after creating a joint venture under which it will own a 49% stake in Travel Food Services Private Limited (TFS).

TFS is the fast-rising, much-respected Indian travel markets F&B opera-

tor. The airport and station caterer will buy a 49% stake for £57.9m in TFS from the Kapur Family Trust, SNVK Properties and KAPCO Caterers, which are part of K Hospitality Group and subscribe for new shares in TFS. K Hospitality Group runs food and beverage outlets across India.

Cyrus Mistry sacked, Ratan back at the helm AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

The FTSE 250 firm will first buy a 33% stake in TFS for about £39m by the end of February 2017, and then buy the rest 16% for about £18.9m by the end of 2018.

The TFS runs about 170 outlets in India, including six airports and many railway stations, besides Muscat airport in Oman.

In a surprising turn of events, Tata Sons "replaced" chairman Cyrus Pallonji Mistry, bringing in Ratan Tata who will be the interim chairman for four months. The unprecedented board room change came with no reasons in particular. Tata, 75, who retired in 2011, will now be back at the Bombay House until the next chairman is appointed.

"Tata Sons today announced its board has replaced Mr Cyrus P Mistry as Chairman of Tata Sons. The decision was taken at a board meeting held here today," a statement issued by the company read. It is believed that the company was unhappy with Mistry's approach of shedding nonprofit businesses, including the conglomerate's steel business in Europe, and only concentrating on cash-making offers.

In a dramatic development that took the corporates and others by surprise, Cyrus Mistry was on Monday sacked as chairman of Tata Sons. He was replaced by Ratan Tata, who will be the interim chairman for four months.

The announcement came after the board of Tata Sons met here and decided to replace 48-year-old

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Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry

Mistry, who had taken over from Ratan Tata in 2011.

The board named a five-member search committee, which includes Tata, to choose a successor to Mistry within four months. Mistry was chosen as Tata's successor in November, 2011, and was appointed Deputy Chairman of Tata Sons, whose board he had entered in 2006. He was made chairman on the basis of his representation from Shapoorji Palonji, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons. At the board meeting, six out of eight members present, voted in favour of removing Mistry, said a Tata official. The board constituted a selection committee comprising Tata, TVS Group head Venu Srinivasan, Amit Chandra of Bain Capital,

former diplomat Ronen Sen, and Lord Kumar Bhattacharya. The statement said that "the committee has been mandated to complete the selection process in four months."

Tata officials said ties between Mistry and the Tata Sons board were strained since a "couple of years". There were several issues where the two sides differed, including on leadership and on the approach towards some of the huge investments made in the past. Mistry had taken over to succeed Ratan, after which, he has had to face several challenging situations such as the Tata Steel UK crisis, and the Group's legal battle with Japan's Docomoover the split of their telecom joint venture Tata Docomo.

REALESTATEVOICE

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NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY! AsianVoiceNews

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

We have just pulled in a contract to purchase several flats under a freehold title in Marylebone, close to the station.

The purchase price equates to £680 per sq. ft., cheap considering the average price per sq. ft. in this location is £1,100.

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap London Property Investment

This equates to a near 40% discount, unheard of given the location. What’s more is there is no work to be done on the property, it is finished to a high standard and it is freehold.

This discount is huge and rarely seen, and it will be compounded for an overseas buyer due to the weakening of sterling.

This is one of the most exciting areas in Central London. The area has previously been seen as the

undesirable patch of Edgware Road, due to its many blocks of council houses. Traditionally many blocks of council houses serve to bring the area down, and into disrepute. However given many of the ex- council flats in the area are worth upwards of £500k, this is no longer the case. Excouncil flats make savvy investments, arguably more so than private ones, due to their long leases and low service charges.

Berkley Homes, known for its top end finishes, is planning on bringing 600 units into the area, this will serve in part in raising the area to a higher bar.

They purchased a 2.66 acre site in June 2015, the site was used as a car park for several years.

TO FURNISH OR NOT TO FURNISH, THAT IS THE QUESTION… There is no legal definition of furnished, unfurnished or even part-furnished in the UK – these are terms that have come about through industry custom and practice, in reality there is no exact specification or industry standard. What is defined, is that certain furnishings supplied must meet fire safety standards; and it’s in your interest as a landlord to ensure that your furniture and furnishings meet legal requirements.

Landlords and tenants

should be aware that what is present and accepted by the tenants at the viewing and on entry is what is to be provided, unless otherwise agreed. If the landlord promises extra items or to carry out extra work, then this must be complied with as it forms the basis of the contract.

Failing to provide promised items or services could result in the tenancy agreement being set aside on the grounds of misrepresentation. The inventory records the items provided and their condition; many

BUY TO LET OPPORTUNITY

Seymour Street, London W1 Purchase Price: £575,000

inventories now provide a photographic record. It is then signed by both parties preventing later disagreements, as the tenancy is then based on those items actually provided and accepted as part of the contract.

A landlord guide: Unfurnished - many tenants prefer unfurnished (or part furnished), they bring their own furniture and prefer to use their own items, particularly beds. Even unfurnished generally means that carpets, curtains and some

Asian Voice |29th October 2016

This is probably the last patch of this size anywhere in central London.

The area will be further gentrified. It was always going to be the case, the location has always been strong dues to its close proximity to Baker Street and Marylebone Stations.

The dividing line was the A40 which passes through Hanger Lane into central London, which seemed to be the dividing line from the rich side and the poor side, separating the W1 and the NW1.

In the years to come the smart money will be moving into NW1 postcodes, which will experience strong growth in time. This will of course be in the back drop of a slow market in London overall.

This deal would not exist say a year ago, we are in a very different market.

This then begs the question, why should one purchase now if there exists an uncertain market and the prices could drop even further?

Furnished or Fully Furnished - this is according to the landlord’s discretion, and to some extent by negotiation, as to the standard and amount of furniture required by your target tenant group.

In a fully furnished letting

l

This deal serves as a litmus test, that the time to buy is now.

We are looking at closing a number of exciting deals before Christmas, actually we have our eyes on a couple of sites in the North West of London, offering a chance for the smaller size investor to purchase.

you would expect to see similar to the above with the addition of beds, three-piece suites – in fact everything needed to make a comfortable living home: crockery, cutlery, towels, bedding etc.; however even with fully furnished, high end lettings may be subject to negotiation and some of these items might not always be provided.

When you have viewings

of a property, while still tenanted, point out to the potential new tenants exactly what is to be included and excluded and discuss requirements then. If you are willing to be flexible as a landlord, for example removing and storing unwanted items or adding additional items as required, you will increase your chances of letting quickly, thereby increasing your annual rental income.

Allow our lettings team to guide you through the furnishing regulations and requirements; we can arrange to have apartments furnished or even unfurnished in a matter of days.

Very impressive modern apartment l Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, modern kitchen and 29' reception room l Approx. 1,100 sq. ft. l Purchase price is £522 per sq. ft. l Property has sold recently in the block for £680 per sq. ft. l Resale value as it is, is expected to be around £765,000 Call us now to find out more!

property prices dropped about 15%, bear in mind this was one of the worst crisis for decades. We are coming into this deal with a large cushion which will act as an insurance policy in the event of a downturn.

Thirdly, the yield on this property is a generous 5%.

This may not sound like much, but yields in central London have dampened significantly. So for central London, this is generous.

Firstly, each lump of property is unique; even if prices drop further this one will probably not come up again. Secondly it’s good to get things into perspective, during the credit crunch London

white goods (i.e. fridge, cooker) are included.

Part-furnished - here you would expect to see the basics as above, but with perhaps the addition of items such as wardrobes, dining table and chairs etc, but not beds, three-piece suites, TV, dish washers, washing machines etc.

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20

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Aardra system wins laurels at Newham Chamber of Commerce Business Awards Aardra Systems Ltd was named as the award winner for “Green Business of the Year 2016” (which was sponsored by Wiseman Lee Solicitors and Bridgeman Cleaning Services) and was also highly commended for “Best innovation in Business of the Year 2016” at the inaugural Newham Chamber of Commerce Business Awards on 13 October 2016. The event was designed to celebrate the many and varied businesses and organisations in Newham. The ceremony, which was also attended by MPs Lyn Brown and Stephen Timms, the Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, and councillors, recognised the efforts

and achievements of entrepreneurs and businesses.

Aardra Systems Ltd, a family-run water management business is a home start-up Electronic systems manufacturing company.

The company was represented on the night by the Joshi Family from Forest Gate. They said: “It’s great that, coming from Newham, we’ve been recognised.”

India visit key to PM's Brexit plan

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GST Council proposes four GST slabs AsianVoiceNews

The Centre has come up with a four-slab rate structure for the Goods & Services Tax, ranging from zero to 26 per cent. The structure proposes the GST at 0 per cent on an array of goods and services, including food, health, and education services, and 26 per cent on luxury items such as fast-moving consumer goods and consumer durables.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said, "The principle for determining the rate on each item being proposed is to levy and collect the GST at the rate slab closest to the current tax incidence on it." The GST is proposed to be levied at 6 per cent, 12 per cent, or 18 per cent on the remaining goods and services. The rate proposed on all items is mostly lower than the current rate. The proposal retains just the Clean Environment Cess from the multitude currently in place, with the GST subsuming all the

others, includign the Swachh Bharat Cess, the Krishi Kalayan Cess, and the Education Cess. Adhia said that the proposal envisages 10 per cent of the current tax revenue collections base to fall in the 6 per cent GST slab and about 70 per cent in the 12 per cent and 18 per cent slabs.

Around 25 per cent of the current tax revenue base falls in the proposed 26 per cent slab, including items that attract cess. The GST Council will finalise the GST rate structure this week. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the Council will finalise the GST rates structure keep-

ing in mind the need to prevent inflation in consumer prices and protecting the revenues of both, the Centre and the States.

He added that the Council has reached a consensus on the modalities for determining the payments that will become due for compensating States that would lose revenues on account of the shift to the GST. The proposal has already garnered a lot of opposition, with states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu not amused with the plan to levy a cess on luxury goods, suggesting instead that the top slab of 26 per cent be increased. They

Making Diversity Our Business

HE Dinesh Pattnaik addresses journalists

Rupanjana Dutta

Theresa May's visit to India is getting increasingly important for Britain, as the battle with Brussles gets tougher.

Eagerness about the visit is quite apparent on the British side, as the Prime Minister mentioned about her India visit and its importance in her Diwali speech at the 10 Downing Street on Monday. It will be Mrs May’s first bilateral visit outside European Union since taking over as Prime Minister in the aftermath of the June 23 Brexit vote.

Her team will include over 160 people, mostly focused on trade. She will be visiting Delhi and Bangalore.

Speaking at a dinner organised for journalists

by Ashis Ray, Dinesh Pattnaik, the Acting High Commissioner of India told Asian Voice that the Indian side is preparing for some straight talk during the visit: easier visa access and no more fence-sitting on terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

“We are not going to lose much if you don’t allow short-term migration of students, tourists, professionals. Post-Brexit, you need Indians. Our group tourists return from France, don’t come to Britain due to difficult visa conditions.”

Mr Pattnaik was

accompanied by his wife Poonam Pattnaik, who is a teacher in Vienna, Austria and has lived there for 11 years with their two daughters. A linguist, she is believed to speak 7 languages as well.

It is expected that May will at least announce the extension of a pilot visa service, currently underway in China to offer easier, longer and cheaper service to tourists. Under the pilot scheme, a UK visa valid for two years is offered for £87; for the same fee or more, Indians get the visa for a maximum of six months. A two-year visa for Indians costs £330.

Reflecting the growing demand from universities and other stakeholders to remove students from net migration figures – a demand May has consistently turned down, Patnaik said, “Students, tourists and other shortterm visitors are not migrants under any definition.”

Patnaik added that given the many “umbilical” links between the two countries, whichever party is in power in Britain or India, closer relations are of vital importance — more so in the post-Brexit situation for Britain, which will need a strong connection with an old partner like India now more than ever.

Dhiren Katwa Full credit to Professor Monder Ram OBE for organising yet again the Ethnic Minority Business Conference. Now in it's 20th year, the annual event celebrates the extraordinary achievements of ordinary existing and emerging business leaders and their corporate commitment to the theme of Diversity.

Held last Thursday at Fazeley Studios in Birmingham, the all-day conference, which featured panel discussions, attracted over 100 delegates representing a wide range of pro-

fessional sectors. The four main topics discussed were: Alternative Sources of Finance and Diversity; Enterprise, Diversity & Cities; A New Approach to Inclusive Business Sport; and Looking Ahead: The Future of Minority Enterprise. The evening featured a round-table gala dinner. Speakers included entrepreneur Rabih Bader, Lara Ratnaraja and Lorely, the Baroness Burt of Solihull.

There was a moment of hysterics when silence during a speech was distracted by a SatNav voice on a guest’s mobile. Thankfully the guest hastily switched off his phone. Also in attendance were women entrepreneurs Pushpa Alexander, Neelam Meetcha as well as event sponsor Lloyds Bank’ Inclusion & Diversity Manager Zarina Mahmud and Telford & Wrekin’s police & Crime

Commissioner Ambassador Sherrel Fikeis.

A bouquet of flowers was presented to Sophie Sinclair by her boss Monder for her “tireless efforts” in organising this day.

Professor Ram, pictured, is Director of the Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CRÈME). He joined University of Birmingham Business School from De Montfort University in September 2013. I first met Professor Ram in 2004, the year in which he was awarded an OBE for his services to black and ethnic minority businesses and I must say he’s one of a kind, a man of integrity, passion and a soul larger than life.

The fact he’s managed to sustain in his line of work and keep his feet firmly on the ground, unlike so many others in his field who over the years have come and gone, deserves commendation.

Europe Snacks and Kolak join hands Leading savoury snacks manufacturers, Europe Snacks and Kolak Food Snacks Ltd. joined forces and are all set to combine their product portfolio and technical expertise to create an unstoppable group. The Group generates a combined revenue of €250m, and produces over 1.4 billion packs annually from six manufacturing sites in France and the UK. CEO of the Group, Christophe Fenart said, "By bringing together Europe Snacks and Kolak, we are moving towards our goal to become the pan-European partner of choice for our customer's brands, driving innovation across a full

Rikin Lakhani

range of crisps and snacks.

Both businesses share an entrepreneurial spirit and are committed to delivering quality and value to our customers." Rikin Lakhani, Managing Director of Kolak said, "I am delighted to be working with Christophe and the team Europe Snacks. I am very excited

about the opportunities that this merger presents both nationally and internationally for us and our customers." While Lakhani, and Nicolas Eyméoud will keep their positions as Managing Directors in the UK and French businesses, respectively, Ashok Lakhani- co-founder and former Chairman and CEO of Kolak, will join the Group Board as a non-executive Director, while Bharat Lakhani, co-founder, along with the other existing shareholders, will step back from the business. Both the companies will continue operations under their already established brand names.

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backed a higher burdeon on tobacco, insisting that the lowest slab of 6 per cent be reduced to 5 per cent. "Some states questioned the rationale for a cess as it went against the overall principle of GST. It is for the Centre to find resources," a state FM said.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac suggested that 26 per cent rate be increased to do away with the need for cess.

"Currently, the tax on durables is 34-48 per cent.

Why give them a lower rate whent the benefit will not be passed on to consumers?

Instead, we should look to lower the burden in lower slabs," he said.

Sources said the government didn't want the tax burden to increase and the cess was an interim measure to deal with compensation and it would be tapered off over the next five years once the Centre won't have to pay compensation.

Govt to relax visa regime, promote tourism

Sushma Swaraj

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the Union is planning to further relax the visa regime "shortly" to attract more tourists and businesses to the country. Speaking at the valedictory session of the Global Investors Meet, Swaraj said, "We plan to further liberalise our visa regime for tourism, business as well as other areas shortly."

She said visa was one of the areas of concern for foreigners and Indians living abroad.

She added that the government has already taken steps to address these concerns. Talking about the e-visa scheme launched in 2014, for over 100 countries, the minister said, "With the launch of the e-visa scheme, tourist arrivals in India has steadily increased." Swaraj stated that the government has unveiled initiatives to rope in NRIs and PIOs, who are a significant force to promote India's interests abroad.

A portal has been launched to redress their grievances in a timebound manner. Sushma said FDI policy has been made more liberal, making India one of the most open countries in the world.

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Green light for Heathrow’s third runway AsianVoiceNews

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The government has given the green light for a third runway at Heathrow to expand UK airport capacity. The Heathrow approval puts UK’s business above political and environment issues. Today’s approval sees Heathrow get a new runway to the north-west of the current runway.

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling said the decision was "truly momentous" and vital to keeping the UK open for business. He also started that the economic benefits would be worth up to ÂŁ61bn, as well as creating up to additional jobs for 77,000 people.

Heathrow management said the airport was ready to deliver a third runway that was "fair, affordable and secures the benefits of expansion for the whole of the UK�. It was also announced Heathrow will pay 25% above the market price to people whose homes have to be demolished as well as all costs, including stamp duty.

PM Theresa May said the decision will boost Britain post-Brexit. She said: “After decades of delay we are showing that we will take the big decisions when they’re the right decisions for Britain.

Airport expansion is vital

for the economic future of the whole of the UK and today also provides certainty to Londoners.

Businesses will know that we are building the infrastructure they need to access global markets.�

The Shadow transport secretary, Andy McDonald called today’s decision a “disaster�, he said: “Labour has consistently been in favour of building an additional runway in the south east of England. But this support has always been conditional on four tests being met: on capacity, climate change, noise and air quality and the wider national benefits. Today’s announcement, heralding another consultation, does not yet do that.�

Now a public consultation will be held on the effects of airport expansion before the government makes a final decision as part of a national policy

statement on aviation. As per the timetable, MPs will vote on that decision in the winter of 2017-18.

Construction is not likely to begin until 2020 or 2021.

The new runway won't be operational until 2025.

In a related news, as we went to print the former London mayoral candidate and Conservative MP for Richmond Park, Zac Goldsmith quit in protest after the government gave the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow. His resignation now forces a by-election in the southwest London seat.

Goldsmith is expected to stand as an independent candidate. His resignation has created a dilemma for the Tories about whether to stand a candidate against him. Goldsmith's local Conservative association confirmed he would honour his longstanding pledge of quitting before

the decision was made today.

Following Grayling’s statement in the House of Commons Zac Goldsmith stood up in the and condemned the decision. “The government has chosen a course that is not only wrong, it is doomed.

It’s wrong because of the million people who will suffer on the back of the environmental harm this project unavoidably produces and doomed because of the complexities and costs and legal complications means this project is almost certainly not going to be delivered.�

Virendra Sharma MP of Ealing Southall told Asian Voice, “I’ve changed my mind on Heathrow expansion for the simple reason that Heathrow have engaged, listened and changed their plans. Now that Heathrow has accepted the Airports Commission conditions, West London can say ‘yes’ to the jobs, apprenticeships and investment that expansion will bring. Heathrow is the backbone of the West London economy and now that there is appropriate mitigation and compensation in place for local communities, I’m pleased that the Government have made the right decision.�

WORLD Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Former UKIP chief adviser now running for leader The UKIP, the party said to be the voice of post-EU Britain is now itself struggling to find a voice. Or let's say find a voice for unexpected reasons.

After the Labour party, UKIP has plunged itself into a leadership crisis of its own making as its now former leader Diane James quit after just 18 days in the top job.

The former chief adviser UKIP is now among seven candidates vying for to the top job.

Raheem Kassam, the 30year-old former chief adviser is the son of Tanzanian immigrant parents of Gujarati origin from Hillingdon. A politics student at the University of Westminster, he was raised as an Ismaili Khoja but has not been a practising Muslim for over a decade. Kassam declared himself as an atheist, stating that Christopher Hitchens’ rejection of religious faith inspired him.

He considers the niqab and Sharia to be tools of "cultural jihad" and con-

Raheem Kassam

demns what he describes as an "Islamophobia industry�.

While announcing his leadership bid, he stated that he wanted to "stop infighting within UKIP", "address the deep cultural and social divides in this country", and "to become the real opposition and put this feckless Labour Party to bed.�

Former deputy chairwoman and a leadership rival Suzanne Evans said Kassam would take UKIP in the wrong direction.

She added Mr Kassam would try to emulate Donald Trump and could create a British version of the Tea Party making UKIP too right wing if he became the leader.

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Gordhan faces acid test on fraud probe Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

CAPE TOWN: There’s a major fraud investigation against Pravin Gordhan, the finance minister of South Africa, his job is on the line, but the acid test is – will he come out smelling of roses?

His resolve to maintain fiscal discipline and avoid a junk credit rating is facing a severe test. Gordhan will present his mid-term budget in Cape Town on October 26, 2016. While the fraud case that prosecutors are scheduled to bring to court on November 2 has fuelled speculation that Gordhan will be fired, the likelihood of that happening eased last week after he won backing from the Cabinet and President Jacob Zuma appointed him to an education task force.

The fraud charges relate to the granting of early retirement of Ivan Pillay from the South African Revenue Service. Gordhan has called the fraud charges “frivolous” and a political stitch-up. World-renowned scenario planner and strategist Clem Sunter says: “Pravin Gordhan is perfectly right to fight this case unless

Pravin Gordhan

there is something that has not been revealed by the person who is prosecuting him because it looks to me like something that is not a big deal.”

Political analyst Justice Malala said some of SA’s institutions “will be used to fight” the battle between “divided” African National Congress (ANC) comrades.

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe says there’s no reason for Gordhan to step down. He says Gordhan can continue being finance minister and still deal with the fraud

Pak freezes accounts of 5100 terror suspects ISLAMABAD: Pakistan authorities have frozen bank accounts of over 5100 terror suspects, including that of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who remains under "protective custody" after the terror attack on the Pathankot air base. A senior official of the State Bank of Pakistan said, "Following a request of the Ministry of Interior, we have frozen accounts of all top suspected terrorists, including Masood Azhar, son of Allah Bux." The interior ministry sent three different lists of thousands of suspects, including kingpins of several organisations. Around 1200 suspects whose account were frozen were listed in 'A' category of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997- a term used for terrorists put on exceptional risk

or high risk. Officials said, "Azhar's name was listed in category 'A' of the 4th Schedule. It happened since the government put the JeM chief under protective custody of security agencies after terrorists attacked the Pathankot air base." National Counterterrorism Authority sent over 5500 names to the SBP earlier this month. Coordinator of the agency Ihsan Ghani confirmed the news. "These accounts hold net amount worth Rs 400 million. More than 3078 accounts of suspects whose accounts were frozen belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, 1443 from Punjab, 226 from Sindh, 193 from Balochistan, 106 from Gilgit-Baltistan, and 27 from the Islamabad Capital Territory," he added.

Indo-Americans make onethird of Siemens Competition Regional Finalists Regional finalists for the 2016 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, have been announced and unsurprisingly, Indian Americans make up for nearly one-third of the list. California and Texas accounted for the most Indian-American students, with five children from each state. Massachusetts came second with four finalists.

The list named 96 regional finalists chosed from 25 states. New York topped with a total of 15 students, followed by California with 13.

The chosed constestants can now vie for college scholarships ranging from $1000 to $100,000.

Siemens

Foundation Chief Executive Officer David Etzwiler said, "Every year, I look forward to seeing whether this will be the year when we'll see a project that will lead to developing the cure for cancer- or identify tomorrow's coolest technology. We congratulate the regional finalists on their accomplishments and wish them luck in the next phase of the competition."

The competition, launched by the foundation in 1999, aims to increase access to higher education for students who are gifted in STEM and is based on the culture of innovation, research, and educational support.

charge against him. “You have a court case, you deal with that, but you do your work. People don’t stop doing their work because they have court cases.”

Meanwhile, Freedom Under Law and the Helen Suzman Foundation are aiming to stop the fraud case against Gordhan. They have lodged legal papers, saying the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) charges of fraud against Gordhan have no merit, and can only have been brought for ulterior purposes.

Also, Gordhan has top 81

CEOs of the country in his corner. “We stand as one for the rule of law and against the decision to prosecute the Minister of Finance on charges that are, according to the preponderance of expert legal opinion, without factual or legal foundation and not in the public interest,” the CEOs, who form part of the CEO Initiative, said in a press statement.

Sixty-seven-year-old Gordhan and Zuma have been having a long-running argument over the affordability of nuclear power plants the president wants to build, and the management of state companies and the national tax agency. And then there are allegations of Gupta family’s undue influence in the Zuma government. Gordhan produced an affidavit this month implicating members of the Gupta family, who are friends of Zuma, and companies they control in “suspicious transactions” valued at R6.8-billion during the past four years. The Guptas have always denied any wrongdoing and called the allegations “undiluted nonsense”.

Inter-species sex weakened European immune system A study suggests the ancestral fondness for interspecies sex could be blamed for a weaken immune system among Europeans. Scientists found the immune system of African descent responds strongly to infection than those with European descent, this is in part due to the Neanderthal genes.

While it is accepted people of difference ancestry have different levels of pathogens resistance. The scientists found people originating from Africa killed bacteria three times faster. It is said when humans migrated from Africa to Europe the continent was already populated by Neanderthals.

Genetic evidence shows the two populations co-existed and sometimes, they interbred. Meaning modern Europeans have a small per-

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Nepal to table constitution amendment bill soon

KATHMANDU: Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the government's top priority remains to hold three elections, including the local body election that would be held by mid April to strengthen democracy in the country. The PM also added that draft of the constitutional amendment proposal was almost ready and the government is working to forge consensus among major parties and agitating forces before tabling it in the Parliament. "The draft of the constitution amendment proposal is in the final stage," the PM said recently. Rajendra Mahto, chairman of Sadbhawna Party and senior leader of UDMF, said the PM had assured him to table the proposal before Chhath festival. Dahal admitted that dialogues held among the major parties so far were not so much fruitful.

Saudi executes prince for killing fellow royal

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia executed Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir, after he was sentenced to death for reportedly shooting dead his fellow countryman Adel al-Mahemid during a brawl. While the method of execution remains unknown, it is said the prince pleaded guilty to the crime conducted three years ago. When al-Kabir realised the victim was a colleague, he informed the police. The deceased's family was offered financial compensation in exchange for not demanding a death row, however, they refused. Saudi Interior Ministry issued a statement saying, "The government... is keen to keep order, stabilise security, and bring about justice through implementing the rules prescribed by Allah." Executions of members of the House of Saud are rare. But, the country hosts strict legal code, which means murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and apostasy, can all receive death sentence. Saudi executed at least 158 people last year, as per Amnesty International.

Head of terror group behind Dhaka cafe attack dead

centage of Neanderthal DNA. The team of Canadian, French and US scientists shows the DNA gives Europeans a lower immune system. One theory suggests there are fewer pathogens in areas with a closer climate.

This means the body fight bacteria and viruses less.

Mother fined for speaking ill of ex-husband An Italian court has ordered a woman who spoke badly about her ex-husband in front of her children to pay him €30,000 (£26,800) in compensation. Described as unprecedented by lawyers, the judgement is a seen as a warning to parents in the event of a divorce attempts to criticise their ex as an act of revenge.

The woman who has not been identified to protect the children behaved in a “belittling” and “denigrating” manner towards her ex-husband who ran into financial problems, the family court in Rome ruled. Judges said by

In Brief

AsianVoiceNews

constantly criticising her estranged husband, she “undermined his role as an educator and as a referential figure” to their children.

The judges said operated and divorced parents must act in the best interests of their children, however, bitter their disagreements in other matters

DHAKA: Chief of a radical Islamist group accused for carrying out the gut-wrenching attack on a popular cafe in Dhaka this july, was killed during a police raid as announced by Bangladesh's elite security force. Rapid Action Battalion has confirmed that Abdur Rahman, chief of Neo-Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, is dead. Rahman died earlier this month, after falling from a five-storeyed building while attempting to get away from a police raid. The deadly strike on Dhaka's Holey Artisan bakery claimed the lives of nine Italians, Seven Japanese, an American, an Indian, and five Bangladeshis, including two police officers.

Indian-American allegedly asked ally to kill a Jew

NEW JERSEY: Indian-American, Aakash Dalal, who currently faces a trial for firebombing five synagogues in New Jersey, allegedly told his coconspirator Anthony Graziano to gut a Jewish temple. A series of AOL instant messages revealed in the court showed Dalal telling Graziano, "I don't trust you until you kill a Jew." Dalal has been charged with 20 felony counts of terrorism, bias intimidation, aggravatad arson, and conspiracy to commit arson, among other offenses. A series of text messages exchanged between the two accused shows Dalal prompting the other to do "more damage". When Graziano asked him how much damage would be acceptable, he replies, "A total guttage." His father Adarsh Dalal said his son was wrongly accused and that he had no animosity towards the community.

Sheikh Hasina re-elected Awami League president

DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been re-elected president of the ruling Awami League party for the eighth consecutive time. In its 20th Council that concluded on Sunday, the party also elected a new general secretary, Obaidul Quader, who replaced party stalwart Syed Ashraful Islam. Hasina was first made Awami League chief in 1981, after which she returned home.

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Don neck deep in woes

AsianVoiceNews

PENNSYLVANIA: An average person learns from his mistakes, but not Donald Trump. The Republican White House hopeful keeps pushing himself deeper in troubles, most of them brewed by his own unfiltered mouth. Ever since a 2005 Access Hollywood tape leaked online, showing Trump bragging about how he is " allowed" to "grab" women, over 10 females came forward to accuse him of sexual assault and the newest addition in the growing list, is Jessica Drake.

The sex education and adult film actress has accused Trump of grabbing her and two other unnamed women tightly and kissing them on the lips "without asking permission." Making the accusations at a press conference, where she was accompanied by lawyer Gloria Allred said the events happened during a golf tournament in Lake Tahoe 10 years ago. After

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Donald Trump

Trump grabbed her and two other women and kissed them, he offered Drake $10,000 and the use of his private plane if she would agree to come back to his room and accompany him to a party, she said. Trump was quick to dismiss the allegations, and addressed the issue at hand in his trademark style.

Demeaning Jessica, by making underlying jibes at her profession, Trump refused of any such incident taking place. "These are stories that are made up, these are total fiction. You'll find out that, in the years to come, these

women that stood up, it was all fiction. One said 'he grabbed me on the arm'. And she's a p*rn star. You know, this one that cane out recently, 'he grabbed me and he grabbed me on the arm'. Oh, I'm sure she's never been grabbed before." He firmly believes that the women who have accused him of sexual assault, are part of a political conspiracy against him. And obviously, he blames the Clinton campaign.

"I think the Clinton campaign is behind it. It'll come out. The problem is we only have two weeks. Every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. Total fabrication. The events never happened. Never." The billionaire has also threatened to sue each of the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct.

The Republican fared poorly in the third and final presidential debate. Clinton's

popularity seems to be increasing by the day as Don keeps pushing himself to the brink. After days of denial, Trump's campaign recently admitted that they are losing to the Democratic candidate.

Campaign Manager Kellyanne Conway admitted her client was losing to Clinton, as a new polls showed him 12 points behind. "We are behind. Clinton has some advantages, like $66 million in ad buys just in the month of September, thereby doubling her ad buys from August.

Now, most of those ads are negative agains Donald Trump, classic politics of personal destruction, cesspool kind of ads," Conway said. She added, "She has tremendous advantages: she has a former president, who happens to be her husband, campaigning for her. The current president and first lady, vice-president, all much more popular than she can hope to be."

61 lives claimed by terrorist attack QUETTA: At a time when Pakistan remains dogged about the terrorist factions it hosts, three gunmen from a Taliban-linked group burst into a training facility in Quetta, and took 61 lives. The attack on the Balochistan Police College, home to some 700 fresh recruits, is the latest in the country.

"I saw three men in camouflage whose faces were hidden, carrying Kalashnikovs.

They started firing and entered the dormitory but I managed to escape over a wall," said a cadet.

Addressing a press brief, Sarfraz Bugti, Home Minister of Balochistan informed that 60 persons embraced martyrdom in the attack, while 117 were wounded. He stated that the three terrorists, wearing suicide jackets, entered the college from the rare gate after killing a watchman, and held 250 cadets hostage. He said contingents of army, Frontier Corps, and other law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene soon after the attack, and launched a counter-operation. Detonation of a suicide vest by one of the terrorists lead to the rising number of deaths. Bugti said the attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Alami

militants who were getting constant instructions from Afghanistan.

However, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing images purported to be of the three gunmen. The terrorist outfit formed a branch for Afghanistan and Pakistan in January 2015 under Hafiz Saeed Khan. He was killed in US drone strike in July this year. IS is also responsible for a suicide bombing outside a hospital in Quetta this August, an attack that killed 88 people. Pak military has long been conducting operations against militants in tribal areas near the Afghan border.

Chief of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Balochistan, Major General Sher Afghan said, "The attack was over in around three hours after we arrived. They

were in communication with operatives in Afghanistan." Sources informed that the attackers were Afghan Uzbeks, and one of them was as young as 12. While two of the terrorists blew themselves up, the third was killed by security forces.

Funeral prayers were offered to security forces personnel who were martyred.

Amongst officials attending the prayers, were Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri, Provincial Ministers, elected representatives and other military officials.

UN blames all for Syria UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations blamed all sides involved in Syria after a failure to secure agreement to evacuate critically injured and sick locals from Aleppo. UN's humanitarian aid coordinator Stephen O'Brien said, "It is deeply regrettable that no patients or accompanying family members could be moved.

The evacuations were obstructed by various factors, including delays in receiving the necessary approvals from local authorities in eastern

Aleppo."

UN aid agencies, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, the Red Cross, other medical groups, conducted days of negotiations to cry to secure safe passage for the sick and wounded, all efforts were washed down when fighting resumed.

O'Brien added that armed groups imposed conditions to guarantee the safety of the evacuation operation while the Syrian government refused to allow medical and other aid supplies into the rebel-held east of the city. "After

three days of lull, parties to the conflict have still not agreed, military operations have resumed and violence is now escalating," he said in his statement.

Syria's main ally in the war against rebels and jihadists, Russia declared a humanitarian pause in the region last week where over 250,000 civilians were trapped. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, "The political and military paths are trumping basic humanity once again in Syria.

WORLD Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

In Brief

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Desperate Pak family awaits US visa for 6-year-old girl

COLOMBO: A Pakistani family waiting for a US visa for their ill daughter runs out of time.

Six year old Maria suffers from a rare genetic disease that has left her body frail and stunted her growth. In no time, she will be lose her ability to walk as her vertebrae compresses her spinal cord. Coming to their aid, a US hospital offered to perform a surgery on the girl for free, however, the American Embassy in Islamabad has twice refused to approve family visas to the country. Shahid Ullah, Maria's father, said he was told it will "take time" when he applied for a visa. The surgery has been scheduled for November 2. "If we delay Maria's surgery, there will be too many problems," said Ullah, who runs a small store in Rawalpindi. While US Embassy spokeswoman Fleur S Cowan declined to comment on the case, citing privacy laws, she said she would look into the matter.

Imran calls Sharif responsible if third-force steps in

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader Imran Khan has warned that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will be responsible if a "third-force" steps in owing to his party's lockdown of the Capital, demanding his resignation. Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran said, "One person will be responsible if democracy is derailed." While he did not mention which force or institution would derail the democracy, he sought to clarify that, "We (PTI) are not doing this to bring in a third force." The 64 year old added, "In a democratic country, the prime minister is accountable to the people, however, Nawaz only wants to save his wealth." A protest was initiated demanding Sharif's resignation after his name appeared in the Panama Papers leak. He added that while the Supreme Court may sentence the PM, his party was only demanding his resignation for a fair investigation.

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Kerala man is key IS recruiter In Brief AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

NEW DELHI: Ever since the National Investigation Agency arrested six Kerala men on allegations of planning terrorist attacks, earlier this year, the intelligence services of India, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates have been hunting Sajeer Mangalachari Abdullah. The man is now believed to hold a major position in a network of recruiters sending over Indian jihan volunteers to terrorist outfit Islamic State in Nangarhar, Afghan.

Abdullah, son of a truck driver in Kozhikode, Kerala, was last seen boarding a flight to Dubai in April this year. A simple man with nothing on him to stand apart in a crowd, he was known as hard-working and pious to his family

and friends. The IS has been telling Indian volunteers to make their way to Afghanistan, also pushing them to stage attacks at home, providing detailed do-it-yourself instructions on manufacturing explosive devices, intelligence officials say.

"Nangarhar is about as close

Panneerselvam chairs TN cabinet meet with Jaya in frame

CHENNAI: O Panneerselvam addressed the Tamil Nadu Cabinet Meet last week in the absence of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who is currently undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospitals. The CM however, remained present in essence as a big sized photograph of her remained right in front on the table.

Finance Minister, and A m m a - l o y a l i s t Panneerselvam took over all portfolios held by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa following the latter's ill-health. The move came after a lot of speculations concerning Jaya's health condition. Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao allocated the portfolios held by her to the minister, but said the AIADMK leader will con-

tinue to be the CM. "The meeting started at 9:30 am and ended at 10:30 am. Panneerselvam with a big picture of Jayalalithaa in front of him chaired the meeting," said a secretariat official. The Cauvery issue is said to have dominated the meet, which also discussed appointment of special officers in local bodies as the term of councillors and mayors ends on October 24.

"It is likely that an ordinance will be promulgated on appointment of special officers in a few days," an official said. The meeting also discussed land allotment to investors who signed memoranda of understanding with the government during the Global Investors Meet in September last year.

PM launches national SC/ST hub LUDHIANA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the national SC/ST hub for entrepreneurs of the community in Ludhiana, last week. Initiating the hub at the national MSME award distribution function at the Punjab Agriculture University, Modi said his "head hangs in shame" over incidents of atrocities on dalits that take place after 70 years of independence.

The hub aims to provide tech knowhow to the mentioned categories and increase procurement by public and government units from SC/ST industrial units from existing 0.4 per cent to 4 per cent.

Modi informed a database of Dalit industrials is being made. He said, "I attended the function of Dalit chamber and met over 1000 Dalit industrialists. A number of them had a turnover of more than Rs 500

Crore while 300 Dalit women were doing business of more than 100 Crore. Our hub aims at making more entrepreneurs from Dalits and tribals so that they become job-givers rather than job-seekers." The PM also asked 1.25 lakh nationalised bank branches to give loans to SC/ST men and women entrepreneurs and said if two loans each, one for men and one for women, banks can give up to 3.75 lakh loans and help the community become self-dependent.

Present at the function were Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Union Minister Kalraj Mishra, Minister of State Giriraj, Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Punjab BJP president Vijay Sampla. Over 227 industrialists were given the national MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) awards in different categories.

as you can get to a black hole.

It's the perfect place to go if you want to disappear. Even Afghanistan's intelligence services have next to no onground reach there," an Indian official said.

The captured men alleged to have been recruited by Abdullah. NIA said they were instructed by Abdullah to plan strikes against Israeli tourists in Kodaikanal, and attacks on BJP leaders and judges who had delivered what he believed to be "antiMuslim" verdicts. Indian intelligence services also believe that he facilitated the travel of 21 Kerala residents, including eight minors, to Nangarhar, led by neo-fundamentalist cleric Abdul Rashid.

Agents say these cases only

highlight fears that greater numbers of Indian nationals may have joined global jihadist groups through the diaspora than the 67 known to be serving with the IS. "Frankly, we have no idea how many people from the diaspora are involved in the Islamic State. It is a real concern," said an official linked to the investigation.

Intelligence sources believe Indian jihadists who are currently fighting with the Islamic State have old links in Afghanistan. The Ansar-utTawhid fi Bilad al-Hind, core of the estimated 67 jihadists from India now with the IS in Syria, served in the AfghanPak borderlands with the group.

SC stands firm on Cauvery water dispute verdict NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court ordered Karnataka to continue releasing 2000 cusecs of Cauvery water every day to Tamil Nadu until further orders. A bench led by Justice Dipak Misra, also directed both the states to ensure peace and harmony, adding that people should not be allowed to become law unto themselves.

"We are not going to modify our order. We will continue with the order for releasing of 2000 cusecs of water," said the bench. It took exceptions to reports of agitation in several parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and told the counsel, "Please tell your executives and citizenry to follow the order. Common sense must prevail... The state of Karnataka is complying with the order and is bound to comply with it. Mutual respect towards each other and property must be maintained."

Both the states in question have been in locked horns situation with Karnataka saying it has complied with the order for releasing water from October 7 to 18, while Tamil Nadu contending that it was

still in dire need of water.

Appearing for the Centre, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi submitted a report of the technical committee headed by Central Water Commission chairman GS Jha. He pointed out that both the states are in dire need of water. Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, representing Karnataka, sought time to respond to the report, while senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu, submitted that the state was in deficit of 11 TMC feet water. Rohatgi questioned the maintainability of the appeals against the Tribunal's order, saying once it is published, it is akin to the Supreme Court's order, which cannot be assailed.

The AG cited Article 262 (1) and (2) of the Constitution, contending the power of SC is eclipsed after the Tribunal formed under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956, has adjudicated over the issue. However, Nariman contended that the state filed its appeal against the Tribunal's order in 2007 before it was publised on February 19, 2013.

Punj Cong soars on campaign mode FARIDKOT: The latest in pre-election promises, the Punjab state Congress issued the Kisan Mang Patr, promising people their loans will be waived of they fill the paper.

While the math on how they intend to fulfill it remains unsolved, what they did accomplish, is building a strong army of voters for the upcoming assembly elections.

It was Congress poll strategist Prashant Kishor who came up with the idea.

"We will be using phone numbers to update those who have filled the form on the loan-waiver plan, and it will help us identigy our voters better," said a party volunteer.

The A-2 sized paper written in Gurmukhi, shows a green and yellow farm on one side with the words 'Karza Kurki Khatam (End of loan, mort-

gage), and Fasal ki Poori Rakm (Remuneration for Crop) written on it. Also on the sheet are photos of Amarinder Singh and party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandi.

All those filling the form are signing up not just for a loan waiver, but a declaration of support for the party's "policy of loan and mortgage waivers, and full price for crop". "Eight lakh forms have been filled so far, out of which we are in the process of collecting hardcopies for 3 lakh," another volunteer said. Formfillers are also asked to give a "missed call" to a number, returned by a recorded message frm Amarinder assuring their loans will be waived and they will recieve the entire Minimum Support Price for their crop.

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Costliest puja to fulfill your dreams

HYDERABAD: The Srikalahasti temple in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh will soon perform the Naga Pratishta Puja, the costliest ceremony in the country at Rs 15,000. The 700 year old Shiva temple, known across the country for performing the Rahu-Ketu Puja and Kalasarpa Dosha pujas, will start performing the Naga Pratistha, recommended "for those experiencing severe negative effects of Rahu and Ketu in their lives."

Temple trust chairman Guruvaiah Naidu said, "Performing the puja in the temple will cost only Rs 15,000. Moreover, it will have the best results as the Shiva and Parvati located here have maximum power to control Rahu and Ketu." Until now, the puja was performed either residences or to the already existing snake god's idols in temples. The uniqueness of the puja to be offered at the temple is that a new snake god idol will be installed for priests to perform their daily rites.

Wedding invite with an LCD screen

BENGALURU: BJP state minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, mining baron who was jailed for 40 months for illegal mining, has apparently put a lot of moolah into the wedding invitation card of the his daughter. How much is too much you ask? Well, this wedding invite opens to an LCD screen with wedding music and the words "Bramhani Weds Rajeev Reddy". It further shows a twominute performance by the family, and Reddy can be seen lip-syncing with his wife and son in an around a mansion, worshipping gods and goddesses and showering flowers. Also can't be unseen are the to-be bride and groom looking at each other as if for the first time. The entire charade ends with the family inviting guests to the wedding, announcing the date and the venue of the marriage. The wedding, due in November, is expected to be a star-studded event with Bollywood biggies to be in attendance.

Kejri, Amarinder in Twitter face-off

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got into a social media row with Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh, after he accused the latter of using "drug money" in his campaign. Making a jibe at the Cong leader, Kejriwal tweeted, "Sir, ppl talking in Punjab that u using (Bikram Singh) Majithia's drug money in ur campaign. Is it true? U had saved him from CBI enquiry 3 yrs back (sic)." Singh didn't take the underlying accusation lightly and was almost prompt to reply. He tweeted, "When your hopes crash from 100 to 30 & still sliding, you're bound to hallucinate & see things that don't exist." Kejri had earlier tweeted, "Sir, Badals closed corruption cases against u just a few months before elections. Why? Punjab asking what's the deal?" to which Singh had asked him to "set his own house in order before he sets his sights on Punjab" .

SAD to get Chandigarh as state capital

LUDHIANA: Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal flagged off the Punjabi Suba 5oth anniversary celebrations, along with a Vidyarthi Divas event. Addressing an audience of more than 20,000 school children, Badal reiterated his party's commitment to not rest until Chandigarh was given over to the state. In his speech, he spoke of "grave injustice done with Punjabis at the time of partition with Haryana by denying Chandigarh as Punjab's capital." He said, "It is the firm commitment of Akali Dal to get Chandigarh as capital of Punjab. This sangharsh to get Chandigarh is on even after fifty years of Punjab's statehood and will continue till we don't get it." He praised CM Parkash Singh Badal, saying, "it is because of his progressive approach that poor students are getting free education in meritorious schools."

HERITAGE - HISTORY Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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25

Sardar Patel: Battling Against Odds AsianVoiceNews

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The Iron Man's farsighted foreign policy: Sardar had cautioned Nehru on China's evil designs Dr Hari Desai Even today 66 years after his death, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, continues to be the Hero of Indian people. His birthday is celebrated on 31st October, though he himself confessed to have “plucked a date (31.10.1875) straight out of his fancy” while filling his application form for the Matriculation exam, where he failed once like his elder brother Vitthalbhai Patel, the first Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly of India. After the Sardar-fan Narendra

Trinity of Freedom Movement – Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

Sardar Patel with Maniben.

Modi became the Prime Minister of India in May 2014, Patel’s birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day all over India. A well-known Historian and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Rajmohan Gandhi mentions April 30, 1876, or May 7, 1876, as the probable date of Vallabhbhai’s date of birth in “Patel: A Life”, the latest researchbased biography of Sardar Patel.

Not just emotionally, but even factually and historically too, Patel deserved to be the first Prime Minister of India, though he never aspired to be and never made any complaint about Jawaharlal Nehru being made the PM, thanks to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. On April 20, 1946, Gandhiji was clear about his choice.

He wrote to Maulana Azad: “In today’s circumstances, I would, if asked, prefer Jawaharlal. I have many reasons for this. Why go into them?”

Gandhiji thought a Harrow boy, a Cambridge graduate and a Barrister Nehru was better known in international arena and was the right person to negotiate with Englishmen. He rather suspected Nehru of splitting Congress and forming a separate group in the transitional period and Bapu was not prepared to take the risk. Gandhiji saw

both the leaders as partners: “They will be like two oxen yoked to the government cart. One will need the other and both will pull together.” Even the last British Viceroy and Governor General Lord Mountbatten “recognised Sardar’s greatness,” states Maniben, the daughter and secretary of Vallabhbhai, describing how Mountbatten was averse to relieving Patel from the Nehru Cabinet even on

dialogue became very difficult after Nehru moved to Teen Murti Marg.”

Patel loved Nehru like a younger brother or son while calling him “My Leader” and “Most popular leader among the youth of India”. He was devoted to Nehru but had certain differences with him about the approach. The Nehru coterie created his image as if he was against Nehru and “rustic and stubborn” Patel knew little about the

Rajaji, Sardar and Nehru

January 30, 1948, the day Gandhiji was shot dead. At the same time she holds Mountbatten’s advice to Nehru to shift to the former Commander-inGeneral’s house at Teen Murti Marg, responsible for widening the divide between the two leaders, as earlier when Nehru used to live at York Road closer to Patel’s 1, Aurangzeb Road “they used to meet everyday” and “these daily meetings and talks cleared misunderstandings but the

Kripalani, Sardar, Nehru and Mountbatten.

international affairs, whereas the fact was otherwise. Patel was a Barrister from London (Middle Temple) like Gandhiji (Inner Temple ) and Nehru (Inner Temple). He gave up practising law and his British attire on joining Gandhiji in the national freedom struggle. He could have become the Boss of the Congress and the Prime Minister of India.

He always maintained simplicity. Unlike Gandhi and Nehru, he preferred to “create history rather than wasting time writing it.”

While writing the Introduction for the 10 volumes on Sardar Patel’s Correspondence edited by Durga Das, the Patel-loyalist Chief Editor of Hindustan Times, Maniben, makes it clear: “The Sardar did not aspire to primeministership or any other high office.” Patel was keen to be a Sanyasi (Sage), renouncing every-

thing in Indian tradition, after Independence, he told Gandhiji once. While his views on foreign affairs are ignored, Patel is known for the herculean task of integrating 565 Princely States into the Indian Union.

One month before his death, Patel had written a long letter cautioning PM Nehru about China. In the historic letter of November 7, 1950, to Nehru, Patel had discussed the dangerous China’s design follow-

ing the entry of Chinese military forces into Tibet.

He did give his judgement on the future actions of China. Patel was proven right after 12 years when China attacked India after grabbing Tibet.

When Nehru shared with Patel the news of C Rajagopalachari, popularly called Rajaji, the first Indian Governor General of India, joining the Union cabinet, Patel immediately reacted: “Rajaji can be a very good External Affairs Minister.” Nehru did not like it because he always wanted foreign affairs ministry with him only, considering it as his permanent prerogative. And in 1962

when China attacked India, PM Nehru was at a loss remembering the warning Patel had given him in 1950! He could not digest the shock. His health began to decline and despite spending months recuperating in Kashmir through 1963, Nehru died of a paralytic stroke and a heart attack in May 1964, paving the way for his loyalist Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Next Column: Junagadh State: Somnath, Nawab and Accession (The writer is a Sociopolitical Historian. E-mail: haridesai@gmail.com)

26

INDIA

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PM Modi inaugurates Vadodara International Airport AsianVoiceNews

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Prime Minister made his maiden visit as PM to Vadodara, Gujarat last week, to inaugurate the city's International Airport, the second green airport in the country after the one in Kochi. Addressing the crowd, after taking a tour of the integrated terminal building, Modi promised that his government was working on a mission mode to expand the aviation sector, and that India was on its way to become the third largest aviation market in the world.

"It is estimated that after five years, population of the size of the entire US will be travelling through our airports in a year.

Imagine the kind of growth the sector will witness.

India is soon expected to emerge as the third largest aviation market. This will boost economy and also

Prez, Governors to get a pay raise

The Union Home Ministry has prepared a proposal to raise the emoluments of the country's top functionaries: the President, and the Vice-President.

The proposal is expected to be placed before the Union Cabinet for its approval soon, as per official sources. The President gets Rs 1.50 Lakh per month, the Vice President Rs 1.25 Lakh, and Governor of a state Rs 1.10 Lakh.

If the proposal is approved, the President's salary may go up to Rs 5 Lakh, and the VP's up to Rs 3.5 Lakh. The move comes after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission's recommendations to create an anomalous situation in which the salary of the President is Rs 1 Lakh less than that of the country's top-most bureaucrat, the Cabinet Secretary.

Once the Cabinet gives its nod, Bills to this effect will be tabled in the Parliament, possibly in the upcoming Winter session, for passage.

Narendra Modi distributing the aids and equipment, at the Saamaajik Adhikaarita Shivir, in Vadodara.

Narendra Modi arrives at Vadodara. Seen here with the Governor of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, O.P. Kohli and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani

increase employment," Modi said. He added, "After, you gave the responsibility as Prime Minister within a short period we had taken up two important works including one, to increase height of Sardar

Sarovar Dam for which Gujarat was struggling since last five decades.

Secondly, in June-July 2014, we started work for construction of the new airport and I am happy that after the new government

took over, two airports have become part of the green movement." Modi said that his government is the first to come out with an aviation policy to ensure growth of the sector. "Now, even the middle-class families have a

Mulayam insists all is well Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav insisted that the "party and family are united", as he addressed a press conference in Lucknow where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's absence was noted. A deep divide has ruined the Yadav family as both, the father and son refuse to mend differences between them.

"My entire life is devoted for the welfare of the people and he will continue to work for them," the party patron said.

Defending party MP Amar Singh, who Akhilesh feels is the reason for all the problems in the family, Mulayam asked, "Why to drag him in all this? My family and party are united. All workers are united.

There are some conspirators, who do not have any mass base. There is no matbhed (differences), or manbhed (ill feelings) among our leaders."

Problems amongst the party members have fed the media for the past few days. The SP hit the headlines on Sunday when

Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav

party state unit chief Shivpal Yadav and three other ministers were sacked.

When asked whether these ministers would be reinstated in the Akhilesh cabinet, Mulayam said, "I leave this to the CM. You ask him why he made them ministers and why he sacked them." He added that the Model Code of Conduct will come into force in November or December, and the government will not be able to work freely. Meanwhile, Akhilesh stated he will not quit his father's SP even if he is removed as Chief Minister. The 43 year old said, "I was made Chief Minister by the party pres-

ident who is my father. If he asks me to step down, I certainly will." He dismissed all rumours about him starting a new party, saying that "if I am removed, I will campaign for him. Like a horse in a race has blinkers on and it doesn't look anywhere else, I am looking at the next election. I have no other plans."

The statement came hours after Mulayam's press interaction. Things have been sour ever since Akhilesh took over as CM of UP. Mulayam was known to keep interference in matters of governance, to the extent that there were speculations as to who ran the state.

Call Centre Scam mastermind fled to Gulf While the Crime Branch of Thane Police were busy conducting raids in the major call centre heist, the man behind it all, Sagar Thakkar aka Shaggy was on his way out of the country, said officials. Crime Branch teams raided seven call centres at Mira Road in connection to the multicrore scam in which US citizens were cheated of millions of dollars. Around 70 directors and key people associated with these call centres, were arrested and, 700 employees were detained.

The police issued a Look Out Circular against

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Siblings Sagar and Reema Thakkar fled the country as police began the raids in the call centre scam.

Thakkar, two days after his escape. He is suspected to have left for Dubai. Also missing is key accused and

the suspects elder sister, Reema Thakkar, who fled the country from New Delhi earlier this month.

The police are now trying to gain information from immigration authorities regarding both of them.

Investigators said Thakkar began working at the age of 16, with mentor Jagdish Kanani, who had experience working in call centres abroad.

Kanani allegedly trained him to cheat US citizens by making fake call centres. Meanwhile, officials told a court in Thane that they have identified transactions worth Rs 2530 Crore in the scam until now, and that it will take a long time for them to arrive at the actual figure.

fad to travel in planes. It is a matter of prestige now. Tier II and tier III cities have the same potential to grow and benefit from the growth of aviation sector. For country's tourism sector also, air connectivity plays a major role and air traffic gives multiple economic benefits," he said. The PM also talked about

"Sanskarnagari" Vadodara, from where he had contested the Lok Sabha Polls in 2014. "Even today, our coaches, their speed is the same even as the world has changed. We need artificial technology and innovations and Vadodara will contribute in this in a big way through India's first railway university."

HUMOUR CORNER A woman in a hot-air balloon is lost, so she shouts to a man below, "Excuse me. I promised a friend I would meet him, but I don’t know where I am."

"You’re at 31 degrees, 14.57 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude," he replies.

"You must be a Democrat."

"I am. How did you know?"

"Because everything you told me is technically correct, but the information is useless, and I’m still lost.

Frankly, you’ve been no help."

"You must be a Republican."

"Yes. How did you know?"

"You’ve risen to where you are due to a lot of hot air, you made a promise you couldn’t keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but somehow, now it’s my fault." *** A woman had never had surgery, and was nervous.

"This is a very simple, noninvasive procedure," the anesthesiologist reassured her. She felt instantly better, until he continued, "Heck," he continued, "you have a better chance of dying from the anesthesia than the surgery itself."

“Didi, don’t give us food today. Just give us some crackers for the kids to burst.”

AsianVoiceNews

HEALTH&WELLNESS

AsianVoiceNewsweekly

Show your glow this Diwali!

FOOD

FITNESS

LIFESTYLE

T

he festive season is around the corner and now is when you want to look your absolute best.

Make your skin glow this year with get ready for the coming Winter.

What you eat is what you get. This holds some truth when it comes to the things you push down your throat. For a naturally glowing and clear skin, one needs to maintain a balanced diet, with lots of fresh vegetables.

Vegetables and fruits are a good way of keeping a steady supply of vitamins intact, maintain a healthy bowel movement and contributing to a general health and good skin.

Natural face packs are the best. Why spend your money on "highly recommended" moisturizers when all you need to do is put on a butter and banana pack twice every week? The combination will work wonders on your

skin and bring a fresh and bright look to your face.

Also, always remove your make up, and cleanse and moisturise your skin, before bed. Residual make up often causes break outs and are harmful to the skin. One of the best combinations for a pack is rosewater and fuller's earth (multani mitti). This can be applied at least once a week, to tighten the

9 warning signs for Liver Cancer

A

recent study has found that high body mass index (BMI), increased waist circumference, and type 2 diabetes mellitus may increase the risk of liver cancer. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute in the US and the American Cancer Society, studied whether obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with liver cancer risk.

The team put in data derived from 1.57 million adults enrolled in 14 different US-based prospective studies. The participants were given questionnaires related to their height, weight, alcohol intake, tobacco use and other factors, and none of them had cancer at enrollment. The team saw that for every five kg/m2 increase in BMI,

To Our Readers

We are publishing these items in good faith, kindly consult your Doctor before you try to implement it. We do not hold any responsibility for its efficacy...

there was a 38 and 25 per cent increase in the risk for liver cancer in men and women, respectively. The increase in risk was eight per cent for every five cm increase in waist circumference.

Also known as Hepatic Cancer, Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers. Of the different types, the most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, which begins in the main type of liver cell. While the exact cause of the disease is unknown, most cases are cited to either hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or alcohol.

Very difficult to detect this type of cancer in the early stage, there are however, several red flags that can help a on-time diagnosis: • Upper Abdominal pain • Swelling of the Abdomen • Lump/Pain in the right side below the rib cage • Unexplained weight loss • Jaundice • Loss of Appetite • Fatigue • Back Pain

skin and pores. It also acts as a toner and calming agent for stressed out skin.

Wash your face at least twice a day with a gentle, foaming face wash. This will avoid dust from sticking to your skin. For those who don't wish to do so, keeping facial wipes will come in handy to wipe clean the face. Regular exfoliation is absolutely essential for an oily skin.

It keeps it soft and unblocks pores. Use a grainy scrub to remove excess oil and blackheads from the skin. This will keep the face healthy, prevent acne, and leave you glowing.

A quick method for radiant skin is to apply tomato juice on your face for 15 to 20 minutes before washing. This is known to be an effective way of getting clearer skin.

For the skin under the eye, leave cucumber pieces on your eyes for a few minutes to calm the stressed out skin.

Take steam! Face steaming is the best way to open the pores of your skin and leave it looking fresh. Face steaming also kills dead skin and cure acne. The face is the first to know of the changing weather, and constant exposure to dry air in Winter potentially damages it.

Glass of Red to cure hormonal imbalance

R

esearchers at the University of California, San Diego, have discovered that a polyphenol called Reseveratrol could correct a hormonal imbalance in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, a condition that can cause infertility in women.

The scientists demonstrated that the resveratrol, found in red wine, peanuts, blackberries, and chocolate, was able to correct hormone levels in 30 patients with PCOS. It is a common condition among women of childbearing age, and symptoms can begin with the first period or in young adult women.

In such patients, the ovaries produce huge amounts of male sex hormones such as testesterone, which lead to consequences like weight gain, missed periods, acne, and excess hair on the face and body.

Based on the hormonal blood levels recorded at the beginning and the end

of the study, the researchers noted a 23.1 per cent reduction in testosterone levels among women who took the resveratrol supplement for 3 months. Also, patients who took a placebo saw their testosterone levels increase by 2.9 per cent.

The scientists, at the end of the tests, realised that the polyphenol also played an important role against diabetes. Over the threemonth trial, the women who took resveratrol became more responsive to insulin.

It is thus, suggested that resveratrol can improve the body's ability to use insulin and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the study also revealed that the resveratrol brought about a 22.2 per cent reduction in the level of DHEAS, another hormone that the body converts into testosterone.

27

| Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

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Unicef: Five out of six children don't get enough nutrition

In a latest report released by the UN's Children Fund, it said at least five out of six children worldwide under the age of two do not receive adequate nutrition for growth and brain development. The latest study focused on breastfeeding with recommendations that children be introduced to solid, semi-solid and soft foods at the age of six months, but has found that many are introduces to these foods too early or late, hence, creating an adverse effect on health and development.

France Begin, senior nutrition adviser at Unicef, said, "Infants and young children have the greatest nutrient needs than at any other time in life. But the bodies and brains of millions of young children do not reach their full potential because they are receiving too little food, too

late. Poor nutrition at such a young age causes irreversible mental and physical damage."

The report said that though critical to safeguarding against death, fewer than half of all newborns breastfeed within the first hour of life, and only half of children aged six to 23 months are fed the minimum number of meals per day for their age.

Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of obesity and chronic disease later in life, and mothers who breastfeed are at a lower risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers, it said. In both, rich and poor countries, long periods of breastfeeding correlate with higher intelligence sources, the Unicef report said, also adding that further evidence indicates that this shows in better academic performance and long-term earnings.

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AsianVoiceNews

Atlee to direct Ilayathalapathy Vijay's next

A

fter weeks of speculations, Thenandal Films has confirmed that actor Ilayathalapathy Vijay's 61st venture will be directed by young director Atlee. The project has several big names attached to it; KV Vijayendra Prasad, noted screenplay writer and father of filmmaker SS Rajamouli, has written the script.

Vijay and Atlee delivered this year's second biggest hit 'Theri' earlier this year, as the film went on to become one of the biggest blockbusters at the

worldwide box office.

Hema Rukmani, chief executive officer of Sri Thenandal Films said, "This is our first film with a big hero like Vijay. We are proud of it. Atlee Kumar and Vijay's combo was successful earlier and we hope they will recreate the magic again." Makers of the film are yet to zero-in on the heroine, but if rumours are to be believed, Kajal Aggarwal and Nayanthara have been approached.

More details on the cast and crew are yet to be revealed.

Shivaay

A simpleton turns into a destroyer to protect his family.

'N

ayaki' actor Trisha is on a film signing spree, making sure we see a lot of her on the big screen for at least two years. After she took up 'Sathuranga Vettai 2' across Arvind Swami, grapevine coo that Trish will soon sign up a new project with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead.

The unnamed film will be directed by Prem Kumar. A source close to the team confirmed the news saying, "Trisha has been finalised as the female lead for the projec,t However, the actress is yet to sign on the agreement officially. Prem Kumar had narrated the script to Sethupathi months ago, and he was impressed with it. Trisha's role will be a solid performanceoriented one. The rest of the cast and crew is yet to be finalised."

The actress, who awaits the release of 'Kodi', has yet another horror film 'Mohini' in her kitty.

A romantic drama featuring Aishwarya Rai, Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, and Fawad Khan in the lead.

S

wathy Narayanan of Jayasurya-starrer 'Su... Su... Sudhi Vathmeekam' fame has managed to clinch a meaty character in a Tamil film titled 'Ilai'.

Confirming the news, the actress said, "I play the title character Ilai, a 10th grader girl in the heroine-oriented film. She is a traditional, quiet girl, and the story focuses on her relationship with her father, quite a bit. When he passes away, Ilai has to face a few hardships within the span of a single day, and the film is about this incident."

Debutant director Bineesh Raj said, "The story is set in the 90s, in a remote village in Tamil Nadu. The people there don't agree with girls pursuing education, but Ilai has big dreams about her future and wants to study. She has to face opposition even from her mom, and the story is about how the little girl takes up on the challenges." Swathy has to de-glam for her role in the movie. Bineesh added, "We picked Swathy as we felt she can pull off a personality of such demeanour, with ease."

'Pulimurugan' remains unstoppable: Creates new record

M

ohanlal's 'Pulimurugan' roared its way into theatres and people's hearts; showing no signs of slowing down at the box office even in its third week. The film, released on October 7 to a tremendous reception and continued to cash in.

Other than the spectacular performance, the movie created a record by completing 10,000 housefull shows in just 14 days.

Not only was the Mohanlal-starrer the first Malayalam film in Kerala

to open in 858 screens, it also surpassed Rajini anna's 'Kabali' record by collecting a whopping Rs 12.91 Crore in the first threedays. In two weeks, 'Pulimurugan' grossed Rs 40 Crore from ticket sales, a new box office standard, not easy to hit. Filmmakers have already Rs 15 Crore in sales of the movie's satellite and overseas rights.

A complete entertainer, 'Pulimurugan' features Mohanlal, Kamalinee Mukherjee, and Jagapathi Babu in the lead.

Prabhu and Lakshman caught in plagiarism row

P Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

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Trisha to work Swathy bags with Sethupathi meaty role in Kolly

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

rabhu Deva's 'Bogan' remains surrounded with controversy with several big names of the Tamil movie industry getting dragged in the muck.

Cinematographer-turneddirector Antony has accused director Lakshman of stealing his story and filed a legal case against the makers of the film for several months now. Things took a turn for

the worse when the 'Bogan' team announced the film's release date on December 23. Antony soon filed a police complaint against producers Prabhu Deva, Ishari K Ganesh, and Lakshman. He has also claimed that his life is in danger and alleged that he had been attacked by unidentified goons who threatened him with dire

consequences is he continues the plagiarism allegations. He explained that he began shooting for his film titled 'Hallva' in 2014, but it was stalled following financial constraints. Looking for new producers to complete the project, he emailed a copy of his script to Chennai's Vels University, headed by Ishari.

On learning the similarities between 'Bogan' and his project, Antony approached the South Indian Film Writers Association. They were however unable to resolve the dispute and advised him to move the court. On the other hand, Lakshman stands firm and denies plagiarism charges accusing Antony of trying to extort money from him. He stated that the movie is inspired by several Hollywood movies. 'Bogan' features Jayam Ravi, Arvind Swami, and Hansika Motwani in the lead.

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'ADHM' releases new song

Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

I fear losing my stardom : Devgn

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akers of 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' have released the fifth song of their album. Titled 'Cutie Pie', lead actorsof the movie- Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor can be seen in their cutest avatars

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Ranveer and Shahid's cold war

anjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' is finally set to go on floors, but troubles for the director just keep brewing. Reports suggest that the two male leads of the film, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor remain in a 'locked-horns' situation.

Sources said Bhansali even tried calling both the actors for dinners to his place to help the two get along, however, they keep declining.

The reason is said to be Ranveer's alleged displeasure at his

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ctor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn who is set to release his latest 'Shivaay', said he it would affect him if he stops receiving love from his fans. "I fear losing my stardom," the actor said, adding, "Yes, you do have the fear...at the end of the day, you get this habit of getting love from people and suddenly if it stops, it really affects you."

Devgn currently remains busy promoting the movie. "I think I have opened up. I have been forced to open up, but still I think I am quite reserved." Talking about the movie, the 'Drishyam' actor said, "A film is not just about the story, it's also about the emotion and the thought behind it. 'Shivaay' showcases the parentchild relationship, the lengths a father goes to protect his daughter, and her determination to nurture that relationship is the seed around which the story is woven.

My film is a fatherdaughter story."

The movie set to release October 28, will mark the directorial debut of Sayyeshaa Saigal, veteran actor Dilip Kumar's grandniece.

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role being changed for Shahid getting a bigger role.

It all began after lead actress of the movie, Deepika Padukone- who plays Rani

riyanka Chopra, currently one of the busiest actresses in both Bollywood and Hollywood, loves to shoot in New York. Shooting for the second season of 'Quantico', she said, "First and foremost, I want to thank the mayor and his office for helping bring this show to New York, we know about your contribution and are really grateful.

Second of all, it's New York city, it's the center of the universe and for me, you know what is best about it is that I can fly back to India on a direct flight. So I love shooting in this city, the energy is amazing, I have a beautiful house on the eastside. Thank you Mayor."

Pri, who played FBI agent Alex Parrish in the first season of the American drama series, plays a CIA agent in the second season.

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she agreed that she thought Ranbir was her father. "She knows him well. One day she just ran into his arms.

Because he was wearing this jacket and cap like AB and he had the stubble.

Thinking he's AB, she hugged him and he was like 'awww'," Aishwarya said.

She also stated that Aaradhya is fond of Ranbir and calls him RK instead of Ranbir Uncle. "She loves to

Padmini, refusing to ramnce Vicky Kaushal who was signed to play her husband Rana Rawal Ratan Singh, as he remains relatively unknown.

The role later went to Shahid, and reports are the script soon underwent a number of changes to give the actor a more substantial role, leading to Ranveer's character- Alauddin Khilji, being changed. It was initially planned that Ranveer will be the anti-hero to Deepika in the movie. With less than a month remaining for the shoot to commence, let's just hope all's well soon.

Empire Vidya upsets her maid state of mind for PeeCee

Aaradhya mistakes RK as her father

aran Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' has managed to stay in the headlines ever since the trailer was released. While most of the credit goes to the sizzling onscreen chemistry between Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, this time the actress' daughter made sure to create some buzz.

In a recent interview, Aish talked about the time Aaradhya went and hugged the actor from behind confusing him for her father on the sets of 'ADHM'. She said RK was wearing a jacket and cap similar to that of Abhishek's which led to the confusion. When she later talked to Aaradhya about it,

features Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma, Ranbir Kapoor, and Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the lead. Music is composed by ace composer Pritam, and the lyrics are by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

yet. An outrightfun and peppy music, 'Cutie Pie' is sung by Pardeep Singh Sran and Nakash Aziz.

Wrapped up in controversy, Karan Johar's 'ADHM' tells the tale of two people and, love. The film

dance to Ranbir's song Matargashti from his movie 'Tamasha'," she added.

Meanwhile, the incident has left the kid shy around the 'Tamasha' actor. Don't kids do the cutest things!

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he internet can't get over new posters for the sequel to Vidya Balan's 2012 'Kahaani'.

Designed in a true 'wanted' criminal style, the photos have been circulated everywhere on social media and garnered a lot of praise.

However, the one reaction the actress did not see coming, was from her maid.

Returning home late after work last week, Vidya

said her house help (who appeared rather upset), asked her why the police were looking for her. "It was absolutely hilarious. I cannot get over how she calmly asked me, "Didi, koi problem hai?" (Didi, is there a problem?) Imagine, she was serving food to who she thought might be a murderer or was accused of murder," the actress said laughing.

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Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

Croydon Diwali Mela attracts huge visitors Croydon Diwali Mela was organised on 22 October which attracted scores of shoppers and community groups to a visual treat.

Organised by the Chairperson of Croydon Hindu Council Ms Mayura Patel, this was the second year of Diwali celebrations, the biggest in Croydon.

The event was opened by ex-Mayor Cllr. Manju Shahul Hameed, Founder of CHC Dr Jagdish Sharma and Shri Satya Minhas of Hindu Council UK. Shri Ganesh Prayer was followed by Sitar Recital.

It was packed with dances by Ragasudha

The highlight of the event was Dhol Beats played by Maharashtra Mandal of London, which also included playing Lezhims. The Bhangra dance has also attracted lot of public participation.

It was a very well attended successful event and there was a huge participation by the audience in singing and dancing.

Controlled explosion by police on the tube Counter-terror police blew up a suspect package at an Underground station in controlled explosion.

Officers were called to North Greenwich station after Tube staff noticed the “suspicious item” on a Jubilee Line train travelling east just after 11am on Thursday.

The station was evacuated and closed for 3 hours as the controlled explosion was carried out. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “While we are keeping an open mind, the Met’s Counterterrorism Command is leading the investigation because it has the expertise to deal with incidents of this kind.”

According to the BBC, the device was found by a member of the public and handed to a Tube driver.

The driver treated it as a suspicious and said it contained "wires and possibly a clock”. Sources say the plot was unsophisticated and involved a crude amateur device that contained enough explosives that posed a serious threat life.

Officers discharged tasers as 19-year-old Damon Smith was arrested outside London Metropolitan university, near Holloway Road station in north London.

Smith has been arrested on

Sun energizes your secARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 The tor of change, transformation

Vinjamuri's Sur Bharti and Sanskruti dancers, Gujarati Women in UK, Kuntal's Dance Company and performers from Sanskriti Guru.

There were also solos and instant fillers by other participants.

suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of terrorism.

The poker-loving student moved to the capital over the summer to attend university from Devon.

Several addresses linked to Smith have been searched by police including his home in Newton Abbot near Torquay where counter-terrorism officers have discovered a second suspect device.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Thanks to the outstanding professionalism of the Metropolitan people, Transport for London staff and the British Transport Police, this situation was dealt with swiftly and safely and no injuries resulted. The mayor also urged all Londoners to "check with TfL before they travel, and to remain calm and vigilant at all times.”

The Met said officers were keeping an open mind regarding any possible motive but said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to their investigation. The current threat level in the UK is severe - meaning an attack is "highly likely".

Coming Events

l Nitin Mukesh Live in Concert A tribute to yesteryear Bollywood singer Mukesh. l Leicester Date: Saturday, 5th November Timings: 7:30 pm, Venue: De Montfort Hall, Granville Road, Leicester LE1 7RU Ticket Agent: Radia's Superstore l London Date: Sunday, 6th November Timings: 7:30 pm Venue: Logan Hall 20, Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0AL. Ticket Agent: Videorama

and regeneration. On a more practical level, you may be dealing with joint finances and shared resources now more than usual. You should also make sure that your tax affairs are in order along with your investments. You are more willing than usual to explore and delve deeper into life's secrets and arrive at meaningful conclusions.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 As the Sun transits your sev-

enth house, you have a greater need than usual to be in a relationship. The emphasis is on "us" rather than "me". Social interactions of a personal nature are highlighted. This is likely to be an extremely busy time for most of you. Use tact and diplomacy in your dealing, otherwise you are likely to come across as over confident and egotistical.

Ms Mayura Patel delivered a vote of thanks.

Mayura has been selflessly serving the Croydon

Community and many boroughs of London from past 28 years through her events and dance activities.

Ex-restaurant partners in bitter row over £3m share claim Restaurant king and interior design guru Sir Terence Conran has fought off allegations that he deprived a former business partner of a £3m payday.

Eighty-five-year-old Sir Terence is entangled in a bitter court dispute with Des Gunewardena, once chief executive of Conran Holdings Ltd. Gunewardena is suing the Conran family company for the £3m he says he should have received for his 7 per cent shareholding. He was

chief executive of the Conran group for 11 years before leading a buyout of the restaurant business completed in 2013.

Gunewardena claims he was fired from the Conran group, deprived of his just reward for 20 years of hard work and offered a derisory £1,254 for his shares. Sir Terence, while giving evidence in the High Court, insisted that his former partner received a ‘fair price’ for his stake.

The hearing continues.

‘Fake Sheikh’ jailed for 15 months Undercover journalist Mazher Mahmood, known as the “Fake Sheikh”, has been jailed for 15 months for tampering with evidence in the collapsed drug trial of singer Tulisa Contostavlos.

The reporter, 53, and his driver Alan Smith, 67, were both found guilty of conspiring to pervert the course of justice by changing a police statement. The two were convicted of conspiring to suppress evidence in the trial of the former NDubz singer and X-Factor judge, which was thrown

out at Southwark crown court in July 2014. Smith was sentenced to 12 months, suspended for two years. Immediately after the sentencing News UK announced that Mahmood – a former News Of The World investigations editor – had been terminated after working with the company for 25 years. However, a company spokesman said any civil claims brought against the company over Mahmood’s past work would be “vigorously defended”.

Nicky Morgan celebrates Navratri in Loughborough Conservative Friends of India arranged a visit to the Shree Ram Krishna Centre in Loughborough for the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, to celebrate the festival of Navratri.

The festival of Navratri is a nine day Hindu festival which was celebrated from 1-9 October. It is widely celebrated by Hindus in Leicestershire and although Nicky Morgan had attended

a Navratri celebration at the Town Hall some years ago, this was her first time celebrating with the Loughborough Maher community. Upon entering the Centre she was greeted with a flower and a homemade Indian sweet. She watched some garba dancing and joined in with the dandiya dance. She also addressed the community and wished them a happy Navratri.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22 The Sun transits your solar sixth house and highlights your health and also makes you take pride in your day to day work. Hence, you should enhance your skills, get organized and take up a health regime for your wellbeing. This transit highlights the need for efficiency and as such you should bring in the new and get rid of the old ideas that do not work.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22 After a period of relative inactivity, you are coming out of your shell, ready to perform and to express yourself creatively. This is a very progressive period of the year, when you are inspired emotionally. You take more pride in your your love affairs, your children, and your hobbies and are generally very sociable and make friends easily.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

With the Sun transiting your solar fourth house of family and home, these areas are highlighted during this period.

Buying or selling of property or even renovating it will be uppermost in your mind as you will be trying to put your roots down permanently. It is also a time when family life will be charged with emotions so be diplomatic and respect other people's views.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

You are exploring and searching now, making connections, and paying attention to your immediate environment. Socially you are very popular and your communications strengthen your connections. You will be busy with errands, paperwork, phone calls, and light socializing.

Siblings, neighbours, close relatives, friends, and co-workers may play a more important role than usual in your life during this period.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23 The Sun highlights your second house of finance, and your focus is on material affairs and comfort issues. This is a good time to plan your future investments carefully to maximise your profits. If travelling make sure you keep your documents safe as there is a possibility of misplacing them. Some of you might change your travel itinerary which could create upheavals at the last minute.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 The Sun transits your first house and this affects your personal identity, appearance, outward behavior, and self-expression. This marks the peak of your physical solar cycle, and you are in the position to make an impression on others, and to assert your personal influence. Increased energy and a renewed feeling of confidence is with you now, so take advantage of your charisma to achieve your goals.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21 The Sun and Mercury travels through your twelfth house now, marking a time of retreat and regeneration. This also heralds a time for research and unfinished behind-the-scene activities. Matters which have dragged on for a while should now be reassessed and put to rest. Some of you will be looking to spiritual enlightenment and take up yoga and meditation.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 The Sun illuminates your sector of friends, social gatherings and group activities.

You will be in constant demand and will be in a position to network with new-found friends who will promote your cause. Personal relationships are also to the fore and some of you might even find true love. This is a time to follow your dreams and ideals, and to plant a seed in the form of a wish for the future.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

More than any other time of the year, your focus is drawn to your career and standing in the society. This is the time when you are more interested in, and focused on, accomplishing something important. Contact with authority figures is more likely during this period. Recognition will come your way whether you ask for it or not, and the responsibility that goes with it.

You are feeling most adventurous and willing to achieve higher knowledge and spiritual growth. This is a good time to broaden your horizons through travel and higher learning. This may take you to far off lands in pursuit of your new-found goals. You must distance yourself from the mundane grind of life and take on something which is more meaningful for your inner growth.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

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Abhinav Bindra making the most of his retirement AsianVoiceNews

Professional shooter Abhinav Bindra is making the most of his post-retirement life, calling this phase "earning a living." "I don't miss being an athlete," he said, "I don't miss the shooting range at all."

Retiring from the sport, the 34 year old is yet to convert his shooting range at home into a vegetable garden as he had said after the final at the Rio Olympics. However, he doesn't visit it either.

Throughout his career, Bindra has stressed on sports science. "The role of sports science, sport medicine is incredibly important in modern-day sport.

We can't do without it. I don't think the whole concept is actually strong enough in our country," he had said after returning from Rio. Practicing what he preached, his first venture after calling it off, is a high performance studio he opened in Mohali along with Italian firm TecnoBody. Calling it "rev-

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Abhinav Bindra

olutionary", Bindra said, "We are -30 when it comes to sports science. This is revolutionary. So it's strange it's there in this country.

It's a misfit." The Italyimported machines will help an athlete trani and make assessments using real-time data.

Each equipment comes with an in-built 3D cameras and motion sensors along with digital screens. Those using these, can check 3D

imaging of his or her own body while working out; this helps understand body balance, pressure points, and other functional aspects in real time.

Bindra's studio comes with a mind room for brain mapping, a Pilate room, and an Electric Muscle Simulation Centre.

"Talent is there in our country. But unless they train in the right and efficient manner, there is no chance (of winning a

medal). Really, because the world is so advanced. If you train inefficiently, you develop patterns which are inefficient. Then, when you compete, you are just praying to win. This helps you develop a right pattern. It focuses on quality of training, not just quantity," he said. The Beijing gold medallist got acquainted to the technology in 2014, in Munich. He said it helped him improve his stability and balance in ashort period.

Bindra intends to open his centre for Indian athletes at zero cost. "If something is presented to them which will improve their performance, why wouldn't they embrace it? If someone told me to jump in the well, and that would guarantee me a medal at the Olympics, then I would jump into the well," he said. He added, "I don't want to do it myself. The idea is to get more people involved and open more such micro-centres."

SPORT

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Redknapp ‘runs over’ wife in ‘freak’ accident Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

In a ‘freak’ accident former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp driving a Range Rover ran over his wife Sandra Redknapp recently.

Sandra was seriously injured in the accident.

According to witnesses, 69-year-old Sandra’s coat got caught under the car as her husband pulled away.

Sandra “yelled in pain” as she fell to the ground bleeding heavily on Poole Road, Bournemouth.

Sixty-nine-year-old Harry Redknapp had dropped his wife off in Westbourne and reportedly didn’t realise that she was stuck and drove away.

Speaking to the BBC, the former football boss said: “It was just a freak accident you know. She had an operation on her ankle that went well.”

Pak hockey team in Malaysia : Captain left back home

India to follow Australia, UK model In efforts to improve its perfomance as a sporting nation, India is in the works to adopt models followed by Australia and United Kingdom, informed a top sports ministry official. After a rather shameful performance at the Rio Olympics held this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced setting up of a task force to prepare an action plan for the next three Olympic Games.

"We are trying to learn from the Australian and UK models wherein the government spends for sports promotion. In this regard, a delegation has been sent to Australia to understand their model,"

Rajiv Yadav, Secretary, Sports Ministry, said. He added, "If you see, Australia's performance has seen a rise since the Montreal Olymipcs (1976).

And we hope we can also go up in the future by following their model and executing it. The focus will be mainly on sports sports science and sports medicine."

The official said the ministry is always willing to support individual academies and centres of excellence set up by athletes.

Speaking at a function organised to award cash prizes to performers of the Rio Olympics and the Paralympic Games, he said,

"We will always be supporting academies and centre of excellence by athletes." Chief Guest of the event, held at the Constitution Club of India, Sports Minister Vijay Goel reiterated the government's commitment towards the promotion and development of the sports in the country. He assured all medal-winning sportspersons that the administration would not leave any stone unturned in promoting and supporting all sports in the country.

Goel said that not only the winners, but those who finished fourth or performed really well, will be

considered too for special rewards. He informed that it is also being deliberated if the Paralympic athletes would be rewarded at par with other athletes.

List of award winners: Mariyappan Thangavelu (Gold in High Jump), – 75 Lakhs.

Devendra Jhajharia (Gold in Javelin Throw) – 75 Lakhs PV Sindhu (Silver in Badminton) – Rs. 50 Lakhs.

Deepa Malik (Silver in Shot Put) – Rs. 50 Lakhs Sakshi Malik (Bronze in Wrestling) – Rs. 30 Lakhs Varun Singh Bhati (Bronze in High Jump) – Rs. 30 Lakhs.

New Delhi venue for FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017

New Delhi is set to host next year's FIFA U-17 World Cup. 13 members of the FIFA delegation, along with ten members of the Local Organising Committee travelled to the Indian Capital and approved it as the next venue. The city's stadium was given the green signal after the team conducted a full inspection of the pitch, the training facilities, and facility owners assured all renovations would be completed before March 2017.

All India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das said, "We have been working with different stakeholders in the country from the start of this process and it is good that we are now see-

ing the results in the ground. FIFA is satisfied with the progress of all the venues visited so far, and it gives us a big fillip for next year's tournament. We will put every effort into making the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 a memorable occasion for all Indian football fans." Javier Ceppi, Tournament Director of the LOC, said,

"Work has finally started here and we hope it progresses well. It took sometime but we are confident of the capacity of SAI to complete everything well in time for the event, so that we can test all the facilities.

We have been working closely with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Sports Authority of India to make sure that the

renovation works go as planned and we are able to deliver the tournament successfully in New Delhi."

Also present at the event, Sagarpreet Hooda, IPS & Director – Sports, MoYAS, Sanjiv Baranwal- Director, Infrastructure SAI, Joy BhattacharyaProject Director LOC, and FIFA's Event Manager for the U17 World Cup from FIFA, Marion Mayer-Vorfelder.

Marion said, "We have been shown the plans for the renovation and we will be looking very carefully into the way the venue progresses to make it fully compliant. We hope that the pace of works now picks up and that we can have the facility match ready as soon as possible. "

The Pakistan Hockey team arrived in Malaysia for the Asian Champions Trophy sans their captain, who was left behind citing passport problems. It is said that captain Muhammad Irfan had submitted his passport at the British embassy, which authorities said they could not return in time. Sources said Irfan paid several visits to the embassy for retrieval of the required documents but no timely steps were taken which is why the team had to leave for the tournament without the captain.

Secretary of Pakistan Hockey Federation, Shahbaz Senior stated that a substitute would be added to replace Irfan if the issue isn't resolved by Wednesday.

He added that team management was responsible to replace Irfan with another captain for the tournament.

The team's first match will open on Thursday against host team Malaysia.

Saina needs physio's approval to return to court

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said she is working hard to make a return at the China Super Series Premier, but will do so only after consulting her physio Heath Matthews. "My name is there. My physio feels I can do it, and I'll accordingly decide on playing in the China Super Series Premier. I have two-and-half weeks more to see how well I move in the court and how better I recover," she said on the sidelines of an apparel launch.

The former World No. 1 had to undergo a knee surgery that affected her performances at the Rio Olympics. She said it wasn't easy to recover as she had to spend six to seven hours on rehab every day. "It was not an easy task for me as I had to work six to seven hours only on rehab. It is a boring thing to do it again and again, but I had to do to strengthen my knee. I'm happy that I crossed that stage now and I am back in the court, and definitely it will improve," she said. Saina added that she is not worried about her game, and looks forward to getting back in shape. "If my game is okay, I need not to have to worry. I'm looking forward to get back into shape and be fit enough."

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Asian Voice | 29th October 2016

India beats Iran to claim Kabaddi crown

The world had its eyes glued to the TransStadia Arena for throughout October as the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup saw a lot of hype and hoopla around the event. The final face off between India and Iran saw the host country's performance roar with Ajay Thakur planning a memorable win against a spirited Iran.

A terrific display of raiding, Thakur was outwitted by rival skipper Meraj Sheykh's versatile display in the first half of the game. However, India took charge of the final in the second half as Thakur's raiding skills came in handy and earned super raid points. Winning a hand-touch point against Sheykh, Thakur helped India take the lead for the second time in the match, later proceeding to dominate and win 38-29.

The Indian team's second most successful raider Pardeep Narwal remained off with his performance, while substitute Nitin Tomar rose to the occasion, and won super raid points sending out Sheykh

USA : Mohinder Singh Sidhu

and Fazel Atrachali at the peak point of the game.

This was the third clash between India and Iran in a World Cup final. The previous two were in 2004 and 2007 in Mumbai, with India winning both times.

The Kabaddi World Cup saw as much footage as given to Cricket. Held at an indigenously made stadium in Ahmedabad, the competition saw participation from various foreign

teams. All the teams however different, spoke the same language- one taught by desi Indian coaches delegated by the International Kabaddi Federation. The game with its origin in the country, has found support only in the recent years. This year, teams from Australia, Iran, England, South Korea, USA, Poland and England marked its presence with Iran making it

to the end for a showdown with India.

All the teams were trained and taught by Indian or Indian-origin coaches.

Australia : Navneet Gautam and Srinivas Reddy Iran : KC Suthar England : Ashok Das Poland : Harwinder Singh and K Ganesh South Korea : Jaiveer Sharma

Virender Sehwag pokes Piers Morgan Reigniting the Twitter battle, cricketer Virender Sehwag fired a shot at British journalist Piers Morgan after India's victory against Iran. "India invented Kabaddi & r World Champs for 8th time. Elsewhere some country invented Cricket & r yet only good in correcting typos," Viru said in tweet prompting the latter. The tweet was in reference to Morgan correcting his grammar when India thrashed England in the Kabaddi World Cup. "England loose in a World Cup again. Only the sport changes. This time it's Kabaddi. India thrash them 69-18. All the best for semis," Sehwag had tweeted to which, Morgan promptly pointed out his mistake in using the word "loose" instead of lose.

The Twitter battle between the two originally began from when Morgan mocked India celebrating its medal turnover in the Olympics.

Former World Billiards champ arrested Hyderabad Police arrested former world Billiards champion Michael Ferreira and three others, in a mutli-crore illegal marketing scheme, as per media reports.

The arrest came two weeks after the Padma Bhushan awardee surrendered before a Mumbai court. Ferreira and three others were directors of Vihaan Direct Selling India (Pvt) Ltd, a firm accused of running and operating an illegal money circulation scheme under the name of QNET. Officials said as many as 500,000 investors across India were duped by the promoters, who attracted investment from people by promising them huge commissions to enroll new investors into the firm, or offered them fraudulent investment schemes. Others caught are Malcolm Desai, owner of Vihaan, Srinivas Rao Vanka, and Magaral Veervalli Balaji, directors of Vihaan, and Suresh Thimri, director of Transview Enterprises India Pvt Ltd.