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Gavaskar named BCCI chief for IPL

CS7893

VOL 42. ISSUE 48

UN initiates probe into Lanka war crimes

The Supreme Court of India appointed Sunil Gavaskar as the interim president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for Indian Premiere League (IPL) and gave green signal for the seventh edition

*Subject to availability

Continued on page 26

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with British PM Margaret Thatcher.

Inset: PM David Cameron

Pressure is mounting on the British Prime Minister David Cameron to unveil the truth about UK government's involvement in Operation Blue Star. Over 100 politicians in the UK, including the Chairman of Home Affairs Select Committee, Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP has now called for an independent public inquiry into UK's involvement in the 1984 massacre.

Continued on page 26

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The United Nations (UN) launched an inquiry into atrocities committed during Sri Lanka’s civil war. The British Prime Minister Cameron termed the initiative as a “victory for the people of Sri Lanka”.

A British-sponsored resolution providing for an international investigation was passed by the UN Human Rights Council. The UN High Commissioner for human rights – Navi Pillay – will now be able

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to carry out probe into the death of more than 10,000 people in 2009 in the island country. The deceased were refugees from the Tamil minority, who were trapped and bombard alongside rebels on a narrow

Continued on page 26

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Keith Vazwith MP

Keith Vaz MP hearted. He is passionate in whatever he does, humorous and has always been a friend indeed who you can always relay upon.

Vijay Goel has been working at Singhania & Co f, one of the largest Indian law firm or more than fifteen years. He has expertise in advising clients on matters relating to corporate law, laws relating to joint ventures and foreign collaborations. He has expertise in real estate transactions and has completed some major real estate transactions in India. Vijay is chairman of Asian business Association at London chamber of commerce and he is on board of many organization worldwide.

1) Please tell me about your current position?

I am Partner of Singhania & company solicitors- one of the largest law firms in India, Chairman of Asian Business Association at the London Chambers of Commerce, Founder of Indo-European Business Forum and Vice Chairman of African International Business Forum.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

My most proudest achievement has been to be awarded the ‘National Law Day Award’ for his most exemplary contributions in commercial Law and strengthening Indo-UK business relations, from Her Excellency, Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, and the Hon’ble President of Republic of India

on 20th November 2009 3) What inspires you?

My passion is my inner ability to perform with honesty, dedication and hard work.

Fundamentally believe that without this, you can not achieve your goal.

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

We all face many obstacles in business and other areas of work. UK being a small organisation, certain obstacles deem to be particularly knotty.

Especially during credit crunch, times become difficult to survive and carry on. But somehow we managed to survive the testing times.

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

date?

In my career there have been two exceptionally influential people who have played a outsized part on my ladder to success.

Mr D C Singhania- world renowned lawyer who has influenced me a lot. I have learnt so much from him and G P Hinduja- he is the second biggest influence- he is truly a living legend who is a complete family man, great business acumen, god fearing and kind

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

I personally take personal responsibility to grow the Asian B u s i n e s s Association to greater heights from the point where my great predecessors have brought it with their vision, consistent hard work and dedication. Providing a voice for the London Asian business community and represent their views to the media, local and central government, get them involved in policy discussions, provide business networking events that enable companies to make new business connections and to enhance their business skills is the best aspect of my role.

7) And the worst?

Not being able to have great

negotiation skills.

8) What are your long term goals?

I call upon my worthy friends to work united and strive to take Asian Business Association to the position of excellence, to create an environment which helps each members of the Asian Business Association attain new heights of prosperity and success, which maximizes the opportunities and attracts maximum number of entrepreneurs, Asian and Non-Asian, to London and finally let us strive to make this world a better place to live in.

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

I would create an environment to give education and skills to everyone so that people of the community can control their own destiny.

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

Mahatma Gandhi has had a great impact on my life therefore I would like to spend time with him and try to learn from some of his qualities. It would be a perfect opportunity for me to imbibe his virtues into my life and mould me into becomes a better human being.

Indian domestic workers abused and exploited in the UK

A harrowing insight into the lives of Indian domestic workers in the UK has emerged in a report by Human Rights Watch, for the first time revealing the serious abuses, including forced labour and low or no salary, workers have faced at the hands of wealthy foreigners and diplomats.

Female domestic workers in particular, have revealed to Human Rights Watch, how they have been exploited into working around the clock.

Neha, one such worker who was employed by a diplomat, revealed that she worked seven days a week looking after her employer's children, cooking and cleaning for which she was being paid only a mere £150 per month. Neither has her salary been increased since she started working for her employer 12 years ago.

Neha has reportedly said that she has had to support her mother, father, sister, and her sister's two children back home, on this income.

Eve more shocking is the fact that the national minimum wage for workers over 21 years old was £6.31 per hour up until October 2013 and legally, employers are only allowed to charge up to

£4.91 per day, or £34.37 per week for accommodation, which includes rent, gas and electricity and laundry.

According to these figures, it is evident that Indian workers weren't even being paid the minimum wage.

The 58-page report by Human Rights Watch has highlighted the serious abuses migrant domestic workers are being subjected to and raises questions to the UK government about its role in protecting these vulnerable workers, particularly after recent changes to UK immigration rules have made it harder for workers to escape abuse.

The report has shown that employers confiscate passports, confine workers to the home, subject them to physical and psychological abuse and make them work extremely long working hours.

With the new changes coming into force since April 2012, the new 'tied visa' means overseas domestic workers cannot legally leave their employer and find new work, leaving those abused feeling trapped.

A UK home office spokesman said: "Abuse of overseas domestic workers is unacceptable and

we believe the best way to prevent it is by testing the validity of the working relationship before a visa is issued. Overseas domestic workers must have been employed for 12 months before a visa will be granted and must have a signed statement of terms and conditions of employment in line with the national minimum wage legislation."

Kanti Nagda, a social worker from Sangat Advice Centre, said, “It is high time the Government took some action. It is no good preaching to other countries about the Human Rights when it is happening under your own nose. The law about fining the employers who under pay the employers should be implemented vigorously and speedily.

Simultaneously, the sufferers should come forward and report such employer which unfortunately is not happening either due to ignorance or fear of future troubles. In my experience it is not happening to Domestic workers alone.

It is happening in many different fields, from workers who are working for Diplomats to unskilled workers, workers tied up with immigration laws, including work permit holders.”

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

COMMENT

Indian cricket in turmoil, as Gavaskar takes charge of IPL

The erstwhile President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Narayanaswamy Srinivasan, has been dethroned, if temporarily, from his pedestal by order of India’s Supreme Court Bench of Justice A.K.Patnaik and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah. Mr Srinivasan has clung stubbornly to his position amid the swirl of controversy surrounding the clash of interests as the head of the country’s foremost cricketing authority and his ownership of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), whose franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is funded by Mr Srinivasan’s India Cements Company Ltd. Last year’s IPL was tarred by allegations of spot-fixing and betting, with a number of players found guilty on both counts and banned accordingly from any further participation in first class cricket at State or national level. Earlier, Supreme Court Judge Mukul Mudgal was entrusted with the investigation into betting allegations against Mr Srinivasan’s son-inlaw. Justice Mudgal wondered why with betting permitted in horse racing similar regulatory provision were not allowed in cricket matches. As long as things remained as they are, cricket will continue to be bedeviled by unsavoury underground practices.

However, Justice Mudgal complimented the BCCI for the promotion of cricket throughout the country.

That said, the turmoil has been caused by Mr Srinivasan’s devious attempts to retain power come what may. There were mounting calls for a more transparent regime, and rising resentment that such voices were neutered through perks and perquisites.

Ultimately, it took the Bihar Cricket Association to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court that opened this can of worms. The Court proposed that Sunil Gavaskar, among the greatest names in the

annals of Indian cricket take charge of the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), which he considered an honour and privilege, while Shivlal Yadav, also a former Test cricketer and current senior administrator would in the interim run the affairs of the BCCI until order was restored after the pending inquiry into Mr Srinivasan’s alleged conflict of interests and breaches of propriety had concluded its deliberations and made known its decisions.

Messrs Gavaskar and Yadav, meanwhile, will consult with each other and coordinate their actions accordingly until a permanent administrative order is in place. The media spotlight on these shenanigans has brought Indian cricket into disrepute. The Indian game is international cricket’s most valuable and prolific cash cow, and Mr Srinivasan’s penchant for using his board’s financial muscle in the conclaves of the International Cricket Council has bred ill-will and outright antagonism among some of its peers.

The gentleman’s game has been bedeviled by perceived ungentlemanly conduct, it would appear.

I.S.Bindra, a former BCCI president and current head of the Punjab Cricket Association has denounced the Srinivasan regime and its ways as “a disgrace.” May be so, but the culpability of cricket administrators at State and national level must surely be acknowledged. They were craven and open to manipulation and clearly did little or nothing to make Mr Srinivasan and the BCCI more accountable. They are equally responsible for the present state of affairs and should hang their heads in collective shame. It will take time and much effort to restore the tarnished reputation and health of Indian cricket. The country’s cricketers and cricket fans deserve nothing less.

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) whose foreign ministers met on the sidelines of the recent Netherlands nuclear summit rejected the call for sanctions against Russia over the Crimean referendum that resulted in its joining the Russian Federation by an 80 plus majority vote of its Russian speaking population. Nato, which includes the racially pious US and the 28 states of the European Union, has a well worn habit of issuing resounding declarations in the name of the “international community.”

The populations of China and India alone exceed by far those of the Nato Alliance, so what is the purpose of intoning the fiction of a sublimated “international community”? Unless the not so subtle message is that BRICS nations as the lesser breeds of the earth should know their place in the scheme of things. As for Russia’s supposed “isolation,” it brings to mind a Punch cartoon in the early years of the 20th century, which read something like this: “Fog over the English Channel – Continent isolated.”

The root cause of the present troubles in Ukraine and elsewhere has been Nato’s relentless expansion eastward, despite the solemn verbal assurances given to the Soviet leader at the time, the naively trusting Mikhail Gorbachev, that this would not happen if Soviet military formations, nuclear and conventional, were to withdraw from Eastern Europe, which they duly did. It has to be said that wiser and better educated heads in the US political establishment, such as George Kennan and Paul Nitze, were firmly opposed to Nato’s expansion in Russia’s direction, but newer men at the helm and their White House overlords decided otherwise. This eastward expansion was undertaken without let or hindrance during Russia’s Time of Trouble under Boris Yeltsin’s dispensation.

The first warning signal from Vladimir Putin to the West to back off came in Georgia, when US stooge Mikhail Shakashvilli, who was brought to power on the back of a Washington-financed colour revolution, was quickly brought to heel after his forces had attacked South Ostia and Abkhazia. No lessons were learned in Western capitals. Ukraine, in Russia’s backdoor, was targeted next through another colour regime change operation. More was to follow, the climax being the brazen exhortations of Nato and EU ministers to demonstrators at Kiev’s Maidan Square, leading eventually to the toppling of the elected Yanokovich government by violent mobs led by the fascist Right Sector, which is now challenging the authority of the Western approved administration.

The shooting dead by Kiev security forces of the notorious Right Sector leader Oleksandr Muzycho, a Jew baiter and fighter alongside Chenchen jihadis has brought new strife to the streets of the Ukranian capital and other cities to the west. Alpesh Patel’s excellent piece on how Putin blindsided the arrogant West is worth further cogitation. Having sowed the wind America and its Nato allies are set to reap the Ukranian whirlwind. This was explored recently in a London debate by the leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage, who charged that, “The British government has actually geed up the EU to pursue effectively an imperialist, expansionist policy….That provoked Mr Putin. I think frankly that the EU has blood on its hands in the Ukraine….If you poke the Russian bear he will respond.” As he most certainly did in a controlled operation worthy of a chess Grand Master. The over-weight, over-paid Brussels bureaucrats and their talking heads were clearly out of their millimeter depths. Checkmate!

There was much hype in India on the democratic winds of change in Pakistan following Nawaz Sharif’s accession to power as the country’s new prime minister. There was much brave talk of a new economic relationship between the two countries based on greater trade etc A year has passed and no breath of the promised wind has emerged.

It’s business as usual is the message from Islamabad, which properly interpreted, means no new business. There will be no Pakistani Most Favoured Treatment for Indian goods, as of now, and no forward movement politically until the Kashmir problem is settled, with American help, if possible, suggested Prime Minister Sharif in Netherlands recently. The export of jihadi terrorism will no doubt continue at its present pace, with Islamabad also putting the spanner in the

works to disturb the peace of Afghanistan for its oft quoted reasons of strategic space in that country. The more things change in Pakistan the more they remain the same.

Pakistan should be put into India’s deep freeze ice box. There is little that Pakistan has to offer India. The country is virtually bankrupt, one can’t see Pakistani cars or machinery making waves on the Indian market, nor Pakistani publications or films holding Indian audiences in thrall. Pakistan has the company of its murderous Taliban to keep it manfully engaged fast forward into the future.

India has its own urgent preoccupations. How to restore the momentum of economic growth, how to harness science and technology for the betterment of its people, and how best to engage with its friends. These truly matter.

BRICS firm no to sanctions

India’s Pakistan policy going nowhere

3 There are few misfortunes in this world that you cannot turn into a personal triumph if you have the iron will and the necessary skill - President Nelson Mandela

The Complacency of Apparent Peace When you read this I will be in Hong Kong, now of course part of China. This past week the Chinese have redrawn the boundaries of their claim to islands around the Philippines which I will visit too.

This is China which last year had hundreds of military incursions into Democratic India. But this week reminds us that not all territorial claims are physical and backed by warships.

Just as nuclear weapons equalised the Superpowers, so cybersecurity equalises the West and the rest.

No one country has a monopoly on brains, indeed the Chinese and Russians are known for their programming abilities. So this past week the British Government announced the ‘Computer Emergency Response Team’ – which will co-ordinate British Cybersecurity defence. Think of it to cybersecurity what Ronald Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ strategic defence initiative was to nuclear missile defence.

As the British Government’s Dealmaker responsible for India and China I’ve worked with CyberSecurity firms. The Indian companies have ample experience of rebuffing threats from the Chinese. India is known for their IT skills and innovations. So what makes us in the West think we have nothing to learn from Indian cyber security firms and their innovations?

This same week the US Senate report into the CIA abuse puts that agency on the defensive.

Between terror attacks, complacency overtakes us.

That Snowden is in Russia is appropriate. To maintain his credibility, he could not simply come out as a Russian agent, but you don’t need an official designation to be helping the enemy. And the Russians are the enemy when it comes to Cybersecurity. Why would we presume their aggression over cyberspace is lower than that over Crimea?

In Cyberspace I don’t want to play fair, I want my side to win, I want my side to have all the weapons at their disposal. The conservative mind too often mistakes personal liberty with helping the enemy, the liberal of course makes the opposite mistake.

The reason Snowden hiding in Russia and Wikileaks founder hiding in London are a menace is not because they disclosed Big Brother may be watching, even Orwell figured that out half a century ago, that was no big disclosure. It was that the processes and practices were leaked. How things are done is far more dangerous than what is done or why. Ask any company. That is what makes Snowden a traitor. Changing how you do things in any organisation takes months or even years. The damage is costly at best financially and at worst to lives. First, decide which society you side with, only then can you decide you want to improve and perfect it.

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MIDLANDS VOICE

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Ed Balls: Kick out the Tories, Vote Labour

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

- Dhiren Katwa

We need your support, Ed Balls MP, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, said in his keynote address at the annual West Midlands Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) dinner in Birmingham last Thursday (Mar 27).

Attended by over 300 people, with strong representation from the Muslim, Sikh and African Caribbean communities, the round-table £45 per head event was hosted by Birmingham Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmood, who gave the opening speech.

Then came to the podium European election candidates Neena Gill and Cllr Ansar Ali Khan. Both made an impassioned plea for votes, the latter in a fiery tone, which won rapturous applause.

Several attendees followed MP Balls in a desperate attempt to have their photographs taken, as did the paparazzi who also snaked around the hall to capture the moment.

Navy suit-clad MP Balls, leaning on a giant speaker on stage, and speaking of-the-cuff, then gave his speech. As expected, he covered his key messages: ridiculing the Conservatives, how to keep out the British National Party and encouraging everyone to vote for his Party. Understood. But then he spent the rest of his allocated time telling short stories of his embarrassing moments.

Among these, how he once attended a reception of the Labour Friends of India, on invitation from Keith Vaz MP, and addressed it as the Labour Friends of Israel. And the time he was mistaken by

Neena Gill

Ed Balls

an audience for Ed Miliband, who didn’t have a clue about either. Also how PM Cameron once referred to him as ‘the most annoying politician’. On the latter, an attendee remarked: “probably right”.

Another senior figure from the NHS whispered, “is this as terrible as I think it is?”

Attendees included Cllr Kuldip Singh Sahota and Cllr Mohammed Pervez, Leaders of Telford & Wrekin Council and Stoke-on-Trent Council, respectively; Pat McFadden MP, Khalid Mahmood MP - who has, apparently, been advised by medics not to shake hands with anyone due to his ongoing kidney treatment – Deputy West Midlands Police & Crime Commissioner Cllr Yvonne Mosquito, veteran community activist Harmohinder Singh Bhatia, aka Upashak Ji, Chairman of Black Country Asian Business Association Ninder Johal, Acharya Dr Praveen Kumar, Cllr Jabba Riaz from Worcester City Council, Josh Jones from Young Labour and role model youth politician

Cllr Ansar Ali Khan

and rising star Cllr Kyle Robinson, Mayor of Kidsgrove, Newcastle.

Entertainment was provided by the Gabhru Panjab De Bhangra Band, Manny Khaira, DJ Nav and Steve of Events Asia.

The event, which included a threecourse south Asian meal, was held at New Bingley Hall, Hockley.

In this year’s local elections, which take place on 22 May, there are 36 ethnic minority candidates standing for Labour in the West Midlands. Also in the region: two of seven MEP candidates are from a BAME background – Neena Gill and Cllr Ansar Ali Khan; there are already two Muslim MPs, Shabana Mahmood and Khalid Mahmood; two local authority leaders are from a BAME background, Cllr Kuldip Singh Sahota and Cllr Mohammed Pervez, Telford & Wrekin Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, respectively. On councillor and council candidates, regional press officer Richard Costello said there are “several hundred”.

Manchester Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hosts Dr Kiran Bedi and Dame Asha Khemka

On Sunday the 23 March in a stunning lunch event at Manchester Sai Spice Restaurant, Manchester Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan hosted two leading Indian female icons Dr Kiran Bedi from Delhi and Dame Asha Khemka from Nottingham.

Dr Bedi expressed her great pleasure in being invited by Mr Mukund Jobanputra, Chairman, and was impressed learning about Manchester Bhavan Saturday classes going on for over 20 years, currently held at Manchester Grammar School. Dame Asha Khemka who was invited by Dr Keyur Buch from Manchester Bhavan, echoed her appreciation for the event too. Other prominent guests included Dr Krishna Korlipara, the founding father of GP cooperatives in the UK from which millions of NHS patients have benefited over years. Also supporting the event were Dr Kailashji Chand, Deputy Chairman of the British Medical Association. Other eminent guests included Dr Martin Boulton, the High Master of world famous Macnhester Grammar School whose past alumni include Shree Aurobindo Ghosh, Sir Ben Kingsley and England cricketer Michael Atherton.

The event also had participation from well known personalities in the legal field including Meera and Sunil Mahendru, as well as luminaries from business and banking field including Kaushik Joshi of Anfield Fabrics and Oza family.

The event started with lighting of the lamp followed by Vande Mataram prayer sung by Manchester Bhavan music teacher Rakesh Joshi.

The audience was thrilled to learn about the link between Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan founder K M Munshi and Manchester Grammar School.

Dr Kiran Bedi invoked the spirit of positive pro activity, community service and said the time to sit on fence in current situation in India is well and

Dr Kiran Bedi with Manchester Bhavan Committee Members

truly over. She listed objective evidence-based reasons why Shri Narendra Modi is the most appropriate candidate for the post of Prime Minister of India and why it is crucial for stability and welfare of India that BJP gets full majority under Mr Modi's Prime Ministership in the next Loksabha elections.

Dame Khemka and Dr Boulton appealed to everybody to support the stellar work of India Vision Foundation done under stewardship of Dr Kiran Bedi. Vote of thanks was done by Sandip Jobanputra, himself an alumnus of Manchester Grammar School and a leading young figure in philanthropy and investment entrepreneur-

ship. In keeping with the spirit of environment friendly approach and to maintain cost effectiveness, most of the invites wee coordinated by e-invite method as advised by Kamya Buch, a Manchester Bhavan ex-student and Economics Student of the Year Award winner from Loughborough University.

The event turned out to be a day to remember in Manchester Indian calendar due to immense hard work put in the preparation by management committee members and volunteers of Manchester Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan including Avni Vyas, Rajubhai Hindocha, Alka and Kamalji Rauniar, Malan Kaushal , Chetanaben Shah and Kamleshbhai Rajput amongst others.

New Play: Khandan A new play, Khandan, or Family, is coming to Birmingham next month. Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti is making a return following Behsharam (Shameless) and Behzti (Dishonour), with this bold, warm and funny tale of contemporary extended family life. Widowed matriarch Jeeto (Sudha Buchar) has a strong sense of her past and principles. She’s spent her life working hard and making sacrifices for her children. But eldest son (Rez Kempton), isn’t following in her footsteps. He’s struggling with his role at the head of their expanding household. Crumbling under the weight of his father’s legacy, the family business is at risk and the last remaining link to their roots in the Punjab is in jeopardy. The play comes to Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 22 May to 7 June. Tickets £10-£15.

For more information visit www.Birmingham-rep.co.uk

Hindu Sevika Samiti UK organise sports contest for women Hindu women from all of the Uk gathered together at Soar Valley College, in Rushey Mead, Leicester at the weekend, to celebrate Hindu sport and culture. More than 100 participants, including a team representing the city, competed in south Asian games such as kabaddi, kho-kho and ring.

The annual event was organised by voluntary organisation Hindu Sevika Samiti UK. Spokeswoman Kirty Vekriya reportedly said it was good to be back in Leicester after last year's games had to be called off due to freezing weather. "There was such a brilliant atmosphere and community spirit," she said. "The level of competition has never been higher."

Innovative students compete in Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge Students of Harborne Academy have been chosen as the West Midlands winners in a Mosaic business competition supported by the Prince of Wales and local business people, including founder and CEO of InspirEngage International and BBC Apprentice candidate Melody Hossaini.

Hundreds of school pupils have competed in the Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge, a business simulation game, since January.

Supported by local business mentors, they learn to establish and run their own business, with the five highest scoring teams getting through to the regional finals.

The Apax-Mosaic Enterprise Challenge is the maine programme of Mosaic, an initiative of Business in the Community. It aims to raise the aspirations of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, through exposure to mentoring and positive role models. Each year, the organisation supports more than 1,000 children and young people in the region through its primary and secondary school mentoring programmes.

The winning idea – Make X – was created by team of five ‘Business as Usual’. It is a social media platform which provides work experience opportunities for students of the school with local businesses in the community, as well as being a helpful resource for parents.

This year’s judges included Alan Fennelly from Jaguar Land Rover, Kevin Davis from The Vine Trust, Sallie Ryan from Social Enterprise West Midlands and Smita Jamdar of SGH Martineau.

Husband charged with stabbing his estranged wife A husband has appeared in court charged with stabbing his estranged wife to death in her Wolverhampton home, on Monday 31 March.

Suhail Azam, of Newhampton Road East,

Whitmore Reans, was accused of attacking his 35year-old wife Kanwal Azam at a house in Ingelby Gardens on Saturday, leaving her with fatal knife wounds.

Police were called to the house at 3.20pm and, after forcing themselves into the property, found the victim in the living room. Azam, 54, was arrested by police near his home address at around

4.20pm.

After questioning by Police, he was charged with murder and was due to appear before Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on Monday.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Empire Food Brokers Ltd acquires Bespoke Foods Ltd

Empire Food Brokers Ltd. is pleased to announce their latest acquisition with the purchase of Bespoke Foods Ltd. The announcement comes after previous acquisitions of Mrs Elswood in 2005 and Burts Crisps in 2006. This is the next step in their ongoing and ambitious strategy to become one of the major UK fine food importers and distributors over the next few years.

Bespoke Foods is a long established fine food importer and distributor recognized for their own innovative World Food brands; including their own brands Thai Taste, Malay Taste and Nem Viet, as well as other well-known international brands such as Briannas, Peanut Butter and Co. and Delouis.

Both companies will continue to be managed as independent businesses with their own

Board of Directors, sales, marketing and logistics teams. Yet with their combined knowledge of buying contacts across many trade channels and sourcing expertise, they will be able to maximize the many opportunities available to develop their joint business ventures. This is an exciting new era for Empire Food Brokers and Bespoke Foods, whose common mission is to source authentic food brands from around the world for the UK market.

Chandresh Patel, MD, pictured, of Empire Food Brokers, said, “This is a major acquisition for our company doubling our current size and during an exciting period of growth for both companies, so we look forward to using our respective expertise to provide increased focus for our valued customers within the grocery, gift and confectionery categories.”

UK

Osborne announces he will 'fight' for full employment in UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has said that he will fight for "full employment" in Britain, making job creation a priority in the Government's economic plan.

Osborne has committed himself to putting jobs at the centre of the Conservatives' general election campaign by fighting for “full employment” in Britain. The Chancellor reportedly said his “ambition” is for Britain to have “the highest employment rate of any of the world’s leading economies”.

If Osborne's plans go ahead, nearly one million new jobs would be created by the end of the decade, aides say. Mr Osborne made sure that he did

imply the Government was guaranteeing jobs, but with more than two million still seeking work, he said it was essential to get more people back into employment.

By cutting taxes and reforming the welfare system, people

Police appeals to find killer The Met Police have a public launched appeal to find the killer of a taxi controller, knifed to death in East London.

Yasa Afzal, pictured, was attacked inside his office at Access Cars in Stratford around 8 pm.

The 22-year-old was stabbed seven times in the neck, back and midriff, by an attacker who fled the premises immediately. Detectives say the man was carrying a 'JD Sports' drawstring bag and was wearing a 'deer-stalker' type hat with flaps cov-

will be pushed into work, which will allow the UK’s employment rate to rise, Mr Osborne said during a speech in Essex.

Statistics have shown that just over 30 million people in work in the UK. Osborne said, “There is no reason why Britain shouldn’t aim to have the highest employment rate of any of the world’s leading economies.

To have more people working than any of the other countries in the G7 group. That’s my ambition.”

Mr Osborne’s promises can be seen as an acknowledgement by the Government that it still needs to do more on unemployment despite statistics showing the economy improving.

ering his ears. Police also appealed for people who were waiting at a bus stop outside the cab office on Broadway, Stratford or people on buses which stopped there to contact them.

Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Indian-origin student impresses British Foreign Secretary with his tweet Gopal Rao, an Indian student from London has won a UK Twitter prize by answering a question posted by the British Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon William Hague.

In order to attract his 200,000th Twitter follower, Mr. Hague Gopal Rao (left) with Rt Hon William Hague had invited fellow women through enterprise, suptweeters to answer the question ported by vibrant #socent cul“What do you think is the ture within UK. #meetFS” biggest contribution UK foreign As a reward, he met the policy can make to the world?”.

British Foreign Secretary and Mr. Rao, an MBA student at discussed the ‘Preventing the University of Cambridge Sexual Violence in Conflict (@gopalisation) tweeted: “UK’s (PSVC)’ Initiative which was foreign policy should focus on launched by Mr. Hague some emancipation of #girls and time ago.

Talented student not deported to Mauritius on Monday A spokesman from the school of Mauritian student Yashika Bageerathi, said that she was not on the scheduled Air Mauritius flight, although she was due to be deported from Britain on Monday. The spokesman from the Oasis Academy Hadley in Enfield added that Yashika would remain in Yarl's Wood immigration removal centre where she has been since March 19. The Home Office said they do not comment on individual cases. A legal team is due to lodge a High Court injunction to prevent the deportation. A spokesman for the school added that lawyers have already had one appeal fail.

A petition by the students from the school, calling on immigration minister James

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5

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Spriha Srivastava

In the age of social media campaign…

The last one month I was holidaying in India and I must say holidays in India are never relaxed.

You have friends and family to visit, lots of meals to share, lots of shopping to be done and more so lots of places to visit. But in all this, the trip becomes extremely colourful and fun-filled.

This time around, things looked different in both Delhi and Mumbai.

How, you may ask? With General Elections around the corner, things are being looked through three angles – BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party with each one trying to pull the other one down. Such is competition in the world of politics and this kind of competition is extremely evident during election time.

However, BJP and Congress, the two big parties in India have really upped their skills in terms of new age campaigning. I am not including AAP in this list because the party was born in the age of social media and new technology but big and more established parties like the BJP and Congress have followed traditional methods of campaigning till now which included rallies, pamphlets, bill boards etc. Campaigning on Twitter, Facebook and Whatsapp is something that was unheard of till last elections. But not this time.

“The idea is to tap young people. If you look at Delhi election voter breakup, most of them were young people so big parties want to target that audience and the best way to do that is through social media,” says a young activist who wishes to remain anony-

PM David Cameron Presents Award at Sewa Pioneers Event

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

mous.

Speak the language your audience speaks – such is the mantra of big political parties these days. And that’s not it, each of these parties have made a special effort to ensure their candidates are social media friendly in order to keep in touch with their vote banks. I remember being in Delhi during state elections in December and AAP volunteers organised a flash mob to do a “Jharoo” dance which gathered a lot of supporters. Who would have thought of a flash mob five years back in India?

Moving away from social media ways of campaigning, the political parties, especially BJP and Congress have come up with other smart ways of putting their point across too. For instance, I saw a number of billboards in Delhi with extremely catchy mottos – “Band karo bhrashtachar, ab aayegi Modi Sarkaar” (Bring an end to corruption; it’s now time for Modi government). A number of TV and radio advertisements too have been floating around that are smart and to the point.

For instance, one election ad that seemed quite popular among viewers in India was from Congress wherein a man goes 10 years back in time and realizes that there is no infrastructure, bad roads, no Metro, no flyovers and he is thinking to himself how difficult life is. But then his wife pats on his shoulder and he realizes it’s a dream. The message being what Delhi would have been without Congress. In my opinion, that’s an extremely smart ad and a very subtle way

of sending your message across.

Enthusiastic rallies, smart advertisements, catchy slogans have always been a part of election campaign in India but in this new age of technology and social media when things get broadcast within seconds, political parties have to be on their toes always. Such immense competition and mind game brings out the best in these parties especially in the run up to elections.

India is a huge democracy with a lot of potential but our politics is always branded as a dirty game. We do have a few extremely passionate and driven leaders but they never get a chance to make their way to the top or get stuck in wheels of corrupt bureaucracy.

The one good thing that technology has done has brought more and more young people in the realms of politics.

Citizens take to Twitter and Facebook immediately to voice their opinions, be it in a corruption scandal or crime against women. In such an age, it is becoming tougher for political parties to prove their worth. They need to, at every stage, think of smart ways to put their point across, reach out to their voter base in a more genuine manner and take their opinions when creating policies.

The politician-voter relationship has evolved a lot in the past few years and more so with social media keeping political parties and their members on their toes. What happens after they are elected is a different game altogether. For now, let’s sit back and watch the new age of smart campaigning in India.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

- Rani Singh

Everyone was sitting in an orderly fashion in the Members’ Dining Room for the 2013 Sewa Pioneers Awards.

Nominees had flown from across the world for this event on 26th March 2014.

Aside from across the UK, the programme highlighted nominations from Uganda, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Five MPs were listed as being behind the event, and among them, Steve Pound, Barry Gardiner, Bob Blackman and Mike Freer were visible.

Virendra Sharma, Barry Gardiner, and Steve Pound were present for the whole of the proceedings and presented awards.

In 2013, over 75,000 volunteers in more than 25 countries made a positive decision to commit their time, on Sewa Day, to get directly involved in activities that enhance the environment, relieve poverty or bring joy to their local community.

The Sewa Pioneers Award scheme recognises groups who demonstrated the spirit of selflessness by organising projects that promoted greater community cohesion and taught the importance of service to society.

The Panel of Judges included philanthropist Jigna Patel, founder of her own family foundation, Ramona Mehta, who is a leading lawyer, and GP Dr Raj Chandok from Ealing There was a musical interlude by the London Youth Gospel Choir who performed bravely in the formal surroundings.

Then British Prime Minister, the Rt Hon David Cameron MP, entered the room, escorted by aides. He sat at the front, between Sewa Day Chair Arup Ganguly and Dixit Joshi from Hong Kong. Before presenting an award to Barham Primary School, the Prime Minister told the audience that “Voluntary

Tory obsession over immigration will destroy appeal to ethnic minorities, MP warns The Conservative Party’s “immigration obsession” is destroying the party’s appeal to a large group of voters from ethnic minorities, a Tory MP Mark Field has warned.

Mr Field, the Conservative MP for Cities of London and Westminster, said that the Government needed to cut back its focus on reducing migration dramatically and instead start talking about its positive impact on Britain.

He made it clear that the target of cutting

Mark Field

migration to the “tens of thousands” was simply not going to be met and

would lead to a huge mistrust in Politics. Official statistics released alongside last week’s Budget showed the Treasury expects net migration to run at 150,000 next year, meaning the Government will miss its target by a big margin.

Mr Field’s intervention is the boldest attempt by a Tory to soften the party’s approach to immigration, which has strengthened following the electoral threat from Ukip.

At the launch of his Conservatives for

Managed Migration group today, he reportedly said, “The relentless focus on immigration by the Conservative Party appears too often to outsiders to border on the near obsessive,” he said.

“The implicit message to the electorate is that my party is fundamentally hostile to those who were not born here. This is in spite of the fact that many immigrants to Britain demonstrate just the sort of values to family and enterprise that should make them natural Tory voters.”

MP Virendra Sharma speaking before presenting an award at Sewa Day

action fits in with Big Society,” meaning that the work of Sewa Day chimes with a concept he promotes.

The Prime Minister continued: “I wanted to come today because I think Sewa Day is something really, really, special and valuable. As Prime

preaches sewa.”

I have met Arup Ganguly before, reported on Sewa Day a couple of times and it is a topic the Asian Voice takes a keen interest in covering. Arup remembered talking to me and commented, “We’ve moved on from a couple of years ago. Our

PM David Cameron with Sewa Day chair Arup Ganguly

Minister you see amazing things and get to meet amazing people but I think the thing that gives me greater pleasure than anything else I do is seeing these amazing examples of social action in our communities; the charity work, the voluntary work the putting back into society. As Gandhi once said, ‘the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others’. It seems to me that Sewa Day is absolutely in tune with that idea.”

Afterwards, Virendra Sharma, MP, and Arup Ganguly, Chairman of Sewa Day, spoke exclusively to us. Virendra said, “In the 21st century it’s important that the young generation understands and follows the spiritual side of our society, which is most important, according to all faith groups. All the gurus, all the saints, have always preached service to humanity. In our language, it is called sewa. So encouraging, inspiring others, where we can get examples to do that, is a sewa project and I am glad to be associated with it and wish it every success in the future.” In his presentation speech, Virendra had said that “every saint of every faith

global reach has expanded, our schools programme has expanded, and we had 82 schools take part last year throughout the Middle East, Asia and the UK. For me the heartening thing was the large proportion of young people taking part. Because young people are the guys who are going to change the world and take this concept forward. The world doesn’t belong to us; the next 50 years belong to them. Hopefully if we can inculcate the right message within them, the right spirit within them, they can actually save us from the world that we’ve created over the last fifty years, and that’s really the idea.”

There were all sorts of stories of community work. Singer Avina Shah explained how she had helped at an old peoples’ home.

A final award, presented by Arup Ganguly, went to the late prominent Sewa Day supporter Arjan Vekaria. There was a standing ovation as the Vekaria family came on stage.

For more information on how to take part in Sewa Day on 5th October this year, please visit: www.sewaday.org

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Mary Konye jailed for acid attack on her friend

A woman who disguised herself in a veil in order to throw acid on her friend's face has been jailed for 12 years.

Naomi Oni, 22, suffered burns to her face and chest in the attack near her home in Dagenham, east London, in December 2012.

Her friend, Mary Konye, 22, from Canning Town, allegedly attacked Ms Oni because she had called her ugly.

In a statement, Ms Oni has said that she felt suicidal at times since the attack due to her appearance.

Judge David Radford reportedly told Konye the consequences of her "deliberate" and "wicked

Naomi Oni with acid burns

Mitesh Patel

act" had been "devastating to Miss Oni". It was a "premeditated and callous" plan to "burn and disfigure" her victim, he added.

After the sentencing, lawyer Mitesh Patel from Levenes Solicitors, read a statement on Ms Oni's behalf, where she said: "My family and I have been forced to put up with

false allegations about my character, including the false allegation that I had done this to myself".

Konye's lawyer Sally O'Neill QC reportedly told the court she had admitted throwing the acid since her conviction but claims she did not intend to cause injury to Ms Oni's face.

Bank. The German lender was fined €725 million (£605 million) by the European Union’s competition watchdog in December for rigging Libor, the benchmark interest rate.

Mr Broeksmit joined the bank with Anshu Jain, now Deutsche Bank’s cochief executive, from Merrill Lynch in 1996, staying until 2001. He worked as a consultant

until 2008, when he rejoined Deutsche Bank.

Mr Jain had wanted Mr to join Broeksmit Deutsche Bank’s senior executive team as its head of risk management in 2012.

However, the German financial regulator blocked the appointment because Mr Broeksmit did not have sufficient experience of leading large teams of people.

Mr Broeksmit's death raises questions about the mental health of City workers, particularly after another vice-president Gabriel Magee, 39, of corporate and investment bank technology at JP Morgan, fell 33 storeys to his death at the bank’s London headquarters.

Investment banker suffered 'unrealistic anxiety' before his suicide

William Broeksmit, pictured, who held a top job at Deutsche Bank, was found by his wife hanged in their Chelsea home. An inquest has now heard that he had become severely distressed after learning that his former employer was being investigated by the authorities.

Mr Broeksmit was worried about regulatory inquiries into the bank last summer and had become “very anxious”, his psychologist, William Mitchell, reportedly said in a letter read out at the Royal Courts of Justice.

A series of financial scandals led to investigations and sanctions from domestic and foreign regulators last year against banks including Deutsche

Young woman accused of luring professional gambler to his death

Leonie Granger, 24, has appeared in court charged with the murder of fatherof-three Mehmet Hassan.

She is suspected of luring professional gambler Mr Hassan back to his flat after he won £3,000 at a Mayfair casino.

Mr Hassan, 56, pictured, was allegedly tied up, beaten and left to die at his home in Islington, North London. He had told friends earlier that evening that he was celebrating his win at the Mayfair celebrity spot Nobu with a mystery woman he met in the street. Granger was arrested by Scotland Yard murder squad detectives on Friday 28 March, at her home in Gillingham, Kent. She appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court, in North London, on Monday 31 March, accused of murder.

Two other men, Nicholas Chandler, 28, of Bow, East London, and Kyrron Jackson, 27, of Lewisham, South East London, also appeared in court charged with murder. Friends said Mr Hassan won more than

£3,000 playing poker at Palm Beach casino in Mayfair before heading out for dinner.

Police were called to his home almost 24hours later after his daughter could not reach him. Investigators are appealing for help tracking his last movements.

UK

7

Body found in hunt for top student refused university Police, searching for missing girl Nida Naseer, who went missing after she put out the bins three months ago, have found a body four miles from her home.

The parents of Nida Naseer, from Newport, in South Wales, were informed of the discovery on Thursday 27 March, although she has yet to be formally identified.

Nida disappeared around 8pm on December 28 after getting into a family argument. She left home without any of her belongings, including money or her mobile phone.

Police have said that the body was discovered yesterday by a passer-by at a bird reserve on the banks of the Usk. Natural

Resources Wales, which manages the wetland, said it appeared to have been washed up in an area of salt marsh.

Following Nida's disappearance, her sister said she had been angry and depressed because the family’s application for asylum was denied, which meant she was unable to go to university.

Despite being extremely smart, she was told she could not have a place while she was applying

for British residency.

Her father, Naseer Tahir, reportedly said Nida was “angry and crying” about not being able to go to university on the night she vanished. The last thing she told her parents as she stormed out of the house was: “I don’t want to go to college - I want to go to university.”

Nida, her two sisters and brother had lived in Britain for five years since the family, who are Ahmadiyya Muslims, fled Pakistan fearing persecution. Nida wanted to be a finance marketing manager and had applied to study at the University of South Wales, in Newport.

She went missing only a few days before her 19th birthday.

Father and newsagent Choudhry Zishan was beaten to death by thugs an early during morning robbery seconds from his shop.

Mr Zishan’s killers used “extreme and sickening” levels of violence in horrific attack, police hunting his killers reportedly revealed.

Mr Zishan had just left his home at around 4.30am on Sunday 30 March when two thugs

launched the brutal assault. He was taken to hospital but died of head wounds.

Officers are appealing for help to trace the attackers.

D e t e c t i v e Superintendent Paul Barton, leading the hunt, reportedly said: “I believe this was a robbery where the level of violence was extreme and sickening. I am asking for the public’s help in looking for items

that may have been discarded. In particular I am looking for some shoes worn by one of the attackers and possibly a lightcoloured top. If you find any items matching that description, please call us.”

Mr Zishan, who was married and had a young child, worked at the shop near his home.

Tributes have been pouring in for him outside the shop.

Nida Naseer

Father beaten to death seconds away from his work

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Sigma celebrate their 6th successive Annual Conference in Cancun, Mexico

Sigma Pharmaceuticals Plc celebrated their 6th Annual Conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Held at the prestigious Moon Palace Hotel resort, the conference ran from Saturday 15 February till Saturday 22 February 2014.

The growing popularity of the Sigma Annual Conference has given the event an elevated status amongst the UK pharmaceutical community and this year’s conference was even afforded full colour, front page media coverage.

The sell-out conference was a huge success and was well attended at every session with a full house for the main two days of conference business.

Comments of appreciation and accolades of praise continue to come in from grateful delegates and attendees alike, with a firm commitment to attend the proposed 7th Annual Conference 2015 in Aamby Valley in India.

The delegation was made up of Independent Pharmacists, Keynote Speakers, CPD Trainers, Trade Sponsors, Suppliers, Press and invited guests, who contributed to a week of intense engagement, addressing key issues that impacted upon community pharmacy in general.

The keynote speakers addressed such key professional issues as: The new pharmacy inspection model, risk management, shortages, clinically led initiatives, patient engagement, the new NHS England and a whole lot more…

The overall ‘call to action’ was based upon shared values within the ‘independents community’ and a greater focus on unity within the independent sector where pharmacists were in danger of running their businesses in a disparate manner and fragmenting away from the centre.

Fin McCaul (IPF Director), summed it up so well in his spirited presentation, when he challenged the conference to ‘do something different’ and also to ‘learn how to evolve and take on the new and emerging shape of

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Dr Bharat Shah, MD Sigma, Conference Chair Claire Ward, Atul Bharat Shah, Rajiv Bharat Shah with other speakers

pharmacy in the 21st century’.

Conference Chair, Claire Ward was equally emphatic in her closing address when she encouraged the conference not to ‘undersell themselves’, but ‘rise to the challenge of working together as a team’. She demonstrated her professionalism and mastery in driving forward a very busy programme, spread over 3 days of conference business. Her handling of all the sessions and the special Q&A time, was particularly noteworthy, where so many delegates were able to voice their opinions and genuine concerns in a calm and collected atmosphere.

Duncan Taylor CBE, the British Ambassador to Mexico, opened the proceedings on Monday 17th February with a positive note by reminding the conference that the Mexican market was now a real export opportunity and was on the cusp of becoming a very sizeable arena for pharmacy to fight its corner.

Duncan Rudkin from the General Pharmaceutical Council was one of two speakers, connected via a live video feed from London and interacted well with the conference in real time, on matters relating to the new

inspection model recently rolled out by the GPC and how pharmacists could maximise their strengths and get the best out of the inspection process.

‘The value of community pharmacy to the NHS’ was espoused by Dr Keith Ridge CBE, who reminded us that ‘clinically led initiatives’ was at the heart of the organisation. He also spoke encouragingly about the infrastructures that were in place to support good practice with evidence based results.

The work of the APPG (All Party Pharmacy Group) was brought to the fore by the recently knighted Sir Kevin Barron MP, who encouraged pharmacists to think how they might deliver additional services other than just dispensary needs. He went on to challenge pharmacists about thinking creatively when it came to service delivery and how they can play a very significant part in adding real value to patient care and the NHS. The NHS Alliance CEO, Rick Stern was clear about pharmacy making a ‘loud voice’ in the NHS. The secret was to get noticed by doing things differently and working together to ‘transform outcomes’. In reality, pharmacy remains a powerful

force and gets to see more people in a day than the NHS does in a week.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society was represented by Helen Gordon who stamped the NowOrNever campaign clearly on the minds of the conference.

She articulated the argument for corporate participation as a ‘must’ and not as an ‘optional extra’. The campaign which was launched at the House of Commons last year, was aimed at shaping the whole future of pharmacy in Britain. Pharmacy was being marshalled into a singular voice and poised to move forward by emulating shared models of practice being discussed and rolled out in many parts of the UK. A spirited presentation about ‘playing to one’s strengths’ was the hallmark of Mike Smith’s talk. He referred to pharmacists as ‘gatekeepers of the NHS’ and how they needed to ‘step up to the plate’ and ‘be at the top of their game’. He poured scorn on the past scandals and hypocrisy of some pharmacists and exhorted the industry to act with integrity in a media-sensitive environment. He constantly alluded to the importance of teamwork and that the pharma-

Gay Sikh Banker 'snapped' & strangled new wife with vacuum before burning her body A gay banker has admitted to strangling his wife with a vacuum cleaner pipe and burning her body in an incinerator after snapping at her' when she threatened to expose him.

Jasvir Ram Ginday, 30, is accused of murdering Varkha Rani on September 12 last year following an extravagant wedding ceremony in India six months earlier.

It is reported that the couple were cleaning their home when Ginday discovered Varkha packing her bags.

Varkha reportedly told him she knew he was gay and could not stay any longer - prompting Ginday to push the pipe against her throat with force.

In court, Ginday insisted he

posed to hide his sexuality from his parents, who would be 'shocked' and 'devastated' by the truth.

Ginday told the jury he knew he was gay from the age of 12 but felt unable to tell his parents the truth. He had never had a girlfriend before so travelled to India in October 2012 and met 15 potential wives, before asking Varkha to marry him on March 28.

But just six months later, her burnt remains Jasvir Ram Ginday with his wife were found by police at Varkha Rani on wedding day the couple’s home, the loved his wife and did not day after Ginday reported his mean to kill her, but consewife missing. Police attended quently admitted he only prothe house but did not find her

body until the next day when they became suspicious of black smoke billowing from the property. Ginday was arrested and taken to the police station although he did not confirm if the body was his wife’s.

Pathologists later confirmed the human remains found by an officer were that of Varkha and that she had died from strangulation by a metal pole being placed across her throat.

Ginday denies the charge of murder by has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and also a further charge of perverting the course of justice by lying to police.

The trial continues.

cist’s greatest asset was himself and the team he had around him.

The PSNC chief, Sue Sharpe OBE, was clear about the lack of funding for the NHS, but assured the conference that the funding in place had been ‘protected’. She was encouraged by the NHS’s appetite to support community pharmacy and this gave rise to opportunities for pharmacists to create their own future. Her closing mantra was ‘if you don’t shape your future, others will shape it for you’.

The subject of pharmacy waste was convincingly put across by Barry Gardiner MP who used powerful visual material to prove his point. A staggering £300 million was flushed away every year in wasted medicines in primary and community care. He also cited many other audited statistics that made the conference sit up and take notice of this global issue.

Paul Gershlick and John Zucker of Mathew Arnold Baldwin Solicitors entertained us with a role play scenario demonstrating our reluctance for change. They posed the question of risk involved in change and how pharmacy will need to adapt to change in order to survive. The acronym ‘PACT’ was memorised as a handy device to foster change (Profit, Agreement, Cost and Trust).

Independent Pharmacy Federation Chairman Fin McCaul summed it up so well in his passionate presentation when he challenged the conference to ‘do something different’ and also to ‘learn how to evolve and take on the new and emerging shape of pharmacy in the 21st century’.

In closing the conference, Sigma MD, Dr Bharat Shah commented, ‘this was by far our most successful annual conference with over 470 conference delegates and guests taking part in what has now become an industry favourite amongst independents. Our aims have always been heavily focused on offering added value to the independents and the community pharmacist as a whole. We expect 2015 to be full of surprises and an expectation of real progress for the pharmaceutical industry’.

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

Asian Met Police Commander Leading on Radicalisation and Honour Killings Mak (Makhdum) Chishty QPM is the Metropolitan Police Service’s West Area Link Commander.

Birmingham-born with parents from Lahore, Mak invited me to Scotland Yard for an exclusive interview.

He joined Warwickshire Police at 19, has an LLB(Hons) and a PGDipFHID. Mak was awarded the Queens Police Medal for distinguished police service in Her Majesty’s 2009 New Year’s Honours.

He is the ACPO National lead for Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriage and holds the Operational Lead for Licensing, Children and Young Persons, AntiSocial Behaviour, Drugs and Alcohol, Neighbourhood Policing and LPM Change.

Mak has been Head of Investigations, Intelligence, and Forensics. He was Rugby Borough Commander and Deputy Director for local policing there.

He graduated from the Police National Assessment Centre and attended the Strategic

Mak Chishty

Command Course, before joining the Metropolitan Police Service as a Chief Police Officer.

As North London Commander, he worked with local communities in Tottenham following the summer riots in 2011 to help rebuild relationships and restore confidence.

Cmdr Chishty then took command of West Area covering nine London Boroughs including Hounslow and Hillingdon.

He is now leading the MPS in building trust across London, working with all communities to understand their concerns and jointly develop plans to meet their needs.

Commander Mak Chishty is friendly and open. When I asked him about the paucity of British Asian police chiefs like him, he told me, “Some of that’s to do with perception and some of that’s to do with people not understanding what

child passed away last year.

Yet Mr Ali also accused social services of 'abandoning' his sister and ignoring the family's pleas to have her Sobia sectioned.

Ms Yousef's mosque has started four days of official mourning in Frizinghall, Bradford.

The supermarket was cordoned off for the most part of Tuesday as police forensic teams worked inside.

West Yorkshire Police were alerted at around 8.37am to the store, along with paramedics. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mother kills herself in Asda aisle after failing to cope with daughter's death

Mother Sobia Yousef 36, killed herself in Asda on the morning of Tuesday 25 March, after failing to cope with the death of her daughter Mehwash, 9, in October, it has emerged.

Sobia stabbed herself in the neck in the supermarket's kitchenware aisle in Shipley, West Yorkshire in front of shoppers and staff. The death of her child Mehwash, nine, who had struggled with a hole in the heart from birth, had 'triggered a collapse in her mother's mental state' and caused her to reportedly tell her family 'my life is not worth living' before she died.

Mehwesh, who had a sister, Aqsa, 14, and brother Shaweeb, 12, had a number of heart operations in her short life but experts warned that she would never make it to ten.

Ms Yousef's brother Intiaz Ali reportedly said: 'When doctors told my sister there was nothing they could do to save her daughter she changed. Sobia would not eat or drink for days and would not leave her bedside for two months'.

Bradford Councillor Imdad Hussain said she had undergone treatment at Lynfield Mount psychiatric hospital after her

the police service can offer them. If you take me as an example, I joined straight from school, worked my way through the ranks, and here I am as a commander in London, doing a job I thoroughly enjoy. I think there’s been this narrative playing that “Our people don’t join the police.” They don’t know why, they think it’s an odd job for them; they think it’s a job that can be quite rough and tumble.

You’ve got several ways of joining the police now. You can come in as a constable; you can come in as a constable with a fast track and get to inspector within five years; and what’s really new is that you can come in at superintendent level, degree qualified with an application process. Our people are more than capable of passing those.

We are looking for different communities like Asians to join because they bring in understanding, language, and cultural awareness. With all that richness we’ll be able to police in a far more effective way which means our communities get a better understanding from our police service.

The salaries and the packages are good. As a commander, you have several hundreds of people working under your direct command.” He has 4,868 offi-

cers and staff working for him.

Commander Chishty speaks Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, “a little bit of Arabic, and a little bit of French. “ I am a British Asian Muslim desi banda in uniform. People need to relate to me as someone they can work with.”

“Here I am as a Commander in London, doing a job I thoroughly enjoy.”

Mak is leading on honour killings for the Met. “I understand Asian family structures and within that I’m able to say that honour based violence is clearly wrong, against the law, Forced marriage is wrong.FGM is not going to be accepted. Given my background and appearance, Asian communities are likely to understand where I’m coming from and what I’m saying, and I hope that’ll penetrate a lot of communities. If they can relate to me, that means they can listen to me.”

There is another serious matter the police chief is hot on.

“This notion of Islamic radicalisation, where a lot of young people in particular are being radicalised,

9

by what I think is a wrong ideology that penetrates their minds and their hearts. Sometimes it’s done in very subtle ways, through the internet, through literature, through networks, through talks. I think we have to be attentive to the dangers of that. We’ve got young people travelling across to Syria to fight a war and I’m not so sure they understand what they’re doing, how harmful it is, and that it’s got to stop. It’s got to stop at that point in the home, in the street, in the community, and our communities have to stand up and stop that from happening. They can come to us and we’ll help them stop it from happening.

We’ve got to prevent this, it’s really harmful.

It’s a great democracy we live in. If people have got an issue with something they can easily make lawful protests, lobby, write to government, go to local council, go to MPs; there are a number of ways in which you can express your dissatisfaction.

Taking up arms, being violent and being radicalised is not the way to do it.”

If you have any concerns or want to know more, please contact police Rani Singh reports with BBC Radio 4 News on South Asia.

10

YOUR VOICE

British business is truly international

National Freight Corporation, British Gas, British Telecom, British Airways, British Rail, British Steel, ICI, Rolls Royce, P&O, Cadbury, Selfridges, Harrods, Gross-Rail, Bombardier, Tetley Tea, Rover, Jaguar, Li Ken Sheng, Autonomy, Sigma, Ford, Nissan, Toyota, Tata Steel, Tata Motors and many others are 40% to 100% owned by Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Qatari and many other nationals. Many Investment banks, Insurance companies, retail chains, etc. operating here are 40% of more owned by Americans, Europeans and others.

Many British companies like Unilever, Vodafone, Tesco, WWP, British Petroleum and others own and successfully operate hundreds of subsidiaries in over 70 countries.

Inward manufacturing industry not only creates jobs in that industry but further five jobs in the supply chain and logistics. Inward services industry investment again creates British jobs in those services plus further three jobs in the supply chain and logistics.

Britain Research and Development sector has some of the best British brains and benefits from technological advances developed elsewhere and brought into Britain. The British give their best to other countries.

Importing apples from New Zealand costs 50 times in CO emissions than growing them here according to research published recently. Why not produce, import or export close to home?

Sterling has lost world trade transaction share from 30% to 4% now. Euro now has 30% share. Most exports from UK are quoted in US Dollars or Euro.

Why not adopt US Dollar or Euro NOW? My minority third view for Britain is to become price transparent by adopting the Euro as its currency.

Nagin Khajuria Via Email

Indian election

Walk Down Memory Lane

ABPL on my Blackberry

Indian election image in column, “Scrutator’s” of AV 29th March, is not encouraging. Instead of joining forces to fight malignant adversary, senior veterans are fighting against the party agenda, which is pathetic. Besides intra-BJP bickering, Scrutator has not mentioned Shiv Sena, Sonia, Mayavati, Mamta Banerjee, Jayalalitha, Mulayam Singh, Lalu Yadav and Nitish kumar as obstacles facing BJP/ Modi.

Candidates and parties have forgotten agenda of election today. The agenda which should be “remove congress, save India,” has been hijacked to massage ego of senior politicians. Is it sabotage by these senior candidates, ordered by UPA, foreign agencies or mafia? Are these candidates conniving with UPA/ foreign agencies to undermine BJP/ Modiwave and ease backdoor entry of UPA/Congress? Is it possible that senior BJP politicians are part of Trojan horse, similar to am Admi Party at the behest of UPA/ foreign agency, funded by foreign agency?

While public believes media publicity about weakening Modi wave and intra BJP strife, are we sure that no such defaults are occurring in UPA, Congress and Aam Admi Party? Hype to BJP/Modiwave, may be given a sudden, secret and surprising prick to deflate the balloon, drain the vote bank and sap the morale of voters. Excess hype to struggle for Independence till 1947 ended in partition of India and irreparable trauma for India.

Optimism should not lull the voters and candidates into complacency and false sense of security. This election is not confined to Indian voters only, but to foreign espionage agents, separatists and terrorists aided by Indian traitors.

Opening last week’s post gave me pleasant surprise. The 20th Anniversary commemorative issue celebrating the victory of Hindu community against few misguided individuals of Letchmore Heath and the local council brought back the long dormant memory of the struggle to save Hare Krishna Temple from closure.

For many it was akin to Gandhiji’s struggle to free India from British Raj. The cause united Hindu community as never before, with peaceful demonstrations outside Parliament, processions in Wembley and the long march, ”Dandi March” to the temple with celebrity participations, namely Sunil Gavaskar and Rishi Kapoor, as well as many MPs, Councillors and leading members of Indian community, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Muslims and Christians forming a formidable front that no one could ignore.

Gujarat Samachar and its’ Editor Shri C. B. Patel first raised the issue, gave prominent publicity and a trickle became a torrent with MP Keith Vaz, late Dr Singhvi who was Indian High Commissioner, L.K. Advani, Frank Ward and even Nelson Mandela helped, raised the flag in support of the temple.

It was an unparalleled fight for a unique cause that turned our youths into matured campaigners, became aware of Hindu, Human rights, the community politicians ignored except at election time. It is time to revive this spirit, as Hindus have again become targets of misguided, mischief making petro dollar loving politicians who are out to maul and marginalize Hindu community, the most law abiding, highly educated and gainfully employed among the ethnic minorities.

Last year, we had to shelve our planned holidays to Egypt because of the political unrest in that country. We have now decided to revive our plans and take the opportunity to bask in the warmth of sunny Sharm-el- sheikh. We will be are away at the end of the month to enjoy the hot climes of the costal resort of Sharm which is on the shores of the Red Sea. I am glad to say that while I will be away, I will not miss my favourite AV and GS. I will log into the ABPL website in my mobile Blackberry’s browser and would be able to read this “Your Voice” column of AV. It is a great relief and reassurance that the e-editions of these papers will be providing me with the facility to read my favourite “Your Voice” column even from abroad. I wonder whether similar facility is available to readers of other papers! I also wonder that if people could read the papers on-line like this then there is little incentive to subscribe to them or to purchase them at the news agents. So what benefit ABPL gets by making them available as e-papers on-line? Having said this, I will state categorically that there is no comparison with the hard copies of the actual full sized versions. I must also confess that I always pre-empt the arrival of the papers through the post by first having a glimpse on the website a day or so before!

Opinion Poll

It has been reported in NDTV opinion poll, conducted recently for the next month Indian election predicts BJP will get 196 seats and the Congress party 106.

One has to take the result with a pinch of salt since opinion polls are always inaccurate in India due to the population. It is true that the survey is conducted by reputed companies with a large number of samples. The problem of India is that opinion polls are conducted only during the election. BJP at its own can win 160 seats.

In Britain opinion polls are conducted at regular intervals and the number of major political parties at present are only four. In India each seat is contested by several parties which have influence in some states. In the case of Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party and Bhaujan Samaj have very strong support and S.P is the ruling party in the state level. The Congress party and the BJP play only a minor role in UP politics. It is highly debatable whether BJP will increase the

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

tally from 10 to 40 because of Modi influence. In UP Bhaujan Samaj and S.P have very good organisations. In the same Way the numbers seats BJP will win additionally in Maharashtra (+13), Karnataka and Bihar (+11) and so on are over estimated.

Since AAP (Am Admi Party) has come into picture which is anti-BJP and supported by NGOs from the West including Awaz and Ford Foundation it going to take votes from Hindus.. People vote differently in the state and national elections. In 2004 even though BJP won the state election, it lost the national election and allowed Sonia Gandhi led UPA to form the government. The problem is that there is a sustained campaign by all political parties to defeat BJP and Modi and allow half Italian to lead India in the name of fighting against communalism.

Subscribe Today Asian Voice in UK for only £27.50 for one year

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ASIAN VOICE

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The Turning Point

I just read the Asian Voice supplement ‘The Turning Point’ on the campaign to save the Bhaktivedanta Manor. I must say that it is a really interesting and educative piece of journalism. It was particularly special for me as I live just 2 miles from the Temple and visit often. It is important for the younger generation and the newer immigrants like me to know about such historic movements.

My congratulations to CB and the entire team for this supplement.

Vijay Vaidyanathan Via Email

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Appeal to Indian Muslims

Voting in Indian general election will begin within a week or so. Muslim voters in India play a very important role in the election process. It should be understood voting should not be dictated by emotional consideration. What is required is both head and heart. The main thing for people in a country is whether there is sufficient employment for them. If vast majority of the people are employed the society is likely to be peaceful and harmonious. Therefore, the right attitude, the main consideration for voting should be who has the right ability and the proven credential to develop the country and create employment for the good of all concerned. Election is when politicians make a lot of promise. But promise is not proof of what a person is really capable of. It is up to the electorate to decide through proper analysis of the past performance of the candidates.

For Indian Muslims there appears to be a concern against Mr. Narendra Modi based on a certain perception about him.

It is important to understand problems do not grow by themselves. They are created by man. Antagonism to a person is not the answer to resolve a problem or concern. The right way forward is to engage with him, explain the concern and its reason, and help him to bring about the right solution. In Indian politics if there is any politician who has right ability and character to clean up corruption, bribery, nepotism and bring about right resolution of national problems it is Narendra Modi.

Dr. Jatindra Saha

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Primary school tests to be toughened

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Assessments for pupils when they start primary school and tougher tests when they leave are part of a new package of measures to monitor school performance.

Most schools in England already assess Reception children on entry to school, but this step will formalise that.

They will retain results to measure and track each pupil's progress.

The baseline assessments will be undertaken one-to-one with a member of staff and will focus on some of the key building blocks of learning, such as counting and picture and letter and number recognition.

Schools will be required to publish details of their pupils' progress, which will be measured against the average achievement level of all children in England in the same year group.

The new tests for pupils in their last year of primary school will cover maths, reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling,

and children will be expected to reach a higher level than currently.

Schools will have to ensure at least 85% of their pupils achieve the expected standard at age 11, and that pupils make their expected progress from age four, compared with others with a similar level of understanding in reception.

Newham celebrates 10 years of citizenship ceremonies

Over the past ten years, more than 35,000 residents from every corner of the world have taken part in Newham Council’s citizenship ceremonies to become British citizens.

The Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales

attended a special citizenship ceremony to mark this achievement and welcome the new British citizens to the borough.

Since 2004, more than 1,800 ceremonies have been held in Newham.

The ceremonies are a way

of welcoming new citizens to Britain and into their local community rather than just signing a document with a solicitor. All new citizens are presented with a nationality certificate and a commemorative medal.

Hull Studio School to close two years after opening A "studio school" in Hull is to close just two years after opening, the trust which runs it has confirmed.

Hull Studio School, which opened in September 2012, "struggled" to attract enough students and will close in August, said Hull College Group (HCUK). It is one of more than 40 "studio schools" which have opened since 2010 or are due to open and is designed to mix academic study and paid work.

As well as studying for GCSEs and vocational qualifications, studio school students work on paid placements with local employers on real-life business projects.

Studio school pupils do weekly work experience and follow "nine-to-five" hours with the aim of getting them ready for the work environment. The first two Studio Schools opened in September 2010 in Huddersfield and Luton.

Since Hull Studio

School opened in 2012, offering a maximum of 300 places for students aged 14 to 19, there has been a "significant change in the availability of quality education provision" in the city, a HCUK statement said.

"As a result of these developments and the high proportion of surplus places in the area, the school has struggled to recruit the number of students necessary to secure its viability," it added.

Younger siblings rebuffed at school Younger children may think starting school will enable them to spend more time with their big brother or sister. But new research from Australia suggests that hope is not shared by the older sibling.

The study, quoted in the Times Educational Supplement (TES), found younger children looked on older siblings as heroes.

But it seems the older children often prefer to hang

around with anyone but their younger family member.

The study was carried out by academics from Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, and was published in the International Journal of Early Years Education.

It looked at children from four schools and 10 pre-school services and asked them to imagine what school life might be

like.

One in 10 of the predictions made involved an older sibling in some way.

The thought of being able to play with siblings during breaks was found to be is an exciting prospect for children preparing to start school.

However, it seems the older family members are not as keen on the idea of spending time with the little ones.

EDUCATION/COUNCIL VOICE

11

Goverment may send ‘inspector’ to Tower Hamlets after BBC Panorama

A government inspector could be sent to investigate Tower Hamlets Council following tonight’s episode of BBC Panorama, a government minister has said.

Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, told the BBC he would consider intervening in Tower Hamlets if the allegations in the programme stands up.

Tonight’s BBC Panorama which aired Monday took a critical look at Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s time in office since his election in 2010.

The Mayor has brand-

Mayor Lutfur Rahman

ed the programme “racist and Islamophobic” after being leaked information about it from a junior staffer at the BBC, including details of Panorama’s confidential sources.

Mr Pickles said:

“Panorama has unearthed some very serious allegations that demand an answer. I think the allegations or questions that Panorama raise are of a completely different magnitude to worries and concerns that I have with other councils.”

Mr Pickles said he would ask his officers to review the contents of the programme.

He added: “If I feel the allegations that you made are substantial and serious, I will actively consider intervening. I have powers to put in an inspector to look at the way that the council’s been run.”

State pupils do better at university State school pupils do better at university than independent school candidates who have achieved the same A-level grades, a study shows.

The Higher Education Funding Council (Hefce) tracked 130,000 students beginning degrees in 2007, looking at schooling, background and ethnicity.

It found on some measures state pupils were significantly more likely to

get a 2:1 than their private school peers.

Private schools said a bigger share of its pupils overall got a 2:1 or above.

The Independent Schools Council highlighted figures in the report showing that 67% of independent school pupils achieved a 2:1 or above, compared with 62.3% of state school and college pupils. But when students with the same A-level

grades were compared, the results were different.

Of those students who achieved ABB at A-level, some 69% of students from independent schools went on to gain 2:1 or a above compared with about 77% of students educated at state schools.

And at three Bs, 61% of independent students pupils got a 2:1 or above compared with 70% of state school students.

12

MEDIA WATCH

Amidst the hurly burly of electoral politics, its high fever and shifting currents, spare a thought for the poignancy of a man who once held power as India’s prime minister and led it capably for six difficult years, but is now silent, struck down by a stroke in 2009, barely comprehending the world around him.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee, BJP prime minister from 1998 to 2004 sits mutely in a wheelchair in his Delhi home, staring at a television set, glancing briefly at a newspaper headline. He has only an occasional visitor these days. A regular caller is N.M.Ghatate, a close personal friend of sixty years. L.K Advani and Major General (retd) B.C.Khanduri, who became Chief Minister of Uttarkhand are the former prime minister’s other visitors.

Mr Ghatate told a newspaper reporter: “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh makes regular enquiries about his health and never misses wishing Vajpayeeji personally on his birthday.” (Times of India March 26). Despite signs to the contrary, there is decency left in Indian politics - packaged with its all-you-can-eat-buffet comedies. Out of sight should not mean out of mind.

IM leader arrested

In yet another major success, Indian intelligence agencies in a cooperative exercise tracked down 23 year-old Indian Mujahideen (IM) leader, Tehsin Akhtar, alias Monu, who had been on the run for the past four years, to his hideout at Karkarbitta in West Bengal, near the Nepal border, where a Special Cell of the Delhi Police

educated Chennai students are fighting alongside Sunni groups in Syria against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. This is simply the latest evidence that Indian jihadis are making common cause with transnational groups. In 2007, Bangaloreborn, London-based Kafeel Ahmed, a post-doctoral scientist, was killed, as he drove a jeep full of explosives into Glasgow Airport. That summer Kashmiri resident Aijaz Ahmad Malla was killed in Afghanistan fighting with the local Taliban.

Overseas training

Ajai Sahni, of Delhi’s Institute of Conflict Management, says: “Trained by jihadists overseas, and able to access their resources, these new recruits could prove the core of a more lethal outfit than any we have seen before. The last few years have seen several political development which have stoked fears among Muslims.

There are those who have tried to capitalize on these fears, and the Chennai jihad case shows these elements are having some success on the extreme fringes of “Muslim political opinion. ” (Hindu March 25)

Prioritizing Arunachal power project

Indian Mujahideen operative Tehsin Akhtar

arrested him. His arrest comes three days after Zia-ur-Rehman alias Waqas, a Pakistani member of the IM, and three accomplices were held in Ajmer in Rajasthan . Tehsin Akhtar had taken charge of IM operations in India following the capture of IM head Yasin Bhaktal last August. Sources said the Delhi Police acted on the information received from India’s external Research & Intelligence Wing (RAW), with inputs from the internal Intelligence Branch (IB). Akhtar was followed from his Nepal base to Bengal, from where he planned to slip across the border into neighbouring Bangladesh. Akhtar has been a vital catch. He will likely provide critical information on the IM’s sleeper cells across India.

Information extracted from him and Waqas, the latter an expert bomb-maker, has led detectives to identify 18 IM terrorists.

(Hindu, Times of India March 28)

Indian jihadis in Syria

A Singapore-based jihadi cell has revealed to an Indian newspaper that its recruited well

Government in Delhi has held wide-ranging talks with the Arunachal State authorities and officials from Assam on ways and means to expedite the construction of an ambitious power project with a 2,000 MW capacity on the Lower Subansiri river in Arunachal Pradesh as a counter to Chinese plans to divert water from the mighty Brahmaputra in Tibet northward to China’s northern plain.

This will be India’s largest hydro-electric project and a test of the country’s engineering skills. The plan and its implementation have been placed under the authority of the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) Ltd. Of the eight projects, with a total power generating capacity of 7,912MW, only the Lower Subansiri (the biggest of the lot) has reached the construction stage. (Mint March 26)

Record FII inflows

The present current financial year ending March 31 has been among the top five in terms of purchasing activity by foreign institutional investors. The FIIs have been net buyers of Rs 73,000 crore, the fourth high-

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

est. Vaibhav Sanghvi, Director, Ambit Investment Advisors, said: “There have been a lot factors aiding inflows. It also has to do with the fact that among emerging market countries, India has been one of the stable. In recent times the currency has been stable due to the government and Reserve Bank moves.”

(Business Standard March 26)

Sensex at record high

As the Sensex soared to a record high, the value of the rupee rose against the US dollar to close at 60.14, its strongest since July 30, 2013.

The rupee has witnessed a dramatic turnaround.

Eight months ago it was the worst performing currency among emerging market currencies, now it is the best performing. It is now Rs 59.91to the US dollar Along with high fund inflows, a positive set of economic data, the shrinking current account deficit as well as easing inflation, bodes well for the Indian economy going forward. The rupee stabilized before rebounding after the Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan took several important steps to halt its slide.

(Hindu March 27, 29)

Sunil Gavaskar with N. Srinivasan.

Poverty eradication, healthcare advancing Philanthropist Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Gates Foundation with her husband Bill, has said that India is clos-

See Comment page 3

gigantic national endeavour.

World poverty eradication may be hugely ambitious, she said; however, “If there is any place on earth that has seen that is possible, it’s India. In the last sixty years, India’s per person income has quadrupled. Sure, that is in part due to India’s

Mega Australian project on line

Vivus Global Australia Ltd, an investment and projects company, is to invest Rs 15,000 crore in the construction of a shipbuilding facility along the Konkan coast in Maharashtra.

The Sydney-based firm has chosen the Ratnagiri district as its 1,200 acre site. In February, Vivas Global made a strategic acquisition in buying Rajapur Shipyards Pvt Ltd, which had all the necessary government permits including environmental and coastal regulatory clearances. Vivus Global plans to build a 450 acre township complete with schools, hospitals and modern housing for 5,000 families. The shipyard, designed to deliver 32 large ocean-going ships a year, is expected to be operational within two years. The Rajapur yard will focus on three segments – commercial vessels, naval ships and oil drilling rigs capable of operating in deep waters. (Mint March 26)

Court order for UP riot victims

The Supreme Court of India has ordered the Uttar Pradesh state government to pay Rs 150,000 compensation to the kin of the 63 people killed in the Muzaffarnagar communal riots last September. The Court also ordered the state government to pay Rs 500,000 to victims of rape. Adequate compensation should also be paid to farmers who had lost their cattle, tractors and crops.

The Bench of three Justices stated: “No compensation can be adequate…..for the victims of the riots but as the State has failed in preventing such serious violations of fundamental rights…..” (Hindu March 27)

Melinda and Bill Gates

ing in on the goal of eradicating mass poverty and improving access to healthcare for all its citizens. “There so much to be excited about,” she told an interviewer. “There is so much human potential in India, and it’s being realized more and more every day. All across the country, there have been such wonderful examples of what can happen when people are able to take a role in shaping a better future for themselves and their families and help push India towards that future.”

Polio-free India

The Gates Foundation was involved in the mass vaccination campaign to eradicate polio in India, which the UN declared last week, was now free of the scourge. “Frontline workers”, said Ms Gates the major role were central to this

sizeable and highly skilled population, but it’s also because when we invest in healthy children, we build a productive workforce for the future – and that can lift everyone up.”

Ms Gates referred to the economic and social progress, in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where substantially high growth rates had taken these States forward (Mint March 12)

Hercules helicopter crash

An Indian Air Force Super Hercules (C-130) helicopter crash near Gwalior resulted in the deaths of its five-man crew has caused shock and consternation. An IAF inquiry into the cause of the tragedy will be eagerly awaited by its US Boeing manufacturer as the heavy-lift helicopter is widely used across the world.

Wreckage of Super Hercules C-130 helicopter

13

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Asian Voice hosts successful 2-

YOUTH CONFERENCE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Asian Voice Networking Evening On Friday 28 March 2014, Asian Voice hosted a fantastic networking evening, as part of its two-day annual Youth Conference.

The evening gave some of most intelligent the youths of today, the chance to network with our highly successful panel of judges as well as mingle with like-minded individuals in various different fields. Over 150 guests attended the buzzing evening, which took place at PwC's cool and contemporary headquarters in More London Riverside. Creative, entrepreneurial, dedicated and determined youngsters all gathered together under one roof to make the evening a smashing success!

The talks were kickstarted by Compere Alpesh Patel, founding Principal of Praefinium Partners Ltd, who certainly got guests moving and with his interacting Apprentice-inspired competition. The sponsor for the evening was PwC Hindu Network and Sunil Patel, lead Partner for Government and Health Industries within Consulting at PwC, welcomed everyone on behalf of the Network. The talented panel of Speakers included Rajeeb Dey, Founder and CEO of Enternships, and CoFounder of Start-Up Britain, Lainy Malkani, journalist and founder and director of the Londonbased social enterprise the

Rupanjana Dutta welcoming the guests

Tanveer Mann doing the vote of thanks

L-R: Daksha Raval, PWC Hindu Network, Rovin George, Business Development Manager, ABPL, Rupanjana Dutta, Organiser, Asian Voice Youth Conference, Nilesh Solanki, PWC Hindu Network, Kamal Rao, News Editor, ABPL, Tanveer Mann, Co-Organiser Asian Voice Youth Conference, L George, Chief of Operations, ABPL, Akshay Desai, Chief Accountant, ABPL, Aekta Mahajan, Workshop Convener, AV Youth Conference, Compere for the evening- Alpesh Patel, Sunil Patel, PWC Hindu Network and Krupa Patel, PWC Hindu Network Speakers: Jaz Deol, Arjun, Lainy Malkani, Roma Agrawal and Rajeeb Dey

Social History Hub, Jaz Deol, successful actor, who has worked with renowned theatre companies the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, the Young Vic, the National Youth Theatre and the Theatre 503, Arjun, British singersongwriter, record producer and actor and Roma Agrawal, an Associate Structural Engineer at WSP, who all shared the journeys and challenges along the way.

After an enlightening Q&A with the Speakers, competition winners were announced, followed by some drinks and delicious canapés and networking.

Sponsors for the Youth Conference

Networking Evening Sponsor: PWC Hindu Network PwC Hindu Network established since 2005, as the first Hindu professionals network in the City, is an inclusive network which supports the Board's diversity strategy. Within the firm there are a large number of people who follow, or are interested in, Hindu culture.

Founder and Chair Nilesh Solanki wanted to create a platform to bring together Hindu professionals to collaborate, network and learn. Sunil Patel (Partner) and Umang Paw (Partner) who are advisory board members supporting the network strategically and managed by a team of 10.

Their objective is to provide a meeting point for people who follow, or are interested in, Hindu culture and act as a cultural network with social and speaker events, discussions, debates and celebrate Hindu festivals. The network, its meetings and events are open to all members of the firm, irrespective of their beliefs.

Competition sponsors: l Rock On Music: Rock On Music, has been bringing successful musical concerts to the Asian audience in UK for many years promoting richness of Indian Music and Culture. They are the forerunners of presenting talented

artists at the most prestigious venues in the UK with super hit shows. l Namaaste Kitchen: Namaaste Kitchen is a critically-acclaimed modern Indian Grill and Indian Restaurant in London in the heart of buzzing Camden Town and trendy Primrose Hill is a stunning discovery from Chef-Patron Sabbir Karim winner of The Best Chef Of The Year 2012 and owner of Salaam Namaste. l Tea at House of Commons by Seema Malhotra MP: Seema Malhotra was elected Labour and Co-operative MP for Feltham and Heston in December 2011.

In October 2013, Seema was promoted to the Opposition Whips Office after serving for a year as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities, as well as being a Member of the Justice Select Committee. l KitchinN1: The restaurant is centred round a theatre-island kitchen where you can watch the chefs prepare their succulent creations. Particularly popular are the Live Cooking sections where you choose the ingredients and the chef transforms them into delicious meals right in front of you. You can enjoy as much food as you like for one price. l Shiv Events: Shiv Events are UK's popular Weddings & Corporate and Private events management company, They offer exclusive services to coordinate & design weddings with a stressfree planning process. From spacious conference rooms to private dining rooms, Shiv Events can find your company the perfect venue for all corporate events.

Sabbir Karim announcing one of the winners of the competition. From L-R: Priyen Shah, L George, Sabbir Karim & Alpesh Patel

Asian Voice Workshops

On Saturday 29 March 2014, both similar and new faces made their way down to Impact Hub, King's Cross to attend the second part of the Youth Conference. More interactive and hands-on, the theme of the workshops was designed to provide youngsters with the power to think differently, develop innovative business ideas and pursue their career ambitions through building effective interpersonal, entrepreneurial and leadership skills. The venue proved extremely fitting for the theme, as the 'business incubator' offered a unique place for inspiration and collaboration opportunities.

A series of workshops

took place, which were led by volunteers from the City Hindus Network, a voluntary not-for-profit organisation created to promote networking, personal development and charity among Hindu professionals in London. The workshops included: building

your brand, what it takes to become an entrepreneur, skills of successful people and preparing for interviews, which all included different competitions. Before the day concluded, the three winners were announced and participation certificates were distributed to all.

Dimpi Dattani hosting ‘Skills of successful people’ workshop with participants

Competition winners being announced

-day Inspirational Youth Conference YOUTH CONFERENCE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Jaz Deol

Lainy Malkani

Roma Agrawal

Neil Gomes, Dilveer Ubbey, Param Singh, Communications Director, CSN and Baldeep Ghataore

Kavit Shah, Madan Raj & Priyen Shah

Rajeeb Dey

Alpesh Patel

Chayya, Roma Agrawal, Arun Chabria, Iman Qureshi & guests

Sunil Patel

15

Arjun

L-R: Prinal Nathwani, Chairman, CHN, Shefali Davda & a guest

Guests networking and posing for photos at the Networking Evening

Guests listening to speeches

Sponsors

House of Commons

16

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Congress candidate Masood wants to ‘chop’ Modi in tiny pieces

Lucknow: A fanatic Congress candidate from Saharanpur constituency in Uttar Pradesh said that he would chop NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in pieces if he would try to do a Gujarat in Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress candidate Imran Masood during a poll related meeting was quoted as saying in a video that the Muslims of the State would chop him (Modi) in tiny pieces.

Caught on tape, Masood was heard saying that Uttar Pradesh has more Muslims than Gujarat and if Modi thinks this is Gujarat then he is mistaken. The extremist candidate also said that he was ready to give up his life for his people and he would neither scare of death or of killing.

Realizing his fanatic statement, later on Masood tried to clarify that it was an old statement, adding that he will only apologise if Modi seeks pardon for his misdeeds in Gujarat.

Meanwhile, taking note of from Masood’s

Imran Masood, the Congress candidate from Saharanpur was sent to jail after a Deoband court remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody. The Congress could do little but cancel Masood's election campaign rally that the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi was to address in Saharanpur.

Rahul distanced himself from Imran Masood saying that the words that "he has used against a leader of the opposition do not reflect the ideology of the Congress. Congress does not have such a thought process."

Rahul made the statement at a public meeting in Ghaziabad where he was campaigning for his party candidate Raj Babbar.

booked him under Section 153 A– promoting enmity between different groups 295 A – deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs – 504 – Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

A video of the speech shows Masood saying that they (Uttar Pradesh Muslims) would "cut Modi into pieces" if he dared to treat Muslims here "the way he had in Gujarat".

The BJP national president Rajnath Singh has described the incident as a manifestation of the extent to which the Congress Party and its candidates were willing to stoop to in a battle which they know they have already lost. The move may come as a major embarrassment for the Congress party which has already distanced itself from the controversy saying that no one should use such a language during campaigning.

The Election Commission has now sought the details of Masood's speech. The District Magistrate (DM) Saharanpur who is also the Election Officer for the district said he has ordered an inquiry into the entire episode. "The sub divisional magistrate (SDM) of the area has been asked to secure a copy of the video and a detailed report will be prepared once we have the transcript of the speech in the video," he said.

her. Alarmed, Nagma slapped the youth that led to further chaos.

Jali Kothi area is only at a stone's throw from Sadar police station and yet the quantum of police force was reportedly quite inadequate during the

Congress candidate's visit. Before leaving, Nagma tried to pacify the crowd but her efforts had little effect on them. When the situation went out of control, most of the senior leaders of the Congress including Dr Mairajuddin, Yusuf Qureshi, Ramesh Dhingra left the scene.

“The administration has shown a very casual attitude towards the protection of Nagma who happens to be an actress apart from the only woman candidate from this area. We have met the DIG and the IG in this regard and demanded adequate security for the candidate,” said a Congress leader.

hate speech against BJP’s PM candidate, Sarahanpur Police has

Masood sent to jail for 14 days

Actor turned politician Nagma slaps youth at election rally

Meerut: Film actress turned Congress candidate from Meerut Lok Sabha constituency, Nagma slapped a man when she was mishandled by an unruly mob at Jali Kothi area during a meeting related to election campaign.

The party workers had a tough time in evacuating her from Jali Kothi, predominantly a Muslim locality. A huge crowd had gathered to see the actress of yesteryear. The moment she arrived, the public went berserk as they jostled to get a glimpse of the celebrity politician. Within no time, the crowd turned unruly and one of the youths got too close to

Congress manifesto pr

The party comes out with six more rights – to health, pensio conditions which according to its leader would work as supple

New Delhi: Sticking with in its welfare-based model of governance, the Congress yet again promised a slew of rights in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections, focusing on improvement of life for middleclass.

The oldest political party which headed United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for two terms claimed that it had implemented 90 per cent of its 2009 manifesto and laid out a 100-day agenda for growth on its return to power. It also promised to support the “goodwill nurtured for decades” among socialist countries on the foreign policy front.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi released manifesto with the slogan ‘your voice, your pledge’. During the function, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi remained present.

Laying emphasis on its tested formula of rights-based legislation, the party has promised six more rights –

to health, pension, homestead, social security, dignity and humane working conditions, as well as entrepreneurship to “protect and assist all those who seek to become entrepreneurs”.

The party said these rights would “supplement” the other rights brought in by its government, including the Right to Information, Education, Food and

“The last 10 years had seen a “tremendous economic change and social empowerment” under the UPA regime. She also said since it was not possible to include all suggestions in the manifesto, the party would release them through subsequent publications.”

“

- Sonia Gandhi

Strip Sonia, Rahul & send to Italy: BJP MLA

New Delhi: As Lok Sabha polls are coming closer, more and more politicians are involving in below-the-belt remarks against their opponents. Just few days back, a Congress candidate in Uttar Pradesh threat BJP’s PM candidate that he would chop Modi in pieces. Now, BJP MLA Hiralal Regar wants to strip Sonia and Rahul and plans to send them to Italy. During an election rally, Regar from Niwai-Piplu threatened to send Sonia and Rahul back to Italy without clothes if BJP comes to power. The Congress took objection to the remark and complained to the Election Commission.

Regar, however, later apologised for the remark. He was quoted as saying, "I have not taken any name. If anyone is hurt by my comments, I apologise."

Employment.

Speaking at the event, Rahul — who had initiated a five-month process of consultation for drafting the manifesto – said the manifesto was “truly the voice of the people of this country” since the Congress had decided to draft it “not behind closed doors” but by taking it “to the people”.

Claiming 90 per cent of the 2009 manifesto had been implemented by the UPA government, the Congress vice president said, “We believe for this country to grow, there has to be a strong partnership between business, economic sectors and the poor…This country cannot grow by neglecting either”.

The manifesto proposes to increase health expenditure to 3 per cent of GDP to support the Right to Health and provide “universal and quality healthcare for all Indians (including free medicines)”.

This promise comes at a time when a similar experiment, bogged down by implementation issues, by the previous Congress government in Rajasthan is seen to have

“The manifesto a “forward document” and claimed the U ernment’s 10-year record ha far better than that of the N every sphere

“

- Manmohan Singh

Modi to resort on virtual e

AV Correspondent

Gandhinagar: Apart from 185 public rallies across the length & breadth of country as part of his poll campaign strategy, NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is all set to rock more than 500 virtual public meetings using ‘3D Holographic Projection’ technique, from the next month onwards.

During the election campaign of Gujarat assembly in December 2012, the Gujarat Chief Minister did nearly 180 such virtual public meetings which were popularized as ‘3D rallies’. The virtual rallies of Modi generated lots of interest amongst the people.

Later on Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh also utilized this technique to reach out more people.

According to a senior BJP leader in Gujarat, the idea is to organize at least one 3D rally in each Lok Sabha constituency. Such virtual rallies would be arranged simultaneously in multiple locations.

During Gujarat assembly elections it struck the chord with people in different con-

stituencies simultaneously.

“Candidates of BJP and allies parties are demanding at least one public meeting of Modiji, but it is practically not possible for a single person to reach everywhere.

Availability of holography projection technique would help to solve this problem,” he said.

A studio has already been created in the State capital

SPECIAL

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omises six more rights

on, homestead, social security, dignity and humane working ment to right to information, education, food and employment failed to make any electoral impact.

To make the country more business-friendly, the manifesto says it is committed to improving the country’s “Ease of Doing Business” ranking from 134 to 75 within five years.

To tackle the hot political issue of black money allegedly stashed away in foreign banks – an issue the BJP talks about dealing with through legislation if brought to power — the Congress manifesto has proposed appointing a “special envoy” to recover such money. The party’s manifesto for the 2009 election was silent on the issue.

Another new entrant into the manifesto is a promise to “enact a law to ensure that consensual sexual relations between adults of the samesex are not criminalized”. The Congress has laid out a “100day agenda for growth” in what seems like an attempt to correct some of its biggest failures on the economic front.

Under this, it has committed to implement a series of measures within 100 days of forming the g overnment

looking PA govad been NDA in

BJP dubs the manifesto as ‘document of deceit’

The BJP described Congress manifesto as a “document of deceit” which was a “rank insult to people”. “It is not a manifesto but a document of deceit. It is rank insult to the people of India,” was BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad’s reaction to Congress Ravi Shanker Prasad party’s manifesto.

including ensuring the enactment of the Goods and Services Tax bill by next year; announcing a detailed job agenda to create 10 crore new jobs for youth; returning to adhering to the FRBM Act to achieve fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of GDP; setting up a National Investment Facilitation Authority to identify delayed projects and resolve inter-ministerial issues and setting up a National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority to conduct “rigorous and time-bound environmental appraisals and recommend environmental clearances where appropriate in a time-bound and transparent manner”.

It also promises a “clear policy on tax treatment of foreign firms and M&A transactions”. UPA-2 has received much flak for its amendment to the Finance Act in the wake of the Vodafone tax case judgement and a clarification on the controversial retrospective tax provision has been long awaited.

election rallies across India Gandhinagar. Modi would deliver his speeches for virtual rallies from the studio which will be connected with multiple locations through satellite. The rallies would be organized in such a way that people would feel that Modi himself arrived at the venue and delivering speech to them. Even content for the speech would be tailor made specifically to the targeted constituency or region.

In the Gujarat election, Modi had addressed 53 rallies simultaneously, but in the case of Lok Sabha elections, NaMo would be seen even more locations simultaneously. People ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 remained present at each locations.

Sources connected with the technology said that ‘3D Holographic Technology’ first received attention worldwide in 2008 when Prince Charles addressed the World future energy summit and made his first appearance as a hologram in a bid to reduce the royal carbon footprint. A sixminute address of Prince

Charles was recorded in the drawing room of his Clarence house earlier. In past, American leader Al Gore launched Live Earth Tokyo in a high-tech, virtual way – as a hologram using Holographic Projection.

As per the details available online on this technology, the images used are threedimensional images, but projected as two-dimensional images into a 3D stage set, therefore the mind of the audience create the 3D illusion. This means that production costs are minimal, needing only the single camera lens for filming and a single projector for the playback – hence the phrase ‘Glassesfree viewing’.

Narendra Modi’s 3D interactions during the assembly elections created world record. The Guinness World Record for the most simultaneous broadcasts of the Pepper’s Ghost Illusion is now held by Raj Kasu Reddy and Mani Shankar of NChant 3D for bringing a live 55 minute electoral speech of Narendra Modi to 53 locations across Gujarat on 10th December 2012.

For women, the Congress has reiterated its commitment to the enactment of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, while promising to ensure that “at least 25 per cent of total police officers, sub-inspectors and constables at every police station” are women in the next five years.

On the foreign policy front, the manifesto calls for “steady support to Palestine” and a continuance to supporting the “goodwill nurtured for decades amongst socialist countries”. It also talks about working with other countries to “prevail upon Sri Lanka to ensure a credible, objective, time-bound inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and excesses committed by the Sri Lankan forces”.

Other sections include “empowering Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes”, “safeguarding minorities”, “agriculture and farmer welfare”, “accelerating industrial and manufacturing growth”, “fighting corruption” and “governance reforms”.

Gujarat govt refutes Kejri allegations

The BJP-led Gujarat Government refuted Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal’s allegation on land acquisition, suicide of farmers in Gujarat and plight of small industries saying that the national convener of the AAP is spreading false information to tarnish the Gujarat Chief Minister’s image. Kejriwal is also contesting against the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi from Varanasi.

The State Government spokesperson said that despite his (Kejriwal) efforts to gain cheap publicity out of ‘falsehood’, he would neither succeed in reducing Modi’s popularity nor lessen the pace of development during the tenure of Modi Government in Gujarat. In a rebuttal, Modi Government said that the allegations made

by Kejriwal during his visit to Varanasi might get him cheap publicity but by spreading counterfeit information one cannot achieve anything.

17

Antony & Kejriwal – Pak agents: Narendra Modi

Jammu: Training his guns on defense minister AK Antony and Arvind Kejriwal, NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi said they are speaking Pakistani language and termed them as “Pakistani Agentes”.

“Three AKs have emerged as a unique strength for Pakistan. One is AK-47 which has been used to cause bloodshed in Kashmir. The second is AK Antony, who informs Parliament that people wearing the dress of Pak army beheaded our soldiers while our Army says Pakistanis had come. Who do you want to benefit with your statement...," he asked during a meeting.

Taking a dig at Kejriwal, who resigned after 49 days as chief minister in Delhi, as the "Third AK which is AK-49 who was instrumental in forming Aam Aadami Party (AAP).

“The map AAP’s website has shown Kashmir in Pakistan. A senior member of his party is shouting himself hoarse demanding plebiscite in Kashmir.

Pakistan is dancing over their statements. These agents of Pakistan, enemy of India, you are speaking the language of Pakistan,” he said.

Invoking the name of Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Modi accused them of speaking

UPA's new slogan is 'Mar Jawan, Mar Kissan’: NaMo

Hiranagar (Jammu), Launching a scathingly attacked on the Congress' weak approach to protecting the interests of both the country's security forces and farmer. He said the ruling UPA's new slogan is 'Mar Jawanm, Mar Kissan (Die Soldier, Die Farmer)." "Lal Bahadur Shashtri used to say 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan'.

Today's Congress and UPA seems to have adapted that slogan to 'Mar Jawan, Mar Kisan,' the Gujarat Chief Minister said while

the language of Pakistan while Mookerjee had sacrificed his life for Jammu and Kashmir. More Indian soldiers have sacrificed their lives here than in any war, he said.

He was attacking

addressing the first of his three Bharat Vijay rallies for the day here. He said the Congress is misleading the people by wearing a veil of secularism to hide their failures.

"When I say the youth needs employment, they say secularism will be in danger; I talk of farmers problems, and they again say secularism first.

These are people who have no answers for the 125 crore people of India and they're trying to mislead the masses by empty slogans of secularism," he said.

Antony over his statement made in Parliament last year when Pakistani armymen had intruded into Mendhar sector in Jammu and Kashmir and killed two Indian soldiers, beheading one of them.

‘Item Girl’ Rakhi Sawant to contest election

Mumbai: The Lok Sabha election in Mumbai NorthWest constituency will get a dose of glamour with the entry of Bollywood item girl Rakhi Sawant as an Independent candidate. "I have been virtually mobbed by people demanding that I should fight the election, so here I am," said Sawant. She will lock horns with Congress's former union minister and party general secretary Gurudas Kamat and Shiv Sena's Gajanan Kirtikar.

Others in the fray are Bollywood actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, producer-actor Kamaal R. Khan of the Samajwadi Party and Mayank Gandhi of the Aam Aadmi Party. Sawant had recently called on the Bharatiya Janata Party's top leadership in New Delhi and expressed her admiration for its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

“I was offered a BJP ticket from Srirampur in West Bengal. But I am from Mumbai and known Hindi and Marathi. I don't know

the local language of West Bengal, so why should I stand from there?" she said. “Please give me one chance and see what I can do,” the actress urged.

Sawant said she was leaving the film industry for the cause of the people and would take up cudgels for women for dignity and respect in society.

Sawant was attired in a green outfit and covered her head with a scarf as she posed for media persons.

Rakhi launches party, wants 'green chilli' as symbol

Television entertainer Rakhi Sawant launched a new party called Rashtriya Aam Party (RAAP). She plans to receive the ‘green chilli’ symbol that "resembles her persona". Gaily displaying green chillishaped earrings and a bracelet, Sawant the party's only candidate for now, said, "I am neither an orphan politician nor an Independent. Now I have my own party. I am

the vice-president." She defended the party's choice of name, which is a take-off on the Aam Aadmi Party, saying the two had nothing in common. "I will release a proper manifesto after a few days but I want to serve the poor and uplift the status of women. I will give my last drop of blood to serve the 'dukhi janata' and provide an alternative to those who are fed up with corruption," she said.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

There can be little doubt about male dominance in finance when only one out of a hundred of the UK’s largest companies are headed by a woman. Even in the US, it’s a similar proportion of women who head Fortune 500 companies.

How ironic. Research shows 46 per cent of all US businesses are owned by women, and employment at women-owned businesses is growing at 18 per cent, compared with 8 per cent for all companies, according to business magazine Forbes. Actually, US women have an average net worth of £1.96 billion compared with the men, at £1.45 billion.

And when it comes to investment, research also shows women make better investors than men.

Luckily for men, there is much they can learn from women. What is it women do in stock picking, research, trading, that produces better results and how can men use the web to close the gender gap?

Women’s portfolio’s earned 1.4% annually more than men’s did in a study of over 35,000 investors by the University of California at Davis. Indeed single women earned 2.3% annually more than single men.

Poor male performance is due to over-trading according to the study. Men trade their accounts 45% more often than women. And single men shuffle their holdings 67% more than single women. Perhaps the adage about men’s fear of commitment is true after all.

A National Association of Investors Corporation ten-year study found all-female investment clubs outpaced all-male investment clubs by producing 23.8% average compounded lifetime annual returns compared to 19.2% for male clubs.

So what lessons are there for men? After all, as a gender, we men are always ready and willing to learn from women, aren’t we? Do not male drivers at the first opportunity admit they are lost and ask passersby for help?

First, save transaction costs by not churning your portfolio. Second, men should spend more time researching before investing. Fear of making a mistake was 50% to 60% higher among women than among males according to the US National Center for Women & Retirement Research. Consequently, women spend 40% more time than men researching and are also less likely to trade on a ‘hot tip’. Third men need to reign in their overconfidence. 52% of men express confidence in their ability to invest wisely, compared to just 38% of women according to the American Savings Economic Council. Men are overconfident in their abilities to pick market beating stocks.

This in turn often makes women better traders – more risk averse, awaiting clearer market signals for good trading opportunities and more diversified.

So what do women need? A little more confidence to start investing, but not so much as to make them bad investors, appears to be the difficult resolution.

Surat gets air connectivity to Kolkata

A private carrier established air connectivity from Surat to Kolkata on Sunday, a long cherished dream of city-based businessmen. This private carrier had earlier connected Surat by air with Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.

South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president

Kamlesh Yagnik said, "Train takes two nights to reach Kolkata. Now the traders would be able to reach Kolkata in five hours by flight. This will give a big boost to the textile business in the city."

Air connectivity to Kolkata will help Surat's textile business in many ways.

Commercial Finance BusinessPurchase Property Purchase

Mortgages Residential Buy to let

House prices skyroketing in UK

London: House prices across Britain have surged by 6.9 per cent in the 12 months to January this year and an average home is costing pound 254,000.

This is the biggest increase since 2010, according to the Office for National Statistics.

William Zimmern, a senior economics consultant at PwC, has forecast that by the end of the year the average property in Britain could be worth £264,000, up from £250,000 at the end of last year. For London, he predicts a £50,000 annual gain, which would take the average price of a home in the capital to £500,000 by the end of the year.

Prince Charles advocates mid-rise buildings Meanwhile, Prince Charles has warned that the expected rise in house price would drive away young talent from

London. The prince said the hope of home ownership for those starting their careers in the capital would remain a dream.

Addressing his organisation the Prince's Foundation for Building Community- the prince launched a report which suggested that mid-rise buildings could be the solution.

The prince said that for a healthy city to prosper, it needs a "built environment that provides good quality housing, the integration of nature and green spaces at its heart, mixed-use neighbourhoods, good public trans-

port and an identity that fosters pride and a sense of belonging".

Bank raises alarm over new house price The Bank of England has warned that about one borrower out of ten is borrowing more than four times his income stocking fears that the nation is in the grip of an unsustainable housing bubble. In London, almost one buyer in five is taking out “high income-multiple” loans as the cost of the average property approaches £500,000.

The proportion of home loans classified as “large” is greater now than at any time since records began in 2005, according to the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee. In 2008 Northern Rock was nationalised when it lost the confidence of cus-

tomers after years of reckless lending.

The Bank said that it would remain vigilant for any signs of a housing bubble and would “continue to monitor conditions closely and take further proportionate and graduated actions if warranted”.

George Osborne has sought to play down fears of a housing bubble after accusations that he is stoking the market to produce a feel-good factor before next year’s general election.

The Chancellor said that house prices had fallen quite considerably during the recession and were still significantly below their peak. “We are recovering from a property crash,” he said. “As is clear from the Bank of England’s reports, they do not at the moment see what you would describe as a bubble, but they are vigilant.”

that a third of the 700 biggest companies paid no corporation tax in 2005-6.

The 2007 report fuelled a debate about tax planning and the UK’s generous tax treatment of interest costs, which allow highly indebted companies to cut their bills.

This time, the NAO said the overall cost of tax reliefs was rising at a time when revenues were falling, mostly because of increases in the income tax personal allowance, the threshold for national insurance contributions, and the standard rate of value added tax – which raises the cost of VAT relief.

But it said it would be unrealistic to assume that all of the revenue that

appeared to be forgone through tax relief could be collected. HM Revenue & Customs said it was “misleading” to calculate the cost of tax reliefs because it did not represent money that could be collected. The largest 800 businesses – dealt with by HMRC’s Large Business Service – have typically contributed about half of all corporation tax paid in recent years, according to the NAO. However, it said there was considerable variation from year to year. In 201011, a quarter of all businesses paying corporation tax had no such tax payable the year before.

The NAO also put a spotlight on the impact of loss relief and deductions for interest costs. It said the rules provided flexibility so that the viability of a business was not threatened by a high tax bill when it could least afford it – making it easier for the company to invest.

Indian companies with $17-billion investment have generated employment opportunities for about 81,000 people in the United States. The recent annual CII survey done over 68 Indian companies spread over 40 American states for the year of 2013 was made public recently.

It showed that New Jersey, New York, California, Texas along with Illinois have a surprising concentration of native Indian companies. “According to our survey, the total investments sum up to $17 billion as per the present records and overall they create employment for around 81,000 new unemployed youth in the USA,” said this report. In last few years, India has surely emerged as one of the toppers of the 10 fastest growing sources of FDI- foreign direct investment into the US market.

This news was confirmed from the data provided and authenticated by the US Department of Commerce.

Continuing its rising streak, Indian rupee on Friday strengthened to below 60 level at 59.90 for the first time since July 2013 against US dollar in late afternoon trade on sustained foreign fund flows. Dealers said sustained selling of the American currency by banks and exporters and ongoing bull-run on the

domestic equity markets also buoyed the rupee sentiments. The Indian currency resumed higher at 60.18 per dollar as against the last closing level of 60.31 at the Interbank Foreign Exchange (Forex) Market and firmed up further to break the crucial 60 level to trade at 59.90 in late afternoon trade, a level last seen in July 2013.

Corporation tax reliefs costing Britain heavily

Many of Britain’s big businesses paid no corporation tax last year and the tax reliefs are costing the nation heavily, an official report said.

While one fifth did not pay any tax last year, more than half of them paid less than £ paid less than 10 million. According to National Audit Office tax reliefs had increased from 16 per cent to 21 per cent of gross domestic product since 2005. The audit office also found that 21 per cent of all corporate tax in 2011-12 was paid by only 35 of the UK’s 975,000 companies.

Patrick Stevens, of the Chartered Institute of Taxation, said companies often paid no corporation tax because of trading losses – a factor noted after the 2008 recession – and incentives such as capital allowances. The proportion of big companies not paying tax has fallen since a similar NAO exercise in 2007 found Specialist Finance Development Bridging

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1Some buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority 2Bridging Finance is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

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Indian firms giving maximum jobs in US

Rupee strengthens to below 60 level against US dollar

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Make hay while the sun shines!

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Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

19

Over the last few weeks I have had three properties which I am involved with offered back to me to purchase! The funny thing was I never even put any of them on the market.

The first property was ‘passed’ to me by a runner. These aren’t people who run marathons; in the property world they are people with mobile phones who act as agents and sell properties by just being in between. They generally operate on the principle if you shovel enough ‘dung’ some of it will stick. Often they say they can deliver properties when in actual fact they cannot, at times there can be as many as four people in the chain before you get to the owner.

This runner that we deal with in all fairness doesn’t fit the above description, he is one of the few honest ones, who lays down the cards and tells it like it is. He knows he won’t be cut out of the equation and so always lays his cards down. He offered me a property for £8m one day before we were due to complete on it for £6m!

He stated he couldn’t get me in until after Friday. I told him of course you can’t as we haven’t completed yet!!

Ano ther propert y we also hadn’t even pu t on the mark et had co mplet ed. But it got o ut it was of fere d by an age nt who in tu rn got it from a runn er called Jimmy, who in t urn go t it from someo ne e lse . Our investigations t urn ed cold at this poin t as ‘Jimmy’ wasn’ t pre pare d to reveal his source. I went abo ut it in the wro ng way, in a f orth right manner I told t he ag ent this is my go ddamn propert y he is of ferin g back to me and where on earth d id he g et it from given I hadn ’t even placed it on t he market for sale. He promptly disclosed his source, but cou ldn’ t d ig any d eeper.

The ot her componen t which d etermines the price of an yth in g is supply. Supply is tight g eneral ly and fu ndamentally. Current ly there is an acu te sho rtage, hen ce prope rties which aren ’t o n t he marke t are being dragg ed in to t he mark et an d circulated aro und .

In retrospect I should have instead placed an offer and have it pass through the chain and back to me, this way I could have flushed out the culprits.

The third property wasn’t even in Central London but a large office block in Harrow. This was presented to me as a deal with planning and came with the possibility of enhancing planning permission. This deal was passed from a runner via a second runner, who was in touch with the business partner of the person I was involved with.

The above scenarios show two things: one the incestuous nature of the property market, and secondly the acute lack of shortage of good quality stock. It always comes down to basic supply and demand. The demand currently comes from international buyers. Most of it is focused in the central areas. In truth there are not many places in the world which have the attractiveness of London, its popularity has not diminished much despite recent economic conditions. The cost of entry is not as high as some other countries, neither are agents’ fees. Here it costs anywhere from 1% to 3% to sell a property, in the US it costs double of this. Not to mention the transparent legal structure which is world class. I mean even as Indians settled in the UK we would still be nervous in purchasing property in India, many simply wouldn’t and if they did so they would be concerned about the title and future security of the property. Even closer to the UK countries such as Spain do not have the transparency and do not command the confidence as London does. Cleary there are not many property markets like the London one in the world.

Therefore price is destined to rise and rise steeply. Currently I’m trying to close a deal where the owner is abroad; it’s taken one and a half months just to get the authority for the lawyers and money laundering in place. By the time the deal exchanges I know three months will have passed. During this time the price will increase even though I know I got a deal to begin with. So I’m in no rush to conclude the deal. It’s coming through a source whom I’m paying so I’m not that worried, but there again you never know.

We’re encouraging clients to refinance and jump on this wave whilst it’s rising. Over the weekend I met up with a client for whom we had sourced a property for £295k in June 2011. It was a two bedroom ex council duplex flat. With a £10k budget it was turned into a three bedroom and attracted a market rent of £460 per week. On his modest salary of £38k he hadn’t managed to save anything over the three years, yet the property has gone up to £500k; which is a rise of roughly £70k per annum. This is the beauty of property, it rises by itself. The unfortunate thing is there are many in the position whereby if they rejig their finances and make use of their property equity they could probably earn more in capital growth than themselves going out to work.

The first property was a leap of faith, and he had never ventured into property in Central London. He did however leave a lot up to us to decide and agree. Now he’s a convert and it didn’t take much to convince him now is the time to remortgage and reinvest to jump on a wave which has already risen.

The Real Deal

P reviou sly I have explain ed how we have moved on as a f irm, and n ow have a cou pl e o f more strings to our bow; o ne is the syn dicated investmen t whe re you beco me part o f the co llective and in ve st in l arge project s which give high retu rns; an other is a fund we will be laun ching short ly.

Freehold Building Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 Purchase Price: £1.65m

These will give you a lumpier return and put you always in the position of a buyer. Your money will work more aggressively for you than in a Buy to Let which you hold for several years.

This client has already given instruction to refinance a couple of his properties to invest and do the same again. However there is a saying which goes make hay while the sun shines. The sun is shining in the property market right now, but it won’t shine forever. The trick is to get out before the clouds come in!

When they do some parts of the country won’t be hit as hard as the others; you need to study the demographic of the region you’re investing in. For example in Jewish and Indian areas there was little effect after the credit crunch as there was very little credit to crunch. The same goes for Central London, many of the property owners are HNW investors who are parking their funds to keep them safe, for a rainy day.

Not short term speculators, so there will be little effect; unless of course the Mansion tax comes in.

l Great opportunity to buy a freehold detached building in this quiet residential location l Ten studio flats and three one bedroom flats l Off-street parking l Garden l Around 3,550 sq ft area l Rental income of £111k per annum once fully let Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

55 Bryanston Street, Marble Arch Tower, London, W1H 7AA

Follow us online:

Sowandreapuk

SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week l The early bird gets the worm! More people lose money from not making a decision than making the wrong decision when it comes to property investments.

l To generate good profits by flipping properties you need to be able to pick the right property, in the right location, at the right price. And all this requires the right knowledge.

20

LEGAL VOICE

Maria Fernandes

info@fernandesvaz.com

Too Old to Care

One of the positive and defining features of immigrant communities is its all-encapsulating support for its extended family, particularly its elderly members. This in turn has a knock on effect on the younger generation who,in general,show much more respect towards the older members of the family.

Despite the fact that we have signalled our intention to end age discrimination, it rears its head in all sorts of ways.

What is clear is that there is ever increasing discrimination towards their needs. Recent reports from the body that regulates drugs to the NHS has declared that drugs should be targeted towards the younger members of our society.

Increasingly the elderly are living on their own, isolated by the weather, by rising costs and the indifference of family members.

The immigrant community, many of whom left their countries in search of better lives, and who have “made it” have always had a struggle to bring family members.

Before the law changed in 2012, the criteria required wasfinancial support and the fact that the parent had no one in their home country to turn to. It was a difficult test but not an impossible one.

The new rules however are in a completely different league. They only

permit the entry of a parent who “requires help with long term personal care to perform everyday tasks” and “where even with practical and financial help the parent is unable to obtain the required level of care in the community and there is no one to provide it or it is not affordable”.

Those who are from certain countries such as India, Bangladesh or any of the African countries will find it impossible to meet these rules and in fact they might as well not be there at all. They must also prove that there will not be recourse to public funds. Those who are earning a decent wage will be excluded on the grounds that they can afford the care and those who do not will be excluded on the grounds that they will become a burden on public funds.

The extent of these changes were not appreciated by the immigrant communities initially and when the rules are explained to them there is disbelief that there can be such stringent requirements, so stringent that there is little point in calling it an “elderly dependants rule” when it is in reality a rule for exceptional cases. There has been disquiet about these rules and the only way forward is to challenge their fairness in the courts. There are a number of challenges ahead but until then, the old need not apply.

RBI leaves repo rate on hold at 8 per cent

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) left its policy interest rate unchanged on Tuesday, as expected, and said it does not expect further near-term policy tightening if headline inflation continues to ease towards the bank's targeted level.

The RBI kept its key repo rate at 8 per cent, in line with the forecast of all 53 economists in a poll last week. Since taking office in September, RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan has raised the repo rate three times by a total of 75 basis points.

India's consumer price index inflation eased to 8.10 per cent in February, near the RBI's January 2015 target of 8 per cent, while the wholesale price index slowed to a 9-month low of 4.68 per cent.

The RBI wants CPI inflation to ease further to 6 per cent by January 2016.

"The Reserve Bank's policy stance will be firmly

focused on keeping the economy on a disinflationary glide path," Rajan said.

"If inflation continues along the intended glide path, further policy tightening in the near term is not anticipated at this juncture," he said in his policy statement. Rajan expressed concern about risks to growth in an economy expanding at under 5 per cent, its slowest in a decade. He said growth in the fiscal year that began this month is expected in a range of 5 to 6 per cent, with downside risks.

"Lead indicators do not point to any sustained revival in industry and services as yet," Rajan said.

The RBI also reduced the availability of overnight funds from its repo window for banks and increased the amount that banks may borrow from its term repo window in a bid to reduce lenders' reliance on shortterm central bank funding.

India seeks to shed ‘fragile five’ tag as economy improves

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

India’s fragile economy looks to be in better shape, as the politicians prepare for next month’s general election. The Indian rupee was trading near eight-month highs at Rs 60.17 to the US dollar on Thursday morning in London, having clawed back about half of the losses it has suffered since May last year.

The benchmark Sensex stock index, meanwhile, closed above 22,000 for the first time on Monday, reaching a record 22,055.

The stubbornly high inflation is moderating, while the current account, the greatest source of anxiety during last year’s rapid devaluation, fell to just 1 per cent of gross domestic product in the three months to December, its lowest level in four years.

India’s redemption is related in part to a broader shift in market sentiment which has benefited all emerging markets. In Indonesia, the rupiah has strengthened significantly prompting Bambang Brodjonegoro, deputy finance minister, to argue earlier this month that his country deserved to shed

its membership of the socalled “fragile five” club, which, alongside India, also includes Brazil, South Africa and Turkey.

Delhi’s improvement, however, remains striking.

“Among the fragile five, India is now one of the least vulnerable,” says HSBC economist Leif Eskesen. “I don’t think we’ll get a rerun of what we saw last summer.”

Analysts agree that Indian stocks and the rupee have recovered mainly for two reasons.

First, investors predict that Narendra Modi, leader of the relatively business-friendly opposition Bharatiya Janata

Party, will become prime m i n i s t e r, replacing the Congress-led coalitions that have governed for the past d e c a d e .

Foreign portfolio investors in particular have poured money into the stock market, betting on higher economic growth and increased infrastructure investment of the sort seen in Modi’s home state of Gujarat.

Second, the Indian economy seems to have hit the bottom and is now picking up. “Growth has bottomed out. Inflation has topped out. Interest rates have peaked,” Surjit Bhalla, managing director of Oxus Research and Investments, told the annual conference of the Confederation of Indian Industry this week.

This second explanation is favoured by P Chidambaram, India’s finance minister.

He argues that his own meas-

ures to cut the fiscal and current account deficits underlie the market rebound.

For all this investor euphoria, most analysts say India’s next government – of whatever hue – will have its work cut out to revive investment, keep inflation and interest rates down and relaunch longdelayed reforms to liberalise the economy. In spite of recent improvements, growth is still below 5 per cent annually, its lowest level in more than a decade, while Indian banks are burdened by bad loans. Anxious bosses of heavily indebted companies complain bitterly about high interest rates and the current government’s reluctance to push ahead with infrastructure projects. The main factor behind the slowdown has been a “slump” in infrastructure and corporate investment, which grew by just 1 per cent in the past two years against an average growth of 12 per cent over the decade, according to International Monetary Fund economists, Rahul Anand and Volodymyr Tulin.

Energy suppliers in UK have admitted that their customer service has been poor, bills have been confusing and complaints badly handled in an extraordinary admission of industry practice.

Senior executives from among the “Big Six” suppliers concede for the first time that their treatment of consumers has made them

E.ON UK and RWE npower, as well as some smaller companies, took part in the private interviews.

They were warned to deal with “the dire state of distrust they face”. Last week energy companies were referred to the competition authorities by Ofgem, the industry watchdog, but research by YouGov reveals that they are now

vulnerable to attacks by politicians, in a frank assessment of failures.

“Customers were taken for granted, service was poor, and no one bothered to explain the situation to them,” leading energy figures told interviewers compiling a report for YouGov, the polling and research company. “The industry broadly accepts it helped to create the political opportunity that Ed Miliband seized,” the report added. Miliband has pledged to freeze energy bills for almost two years after the next general election. The Government has also criticised suppliers.

Chief executives and other senior figures from SSE,

less trusted than bankers.

Some 67 per cent of people say that the industry operates as a cartel and more than half of people claim to have turned the heating down or off in the past year to be able to pay their gas or electricity bills. The chief executives’ comments were anonymised and included in a hard-hitting report being prepared for a conference entitled Energy, Politics and the Consumer, to be held in London.

The interviews also reveal that senior figures believe politicians are jeopardising investment in energy infrastructure and putting the lights at risk of going out.

Move to protect pension, Energy firms admit investment funds in UK poor customer service

Regulators in UK are planning to give the savers the option to exit from locked up pensions and investments funds and move to better deals. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is planning an inquiry into 30 million policies sold by insurance companies from the seventies to the turn of the millennium.

The review, to begin this summer, will include pensions, endowments, investment bonds and life insurance sold by salesmen who were often spurred on by large commissions.

The FCA is concerned that insurers are now “exploiting” loyal policyholders, who are “not given the same priority as new customers” and instead face high fees and substandard service. The intervention marks a victory for long-running campaign for action over rip-off charges, particularly on pensions that severely reduce retirement funds over time. The FCA will say that at the heart of the inquiry is an “unfairness” whereby some insurers use the returns from so-called “zombie”

funds - which are shut to new customers and often neglected by existing clients - to pay bills from other parts of their businesses. A large number of policies also include obstructive exit fees that can halve a policy’s value if a customer attempts to switch to a cheaper provider.

The watchdog will consider banning these “lockin” fees if such a measure is deemed a practical way to overcome the poor treatment of policyholders.

Clive Adamson, the director of supervision at the FCA, said: “We want to find out how closed-book products are being serviced by insurance companies, as we are concerned that insurers are allocating an unfair amount of overheads to historic funds. “As firms cut prices and create new products, there is a danger that customers with older contracts are forgotten. We want to ensure they get a fair deal. As part of the review we will collect information to establish whether we need to intervene on exit charges.”

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

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

House demands outstrip supply Britain's housing market could be heading for a bubble as new data suggests that demand for homes is far outstripping supply.

Property research firm Hometrack, suggested more house price growth ahead as demand grew 6.6% in March – which it measures by new buyers registering with agents – and supply rose 1.9%, based on new listings. Hometrack also confirmed that house prices rose 0.6% in March, a slowdown from 0.7% growth in February, on lower growth in London and the south-east.

Also Britain's biggest businesses are preparing to invest £200bn over the next two years as they seek to benefit from the recent upturn in economic growth. A survey by accountants Deloitte found 80% of companies with a turnover of more than £1bn intend to invest this year, with close to 70% earmarking at least £250m of investments to drive growth. This should see some further sterling strength. However concerns over the UK deficit are also being brought to the surface as the pound strengthens.

The UK retail sector came into focus as data shows sales increased by 1.7% in February following a 2% drop in January.

Sales volumes were up by 1.6% in the three months leading up to February, the strongest since August 2013. Retail spending accounts for 20% of GDP; thus should spending stay even the same in March then we could see an extra 0.2% added to 1st quarter GDP – this would more than double the amount in the fourth quarter.

Despite data revealing that the Eurozone inflation dropped further than expected to 0.5%, the Euro has surprisingly gathered strength. The data will put Mario Draghi and the European Central Bank (ECB) under pressure on Thursday 03rd March, in this month’s monetary policy meeting. Whilst interest rates remain at historical lows, the ECB could unveil monetary easing measures to combat the lower rate of inflation.

The dollar approached a two-week high versus the yen before Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen speaks this a and ahead of figures tomorrow that may show U.S. manufacturing

strengthened this month.

Employers in the US have roughly added 200,000 jobs in March. The US is expecting better data to have a more widespread supportive impact on the USD. Data revealed that the US economy grew at a faster pace to 2.6% from 2.4%, albeit missing expectations of growth of 2.7%.

US GDP is still lower than the 4.1% growth seen in the third quarter of 2013.

Consumer spending which makes up two thirds of the economy rose to a three year high to 3.3%, which is encouraging for the US economy as well as the data which revealed that the number of people filing for jobless claims dropped by 10,000. The US dollar managed to claw back some of its initial losses to the pounds and gained by 0.3% against the euro.

The Indian rupee continued to strengthen against its peers as improving economic sentiment increased demand for the currency Reports in the last month showed that inflation in India is easing and industrial production is picking up and whilst there may be an economic slowdown in China, India is less exposed and thus the slowdown shouldn’t effect India as much as the other Asian economies.

Foreign funds have pumped US$3 billion into Indian stocks and bonds this month – a clear indication of confidence coming back into the economy.

Weekly Currencies

As of Tuesday 1st April 2014 @ 3.30pm

GBP - INR = 99.78

USD - INR = 59.95 EUR - INR = 82.73 GBP - USD = 1.66 GBP - EUR = 1.21

EUR - USD = 1.38 GBP - AED = 6.11

GBP - CAD = 1.84

GBP - NZD = 1.92

GBP - AUD = 1.80

GBP - ZAR = 17.58

GBP - HUF = 371.43

www.rationalfx.com

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

22

INTERNATIONAL

IN BRIEF

Doctors seek ban on sale of cigarettes to youth

London: Doctors have urged the British Medical Association to lobby for ban on sale of cigarettes to those born in this century. Tim Crocker-Buqué, a specialist, said that eight out of 10 smokers began smoking as teenagers and someone who began smoking at 15 was three times more likely to die from smoking-related cancer than someone who started in their 20s. He said that smoking is highly addictive and younger generation should be prevented from falling into the nicotine trap.

24-hour childcare service

London: Brent council has made arrangement for 24-hour child childcare service to help parents who have to work at odd hours. The services will be available at weekends also. The childcare providers are willing to look after children overnight and have enough rooms in their home. The council said that the service providers were free to set their own charges.

Bin Laden's son-in-law faces jail in US

New York: A New York jury has found Osama Bin Laden's son-in-law Sulaiman Abu Ghaith guilty of conspiring to kill Americans in the failed “shoe bomb” plot. He has been convicted and will be jailed on two conspiracy charges and one of aiding terrorism by delivering murderous threats as al-Qaeda’s spokesman.

Your pets can infect you with TB

London: Scientists have found that your pets can infect you with tuberculosis. The two confirmed cases of human TB infection from cats, along with two suspected cases, were detected after animal health inspectors investigated an unusual cluster of nine TB cases in cats from Berkshire and Hampshire a year ago. Dr Dilys Morgan, head of zoonotic diseases at PHE said that although the risk of people catching this infection from infected cats was very low, the household and close contacts of cats with confirmed M bovis infection should be assessed and should receive public health advice.

Emotional cruelty to a child to become crime

London: The government is set to introduce a new law under which the parents who starve their children of love and affection will face prosecution.

Robert Buckland, Conservative MP for South Swindon and a part-time judge who has been campaigning on the issue said, unless we modernise the law and take into account what we now know about the severe effects on children of psychological and emotional abuse, then we’re failing a whole range of children in our society. He said it was time to update the law and give better protection to children.

Govt to face fire over Royal Mail sell-off

London: The government will put on the mat for the privatization of Royal Mail and losing £ 1 billion of taxpayers’ money. The National Audit Office will publish this week its findings on the sell-off and if it follows the example of the House of Commons Select Committee on Business then the verdict will be damning. Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, and Michael Fallon, the minister in charge of postal affairs, have been charged with selling the postal department too cheaply - raising £2 billion from the sale of shares in a transaction that gifted postal workers 10 per cent of the company and in which the Treasury retains 30 per cent. Twenty one banks in the City on average valued the business at between £3.9 billion and £4.8 billion, with one institution saying it would be worth as much as £8.6 billion.

Cameron promises to reduce inheritance tax

London: Prime Minister David Cameron will be under pressure to reduce the inheritance tax. He has pledged to raise the threshold on death duties to £1 million if the Conservatives win the next election.

Britain's inheritance tax threshold of £325,000 is the second highest in the developed world, only behind Ireland, according to a global study. Several developed countries, including Australia, Israel and New Zealand have scrapped death duties altogether. The European average take on a large estate of £1.8 million ($3 million) is 14 per cent.

Britain to face rise in food prices, floods and heatwaves

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

London: A report by UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that Britain would face rise in food prices, water shortages as well as floods and deadly heatwaves as a result of climate change.

Other parts of the world will be even harder hit and less able to adapt to the impacts, the IPCC warns.

Food shortages and poverty will be exacerbated and could lead to the outbreak of wars, the report says. It also suggests that people will be forced to flee areas that become too warm, while some species of wildlife face risk of extinction. The more temperatures rise, the more severe the consequences will be and the harder they will be to

adapt to, the report finds.

Warming by 4C (7.2F) from pre-industrial levels will lead to a “fundamentally different” world from today - whereas limiting warming to 2C (3.6F) by cutting emissions will result in a world “not dramatically different” from today, Chris Field, co-chair of the IPCC working group that authored the report said. “With high levels of warming that result from

continued growth in greenhouse gas emissions, risks will be challenging to manage, and even serious, sustained investments in adaptation will face limits,” he said.

Ed Davey, Britain's energy and climate change secretary, said the report showed that “left unchecked, climate change will have far reaching consequences for our society” and vindicated

the government’s drive to go green. This evidence builds the case for early action in the UK and around the world to lessen the risks posed by climate change,” he said and added that “We cannot afford to wait.”

The IPCC’s report concludes the impacts of climate change are already evident but many parts of the world are “ill-prepared for the risks” it brings.

“Investments in better preparation can pay dividends for both the present and the future,” Vicente Barros, co-chair of the working group, said.

Britain is relatively well-placed to be able to adapt to climate change but needs to take action to do so, authors of the report said ahead of its formal launch in Japan.

court 16 times in this year - in K a r a c h i , Islamabad and Rawalpindi," he said, adding "I am a decorated soldier who has received medals for bravery while fighting in wars for Pakistan."

Musharraf is being tried for suspending, subverting and abrogating the constitution under Article 6 for imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of superior courts.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, heard the treason case. There have been 35 hearings for the case so far of which Musharraf has only attended one. During the hearing, Musharraf's newly-appointed lawyer Farogh Nasim requested the special court not to

indict Musharraf and allow him to travel abroad to visit his ailing mother.

Nasim was arguing on behalf of the former military general since his legal team stayed away from court in protest.

On March 29, it was reported that Musharraf's mother, who has been in ill health for some time now, was shifted from Dubai to Sharjah's W Wilson hospital after her condition suddenly worsened.

Musharraf himself has been undergoing medical treatment. According to media reports, he was shifted to the AFIC's intensive care unit on Sunday evening after his blood pressure rose. A member of Musharraf's team, advocate Rana Ejaz, who was removed from the special court for his 'contemptuous conduct', was quoted by Geo TV on Sunday as saying that Musharraf had been shifted to the ICU.

Musharraf indicted for treason, faces death

Islamabad: A special court in Pakistan on Monday indicted former president Pervez Musharraf for high treason over the 2007 emergency he clamped in the country. If convicted, the former military general will stand to be hanged or jailed for life. He has contested the allegation.

"Whatever I did, I did for the country and its people.

I am sad that I am being called a traitor," stated Musharraf, claiming that he made Pakistan a respectable country during his tenure.

The court reserved a judgment on whether he could travel to Dubai to meet his ailing mother.

Earlier in the day, Musharraf ended speculation that he will continue avoiding appearance at the court due to “ill health”.

He is admitted in the Armed Forced Institute of Cardiology (AFIC), but attended the hearing on Monday morning before returning to the facility.

Pervez Musharraf

The special court had issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the retired general if he failed to appear in court on March 31.

Musharraf, in fact, had reached the court before the judges, who were delayed due to the strict security arrangements made for the former President. "I honour this court and prosecution, I strongly believe in law I don't have ego problems, and I have appeared in

Lord Popat receives Tanzanian President

London: The Lord Popat of Harrow (Lord in Waiting) was present at Heathrow Airport on Sunday 30th March to receive the President of the United Republic of Tanzania and welcomed His Excellency on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

The President of Tanzania, Jayaka Mrisho Kikwete was joined by a large delegation of Tanzanian Ministers and Officials to further strengthen bilateral relations between Tanzania and the UK, as well as to promote trade and investment opportunities. The delegation also included the Tanzanian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, the Hon Bernard Membe and the Minister

Lord Popat with the President of Tanzania, Jayaka Mrisho Kikwete

for Finance the Hon Saada Mkuya Salum.

The President’s official three day visit to the UK also commemorated Tanzania’s 50th anniversary of the union between Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, as well as Zanzibar’s 50th anniversary of Revolution.

Following the President’s arrival Lord Popat said, “having originated from East Africa myself, it was a particular honour to receive the President and welcome him to the UK on behalf of Her Majesty. Tanzania boosts a number of eco-

nomic opportunities for Britain, which we hope to explore and develop during the President’s visit.”

The President met with the Prime Minister David Cameron and senior business leaders during his visit and he also travelled to Scotland to promote increased investment in oil and gas exploration and development in Tanzania.

During the President’s meeting with the Prime Minister, both leaders welcomed the increasingly significant and strategic partnership between Tanzania and the UK. They pledged to deepen the relationship, building on the shared prosperity and security interests, as well as their shared history, Commonwealth values, language and law.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

IN BRIEF

Women make good spies

London: Women can be good spies compared to men. According to a female intelligence officer women make "bloody good spies" because they can multi-task and have a better understanding of emotions. According to the spy, mothers have a particular advantages because they are seen as "less of a threat" than single females among terrorists and political leaders alike.

Long wait for cancer test results

London: According to data from NHS England patients from some hospitals are waiting more than 13 weeks for tests that can diagnose cancer.

There can be further delays of three weeks or more for the results. A radiologist at one of the country’s teaching hospitals revealed growing delays in reporting the results of tests. She claimed that in one case a chest x-ray was lost in the system for two years before a proper check revealed that the patient had cancer. She said: “It would have been possibly curable and it wasn’t by the time we found it.”.

Parents should desist from helping children in homework

London: A study has found that parents who help their children in doing the homework are actually doing a disservice to their wards. The findings challenge a key tenet of modern parenting where schools expect them to act as partners in their children’s education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn. Keith Robinson, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said that one of the negative things that parents do is helping the children in doing their homework.

Monthly fee for NHS patients mooted

London: A former Labour health minister has mooted the introduction of a £10 monthly “membership fee” for the users of NHS services.

Patients would also have to pay £20 a night for hospital stays under sweeping changes to the model’s funding system proposed by Lord Warner, who was minister for health reform under Tony Blair. The Labour leadership swiftly rejected the plan. “Even with major changes to care, it is now irresponsible to pretend to the public that current forms of taxation alone will be sufficient to provide a good quality health and care system”, said the report.

Britain once again becomes an economic powerhouse: Osborne

London: Britain has once again become a global economic powerhouse, George Osborne said. He said that foreign companies were relocating to Britain and took credit for income tax cut which comes into force this week. Meanwhile, Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, accuses the Conservatives of trying to “steal” Liberal Democrat tax policies in order to shed their reputation as the party of the rich. Buoyed by a series of improved growth forecasts, Osborne says his programme of austerity and tax cuts has been vindicated beyond doubt.

Caretaker at nursing home held on suspicion of murder

London: Police have arrested a caretaker after a 73year-old man was found dead at a nursing home for dementia sufferers. The woman, 63, was detained by detectives investigating the patient's death at the Ascot Nursing Home in Berkshire after police were called in. The suspect was then taken in for questioning but released on conditional police bail.

Healthy diets to include 10 portions of fruit, vegetables

London: Health experts say that a healthy diet should include 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, doubling the five-a-day official advice.The study, by University College London, found that eating large quantities of fruit and vegetables significantly lowered the risk of premature death. People who ate at least seven portions of fruit and vegetables each day were 42 per cent less likely to die from any cause over the course of the study. The researchers also discovered that canned and frozen fruit increased the risk of dying by 17 per cent, and fruit juice was found to have no significant benefit.

INTERNATIONAL

Cameron under pressure to expel jobless EU migrants

London: After Germany has signaled that it would expel jobless EU migrants from the country, Prime Minister David Cameron is under pressure from his own party men to do the same in England. Allies of the Prime Minister said the German plan showed that Cameron was winning support in his attempt to overhaul rules allowing migrants to move freely throughout Europe.

However, there were suggestions that the move could also revive Tory infighting over immigration. Some of the party’s MPs said that draft proposals from a German government panel, under which EU migrants would be removed if they failed to find work within three months, should be adopted by Britain.

The calls came as Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, said that all migrants

should be required to have a work permit. During a televised debate on the EU with Nick Clegg, he said it was complete madness to have an open door to half a billion people. The Lib Dem leader countered that EU migrants found begging in Britain were already sent home.

At the start of the year, ministers rushed through a series of reforms to stem concerns about mass

migration to Britain from Eastern Europe. None of the proposals, which included making EU migrants wait three months before receiving benefits, went as far as the proposed German crackdown.

Amid questions over whether expelling EU migrants would be legal, European Commission sources said that member states were entitled to

refuse residency if a migrant was unemployed after three months and did not have the financial means to avoid being a burden on the host country.

Last month Angela Merkel gave a speech in London where she acknowledged British concerns over abuse of free movement within the EU and held the door open to limited, targeted and swift reform.

Nigel Mills, the Tory MP who led a rebellion over immigration, said that removing unemployed migrants was a sensible step forward. “We have not gone as far as saying we will send people home if they have not found work. Even free movement to come and work should not be unrestricted, but this sounds like a very sensible proposal,” he said.

fire to two churches in Joseph Colony in retaliation for alleged insults.

Pakistan has never carried out an execution under its blasphemy laws, but even the vaguest allegation of insult to Islam is enough to provoke harsh vigilante justice and mob

violence.

Masih says that he was falsely accused of blasphemy as part of a plot by local businessmen to push Christians off valuable land in Joseph Colony and annex it for industrial use.

“They hatched a con-

spiracy to push out the residents of the colony,” he said in a statement after sentencing. “They contrived a case and got it filed by a person who was close to me. I am innocent.” His lawyer has said that they will appeal against the ruling.

Hindu temple set on fire in Pakistan

Karachi: A Hindu temple has been desecrated and set on fire by three unidentified miscreants in Pakistan's southern Sindh province, two weeks ahead of an annual fair at the temple. The caretaker of the temple of Hindu deity, Hanuman, in Latifabad told police that three men came to offer prayers.

"But after offering prayers they first broke a statue of Hanuman and then sprayed kerosene and set it on fire," said a police official. Darshan, the interim caretaker of the temple, said the attackers ran away when he called for help. The miscreants had covered their faces, thus could not be identified, he added.

Around 500-600 Hindu families inhabit the locality the temple is situated. They staged protests at several places in the city.

The initial investigations suggest the attack is not related to any communal strife. The local DSP and SHO have been suspended and an FIR has been lodged against three unidentified attackers, said DIG Sanaullah Abbassi.

Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy Islamabad: A Christian man has been sentenced to death for blasphemy by a Pakistani court in a case that triggered rioting in a Christian neighbourhood of the eastern city of Lahore last year. Sawan Masih was convicted of insulting the Prophet Muhammad during a conversation with a Muslim friend. A Muslim mob burnt dozens of Christian homes and set

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INDIA

SOUTH BRIEFS

50 fishermen injured in Lanka navy attack

Rameswaram: Fifty fishermen from this coastal town in Tamil Nadu were injured when Sri Lankan Navy personnel allegedly attacked them with stones and bottles after firing in the air off Katchathivu islet. The Lankan naval personnel also damaged 30 boats and cut fishing nets, police said. One boat sank as it rammed into another in the rush to escape from the spot. However, the five fishermen on board were rescued by others. Police said 19 fishermen were arrested by the Lankan naval personnel and later taken to Mannar along with their boats.

82-year-old awarded for decoding science in Tamil

Chennai: The Union ministry of science and technology has honoured 'Malayaman' Rajagopalan, 82, for spreading science through writing in Tamil.

Rajagopalan's mission was "to write as many children's stories as Aesop did" and he wrote 520 fables in 10 series, but his love for science writing grew with time. He started writing for magazines like 'Ilam Vignani' (Young Scientist) after reading books

by Isaac Asimov. He ended up writing fiction, scientist biographies and articles on science and technology.

23 hurt in TN prison clash

Chennai: At least 23 people were injured when inmates from Puzhal central prison attacked officials. The officials later shifted four inmates from Puzhal prison to other prisons. Out of the 23, 14 are officials. The violence was preceded by a protest by prisoners against the alleged misuse of the Goondas Act by police. Some prisoners climbed on top of a water tank and threw bricks and stones at prison officials. The officer said 400 prisoners took part in the protest. The prisoners said the police had foisted the Goondas Act on them. They were also angry at court delays on petitions against their detention.

7 members of family set on fire

Mysore: A couple and five of their sons were set on fire by neighbours. The parents and a kid is critical and are being treated at a hospital. Police said we have arrested four neighbours including three women in connection with the arson attack. The foursome poured kerosene and petrol on the family of seven when there asleep and then set them ablaze. Police suspect financial matters as a cause for the crime.

NORTH BRIEFS

‘Anna fan’ attacks Kejriwal in Haryana

Bhiwani: A man calling himself a supporter of social activist Anna Hazare punched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal during a rally at Dadri, 25 km from Bhiwani. As soon as Kejriwal started addressing the poll rally in favour of Lalit Aggarwal, the AAP candidate for the Bhiwani-Mahendergarh parliamentary constituency, Jitender Sangwan pounced on him and punched him in the neck.

Witnesses said Sangwan launched himself on Kejriwal, shouting “Tumne Anna ko dokha diya hai (You’ve betrayed Anna).” Sangwan, a resident of Leghan village in Bhiwani district, was arrested and booked under various sections of the IPC.

Cong worker killed in Punjab

Sangrur: A young Congress worker Kamaldeep Singh of village Bhullarheri in Sangrur was found murdered on Saturday night. He was also a member of village Panchayat. The 32-year-old victim had left the village in his car for Sangrur and his body was found on the road going towards Dhuri. Police, however, has denied any political angle behind the murder on the basis of initial investigations.

Haryana governor survives plane crash

Chandigarh: Haryana governor Jagan Nath Pahadia had a miraculous escape when the state government's plane with governor on board caught fire while taking-off on the runaway at the Chandigarh airport. The plane immediately crash-landed at the runway. Pahadia was immediately pulled out of the plane by his staff and taken to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGI) Chandigarh for detailed medical examination. No serious injury was reported.

3 projects by Bangalore students win Nasa prize

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

secured the other prizes.

A note on the school's website said: "This is a record for a single institution.

Our institution has won worldwide first prizes for two projects, second prizes for five projects, third prizes for three projects and three projects won 'honourable mentions".

The winning teams will go to Los Angeles to receive the awards and will get a chance to participate

in a Nasa seminar. Since its inception in 1994, the Space Settlement Contest has given thousands of students the opportunity to conceive their own space settlement design using their skills in art, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

On its website, Nasa said: "All entries are judged in a single day. In addition to the prestige that comes with winning the contest, winners are invited by contest founder and organizer Al Globus to visit Nasa Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California."

affairs of the chief minister," it said. The complaint said since the case was sub-judice, it could not be referred during election meetings.

When a case is pending before the court, no one has the right to take a copy of the FIR or the chargesheet and circulate them at election campaigns. "Similary, the arguments advanced by the special public prosecutor before the trial court cannot be relied upon by any political party in their election campaign," the complaint said.

Chennai: M K Alagiri, the estranged elder son of DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi, has emerged as an alternative powerbroker in Tamil Nadu and leaders of different political parties are flocking to him.

Alagiri was recently expelled from the DMK and several of his followers weaned away by his younger brother MK Stalin. There is no formal party organisation at Alagiri's command, save for few followers.

But even his rivals know that they can ignore him only at their own peril. Those who met Alagiri at his residence in Madurai included MDMK chief Vaiko, BJP's Sivaganga candidate H Raja and a Congress candidate from Madurai – all described as courtesy calls.

Raja said that he had gone to thank Alagiri for his support for Modi and

Vaiko said that Alagiri was an old friend and hence he called on him when visiting Madurai. TNCC chief B S Gnanadesikan too expressed his desire to meet Alagiri if and when he visited the temple town.

Alagiri met union finance minister P Chidambaram at the Madurai airport. Alagiri was returning home from Chennai and the union minister proceeding to Sivaganga to campaign for his son Karti Chidambaram, the Congress candidate in the family turf.

Alagiri refused to divulge what transpired during the meeting. Ever since his expulsion from the DMK, Alagiri has remained in the news by receiving political leaders fighting against the DMK in the general elections.

Alagiri had also called on superstar Rajinikanth.

S h r u t i Chandigarh: Choudhry of Haryana, notoriCongress, seekous for its ing re-election skewed sex ratio, from Bhiwaniis witnessing a similar fall in the Mahendergarh, number of is a strong conwomen on anothtender among all er front - the Lok the women aspiSabha polls. Just rants this year.

10 women are in Others contestthe fray in the 10 ing this time are Lok Sabha seats Shruti Choudhry Kusum Sherwal in the state, as per (INLD) from Election Commission data, Ambala, Balwinder Kaur (AAP) from Kurukshetra, with one sitting MP Kanta (Indian Bahujan becoming a prominent Sandesh Partycontender.

Kanshiram) from This year's participaKurukshetra, Mamta Rani tion of women in polls is (Rashtrawadi Parivartan even less than the 2009 Party) from Hisar and parliamentary elections Pooja (Independent) from when 14 women were in Gurgaon. the fray. From zero particiIn 2004, only eight pation in 1967, a year after women were in the fray, Haryana was carved as a three in 1999, six in 1998, separate state, things have not improved much with nine in 1996, six in 1991, mainstream parties still three in 1989, 10 in 1984, shying away from fielding five in 1980 and two in women.

1977.

Chandigarh: Ropar-based advocate and RTI activist Dinesh Chadha, who had recently exposed three Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders for allegedly conducting illegal mining of sand and gravel in Punjab, was charged with attempt to murder. The FIR accused him of engineering assault on a tax collection agent. He was booked follwing a complaint made by one Amarjit Singh.

In his FIR, Amarjit alleged that a group of men, under instructions from Chadha, battered him at night when he demanded the mandatory royalty tax from them for carrying mined sand at Nurpur Bedi area of Ropar.

Chadha, however, hit back at the police for fabricating the charges against him as none of the attackers knew him personally.

The activist also said that neither the area Nurpur Bedi fell under the tax zone nor the complainant was authorized to collect tax in that area in the absence of a government employee at night.

The Ropar police later relented and said Chadha would not be arrested. "We have set up an inquiry. If charges are proved untrue, we will instead file an FIR against the complainant for misleading us," said Gurpreet Singh Toor, SSP Ropar.

"I am shocked that the police did not act on my complaints on March 4 when we exposed the illegitimate tax being collected at Nurpur Bedi and booked me instead. Even the timing of the FIR raises a stink. Which agent collects tax at night when the hours prescribed is between 9 am and 6 pm," said Chadha.

Bangalore: Three projects by students of a school in K R Puram in East Bangalore have bagged prizes in Nasa's Space Settlement Contest-2014.

Of these, one project 'NEA ZOI' - by two class eight kids Ayush Basavesh and R Jyothi Kishore secured the worldwide second prize, while 32 students, part of two other teams, saw their projects 'Astraeus' and 'Kalpavruksha' win the eighth and ninth prizes respectively.

These projects are among the 84 projects which secured prizes in the contest, which had

over 1,000 global entries.

The boys from Bangalore belong to Chaitanya Techno School which bagged a record 13 prizes, won by 55 students.

According to Nasa, students from the school's Andhra Pradesh branch

Political leaders flocking AIADMK seeks action Alagiri for support against Karunanidhi, Stalin

Chennai: AIADMK filed a complaint with the state election department seeking action against DMK chief M Karunanidhi and his son M K Stalin, saying they violated the model code of conduct by referring to the assets case against chief minister J Jayalalithaa pending before a Bangalore court in their speeches.

The complaint cited the campaign speeches of Stalin in Tiruvallur and Karunanidhi and said there was an urgent need to stop the leaders from making "malicious speeches" regarding the case. It demanded restrictions on the telecast of news with regard to the case.

"The model code of conduct says that no political party shall make any criticism of the private life of any person. But DMK leaders Karunanidhi and Stalin and other leaders have been constantly attacking the private

M Karunanidhi

Only 10 women in Haryana RTI activist booked after poll fray exposing mining scam

INDIA - ELECTION SPECIAL

25

Gujarat to play key role in formation of new govt

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Mayuri Dave

Unlike Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and many other bigger states in India, Gujarat is comparatively smaller state with 26 Lok Sabha constituencies.

However, its importance

GENERAL ELECTION 2014 ANALYSIS

in general elections is immense. From the year 1989, the Western Indian State is playing a key role in the formation of government in New Delhi.

If the most important leaders in the Congress party – Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi– are being elected from the India’s biggest state – Uttar Pradesh, the second biggest political party in India fielded its prime ministerial candidates from this State – L K Advani in 2009 from Gandhinagar constituency and now Narendra Modi from Gujarat’s cultural capital Vadodara.

Modi and the saffron party are targeting to win all 26 Lok Sabha seats from Gujarat in order to achieve much coveted figure of 272 seats, which will ensure BJP- led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to form the next government after the general election. Even, the Congress – the oldest political outfit in India is trying hard to check the Gujarat Chief Minister in his own backyard. For the Congress party, every single victory from Gujarat means keeping Modi’s chariot away from Delhi.

If political analysts are to be believed, to achieve ‘mission-26’, the saffron party would require more than 55 per cent of the total votes in Gujarat. “In the year 1984, BJP could win only one seat. At that time it secured 18.6 per cent votes. Since then, BJP vote share in the state

open its account in the state.

Sharad Pawar’s political outfit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has fielded its candiShankarsinh Vaghela date Kandhal Jadeja L. K. Advani (son of ‘God M o t h e r ’ Sabarkantha Santokben) from Paresh Rawal Porbander conKandhal Jadeja stituency.

The Gandhinagar Dinsha Patel Congress in support of NCA has decided not Ahmedabad Kheda to field its candidate from the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Mulayam Singh Anand continYadav’s Samajwadi Party uously (SP) and communist Vadodra gone up and party have fielded their Porbandar Narendra Modi as result of it candidates from few seats Bharatsinh Solanki the party won in the state. It would be 12 seats in 1989 miracle, if any candidate remains (30.4 % votes), 20 from these parties would between seats in 1991 (50.4 % win from Gujarat, says an the two Vitthal Radadiya votes), 16 seats in 1996 analyst. major par(48.5 % votes), 19 seats in The Congress as well ties – the 1998 (48.3 %), 20 seats in as BJP has given imporC o n g re s s 1999 (52.5 %), 14 seats in tance to winnability of the and BJP. Date of voting in Gujarat Madhusudan Mistry 2004 (47.4 %) and 15 candidate. Of its sitting Though, April 30, 2014- Wednesday seats in 2009 (46.5 % MPs, the saffron brigade debutant Aam votes),” said a senior anahas repeated 11 and the Adami Party (AAP) putlyst.

Congress eight. Cautious the country, recorded 25 out of 26 Lok ting efforts to make its The statistic reveals BJP has dared to drop its Sabha seats in 1980 genthe people of presence felt in Gujarat, that the Saffron brigade senior most MP Harin eral elections under Indira Gujarat do not support but despite stormy visit of could touch 20 seats in Pathak, who was elected Gandhi. At that time the regional parties and as its national convener the state when it secured seven times consecutively Congress could get 54.8 result of it may it be Lok Arvind Kejriwal, it seems more than 50 per cent from Ahmedabad East per cent votes.

Sabha elections or assemAAP wouldn’t able to votes. The Congress party constituency since the Unlike many states in bly elections ‘fight’ always year 1989 to 2009. The party has also dropped five time MP Rajendrasinh Rana from Constituency Contestants Bhavnagar constituency Vadodara Narendra Modi (NDA’s PM to make way for young nominee), Madhusudan Mistry woman candidate (Congress General Secretary) Bhartiben Shiyal, who is from Koli community.

Gandhinagar LK Advani(Former Deputy Prime Besides, as many as 15 Minister) sitting MLAs are contestSabarkantha Shankersinh Vaghela (Leader of ing Lok Sabha elections. opposition in Gujarat Assembly) BJP has given tickets to 9 sitting MLA including two Kheda Dinsha Patel (Union Minister) ministers in Modi governAnand Bharatsinh Solanki ment, while the Congress stituency, Poonam Though, entire world is (Union Minister) has given tickets to five.

Madam is representing looking at Vadodara NCP’s only MLA Jadeja is the saffron constituency because, party against Ahmedabad East Paresh Raval (Actor) contesting from NDA’s PM nominee his uncle Vikram Porbander Lok Sabha Bardoli Dr. Tushar Chaudhary Naredra Modi is conMadam, who is sitting constituency. The impor(Union Minister) testing from there, but Congress MP. Vikram is tance of becoming coastal Jamnagar coneager to complete hatPorbander Vithal Radadia (Leuva Patel leader), Member of Parliament stituency in Saurashtra trick as he emerged vicKandhal Jadeja (son of Godmother) from Gujarat can be region has also generattorious in 2004 and adjudged from the fact ed lots of interest as 2009 Lok Sabha elecPatan Liladhar Vaghela (Minister in Modi that leader of both the niece is challenges her tions. Madams belong Government) political parties in the uncle for the berth in to OBC community Dahod Jaswantsinh Bhabhor (Minister in State Assembly – The the Lower House of Ahir and the family is Modi Government), Dr. Prabha Chief Minister Narendra Indian parliament. having political clout in Taviad Modi and Leader of Sitting BJP MLA from the coastal Jamnagar (Sitting MP and AICC secretary Opposition Shankersinh Khambhaliya condistrict. attached with Rahul Gandhi) Vaghela – are in the fray.

High Profile seats

Uncle V/s Niece in Jamnagar

Anti incumbency factor hardly matters in Tripura

AV Correspondent

insurgency in Tripura has been curbed to a huge extent in the last decade, it is still a cause of concern for the electorate.

Tripura East is jitendra chaudhary reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Tripura is once again set to choose between the two main contestants in the state, the CPM and the Congress. Although CPI (M) has lost its grip over West Bengal and Kerala, Tripura remains the party's stronghold.

T h e Date of voting in Tripura state is Sankar Prasad Datta 7 & 12 April, 2014 expected to izing Sudhindra Dasgupta The state is follow a similar pattern governrepresented by a when Lok Sabha polls are m e n t single member in held on April 7 in Tripura employees the Rajya Sabha.

West and April 12 in through its Earlier the Congress Tripura East. powerful front had some sway in The major poll issues organization the state but that are high unemployment ' Tr i p u r a receded after CPI (M) Arunoday Saha Employees Coand lack of basic amenities started gaining in like drinking water, roads ordination strength mainly by organetc. Moreover, even as Committee'

(TECC).

The Left Front has been in power since 1978 barring one term (19881993) when the Congress and Tripura Upajati Juba Samiti formed a winning coalition. Out of the fifteen elections held in Tirpura's two Lok Sabha seats, the Marxists have convincingly won the East Tripura seat eleven times

while the West Tripura seat has gone to Marxists ten times. The anti-incumbency factor hardly matters in the state.

F r o m 1996, the two Lok Sabha seats from the state are being represented by the CPI(M). Baju Ban Riyan, a CPI(M) leader, has been a sitting MP from 1996 till date in Tripura East. On the other hand, CPI(M) with names like Badal Choudhury, Samar Choudhury and Khagen Das has been winning Lok

Sabha polls from Tripura West. The party has now announced the names of Sankar Prasad Datta and Jitendra Chowdhury who will be replacing Lok Sabha veterans Baju Ban Riyan and Khagen Das in 2014 polls.

Meanwhile, BJP has fielded Sudhindra Dasgupta from Tripura West and Parikshit Debbarma from Tripura East. Whether BJP will be able to cut down Congress votes after Modi's Nav Chetna rally in the state, is still unpredictable.

Congress too has fielded Arunoday Saha from West Tripura and Sachitra Debbarma from East Tripura.

26

INDIA

IN BRIEF

Smart phones give children easy access to violence

London: The police watchdog has warned that smart phones would turn children into criminals because they would provide easy access to online pornography and violent images which desensitise them. Exposure to violence and sexually explicit material can “distort and confuse perceptions of normal behaviour of children,” according to Tom Winsor, the Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

PM orders probe into Muslim Brotherhood’s terror links

London: Prime Minister David Cameron has ordered an urgent probe into the Muslim Brotherhood amid fears that the Islamist organisation is planning extremist activities from Britain. The review will include an assessment by MI6, the foreign intelligence service, of claims that the group was behind the murder of three tourists on a bus in Egypt in February and a spate of other recent attacks.

Statins can boost sex life

London: Scientists now say that statins which is known to lower the risk of a heart attack can also improve sex life. A study has found that the drugs are associated with a significant improvement in erectile function, which the authors suggested could encourage middle-aged men to take their medication. “The increase in erectile function scores with statins was approximately one third to one half of what has been reported with drugs like Viagra, Cialis or Levitra,” said John Kostis, director of the Cardiovascular Institute at Rutgers University, New Jersey, who led the study.

Murder suspect hiding in Pak picks up passport from UK consulate Islamabad: Qasim Majid, 30, a suspect in the 2004 gang murder of Tyrone Clarke on the streets of Beeston, Leeds, hiding in Pakistan walked into UK consulate there and picked up a new passport. The suspect, who is wanted for questioning by West Yorkshire police over the violent killing, had no problems applying for the document under his own name.

He was spotted in Dina, Pakistan, after he featured in an episode of Crimewatch. It later emerged that there was never an international arrest warrant issued for him, and that his details were left out of Government databases.

Women doctors outnumber men in UK for first time

London: Female doctors outnumber their male counterparts for first time in UK, according to official figures. The data shows that 51 per cent of GPs working in England are female - a 51 per cent rise since 2003, during a period when the numbers of male GPs has fallen. The rise in female GPs follows the introduction of a contract under Labour which allowed doctors to give up responsibility for out of hours services, which most did.Experts said many female medical students were more likely to opt for general practice over other types of medicine because it allowed them to work part-time, if they chose to have a family.

Indian-origin teen tells US how to save $400 mn

New York: A 14-year-old Indian-origin boy has come up with a unique plan that could help the US save nearly $400 million a year by merely changing the font used on official documents. Suvir Mirchandani, a student in a Pittsburgh-area middle school, claimed that if the federal government used the Garamond font exclusively it could save about $136 million per year, nearly 30 per cent less than the estimated $467 million dollars it spends annually on ink. An additional $234 million could be saved annually if state governments also implemented the change. Suvir said the idea came to him when he was trying to think of ways to cut waste and save money as part of a science fair project at his school.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

UN initiates probe into Lanka war crimes

US Ambassador to India Powell resigns

Continued from page 1 stretch of beach on the north-eastern coast. The UN has recorded 5,676 “outstanding cases” of missing people in the country – more than anywhere else in the world, apart from Iraq.

The decision came four months after Cameron controversially agreed to attend a Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka during November 2013. At that time, he promised to urge an international inquiry into atrocities and disappearances if Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s own government failed to act.

Sri Lanka, however, vociferously opposed the measure with China and Russia backing and said that the resolution would

violate its sovereignty and undermine its own efforts to heal the wounds caused by war. But finally the resolution passed by a sizable margin, with 12 countries including India and South Africa refrained from voting.

Cameron asserted that the resolution was “triggered by the failure of the Sri Lankan government to stand by its promises to credibly and independently investigate alleged violations on both sides during the war”. He also urged Rajapaksa to cooperate with the international inquiry.

“I am proud of the crucial role that Britain has played to secure this outcome. I said in November that we would achieve more by standing up for our values rather than sit-

ting on the sidelines. And that is exactly what we have done,” he added.

The resolution passed with 23 votes in favour, 12 against and 12 abstentions. India’s abstention comes after MEA raised the red flag on the resolution, saying it would create precedents that would be difficult to withstand.

Colombo, too, had mounted a strong diplomatic offensive with the Indian leadership, including long meetings with the national security adviser Shivshankar Menon.

Pakistan did its best to help Sri Lanka by proposing a separate vote on the operative paragraph 10 (deemed most offensive) hoping to remove it totally from the resolution, but it failed in its bid by securing just 16 votes against 25.

Continued from page 1 of high-profile T20 tournament – IPL7.

The apex court added that the two franchises under the scanner Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals - will not be banned from IPL 7. As interim president of BCCI, Gavaskar will exercise all powers concerning IPL, the SC ruled. It had proposed the name of Sunil Gavaskar as interim BCCI president in place of N. Srinivasan.

Reacting to the SC propos-

al, former India captain Gavaskar said that he was ready to take the responsibility and that he would be “honoured” and “happy” to adhere to the directives of the highest court of the land. The court said that Gavaskar should not do commentary during his stint as the BCCI president, adding that he would be compensated for the BCCI top job. The apex court also said BCCI vice president Shivlal Yadav will look after the other affairs of the

Board. In a packed-courtroom, the bench made it clear that no employee of India Cements, except players and commentators, will be allowed to get involved in any duties or activities of BCCI. It also said that it was for Gavaskar to decide whether the present Chief Executive Officer of IPL, Sundar Raman, to continue on his post or to be replaced after allegations were levelled against him in the court of protecting Srinivasan.

New Delhi: US ambassador Nancy Powell has resigned, making way for a reset of US-India relations with the new government in New Delhi. In a brief announcement posted on the US embassy website, Powell said she had submitted her resignation to US President Barack Obama and would “retire to her home in Delaware before the end of May”. If sources close to the development have to be believed among those being considered as a replacement for Powell is Rajiv Shah, head of USAID. He was Obama's pick for the job, the highest ranking Indian American in his cabinet.

While Powell's appointment was seen as a sign of the plateaued relationship between Washington and New Delhi, two other factors have helped to push her out. First, her refusal to engage BJP leader Narendra Modi in time.

Britain, Canada and European countries all restored communication with him leaving the US as a reluctant last minute turnaround. Powell was believed to be going by the current government's antipathy to Modi.

Second, the Devyani Khobragade affair did not reflect well on the embassy here.

Continued from page 1 They have joined the 700,000 strong British Sikh community to "establish the truth about not only UK government's involvement but the Indian government's pressure to suppress the truth from British Sikhs".

With the Sikh voters clearly threatening to abstain from voting unless answers are given to the questions raised, in fear of losing out on the Sikh vote, the demand has found considerable support from the UK MPs, Peers, MEPs and European Parliament candidates.

The Sikh Federation said, "We believe only through an independent judge-led inquiry will we get proper information."

They are also calling for an "international UN-led inquiry into the genocide of the Sikhs in 1984". The Federation announced on Thursday that it has secured the support of

over 100 UK politicians representing over five million of the UK electorate.

As the Asian Voice went to press, the Times of India reported that the list included some very important MPs including Virendra Sharma (Ealing, Southall), Keith Vaz (Leicester East), Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham Perry Barr) and Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East). The list also includes Labour member of European Parliament Claude Moraes (London), Labour European Parliament candidate Neena Gill (West Midlands), Liberal democrat Lord (Qurban) Hussain and Conservative Baron (Mohamed) Sheikh, Richard Fuller MP for Bedford who has confirmed his support for an independent public inquiry.

Adam Holloway, the Conservative MP for Gravesham asked an oral question at Prime

Minister's Question time over such an inquiry. He said, "I know that the PM is acutely aware that we are coming up to the 30th anniversary of the appalling carnage at the Golden Temple at Amritsar. What more can be done at last to bring someone to justice for the appalling events that followed across India?"

To that PM Cameron replied, "My honourable friend is right that what happened at Amritsar 30 years ago led to a tragic loss of life. It remains a deep source of pain to Sikhs everywhere and a stain on the post-independence history of India.

We cannot interfere in the Indian justice system, nor should we. The most important thing we can do in this country is celebrate the immense contribution that British Sikhs make to our country, to our armed forces, to our culture and to our business life and celebrate what they do for

this country." Questions are also being raised asking why Paul Uppal, has not confirmed his support.

Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation which took place 3–8 June 1984, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in order to establish control over the Harmandir Sahib Complex in Amritsar, Punjab and remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his allegedly armed followers from the complex buildings. Bhindranwale was accused of amassing weapons in the gurudwara in order to start a major armed uprising. It has been alleged that the British PM Margaret Thatcher's government may have helped Indira Gandhi plan Operation Bluestar in 1984. A few months after the operation, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards in an apparent revenge attack.

Gavaskar named BCCI chief for IPL

Cameron under pressure for Operation Blue Star probe

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INDIA - ELECTION

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Nido’s death is the major issue for Arunachal Pradesh

AV Correspondent

GENERAL ELECTION 2014

Lok Sabha as well as Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh, situated on the Chinese border. The State in North East India is having two Lok Sabha seats and in the last general elections Congress candidates Takam Sanjoy and Erring Ninong won from Arunachal Pradesh West and East constituencies respectively.

The General Elections are being held in the state since 1977.

The Congress party emerged victorious then and continued to be the winning party in the 1980, 1984, 1989, and 1991 Lok Sabha elections. In the

Congress in 1998. The Congress emerged trumps in 1999, but conceded the states’ Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in 2004. The electorate strength in the north-eastern state is 7, ANALYSIS 35,196.

Arunachal has the distinction of setting up a polling station for only two voters at Malogaon under Hayuliang division in the newly created Anjaw district.

Besides, there are eight polling stations for Date of voting in less than 10 voters, 20 for less than 20 voters Arunachal Pradesh and 105 for less than April 09, 2014 Wednesday 50 electors in different areas of the largest north-eastern state. The 'C 1996 polls, an Sector' polling station at Independent candidate Itanagar has the highest emerged victorious, folnumber of 1650 voters in lowed by the Arunachal

Pankaj Udhas deserves credit for making ghazal popular at a time when it was losing its foothold over the masses. And today, amidst the cacophony of fast pop music, he has proved that ghazal can still charm music lovers the world over and that music is not what is made out of machines but that which is made out of an artist’s soul.

From his first ghazal album “Aahat” released in 1980, Pankaj has released around 40 albums with countless number of compilations.

In all his albums, he has always tried to present ghazal in a manner more appealing to the masses, yet maintaining its essence.

Pankaj has also made his foray into films, gaining a lot of popularity with the ever popular “Chitthi Aayee Hai” from the film “Naam”, bringing tears to every music lovers’ eyes.

He has given music lovers some amazing songs which will remain in their

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India commuted the death sentence of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, a convict in the 1993 bomb blast in New Delhi, to life sentence.

Bhullar, a Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) militant, was sentenced to death in 2001 for the bomb blast which killed 12 people and injured 29 others.

Earlier, the government had told the apex Court that it had no problem with the commutation of death penalty of Bhullar.

The government said that a delay in the deciding mercy plea was ground enough for commutation of Bhullar's death sentence. Attorney General G.E. Vahanvati said to a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, “this is a case which has to be allowed because the mercy petition of the convict was decided after a delay of eight years,” to which the bench agreed.

"The bench greatly

Pankaj Udhas to tour UK

Rawal removes bouncers

Ahmedabad:Replacement of seven times BJP MP Harin Pathak and film star Paresh Rawal was termed as an ‘outsider’ for Ahmedabad East constituency. When Rawal started campaigning in his constituency, people started criticizing him because of his nine bodyguards (bouncers). Even BJP cadres in Gujarat, who are accompanying him in the group meetings and other campaigning activities, were uncomfortable because of Bouncers’ presence. However, smart bollywood actor, understood the reality before opposition Congress start attacking on him over his bodyguard, he himself decided to remove them and allow people to meet him freely.

Pankaj Udhas

hearts for time immemorial. He will be touring UK and the details brought to you by Perfect Harmony Productions & Rock On are as follows: • 4th April 2014 Demontfort Hall Leicester • 5th April at Eventim Apollo, formerly known as Hammersmith Apollo • 6th April at the new Bingley Hall, Birmingham For more information log on to www.phpshows.com or call Shailesh Patel 07722783084

the state having 7,53,170 electorate. In all, the state has 2,158 polling stations of which 664 have been set up in almost inaccessible areas.

The issue of Nido Taniam’s death in Delhi is expected to work negatively for the Congress candidates here. From the Western Parliamentary constituency major candidates are Takam Sanjoy (Congress), Kiren Rijju (BJP), Jalley Sonam (People’s Party of Arunachal), Habung Payeng (AAP). From Estern Lok Sabha constituency are Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Ninong Erring (Congress), Tapir Gao (BJP) and Wangman lowangcha from PPA.

CB Patel’s younger brother passes away

Vishnubhai Babubhai Patel (69), younger brother of C.B. Patel – Editor/Publisher of ‘Gujarat Samachar’ and ‘Asian Voice’ passed away at Vadodara after prolonged illness on March 27, 2014 (Thursday early morning).

Late Vishnubhai, known for his simplicity, frankness and loving nature was born in Bhadaran village of Gujarat on January 27, 1945. Later on he settled in the cultural capital of Gujarat – Vadodara. He also took care of his late mother Kamala Baa. As soon as C.B. came to know about Vishnubhai deteriorating health, he immediately took first flight from London and reached Vadodara.

Vishnubhai left

Vishnubhai Patel

behind his wife Anilaben, daughter Sujal and son Mugat. Large number of people, including relatives, friends and leading personalities in social life attended his funeral and prayer meeting. Prayer song was conducted by noted singer Maya Dipak. The ‘Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice’ family is praying for peace of the departed soul.

Bhullar escapes death sentence

appreciated the candid statement of the attorney

general, and therefore there was no further need

27

for argument and the matter has been reserved for judgment on Monday or Tuesday," said K.T.S Tulsi, lawyer in the case.

The bench had earlier inquired about Bhullar's health conditions and had examined a medical report of the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), where Bhullar is being treated for mental illness.

28

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Nazriya to concentrate more in Malayalam

A

ctress Nazriya Nazim whose wedding engagement to one of the top heroes of Malayalam, Fahad Fazil was made public recently, has said that here after she wishes to concentrate more on Malaylam projects. The “Raja Rani” actress is quick to add that her decision is backed by her preference to do more films in the language she is comfortable. The pretty girl admits that she is happy with the roles that have been offered to her in Tamil and

also thankful to Tamil audience for accepting her within a few films. Nazriya's upcoming release will be Balaji Mohan's “Vaayai Moodi Pesavum” which is a TamilMalayalam bi-lingual. Nazriya who has been paired up with Dulqer Salman in the film says that unlike her earlier movies, she plays a calm and composed character in this film. She has revealed that Balaji Mohan has purposefully offered her the role of a doctor who prefers remaining calm. She adds that she will sport a different hairstyle and will be wearing specs which she has not done so far.

Anushka to pair up with Rajnikanth

I

t's rain of fortune pouring in for Anushka. While it has been confirmed that the actress will be pairing up with Ajith in the actor's upcoming film with Gautham Menon, the tall beauty is likely to pair up with the Superstar as well.

There were reports that Superstar Rajnikanth is pairing up with director K S Ravikumar after the release of “Kochadiiyaan.”

Now, as per reliable sources the

“Padayappa” director has already started the pre-production work while the release date of “Kochadiiyaan” is approaching. It is said that KSR has approached Anushka to pair opposite the Superstar. While the director prefers to keep secret stating that nothing has been finalized about the project, sources close to the Singam actress have revealed that Anushka has indeed been approached by the makers of the next film of Rajnikanth.

Lifetime achievement award for Rajnikanth “W

o n d e r Book of Records,” an organization that has its headquarters in London, has conferred the lifetime achievement award to Tamil film superstar Rajnikanth.

Interestingly Rajni is the first person from Tamil Nadu to receive the prestigious award. The organizers said "Rajni has been

“J

‘Jal’

al” is a Hindi film which is set in the Rann of Kutch and

an inspiration to many in elevating himself as a successful star from the scratches. Born in a poor family, the actor struggled in the film industry at various stages before attaining stardom. That's why we have given him the award." Wonder Book of Records team also said that they had visited the residence of Rajnikanth to hand over the award certificate and gave it to the actor's wife Latha Rajnikanth since the Superstar was not available at home.

New Release about an overconfident water diviner named Bakka, who tries to solve the drought problems in his village, but faces unforeseen circumstances when he tries to help a female ornithologist save flamingos. The film was screened and received praise at various film festivals including the "New Currents" section of the Busan International Film Festival 2013 and in the "Indian Panorama" section of the International Film Festival of India.

Purab Kohli, Tannishtha Chatterjee, Kirti Kulhari, Yashpal Sharma, Mukul Dev are the main actors in the film.

‘Main Tera Hero’

“M

ain Tera Hero” is an upcoming Hindi romantic actioncomedy film, directed by David Dhawan. The film stars Varun Dhawan, Ileana D'Cruz and Nargis Fakhri in the lead roles. It is the remake of Telugu movie “Kandireega.” The Official trailer of the film was released online on 23

January 2014 with presence of the main cast.

Remya Nambseesan's interesting lineup of projects A

ctress Remya Nambeesan who was last seen in Tamil screen playing the lead heroine role in horror thriller “Pizza 2” directed by Karthik Subbaraj, which released in 2012, is back with a few interesting projects.

Remya completed the shoot for “Damaal Dumeel” directed by Shree. It is touted as black comedy thriller and Remya has said that she has played an elite modern girl opposite Vaibhav in the film. This will be her upcoming release in Tamil.

While her “Rendaavadhu Padam” directed by C S Amudhan of Tamilpadam fame is pending for release, Remya has grabbed an offer to star opposite Arulnithi in the latter's next film “Naalu Policeum Nalla Irundha Oorum”. The Kullanari Koottam actress is about to play the role of a school teacher in the film that is being directed by Sri Krishna.

Re m y a also has a few other inter-

Sonakshi won't be campaigning for her father ctress Sonakshi A Sinha got on

to a microblogging site to clarify the reports suggesting that she would be campaigning for her father Shatrughan Sinha, in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections.

P o s t e d Sonakshi, "I will not be campaigning for my father @Shatrugansinha as is being reported. Other than my professional commitments keeping me busy, he does not need me to, nor does he expect me to because as he said i am not a political personality."

However, she did add further that this will not stop her from casting vote.

29

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Latest

Kangana wants to be in a relationship K

angana Ranaut is currently busy celebrating the rave reviews her latest release is getting and basking in the praises showered on her, but the actor is now ready to juggle work with play. "I want to be in a relationship," says Kangana, who has been single for quite some time now. "I want to move away from movies and have a life.

Ideally, I would want to do

one movie in a year or two, but the offers now are so tempting, it’s hard to refuse. So where will I make the time to date someone?"

"I have a friend who has been pursuing me for a while now. He lives in New York (USA) and he’s a very dear friend. Frankly speaking, I’d love to date him. He’s a very nice guy and he’s fun. But I’m not sure what’s going to happen," she says.

However, the actor refuses to divulge too many details about this mystery man.

Aamir Khan fires salvo at 'Bombay Velvet'

Anupam Kher makes fun of Katrina Kaif

n the latest promo of Dawid Dhawan's “Main Tera Hero”, actor I Anupam Kher takes a dig at

Katrina Kaif's Hindi. However, in the scene actor Varun Dhawan defends the pretty actress.

According to a report, Anupam, who plays Ileana D'Cruz and Nargis Fakhri's father, tells Varun, "Tumhari harkatein, kutte ki dum, aur Katrina ki Hindi aisi hai ki kabhi seedhi ho hi nahi sakti (Your behaviour, dog's tail and Katrina's Hindi can

never improve). "However, Varun retorts back by saying, "sir, aajkal uski Hindi achchi ho gayi hai." This is, however, not the first time that a film has made fun of actors. In Kangana Ranaut's recent film “Queen,” the actress takes a dig at Emraan Hashmi. She compliments his kissing style when she says, "Indians her cheez mein best hote hain..Indians kissing mein bhi best hote hain..Emraan Hashmi ki pictures nahi dekhi hai kya."

Aishwarya, Katrina and Sonam come together

he famous adage “Two of a trade T seldom agree” is set

to prove wrong with the three divas of Bollywood Aishwariya Rai Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Sonam Kapoor coming together. Well, not for a film, as one would have wished for! The trio will be seen together at the Red Carpet of Women Awards 2014 to be held soon. What is interesting is, this is for the first time that

Aishwarya, Sonam and Katrina would be seen coming face-to-face! And this could happen thanks to their common connection with the brand, which is associated with the aforementioned event. They represent and endorse the same brand of a beauty product.

While they may be pitched as the rivals, their willingness to come together has certainly raised a curiosity in the B-town! So, let's wait and watch how the three beauties greet each other when they meet eye-to-eye!

Bachchan, Asin learning Moushumi Chatterjee Spanish ctress Asin, who is already fluent to reunite? in five languages, is reportedly A learning Spanish. The 28-year-old

here were reports that Shoojit Sircar was in the process of roping in Jaya Bachchan T to star opposite Amitabh Bachchan in his

upcoming film. But soon after, the director went on to deny the news. He, however, maintained that he was still on the lookout for an older actress for the part. Now, it seems like he is considering Moushumi Chatterjee for the same. "He is earnestly looking for her contact,” says a source. If Shoojit does manage this casting coup, then the film will see Bachchan and Chatterjee come together on screen after more than three decades.

actress recently visited Spain, where she developed an interest towards the language. “Asin’s love for learning new languages stems from the fact that she loves to travel and visit new places.

Recently when she visited Spain she fell in love with the language and is currently learning it,” a source said.

Asin can s p e a k Te l u g u , T a m i l , M a l ay al a m , H i n d i , English. She was last seen in ‘Khiladi 786′.

ajkumar Hirani's Aamir starrer, “P.K.”, which was earlier scheduled for June 6, has now R chosen to release on the Christmas week, a date

decided months in advance by Anurag for his ambitious film, “Bombay Velvet,” has not gone down well with the director who made his displeasure public in an interview. This has apparently miffed Aamir Khan..

Aamir took a dig at one of the makers of “Bombay Velvet,” Madhu Mantena, when the two bumped into each other at Kangana Ranaut's birthday party. He walked up to Mantena and quipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Kya bhai, aaj kal toh tum bade star ban gaye ho. Aur hum to purane actor hokar rahe gaye." Those standing close by had no trouble figuring out what he meant.

The two had been good friends during the “Ghajini” days. Mantena had produced this Aamir-starrer. Says an eyewitness to the exchange, "Aamir was indirectly taking a potshot at Madhu. He sounded really ticked off, Madhu didn't know which way to look."

Deepika Padukone beats Big B

ctress Deepika Padukone invited her 15 million Facebook fans for a live web chat as A a way to express her gratitude for their support

and love. Deepika, 28, also celebrated her more than 15 million fan following on Facebook beating superstars like Salman Khan (14,811,718 likes), Aamir Khan (11,597,563 likes) and Amitabh Bachchan (10,518,577) among others. The ‘Chennai Express’ star even updated her cover photo one hour prior to the live chat with her fans. “Celebrating 15 million crazens.

Live Chat with Deepika now,” read the caption on the picture.

Manoj Bajpayee turns producer

or an actor who has worked in the industry for 20 years, F Manoj Bajpayee feels that it

was a natural progression to turn a producer. The first film will be a thriller he will be coproducing with Neeraj Pandey.

Directed by debutant Mukul Abhyankar, the film will be completed in a start-to-finish schedule in April, shot entirely in Mauritius. But he has no intentions of venturing into direction and the actor is willing to produce any genre of films that excites him.

30

UK

Enough is Enough Seminar

On Sunday, the 23rd of March Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Dharma Bhakti Manor based in Stanmore held a special seminar on domestic violence/abuse, rape and forced marriages.

Speakers included Freesha Jadva who spoke so passionately about her personal experiences, followed by Detective Inspector Mike West from the community safety unit Brent police and finally Jennette Arnold OBE, who has been a constant support of woman’s rights and is the North East London representative on the London Assembly. The session really inspired many as the public started talking openly about their own life experiences.

After a lunch break and the key note speaker for the rape talk included Detective Sergeant Bhupendra Sonigra and his team from the Sexual Offences, Exploitation, Child Abuse command unit of the Metropolitan Police.

The speakers explained what sexual assault is and how the victims can gain support from the Met Police or other organisations.

Chaz Akoshile, who is the Joint Head of the forced marriage unit within the Foreign & Commonwealth Office/Home Office Unit, explained the differences between arranged and forced marriages and how forced marriages will become a criminal offence from summer 2014.

Somi Guha sues BBC over alleged racist remark on Top Gear

An Asian actress is suing the BBC for up to £1million after Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson allegedly made a racist comment during the series finale of the show.

Somi Guha, 36, born in India, has called upon lawyers after Clarkson used the word 'slope' - a derogatory term for people of Asian descent - in the Top Gear Burma special. Ms Guha is claiming that by broadcasting Clarkson's comment, the BBC are complicit in unlawful dis-

crimination by a public body.

Her lawyers, Equal Justice, claim her action could cost the BBC £1 million in punitive damages under equality laws unless it apologises and takes the hit motoring show off the air. They say she is one of a group of people who were offended by the term - and so sought legal advice from the firm, who previously worked on racism allegations surrounding reality show Celebrity Big Brother.

Coming Events

l Saturday 5th April 2014 – Hanuman Chalisa & Ram Navmi Bhajans from 10am onwards at the SPA Community Centre, Birmingham. l Tuesday 8th April 2014 – Ramnavami celebration at Wembley Temple from 10am onwards at Shri Sanatan Hindu Mandir, P.O. Box 700, Ealing Road, Alperton, Wembley, HA0 4TA. Contact: 020 8903 7737.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

Lord Dholakia speaks out against Indeterminate Sentencing Tariffs Lord Dholakia has spoken forcefully about the injustice suffered by prisoners now serving indeterminate sentences, IPPs, on the grounds of public protection, during a debate in the House of Lords on Thursday 27 March '14.

Lord Dholakia reiterated the abhorrent anomalous position that finds new and future prisoners not being sentenced in this way, but existing prisoners “languishing in prison” well beyond the original tariff expiry date.

Lord Dholakia pointing out what was needed

to address the situation listed four main reasons why the Government should take prompt action. His main argument centred on the fact that IPPs have been abolished for sentencing purposes now and in the future leaving the unjustifiable anomaly.

Finishing on the hugely important point of justice being fair, Lord Dholakia spoke of the incontrovertible damage done by an anomaly that brought “the criminal justice system into disrepute.”

Vivekananda 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations comes to a Close “Arise, Awake and stop not till the goal is reached” – a quote from Vivekananda which formed the backbone of a year-long celebration across UK. The Vivekananda exhibition has touched many towns across the UK such as Manchester, London, Birmingham, Reading and Newcastle to name just a few. Volunteers up and down the country set up exhibitions and various workshops, providing knowledge and raising awareness of the Hindu religion. It is estimated that around 25,000 people across all walks of life have been touched by the cele-

bration.

The SV150 concluding ceremony will take place in Birmingham on the Sunday 13th April 2014.

The event will showcase talents of the Hindu community with singing, cultural performances and an interactive session titled “What would Vivekananda say?” Swami Dayatmananadaji from the Ramkrishna Vedanta Centre will be hosting the closing ceremony with MP Bob Blackman attending as chief guest for the event. Invitation is open to all. Kindly RSVP the event: bit.ly/1gtr7dk or contact our PR team at pr@sv150.org.uk

Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Tanveer Mann Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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Although there are very intense amorous energies indicated in your chart, the trouble is that these are likely to be marred by feelings of jealousy.

Do not therefore dabble in anything that could harbour such negative potential, as it is bound to end in heartache. Existing emotional differences can be sorted out now.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

An exchange of opinions ought to prove very enlivening at this time. An influence that should help to enjoy the 'nicer' side of others brings out the best in friends and partners alike. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

Your urge towards greater freedom and independence is very strongly accentuated. In intimate affairs, the prospect appears entirely favourable. In work matters you can expect a progressive phase. Efforts to bring about desirable changes in your working life are more likely to be positive.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

You will feel energetic and confident as the week begins. Your thinking is inspired, so listen to your thoughts. This may be a time of expansion and improved opportunity and it would be unwise to let yourself become complacent. A good time for restructuring and rethinking your aims and interests.

Affairs of the heart are likely to flourish.

This is a good time to cut back on extravagant spending and consolidate your finances. Your social calendar is likely to keep you very busy and you will have lots of opportunities to promote yourself. For some of you this is also a good time to meet likeminded people which could lead to romantic liaisons.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The pattern of significant relationships in your life will continue to favour you. It seems that a great deal of mutual benefit will accrue because of various interactions. The underlying trend indicates that deep creative energies are stirring within you and that seemingly insignificant events will play a vital role in the future enrichment of life.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

COMPETITION WINNER

Congratulations!

We are pleased to announce that Manish Patel has won a complimentary meal for two at Flavours restaurant, with a bottle of wine.

You will be contacted shortly on your email by the restaurant representative.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 Your self-confidence is riding high and at times totally misplaced. It's good to be positive and optimistic but it can be destructive when you don't listen to others and always think that you are right. This can lead to a fall in grace, so it is important to become a little more humble. Travel to far off lands are indicated.

Don't be afraid to act forcefully if your instinct tells you it's time for change. This week the focus is your house of family and home. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 205, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar,Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel / Fax: +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com General Manager: Sanat Trivedi (M) +91 94293 65619 Email: sanat.trivedi@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Assistant Marketing Manager: Manish Shah (Vadodara) M: +91 96876 06824 Email: manish.shah@abplgroup.com Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 222471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 44 9311581597

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It's time when experience will enable you to enrich your inner mind and personality. You are moving into a new phase of life which will bring wider scope for developing your unique qualities and talents. You are likely to move around more than usual. Life will become very lively and there will be a lot of social interactions.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20 Life appears to be focusing your mind on practical matters. So you will need to organise your time carefully if you are to avoid an "all work and no play" situation. Resist making any hasty moves when it come to finances this is a time to focus on consolidation of current assets.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Love and close personal relationships will occupy the centre of your attention this week. With Venus remaining in your sign, any emotional tensions will be smoothed out easily and harmony will prevail. On a purely practical note, you can expect your financial affairs to take a turn for the better.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

You are likely to be lucky in terms of opportunities and meetings with helpful persons.

Whatever you are aiming to achieve at this time will suddenly take a leap onto a new level. If you are hoping to move up the ladder of success, this is definitely a time to be on the alert for new openings.

Anand to challenge Carlsen again

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

India’s Vishwanathan Anand has become one of the oldest players in chess history to win a World Championship rematch with Magnus Carlsen.

Anand drew his 13th and penultimate round game with the youngest GM ever Sergei Karjakin of Russia and tallied 8 points. Anand had lost his World crown to Carlsen in Chennai without winning a game with two rounds to spare. Now, he has won the candidates without losing a game so far; and with a round to spare.

At the start of the round, a draw would not have been enough for Anand to clinch the deal.

result (his winning the candidates title) is one of the most pleasant surprises that I had recently," said Anand.

Karjakin didn't give Anand an easy half point.

He tried to force a mistake from the former multiple Vishwanathan Anand world chamHowever, top seed Levon pion and stretched the Aronian lost his game to game to 91 moves. But world No.43 Dmitry Anand was up to the task.

Andreikin.

Despite Aronian's loss, the "I won't deny..this loss for Anand against

It’s a case of being in the right place at the right time and second time lucky for N Shivlal Yadav with the Supreme Court asking him to take care of the BCCI’s day-to-day administration.

The Hyderabad strongman had reason to fancy his chances when the IPL spot-fixing surfaced last year and N Srinivasan was forced to step aside but the arrangement to have Jagmohan Dalmiya handle the affairs denied Yadav the chance to become BCCI president by virtue of being the vice-president from South Zone, whose turn it is now to helm the Board. It’s not the ideal of conditions, but pitchforked into the top post that he is now, Yadav made no bones of the fact that he is game for the onerous responsibility on his 57year-old shoulders. “I am ready to take up the responsibility vested in me by the honourable Supreme Court. I’ll be taking care of the BCCI affairs which the SC asked me to do except for the IPL which Mr Gavaskar will take care of,” he said.

It’s a strange coincidence that Yadav started (vs Australia in 1975) and ended his Test career (vs Pakistan in 1987) in Bangalore, and will share the responsibility with Sunil Gavaskar, the interim BCCI president for IPL, his first Test captain; the 31st and 32nd presidents

Novak Djokovic tamed world number one Rafa Nadal 6-3 6-3 to claim his fourth Sony Open title on Sunday, denying the Spaniard a maiden win on the Miami hard courts.

The win was the second straight Masters series title for the second ranked Serb, who defeated Roger Federer in the BNP Paribas Open two weeks ago in Indian Wells.

"That was a great confidence boost for me that I carried on in this week, and this tournament has been perfect from the beginning to the end," said Djokovic, after hoisting his 43rd career title.

"The matches that I have played I played really well, and I elevated my game as the tournament progressed. The best performance of the tournament came in the right moment on Sunday against the biggest rival."

The world's top ranked players added another line to what has grown into one of tennis' great rivalries with the Spaniard holding a 22-18 edge.

But the Miami title continues to be one of the few to elude Nadal, who has now finished runnerup four times at Crandon Park, twice beaten in the final by Djokovic.

"Miami is the same level as Indian Wells, same level as Cincinnati, Toronto, Monte Carlo, Rome, Madrid," said Nadal when asked to

explain his inability to hoist the Miami trophy.

"The quality of the tournament is Masters 1000 that I won 26, so I cannot have a mental block on that.

No, no frustration. That's tennis. That's the sport."

Serena sweeps past Li Proving there is no place like home, world No. 1 Serena Williams swept past China’s Li Na 7-5, 61 in the final of the Sony Open on Saturday, collecting a record seventh win on the Miami hard courts.

Williams, who lives an hour’s drive from the Tennis Centre at Crandon Park and considers the tournament her home event, treated the second ranked Li like an unwelcome guest, needing just two hours on a steamy centre court to collect her 59th career title, the $787,000 winner’s purse pushing her career earnings over $55 million.

In 14 appearances at the Miami event, Williams has driven back to her Palm Beach Gardens home with the trophy half the time.

and 16 representing 19 countries, playing 30minute matches will compete in this world cup.

Students are over-

whelmed for being selected for this world cup. One of the players in the team T Gopinath expressed “This is unthinkable for all of us. Our focus now is to come back with the cup and make everyone proud.” He added, “I never ever dreamt that I would be flying in a plane and going to Brazil. There are lots of kids like me

Shivlal Yadav to run BCCI affairs now

N Shivlal Yadav

since BCCI’s inception in 1928-29. That Test against Pakistan, which India lost by 16 runs, was also Gavaskar’s last Test, incidentally. In a Test career spanning 12 years, Yadav scalped 102 wickets and has taken to administration since. He was the HCA secretary from 200009, replacing India’s 1983 World Cupwinning manager Man Singh. It was not long before he became a national selector – he enjoyed two stints – and has accompanied the Indian team as their manager on quite a few occasions, the last being the 2011-12 series against Australia down under. He has been the HCA vicepresident and BCCI vicepresident (South) from 2008 till now. Being under pressure is not new to this Hyderabadi, but the situation being what it is, every move of his will be under the microscope, especially after the manner in which Yadav backed the Supreme Court recommendations – that N Srinivasan should go.

Karjakin could have had great implications on the final round. For, a draw would not have assured him the title had Karjakin or Kramnik won their games on Sunday. Both would have caught Anand on eight points. And both would have had better tiebreak than Anand.

Anand is scheduled to play a rematch against Carlsen in November this year. The venue is undecided. It will be Anand's 10th shot at the World title in 20 years. The 44-yearold has won the title five times. That includes six match plays (including the second vs Carlsen), two knockout finals and two tournaments.

Djokovic beats Nadal for fourth Miami title

SPORT WORLD

Hamilton claims Malaysian Grand Prix

Britain's Lewis Hamilton won the Malaysian Grand Prix with a pole-to-flag victory ahead of Nico Rosberg on Sunday. The 2008 Formula One world champion easily pulled away from his rivals on a dry track with a three-stop strategy to win the race by 17.3 seconds, his 23rd career victory and first in Malaysia at the eighth attempt.

Rosberg, who won the season opener in Australia two weeks ago, started in third place, but squeezed past quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel into the first corner and was able to keep the Red Bull at bay and stay top of the driver standings. Hamilton said he was really, really happy with just a great performance by the team. Hamilton's victory puts him second in the world championship, 18 points behind Rosberg.

Pakistan invite Diego Maradona to develop football

Novak Djokovic

Pakistan's football chiefs invited Diego Maradona to visit the country after the Argentina legend disparagingly compared his own association to the South Asian nation's. The 53-year-old accused the Argentine Football Association (AFA) of "understanding as much about football as Pakistan does".

Naveed Haider, a senior official of the Pakistan Football Federation, welcomed the fact Maradona was talking about his country and urged him to visit to lift the game's profile. "I would love Maradona to come to Pakistan and help Pakistan," Haider said, noting that the Argentine was already a sports ambassador for Dubai. "He plays a very effective role and we welcome him to come and develop football here." He acknowledged that Pakistan, ranked a lowly 158th in the world, had a long way to go but said they had made great strides in recent times. "We want to do more than we are doing but we have achieved a lot in the last few years," Haider said, citing Pakistan winning the Asian Football Confederation's "Aspiring" nation award last year. He also noted Pakistan had climbed in the rankings from a low of 172 last year to their current position, and had recently drawn a match with higher-ranked Malaysia.

Chennai street kids head to Brazil to play the World Cup

Nine players from Chennai will represent India at Street Child World Cup (SCWC) held at Brazil this year. The kids, economically less privileged, were picked up from the streets by Karunalaya, one of the NGOs in Chennai.

Karunalaya helped these boys get professional training. SCWC will be held ahead of FIFA World Cup in June this year.

The second edition of the SCWC will be played between March 28 and April 7. Sixteen teams of players aged between 14

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who are on the streets and they are also very talented. I hope someone gives them an opportunity’’.

“The last six months has been quite hectic and tiring for these children.

They had an emotional farewell when they left our Karunalaya home,’’said Paul Sunder Singh, secretary of Karunalaya.

Street Child World Cup 2010 was founded by

UK-based Amos Trust initiated by UK registered Street Child United. The aim of the initiative was to offer a platform for street children to be heard and to promote the rights of these children. The first edition of Street Child World Cup was held in South Africa in the year 2010, wherein Indian team from Punjab won the prestigious cup and made India proud.

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SPORT

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th April 2014

India, Lanka, Proteas & Windies in T20 semis

India, Sri Lanka and South Africa and West Indies have booked their places in the ICC World T20. Sri Lanka will now take on West Indies on April 3 at Mirpur. Group 2 winners India will take on Group 1 runners-up South Africa on April 4, also at Mirpur.

India beat Bangladesh Chasing 139 to win against the hosts in their third Super 10 encounter at the Sher-E-Bangla National Stadium, on Friday, India cantered home with eight wickets and nine balls to spare and confirm a berth in the semifinal of the ICC World T20. After their triumph in the inaugural edition of the event in South Africa, in 2007, this will be the first time they will qualify for the last four of the event.

Virat Kohli 57 and Rohit Sharma 56 ensured that the chase was completed clinically. The duo ran hard and employed the horizontal bat shots to the short ball and milked the spinners expertly during their 100-run stand for the

second wicket in 12.3 overs and ensured that the early loss of Shikhar Dhawan hardly mattered.

Rohit was dismissed with the target just 25 runs away and Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 to get some runs under his belt before the semis and played some big strokes and hit the winning six.

Proteas pip England by 3 runs

Wayne Parnell picked up three wickets and Imran Tahir picked up two as South Africa withstood a late onslaught by the England middle and late order batsmen and pull off a thrilling 3-run win.

Tim Bresnan scored 19 from the last Dale Steyn over when they needed 22 but couldn't take England to victory.

Earlier Stand-in skipper

AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla scored aggressive fifties to propel South Africa to 196-5 against England at Chittagong Saturday. De Villiers smashed a 28-ball 69 not out for his fifth T20 fifty while Amla scored a 37-ball 56.

Stand-in skipper AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla scored aggressive half-centuries to propel South Africa to 196-5 in a World Twenty20 Super-10 match against England at Chittagong Saturday.

Bowlers bail out Sri Lanka Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath produced a dream spell of five wickets for just three runs as Sri Lanka recorded a crushing 59-run victory over New Zealand in a dramatic Super 10 match to qualify for the semifinals of the World Twenty20 here on Monday.

Herath turned the virtual knock-out match on its head by grabbing five wickets for just three runs in a sensational spell while also being instrumental in

a run-out which opened the floodgates as Sri Lanka defended a small total of 119 all out in their last Group 1 match.

Herath's 5/3 was the third best ever figures by a bowler in Twenty20 Internationals behind team-mate Ajantha Mendis' twin efforts of 6/8 and 6/16.

With Monday's result, Sri Lanka finished on top of Group 1 on net run rate though they ended their Super 10 engagements on same six points with South Africa. Sri Lanka will now take on West Indies on April 3 at Mirpur. Group 2 winners India will take on Group 1 runners-up South Africa on April 4, also at Mirpur.

New Zealand suffered a jolt even before their run chase as their key player Corey Anderson was taken to hospital after dislocating his finger while attempting a catch during Sri Lanka innings.

Anderson did not come out to bat.

Chasing a small total of 120, New Zealand seemed to be on course

for a semifinal spot as they reached 18 for no loss at the end of second over.

But the drama unfolded in the very first ball of the third over bowled by Herath as New Zealand opener Martin Guptill ran for a single without response from his partner Kane Williamson.

Herath was lightning quick to throw the ball to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who whipped off the bail in a flash.

Windies overwhelm Pakistan Defending champions West Indies entered the World Twenty20 semifinals with a 84-run victory over Pakistan in the crucial group two match of the Super-10 round in Dhaka on Tuesday. The West Indies recovered from 81-5 to post 166-6 after electing to bat and then bowled out Pakistan for 82 in 17.5 overs at the S h e r - e - B a n g l a stadium.The West Indies will clash with Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Dhaka on Thursday. The final will take place in Dhaka on Sunday.