UK
www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 5th January 2013
Political Sketchbook
www.PoliticalAnimal.me
Alpesh Patel
India - an obituary b.1947. d.2012. India died in December 2012 from severe injuries. The young nation which had been born with much fanfare and hope in 1947 had been sick for many years. Despite assistance from overseas, notably Britain and Italy, the country was unable to overcome her injuries. The injuries first came to light several years ago, and were clearly the result of repeated gang-rape by the political classes and some of the citizenry. Despite the rapes coming to light, few attempted to come to any form of rescue, and as the Constitution of the country eventually declined, a sad long demise was inevitable. Born in August 1947 after a very painful blood-soaked birth, the country actually had held much promise thanks to the expert skill of its mid-wife, Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the Nation. The country was actually separated at birth with a complicated, rushed surgery by British surgeons, from its Siamese twin, Pakistan, by which it is survived – to the surprise of many who had actually feared the twin was the sicker of the two nations. The attacks continued through the years. Whilst some of her sons went on to become very wealthy, more had been expected given the lineage of the country, which many continued to cling onto. The country had also suffered many years of disease stemming from the Head of Government, but in the end, a cancer spread to all organs of the State, corrupting the blood stream too. All attempts at transfusion led to rejection of the foreign bodies. A loss of vision
soon followed, ultimately followed by a loss of hearing. Eventually, just after Christmas 2012, the country suffered ultimately from a failure of the heart. The original British surgeon at the birth had been much blamed for the country’s maladies, but it transpired as the years passed that in fact the country had after its continual rape in fact succumbed to insanity. The cancer was possibly a hereditary condition, but that is disputed by some experts. Sadly before passing away, the country ultimately despite some extremely wealthy sons, was unable to feed half her under five year old children and look after her daughters in particular. A post-mortem revealed a mixture of long-standing deep rooted cultural issues, from a misunderstanding of the treatment of women from as far back as the teachings of the Ramayana, to more immediate lack of enforcement of laws. This it is believed had led to the medical condition of schizophrenia where daughters and goddesses were admired and held in high regard in abstract, but not in practice. India is survived by one billion orphans. It is anticipated many will be adopted by foreign nations. Whilst a few have been born with vision, they sadly have been the mute ones – lacking vocal chords or suffering from muscular dystrophy. The ones with fully developed vocal chords, have by curious fate been deprived of vision. Although on a happier note, some do cling on to hope of reincarnation.
Ugandan born Brit-Indian investors welcomed to contribute in rehabilitation and development of Uganda The First Lady and Karamoja Affairs Minister Janet Museveni has welcomed Ugandan born Indian investors who are willing to have an input in the rehabilitation and development of Uganda. She cited the case of processing and value addition industries, which she said will be great motivation to the farmers to produce more. Mrs. Museveni addressing a group of potential investors, who included the Ugandanborn Nagrecha Brothers, based in the United Kingdom. The meeting took place at Nakasero State House. The group was led by Mr. Willy Mutenza, a Ugandan businessman based in the UK and the Chairman and Founder of the Uganda UK Convention. The Investors’ interest in Uganda is in response to the First Lady’s call to Ugandans in the Diaspora and their friends to invest in the country. She made the call during the Uganda UK Convention 2012 in London in September. The Convention which run along with the
Nagrecha brothers with the First Lady
Diaspora Trade and Investment Expo 2012 under the theme “Aspiring for Sustainable Prosperity” promoted Uganda as the preferred investment destination for Ugandans in the Diaspora. Vinubhai Nagrecha and Hasubhai Nagrecha who own the Cash and Carry chain in East London not to mention a vast property portfolio. The Nagrecha’s plan to invest between $10 to $20 million in a modern maize mill plant in the country. The Nagrecha brother left Uganda during the Idi Amin’s expulsion and from nothing have accumulated a lot of wealth and are one of the wealthiest Asian in UK. The delegation included other investors from Indian that included
Champak Unadkat (Nitash Cogeneration), Nirmal Bhandari (Pride International) and Ashwin Chandrani (Overseas Steel supplies Ltd) from UK. The Investors also have plans to mobilize out growers and build silos in maize producing areas. The group further told Mrs. Museveni that they intend to explore opportunities of investing in milk processing, fruit processing and biomass power generation. They donated 2 tractors to the farmers in Karamoja and Ruhaama in addition to pledging in cash to rehabilitate the 75 year old Nyakika Primary school in Ruhaama Ntungamo District in an effort to provide better education for Ugandan children.
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Faith schools may be radicalising students, warns Department of Education More than 100 independent faith schools may be radicalising students, the Department of Education has warned in a secret memo which admits that officials are struggling to tackle extremism in state and private schools. Michael Gove, the education secretary, was one of the key voices calling for a ban on support for non-violent extremism when it published its Prevent strategy to fight radicalisation last year. But behind closed doors there are concerns about 118 “socially conservative” independent faith schools - the vast majority of them Muslim where pupils may be encouraged to cut themselves off from mainstream society.
Ministers have been told they do not have “detailed information” about the religious orientation of the groups and movements behind all independent faith schools. And officials have privately admitted that they also have no system in place to identify institutional extremism in state schools, the Daily Telegraph has reported. They say there is also “a gap between what we think we know and what we can prove” because they cannot use undercover methods open to journalists. From January, the Independent School Standards will require a respect for “fundamental British values” including democracy, the rule of law,
individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. Ofsted has not yet trained its inspectors in how to enforce such standards but it is introducing a “specialist cadre” of inspectors to look at faith schools as part of a planned “prioritised inspection programme.” However, the education department has admitted in briefings that it can only look at the “ethos” of independent schools, rather than how they are actually run. And the department says it has failed to measure the mindset in state schools because it cannot work out how to “detect” extremism or a “baseline” to start from.
Burglar caught on private CCTV jailed
A burglar caught on private CCTV has been jailed after his victim shopped him to police and then tracked him down again when he didn't turn up to court. Frustrated at being burgled twice in the past, Mark Avery installed the CCTV camera inside his semi-detached house. And it paid off one morning when the camera recorded two men acting suspiciously in his back garden. Mohammed Prince Islam, 26, and a 16-yearold accomplice were captured on film as they used a crowbar to break in. They then helped themselves to Mr Avery's
Playstation, games and a computer. Islam, dressed in a dark blue hoodie, can clearly be seen peering through the living room window, then through the broken glass door and sneaking inside. Mr Avery turned the footage over to police and both intruders - who stole around £800 of his property - were charged with burglary. Despite the evidence, Islam still pleaded his innocence at Southampton Crown Court. He was convicted and bailed but failed to turn up for the next hearing, so a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Vinubhai Nagrecha and Hasubhai Nagrecha donated two tractors
Mohammed Prince Islam
Then, Mr Avery, of Southampton, Hampshire, stepped in again. He spotted the fugitive, 26, working in a city centre shop and turned him over to the police, who arrested him. Now Islam, from Harefield, near Southampton, has begun a 30-month prison sentence. Judge Peter Ralls QC heard Islam was on a community order for drugs offending when he broke in. Mr Avery, who is in his 40s, lives in a 190,000 pounds, 1980s, semidetached house with a porch on a quiet suburban cul-de-sac. The Nagrecha Brothers whose parents were among the Indians expelled from Uganda by the former president, Idi Amin, in 1972, said their hearts are with the country. They pledged to do their best as they contribute to re-building Uganda. Mrs. Museveni thanked the Indian Investors for their big heart and for their input in re-building Uganda. It is great that the Ugandan UK Convention has managed to fulfil its objectives and mission in attracting investors to Uganda.