AV 7th February 2015

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BJP, PDP on verge of forming govt in J&K

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London observes Gandhi Martyr’s Day

Pragnesh Modhwadia - Managing Partner

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Indian diaspora celebrates Republic Day

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Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 43. ISSUE 38

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BJP, AAP waging a bitter battle in Delhi

Dewani may give evidence at a UK court

Shrien Dewani, a care home businessman from Bristol, may finally have to give evidence about the murder of his wife Anni before a court, after a UK coroner said he was "working towards a hearing date" for an inquest. Mr Dewani has never spoken publicly about his wife's death, but that could change if this UK inquest goes ahead.

Continued on page 30

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party are waging a bitter battle to win the hearts of the electorate during February 7 election to the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The results will be announced on 10th February. The Congress is a like a bystander. The battle is being fought as much online as out on the streets of the capital. Log on to Delhi and it's a virtual war zone.

Which party dominates the trends on social media on a daily basis is watched closely as a sign of their reach and popularity. Both the parties have set up social media campaign teams for these elections.

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Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal are working to ensure that AAP has a 16-member Arvind Kejriwal is Chief team which is working Minister of Delhi for a secround the clock to have ond term," he said. AAP "conversations" with Delhi, launched itself with a says Ankit Lal, who heads strong social media presit and decides the day's ence - so Facebook, Twitter agenda on a conference call and Whatsapp are old with senior leaders.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

John Kalia, Director Moresand Ltd

John Kalia was born on 29th August 1965, in Barking, Essex and grew up in the same neighbourhood. Upon achieving a Diploma in Business Studies during further education he joined the family business Sam Travel in 1983 as second generation to the business. Mr Kalia completed all the IATA & ABTA qualifications and in 1985, they were appointed an IATA license which allowed the business to grow from strength to strength. During this time, his passion for exploring the world amplified which he is now lucky to share with his wife and two children who share his love of travel. In 2006 they sold the business to Moresand Ltd and Mr Kalia joined them as a minority shareholder and Director. Through this, they created a business plan to be implemented in 3 stages to achieve their set goals of expansion. In 2013, Moresand Ltd was listed in the London Stock Exchange Group of 1000 companies to inspire Britain and in 2014 was ranked in Investec Mid-Market 100 list of fastest growing companies. Moresand’s CAA ATOL license is currently ranked at no. 43 in the largest UK ATOL holders, they now have 350 staff worldwide.

1) What is your current position?

Currently I am Director Moresand Ltd 2) What are your proudest achievements?

Proudest achievements was creating the call centre in Colombo – Sri Lanka – within

48 hours confirmed a location, met with lawyers to form a company and collected information in setting up communication to run telephony.

Currently we have a 4,000 sq ft office with 160 staff 3) What inspires you?

Being surrounded by family

ing in court, he was jailed for three and a half years.

The four co-conspirators include his wife, Ashraf, 43, brother, Pyarali, 61, sisterin-law, Shabina, 50 and officer manager Darren Green, 44; they were also given jail sentences for their part in the conspiracy.

The multicultural society of the UK maintains a vibrant and dynamic social, cultural and political life which is arguably a model for the rest of the world.

Owing to the century old tradition of participation in the political process in the UK, Women and Men equally participate in political and public life in a number of ways, from holding office as political representatives, to exercising citizenship rights such as voting, and to playing an active role in community and voluntary organisations.

While those holding political office and occupying leadership positions at different levels of government are most visible in decision-making processes, people in senior and management positions across a wide range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations also exercise power and influence in shaping society.

The Asian Voice Political and Public Life Awards represent our modest effort to honour a number

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

The biggest obstacle of my career has been working to get

share to current destinations and setting new goals.

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

The biggest influence on my career has been Carey Fletcher, ex Barclays Bank Manager who we employed as a consultant in Sam Travel.

8) What are your long term goals?

Long Term goals are to become one of the largest well known travel firms with a strong turnover and bottom line profitability.

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

The best aspect about my current role is making sure the company keeps in line with innovation and moves forward alongside changing sales patterns, adding more market

7) And the worst?

The worst aspect is filing documentation as we are a highly regulated company by the CAA and IATA.

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

If I was PM I would change inheritance tax as I feel the current system in unfair and the limits are too low especially for entrepreneurs.

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

If I was marooned on a desert island, I would like to spend my time with Marco Polo so we could chart the way out to the next destination!

Asian Voice Political & Public Life Awards 2015

Former Magistrate jailed for fraud Former Magistrate Zaher Somani, 58, from Loughborough has been jailed for money laundering and tax fraud. The estimated scale of fraud was ÂŁ250,000.

Somani was exposed as a tax evader by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigators. After appear-

who worked in the travel industry and who continuously inspired me to want to continue the successful family tradition.

good deals from major airlines due to their distribution policies which we have now overcome.

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of outstanding individuals from different communities, walks of life and diverse political persuasions who serve society in their own special way, and who contribute significantly, in whatever they do, towards making a better world today and for the future. These awards are given annually to individuals who have made a special impact in the preceding 12 months, ranging from INTERNATIONAL POLITICIANS to INDIVIDUALS who have made a big difference in their LOCAL COMMUNITIES. It is the Ninth year the awards have been presented and as in previous years, the competition for awards is extremely strong.

The awards for achievements made in 2014 will be handed out at a prestigious ceremony in the Members Dining Room of the House of Commons on 26th February 2015, amidst a select group of 250 people, including high profile politicians across all political parties, business men and community leaders.

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The nominees for this year are: Political: Cabinet Minister of the Year Shadow Cabinet Minister of the Year Conservative Backbencher of the Year Labour Backbencher of the Year Liberal Democrat Backbencher of the Year London Politician of the year London Councillor of the Year Public Life: Female Entertainer of the Year Male Entertainer of the Year Humanitarian Campaigner of the Year Community Service Achievement Professional of the Year Business Person of the Year Entrepreneur of the Year Journalist of the Year Lawyer of the Year Car of the Year Newspaper of the Year Restaurant of the Year School of the Year Please send your nominations for Political and Public Life Awards to: PPLA2015@yahoo.com

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

COMMENT

Obama visit a resounding success

President Barack Obama’s visit to India as chief guest at the country’s Republic Day celebrations was a resounding success. The chemistry between the two men was self-evident. Mr Obama. referred to the shared humble origins of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and himself, which reflected the opportunities available in the robust democracies of America and India. President and Prime Minister were clearly to cement economic and investment ties between their two countries, expanding educational exchanges, most importantly, in science and technology. The civilian nuclear deal circumventing India’s Liability Law is now in place and should pave the way for US companies to construct nuclear power plants in India.

Defence and strategic issues were high on the agenda, with peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region a core subject in extensive bilateral talks.

Time was when India and the United States were wary of each other. No longer is no longer the case.

We now see a new spirit of trust and cooperation in the relationship. Does this imply that India is now an ally of the United States as are, say, the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia or Pakistan? Sections of the Indian print media appear to think so, but there is little evidence that they are on message. As a global superpower, the US has a reach that is beyond India’s capabilities.

India’s interests and strategic goals are mainly regional. The Asia Pacific zone is where Indian and American interests broadly converge, as both powers are exercised by China’s rise and its increasing assertiveness. Vietnam, most of all, in South East Asia, is party to these concerns. But there is a caveat. US trade with China is worth $560 billion, with India it is around $100 billion. Also, China is the largest holder of American debt. US and Chinese money help keep Pakistan afloat, with some of that largesse diverted to jihadi groups that cause India trouble. These ground realities have to be factored into Indian policy. India does not share American goals in the Greater Middle East, for example, where US and NATO policies have wrought such havoc. The previous BJP-led dispensation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee kept clear of involvement in that region. You can bet that the equally wise and shrewd Narendra Modi will do likewise.

So when the leader writer in The Times of India sneered at India’s non-alignment, he or she might

have done well to recognize that it took two to tango, that American pressure on Kashmir to assuage its Pakistani client, Washington’s alignment with Islamabad despite Islamabad’s genocidal massacres in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1971, the high-tech sanctions regime imposed on India by successive US administrations, were some of the factors behind Indian nonalignment, which was appropriate for its time.

India has relationships that have served it well in the past and continue to do so today, foremost among them are the time-tested ties with Russia.

Geography plays a major role in history and grand strategy. Russia controls the heartland of Eurasia, which is uniquely endowed with natural resources; the Russian people are formidable in their resolution and endurance, as Napoleon and Hitler discovered to their cost. There are increasing fissures within Europe on the wisdom of the present policy towards Moscow. The new Greek government has broken ranks on the issue with Brussels and Washington, and Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia and Cyprus have followed suit. In response to a planted question (a standard US practice) from an American correspondent at a press conference in Delhi, President Obama launched a ferocious tirade at Russia, much to the discomfort of his Indian hosts. It was a disagreeable moment, well described by The Telegraph Correspondent Charu Sudan Kasturi. If Mr Obama and his advisers calculate that the broadside words would intimidate the Indian Prime Ministers into falling into line with Washington’s views, they are likely to be disillusioned. In contrast, the President’s emollient discourse on the need for religious tolerance and the strength India and the United States derive from their diverse faiths and ethnicities went down well. He quoted Swami Vivekenanda’s address in Chicago [the President’s city] over a century ago; he cited Mahatma Gandhi’s uplifting description of faiths as branches of a common tree, that they blossomed in a common garden. President Obama’s speech, eloquent and exquisitely calibrated, was warmly endorsed across the mainstream Indian media. India has withstood a multitude of trial and tribulation in her quest for freedom; It would be folly to cast aside its manifold achievements in displays of fear, intolerance and hatred.

Auschwitz will forever remain a monument to shame, to a barbarism so extreme that it puts in doubt the meaning of civilization itself, and the vaunted claims of the human species to be civilized. Millions of Jews, men, women and children were brought in trains to its fiendish gas chambers to be incinerated by orders of the German Nazi regime presided over by Adolf Hitler. The Nazis created an industry of death, something never seen before or since, and, God willing, unlikely ever be seen again on planet earth. A memorial service was held in Poland at the dreaded site. The world Jewish community was represented, with 300 survivors of the Holocaust, the cynosure of all eyes as they bore witness to the unspeakable horrors they were forced to endure. One would have thought that common humanity would transcend political ideology and base nationalism in silent meditation.

But that is to underestimate human perversity. The Polish government studiously avoided inviting President Putin of Russia. Two elderly Jewish survivors of Auschwitz, interviewed on television, described the decision as a disgrace, remembering that it was the Soviet Red Army that liberated them and the death camp 70 years ago. Ifraim Zoroff, of the Simon Wiesel Institute in Jerusalem, echoed these sentiments. The Institute documents Nazi war crimes and investigates the hidden iden-

tities of ex-Nazi officials and their local collaborators in various corners of the world. He named some Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Ukrainian accomplices who helped in the operations of the Nazi extermination camps, who roam free under the protection of their present rulers.

The former Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barack, has said that without the Red Army’s demotion of Hitler’s Third Reich, his country would not have existed. Again, in 1948-49, when Israel was fighting for its existence in the face of an onslaught mounted against it by six Arab States, it was the infusion of Soviet weaponry that saved the day for the fledgling state. Martin McCaulay, a leading historian of Eastern Europe, who teaches at London University, has lamented the poor quality of the history taught in most British schools and universities, and of the toxic Russophobia peddled on British television and the country’s print media. Never mentioned is Winston Churchill’s acknowledgement in Parliament in 1944 that “the guts of the German army have been largely torn out by Russian valour and generalship .”A senior Jewish Rabbi, speaking at the Auschwitz memorial, warned of the jihadi menace, which he likened to Nazism. Jewish communities across Europe faced an existential threat, he said.

Mary Kon, who won a bronze medal at the London Olympiad, was in raptures after her unexpected meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India’s champion woman boxer, who is setting up a coaching academy for women boxers in her native Imphal, Manipur wrote to Mr Modi inviting him to inaugurate the academy. She received a prompt reply: “I had sought an appointment on Tuesday [January 27] to invite him to my boxing academy. Surprisingly I got a call from his office on Wednesday morning [January 28]. I enjoyed every

minute of his hospitality. He treated me like a daughter….I told him that my academy, which would be ready by April, needed his blessings and that would be very happy if he could find time to come to Manipur. He said ‘let me know when the academy is ready,’ promising that he would try his best to help me.”Speaking to reporters afterwards, Ms Kon said she would “cherish the experience for life.” She went to Narendra Modi “because he is the right person and a true hero.” She was determined to win more medals for India, she said.

Auschwitz: Telling the truth

Mary Kon enraptured by Modi

3

It is in the character of growth that we should learn from both pleasant and unpleasant experiences

- Nelson Mandela

Seema Malhotra MP For Feltham and Heston

Zero Tolerance of FGM

This week marks the International Day for Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation on February 6th, and a renewed call for nations to do all they can to End FGM in a generation.

Since I took on the role as Shadow Minister for Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls, I have had the honour of meeting and working with amazing young women in Britain leading the calls for change in the UK. We have not only a moral duty but a legal duty to end FGM under international law. It's a practice that can have devastating health impacts for girls leading to a range of issues including urinary infections, a lifetime of pain and even infertility.

But it is not simply enough to react to FGM; to take action after the fact. We need to focus our efforts upon prevention.

That's why we need to work to tackle some of the long standing cultural context within which FGM takes place.

Research undertaken

by Dexter Dias QC with survivors of FGM from around the country had highlighted the need for measures to tackle the encouragement of FGM, whereby parents can be put under extreme pressure to cut their girls. Not only are parents told their daughter will never get married, but whole families can be ostracised and isolated as "unclean". We need to support those seeking to change the culture in affected communities they are part of and send the message that this practice is against the law.

That's why Labour has proposed an amendment with a new offence of the Encouragement of FGM to the Serious Crime Bill going through Parliament, which I tabled at Committee Stage and

which we will be bringing back at Report Stage.

The Bill includes a number of vital measures, such as FGM Protection Orders, a new offence of “failing to protect a girl from FGM”, and anonymity of survivors for life.

We welcome these measures and give them our full support. However, whilst they address ways to respond when a girl is at immediate risk or has been cut, they do not go far enough in helping to prevent the crime of FGM in the first place.

The new offence would, for the first time, give parents and girls the opportunity in law to challenge the public encouragement of FGM. This is a stronger preventative measure than any other measure in the Bill, and seeks to change this culture and break the cycle.

The measures currently on the statute book simply aren’t working. Thousands of girls in the UK are at risk, yet since FGM was made a crime 30 years ago, there have only been two prosecutions, and no convictions.

Our proposal will not to criminalise every published statement or speech encouraging FGM but rather will allow police to issue Encouragement Warning Notices (EWNs), and to follow up with Encouragement Warning Orders (EWOs) – the breach of which would be a criminal offence.

This move would be a proportionate response, to send out a message of zero tolerance around such violence against girls. It's precisely the message we need to send, and also one that makes a clear statement that there is no cultural excuse for violence against women and girls.

ASIAN VOICE is published by Asian Business Publications Ltd Karma Yoga House, 12 Hoxton Market, (Off Coronet Street) London N1 6HW. Tel: 020 7749 4080 Fax: 020 7749 4081 Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications www.abplgroup.com AsianVoiceNewsweekly

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MIDLANDS VOICE

Leading Leicester businessman to convert country mansion into a hotel

A leading Leicester businessman has submitted a planning application to renovate the grade-II listed Braunstone Hall and build a cafe in the surrounding park.

The Leicester civic society has welcomed the plans to convert this run down 18th century country mansion in Leicester by Mr Naresh Parmar into a hotel and conference centre. The application comes after nearly seven years of negotiations between Mr Parmar and the City Council.

In 2013 Mr Parmar agreed a 125-year lease for the property in the heart of Braunstone Park, subject to getting planning permission. The proposal includes con-

structing a ballroom so the hall can be used as a wedding venue as well.

Stuart Bailey of the Leicester Civic Society said the proposals offered “a sustainable and workable future for

Police has tracked down a bungling armed robber, after staff at a branch of Ladbrokes reported a man ploughing hundreds of pounds into gaming machines, with notes

stained with dye.

Usman Ali, aged 26 and from Green Lane in Small Heath, threatened a Loomis driver with a hammer outside a Wickes store last July before escaping

Naresh Parmar

this important listed building.”

He reportedly said the society had supported Mr Parmar in his plans to renovate the building since 2008.

However, according

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

to Leicester Mercury one neighbour David Bartlett said all vehicle access to the site should be via Gooding Avenue and not shared with the Hinckley Road access to reduce impact on the surrounding park land.

Mr Parmar, who has previously restored the City Rooms, in Leicester city centre, and Belgrave House, reportedly said at the time: “It is a building with tremendous potential. It does need a lot of work but we want to turn it from being a disused eyesore into a building that reflects its former glory.”

Police arrests robber with the help of staff at Ladbrokes

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Usman Ali

with a cash box containing around £14,000. His victim later told police the robber resembled the Cat in the classic BBC show, played by actor Danny John-Jules.

The following day staff at a branch of Ladbrokes, just yards from Ali’s home, reported him.

Officers swooped and immediately recognised

Ali as the man wanted for the July 26 robbery in Stratford Road, Hall Green.

Scientific analysis of the contaminated notes confirmed they’d come from the stolen cash box.

Ali has now been jailed for eight years after being found guilty of conspiracy to rob.

At the time of the robbery Ali was reportedly on a license having been released from prison part-way through a conviction for supplying Class A drugs. He was arrested as part of a Birmingham-wide crackdown on drug dealing by West Midlands Police. He will now have to serve the remainder of that sentence − which runs until September 2016 − before his eight year robbery term begins.

Dealership owner asked to pay nearly £7000

A dealership owner who advertised a dangerous vehicle as an ‘ideal first car’ and sold it to a deaf customer has now been asked to pay nearly £7,000.

Nawaz Mahmood, 33, of Heald Green, Stockport, committed offences including selling a dangerous vehicle and recklessly engaging in unfair commercial practice. The owner of AM Motors has now admitted seven offences under the Road traffic Act at the town's magistrates court.

He was fined £500 for each offence and told to pay £2,085 in costs as well as £1,018 compensation.

Magistrates ruled that he knew the car - a Citroen C2 - had not been through any safety test.

And his crime was made worse by the vulnerability

Nawaz Mahmood

of his victim, who had carried a note written by her family to ask if the car was safe.

The customer complained to Stockport council’s trading standards as the car was advertised as ‘an ideal first car’ and in ‘good condition’.

But an independent engineer confirmed it was unroadworthy after finding a total of 17 faults, including dangerous tyres and steering issues.

Trading standards then took the matter to court after investigating.

Temple welcomes new Deities

Dhiren Katwa

A major three-day festival to mark the installation of ten life-size Hindu deities at a temple in Leicester brought together hundreds of worshippers from all over the country.

On Saturday night, a vibrant bhajans ‘Indian hymns’ programme saw local and national talent, new and old, bands and individuals entertain a house-full audience.

Guest singer Kirtidanbhai from Porbandar, India, was showered with pound notes as he sang traditional and energising songs.

Bands present included Bajrang, Narshi Mehta and Gopal Lal Bhajan Mandals.

The event was compered most appropriately

by Madhavbhai Soni, pictured, whose Late brother, Naranbhai, was among the pioneers of such music in the Seventies, along with Tribhovanbhai Damji Parmar, Shashikantbhai Sonigra, Rambhaben Arya, Bhagwanjibhai Chauhan – all Late. Also present

was spiritual leader Ramnikbhai Dave.

Much credit to Madhavbhai for his contributions and efforts to ensure that this niche music and legacies remain alive. Also for his part in recognising, encouraging and inviting young and new talent to the floor.

The Pran Pratistha Mahotsav took place at the Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre in St Barnabas Road last weekend.

A taxi driver has been jailed for 12 years for raping a teenager. Nasir Uddin, earlier this year was found guilty by a jury of one rape, two counts of attempted rape and four sexual assaults against the girl, who was aged under 16 when the abuse began.

He was sent to prison, despite his wife getting up in court and protesting her husband’s innocence, at the Leicester Crown Court on Friday, before being taken out by the defence lawyers.

The court heard that Uddin (39), from Loughborough, allegedly assaulted the teenager repeatedly over a period of three years. Judge Robert Brown also heard Uddin was still in denial about his crimes. Andrew Lewis,

mitigating, said his client was not a dangerous offender, spoke about his well respected background and hardworking nature, concluding, “He is a man with the confidence of his wife and the respect of his children.

“He is not a man who needs to be taught a lesson - the life he leads shows he’s a very different man today.”

However the judge replied: “There’s another side to this man and he doesn’t face it. There’s no contrition. There’s no remorse.” The court heard Uddin had entered his victim’s home to abuse her and caused her “degradation and humiliation”.

Uddin will remain on the sexual offenders register for the rest of his life.

Mustac Abdulkadir, a former restaurant manager from Leicester has been fined after inspectors found rat droppings, a live mouse and other food safety breaches at Blue Peters Spice restaurant, in Law Street, Belgrave.

The restaurant, now running under different management, was given a zero hygiene rating by Leicester City Council the lowest possible - following an environmental health inspection in August.

Abdulkadir admitted nine counts of exposing for sale for human con-

sumption food which fails to comply with food safety requirement. Each count was dated August 5 last year.

He was fined £250 for each of the nine charges £2,250 in total - and also ordered to pay £450 costs and £25 victim surcharge.

A local newspaper reported that through a Gujarati interpreter Abdulkadir (53) said: “I am guilty - there is nothing to say. I had some people as staff who were not very helpful. I am working there part time and have no partnership in the business.”

Taxi driver jailed for rape of teenager

Former manager of a restaurant fined

5

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

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Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Indian Deputy High Commissioner building friendships with key allies Dr Virander Paul joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1991.

Diplomats tend to be pleasantly discreet and concentrate on serving their governments. So readers may not necessarily know the career histories of diplomats since public encounters tend to focus on the present.

Dr Paul gave The Asian Voice some of his fascinating backstory in interview in his India House office.

Prior to his assignment as Deputy High Commissioner of India in London, Dr Paul was Minister (Press) at the Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. He held diplomatic assignments in Indian Missions in Almaty, Vladivostok, Rome, St. Petersburg and Moscow, spending around eight to nine years in the former Soviet space.

At the Headquarters, Dr Paul served in the East Europe and Americas Divisions. He served as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office during the period 2007-2010.

He holds a medical degree from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. His ancestral home is Jalandhar.

Soon after 1991, Dr Paul was in the former Soviet states during their transformation into independent republics, witnessing their readjustment as sovereign countries in the post Cold War scenario.

He found the Russians knowledgeable about India and Indian culture, with a fondness for Raj Kapoor and other Indian film actors. Indian movies were popular. It was common to see Indian films being sold on VHS. After a couple of years in Almaty (Kazakhstan), where he learnt Russian, he was posted to Vladivostok as the Consul General of India. The area of his jurisdiction included Far East Russia, east of the Siberian Lake Baikal and the vast tundra and taiga belts. He travelled far, meeting people inside and outside the government to talk about India.

Virander remembers Russians as warm, friendly and hospitable. On one occasion, he was invited to Yakutia, a diamond mining region in northern Russia. It was December, the temperature was minus 40 degrees, and the local government officials

Dr Virander Paul

had come to greet him at the airport.

He recalls that as he stepped down from his aircraft, freezing cold, the local administration, unasked, presented him with an appropriately warm hat to replace his own normal Russian one, and an overcoat and winter shoes to put on before escorting him to the terminal. His hosts had known that their Indian guest might not be fully prepared for the Yakutian frost.

Even when Virander was back in Delhi, he continued working on India’s relations with East European countries. “It was a steady transition and an interesting time,” he recalled; “we in the ministry were engaging those friendly states in a new international situation.”

“London is a city where you can smell the Indianness in the air,” Dr Virander Paul.

As part of the team in the Foreign Ministry, Dr Paul contributed to India redefining its relations with the former Soviet states. On returning to the region after a gap of over five years, he observed that the new nations, including the Russian Federation, had grown in confidence as well as in living standards.

“Russia is a country with which we have traditionally had strong relations,” he commented.

After a short stint as Director (Americas) in the Ministry, Virander moved to the Prime Minister’s Office, where he handled India’s relations with the West, besides being involved in work relating to atomic energy, outer space and defence.

Readers with knowledge of recent Indo-US rela-

tions will naturally understand the issues he must have handled.

In Washington, Virander was Minister for press and information and culture. The work of two departments, effectively.

“Relations between India and the US were undergoing a rapid and radical transformation for the good,” he explained.

It was constantly hectic, but fun. His work included interacting with think tanks, academics and the media.

“I enjoyed myself, professionally, meeting key journalists, including from the Washington Post, NYT, The LA Times, Time, and the CNN Bureau,” he recalled. He also fondly recalls his close interaction with the Indian journalists stationed in Washington.

He noticed that Indians in America tended to take on an American identity which is relatively businesslike; “America is a country where most young Indian professionals get absorbed into the American way,” he mused.

“Of course, they are also mindful of their Indian roots”, he added.

But in the UK, Dr Paul relishes in the diaspora’s Indian heart that he finds beating strong and loud.

He feels that the British Indian community retains its Indian essence of warmth, its feeling for fellow Indians, and its character.

“London is a city where you can smell the Indianness, if there is such a word, in the air,” Dr Paul remarked. “London is wonderful as it is perhaps the most cosmopolitan and multi-ethnic city.”

The Deputy High Commissioner is generally given an even more critical government role when he leaves the capital. Given his sparkling career to date, it will be interesting to see what India plans next for Dr Virander Paul.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Spriha Srivastava

Trading your way to success

“Trading is best kept simple and focused – that is the best way to win,” says Alpesh Patel in his latest book 7 Simple Strategies of Highly Effective Traders. Alpesh, a British-Indian is a successful entrepreneur and currently runs an asset management company called Alpari Capital, apart from serving as a dealmaker for the British government.

Before coming to the book, here is a little about Alpesh – he is one of the most talented finance gurus who became a barrister and went on to achieve remarkable success in the fields of finance, business, philanthropy and journalism.

Writing has always been Alpesh’s passion and he had his own weekly column in the Financial Times for five years, for which he gained extensive praise from readers. He also held a weekly show on Bloomberg where he presented on technology and investing for three years.

So coming back to his finance guru avatar, Alpesh has written several books on trading and his latest book, called the 7 Simple Strategies of Highly Effective Traders which is co-authored by Paresh Kiri provides a practical guide to seven technical analysis trading approaches that are simple, effective and easy to put into practice.

“All of the strategies presented can be applied by short to medium-term traders, such as those looking at one-minute day trading opportunities to those looking to hold positions for up to around a month, and sometimes slightly longer,” the book says.

An extremely jazzy evening at the posh Barclays bank was held in Canary Wharf to formally launch Alpesh’s book and what a wonderful place to launch than in a bank. It is also the place where Alpesh met his beautiful wife Aekta, he said at the event.

The book launch was hosted by Ashok Vaswani, who is the CEO, Retail and Business Banking at Barclays.

Ashok said he was amazed at how multifaceted Alpesh is and has always been impressed by his talents.

Alpesh is also the

author of 18 books, which have been translated variously into other languages.

Alpesh’s books include ones on investing online, investment psychology, outsourcing and female entrepreneurs.

His best-selling book, The Mind of a Trader, was one of the top selling books on Amazon in 1999 – outselling J.K. Rowling, Bill Gates and Richard Branson for a long while.

Alpesh has received immense encouragement and great reviews for his earlier books.

“The Online Trading CourseBook is the best guide of its kind to personal investing and will satisfy both the beginner and the professional,” said Nathan Moss, Chief Operating Officer, Merrill Lynch HSBC. Another review on the book says, “as a trader and a financial journ a l i s t himself, Alpesh Patel is

enjoyed the extremely lively speech by Alpesh, who had just landed from the US a couple of hours ago but looked fresh and enthusiastic to talk about his books presented a free signed copy to those present.

The book is an extremely simple read and one that can be digested by a non-trader too. The book is for everyone – so if you are a beginner trader or an advanced trader and are looking for some guidance or a little bit of handholding, this book is for you.

“We speak to thousands of traders each year through our seminars, events, webinars, blogs and tweets and know exactly the issues they face,” Alpesh and Paresh say in the book.

“We’ve kept everything as simple as possible so that it is easy to learn and implement,” they add.

The book is structured to be compact, to

uniquely qualified to give a behind-the-scene view of financial markets, and their interaction with the media. This book gives a very intelligent view of the art of investing, and debunks a lot of myths. I recommend it to anyone who is serious about investing,” said Bernard Oppetit, Founder, Centaurus Capital (a $2billion hedge fund) A number of dignitaries at the book launch including Baroness Verma and CB Patel

the point and practical.

They are seven strategies and each is broken down into an introduction, some background material, worked examples, showing how to execute it and then a conclusion, which gives additional relevant information.

So whether you are an intra-day trader or you are just extremely fascinated by the idea of trading but have never managed to trade, this book is for you. Time to pick up a copy maybe?

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

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Cllr David Perry

Kapil’s

Leader of Harrow Council

Registering your vote

One of the most enjoyable parts of being Leader of the Council is having the privilege of being invited to events all over the community.

This month I have supported Harrow at the London Youth Games boy’s cricket competition, as well as attending the Thai Pongol celebrations at Harrow’s Civic Centre. As always the Harrow Tamil Community Association do a great job of organising it and they put on a real show with Tamil cultural dances and music performed by all generations.

I have also attended some more sombre events at the Council’s Chambers; poignant memorials were held to mark the Holocaust and both the Paris and Pakistan Peshawar School tragedies, with speakers giving thought-

ful and moving speeches.

It is only right the Community is able to mark its respect for those that have passed away in these tragedies.

In addition to these community events I will be going to all four corners of the Boroughs to have 1 – 1 meetings with residents to discuss their concerns with their local area, whether it be housing issues or concerns over persistent fly-tipping. The schedule will be available on the Council’s website, and residents can call 020 8863 5611 or email leaders.appointments@harrow.gov.uk to book an appointment.

One of the most important changes to affect Harrow, and one which all residents will have a say over, is the General Election this year. I would like to take this opportunity to

encourage all residents to register to vote.

Following on from changes by the Government, residents can no longer sign up their entire family – residents have to register to vote individually.

You can do this through your My Harrow account, online or by contacting the Council’s electoral services team on 020 8901 2660.

If you are not registered you will not be able to vote in May. With the General Election in May I would encourage all residents, regardless of the party you support, or if you’re still undecided, to register to vote. Every vote counts, and the government of the day will make decisions that will have a massive effect on all our lives; it’s vital that residents are able to have their say.

Lord Suri remembers friends in his maiden speech

Reshma Trilochun

Ranbir Singh Suri is the second turbaned Sikh to become a Lord in Britain. In his maiden speech, Lord Suri showed gratitude to his supporters and respected friends, Lord Popat and Lord Leigh of Hurley for introducing him to their Lordships, among many others as well.

In 1956, Ranbir Singh Suri had the opportunity of meeting the Prime Minister of India, Mr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan and was highly inspired by his mindset and beliefs. It gave him a different perspective of looking at things and how the quest of knowledge is never enough.

He has spent most of his life as a Businessman, starting off as an Importer of Educational Supplied in Kenya to foraying into the fashion accessories trade, recruiting his wife to be the face of that business while he looked on further for trading

Lord Suri

opportunities.

“We were determined to stand on our own feet and to earn our living without committing to the state for benefits.”

Suri has always been an example of hardwork, patience and perseverance. He has contributed to society and volunteering services and charities for over

fifty years, starting in Kenya and went on to continue in the UK. “Through my selfless and entrepreneurial approach to business, I have always remained actively involved with many charities and provided financial assistance to many social action projects and social initiatives.”

He also spoke about his contributions in the volunteering sector. He visited the young people at Feltham Young Offenders Institution and stated that these young individuals had the potential to be valuable to society with hard work and being productive.

Prior to commencing his voluntary career in Probation and Magistracy, he was a Voluntary Associate at

KHICHADI

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

British Hindu Manifesto 4 GE 2015 The Hindu community has now been in the United Kingdom in reasonably large numbers for some five decades. During this time the community rightly focussed its attention to the day-to-day requirements of embedding in British society and ensuring a future for their children.

Today the Hindu community is seen to be well integrated, well educated, law abiding, hugely contributing in business, hard working, professional, diligent, honest and community spirited. These are but a few examples of the many positive attributes that one may consider when describing the Hindu community in Britain.

Participation within the political arena has not been to the same extent as one would expect of such a vibrant and successful community. In the recent past it has become increasingly clear that there is a danger that the political fraternity might be taking the Hindu community for granted, or even worse, ignoring it given it may not always be as loud as other minority ethnic or religious groups.

I have been in discussions with many leading lights from our community and have brought together what I believe might be a construct for a British Hindu Manifesto for General Election 2015. All the generic issues that arise are known to all of us already and these are similar to those from the wider community.

However below you will see a collection that I believe are specific to our community and deserve a response from each party leader. These are issues that will help dissect through the spin, the rhetoric and the platitudes that we will get in increasing amounts over the next few weeks.

So via Kapil’s Khichadi leaders of all major parties are being asked to give the following issues their serious consideration. For each issue raised, a clear Yes/No response is required.

Hindu Manifesto for General Election 2015: 1. In 2013, the Regulatory and Reform Bill (via the Lord Harries amendment) introduced an obligation upon the Government to put into action the 2010 Act in relation to ‘caste’. This unacceptable and erroneous legislation should be repealed within 2 years of the next UK Government being formed.

2. The programme for Free Schools (and promoting Faith Schools) should continue with dedicated long term funding arrangements so that a greater diversity of Hindu schools can be set up to serve the whole community.

HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs where he mentored a Sikh inmate who was charged with murder. With Suri's weekly mentoring, he managed to convince the inmate to join literacy classes in prison and also reduced his suicidal thoughts.

Additionally, during his

3. Diwali is a very important Hindu festival. A bank holiday should be allocated to celebrate the huge contribution of the Hindu community to the British way of life.

4. Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of India and the matter rests with India, and it is not for the British Parliament to interfere in anyway.

5. Congratulate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and to work in ever closure partnership on the many issues affecting both our countries.

UK Government recognises PM Modi’s huge contribution in developing Gujarat and looks forward to this being replicated throughout India.

6. The violations of Hindu Human rights in Pakistan and Bangladesh (and other countries) are unacceptable and these concerns should be raised by the UK Government directly with the respective governments.

7. Cross border terrorist acts are to be condemned and these concerns should be raise by the UK Government directly with the Pakistani Government to ensure that its soil is never used for any acts of terrorism.

8. That the practice of sexual grooming is abhorrent and totally unacceptable.

The full force of the law should be employed to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of this crime.

9. That forced acts of religious conversions (direct or indirect) are totally unacceptable anywhere in the world and are to be denounced.

10. Investigate and identify Hindu artefacts in UK national treasure with a view to establishing a process of repatriation.

The above is not exhaustive, nor does it attempt to be definitive for the Hindu community. I am certain that many of our organisations will engage proactively in the political arena and as such no doubt they will bring forth many other dimensions. However the points I have raised need a response from all the Party leaders. We should know of their position now so that it allows for a good productive debate which will hopefully lead to voting that is informed as opposed to blind faith.

So I say this to all the leaders of all the political parties, the onus is now on you to come forward and respond. It should not take more than a few days to respond, after all the hard work of formulating the questions has been done by me. It requires either a Yes or a No. Now surely that is simple enough even for our hard working politicians!

time as a Voluntary Associate, he observed that “that poor mental health and the lack of mental health care provision hindered people from making the journey to recovery.”

Ranbir Singh Suri has been a great inspiration, not only in busi-

ness but for social caused as well, encouraging people to get involved to make improvements in society.

His journey and story has been commendable and hopefully inspiring enough to bring more turbaned sikhs into the House of Lords.

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Religious duties

Caste discrimination

Holocaust Memorial Day

Sikh Faith School Leicester

Recent comments by Baroness Warsi proves once again that some Muslim politicians even from the Conservatives cannot simply detach their religious duties from political common sense approach.

The PM was absolutely right in sending a letter to the Muslim leaders to do more to stop people becoming radicalised. Look at any average mainly Labour controlled council borough and count the number of mosques (some converted from a shop), madrassas and other less than convincing tution centres teaching Arabic. It is easy to see why a whole generation of young muslims are made to feel different than other communities, not least due to constant negative stories in the media.

Why should public funded tax be utilised in looking after the affairs of just one community? Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and similar peace loving populace do not require any special attention and by the same token should get a special discount!

Tower Hamlets is a prime example of what empowering wrong sort of politicians and their brethern who use religious leanings to misuse the position of trust.

Labour have over the years used this support from a community simply to get seats without benefiting them, therefore choice should be very clear in the coming election, to use the result of Indian elections, vote tactfully and remember Congress=Labour

As ever, Mr Jhalla has got it wrong. In his first paragraph he says "the law saying that caste discrimination should be legal" is either a misprint or he has got the wrong end of the stick. What I said is that caste discrimination should be illegal not legal. And then I went on to say that why should Hindus get so agitated when they believe there is no discrimination.

As Shakespeare says I think they protest too much!

Secondly, once again, according to Mr Jhalla, I said that two prosletising religions save converts from going to hell. I am sorry I did not say that, perhaps Mr Jhalla could have another look at my letter. What I said was that the reason why Muslims and Christians try to convert people was that they believed they were saving the "Hindu heathens" from hell and then I said that Hindus are not a religion which converts people, it is according to the persons choice. No force or pressure is ever put on people. I finally said that we should not demean ourselves by becoming like the Christians and the Muslims.

I know that Mr Jhalla has been attacking me ever since the caste discrimination legislation first raised its head in the House of Lords but if he does want to attack me he should at least make sure that he's got my views right.

January 27 has been fixed as Holocaust Memorial Day because seventy years ago on this day in 1945 the Russian army liberated the Auschwitz Death Camp in Poland from the evil of Nazi Germany.

For the past several years this day has been commemorated every year all over Europe to remind people what man is capable of doing against his fellow human beings.

In commemorating this day people are also reminded of the genocide committed in Sudan, Rwanda and especially in Cambodia. It is right that this day is observed if only to help man so that they stay away from causing evil.

However the most disappointing thing about all this is that there is no mention whatsoever of the genocide committed by the Pakistani army in erstwhile East Pakistan in 1970 (now Bangladesh) in which at least quarter million women were raped and 3 million people were slaughtered of which 2.7 million were Hindus. Hindus in India know about the Holocaust Memorial Day. What is even more unfortunate is that they appear to be ambivalent about what happened to Hindus in that part of the subcontinent as though Hindu life does not matter. To make sure horror of this nature does not repeat itself the right thing to do is to fix a day to remember every year the Hindus who lost their lives in 1970 in East Pakistan.

It was yet another good news for the Hindu and Sikh faith community.

Leicester’s first state funded Sikh schools follows on the back Hindu ethos school set up Avanti Trust last year, but let's also be clear it is the Conservative Party policy that has offering faith communities with the of local community set up faith ethos schools. We now have 7 Sikh and 5 Hindu ethos faith schools.

It is therefore a great shame that the Labour Party has now made it clear that it does not support state funded so it is rather odd that Labour MP's and Councillors turn up at these faith schools openings when Labour leadership and party's official policy is aganist state funded faith schools.

Labour Party under Ed Miliband gone back to its left wing secular roots werein the "state" know best mindset and there is no place for our voluntary or faith sectors.

Bharat Parmar By email

Ahimsa Award for Prince Charles

(Barones) Shreela Flather By email

Softly softly radicalisation

As one of life’s most fanatical weightwatchers, I am delighted to report that I’m just 14 lbs over my ideal weight (for my 5ft.9in height) of 12st. 5lbs.

All very encouraging but I was alarmed to hear that weight-conscious people should avoid eating bananas, mangoes, pineapples, dates and grapes, all fruits that I particularly like.

Maybe eating everything in moderation is the best policy. What do you think?

Bhupendra Gandhi is correct about time for introspection by moderate Muslim community/ the whole world. He praises moderate Muslims who are silent/ passive onlookers to atrocious rampage by terrorists in name of religion. Please note that that neither terrorists nor western forces are winning. Both are evolving vicious/ shocking measures. The speed, frequency and distance between targets are horrifying.

In view of good will of the silent majority, I suggest that moderate Muslims must go truly secular; not bother if the non-believers fly to space or breed billionaires and generate unsavoury trends. Possession of fossil fuel is the greatest blessing of Allah.

Muslims must incorporate thanks in daily prayers, enhance image and augment self esteem. Muslims must detach themselves from dirty politics, filthy lucre, unquenchable greed, to focus on projects for welfare of underdogs in community.

Highlight philosophical, medical, altruistic teachings of Islam and Koran.

Propagate truly secular personalities viz Haroon el Rashid, Al Beruni, Khalil Gibran, Omar Khayyam, Sufi saints/darvishes, Unani/hakeem system of medicine, globalise richness of Urdu and Arabic languages, Islamic contribution to economics, engineering and technology. Wise and moderate Muslims must learn from reality that all Indic religions have spread without violence and are welcome globally.

Rudy Otter By email

Ramesh Jhalla By email

I was shocked to learn that the Institute of Jainology had given their Ahimsa Award to Prince Charles during his recent visit to the Jain temple in Potters Bar. I don't quite see under what sense this award was given to a man who supports blood sport and indulges in pheasant and deer shooting.

What were the Institute's people thinking? It seems they have not quite understood the meaning of Ahimsa. In their desire to appease the Prince they have devalued the Ahimsa Award.

Jayant Patel Woodside Park

Fat chat

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Dr Jatindra Saha By email

Modi, The Charmer

When Narendra Modi took office after a historic win, he carried with him the burden of hope, expectation, even miracle, succeeding beyond our wildest expectations, especially on international stage, taking US and Australia by storm, receiving pop star welcome, tickets to his events were gold dust.

Perhaps his greatest success was to establish close personal relations with President Obama, thus reinvigorating, taking US-India relations, friendship to its zenith. Obama’s presence at Republic Day celebrations was masterstroke, success beyond words, able to iron-out differences on nuclear issues, US now ready and willing to supply nuclear fuel and transfer of technology to India.

On home front impenitent Modi has created climate of progress, growth and consumer confidence, removing restrictive practices, corruption and other hurdles that was once milestone on industrial progress, thus attracting foreign investment of billions that would turn Modi’s mantra of “Make in India” into reality.

Economic growth has jumped 1% and the Rupee has recovered losses occurred during last ten years’ of UPA morbid misrule under narcissistic Gandhi clan.

Indians, especially students are welcome throughout West, 3% American Indians contributing 5% growth who are considered law-abiding, hard-working, well educated citizens throughout Western world with lowest prison population.

Unequivocal Indian diaspora volunteers once oblivious to Indian politics are

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Ravi Shah By email

Reform NHS now before it bleeds to death

Politician know and admit in private that NHS under present dictate is unsustainable, needs drastic overall, yet no one has courage to admit it in public. It is time we adopt French and German model most EU nations have implemented that gives first class service but slightly modified to suit British needs. It is time to introduce small charge with insurance cover for visits to GP, A & E and admissions that will instantly stop “Health Tourists” with limited exemption to deserving patients.

British embassies issuing tourist visas overseas, especially in US, should insist on having medical insurance, as we would not travel even to EU countries without such policies, although we are entitled to free medical treatment under EU rules. But in reality, no one would touch us without medical insurance; the first document ambulance crew demand to see and would not hesitate to turn back if we fail to produce it.

With steep increase in ageing population that needs constant care, no amount of cash alone will ease pressure on NHS that could become bottomless pit, devouring billions without improving NHS. We need brave politicians ready to speak out of conviction, not convenience.

But in present climate, it would amount to political suicide, as we are brainwashed in believing that it should be free at point of delivery, yet we pay 85% of dental treatment privately, costliest in EU. It is time to set our priorities right.

Kumudbala Valambia By email pouring into Delhi looking for Assembly elections. BJP is expected to win under leadership of Kiran Bedi, former AAP stalwart. At last India is moving in right direction with days of vagrant politicians numbered.

Bhupendra M. Gandhi By email

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MEDIA WATCH

US President Barack Obama’s visit to India fulfilled its advanced billing: the Indian media went into rhapsodies on the chemistry between guest and host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Their every gesture, smile, nod, handshake and comment was subjected to intense scrutiny on competing TV channels and in newspaper editorials . India and America, the nation was told, were on track in their defining relationship. President Obama’s approval rating back home in the United States may be alarmingly low, but in India they grind exceeding high. He is into his second term at the White House, and beyond the borders of India, in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Euro zone, his problems are dauntingly steep and rising. When a becalmed India analyses the outcomes of the Presidential odyssey in the cold light of day common sense and ground realities will hopefully prevail over the overwrought media hoopla.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Education exchanges Education has a smaller niche in the Indo-US joint statement, but its importance in the overall scheme of things is hugely significant as an empowering factor for young people seeking quality learning outcomes is hugely important for the country’s human development going forward. India’s Human Resource Development Ministry’s Global Initiative for Academic Networks (GIAN) found space in the text of the Indo-American declaration of intent. GIAN is to be the framework of an Indo-US knowledge partnership involving research and entrepreneurial capabilities and skills.

IIT Kanpur model

Obama calls out to 'Sisters and brothers of India'

The model envisaged will be based on something already in place, namely, the establishment of IIT Kanpur. Here, under the previous Indian government of Manmohan Singh, US financial aid helped create a consortium of the best minds from American universities that went into the making of this unique institution. Under GIIAN about 1,000 American scholars in the humanities and sciences will come to India to teach at the IITs IIMs and other centres of academic excellence (Times of IIndia January 26)

Smart cities

Republic Day parade, Modi, Obama and Michelle Obama - See Page 3

Civilian nuclear accord

Top of the results achieved was the civilian nuclear deal that will enable leading US companies, such as Westinghouse, to build nuclear power plants in India circumventing India’s Liability Law through a complex insurance safeguard of Rs 1,500 crore in the eventuality of an accident.

This had been a sticking point in negotiations between the two sides, hence marks a real breakthrough.

Breakthrough

Two US-built nuclear power plants are to be located in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh respectively. The landmark civilian nuclear accord signed by President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008, bringing India in from the cold, was bitterly opposed at the time by the Communist parties and the BJP. The latter’s change of heart in the national interest must surely be welcomed (Telegraph, Times of India, Hindu, Mint January 26)

Defence projects

India and the US signed up to a number of significant defence projects. They have agreed to step up their combat operations,

maritime security exercises and intelligence-sharing mechanisms and kick off with the joint manufacture of “four relatively modest military” weapon systems through the Defence Trade and Technology Initiative. The Indian defence establishment is waiting to see how these translate on the ground as it “is yet to shed its long-standing inhibitions about the US being a reliable long-term supplier of topnotch technologies.” (Times of India January 26)

Co-production technologies

The four systems, referred to above, that are to be jointly produced by the two sides include the next-generation, hand-held battlefield Raven drone aerial vehicles, ‘roll-on, roll-off’ intelligence gathering and reconnaissance modules for the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft, mobile electric hybrid power sources and “uniform integrated protection ensemble increment-2 (chemical, biological warfare protection gear for soldiers).” Raven, a hand held drone, will have its flight range extended to 18 kilometres and its endurance time to 6 hours from the present four. The new surveillance capability, previously lacking, will contribute substantially to the effectiveness of the C-130J Super Hercules (its fleet of 12 cost India $2 billion).

The US is to put its considerable expertise at the disposal of India in the development of Indian smart cities. First one list are Ajmer, Allahabad and Visakhpatnam. Taskforces are to set up to begin work for each city, chosen for its tourism and trade. Visakhpatnam has the added significance of being a port city on the country’s east coast whose potential as a commercial and naval hub is unfolding at a rapid pace(Hindu January 28) Other conurbations will follow in due course.

Naidu tie-up with Swiss consortium

However, this isn’t the only show in town. A joint committee of Andhra Pradesh officialdom and a Swiss consortium are to work out a master plan of key technology clusters in smart cities, smart villages, renewable hybrid energy solutions and water management. This was announced by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, following a meeting in Davos, Switzerland, with the Swiss Solar Technology Consortium specializing on “Enablers for Smart Cities.”

(Hindu, January 23)

US as partner, not policeman

Among the most articulate and intelligent minds in India Inc, Mahindra Group Chairman, Anand Mahindra, said that the India-US relationship would be best served if Washington viewed “India as a collaborative partner and stop being a pushy policeman.” Mahindra speaking on domestic defence manufac-

country which opens up the prospect of other profitable ventures in its banking sector (Times of India January 26)

Rotavirus vaccine

Anand Mahindra

turing said: . “US’s biggest misstep has been making private investment the fulcrum of its foreign policy. US needs to stop viewing India as an outsourcing whipping boy, and see it as a source of great investment potential. It’s time for India to move from outsourcing to right sourcing.” India should engage closely with the US in its naval sector, he averred (Mint January 26)

Projects along Indo-China border

Government has cleared 53 projects, including power, railways, roads, irrigation canals and significant conveniences for the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), a paramilitary force.

The decision to give faster clearance to ITBP projects comes in the backdrop of China’s massive works coming up on the Chinese side. Similar fast-track projects have been cleared for the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border. (Times of India January 22)

India will soon have a locally manufactured low-cost rotavirus vaccine as part of the government’s universal immunization programme, and is expected to cost almost one-fifteenth the present price, said an official.

“Bharat Biotech, which has the rights to licensed production of the vaccine, has already made 56 million doses….The vaccine is likely to be launched in 2015 itself,” said M.R.Bhan, Founder Chairman of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council. Bharat Biotech has the capacity to produce 600 million doses in bulk or 360 million in vials per year (Times of India January 24)

Jaipur Festival

The Jaipur Literary Festival has truly come of age as the record public attendance shows. So many remarkable people, from former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, to the greatest living novelist in the English lan-

Ex-Jihadi framed

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arraigned the Delhi Police for falsely implicating, then arresting former Hizbul Mujahideen operative Liaquat Ali Shah, when he was returning to Kashmir from Pakistan with his family under an amnesty granted by the Kashmir State government. The Delhi Police special cell charged him with plotting a terrorist attack in the capital following a raid on a local hotel and the discovery of a cache of arms and ammunition from the room in which his family had lodged.

The NIA dismissed the case as baseless, having discovered that the true culprit, one Sabir Khan Pathan, a police informer, had planted the incriminating evidence. (Times of India January 25)

Wipro clinches Irish deal

Indian IT major Wipro has won a contract $150 million outsourcing contract from Allied Bank, one of the big four commercial banks in the Republic of Ireland. Wipro will provide infrastructure management services, data centre and hosting services to Allied Irish Banks over the next five years.

“We will bring our expertise to build agile and adoptive infrastructure while improving predictability and cost effectiveness of services,” said Wipro’s Senior Vice President Rajan Kohli, in the company’s biggest in the

VS Naipul

guage, the Nobel laureate V. S. Naipaul, shared their thoughts and experiences with rapt audiences. Sir Vidia, alas, happens to be incapacitated, his movement now restricted to a wheelchair.

The writer Paul Theroux compared VS Naipoaul’s first masterpiece, “A House for Mr Biswas,” to the best works of Charles Dickens, bringing tears to the great man’s eyes, and a murmured, moving “Thank you.”

R. K. Laxman

The incomparable, the one and only R KLaxman, died in Mumbai, aged 94. His cartoons, always on the front pages of The Times of India from 1947, the year of India’s independence, under rubric “The Common Man,” regaled generations of his

R K Laxman

compatriots across the land.

Their wit and humour were an unfailing delight: incisively appealing to the sense and sensibility o millions of readers.

Laxman taught his country to think and to laugh – mostly at itself. A glory has passed from Indian journalism. Whence comes another?

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Journalist offensive about Hinduism … Screw free speech I want to smash his face in

The title is not words befitting a Barrister. I am sorry. But anyone who tells you they stay calm, cool and disconnected when their faith is mocked – well they’re an angel probably or disconnected from reality.

Equally, anyone who acts in physical violence – well there is something deeply wrong with them too. But to feel the urge to punch the fat face of a journalist who should know better about the awesome power of free speech, that’s normal. I feel, but will not act. I am a role model am sure to someone somewhere.

Glenn something or other, previously of Fox News, ‘attacked and ridiculed President Obama over Lord Hanuman statue’. On his show he held up a statue of Hanuman-ji, mocking it as the ‘Demon killing monkey God’.

‘Demon-killing’ – forget that the whole Bible (Glenn is a right-wing Christian fundamentalist) is about the fight against the Devil – I bet he wouldn’t have picked on the other two Middle-Eastern religions. No, we Hindus are rightly known for our nonviolence (on the whole) in the face of provocation. And that is rightly as it should be.

Glenn did this the same day I happened to visit the Holocaust Museum last week where people were killed for nothing more than their religion. It’s not Hindu-phobia or Anti-Hindu-emitism. It’s just plain stupid. Because of all the things you want to mock, people who go about their business

in the service of a higher power, in prayer, humility, and service – yeah pick on them – those evil God-bothering love thy neighbour-nuts.

Oh dear. Glenn my people had mapped the stars and navigated the oceans and understood human anatomy and surgery, and calculated the orbit of the earth and the value of Pi and postulated the atom, whilst your ancestors were still living in caves with their asses painted blue. Your ancestors weep for you Glenn today, for they realise you have failed to evolve.

Hey...freedom of speech Glenn.

In Washington I visited the National Archives, housing the American Declaration of Independence from Britain, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. As we this year celebrate 850 years of Magna Carta, it astounds me that America, for a young country had the wisdom to enshrine in their Constitution both the right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech in the same sentence; forbidding Government from establishing religion by law. As Benjamin Franklin said ' the religion of ignorance is where tyranny thrives.' And where they house their Constitution, outside it warns 'study the past.' and 'the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.'

We were warned in Paris. We were warned at America's Declaration of Independence. You have free speech, but the price is respect for religion which is not protected by law, whereas speech is.

Indian diaspora to decide the future of Britain?

Continued from page 1 Five of the top six countries from which migrant voters in UK general elections originate are all Commonwealth members: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh (potential 183,000 voters), Nigeria (182,000), and South Africa (168,000), while the sixth is the Irish Republic (297,000), whose citizens enjoy similar rights to those of Commonwealth members. It is estimated that the total population of UK voters born in Indian subcontinent, has risen over 1.2mn according to the 2011 census, and projected to rise over 1.7 mn in the near future.

While commonwealth citizens are allowed to vote

for UK general elections, European Union nationals, despite their large and growing presence in the UK, will be heavily underrepresented in May 2015 elections, as a large majority have not yet acquired British citizenship.

Reports suggest almost 4 million voters — about one in 10 of the entire electorate in England and Wales — have been found to be born abroad. The migrant electorate is heavily concentrated in London — 19 of the 20 seats with the largest migrant voter shares are in Greater London.

Migrants would constitute over a third of the electorate in around 25 seats across England and Wales in 2015 and at least a quar-

ter of the electorate in over 50 seats. The migrant electorate could have decisive power in at least 70 seats in 2015.

Asian Voice this week has published an extensive list of prospective parliamentary candidates of South Asian origin along with the current serving MPs of the same background on page 16-17.

It is estimated that populations of 100,000 migrants or more originating from 23 different countries now live in Britain.

Analysis of data from the 2001 and 2011 Censuses suggests that up to 2.8 million British citizens born abroad will be eligible to vote in the next general election.

UK

13

Gandhi statue in Parliament square gets its youngest donor 26 years old UK based hotelier has donated £100,000 to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi planned for Parliament Square in London, becoming the youngest donor to this cause.

Vivek Chadha, pictured, director of Nine Hospitality Limited and a hotel owner, residential developer and commercial investor in UK real estate, is a self-confessed follower of Gandhi. He graduated as a civil engineer in 2010 from University College London, also the alma mater of the Father of the Indian Nation.

Mr Chadha reportedly said, "I am interested in particular how Gandhi emphasised the privilege of giving and practiced compassion in creative ways. The fact that Gandhi concentrated all his energy in the service of others is a great example of how all young people should follow this idea in our day-to-day lives.”

Lord Desai, founder and chair of the Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust said, "It is very important that young people like Vivek step forward and donate towards this noble cause and he joins a very important growing group of British Asians who have responded generously.

“More than 50 per cent of the money raised so far has come from UK, and 80 per cent of our 180 donors are British. Many small donations have come to the charity as people have reached out.

More than 90,000 pounds

have been received through smaller, mostly UK-based donors who have given anything between 1 to 15,000 pounds. The trust has achieved its goal for the project's budget target of 750,000 pounds within approximately three months.”

Other major donors include Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy and his family, and Bajaj auto chief Rahul Bajaj who have donated £200,000 each.

The trust confirmed that pledges are continuing to pour in from the UK and all over the world. The sculpture will go up at Parliament Square next to the likes of Britain's wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill and South African antiapartheid leader Nelson Mandela in the coming months and is expected to be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Indian restaurant tops list by Yelp

An Indian restaurant in central London, modelled after a typical Irani cafe in Mumbai, has beaten Britain's best known Michelin-starred restaurants to become the top restaurant in the UK according to Yelp, the online urban city guide and app.

Dishoom that has restaurants in Covent Garden, Shoreditch and King's Cross has knocked off last year's winner Regency Cafe to become the best restaurant in UK. Yelp compiled its own review and star-rating data to come out with a list of the Top 100 places to eat in the UK. Dishoom was founded in 2010 by Shamil and Kavi Thakrar and Amar and Adarsh Radia. It serves traditional Mumbai food with a twist. Besides Dishoom, three other London eateries who have acquired third, fourth

Shamil and (right) Kavi Thakrar with executive chef Navid Nasir at Shoreditch Dishoom

Dishoom Covent Garden

and fifth place respectively are - Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, pizza specialist Homeslice and

upmarket tapas bar Barrafina.

Gordon Ramsey's London eaterie in London came in 12th.

COMMUNITY

14

Bhavan celebrates India's Republic Day

L-R: Padma Shri Dr J Marr, Lord R Suri, Mr J Sanger, H.E. Mr Ranjan Mathai, Mrs Gita Mathai, Baroness U Prashar PC, Mr SS Sidhu, Dr Nandakumara

Rani Singh

Wednesday 28th January; the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan celebrated Republic Day. After tasty snacks, assembled in the auditorium on stage were Lord Ranbir Singh Suri, Bhavan Chairman Mr Joginder Sanger, Indian High Commissioner Mr Ranjan Mathai, Baroness Usha Prashar PC, and Vice Chairman, Padma Shri, Dr. John R. Marr.

The Bhavan’s Executive Director and gentle force behind the Bhavan’s success, Dr Nandakumara welcomed guests with a prayer.

Among the audience were Sir Mota Singh Q.C. with his brother, and sitar teacher Punita Gupta with her husband.

After the prayer Mr Joginder Sanger spoke about the work of the Bhavan. He thanked the Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham and Dr Nandakumara and his team.

Baroness Usha Prashar said she had been

a friend of the Bhavan for over three decades. She mentioned India’s cultural and spiritual unity expressed through literature, dance and music.

She described the “Encouraging” World Bank India forecast. The Baroness said that she and other diaspora Indians, “are like the banyan tree, with roots in India,” adapting to life abroad.

She quoted Gandhi; “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts of its people.”

Chief Guest the Indian High Commissioner, H.E. Mr Ranjan Mathai, said that he was honoured to be attending the celebration of India’s 66th Republic Day and that he and his wife Mrs Gita Mathai always enjoy attending Bhavan events.

Mr Mathai described India as a “Modern nation built on a vibrant cultural heritage.” He referred to US President Obama’s recent second visit to India and the close ties that had developed between India and the USA during the past eight months. He said that 2015

was likely to be even busier for P.M. Narendra Modi, who wanted the diaspora “to contribute to India’s knowledge.” He mentioned how 177 out of 193 nations co-sponsored India’s resolution to create a World Yoga Day on June 21st and that the High Commission would be celebrating the event.

He gave praise, saying “the Bhavan communicates Indian values in everything you say and do.” He quoted Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, describing the Indian Constitution as “The Holy Book of Democracy”. Mr Mathai also said that the strength of society is measured by its survival and the strength of its institutions.

Dr Marr gave a vote of thanks, and The Bhavan’s Parvati Nair introduced patriotic Bengali, Hindustani and Karnatic songs followed by Bharatanatyam and Kathak dance presentations. The Indian national anthem ended proceedings.

London observes Gandhi Martyr's Day at Tavistock square

HE Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India addressing the gathering

India League Chairman CB Patel giving his speech

Students from Bhavan singing Gandhi's favourite bhajans

Gandhi Martyr's Day was observed on Friday 30th January, 2015 at Tavistock Square in the London Borough of Camden. Despite the cold weather, many esteemed members of the British Indian community gathered at the iconic statue to pay tribute to Gandhi on his death anniversary, organised by the Indian High Commission in association with India League.

Attendees included: HE Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India, Mayor of Camden, British Indian MPs and Peers, CB Patel, Chairman of the India League and Publisher/Editor of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, Sri Joginder Sanger, Chairman of Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan

Review: Behind the beautiful forever

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Rupanjana Dutta It is not easy for any author to create a scene from the Mumbai slums, without reminding us of Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. In Behind the Beautiful Forever, pulitzer winning Katherine Boo has portrayed the lives of Mumbai slum dwellers, alongside the city's international airportfocussing on the nuances of their everyday life, without the hollywood romanticism.

Directed by Rufus Norris, the play revolves around 16 years old Abdul Hussain played by Shane Zaza- the best trash sorter in the area.

Honesty, simplicity and righteousness are the highlights of his character.

His mother Zehrunisa played by Meera Syal- a pompous woman on an ego trip because of their increasing wealth, Asha a local broker with a big political ambition played by Stephanie Street, Asha's 18 years old wise and educated daughter Manju played by Anjana Vasan, and of course the one legged Fatima played by Thusitha Jayasundera, who is the catalyst to the fall of the Hussains.

Someone who has not and many other senior representatives of Indian organisations based in Britain.

read Boo's novel, the story line seemed complex, yet solemnly real.

While acting of the whole cast is extremely commendable, performance specially by three

lent and brutal security forces.

The play also portrays the pride and arrogance of a Muslim mothershowing off the little 'extra' that they were able

womenMeera, Stephanie and Thusitha, are outstanding.

The story is of corruptions, sacrifices, ambitions beyond one's means- an extraordinary journey that depicts the harsh realities of intertwining lives, amongst all hopes and despairs, achievements and failures, resilience and fragility. It depicts the lives of young scavengers who survive by picking through and sorting trash from the airport and nearby hotels. Some try to steal to make quick money, some get caught and lose lives to the vio-

to earn, in a country where they lived as minority, the growing envy of the neighbours, the dishonesty and the catastrophe that follows.

It ends with sincerity and the dreams of the Hussains amongst all paradoxes, as they build their empire little by little again and a peek to the promises that the future holds for a determined and spirited Abdul.

Behind the Beautiful Forever, National Theatre, Feb- May 2015 http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/b ehind-the-beautiful-forevers

The programme included dignitaries paying floral tribute to the statue followed by short

speeches, bhajans and vedic prayers by students of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (UK).

HE Ranjan Mathai, Lord Suri, Mr J Sanger, Dr Rami Ranger, Cllr Sunil Chopra, Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, Mayor of Croydon, India League Chairman CB Patel and others attending Gandhi Martyr's Day

COMMUNITY

High Commission of India celebrates Republic Day with the diaspora

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Rupanjana Dutta

The Indian High Commission organised the annual Republic day celebrations for the diaspora at London's Park Lane in Grosvenor House on Tuesday 27th January.

It was attended by the who's who of the Indian community and British society, including politicians, businessmen, organisational and community leaders, professionals, journalists and renowned film actor Kabir Bedi.

The High Commissioner of India, HE Ranjan Mathai and wife Mrs Gita Mathai, Deputy High Commissioner Dr Virander Paul with wife Mrs Rachel Paul stood by the main entrance to the hall, welcoming each guest personally.

The formal part of the evening started with the British and Indian national anthem, followed by performances by artists representing the cultures of different states of India.

The Indian High Commission HE Ranjan Mathai, welcomed the guests and spoke about India, making reference to the President's speech.

This was followed by Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and PM Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion Ms Priti Patel MP. She spoke about the long lasting relationship between Britain and India, referring to the British government's investments and encouragements in the areas of bilateral trade, education and many more. She concluded her speech saying, “This year, our Prime Minister has personally invited Prime Minister Modi to visit the UK. “The much anticipated statue of Mahatma Gandhi in London’s HE Ranjan Mathai addressing Parliament Square here the guests in London will carry huge

15

Indian Diaspora Champion Ms Priti Patel MP giving her speech

resonance in both our nations, and indeed across the world. I know that many people in the diaspora community have made significant contributions to this project – the first Indian to be honoured with a statue in

The invited guests at Grosvenor House

Flag hoisting ceremony at India House by HE Ranjan Mathai, High Commissioner of India on 26th January to celebrate Republic Day with his team

Parliament Square, and the first man who was neither a Prime Minister nor a President. And I would like to warmly thank you for your help and generosity.

“We will continue to work to reinforce ties

A

between the UK and India even further, and to develop the opportunities our relationship brings to both of us.”

The evening came to a close with a spread of Indian dinner, catered by Ragasaan.

breathtaking view of Wembley Stadium perfect location for your next big event

An An ideal ideal venue venue for for parties, parties, sanji, sanji, mendhi mendhi night night and and receptions. receptions.

Join us for a Desi Brunch serving delicious Dosa, Upma, Idli Sambar and more, every Sunday from 11am

Contact us now to arrange a viewing on 020 8903 3888 or info@metropoliswembley.co.uk

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16

GE 2015

90 Days To Go

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Making Your Vote Matter

Reshma Trilochun and Rupanjana Dutta

oning the causes that matter.

It goes without saying that Asians have an integral part in the contemporary British society, and with the number of Asian MP candidates preparing to be a part of the 2015 elections in May, it only reiterates the importance Asians have, especially when it comes to voting. This year, there are 19 Asians representing the Conservatives, 28 representing Labours and 12 representing Liberal Democrats. Asian Voice brings you the list of candidates with their summary to help you decide who to vote for on 7th May 2015. In 2010 general election the number of ethnic minority MPs increased from 14 to 27, out of which 19 were Asians. It is important to understand and acknowledge who are contesting while choosing who to vote for, as voting shouldn't be taken lightly nor done at the spur of the moment.

Conservative Party

Parliamentary Prospective Candidates Kishan Devani- Leicester East Kishan Devani vows to stand up for hard-working families, and work to create better opportunities for parents and their children alike.

Chamali FernandoCambridge Chamali first started to think about politics while studying A' Level in politics at Cambridge Seminars; wanting to give back to the community that inspired her.

Nusrat Ghani- Wealden Nusrat was the first woman in her family to go to University and gained a Masters in International Relations from Leeds University.

Altaf Hussain- Swansea East If elected, he will work tirelessly for the people of Swansea East and will bring his experience to bear in fighting hard for a better service.

Ranil Jaywardena- North East Hampshire Ranil Jaywardena is an alumnus of the LSE and is a Fellow of the RSA; he has a useful insight into today’s economic challenges.

Resham Kotecha- Dulwich and West Norwood Resham aims to ensure every child in the constituency has access to a place at a great school, attract infrastructure and development without compromising the charm and greenery of the constituency.

Seema Kennedy- South Ribble Seema would defend the rights of older people so they can enjoy security and dignity after a lifetime of hard work.

Mina Rahman-Barking Mina Rahman wants to protect the welfare of the elderly people in Barking because they are an asset to our community.

Suhail Rahuja- Hornsey and Wood Green Suhail will focus on job creation, business investment and he will work hard to make sure that small businesses thrive.

Gurcharan Singh- Slough As Mayor for the London Borough of Ealing, he has raised money for multiple charities.

Rishi Sunak- Richmond (Yorks) If elected, he shall champion the people of Richmond (Yorks), listening to their concerns and fighting for their interests.

Azi Ahmed- Rochdale A former member of the British Army, Azi Ahmed works for a homeless charity and volunteering as School Governor. for a homeless charity and Afzal Amin- Dudley North Afzal Amin was an officer in the British Army for 11 years, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He aims to stand up for you and your family- both in the community and at Westminster.

Current MPs Sajid Javid- MP for Bromsgrove Sajid, at the age of 24, went on to become the youngest Vice President in the history of Chase Manhattan Bank.

Priti Patel- MP for Witham Priti is the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and PM Cameron's Indian Diaspora Champion.

Before embarking on a career in public affairs and communications, Priti worked in the Conservative Research Department.

Alok Sharma- MP for Reading West Alok is also Co-Chairman of Conservative Friends of India Paul UppalMP for Wolverhampton South West Since having been elected in 2010, Paul has stood up for residents across the constituency by champi-

Shailesh Vara- MP for North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh is the Parliamentary UnderSecretary of State for the Ministry of Justice with responsibility for the Courts and Legal Aid. Before his election to Parliament, he was Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2001 to 2005.

Rehman Chishti MP for Gillingham and Rainham Chishti served as a Political Adviser to Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan 1999-2007. He is a Member of the Justice Select Committee of the House of Commons, having previously been a Member of the Joint Committee of the Human Rights Committee. In July 2014, he was made Parliamentary Private Secretary to Nick Gibb, the Minister of State for Education.

Labour Party

Parliamentary Prospective Candidates

Anawar Miah- Welwyn, Hatfield Anawar previously sat on the Access to the Bar Committee of the General Council of the Bar. Sachin Patel- Richmond Park Sachin Patel is a 26 year old man who has been a member of USDAW, the trade union from the age of 16.

Purna Sen- Brighton, Pavilion Purna’s work has covered various aspects of discrimination and inequality, in the UK and beyond.

Manjinder Singh KangCotswold Manjinder, 27 is a Trainee Solicitor and is due to qualify as a Solicitor in early February 2015.He studied for his undergraduate law degree and post-graduate in Nottingham.

Sam Juthani-Henley Sam studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at St Edmund Hall, Oxford focusing on economics.

Sundip MeghaniHarborough, Oadby and Wigston He was elected as a Councillor in 2011 and subsequently served as a Board Member of the Leicestershire Police Authority.

Bilal MahmoodChingford and Woodford Green Bilal has developed mentoring programmes, focusing on those from disadvantaged backgrounds including his old school.

Uma Kumaran- Harrow East Uma works for a pioneering inner city Council implementing some of the Labour’s flagship policies that are making a real difference to everyday lives.

Amanjit Jhund- East Dunbartonshire Whilst at University, Amanjit became the 1st UK national and 2nd person in the world to be accepted to study Hepatology at Harvard Medical School.

Rupa Huq- Ealing Central and Acton Rupa attended Cambridge University where she first joined labour in 1991 and campaigned in the general election the following year.

Tulip Siddiq- Hampstead and Kilburn Tulip also oversaw Camden’s engagement with the 2012 London Olympics.

Amina Lone- Morecambe and Lunesdale Amina Lone was selected as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Azhar Ali- Pendle Azhar Ali is currently cabinet member for member for health and wellbeing on Lancashire County Council.

Tanmanjeet Singh DhesiGravesham Tanmanjeet studied Mathematics with Management Studies at University College London, before studying Applied Statistics at Keble College, Oxford University.

Naushabah Khan- Rochester Strood Naushabah first started campaigning when she studied History at the University of Birmingham.

Charanjeet Singh- South West Devon Being involved in the retail sector in a close knit community helped Charanjeet to become 'a people person' and a good listener who is able to point people in the right direction when they need advice and guidance.

Bally Singh- Kenilworth and Southam Bally Singh has been a strong voice and leader for many campaigns during his time as a ward councillor.

Current MPs Seema Malhotra- MP for Feltham and Heston.

Seema is the Shadow Minister for Preventing

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 Violence Against Women and Girls.

Since becoming an MP, Seema has campaigned locally on support for small businesses, tackling unemployment, improving public health and civic engagement.

Zuffar Haq- Harborough Health Campaigner, Zuffar Haq has been selected to stand for Harborough Constituency in the general elections.

Shabana Mahmood- MP for Birmingham Ladywood Shabana made history in becoming one of the first Muslim women, and one of the first Asian women, to be elected to Parliament.

Parmjit Singh GillLeicester South In 2004, Parmjit Singh Gill became the first Liberal Democrat MP from an ethnic minority in a 21% swing from labout (BBC News).

Virendra Sharma- MP for Ealing and Southall During his time in Parliament, Virendra has served as a member of the International Development Select Committee.

Anas Sarwar- MP for Glasgow Central Anas has been a campaigning member of the Scottish Labour Party since the age of 16.

Khalid Mahmood- MP for Birmingham, Perry Barr In Parliament, Khalid has held a number of positions including PPS to Tony McNulty MP and as a member of the Home Affairs Committee.

Rushanara Ali- MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Elected as the Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow at the UK General Election in May 2010.

Sadiq Khan- MP for Tooting Sadiq Khan is the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice. In 2013, Sadiq Khan was also appointed as Shadow Minister for London.

Keith Vaz- MP for Leicester East Keith Vaz is the Chair of the Home Affairs Committee. He was first elected in June 1987 and has been re-elected as a Member of Parliament 6 times. He was the first person of Asian origin to sit in the House of Commons since 1922.

Lisa Nandy MP for Wigan Lisa was appointed to the Education Select Committee and was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet Minister for the Olympics, Tessa Jowell, in 2010. In 2012, she was made shadow junior education minister after the reshuffle triggered by the resignation of Peter Hain.

Valerie Vaz, MP for Walsall Valerie was selected as a Labour member of the Health Select Committee in 2010. She is also Vice Chairwoman of the Labour Parliamentary Party.

Liberal Democrats

Parliamentary Prospective Candidates Harrish BisnauthsingGrantham and Stanford Harrish Bisnauthsing is well-known as a local councillor, having been elected to Stamford Town Council in 1987.

Prince Sadik ChaudhuryNorth Northamptonshire Sadik is a local businessman and former Northampton Borough Councillor. While he was studying at the University of Northampton to become a Barrister, his interests in politics prevailed.

Amna Ahmad- Streatham Amna has recently worked on projects to encourage children to be more physically active and healthy and to increase public awareness of local health services.

Shas Sheehan- Wimbledon In 2010 Shas was the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Wimbledon, fighting a tremendous campaign against the proposed closure of Kingston Hospital’s A&E, maternity and children’s services.

Pramod Subbaraman- Edinburgh South Pramod studied For his Dental Degree in Bengaluru (1996-2001) and moved to the UK in 2005 following Professor Raman Bedi's invitation to Indian dentists in 2004 to help ease the NHS shortage in England at that time.

Sanjay Samani- Angus Sanjay was the Liberal Democrat candidate for Angus at the 2010 General Election, where he ran a campaign focussed on the concerns of local people.

Reetendra Nath Banerji- Salisbury Reetendra Nath Banerji is a self-employed Management Consultant specialising in Change Management.

Abdul Malik- Bristol East Born in Bristol, Abdul started off in business aged just 17 and was elected as Bristol’s first ever Asian/Muslim Councillor in 2005.

Mohammad Ilyas- Halifax Mohammad joined the Liberal Democrats in 2002 and has never been a member of any other party.

Aqila Choudhry- Leeds North East Aqila is currently a voluntary sector representative at the strategic boards of Leeds City Council and a board member at Leeds HealthWatch and Complex Needs Board of Leeds City Council.

As I See It

GE 2015 17

General Election 2015 - our vote is crucial The General Election in Britain is almost 90 days from today (7th Feb). In the post war era this election is perhaps very important as, it appears now, no party is likely to gain a clear overall majority. As Nick Clegg has admitted, there will be a coalition government post 7th May 2015 election. Mr Clegg believes that the Liberal Democrat party will be a partner in any coalition.

Perhaps. Let the results speak for themselves!

We, the members of the Black and Asian minorities have a very important responsibility to ensure that we discharge our franchise diligently and make our substantial contribution in the well being of the country. We have contributed in various ways in establishing the British Empire. Over 5 million fought in the World Wars for Great Britain, nearly 150,000 sacrificed their lives. We are also transforming Britain to the economic power that it is, in the last two hundred odd years. Now some 5 million Britons of Asian and Black parentage, we carry the same if not more onerous responsibility to maintain our tradition of contributing our utmost to Great Britain.

Before I look back at the results of 2010 general elections I would like to make a plea to all our readers and urge them to ensure that they vote without fail in the general election. Let the message go to each and every member of our communities that our vote is very crucial, perhaps more so now than ever before in the British Parliamentary elections. Have you checked whether your name is registered in the voters list? If not, don’t delay and do it today.

Please inform all those relations, friends and other acquaintances to do likewise. For those who are unable to vote due to any ill health or other disabilities there is a postal vote facility for each voter. The system is straightforward. If you are not too sure ask your local councillor, agent of any political party or a leading member of your community organisation.

Vote you must on the 7th May 2015. Which party is entirely your choice but, at the cost of repeating myself, to exercise our franchise is a very valuable right and people have sacrificed their freedom (gone into prisons) and even laid down their lives for this fundamental right. Thank God we live in a democracy. Think of all those who haven’t got a vote or could not participate in a free and fair election. We are very fortunate indeed to be able

to discharge our duty or civic responsibility without hinderance.

2010 elections at a glance

In the 2010 General Election there were 18 South Asians representing the Conservative and Labour parties in the House of Commons. This was a substantial increase from the previous House of Commons.

This year there are substantially more Asian P r o s p e c t i v e Parliamentary candidates - 18 Asians representing the Conservatives, 26 representing Labour and 12 representing the Liberal Democrats. Some of the Asian candidates are likely to be elected.

In 2010 the Black and Minority candidates were in the record numbers.

There were several firsts also. Shabana Mahmood became the first Muslim woman to be elected in Birmingham Ladywood whilst Helen Grant was the first Black woman to represent the Conservatives in Westminster.

Labours Chi Onwurah was the first African woman to win a parliamentary seat in Newcastle Central and Priti Patel became the Tory’s first Asian female candidate winning Witham in Essex. It was also interesting to note that in the election of 2010 the link between constituencies with high proportions of minority voters and long standing Black and Asian MPs remained firm in many places. In Birmingham Ladywood where 27 year old Shabana Mahmood held on to Claire Shorts’ former stronghold, the Black (Pakistani) vote was regarded as a crucial winning factor.

Several seats until then had been regarded as safe and yet provided nerve racking counts for minority MPs. This included South London, were former Transport Minister Sadiq Khan saw his majority cut by more than half. In nearby Brixton, there were jubilant cries of ‘yes we Khan’ when the result was announced but the bar that had been hired out by supporters of the new Streatham candidate for Labour, Chukka Umunna, hummed nervously amid anxiety about the well funded campaign of Liberal Democrat candidate Chris Nicholson.

While Umunna’s and Khan’s efforts paid off, the Black Labour MP, Don Butler was unseated in the new North London seat of Brent Central by Liberal Democrat Sarah Teather. Supporters had admitted that Butler’s campaign suffered from a lack of dynamism and a

shortage of volunteers. It is important to recollect Salma Yaqoob would have been the first hijabwearing MP. Her defeat by Labour, in Birmingham Hall Green, is one of the most high profile minority failures.

The Liberal Democrats were the only main party with no minority MP. Let us see what will be happening now.

In Asian Voice this week we have listed the South Asian MPs in the Commons now and the P r o s p e c t i v e Pa r l i a m e n t a r y Candidates from the three main parties. It appears that in spite of the larger presence of people of Indian origin in Britain, the political participation and success of those from Pakistan or Bangladesh is substantial. There is no excuse for the lack of effective Indian inputs in British politics. Maybe there are many South Asian candidates. Maybe some of them are elected but the election is still some three months away and as Harold Wilson said some fifty years ago ‘a week is a long time in politics’.

Elections in India

Let’s now take a pause and look at what is happening in India today 7th February. The 70 seats of the Delhi State Assembly are up for grabs. Ten days ago when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced the former (first Indian woman) IPS officer as the Chief Ministerial candidate it was described as ‘a master stroke’. On 2nd February the BJP cannot be so sure. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won the 16th General Election so spectacularly last May and won several States hands down for his party in the last few months, is working very hard to say the least to repeat his winning formula in Delhi.

Maybe he can but the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is really fighting very well. It looks like a fight between David and Goliath but there is no certainty that David will win. Next week we will know the result. If the BJP win, it will be another shot in the arm of Narendra Modi. If Arvind Karjariwal becomes once again the Chief Minister of Delhi State, it maybe a boonfor democratic India. Such an eventuality i.e. defeat of the BJP in Delhi could, in its own way, make the Modi government more focused and the Indian voters justifiably more demanding and confident.

[More to follow next week]

- CB

18

Dear Financial Voice Reader, I write to you having returned from Washington DC. What is it about Americans when it comes to pitching? They just wipe the floor with everyone else. I’ve been listening to business pitches for over a decade now, from US, to China, India, and even Malaysia and Thailand – let alone from Britain.

Having just got back from the States I can tell you they are hands down the best. And there is no excuse for the others being so poor at it. After all, it’s only the entrepreneurial dream of your own business you’re flushing away by horrible pitching.

So what do the Americans do so right, and what can the rest of the world find online to help them never make poor pitching mistakes again?

First, the Americans know the answers to obvious questions – what will be your turnover? What’s your profit margin? How have you come to the valuation of your company? Will you need future funding or is this it? And the answer to ‘why do you need my money?’ is not ‘for marketing spend’.

Second, the Americans solve problems, they do not provide solutions looking for a problem. They start with ‘wouldn’t it be great if…’ or ‘isn’t it a pain when….’ Not ‘I used to work in Multinationalhorrible corp’.

I’ve found at pitching sessions, Indians start off with their life stories – actually the life stories of their grandparents. By the time they get to their product, times already up…or I’m sleeping.

The Malaysians and Thai are just too centred on their tiny domestic markets. The Americans are aiming at global markets on day one. They want to rule the world, not just their neighbourhood.

The Chinese, well frankly unless from Hong Kong, invariably drone on at me for about 2 hours in a 600 slide presentation in Mandarin – this actually only happened a few times – but the memory is painful I fear returning to Shanghai or Beijing. Sure they make iPhones, but that’s for the American entrepreneur.

The Brits – once global rulers, now just embarrassed to pitch. They’re almost apologising – or at the other extreme aping American’s without being authentic. And they rarely know the answer to ‘how did you come up with wanting £500,000 for 10% of your company’. If you can’t value your company, why should anyone give you money? It’s money. You can’t seem to value it.

And there is no excuse for poor pathetic performance from others. To improve your pitching and get what investors are after here are the key essentials you need to visit online: First, check out Angel List (angel.co) – see who’s getting funding and how slick their pitches look. Copy that.

Second, have a look on Slideshare at presentations from some of the best VCs in the world telling you what you should have in your pitch. Come on, a tutorial from Elon Musk – that’s got to be worth 30 minutes of anybody’s time.

Third, watch Shark Tank. Not Dragon’s Den. It’s on YouTube – I don’t care where you are in the world you have no excuse for not knowing how to pitch – unless you think YouTube is purely for watching dogs do backflips. It’s an education tool the likes of which we’ve never seen. You’ve never had tutorials from Bill Gates and Richard Branson – but most people want to watch an angry cat instead.

Four, check out the free courses on Udemy.com – the online education site. There are some amazing experts.

Finally – look at the websites of the largest Venture Capital firms and Angel groups – they give amazing guidance – because they too are afraid of the poor pitch.

Alpesh Patel Alpesh is the senior most member of a UK Government team which has brought to the UK entrepreneur led companies worth $1billion+ over the past decade as part of the UKTI Global Entrepreneur Programme. He runs a Private Equity fund from the UK. Asian Voice readers get 33% off my FX online training course: www.udemy.com/tradefx4profit (coupon code: AsianVoice1)

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

India's economic growth revised up by almost 50%

India's economy grew almost 50 per cent faster in 2013/14 than earlier thought, the government said after changing a formula, a reminder of the challenges that unreliable statistics present to Indian policy makers. In the year leading up to the elections that brought Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power last May, the economy grew 6.9 per cent, not the 4.7 per cent reported earlier, chief statistician TCA Anant told reporters.

Modi's campaign succeeded partly because of the widespread feeling that his predecessors from the Congress party had plunged the economy into the country's longest deceleration in growth in a generation.

The revised formula, showing a faster recovery, includes under-represented and informal sectors as well as items such as smartphones and LED tel-

evision sets in gross domestic product. That could boost India's growth figure in the year ending in March 2015, which the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected to be around 5.5 per cent.

Some in government predict the change will help bring down the fiscal deficit as a share of gross domestic product, making it easier for Modi to trim the gap to a seven-year low of 4.1 per cent in the year to March despite a shortfall in revenue.

However, Anant said

the overall size of India's $1.8 trillion economy had not changed enough to shift the ratio significantly, adding: "Our ranking in GDP terms will not change as the size of economy has almost remained the same."

The new methodology moves India more in line with global standards by measuring the economy at market prices, and by tracking consumer rather than wholesale inflation.

"This will help lower market distortions and give better representation to

the manufacturing sector," said Soumya Kanti Ghosh, chief economic adviser at State Bank of India.

But the frequent GDP revisions and other deficient data are a headache for economic planners.

Among the worst offenders are the volatile index for industrial production and the jobless numbers, seen as very unrepresentative. The latest GDP revision is part of a change to the method of calculating national accounts that happens every five years.

"It is a problem for the government and economists who are trying to understand the exact situation," said D.H. Pai Panandiker, president of RPG Foundation, an economic policy group in New Delhi. "It is even a problem for the RBI, that doesn't have a full view about how the economy is performing."

performers.

Goldman Sachs, which is the asset manager of the fund, is set to issue the new ETF units before the end of the fiscal year on March 31, the source said.

"We have the finance ministry's go-ahead and are working out the final details," the source, who is directly involved in proceedings said. The government has set a target of $10 billion to be raised by selling government-held shares, in order to trim the

fiscal deficit to a sevenyear low by the end of March.

Expanding the Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) ETF would be a welcome lift. The ETF comprises 10 stocks, mixing heavyweights such as Coal India Ltd and Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd with laggards such as Bharat Electronics Ltd and Engineers India Ltd. The unit value of the fund has increased 38.8 per cent since its launch last March, outperforming a strong 30.6 per cent rise in the NSE index during the same period.

To date, the current government has raised $3.9 billion out of its $10 billion target, most of it coming from last week's

record offering of a 10 per cent equity stake in staterun Coal India.

However, plans for a second exchange traded fund announced last year have been put on hold, the source added. The fund was to have been made up of government-held minority shares in nonstate firms including ITC, Larsen & Toubro and Axis Bank.

Finance ministry officials declined to comment but said that the government was considering all options to meet its target.

"We are working on many issues," Aradhana Johri, secretary in-charge of the government's disinvestment programme, had said after the sale of Coal India shares.

As a result, the new Maharaja is a far departure from the mascot debuted in 1946. Sporting a spiked hairstyle and white sneakers, the only similarity to the previous Maharaja is the trademark moustache. Air India officials plan on showcasing

the new Maharaja across 27 different setting, reflecting different destinations the airline serves and portraying a star member of the Indian cricket team.

“The new Maharajah is aligned with the modern times and with the new AI which is also trying to cut flab to become a lean commercial entity,” an Air India representative said.

“The Maharajah now has a leaner, young, sporty and

more dynamic look.”

While the update was made to reflect India as a modern nation, many have criticized the new look.

According to Quartz, the more barbed comments on Twitter compare the new Maharaja to a “New York cab driver,” while an editorial published by 'The Economic Times' claims the new Maharaja could “be seen as evidence of the lumbering airline’s earnestness to embark on a radical weight reduction exercise, if not bariatric surgery, just yet.”

India to raise Rs 50 bn through exchange traded fund sale before March end

India plans to raise Rs 50 billion ($ 809 million) by selling additional units of a fund made up of shares in public sector companies, a move which would boost government efforts to trim its deficit.

The previous government had set up the exchange traded fund (ETF) last year as a way of selling shares in 10 stateowned companies. It raised Rs 30 billion in an oversubscribed offering as investors welcomed access to a basket of firms.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elected last May, hopes to again tap appetite for a fund that has outperformed the Indian market, already one of Asia's strongest

Air India’s Maharaja gets a makeover

After nearly 60 years as the official mascot of Air India, the Maharaja is trading in his regal robes and turban for jeans and a smartphone. The update in the mascot’s look was spearheaded by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took office in 2014. In meeting with the leadership of Air India, one of the first assignments Modi handed down to the airline was updating the look of the Maharaja.

Modi asked for the mascot to reflect the “aam addimi” - the common man.

REAL ESTATE VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

19

Working With The Right Network Will Be Your Networth

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Last week I had a potential client who came to see me regarding developing some common ground to try and do some business together. He was also in the business of purchasing properties, on behalf of some friends. He put a proposal on the table which was a flat in Knightsbridge, the property required development. After development you would make roughly 20% on the deal.

This seems to be the standard return developers expect when doing a development.

I mentioned to him not to go for mediocre deals, we have something on the burner for £2.625m which is worth in excess of £3m without lifting a finger. If the property is developed at a cost of £350k the end value would be conservatively £4.2m. Therefore he would have a much better return on this project and it is currently open for investment.

There are two numbers which justify this deal, both right next door to this property so you cannot find any closer comparisons.

One of them is a historical sale price and the other is a property which is about to come onto the market shortly.

The property n ext do or sold f or £3. 9m in Aug ust 2014, the o ther property is coming o nto the market at £4.5m. The pro perty we have is bigge r t han both of t hese, t herefore assu min g a rese ll o f £4. 2m is be ing conservative .

This gentleman came with two objectives, one to see what stock we had and the returns attached to them, the other to see if we would co-invest. We have no issues with co-investing but the deal needs to stack up and offer more returns than we have. I advised him to withdraw from his deal and come into ours, not because the deal is ours but the numbers in our opinion speak for themselves; and needless to say we won’t be investing in his deal. He is currently reviewing the deal we presented.

One issue is the deal itself, the other major issue is trust. There needs to be trust between the parties for them to engage with each other. Having a contract is no substitute, and in my opinion is more of a psychological deterrent. The main purpose of a contract is as a means to clarifying the agreement and giving it proper definition, rather than being a substitute for trust.

Whatever eventualities the contract covers, if someone wants to be clever they will always find a way to do so. For example a contract doesn't stop a person from point blank lying.

In one situation a few years ago there was a clever jeweler from Kenya, I thought we had some trust and honesty between us. He never signed a contract despite the numerous transactions we had done together. Unfortunately he had a bad habit of continually lying in his dealings with us and when confronted he spoke more lies to cover the same lies up; and then he got annoyed when we brought these issues up, to the point where he cut off communication still owing us several hundred thousands of pounds.

Clearly this man is in desperate need of money, more so than us.

Therefore my view was he should keep the whole lot and choke on it; ill earned money will never do any good in the long term.

It is of course wise to have terms of business spelled out in writing which we have, through painful lessons, seen the importance of, and have checks and balances entwined in the transaction. For example none of the funds are handled by us, they are channeled either through a lawyer’s account or an FCA registered administrator who is authorised to hold monies. This gives the investors some layers of comfort.

This is one issue the potential client brought up, that he has been authorised to handle other people’s money and how can he be justified to hand this trust over to someone else? A fair and open question.

Trust is not built up by reading articles, or talking, it is ultimately built up by transacting together. And not just transacting, as it is easy to have good times and be fair weather friends when both parties are making money, the real test of someone’s character is what happens when things don't go quite to plan… Does one party run the other way and cover their behinds or do they hang through the deal and weather the storm no matter what.

In any tran saction two in divid uals will have diffe rent vie wpoints, a cont ract serves to merely clarify specified even tualities. It is no substitute fo r so me one’ s character.

The Real Deal

T h e re i s a sa v i n g g ra c e w i t h p ro pe r t y, g iv e n t i m e i t wi l l al w ays b o u n c e b ac k . W h y d o e s t h i s p ri n c i p al h o l d t r u e f o r p ro pe rt y as o p po s e d t o m an y o t h e r i n v e st me n t s ?

L o o k i n g a t t h e ba si c s yo u h a ve a f i n i t e c o m m o d i t y – l an d - w it h s o m e t h i n g e v e n m o re f i n i t e – p ro pe r t y - o n i t , ve rsu s m o n e y. M o n e y i s n o t f i n i t e i t i s po t e n t i a l l y i n f in it e , it h as b e e n c o n t i n u a l l y p ri n t e d i n g re a t e r a n d g re at e r q u an t i t i e s e s p e c i al l y in re c e n t ye ar s b y t h e c e n t ra l ba n k s . T h e re f o re a s t i m e g o e s o n yo u w il l re q u ire m o re an d m o re o f i t t o b u y t h e s am e a mo u n t o f pro p e r t y. T h is is a s s i mp l e an d b a si c a s i t g e t s .

Marylebone, London, W1 Purchase Price: £2.85m l l l l l

A large property in a beautiful street Freehold High ceilings with period features Close to Hyde Park Properties in this location are being sold for around £1,550 per sq. ft. and above while this is coming in at around £1,070 sq. ft. l Plan is to convert it into two flats l End value after conversion expected to be around £4m Call us now to secure this deal!

So within this scenario I proposed that the client suggests a means to look after the money being a majority investor - subject to due diligence. We are not attached to managing the money as long as it is kept safe and we can use it in a timely manner. Or he takes the complete deal from us, both of which he was open too.

The deal is not important, but the relationships it creates is. If you can develop a good working relationship with someone you can transact easily and comfortably for life. Many people, especially in the property industry, continually chase the deal - they are missing the point - a valuable relationship is worth hundreds of deals.

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 money you invest in property will grow in direct proportion with the location you invest in.

l When purchasing and developing always keep the buyer in mind, not your own preferences.

20

BUSINESS

RBI holds rates, says tracking inflation, govt fiscal action

The Reserve Bank of India held interest rates steady at 7.75 per cent on Tuesday after easing monetary policy just three weeks ago, leaving its next move probably until after the government presents its annual budget at the end of this month.

Instead, the Reserve Bank of India cut the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) - or the amount of bonds that lenders must set aside - by 50 basis points to 21.5 per cent of deposits from Feb. 7, prodding banks to increase lending.

"Banks should use this headroom to increase their lending to productive sectors on competitive terms so as to support investment and growth," the RBI said in a statement.

The RBI also

Royal Enfield beats Harley Davidson in global sales

Royal Enfield, originally a British marque from Redditch, now owned by Chennai-based Eicher Motors, sold over 300,000 bikes in 2014, thus outnumbering the US-based motorcycle giant - Harley Davidson. Harley managed to sell a total of 267,000 bikes in 2014.

Though both the companies don't compete with each other globally, it's a big news in India since the two are leading market share holders in heavy bike segment. The major reason behind the rise in RE's global market share is its affordability. While Harley's least expensive bike, the Street 750, costs Rs 500,000 in India, RE's most expensive bike - the Continental GT - costs about Rs 200,000, which is Rs 300,000 less than the cheapest Harley. That said, Harley is definitely ahead in the profit game since the premium on HD bikes is much more than that of RE bikes. Royal Enfield concluded 2014 with a strong sales performance and posted sales of 28,634 units in combined domestic wholesale and exports in December, 2014 - recording a growth of 48 per cent over the same period last year. In January too, the company reported 42 per cent rise in its domestic sales at 28,157 units in January 2015, compared to 19,808 units in the corresponding month last year.

To further grow this lead, Royal Enfield is now planning to build a strong network in Western Europe and the US. Talking about the growth, while RE's global sales grew by 70 per cent, the US-based bike maker grew by only 3 per cent.

Raghuram Rajan

announced a slew of initiatives to develop markets, including allowing foreign institutional investors to re-invest government bond coupons even when their investment limits are exhausted.

Most economists had expected the RBI to keep its repo policy rate steady, and reduce rates later so long as the budget, due to

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

be unveiled by finance minister Arun Jaitley on Feb. 28, does not disappoint in terms of reducing the fiscal deficit.

The RBI said in its statement that it wanted more comfort that inflation would continue to ease and that it would await action from the government regarding the country's finances. "Given that there have been no substantial new developments on the disinflationary process or on the fiscal outlook since January 15, it is appropriate for the Reserve Bank to await them and maintain the current interest stance," the central bank said.

Comforted by falling world oil prices and inflation slowing, the RBI had surprised investors with 25 basis points cut in the

repo rate on Jan. 15, even though investors were expecting the central bank to embark on an easing cycle at some point during the early months of the year.

The RBI clearly saw little point in waiting any longer to reduce borrowing costs in an economy that was struggling to gather momentum.

Markets are pricing in more interest rate cuts over the rest of the year given inflation is expected to remain subdued on the back of a plunge in global crude prices and biggerthan-expected falls in domestic vegetable and fruit prices.

Consumer prices rose 5 per cent in December, well within the RBI target of 6 per cent by January 2016.

ed that the ratio decided in the judgment must be adhered to by field officers in all cases where this issue is involved.”

The case involving Vodafone India is a transfer pricing dispute, dating back to August 2008, and is different from the Rs 130 billion capital gains tax levy, which was to be paid by Hutch when it sold its stake to the British major. Several multinational firms such as Shell and Nokia have complained of getting unfair deal with the Dutch oil major winning the case in similar transfer pricing

case in the Bombay HC. Nokia has decided to shut shop after it had to keep the Indian plant, and its vendors such as Flextronics too is downing shutters due to what many term as “adversarial” tax regime.

The Modi administration has vowed to provide a non-adversarial tax regime and has asked the tax authorities to ensure that there is no harassment of taxpayers. The string of high-profile tax cases include the issue of retrospective taxation that scared investors and prompted them to go slow on their plans in the country. The Modi government is now seeking to attract foreign investment to boost growth and is keen to provide a “predictable and transparent tax regime.”

Taxmen told not to pursue Vodafone-type case

The tax department has asked its officers not to press ahead with transfer pricing cases similar to Vodafone, a signal which is expected to bring comfort to several multinational firms grappling with such tax demands.

The move comes a day after the government decided it will not appeal against a Bombay high court order in a Rs 32 billion tax case involving global telecom giant Vodafone to avoid “fruitless litigation”. Officers dealing with similar transfer pricing cases have been asked to adhere to the court ruling.

In a circular to field officers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said: “…the Board has accepted the decision of the high court. It is direct-

Indian investors evince strong interest in US

Indian investments in manufacturing and technology deals in the US are set to be fast-tracked but investors have evinced strong interest in the "Select USA" initiative, said senior US government official.

The optimism regarding increased Indian investments in manufacturing and technology sectors in the US was expressed during a closed door meeting between US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and Indian investors. According to the industry lobby Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) which organised the event, Secretary Pritzker told Indian investors that the US is one of the leading

destinations for investment. Pritzker said US President Barack Obama is taking special interest in the "Select USA" initiative. She also announced that the "Select USA" investment summit is scheduled for March and urged Indian companies to participate in it to explore investment opportunities.

Pritzker assured the Indian companies that her commercial service team was dedicated to supporting Indian firms who are planning to expand across sectors in the US. During the event, US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Caroline Atkinson emphasised that this was the right time for imparting a thrust to USIndia bilateral relations.

She also enumerated the benefits of participating in Select USA Investment Summit 2015.

During the meeting, FICCI and consultancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) presented their report on Direct investment in United States to Secretary Pritzker. "In the last two years, USA's share in India ODI (overseas direct investment) has gone from 5.5 per cent to 7.8 per cent. Out of 268 ODI acquisitions, 71 were made in the US," said Ajay Kumar, partner - tax and regulatory services, EY. "We expect big ticket investment in natural resources and pharma.

But technology will continue to be the leading sector in terms of number of deals," he added.

Suzuki to invest Rs 85 bn in three Gujarat units

Anandiben Patel unveiling the foundation stone for Suzuki`s vehicle manufacturing plant at Hansalpur

The Japanese auto giant Suzuki Group plans to invest around Rs 85 billion over the next few years to set up three plants at Hansalpur, Gujarat, with a total annual capacity of 7,50,000 vehicles. The first plant will commence production by mid-2017, which is being set up at an investment of about Rs 30 billion and will have an annual capacity of 2,50,000 units.

The vehicles manufactured at these facilities will be supplied exclusively to Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (MSIL) and support its objective of reaching annual sales of two million units in the medium term.

Gujarat CM Anandiben Patel laid the foundation stone for Suzuki’s Hansalpur manufacturing facility in the presence of Takeshi Yagi, ambassador of Japan to India, Rajnikant Patel, home minister, government of Gujarat, Osamu Suzuki, chairman and CEO Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC), Japan, R C Bhargava, chairman, MSIL and Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director, MSIL. Speaking at the ceremony Bhargava said, “The company has acquired 640 acres of land for the plant, of which around 140 acre

will be used to set up vendor park. Apart from this, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) is also in the process of setting up an industrial park in the vicinity where some of the Japanese vendors may set up their units.”

“This is SMC's second project in India,” said Osamu Suzuki while terming the project as the beginning of new era for the company. “The company expects to export 1015% of its production from Gujarat plant.

The company has also privately acquired land in Vithalapur for further expansion,” added Bhargava. When asked about the state support agreement with the Gujarat government, Bhargava saw no difficulties with regard to the agreement in the back drop of parent company building the plant.

The number of Japanese companies have doubled in last one year in Gujarat. “In 2002, there was only one Japanese firm and today there are 26. Japan will invest around $35 billion in next five years in India for various projects, including infrastructure development,” said Takeshi Yagi, ambassador of Japan to India.

Tata Motors, the world's fourth largest truck maker, plans to raise up to Rs 75 billion via a rights issue over the coming months, its third such offering in the company's history since it got listed in 1955.

Cyrus Mistry-led Tata Motors will be approaching shareholders for their approval to allow the vehicle manufacturer to issue new equity shares to reduce its debt load, which stood at Rs 607.74 billion as on September 30, 2014.

The rights issue will be for both ordinary and class A (commonly called DVRs or differential voting rights) shareholders.

Through a rights offering, a company gives its existing shareholders new shares in proportion to their current holding.

Such a fund-raising method also allows promoters to avoid diluting

their stakes in the company. Tata Motors' promoters, including Tata Sons, hold about 34% in the maker of Nano and Jaguar cars, which currently has a market capitalization of Rs 1,630 billion.

In case of under-subscription, Tata Motors' proposed rights issue will be mostly backed by the founders. The company's first rights offer came out in 2001 when convertible debentures were issued instead of equity shares.

Subsequently in 2008, it introduced DVR shares through a rights offering, along with an issue for ordinary shares. During the second offering, its promoters picked up a significant share of the Rs 41.47 billion issue after Tata Motors share price fell well below the offer price, which also led its promoters hiking their stake in the automobile company.

Tata Motors plans Rs 75 bn rights issue

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

21

Foreign Exchange

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

Economy’s best year since 2007 Currency Specialists.

The UK Economy ends 2014 with its best year since 2007 with waning momentum, the economy grew 2.6 percent in 2014. GDP slowed more than economists forecast at the end of 2014 as production and construction shrank, countering strength in consumer demand. The 0.5 percent quarterly expansion was the slowest in a year and compared with 0.7 percent in the previous three months.

While it was also less than the 0.6 percent forecast, it still marked the eighth straight period of expansion and capped the economy’s best year since 2007. A leading economist at the (ONS) Office for National Statistics, said the cooling was mainly due to “erratic" sectors including construction and mining. Stating – It was too early to say if there’s a general slowing-

down of the economy.

UK 10-year bond yields fell to a record low of 1.402 per cent, as investors rushed to plough cash into an asset largely regarded as "safe". The fall came a day after Bank of England chief economist Andrew Haldane admitted that "there's no rush" to raise interest rates. The base rate has now been at 0.5 per cent for 70 consecutive months.

At the same time, the Bank's governor, Mark Carney, suggested the UK could sink into deflation for a period of time, suggesting it will do all it can to keep borrowing costs low. That dovish tone was enough to convince investors that the UK is a reasonably reliable bet. The last time gilt yields were anywhere near this low was during the height of the euro crisis, in 2012, as investors sought refuge in the UK's relatively safe government debt. But that began to climb as rumours increased that the Bank of England could begin to hike rates.

Mark Carney praised the ECB for the boldness of plans to buy hundreds of billions of Euro’s of government bonds to fight the combination of weak growth and falling prices. He also states that the Eurozone needs more public spending in

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 3rd February 2015 @ 6pm

GBP - INR = 93.32

USD - INR = 61.65 EUR - INR = 70.75 GBP - USD = 1.51 GBP - EUR = 1.31

EUR - USD = 1.15 GBP - AED = 5.56

GBP - CAD = 1.88 its poorer areas.

American consumers upped their purchasing in the fourth quarter, just as companies hit the brakes. While the economy grew at a 2.6 percent annualised rate, the gain fell short of the median forecasts and was well below the 5 percent pace in the third quarter.

Cheaper petrol prices and the largest employment increase since 1999 are boosting household confidence, increasing the odds that consumer spending can sustain gains following its biggest advance in almost nine

years. At the same time, business investment is cooling as companies such as Caterpillar say plunging oil prices, a rising dollar and slowing growth abroad hurt sales globally.

Consumer spending, which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy, climbed at a 4.3 percent rate, more than projected and the biggest gain since the first quarter of 2006.

Households splurged on clothing, recreation and going out for a spin in the car as sales of gasoline climbed even after taking into account the drop in prices.

GBP - NZD = 2.07

GBP - AUD = 1.95

GBP - ZAR = 17.25

GBP - HUF = 406.87

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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.

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22

UK

Leaked information costs NISA £500 Million

Nisa has dismissed cousin Harris Aslam, 18, and Raza Rehman, 24, who were non-executive directors of the company and fired after a leak of members' data was published by The Sunday Times last autumn. After an investigation carried out by EY and Kroll, Aslam and Rehman were sacked last week. The inquiry looked into public exposure of spreadsheet which contained the details of shopkeepers and online pass-

words for the upcoming annual meeting at Nisa.

Aslam, pictured, joined the Nisa board at the age of 16; having left school at the age of 13 to work in his family's grocery business.

Nisa is a mutually owned convenience store supplier and is considered as one of Britain's biggest private companies.

Speculations suggests that the timing of the leak was related to the annual meeting in September, causing it to cause trouble within

the sector. This linked to Costcutter's cancelling their 27 years old relationship and go into partnership with another wholesaler, palmer & Harvey.

This move costed Nisa £500m in sales and has caused disturbance among many of 2,500 Costcutter's shopkeepers.

Skyward Travel receives Best Performing Travel Agent award

On Wednesday 28th Jan 2015 Jet Airways hosted an evening at the Radission Blu Portman to award their top UK travel agents. Skylord Travel Plc was given the award for Best Performing Travel Agent 2014 on Jet Airways and Etihad Airways.

Jet Airways and Etihad Airways formed a partnership in 2013 and work together to bring a great product for those travelling to India from the UK.Skylord Travel is one of UK's largest travel companies, established in 1983 with 5 UK offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.

L-R: Cramer Ball, CEO, Jet Airways, Rajan Sehgal, Chairman, Skylord Travel, Clive Wratten, General Manager UK and Ireland, Etihad Airways, Lydia Nazareth, General Manager UK and Ireland, Jet Airways, Ujjwal Sehgal, Director Skylord Travel and Dalip Kumar, Director, Skylord Travel

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

When Polar plays Cupid

Who would have thought that a polar bear could play cupid for someone. For Nimesh Chauhan, 27, this turned out to be true.

Many years back, Nimesh took his friend to the New Walk Museum in Leicester and they both were mesmerised by the display of Peppy, the Foxes Glacier Mint bear. Nimesh decided to ask his friend, Neha, 22, to be his girlfriend next to Peppy.

Peppy holds emotional importance in the couple's lives; hence, Nimesh decide that there could be no better way to ask for Neha's hand in marriage than by proposing to her next to Peppy, who signifies an important symbol in their relationship.

Neha and Nimesh with Peppy the Bear Nimesh got in touch with the museum and they were more than happy to give Nimesh a helping hand by bringing Peppy back on display for him.

Neha was too enthralled to see Peppy back on display again. As she turned to express her

excitement, she spotted Nimesh down on one knee, preparing to ask her the question. It was an unexpected surprise for her and most definitely, an unforgettable memory.

The couple plan to get married next year at a venue in Leicester.

Many Birmingham schools have come under speculations and received flak due to the “Trojan Horse” scheme. Another such example in Birmingham is Small Heath, a non-faith secondary school.

Small Heath was once regarded as an outstanding school; however, it will now be ranked as inadequate.

After the previous non-religious head left, the staff have been in commotion. During their visits to the school, Ofsted found that the curriculum had become too constrictive.

Mrs Shanaz Khan, the new headteacher at Small Heath, previous deputy head of Cathays High School in Cardiff has been allegedly backed by several key plotters in Trojan Horse which encourages the removal of nonMuslim headteachers from schools to be replaced by strict Islamic practices at several schools in Birmingham.

The Food Standard Agency website have revealed a list of eateries, such as cafes, takeaways and bars in Leicestershire that have received low rankings in terms of the Food Standards Hygiene and require betterment urgently.

There are currently 19 outlets in Leicestershire that have received the grade zero; outlets such as Cafe Chutney, bengal Diner and Chennai Dosa and many more. The full list is available and can be found on the Food Standard Agency website.

A 32 year old man, Taha Mohammad Aziz perverted the course of justice by adopting his friend's identity while caught redhanded, stealing at Debenhams at Highcross Shopping Centre, Leicester. This led to an innocent man made to having proceedings taking place against him in court.

The officer at the scene of theft had gone to the friend's address given to him by Aziz, stating it to be his own. The officer confirmed that the friend

was not the shoplifter.

Police later identified Aziz from his custody picture. In a letter addressed to the court, Aziz mentioned that he lost his parents at the age of 16 in Iraq. He goes on to say that he had committed shoplifting as he was unsure of what his status of immigration for the UK was, which was under review. He stressed that he is ashamed as it is because of him, an innocent man was made to come before court for no fault at all.

Aziz was told by Judge Nicholas Dean, QC, that compassion towards him is considerate but it is not relevant for the serious offence he committed, also adding that “Perverting the course of justice and exposing someone to such a risk overshadows the offence of stealing the perfume – and you’re a prolific shoplifter... It may be your immigration status has contributed to your continuing to shoplift, but it’s no excuse.”

Another “Trojan Horse” found

Low Standard of food in Leicester

Man perverts course of justice by adopting friend's identity

Rahman accused of corruption at High Court hearing Controversial British Bangladeshi Mayor of Tower Hamlets has been accused of 'corruption' and 'illegal practices' at a hearing in the High Court.

Lutfur Rahman, the UK's first elected Muslim mayor, was also been accused of being a "liar" who used intimidation and engaged in fraudulent practices during his campaign for a second term in office early last year. He is said to have had the support of close associates who organized meetings in the community and promoted the message that the opposition Labour Party was "un-Islamic"

whilst a vote against Mr Rahman would be "haram".

Mr Rahman stood as an independent candidate

after he was expelled from the Labour party over links with an Islamic extremist group.

The High Court petition was brought by Tower Hamlet residents, Azmal Hussain, a Labour Party supporter and restaurant owner; Labour Party candidate Debbie Simone; UKIP supporter Angela Moffat and Andy Erlam, an anti-corruption campaigner.

If the allegations of electoral fraud are proved, Mr Rahman's election will be declared void and he will be suspended. He denies any wrongdoing.

The hearing continues.

India, Russia, China join forces to fight terror

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Beijing: India joined hands with Russia and China to fight terror, pledging at their 13th trilateral meeting to crack down on not only terrorists but also those who finance and give refuge to them.

The three nations issued a strong joint statement on terror, saying religious, racial and ethnic divisions were no justification for terrorism.

Without naming any country, the communiqué said there was a need to “bring to justice perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorist acts”. India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj said Russia and China would cooperate with New Delhi in implementing an Indiasponsored anti-terror proposal lying dormant in the UN since 1996.

Swaraj said terrorrelated issues were the focus area of the meeting that lasted over 90 minutes. Her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Russia’s long-time foreign minister Sergey Lavrov were part of the meeting.

They discussed new trends in international terrorism and were on the same page on the need to “step up information gathering and sharing, prevent the

Sergei Lavrov (L), Wang Yi (C) and Sushma Swaraj

use of the Internet and other communication technologies for the purpose of recruitment and incitement to commit terrorist acts.”

Equally important, they said, was to prevent financing, planning and preparation of terror activities, block terrorist movements and financing of terrorism.

Russia and China appeared more amenable about India joining the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The 12th trilateral meeting had merely talked about India’s growing economic profile and economic linkages with APEC members. “China and Russia would welcome India’s participation in the APEC,” says the statement. Swaraj said Russia and China endorsed

In Brief

Boots boss' warning against Miliband govt

London: Stefano Pessina, the acting chief executive of Boots, said that the government under Labour leader Ed Miliband would not be helpful for business, for the country and in the end it probably won’t be helpful for them. The Labour party has pledged a series of reforms that have prompted accusations that it is “anti-business.” His warning is a serious blow for Miliband’s election strategy with three months left until polling day. With opinion polls suggesting Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck, such comments from a major international business leader could sway the momentum away from the Opposition.

Non resident Gujarati actor sets record

New York: Miital Modi, a New York-based actor and model of Gujarati origin, can depict 2,000 different emotions like sadness, happiness, anger, shock and suspicion with utmost ease. And for this she has won an entry into Limca Book of Records. The record attempt took place at Irish Hunget Memorial in New York City in which 25-year-old Modi got clicked 2,381 times. Interestingly, no song was repeated within the four-hour period. To ensure the results were as clear as possible, she shaved off all facial hair. She said, “an actor's job is to portray different human emotions.

Though we differ in the way we look and things we believe in, there's something we all share: emotion. I always wondered how many emotions can a person feel in a lifetime and I came up with 2,381."

ISIS threatens to behead Obama

Washington: An ISIS fighter has threatened to behead Barack Obama "in the White House and transform America into a Muslim province" before murdering a Kurdish soldier in a gruesome propaganda video. The footage, entitled "Bombardment of Peaceful Muslims in the City of Mosul" showed damage from shelling allegedly carried out by Peshmerga forces in the Iraqi city earlier this month before killing the captive in retaliation. The ISIS fighter threatened attacks on the US, France, Belgium and the Kurds, claiming that the group's followers will kill the American and Kurdish presidents as well as detonating car bombs and explosives in European countries that are part of the international coalition fighting against it.

India’s push to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The joint communique also expressed support for India's aspirations for a seat on the UN Security Council. While the previous statement at the 12th meeting only spoke generally of UN reforms, the latest communique said Russia and China "supported India's aspiration to play a greater role" in the UN. China is, however, far from fully endorse India's bid, and has expressed particular concern about India tying its campaign to the G4 group of nations including Japan, Brazil and Germany. China has said it can never support a Japanese seat on the body.

Asked about the communique's reference on the UNSC, Hong said China was "willing to make concerted efforts with all relevant parties to reach the broadest consensus on the package of solutions relating to reform of the UNSC through democratic consultation."

Meanwhile, China declined to say whether its commitment to back India's push for a stronger United Nations effort to crack down on international financing of terrorism would impact its "allweather" ally Pakistan.

Sino-Indian ties have entered new phase: Xi Jinping Chinese President Xi Jinping said that SinoIndian ties had achieved a turnaround, having entered a “new stage” of partnership following his visit to India in September last. “Since my visit to India, the relations between our two countries have entered a new phase.

The positive side of ChinaIndia relations has been growing,” President Xi said, after he received Swaraj in the Great Hall of the People.

Modi to visit China by May 26: Swaraj said Prime Minister Modi will visit China by May 26 this year. She also said India remains committed to an "early settlement" of the border issues, even as sources said the two neighbours have begun working on a slew of agreements to reduce differences on all other outstanding issues.

WORLD

23

24

INDIA

Maoists regaining foothold in Telangana

New Delhi: Intelligence reports suggest that the Maoists are slowly finding a fresh foothold in Telangana after the division of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state.

The reports point out that CPI (Maoists) are re-entering the region from where they had been painstakingly pushed out by concerted effort of state police and central forces towards the close of the 2000 decade.

Sources said much of the Maoist activity has been found to be initiated in districts bordering the new Andhra Pradesh.

"The Maoists have even formed a

Chennai: Sri Lankan Tamil refugees at the rehabilitation camp at Melmonavoor are willing to go back if they are assured of safe and peaceful living conditions in the island-nation. They did not think that the situation was conducive for them to go back despite a change of government there.

“Let the Government of India take steps to ensure that the Sri Lankan government has created safe and peaceful living conditions for the Tamils before thinking of sending us back”, said a woman resident of the camp.

Selvarathinam, president of the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees Camp Residents Association, said when the Government of India sought a list of those willing to return, only 10 out of over 300 families residing in the camp had expressed their desire to go back, that too, after a year.

A woman resident of the

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

special zonal committee and movement of cadres has been spotted. Significant Maoist activity has been reported from districts such as Bhadrachalam in Telangana," said a security establishment officer.

Sources said, the haphazard division of the state has led to many local issues cropping up in the bordering

districts which Maoists are exploiting. "Several villages in the bordering districts have been arbitrarily exchanged between the two states without thorough consultation with stakeholders and residents. This has led to suffering and discontent which Maoists are cashing in. They were looking at the separation of the state as an opportunity to resurrect themselves in an uncertain administrative atmosphere.

Such mistakes have given them a window," said the officer.

Such fears had been expressed in the run up to

the division of the state as well. However, these were brushed aside on the ground that a small state would be easier to police leaving little window for Maoists to stir up passions. Beginning 2008, Maoists had hardly been able to mount attacks inside Andhra with total casualty of security forces between 2008 and 2013 coming to only three.

However, given that a majority of CPI (Maoist) top leadership comprises of people from Telangana, the desire to resurrect Maoism in the state has always been there with the outfit.

camp said that the new government should first be persuaded to release the Tamils languishing in Sri Lankan jails. The Sinhalese, who have been settled in the Tamil areas, should be told to go back to their original places of residence before sending back the refugees from India.

A youngster, who is running an entertainment television channel in Vellore, said another problem which the educated youth would face on going back to Sri Lanka was that they were not sure of getting jobs.

Secondly, they do not know whether the degrees or diplomas which they have obtained in educational institutions in Tamil Nadu would be accepted in their country.

“Most importantly, we want the United Nations Commission for Refugees to assure us that we will be safe if we go back to Sri Lanka,” he said.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Congress president E V K S Elangovan caused a major controversy by seeking the resignation of former union minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti from the party. Earlier, amidst the drama surrounding the resignation of former union minister Jayanthi Natarajan from the party, Elangovan had issued a hard-hitting statement saying her exit would help cleanse the party. However, he did not stop at that, proceeding to target Chidambaram and his son.“Not just that, if one more person quits along with his vaari su (heir), it will mean salvation for Congress,” he said in a not so veiled reference to Chidambaram and Karti.

“A senior leader who ran away from contesting elections is practising in the Supreme Court earning millions of rupees after the Congress lost power at the Centre. We don't need such

E V K S Elangovan self-serving leaders. They can also quit the party,” Elangovan said in a reference to Chidambaram who declined to contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and has since resumed his legal practice.

Upset over his remarks, the party leadership has summoned Elangovan to New Delhi and is likely to take action against him. The decision to discipline Elangovan was taken after Chidambaram met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to convey his anguish over the state party chief 's “derogatory”references, the sources said.

Tamil refugees seek assurance before leaving for Lanka

Badal asks Modi to set up SIT for Sikh ‘genocide’

New Delhi: Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal sought the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in constituting a special investigation team (SIT) to probe all cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. In a letter to Modi, Badal said the "genocide" of Sikhs was a "preplanned" incident at the behest of Congress leaders.

Badal urged the central government to take an immediate call on the recommendations of the Justice (retd) GP Mathur panel, constituted by the Centre in December last year, to re-investigate several cases related to anti-Sikh violence that broke out in November 1984 after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The chief minister said the Shiromani Akali Dal has been struggling to get justice for the victims of the 1984 riots in Delhi and other parts of the country.

He said that on the Akali Dal's demand, the Justice Mathur panel was constituted in December 2014, by

Tamil Nadu Cong chief stirs up a controversy

Punjab honours Lord Loomba with 'Parman Patra' award

Parkash Singh Badal

the central government to examine the possibility of setting up of an SIT for reinvestigating the 1984 "genocide".

Badal said the panel had, in its 45-page report, suggested setting up of an SIT. Demanding re-investigation of many cases where crucial evidence was overlooked and cases were closed by Delhi Police even without sending them to courts, Badal said all such cases needed to be reopened.

Accusing the previous Congress-led government at the Centre and in Delhi of pushing the anti-Sikh riots cases under the carpet, Badal said the recommendations of the Mathur panel had given new hope to victims of the riots.

Lord Loomba receiving 'Parman Patra' award from Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal receive a three months skill Chandigarh: Punjab chief training to learn how to minister Parkash Singh make garments. On compleBadal invited Lord Loomba tion of the training they will CBE as state guest to attend be given a sewing machine the Republic Day ceremony so that they can earn money, in Chandigarh. At the educate their children, supRepublic Day function, port their family members Lord Loomba was awarded and live a life of dignity. the most prestigious state Lord Loomba was humaward ‘Praman Patra’ by the bled and honoured to Chief Minister, in recognireceive the award. No mattion of his social services in ter how many honours, Punjab and India – particuaccolades, awards or prizes larly educating children of one may receive in his or poor widows and empowerher life, it is quite different ing their mothers. when one is recognised by On 22nd August, 2014, his or her your own people the Loomba Foundation and community.

Lord launched a project to help Loomba felt encouraged 5,000 disadvantaged widand proud to be a Punjabi. ows in Punjab who will each

South Brief

Andhra MP tests positive for swine flu

Visakhapatnam: Swine flu, which is virulent in Hyderabad, is spreading all over Andhra Pradesh also with new cases being reported every day.

The latest to test positive to swine flu is Lok Sabha Member from Araku Kothapalli Geetha.

Geetha experienced symptoms of swine flu as she was coming to the city from New Delhi three days ago. She went straight to the Queen's NRI Hospital from the airport and got herself admitted. Result of the swab test done on her showed positive to swine flu. This was the fourth swine flu case recorded in the city so far this year.

Staff salary hike demand puts Telangana govt in a soup

Hyderabad: The cash-strapped Telangana government is in a spot with the employees demanding salary hike that would result in an additional burden of Rs 138 billion on the exchequer each year. The amount would work out to equivalent of the revenue earned in the current fiscal year. "We expected to receive Rs 486.20 billion by the end of this month as the targeted revenue receipts, but, we could not achieve even half of it. With all difficulty, it may reach Rs 140 billion," said an official in the finance department. "If the government wants to meet the demand of the employees then the entire revenue earned will go to meet the increment component of their salary alone. So, it is not practical," the official added.

Water sharing row deepens between AP, Telangana

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government has disputed the claim of Telangana that it has utilised its quota of water from Nagarjunasagar right branch canal and termed as “wrong” the latter’s calculations on the issue. The same view would be conveyed to Krishna River Management Board, which sought the opinion of AP government based on a letter from Telangana government. In its letter, the Telangana government reportedly urged KMRB to allocate water to both the States and that it would not release further water under Nagarjunasagar’s right branch canal since AP has already used the quantity allocated to it. Disputing this contention, a top Andhra Pradesh official said AP has not yet exhausted its quota of water.

North Brief

Govt harassing my kin, says sacked Damdama Sahib jathedar

Chandigarh: Balwant Singh Nandgarh, who was unceremoniously removed as Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, accused the Punjab government of harassing his family. He said he was ready to pay any price for his stand on the Nanakshahi calendar and the entity of the Sikh Panth. Nandgarh’s wife and 13 others have been booked in a cheating case on court orders on a complaint filed by Amarjeet Kaur, who is a widow. Among others booked is patwari Jaspal Singh, nephew of Nandgarh’s wife Sukhdev Kaur. “The case, that was pending in court since 2013, was highlighted in the media within days of my ouster. This proves that there is something fishy,” claimed Nandgarh. He said it was an attempt to malign his image because of the overwhelming response he had received from the Sikh Sangat on the Nanakshahi calendar issue.

SGPC to set up 'censor board' for films, books

Chandigarh: Films and books on Sikh religion may soon have to pass the test of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), which is planning to set up a ‘censor board’ for ‘moral policing’ of the scripts. The move comes against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding Dera Sacha Sauda chief’s movie ‘MSG’ and many Bollywood movies in which actors have donned the turban like Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Son of Sardar’ and Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Singh is King’. “We will soon set up Sikh Censor Board comprising historians and intelligentsia so that someone keen to make any film or write a book concerning Sikh religion first gets the script cleared to avoid consequences later,” Amritsar-based SGPC head Avtar Singh Makkar said.

INDIA - TRAVEL

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Bank of India honours CB Patel at NRI meet

25

(From left) V J Gianani, R K Mitra, C B Patel, B P Sharma and T Sudhakar.

Nirajkumar and P S Jadeja (second row)

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The NRI branch of Bank of India Ahmedabad organised an NRI meet at Hotel Silver Cloud on 10th January. Nearly 175 NRIs attended the function. The meeting started at about 6.30 pm. The Comparing was done by P S Jadeja, Marketing Head, Zonal Office. In his address he touched upon the salient points of various schemes of the Bank suitable for NRIs. Simultaneously Power Point programme was conducted by Nirajkumar, Sr Manager, IT Department.

In his welcome address Zonal Manager R K Mitra told the gathering to take maximum advantage of Bank’s schemes.

Thereafter, the General Manager-NBG (Central)

Maya Deepak performing at the function praised for good services addressed the gathering being rendered by the and told them to come out Bank and also appreciated with their suggestions, if gesture of holding NRI any. The Chief Guest at the meet every year. function B P Sharma, The Meeting ended Executive Director also with a vote of thanks by V addressed the gathering.

J Gianani, Chief Manager, On this occasion speAhmedabad NRI Branch. cial invitee C B Patel, pubThe meeting was follisher/Editor of the lowed by cultural proGujarat Samachar and gramme by Maya Deepak Asian Voice, UK, was felicand her party and dinner itated by the Executive for all participants.

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26

INDIA - WORLD

BJP, PDP on verge of forming govt in J&K

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are heading towards forming a coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with leaders of both the parties apprising Governor N N Vohra separately about progress in their talks even as they prepared for a tieup in the coming Rajya Sabha elections.

PDP MLA Haseeb Drabu, the interlocutor

with the BJP on talks for government formation, met the Governor who earlier received a BJP delegation headed by party's General Secretary Ram Madhav, the party pointsman in the state.

Significantly after the meetings, Raj Bhavan issued a statement which said Drabu apprised the Governor "about the realisations which have emerged from the PDP-BJP

parleys on government formation which have been continuing for the past about a month and the broad contours of the matters being finalised in the coming days." In another release, the Raj Bhavan said during the one-hour long meeting Madhav informed the Governor "about the present status of the ongoing BJP-PDP discussions on the formation of an elected Government."

Highly-placed sources said that there was no issue hindering the process of the government formation as basic issues such as whether the PDP will lead the government for full six-year tenure are settled. The BJP core group, which held a meeting at party president Amit Shah’s house in New Delhi, decided to form a team to hold discussions across the table on con-

cluding the pact. The BJP leaders said that the PDP has taken the initiative, which has taken the discussion forward.

The leadership hinted that hostilities on the border have to be settles down before the PDP can convince the people in the Valley about the reconciliation formulae, on the lines of India’s former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s peace-building

initiatives for the state.

'There has been an initiative from the PDP’s side.

To take this forward, we held further discussions on the issue,' said Ram Madhav.

The BJP said that its team of negotiators with the PDP will be authorised to take decisions. The party leaders acknowledged that there was a forward movement on the proposals put forward by the PDP.

Continued from page 1 haunts. This election, they are also using Quora, a Q&A platform to "intellectually" engage with people.

They have also launched a mobile app called Mango they call it "aam admi ka radio" - where pre-recorded messages and clips from speeches of Kejriwal and other AAP leaders can be heard. There is a Mango website too. AAP's team also uses platforms Like Frankly.me - where questions are posted by viewers and the answers are given in a video selfie format by Arvind Kejriwal.

The Congress too has attempted to use Frankly.me, though its efforts on social media lag behind its rivals. Kiran Bedi, the BJP's Delhi face who is usually on active social media, has not cho-

sen to answer questions this way yet. The BJP's state party office is massive in comparison to that of AAP, but their social media war-rooms are practically of the same size.

The BJP also has 745 volunteers working full time on their social media campaign.

The BJP's main tools are Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp and its also sends SMSes. Sumeet Bhasin, the head of the BJP's social media campaign, insists that they do not indulge in negative campaigning at all. But there are charges and counter charges on a daily basis.

Money laundering charges against AAP The campaign got uglier on Monday with AAP breakaway volunteer group AVAM (AAP

Volunteer Action Manch) accusing the party of money laundering. Basing its charge on details of donations listed by AAP on its website, AVAM alleged donations worth Rs 20 million shown from companies which have no resources to make such donations.

The controversy had rival BJP at AAP's throat accusing it of hypocrisy regarding its transparent mode of funding. The Congress, too, attacked AAP for its alleged double-speak and demanded an immediate probe into the money trail.

Refusing to react directly to the charge, senior AAP members said the party has accepted every payment by cheque and asked for the donor's PAN card. Beyond that, it said, it didn't have the where-

withal to check the source of money. They added that AAP's accounts have been inspected twice by the home ministry and nothing wrong had been found with them. It insisted that it had nothing to hide and was open to a probe by a special investigative team that is monitored by the Supreme Court.

Modi cautions voters Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned voters in the capital against delivering a fractured mandate, saying they had already lost a year which had "set the state back by 25 years".

Citing the "track record" of BJP-ruled states, Modi said a BJP government in Delhi would be "afraid of Modi" and perform.

Addressing a rally, Modi said BJP had promptly resolved a long-standing water dispute between Delhi and Haryana.

Hitting out at Aam Aadmi Party and Congress, he said BJP stood for development while the others had ushered in "dharna politics" and "policy paralysis".

All through his 35minute speech, Modi made a case for absolute majority and warned voters against electing a confrontational government.

"Give me a chance to serve you. You gave me all seven seats in the Lok Sabha elections. I'll pay you back with interest in the form of development.

But if you make a government which (always) protests to remain in news and occupy TV space, it will be an impediment in the city's development," he said. With chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi looking on, he added, "Delhi needs a sensible and sensitive government. If there is a BJP government in Delhi, then those here will be afraid of Modi and the central government.

But if there is someone who does not have anyone above him, then that person will bring in only devastation."

Kejriwal complains against BJP ad A war of words broke out between AAP and BJP over an advertisement that the latter got published in papers on Monday. The ad caricatures Arvind Kejriwal,

saying he is from a gotra (sub-caste) of upadravi (rowdy) people. Kejriwal, whose actual gotra is Agarwal, demanded an apology from BJP. He lodged a complaint with the Election Commission

against BJP, which filed a counter-case alleging AAP had given a caste colour to the ad that showed Kejriwal waving a broom at a marching contingent during the Republic Day parade.

BJP, AAP waging a bitter battle in Delhi

In Brief

Bangladesh cuts power connection to opposition leader's home

Dhaka: Bangladesh authorities cut the power connection to opposition leader Khaleda Zia's home in an apparent bid to force her to call off a crippling antigovernment transport blockade. Local television showed footage of a technician from a state-run power utility climbing a ladder and cutting the line outside Zia's house, where she also has her office and where she has been holed up since the protests began early in January. "We got permission from police to cut the power line," the technician told reporters as he cut the line.

Shia mosque blast in Pak kills 61

Islamabad: At least 61 worshippers were killed when a bomb explosion ripped through an imambargah (Shia mosque) at Shikarpur in Pakistan's Sindh province. The explosion went off when worshippers were leaving after Friday congregational prayers, and was so powerful that the mosque roof caved in, leaving a number of victims trapped under its debris. Bystanders rushed to pull out dead and injured from the rubble before rescuers arrived at the scene. Sectarian splinter Pakistani Taliban faction, Jundullah, claimed responsibility for the attack.

“Our target was the Shia community. They are our enemies and we will always target them,” said Jundullah spokesperson Fahad Marwat. Media reports said 400 people were inside the mosque at the time of the blast.

Pak teachers allowed to carry firearms

Peshawar: Government authorities in Pakistan's northwest frontier have given permission for teachers to carry concealed firearms in response to the December 16 attack in Peshawar that became one of the deadliest terrorist strikes in Pakistani history. Many educators reject the idea of arming teachers as reckless and counterproductive, reflecting the kind of arguments in US school systems overshadowed by their own occasional mass shootings. But for teachers like Shabnam Tabinda, going to work unarmed no longer feels like an option. She and 10 other female teachers are taking pride in their new found marksmanship with handguns, and plan to carry them to help protect their students aged 16 to 21.

Lanka's new govt plans fresh war crimes probe

Colombo: Sri Lanka is planning an investigation into accusations of human rights abuses in the final stages of a 26-year civil war amid international frustration at the failure to look into numerous civilian deaths, a government spokesman said. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa had refused to cooperate with any UN investigation into claims the army committed atrocities in the war that ended in 2009. Without some accountability for civilian deaths, the United Nations argues there will be no lasting reconciliation to allow Sri Lanka to move on from the war that dragged on for decades as ethnic Tamil rebels battled for autonomy in the island's north and east. "We are thinking of having our own inquiry acceptable to them to the international standards," Rajitha Seneviratne, a government spokesman, told a forum of foreign correspondents in Colombo, referring to the United Nations. "It will be a new local inquiry. If we need, we will bring some foreign experts."

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HEALTH WATCH

Beware! Your cosmetics can cause irreparable damage

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ith most of us buying cosmetics over the counter without any proper guidance we might be inviting trouble for ourselves. Don't be misguided by organic products. Most of these so-called-organiccosmetics contain only about 70% organic ingredients while the rest 30% is pure chemical. So, the next time you go shopping, look out for these compounds in your cosmetics, for the sake of your health.

Parabens: Parabens are commonly used as preservatives by cosmetic industries. The compound has been found to interfere with hormonal functions where it mimics estrogen by binding to estrogen receptors on cells, an effect that is linked to increased risk of breast cancer, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity and neurotoxicity. You may ask how does this happen? When moisturisers come in contact with the skin, parabens get easily absorbed which in turn blends with the blood stream. At times it can also affect your digestive system.

Hydroquinone: Hydroquinone is an aro-

matic organic compound that is also a type of phenol. It can cause severe allergic reactions and over a period of time regular usage can lead to bluegrey discolouration of the skin which is not treatable. In some people it can also lead to difficulty in breathing, tightness in the chest and swelling of the mouth or tongue.

However, in rare cases it can lead to skin cancer as the compound decreases the production of melanin pigments in the skin which in turn increases the exposure to UVA and UVB rays.

Sodium laureth sulphate: Don't be too happy the next time your shampoo works up into a nice thick lather. It could kill

Salt affects brain circuit leading to rise in BP

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new study has recently provided a deeper insight into how salt affects brain circuit leading to rise in BP. An international research team led by scientists at McGill University has found that excessive salt intake "reprograms" the brain, interfering with a natural safety mechanism that normally prevents the body's arterial blood pressure from rising. Prof.

Charles Bourque of McGill's Faculty of

To Our Readers

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

Medicine said that a period of high dietary salt intake in rats caused a biochemical change in the neurons that released vasopressin (VP) into the systemic circulation.

This change, which involves a neurotrophic molecule called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), prevented the inhibition of these particular neurons by other cells, he further added. Researchers found that high salt intake prevents the inhibition of VP neurons by the body's arterial pressure detection circuit. The disabling of this natural safety mechanism allows blood pressure to rise when a high amount of salt is ingested over a long period of time.

you! It is most widely used as foaming and cleaning agents in cosmetics like your regular shampoo and bubble bath products can lead to multiple health problems. This compound can harm your skin immune system and also lead to breathing difficulties. It is also found in toothpastes and mouthwashes.

P a r a Phenylenediamine, mercury and lead: It is mostly found in hair dye. Always check the label for the compound before buying dye. If the label lists it, please dump the compound. These days the compound is found in processed henna products too. In some dyes you may find PPD, a derivative of

coal tar, which is also used to build roads, it is a highly dangerous compound found in hair dyes and hair colours. Prolonged use can cause brain damage.

In some cases it can also lead to increased risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system) and dermatitis.

Lipsticks: Keep an eye out on lipsticks too. Some of these lipsticks contain lead which is a neurotoxin and can be dangerous even in small doses. Lead in your system can cause cognitive disabilities, resulting in learning, language and behavioural problems. Practice caution while buying mascara too.

Used as a preservative in eye make-up, it can lead to kidney damage!

What else to look out for: Oxybenzone and Octinoxate found in sunscreens as UVB protecting agents can result in skin ageing. Fragrance in cosmetics can lead to migraines and asthmatic problems.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) closely related to synthetic antioxidants are used as preservatives in lipsticks and moisturisers.

Phone use may lead to brain cancer

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he longer someone talks over the phone in terms of hours and years - the more likely is he/she to develop glioma, a deadly form of brain cancer, says a new study.

Brain tumour rates were three times more among people, who spoke on cell or cordless phones after more than 25 years than those who did not use them, the findings showed.

"The risk is three times higher after 25 years of use. We can see this clearly," Lennart Hardell, lead researcher and oncologist from University Hospital in Orebro in Sweden was quoted as saying.

Swedes who talked on cell phones for over 25 years had three times the risk of one type of brain cancer, compared with people who used those

phones for under a year.

For the study, Lennart Hardell and his colleague Michael Carlberg matched 1,380 patients with malignant brain tumours to people without such tumours. They also compared their phone use.

People who reported using cordless or mobile phones for 20 to 25 years had higher risk of being diagnosed with glioma as compared with those who reported using them for less than a year, the study found.

However, no link was found between wireless phones and malignant brain tumours besides glioma, pointed out the study. A World Health Organization (WHO) panel of 31 scientists from 14 countries classified mobile phones as 'possibly carcinogenic' in 2011.

Some proven ways to fight common cold

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t's that time of year when most of us have a lingering cough, sore throat and runny nose.

Here's some tried, tested and proven ways to get rid of your cold.

Painkillers: Painkillers are the only medication known to

treat colds. They come in a huge variety of forms and the painkiller based cold remedies often come with other ingredients that are supposed to help.

Decongestants: Decongestants can help too, relieving that

blocked up feeling and clearing out your sinus cavities. Most cold and flu remedy pills and hot drinks will have some kind of decongestant in them.

Zinc: Some recent research suggests that taking zinc syrup, tablets or lozenges could speed up recovery and make the symptoms less harsh. But it's not a good idea to take that for a long time, because it can have side effects such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

Check the medicine: You should make sure that medicine you take for cold isn't going to badly interact with any other medications you're taking. Some antidepressants can react badly when combined with some decongestants. If you're in any doubt, seek the advice of your doctor.

Say no to antibiotics: Your cold is almost certainly caused by a viral infection and

antibiotics will do absolutely nothing to relieve it. What they might do is give you unpleasant side effects and increase your resistance to antibiotics.

Non-medicated options: Inhaling steam can help loosen the mucus in your nose, making it easier to clear by blowing. Fill a bowl with hot water, put a towel over your head and breath deeply with your eyes closed. For your sore throat you could suck on menthol sweets or gargle with salt water.

Eating, drinking and resting: When you've got a cold, you sweat a lot and have a runny nose so if you don't replace those fluids, you'll just feel worse.

Drink plenty of fluids.

You should also take rest. And you should eat a low-fat, high-fibre diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables but that's pretty much true whether you have a cold or not. And for goodness sake, wash your hands and sneeze into a tissue.

Herbal remedies: There are plenty of herbal remedies for the

common cold out there the most commonly cited is echinacea.

While people claim the herb makes people recover from the common cold quicker than paracetamol based remedies, there's no firm evidence to support this. The same can be said for vitamin C. While many claim it has preventative and healing properties with regard to the cold and flu, studies found it has very, very limited benefit.

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Akshara said no to Pawan?

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ith her debut m o v i e “Shamitabh” getting ready to see the light of the day on February 6, reports from Tollywood claim Akshara Haasan rejected an offer to act with Pawan Kalyan. It is said that Akshara was approached to be part of 'Gabbar Singh 2', sequel to Pawan's blockbuster movie 'Gabbar Singh'. ('Dabaang' in Hindi and 'Osthe' in Tamil).

However, since Akshara wanted to take some time to decide on her next venture, she reportedly turned down the offer.

Interestingly, it was Shruthi Haasan who played the heroine in 'Gabbar Singh'.

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Anjali to connect Siddharth, Samantha closer with fans split again on Twitter now he media was full of reports recently, that Siddharth and Samantha, one of the talked about 'jodis' of the industry, had parted ways. But it was believed that they would act together in the proposed Tamil-Telugu remake of 'Bangalore Days'. However, both Siddharth and Samantha have now cleared the air on it, stating that they would not be part of the multistarrer, do be helmed by 'Bommarillu' Bhaskar. "I'm not going to be a part of the remake of Bangalore Days. Will announce my slate for 2015 soon," Siddharth posted online.

On her part, Samantha wrote: "I am not acting in the remake of Bangalore Days".

Prabhu Solomon to direct Dhanush

hile Dhanush has quite a number of films needing his attention, including the untitled Velraj directorial, Balaji Mohan’s 'Maari' and Vetrimaaran’s 'Soodhadi,' Prabhu Solomon has begun the story discussion with his assistants for the project. Solomon is among those directors who pen their scripts and then look for suitable artistes and not vice-versa. Dhanush, one of the most sought-after actors in Kollywood, is awaiting the release of his Hindi film “Shamitabh” and K.V. Anand’s “Anegan” which are releasing within the next two weeks.

Prabhu Solomon has only directed 8 Tamil films in a career spanning more than 15 years but has earned the tag of a director who prefers quality over quantity. Sources close to the team say that the director is in the process of carving out a story and script that would be

'Shamitabh'

Shamitabh is an upcoming Hindi film written and directed by R. Balki. The film features Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and Akshara Haasan, in her debut, in the lead roles. The film is jointly produced by Sunil Lulla, Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R. K. Damani, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sunil Manchanda and Dhanush under their respective production banners. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack album and background score, while cinematography was handled by P. C. Sreeram.

'Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan'

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“Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan” is an upcoming Hindi movie which pays tribute to the glorious life of late Indian prime minister Lal Bahadur Shahstri. Renowned theatre

Aamir Khan turns old and grey for ‘Dangal’

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actor Bhopal Akhilesh Jain will essay the role of Lal Bahadur Shastri. While actors like Om Puri, Prem Chopra and Rati Agnihotri will be seen in strong roles of various political leaders. Actor Jatin Khurana also features in the film as Chandrashekar Azad, Ajit Khare as Lal Bahadur Shastri (age 14 to 21 years) and Manoj Bhatt as Lal Bahadur Shastri as an youngster. The film has been directed by Milan Ajmera.

suitable for the National Award winner and that it is too early to reveal more about the film. As Dhanush’s call-sheet diary is filled at present, he might start work in Solomon’s new film either towards the end of the year or early next year.

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njali who stole our hearts with her performance in 'Katradhu Tamizh' and made us fall in love with her character in 'Engeyum Eppodhum' has seen the highs and lows in her career.

However, the bubbly actress has resurrected herself and her career and has carved a solid path for her from then on.

Anjali now is one of the busiest stars with projects lined up in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. She manages to stay connected with her social networking profile in Facebook and the actress is now the latest to join the Twitter bandwagon with her account named as @yoursanjali. She hopes to stay connected with her fan closer with this move. First up in her line of releases is 'Bhagamati' for which she's currently shooting under the direction of 'Pilla Zamindar' fame Ashok.

fter playing an alien in Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘PK’, Aamir Khan is all geared up for his next project, ‘Dangal’ wherein he will be playing the father of two girls. Aamir Khan’s look is already revealed and it’s nothing you’ve seen before. The actor, who plays a wrestler in the film, is seen sporting a close shaved head and a graying beard. However, Aamir Khan has been working out on his physique for ‘Dangal’ and looks buff in the picture. ‘Dungal’ is a biopic on the life of wrestler Mahavir Phogat, who is the father of India women wrestlers Geeta and Babita.

Jacqueline Fernandez to sketch for fans

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ollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez is treating her fans by giving them an opportunity to win an autographed sketch done by her. The 29-year-old Sri Lankan beauty will be next seen in a double role in upcoming film ‘Roy’ alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.

Jacqueline Fernandez took to Twitter to make the announcement. The modelturned-actress made her Bollywood debut with Sujoy Ghosh’s fantasy drama ‘Aladin’. She has since starred in films like ‘Murder 2′, ‘Housefull 2′, ‘Race 2′ and the latest ‘Kick’.

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Rani Mukerji wins hearts at 'Mardaani' premiere in Poland

ash Raj Films' “Mardaani” premiered in Poland at Warsaw’s Kino Muranow theatre, one of the oldest art house theatres in the country. Rani Mukerji, who arrived for a full day of extensive press followed by the premiere, left winning over the hearts of the press and fans alike.

The film received a standing ovation from the audience and Rani Mukerji was congratulated by one and all for her exceptional performance and for being a part of such a relevant and sensitive film. What was really special was the presence of the extremely reticent Polish DoP, Artur Zurawski, who had worked on the film and finally watched it with his family at the premiere. Championing the war against the evil of society in the form of child trafficking, Rani Mukerji shared her anguish of learning so much during her research of what goes on in this dark and dangerous world and her preparation for yet another performance that was such a departure for her as an actor.

The audience, which consisted of 90 per cent Polish natives, was both pleased and surprised at how Indian cinema was evolving and now telling stories that are more than just escapism and spoke a more International cinematic language. During the Q&A after the screening, the audience put some very interesting and varied questions to both the actress and the DoP, but there were some who simply wanted to say "Thank You" for making a brave film.

Rani Mukerji said: “It was a very special day as “Mardaani” was released in Poland. The response to the film by the Polish people made the evening even more special and it reiterates the fact that a good film finds an audience irrespective of the language in any part of the world as art doesn't have borders or barriers. I will cherish forever the love and adulation I received today from Poland.”

The film’s premiere in Poland is a trendsetting event – it makes Rani Mukerji the first Indian actor to visit the country

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to premiere a Hindi film.

Mardaani goes on a platform release in the country from 30th January.

Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the film was critically acclaimed

Kareena has not converted to Islam: Saif

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'Queen' wins big at Filmfare awards

ver since she got married to Saif Ali Khan in October 2012, Kareena Kapoor Khan has regularly become the target of certain religious groups, who have used her as the poster girl for ‘Love Jihad’ (a controversial term given by religious outfits to a Muslim man marrying a Hindu woman).

Outraged by the concept, Saif feels that his actor-wife is being wrongly targeted by these groups. “People say she has converted. No, she hasn’t,” he points out. The 44-year-old Bollywood star believes that the talks of ‘Love Jihad’ are actually “regrettable”. He also feels that Kareena should be known for her work more than anything else. “The country should be proud of Kareena’s contribution to cinema and society. She has worked for women’s rights and better health. She should be celebrated as a symbol of a strong, modern individual,” he adds.

and loved by audiences when it was released worldwide in August last year, with many calling “Mardaani” as Rani Mukerji's career-best performance.

Katrina shoots for ‘Fitoor’ in Kashmir

Modi congratulates Salman Khan

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atrina Kaif, who was in Kashmir to shoot for Abhishek Kapoor’s ‘Fitoor’, was provided with tight security. The actress, who was in Srinagar for four days had a threetier security with AK-47 wielding personnel.

Reportedly, on the day that Katrina arrived for her first day of shoot at Nishat Bagh, no other cars were allowed inside the garden, which was swarming with CRPF personnel and members of J&K police. The situation got slightly tense when an accidental fire broke out on the sets, engulfing a production unit tent. As soon as this happened, Katrina was rushed to her tent, which also happens to be her vanity van.

ikas Bahl's “Queen” triumphed at the 60th Filmfare Awards, winning in key categories, including best film, best director and best actress for its lead star Kangana Ranaut. The film bagged six honours in total best editing to Abhijit Kokate and Anurag Kashyap, best cinematography (Bobby Singh and Siddharth Diwan) and best background score for Amit Trivedi.

Kangana, who saw off competition from Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukerji and Sonam Kapoor in the best actress category, was not present to accept her award.

Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean tale “Haider” closely followed 'Queen' with five awards, which includes a black lady for Shahid Kapoor in the best actor category and best supporting honours for Tabu and Kay Kay Menon. “Haider” triumphed in the technical categories as well, with Dolly Ahluwalia winning best costume designer and Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray topping the best production design list.

The lifetime achievement award was given to veteran actress Kamini Kaushal for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. Young star Alia Bhatt bagged the best actress (Critics) trophy for “Highway” and Sanjay Mishra won the best

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ollywood actor Salman Khan's efforts for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have earned him appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. Narendra Modi tweeted, "Once again, @BeingSalmanKhan makes a distinct & appreciable effort towards a Clean India. I congratulate him." [sic] Earlier, while shooting for “Bajrangi Bhaijaan,” Salman had painted a village called Hatluni with the entire crew. Helped by a group of professional painters, the cast and crew painted each and every house in the village.

Salman had even initiated a clean-up drive in Karjat earlier.

actor (Critics) for his outstanding performance in 'Ankhon Dekhi', which also earned director-writer Rajat Kapoor the best story gong.

Kriti Sanon won best debut female award for “Heropanti,” while Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan won the best debut male award for “Khoobsurat.”

Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi won for “PK” in the best screenplay and best dialogue categories, which were the only wins for the Aamir Khan-starrer film.

In the music categories, Ankit Tiwari won best male playback singer for 'Galiyaan' from “Ek Villain” and Kanika Kapoor was named best female playback singer for 'Baby Doll' from “Ragini MMS 2.”

Trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy won best music director for their work in “2 States.” Best lyrics honour went to Rashmi Singh for 'Muskurane' from “CityLights.”

Ranbir is uncle Randhir Kapoor’s favourite actor

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eteran actor Randhir Kapoor, known for hit films like ‘Jeet’, ‘Raampur Ka Lakshman’ and ‘Jawani Diwani’, says his nephew Ranbir Kapoor is the most intelligent actor in the Hindi film industry today. Ranbir is the son of Randhir’s younger brother Rishi Kapoor with veteran actress Neetu Singh.

Randhir was at a radio studio in Mumbai when he was asked what he thinks about Ranbir apart from his own and Rishi’s generation. He said: “Ranbir is a very intelligent actor and he is one of my favourite actor in the present generation. He is very good and he is very intense. He is doing a wonderful job and his choice of films is very good.”

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Brightsun Travel sparkles at major holiday show

Rudy & Marlene Otter

Ram Sarup Nangla could not stop smiling. The chairman of Brightsun Travel of Hounslow, Middlesex, watched as hordes of people surged around his company’s stand at Destinations, a major annual holiday and travel show in London’s Olympia from 29th January until 1st February.

Within the first two hours on the show’s first

day, 200 people had snapped up entry forms from his stand for a free prize draw, hoping to win a holiday for two to Kerala. The company will treat the lucky twosome to return flights to the southern Indian holiday destination, plus five nights bed-and-breakfast in a 4 or 5-star hotel, with free transfers and a tour of Kerala thrown in.

“We send 700 people a day to places all over the

Dewani may give evidence at a UK court Continued from page 1 Anni's family has come out publicly saying they would want to know what happened to Anni on that night from Shrien- a closure they have been waiting for almost 5 years.

Mr Dewani, was accused of arranging his late wife Anni Hindocha's death when they were on honeymoon in South Africa. The Swedishraised engineer was shot dead as the couple drove through a rough suburb of Cape Town on November 13 2010.

The case against Shrien began in October last year, but in December

the millionaire was told he did not have to give evidence after a court in Cape Town dismissed the case against him. Judge Jeanette Traverso ruled that evidence from a key prosecution witness was "riddled with contradictions" as she threw out the case.

However, the South African judge has since been accused of "gross judicial bias and misconduct" by a group of South African lawyers and academics. South Africa's Judicial Conduct Committee will hold a meeting next month to discuss Judge Traverso's conduct later this month.

Valentine's Day Special

Have a message for your beloved on Valentine's Day? Want to publish it in our Asian Voice Valentine's Day special? Email it written in 25 words by Sunday 8th Feb 2015 at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Coming Events

l Milind Kangle from Lucrum Consultancy taking part in the Cancer Research Dryathlon which involves giving up alcohol for the entire month of January so that he can help raise money to fund research in overcoming Cancer for Cancer Research UK. To make a lifesaving donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/milind-kangle3

world, specialising in tailor-made itineraries.

Dubai is one of the most popular bookings with Abu Dhabi catching up fast,” beamed Ram Nangla.

India’s Golden Triangle, he said, continued to be one of the country’s favourite areas along with Goa and Kerala.

Brightsun Travel’s 170 staff are based across Hounslow, Birmingham, Manchester and Haryana

in India. Its brochure invites customers to “explore the world with us” including Vietnam and Cambodia, Maldives, Mauritius, Sir Lanka, United States, Mexico and South America.

The family business, set up in 1986, is proud of its “fantastic customer loyalty” said Mr Nangla who added: “Please give my regards to your editor C.B. Patel, a very good friend of mine.”

Kingsbury man arrested on money laundering suspicion A man from Kingsbury is among 11 men arrested on suspicion of laundering millions of pounds. HM Revenue and Customs, which made the arrests, believes the multi-million pound alcohol and VAT fraud involved the laundering of around £50million.

Raids on 11 residential and eight business addresses included seizing computers, £400,000 in cash and personal and business records in London, Berkshire, Surrey, East Sussex and Buckinghamshire.

John Cooper, assistant director of criminal investigation at HMRC, said: “HMRC will not hesitate to investigate anyone suspected of stealing public funds and laundering the proceeds of criminal activity. If you have information about people who may be involved in money laundering, please call the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

The men were interviewed by HMRC and released on bail until June 30. Investigations are ongoing.

Harrow central mosque trustee election leads to dispute Results of new trustee election at the Harrow Central Mosque has led to a dispute, after a new group won by 25 votes.

Since polling in December, some members have reportedly claimed voting was fixed and after contacting the Charity Commission - has now announced that the election be declared null and

void. However, incoming group Living Masjid have reportedly stated that the new trustees of the mosque has already taken office.

The Charity Commission has confirmed that it is aware of the situation at the Harrow Central Mosque and is engaging with the charity to help resolve the problems.

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Tel. +91 79 2646 5960 Bureau Chief: Nilesh Parmar (M) +91 94266 36912 Email: nilesh.parmar@abplgroup.com Consulting Editor: Bhupatbhai Parekh, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Tel: +91 79 2630 4142

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.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

Relationships are complex at the best of times, but Saturn's motion can make things even more complicated now. Misunderstandings can plague partnerships or potential romances - be more careful and forgiving. A good time for completing unfinished business and reassessing your future projects.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

Strengthen close ties of affection, sort out emotional differences and proffer the olive branch to your loved one. You often sabotage your emotional interests by keeping too much inside. However, your inner pressure builds up and manifests as irrational moods that others find hard to understand.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

You need to pay more attention than usual to your everyday work dairy.

Meetings, work hours and organised breaks could play havoc, unless you're prepared to re-group on the spur of the moment. Try to be meticulous but flexible about your schedule. Play your cards right and you can pull strings in you favour.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

It is certainly going to be a fortunate time for those already married or in an established relationship. The keynote is emotional enrichment through close interaction with a loved one. Facets of your life that have been a source of restriction and dissatisfaction will begin to loosen their hold.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

The prevailing cosmic pattern packs a powerful punch early this week.

Having such potent energies, make you feel positive and confident in whatever you do. This is not the time to hold back or underestimate your potential if you wish to further an important aim. Some of you will try to get away from the routine chores.

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Anything or anyone that drains your time and energy should be re-evaluated. It’s time to use that creative imagination of yours to create grandeur in your life. Don't get too carried away and lose sight of little things that mean a lot to you. There are a lot of opportunities around you.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

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ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20 The planetary activity in your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as well as personal issues to be dealt with.The accent’s very much on relationships. The outlook remains optimistic, so don't be afraid to act if your instinct tells you it's time for change. Professional and financial pressures will begin to ease.

Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life. Saturn in Sagittarius, will help you organize your priorities and systematically put them into practice. It is about time you moved beyond your established boundaries of safety. You will find ways to be more financially independence.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

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You will find added scope and greater incentive to push full steam ahead with your cherished aims. You must be careful not to tread on other people's toes. This is the right time to talk things over with your loved one - especially anything that has been worrying you or making you feel insecure.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Much enthusiasm goes into professional ambitions right now, but you need to be your own boss in many ways. You will be determined to place your lifestyle on a foundation of greater security. Taking a broad perspective on the prevailing cosmic pattern, far-reaching change begins to gather momentum.

The Sun travels through your twelfth house now, marking a time of retreat and regeneration. This also heralds a time for research and unfinished behind-the-scene activities. Matters which have dragged on for a while should now be re-assessed and put to rest. Some of you will be looking to spiritual enlightenment and take up yoga and meditation.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Paes-Hingis win Australian Open mixed doubles title

Leander Paes and Martina Hingis Nestor paved the way to In the first set, Paes hand Paes and Hingis a 4and Hingis took a 3-0 2 lead, but Nestor lead, but Nestor and regained his rhythm on Mladenovic’s I-formation return of serve to break caused problems and they Hingis again. Mladenovic soon levelled the scorewas broken in the eighth line. At 4-5, a backhand game and Hingis went on drive volley error by to seal victory with a Mladenovic gave Paes and smash winner.

Hingis a set point opporPaes and Hingis contunity on Nestor’s serve. verted five of their seven He struck a double fault break point opportunities, to end the 29-minute first hitting 19 winners and set.

Nestor and committing just 11 Mladenovic broke Hingis unforced errors for victory for a 2-1 lead in the secon Rod Laver Arena. ond set, but Mladenovic Djokovic reigns was broken in the next supreme: Serbian Novak game. Net errors by

Djokovic on Sunday firmly established himself as the king of Melbourne's blue hardcourts with his fifth Australian Open title.

The 27-year-old, limping from two slips on court, breathing heavily and battling a "physical crisis", overcame a fired-up Andy Murray 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-0 to clinch his fourth Australian title in the past five years. It was his eighth grand slam title overall.

Serena beats Sharapova: Serena Williams won her 19th Grand Slam title, continued her unbeaten run in six Australian Open finals and extended her decadelong domination of Maria Sharapova with a commanding 6-3, 7-6 (5) win on Saturday night.

Williams, coughing frequently and still affected by a recent cold, controlled the first set around a rain delay in the sixth game, when the match was stopped for 13 minutes for the roof to be closed.

Cricket is just a game, but try telling that to the 22 players who will walk out for the India v Pakistan World Cup match in Adelaide on February 15.

The Pool B contest was sold out in 20 minutes and no other team in world sport will be under as much pressure as the two that day with 1.3 billion unforgiving cricket-crazy fans following the contest ball by ball.

Emotions run high every time the south Asian neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence and share frosty relations over the Kashmir region they both claim, clash on a cricket ground. Pakistan, champions in 1992, have never beaten twice winners India at a World Cup. Many of their fans would not mind their team crashing out from the

MS Dhoni and Misbah Ul Haq pletely locks out 1.3 bilWorld Cup early, providing lion people. The tension is they beat their neighunbearable and the playbours. The rivalry assumers' effort level doubles. ing the Orwellian concept We could never beat India of serious sport - war in World Cup but, God minus shooting. willing, that would soon "For many, it's bigger happen," said the quicky than World Cup," former known as the 'Rawalpindi Pakistan speedster Shoaib Express'.

Akhtar told a cricket conA veteran of many clave in Delhi. "It com-

such contests, Harbhajan Singh was part of the eventual champion Indian team who beat Pakistan in the 2011 semifinal at Mohali, a contest that gave him sleepless nights.

"The dressing room atmosphere is always tense," said the feisty off-spinner who could not make the cut for this year's World Cup. "Much before the dressing room, you think about it in your hotel room. Before last World Cup's match in Mohali, I could not sleep the night before, thinking what if we lose. "Fortunately we won the next day and again I could not sleep, this time because I was so overjoyed. A defeat against Pakistan means media would roast us and fans would pelt stones at our house," said the 34-yearold.

West Indies cricket legend Vivian Richards said Sachin Tendulkar would lead his list of top-10 OneDay International (ODI) batsmen of all time. In a column written for the International Cricket Council (ICC) website, Richards said it would be the former Indian batting great who would undoubtedly be sitting at the top of his list.

"The first name that comes to mind is Sachin Tendulkar. In a single word, I would describe him as a legend. He has always been one of my favourite batsmen and I would pay money to watch him bat. He wasn't the biggest in size amongst

"I rate Brian Lara the same as Sachin. I would pay to watch him bat too and then pay again and again, and keep paying, however many times it needs to be done," he said.

The 62-year-old's list of batsmen who he would pay to watch also featured current India Test skipper Virat Kohli at No.10. The former right-handed batsman termed Kohli as "legendary", saying the choice would surprise many but that everyone is witnessing a master who is just going to get better with time.

"The last name on my list, but not the least by any means, is young Virat Kohli. There might be

some surprise regarding this pick because he is very young and has a lot of cricket to play still," Richards said.

"But in my eyes, he is already legendary and there cannot be any doubt about that. He is simply magnificent in whatever little time he has played as compared to others. He is only going to get better and better and add to his list of achievements."

Also in the list are West Indies' Chris Gayle and Clive Llyod, Australia's Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey, India's Virender Sehwag and South Africa's AB de Villiers.

Indian tennis star Leander Paes and his Swiss partner Martina Hingis beat the French-Canadian team of Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in straight sets to clinch the Australian Open mixed doubles crown at Melbourne on Sunday.

Paes, contesting his 25th season on the ATP World Tour, and Hingis defeated defending champions Mladenovic and Nestor 64, 6-3 in the final that lasted an hour and two minutes. Paes has now won 15 Grand Slam championship titles - eight men’s doubles and seven mixed doubles. It was his third mixed doubles triumph at Melbourne Park, having also won in 2003 (with Martina Navratilova) and 2010 (with Cara Black).

“It’s a great honour to keep coming back to Australia,” said 41-yearold Paes. “There are a few people who got us together. All you guys back home, who put us together to win our first Grand Slam, thank you.”

Emotions to run high for India-Pak WC clash

Sachin leads Viv Richards' top ODI batsmen list

Sachin Tendulkar other cricketers of the world but all good things come in small packages.

And he was a fantastic batsman," said Richards.

Richards, who was part of the 1975 and 1979 West Indies' World Cup winning squads, also rated Brian Lara in Tendulkar's league.

SPORT WORLD

Cricketer C D Patel passes away

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Former Dar-es-Salaam, Zambia and East African cricketer, Chimanbhai Dayabhai Patel, commonly known as C D Patel passed away on 28th January aged 83. Born on 28th January, 1932 in Dodoma, Tanzania, Patel started playing cricket at Shri Prata High School, Baroda, India. In 1950, he went to the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda to study Bachelor of Science. During that time, he played for the University XI regularly. Patel had scored 4 centuries during his 5 years at the university. He played many matches against the Indian test team and ultimately, he became the Vice Captain of the University XI. Patel played on the international stage with names such as Freddy Truman, Statham, Cartwright, Hazare, Graveny and many others. The right-handed batsman and off spin bowler played for Tanzania between 1956 to 1967, for Zambia between 1968 to 1972 and played firstclass cricket for East Africa as well.

India to host World T20 in 2016

India has been confirmed as host for the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to be held from March 11 to April 3, the ICC announced after ratifying its decision in the Board meeting in Dubai.

Holding its first meeting of the year at the ICC headquarters, which was chaired by N Srinivasan and presided by Mustafa Kamal in the presence of all the full-member and associate representatives, the board took some major decisions and issued quite a few directives to the cricket world. The apex cricket body approved the dates for its main events through to 2019, following its Board meeting. Though the tournaments were awarded to the countries in 2013, the dates were approved during this two-day meeting. The board also approved the dates for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England which will be held between June 1 and 19. England will also host the 50-over World Cup in 2019 from May 30 to June 15. The 2017 Women’s World Cup will be held in England between August 4 and 27, the 2018 Women’s World Twenty20 will be organised in the West Indies between November 2 and 25.

Super Over could decide WC winners

A Super Over could decide the 2015 World Cup winner in case the final ends in a tie at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29. The decision was made by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following its Board meeting in Dubai. The ICC reinstated the use of Super Over in the event of a tie during the World Cup final, replicating the arrangements of the 2011 edition final and other ICC events where a winner is determined via a Super Over, in case of a tie in the final, as it is the most credible way to separate two sides. The board also approved a change to the application of ICC Code of Conduct offences relating to slow over-rates so that captains do not carry any prior offences or suspensions from other series. This means all captains will enter the World Cup with no over-rate offences against them and will only be suspended from playing a World Cup match if over-rate offences are committed during the event. Any offence incurred prior will be carried forward to the first bilateral series after the event.

Sangakkara breaks ODI record for dismissals

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara added another milestone to his already storied career when he broke the world record for the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in one-day internationals against New Zealand in Wellington. The 37-year-old Sangakkara, who is expected to retire from international cricket after the World Cup, passed Adam Gilchrist as the most successful wicketkeeper with the dismissal of Corey Anderson in the seventh and final one-dayer. The former Sri Lanka captain took his career tally to 473 dismissals when he caught New Zealand all-rounder Anderson off the bowling of Shaminda Eranga.

Sangakkara, who has also scored his 21st one-day century in Sri Lanka's 287-6 in their 50 overs, has taken 377 catches and effected 96 stumpings in the 50-over format as a wicket-keeper. He also has 198 dismissals in test cricket, though 47 catches have been achieved since he gave up being a wicketkeeper in the longest form of the game in 2008. Australia's former wicketkeeper Gilchrist achieved 472 dismissals in 287 one-day matches.

Sangakkara equalled Gilchrist's mark in the sixth match in Dunedin when he caught opening batsman Martin Guptill for 28 off Thisara Perera in the 14th over.

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SPORT

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015

Maxwell, Johnson help Australia win tri-series

Inspired by an electric Glenn Maxwell, Australia won their second consecutive tri-series trophy - and third in a row at home - by crushing England by 112 runs to lift the Carlton Mid Tri-Series.

In Sunday's final, it was Maxwell the batsman who carried Australia from 60 for 4 to 201 for 5 with an excellent 98-ball 95 on a tricky WACA surface - his highest ODI score. In the second, it was Maxwell the bowler who collected a career-best 4 for 46 to help bowl England out for 166 in 39.1 overs. To further add to his outstanding impact on a massive win, Maxwell took a sharp catch at backward point to add to England's Mitchell Johnson-triggered wobble of 46 for 4, from which they never recovered.

Chasing 278 was never going to be an easy task for England in the final on a pitch that was a little two-paced and England's best chance lay with the openers giving them a good foundation. They were set back soon into the chase when Josh

Hazlewood had the inform Ian Bell (8) nicking behind in the fourth over.

To make matters worse, England came up against a well-rested Mitchell Johnson who was raring to go. England's Ashes nemesis did not waste much time into triggering the ghosts of the past. Off just his eighth ball, he had James Taylor (4) playing away from his body and spooning a catch to Maxwell backward point.

That was just the start.

Johnson hammered

England into the ground with two more wickets in his next over. Moeen Ali (26) was just getting into his groove when a brute of a bouncer took his glove and lobbed to slip. Eoin Morgan, the skipper, came in next and promptly shouldered arms to a ball hitting off stump. It was his second golden duck in succession against Australia. Ravi Bopara survived the hat-trick ball but England were always playing catch-up after being reduced to 46 for 4

in the 11th over.

Joe Root and Bopara put on a steady stand before Faulkner came into the attack and struck with his first ball to get rid of Root (25).

Faulkner bowled only nine balls after his first over before walking back to the dressing room with back spasms.

It allowed little respite for England though.

M a x w e l l struck twice in two balls to get rid of Jos Buttler (17) and Chris Woakes (0) in the 25th over, leaving England to chase 181 with just three wickets in hand. Stuart Broad (24) lived adventurously but perished to a big shot against Maxwell while Bopara (33) became his fourth victim in the 39th over.

England's plight was very similar to the one Australia found themselves in after they were put in to bat by Morgan

after James Anderson, Broad and Ali combined to reduce them to 60 for 4 in the 18th over.

Thereafter, Australia were put back on track thanks to a 141-run stand between Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh (60), who batted with caution before the former exploded in the Powerplay overs, hitting 31 of the 46 runs Australia took off that block.

Maxwell regularly played the reverse-sweep and reverse-paddle, and in fact scored 33 runs off 14 balls in the arc between backward point and the wicketkeeper. Maxwell fell in the nineties yet again as he tried to pull Broad (3/55) but ended up getting a top edge, a dismissal which was followed by those of Marsh and Brad Haddin.

A collapse of three wickets for 24 runs was countered excellently by Faulkner, whose 24-ball fifty powered Australia to 278 for 8.

He was particularly severe against Woakes who went for 18 runs in his ninth over and 24 in his 10th to finish with 10-0-89-0 - the fourth most expensive

spell by an England bowler in ODIs. Faulkner got to his fifty with a six off the last ball of the innings, his 24-ball innings proving the difference between a middling total and a challenging one. In the end, even 200 would have been enough against a feeble England batting order.

India stay winless The only consolation India had in their final triseries league match was that they fought hard till the end. But there is no reward for that. They needed to beat the English team which they could not, thus ending their campaign winless. India were left ruing missed opportunities. First, when their openers, for once, had given them a good start, the rest of the batting failed to capitalize on it. And second, when they had half the England lineup, chasing 201 on a difficult WACA pitch, back in the pavilion. But a missed run out by Ajinkya Rahane and a dropped catch by Suresh Raina, helped England to wriggle out of a tight situation.