AV 9th August 2014

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First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe

Asian community disheartened as Britain marks the beginning of World War I

India finishes fifth in 2014 Commonwealth Games

See Page 7

Lankan President skips war memorial in Glasgow

See Page 17

Modi wins hearts in Nepal See Page 22

Let noble thoughts come to us from every side

VOL 43. ISSUE 14

Indicating closer ties with the mountain nation Nepal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won hearts during his two -day visit to the neighbouring country by announcing a slew of measures to help Nepal towards a better future for the benefit of Nepal as well as India. The visit of Modi is the first bilateral visit to the country by an Indian prime minister in the last 17 years.

Modi received a grand ceremonial reception at the Tribhuvan Airport.

While addressing lawmakers of Nepal, the Indian Prime Minister announced extension of a US $1 billion ‘Line of Credit’ to the Himalayan state in addition to what had been granted earlier and hoped Kathmandu would use it well.

The Prime Minister coined a term ‘HIT Nepal’ – H for High ways, I for information ways and T for transmission ways for the overall development of Nepal. He also assured Nepalese people to share scientific applications in agriculture, even its soil health card initiative for the farmers of Nepal.

He struck the chord of Nepalese people saying, “You decide what needs to be done, India will stand by you”. He further said that India will never interfere in Nepal’s affairs. “I am happy I came here so early in my tenure. I will make every effort to continue my journey with Nepal during my remaining days in office,” said Modi at a banquet hosted by the Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.

Acknowledging Koirala’s visit to India for

his swearing-in ceremony, Modi said that SAARC nations must come together to fight poverty. “India will do all it takes. We will not be doing any charity, it is our duty,” he said adding that all SAARC nations stood to gain from Indian advancement in space technology.

His opening remarks in Nepali at the Parliament House was greeted with great cheers.

He said he was overjoyed to be in Nepal as he had first visited the Himalayan nation as a ‘Pilgrim’ decades ago. He said that association of India and Nepal is as old as that of Himalayas and the River Ganga.

Referring to the last visit by an Indian prime minister - Inder Kumar Gujral came to Nepal in 1997 - Modi said: “We live so close to each other but it has taken 17 years for a Prime Minister to come

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here. It rankles me. I promise it will not happen again. I will be back very soon for the SAARC Summit here.”

Referring to Buddha and Emperor Ashoka, Modi praised Nepal’s Maoists - without naming them - for “leaving the path of the bullet to take the path of the ballot.

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, who now heads the Unified CPN-Maoist, listened intently.

“There are some in the world who believe in the culture of the gun to reach their objectives. With its democratic process, Nepal will send a message to the world and inspire people to abandon the culture of the gun. The world is watching you. If you are successful, others will be inspired,” he continued.

He said that Nepal is so rich in terms of water that it can remove dark-

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ness in India. “We don’t want free power, we want to buy it. A development course has to be charted.

You decide (on tapping hydel power), we will be with you. You can make a place on the world stage by simply selling electricity to India. We will double the electricity we are giving you today. In 10 years, you will be helping us,” said Modi.

Modi said authorities had been directed to expedite completion of the detailed project report on the Pancheshwar multipurpose project. He said work on the 5,600-MW project should start in a year. “It will give you five times more power than what you have at present.

India wants to help. And if a bridge on the Mahakali River is made, it will reduce the distance between us.”

Continued on page 26

9th August to 15th August 2014

Baroness Warsi Resigns

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has resigned from her position becoming the first Muslim Minister to leave office over the British Government’s Policy on the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Warsi became Britain’s first Muslim to serve in Cabinet in 2010 but was later demoted to be a senior minister of state at the Foreign Office and a minister for faith and communities.

Though no longer a full member of Cabinet she still had the right to attend Cabinet meetings.

It was not immediately clear whether she was resigning from both her ministerial roles.

On her official twitter

feed, Warsi, 43 wrote, “With deep regret I have this morning written to the Prime Minister (and) tendered my resignation.

I can no longer support Govt policy on #Gaza.”

While the British government has repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Prime Minister David Cameron has come under criticism from the opposition Labour party for refusing to describe Israel’s actions as disproportionate.

Baroness Warsi was previously Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio, having joined the Cabinet in 2010.

Ed Miliband MP, the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition had a face to face interview with journalists from ethic media, including Asian Voice.

This was followed by

the Labour party Eid-UlFitr reception at the London Hilton, Park Lane.

Full story see page 16.

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8) What are your long term goals?

To go as far as possible, further than I did in my football career – to be the best Manager, to have one of the best design companies in the world, to help as many people as I can in the world, and to have a happy and strong family in the future.

Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell is a former professional footballer who played for Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Portsmouth and Newcastle United, as well as the English national team. Over his career Sol has achieved 73 caps for England. He has won 2 Premierships and 3 FA Cups with Arsenal, an FA Cup with Portsmouth and the League Cup with Tottenham. Sol has played over 500 games in the Premiership and captained Arsenal, Tottenham and Portsmouth and the England national team. His team was voted ‘Best Team’ during two World Cup competitions and once in the European Championships. Sol is married with two children.

1) What is your current position?

I am in the process of completing my A License with the Welsh FA, and will be starting my Pro License soon. I am also co-owner of Fiona Barratt Interiors and FBC London – the high end interior design and furniture design companies started by my wife. It would also be nice to work alongside the Government on issues to do with sport.

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Having a 20 year career, winning the double in my first year at Arsenal (league and FA Cup), getting married and having two children.

obstacle in your career?

Prejudice.

3) What inspires you?

Life inspires me. Seeing people going all out to achieve their dreams.

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

The environment I grew up in, my mother and my wife.

4) What has been the biggest

6) What is the best aspect

Immigration watchdog quits

John Vine, former Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration

Theresa May, Home Secretary

John Vine, the chief inspector of borders and immigration, will step down in December seven months prior his due date, amid a reported row over the way his critical reports are published.

Mr Vine has been a frequent critic of the immigration system since becoming the watchdog six years ago including exposing flaws in the eborders scheme and revealing there was a “migration refusal pool” which listed illegal immigrants but who could not be found.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, was accused

of a “cover up” over another report which had some details redacted while a number of others are still to be published up to four months after they were completed. The Home Secretary was accused of a “cover up” over another report which had some details redacted while a number of others are still to be published up to four months after they were completed.

Mrs May said: “I would like to thank John Vine for his hard work and dedication in scrutinising the vital work of controlling immigration and protecting Britain’s borders.”

about your current role?

Variety – having the time to help my wife, working with various charities, learning to become a coach.

7) And the worst?

In the end I will have to choose one of them to take forward as a proper job!

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

I would ensure that the first 3 years of anyone’s apprenticeship or professional career earning up to £40,000 was tax free to give them a head start.

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

Whitney Houston in her prime – singing is the soul of life, and I’d want someone to sing to me in times of loneliness!

Military jets escort plane to Manchester Airport Man arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat to pilots

An RAF jet escorted the Qatar Airways plane flying to Manchester from Doha

A man has been arrested on suspicion of making a hoax bomb threat after military jets were called to escort a passenger plane to Manchester Airport.

The Qatar Airways plane was escorted in to land by the Royal Air Force following information received by the pilot from a passenger. Police said the pilot was handed a note about a possible device on Continued from page 1 Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said the news was “very sad” and hoped she return to Government “as soon as possible.”

He said that despite being a self-proclaimed Zionist, he regards the Israeli action in Gaza as “ugly disproportionate and tragic” and will harm Israel in the long-term.

board. Armed police boarded the Doha to Manchester plane and arrested a 47year-old man. All flights in and out of the airport were suspended for about 25 minutes.

The plane involved was an Airbus A330-30, which had 269 passengers and 13 Qatar Airways crew on board.

The RAF confirmed Typhoon aircraft were

Officers boarded the plane and escorted a passenger onto the runway

launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire as part of its "quick reaction alert role" when a pilot requested assistance.

Operations at the airport resumed at about 14:00 BST after the plane landed at a terminal.

Greater Manchester Police said the arrested man, who comes from the North West area, was being held in custody for ques-

tioning.

A statement for Qatar Airways confirmed flight QR23 landed safely at Manchester Airport ahead of its scheduled arrival time of 13:15 BST. It said: "The crew onboard had received a threat about a possible device on board and Qatar Airways immediately took all the necessary precautions to alert British authorities.”

Baroness Warsi Resigns Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP and the Chair of Home Affairs Committee told Asian Voice, “Baroness Warsi’s departure from the Cabinet is a loss to the Government. She was in a unique position as the country’s first woman Muslim Cabinet Minister ever. She has always been a person of principle who speaks her mind.

Baroness Warsi is cor-

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rect to point out that Britain’s foreign policy does have an effect on the diaspora community in the UK. A failure to communicate our policy and an inability to act impartially towards two distinctly opposed sides, as is the case in Gaza, provides a fertile ground for those who are on a mission to recruit and radicalise young Britons.

Many MPs have received thousands of emails calling on our Government to intervene more strongly in support of an immediate and lasting ceasefire. Her actions are a reflection of that concern.”

Lady Warsi attended Birkdale High School and Dewsbury College, and studied law at the University of Leeds.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

COMMENT

India-US ties: That were, and now are

US Secretary of State was on a two-day to India last week for delegation-level strategic partnership talks with his Indian counterpart External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj; these were followed by shorter exchanges with Finance (and Defence) Minister Arun Jaitley, climaxed with a call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be meeting with President Obama at the White House in September. Before we discuss what transpired, it might be useful to deal with the delusional expectations voiced by India’s Mint newspaper. Mint, a Delhi-based glossy tabloid, is partnered by the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal (like all Murdoch publications fanatical in their support of every known position of every US administration, whether it be in Iraq, Syria, Libya or Ukraine or, as in the 1960s and 70s, a fervent believer in the wisdom of CIA-sponsored military coups against democratically-elected regimes in Latin America. The two papers may be ideologically cloned but the same is not true of the India-US relationship. Mint chose its moral moment to fire an editorial broadside at the Modi government for its close ties with the BRICS nations [Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa].It took the government to task for cosseting China, which lays territorial claims to India’s Arunachal Pradesh, and funds Pakistani military and infrastructure projects. Quite so, but is this not also true of America’s financial and military aid to Islamabad - which amounts to a staggering $30 billion? (See reference to Christine Fair in the Comment below). Retelling the past is no bad thing, for time past, present and future is the stuff of history. When, in the early years of the Cold War, the US and the West generally, were coy about helping India with its industrialization and defence without New Delhi’s substantial acceptance of Pakistan’s prior demands on Kashmir, the Soviet Union stepped into the breach with decisive support to India in her hours of need. Again, in 1971, in face of the Pakistan military’s genocidal massacres in East Pakistan (Bangladesh today) result-

ing in a 10 million refugee exodus into India, the Nixon administration, in tandem with Mao’s China, indifferent to Indian concerns, continued to support the Yahya Khan military dictatorship in Islamabad. Both powers did so in the ensuing Pakistani war with India. Confronted with this formidable existential challenge, New Delhi, unsurprisingly, turned to Moscow to keep Washington and Beijing in check. Messrs Nixon and Kissinger were much given to the use of the F-word and kindred obscenities in their references to Indira Gandhi and to Indians generally. Nixon berated Britain for granting independence to feckless Indians. For the next thirty years, the US and China sought to contain India through Pakistan, as related in an American War College paper in 2006.

This included an embargo of high-tech US exports to India. Mint argued for a reorientation of Indian foreign policy, for a visionary “partnership with liberal countries [read US, EU] that favour free trade, free movement of persons, ideas and technology.”

Indian entrepreneurs and students more adept at sifting fact from fiction than is the Mint leader writer, are sceptical about the idealization of US and EU practices. That said, India-US relations have entered a new paradigm of maturity, understanding and trust. Secretary of State Kerry accepted that there would be areas of divergence and convergence in the national interests of the US and India. The first encompassed trade issues in the World Trade Organization, with India sticking to its arrangements guaranteeing food security for its poorest citizens. The category of convergent interests was exemplified recently by the time-tested “Operation Malabar” naval exercises between India, the United States and Japan. Add to this, the burgeoning Indo-US trade, investment, educational and scientific cooperation and you will gauge the leap in the overall India-US relationship. Nurture what has been achieved, whilst working hard to fulfill the potential of the future, is surely the wisest policy for India.

Christine Fair, the American academic at Georgetown University and author of “Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army’s Way of War,” in a wide-ranging conversation with the Times of India, spoke of the Pakistan’s Islamic covenant to wage an undeclared war against India through jihadi terrorism confected with sporadic orthodox military engagements along the border. Having trawled through a mountain of Pakistani documents, she explained to her interlocutor the country’s military leadership’s perception of a Manichean struggle with ‘Hindu’ India. “ It’s surprising how much jihad and Islam are actually involved in their publications,” she says. “What Pakistan is trying to do is use jihad to mobilize and to boost the morale of their troops so they are on a perpetual war footing with India…..jihad is a way to make it seem as if everything the Pakistan army does is Islamically justified…..This is critical to them because they are setting up this civilization battle…..People like [US and Pakistani authors] Barnett Rubin and Ahmed Rashid argue for a grand bargain that solves Kashmir. This is all rubbish, I argue. Pakistan is an ideological state. The Kashmir issue is not causal, it’s symptomatic.” As for Pakistan’s relationship with America, “They [Pakistanis] have taken $30 billion from us, they kill our troops and we still pay the cheques. Osama bin Laden was in Abbottabad and still the cheques keep coming.” Over to you, John Kerry, then US senator and co-sponsor with Senator Lugard, of US legislation that bank-rolled the Pakistan military and its works.

On to Pakistan’s jihadi activities. Amir Zubar Siddiqui, a senior Pakistani diplomat in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, since 2012, is the coordinator of Islamabad’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) directorate’s terror operations in India. He

appeared on the Indian anti-terrorist intelligence radar, following the arrest in Tamil Nadu, of an ISI suspect, Thamseen Ansari, a resident of Thanjavur in central Tamil Nadu. Ansari told of his links to Siddiqui via a Muslim Sri Lankan national. Siddiqui’s name appeared again after the arrest of an ISI agent in Malaysia and his subsequent extradition to India, where he revealed plans to attack US and Israeli consulates in the country. The arrested man, another Sri Lankan Tamil Muslim, Zakir Husain by name, informed his interrogators that Siddiqui was the point-man with cash and training for Indian recruits.

Husain’s conversations with Siddiqui were held in the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo. Fast forward, Delhi police have arrested a top Laskar-eTaiba (LeT) commander, Meerut-born and Pakistan-trained Subhan Quershi, aborting imminent attacks by his associates on targeted sites in India’s capital city. Two of Querishi’s colleagues were arrested in Kolkata. Finally, Abdul Subhan, another LeT agent was caught in Kolkata in fortuitous circumstances. He, too, was part of a terror group with sights on Delhi. A frequent visitor to Kolkata’s Alipore jail for meetings with jihadi Ashrauddin, now serving a life sentence for the kidnapping of a local businessman and masterminding the terror attack on the city’s American Cultural Centre in 2002. Delhi sleuths tracked Subhan through an intercepted telephone call.

Under interrogation, he divulged details of LeT operations in India and disclosed the names of LeT and Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives in the country. IM founder Amir Reza Khan, on the run, is believed to be hiding in Bangladesh. IndoPakistan amity has long been a hoax. Time to get real, gentlemen.

The Deputy Chief Minister of the BJP-led Goa government, Francis D’Souza, set the kitten among the pigeons by proclaiming that, though a Christian by faith, he was Hindu by culture. India is a “Hindu nation, ” he said, with a 5000-year history, but he questioned a cabinet colleague’s demand that India should be a Hindu state as well. He could have pointed to France and the United States of America, both Christian as nations but secular as states. Mr D’Souza said it wasn’t his intention to give offence to any section of the community. His views, he said, were

sincere and should be respected. Respecting freedom of speech and thought is the benchmark of a civilized society. The nineteenth century Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt, writing to the literary critic Rajnarain Bose (uncle of Sri Aurobindo), said that although “a Christian boy,” he continued to “draw inspiration from Hindu culture.” Dutt’s “Megnad” has been hailed by its English translator, William Radice, as a masterpiece in epic poetry worthy of a place alongside the best in world literature. Francis D’Souza is in good company.

Pakistan’s covenant of war with India

Christian by faith, Hindu by culture

3 No good act performed in the world ever dies. Science tells us that no atom of matter can ever be destroyed, that no force once started ever ends; it merely passes through a multiplicity of ever-changing phases. Every good deed done to others is a great force that starts an unending pulsation through time and eternity. We may not know it, we may never hear a word of gratitude or recognition, but it will all come back to us in some form as naturally, as perfectly, as inevitably, as echo answers to sound - William George Jordan

Cllr David Perry

Leader of Harrow Council

Health and fitness in Harrow It’s been a great summer for Harrow. With all of the sunshine it’s been great to see all of our residents out and about in our parks.

As a part of making our parks great places to spend time with family and friends we have introduced two new outdoor gyms to help residents get healthier and more active.

Harrow Council’s outdoor gyms are a new way to look at health and fitness – offering a lot of the same equipment you would find in an indoor gym, but in the great outdoors. They’re great for young people and adults of all ages and fitness levels, and you don’t need any experience to use them. Best of all, they’re completely free, with no expensive membership fees to pay.

We know that diabetes and obesity are particularly common health issues amongst residents in Harrow; these gyms are a way of encouraging us all to get exercising and get healthy. Being active as little as once or twice a week has been proven to reduce the risk of diabetes in particular, and help us live healthier lives. In addition to our positive work on the Councils health agenda, I have recently announced an investment of £50,000 for our local sports & physical

activity network to really take advantage of the summer weather by encouraging both young and older people alike to help make us a more ‘active’ Borough.

Furthermore, the Council has already started implemen ting positive plans to deal with some of Harrow’s most pressing problems, from tackling our housing crisis to expanding our schools so every child can receive a good education, however it is also important that we work with our local residents to tackle some of the ‘hidden’ problems in Harrow.

Diseases like diabetes can go unnoticed for a long time and it is essential that all of our residents have access to the right support if problems do arise. This is why we are carefully monitoring what’s happening at Northwick Park Hospital.

When I’ve been out and about on the doorstep I’m often asked about Northwick Park; we’re all concerned about increasing waiting times and fears over the A & E service. The Labour Group is closely monitoring the situation on behalf of our residents and will speak up for local people to protect a hospital that is so important to all of us in Harrow.

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50ft chariot centrepiece of festival Woman jailed for crash for worshippers in Leicester which killed Leicester man

Sukhdeep Singh Johal

The four-tonne, 50ft tall chariot bearing effigies of gods is pulled through Leicester by Hare Krishna devotees

A spectacular 50ft-tall chariot was pulled through Leicester city centre Sunday as part of a religious festival.

The Hare Krishna Rathayatra Festival of Chariots, one of the biggest processions of its kind in Europe, saw the four-tonne vehicle pulled by hundreds of worshippers from the new Hare Krishna Centre in Granby Street, through the city centre to Cossington Park, in Belgrave.

There, thousands of revellers were enter-

tained by dancers, musicians, drama and exhibitions.

The chariot had arrived that morning from London on a 7.5tonne truck. Its giant wooden wheels, made by the Queen's wheelwright, overhung the sides. On top were effigies of the deities Lord Jagannatha (Krishna), his sister Subhadra and Lord Balarama.

"Rathayatra is the largest and most important festival hosted by the Leicester chapter of the International Society

for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) and the second largest such festival in Europe.

This year it is even more exciting to start right outside our new building in Granby Street," said Iskcon Leicester president Pradyumna Das. Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who started the procession by smashing a coconut on the ground, said: "It is a beautiful visual and symbolic celebration which has become deeply woven into the fabric of our city."

Security guard has blade pushed to throat in terrifying attack A thug pressed a knife to a security guard’s throat after he was stopped at the door of a supermarket.

Police have issued a CCTV image of a man wanted in connection with the “utterly unprovoked attack”, at the entrance of Asda on Stockport Road in Longsight.

Officers were called to the store at about 4.15pm on Monday, July 28.

A man walked into the shop and was seen acting suspiciously at the selfservice checkout. As he was leaving the store, he was challenged by the security guard.

The offender flew into an abusive rant, then pulled a folding knife out of his pocket and pointed it towards the guard’s throat. He then ran off.

The offender was described as Asian, 35-40years-old, around 5ft 8in with an average build. He had medium length black hair brushed forward, a short black beard and was wearing a grey shortsleeved T-shirt, black combat-style trousers, black boots and spoke English with a Pakistani accent.

PC Daz Davenport said: “What we are dealing with is an utterly unprovoked attack on a member of staff who was merely doing his job. Not many people can imagine being threatened at knifepoint in their place of work and just because this man works as a security guard it should not be dismissed as an occupational hazard.

As a result, the security guard was extremely

CCTV image of Asian man wanted in connection with the “utterly unprovoked attack”

frightened and worried he would be knifed so we need to find the culprit and give him peace of mind. What is also concerning is that the offender is openly carrying a knife in a public place and is prepared to use it to cause fear and intimidation without provocation, so it is imperative we find him.”

More than 1,000 Birmingham women waiting to learn English A report has revealed that 4.6% of the population in Birmingham has poor or no English language skills.

Many are women from the Bangladeshi, Somali and Pakistani communities and without language skills, they tend to feel isolated and cut off from society.

TimeBank, a charity holds free, informal classes in community settings for long term UK residents who cannot speak the language.

The charity has already recruited and trained more than 60 volunteer English teachers for its Talking Together language project in Birmingham, and there are 18 free classes underway in local neighbourhoods. But 1,100 women are still waiting for the chance to learn.

The charity urgently needs more volunteers, both to train as language teachers and act as mentors to support the learners to develop their

English, or pursue training, employment or skills.

Dave Conroy, programme manager at TimeBank in Birmingham, said: “Language skills are vital to build strong, united communities and without them, people can feel side-lined. They won’t be able to chat to teachers about a child, visit the doctor or hospital, go shopping or get to know neighbours for example.

This can make them feel very vulnerable.”

A father whose son was killed by a speeding driver using two mobile phones at the wheel has pleaded with others not to repeat her stupidity.

Mother-of-one Marina Usaceva was driving a Jaguar X-Type when she crashed into the back of Sukhdeep Singh Johal’s car in March last year.

Sukhdeep (27) of Welford Road, Leicester, died at the scene of the crash near Wisbech, in Cambridgeshire.

A court heard last Friday that Usaceva, 31, initially told police at the scene she had not been using a phone at the wheel. However, police investigations established she had sent and received texts and calls on two separate mobiles just before the crash. judge at A Peterborough Crown Court jailed her for six years, telling her he could detect “not a scrap or remorse”.

Speaking after Usaceva was sentenced, Sukhdeep’s father said no sentence could console the family.

Buhupinder Johal said: “Even 60 years wouldn’t be enough, but this is some kind of justice. The only thing we can hope is that others will learn from this. People think nothing of it, but using a mobile phone while driving can kill.”

Sukhdeep studied biomedical science at De

Marina Usaceva

Montfort University and hoped to work in a hospital. His father described how when his son was one-year-old he was rescued from a house fire after his uncle wrapped him in a turban and threw him from a window.

Inspector Bob Turner, who oversaw the investigation for Cambridgeshire Police, said Usaceva had behaved “incredibly foolishly”.

He said: “I have never seen anything like it before – it was crass stupidity.”

The crash happened on the A47 near Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, at about 4.30pm on March 15 last year. Prosecutor Georgina Gibbs said that the case was aggravated by the fact Usaceva was using “not one but two phones“, meaning a jail term was necessary. Usaceva, of Padholme Road, Peterborough, admitted causing death by dangerous driving at an earlier hearing. She had previous-

Victim: Sukhdeep Singh Johal

ly been caught twice using her phone behind the wheel and her licence was endorsed in 2009 and 2012, the court heard.

A police examination found Usaceva had used a Sony phone to send a text message at 4.15pm and receive a message at 4.17pm on the day of the incident. A Samsung phone sent one message, made one phone call and received three incoming calls in the 20 minutes leading up to the crash.

She added the Jaguar was travelling at at least 70mph in a 60mph zone.

However, witnesses said they believed it was travelling significantly faster because it braked sharply for a speed camera, hitting Mr Johal and causing a three-vehicle pile-up.

Usaceva, who is originally from Latvia, wept in the dock as Judge Sean Enright jailed her for six years and disqualified her from driving for eight years.

Non Muslims stopped from watching a movie as they were not celebrating Eid Birmingham’s Star City complex based in the Aston area of city, allegedly did not allow 22 year old Leon Jennings and his two friends to watch a film since they were not celebrating the Muslim festival Eid, even though the Star City management claims ‘there is no truth in the recent allegations’, Vue cinema has apologised and started an investigation based upon the situation. There is a strong positive correlation between the incident and the ethnic population of the area as 87% of the residents living in the Aston area are non- white.

Mr Leon Jennings, pictured, a viewing consultant at a photography studio, from Sutton Coldfield reportedly said: ‘I was going there with my pals to the cinema as it’s Orange Wednesdays, so you get two for one. As we drove in the bloke on the gate said to use “not tonight guys, it’s couples and families only”. We thought he was just joking and went and parked up.

Birmingham’s Star City complex

He was making assumptions about my religion and banning me based on my skin colour. It’s not like we are trouble makers - we are mature, all dressed respectably and just wanted to go see a film. I also know about the festival, and it is supposed to be a festival of togetherness and welcoming - no one should be turned away. The only thing this is going to cause is problems in the communities.

Furthermore, there have been other similar incidents in which certain people have no be allowed to watch a film during a particular time of year.

During the end of Ramadan this year, 28th

July, there have been reports of groups of people who were not allowed to watch a film. Emma Noakes a housing worker reportedly said on Facebook: ‘My friend’s family have just been refused entry at Vue cinema as they are not Muslim - this is a shocking disgrace.’

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Harley Street doctor plunges naked to his death

Spriha Srivastava

IITians discuss the future of banking The IITUK Alumni Association (IITUK AA) held a panel discussion to discuss the future of banking and finance.

Organised by these bright and well-established professionals from IIT who are now in the UK, at the wonderful premises of the Indian YMCA, the event saw active particifrom alumni pation across campuses and was very well received.

The evening started with a brief networking session over snacks and coffee, followed by the panel discussion, which offered a detailed perspective on the financial industry and its future.

The panel discussion was presided by Dinesh Gupta (Senior Vice President, Citigroup), Murthy Nuni (Owner, Marshal Fund Partners), Rajesh Solanki Director, (Executive UBS) and Amit Tripathi (Head of Technology, Customer Advocacy/ CRM Barclays Bank).

Let’s have a quick look at some of these illustrious profiles before I tell you more about the event. Dinesh Gupta is senior Vice President at Citigroup who started his career at Citi as a consultant in Ireland in 1989. Mr. Murthy R Nuni is the founder of Marshal Funds, which is a specialist Private Equity and Hedge Funds Business.

Panelists also included Rajesh Solanki and Amit Tripathi, Rajesh is a banker and has spent 14 years in London and New York working at large global banks such as UBS, ABN AMRO, RBS and JP Morgan, while Amit works at Barclays and supports the CEO of client and customer experience within Barclays Private and Corporate bank in the area of customer servicing - such as Complaints, Queries, PPI etc.

In the post-financial crisis era one keeps coming back to the discussion around the future of banking. Banking as a profession has always

IITUK panel discussion

been extremely lucrative, especially for dreamyeyed fresh graduates who think this profession could convert them into overnight millionaires.

But things have changed post the big crisis of September 2008 and with so many regulations and restrictions that have been forced on the banking sector; the debate on its future is extremely well-timed.

The panel covered a range of topics which the banking and financial services sector faces today, including the

scope and future of banking, key growth areas, the major challenges, regulatory requirements and macroeconomic / political factors.

The discussion began with an overview of the global banking industry in general and how it has been adversely affected by the global economic crisis and the tougher regulatory environment.

Fees have come down in some business lines (both structural and cyclical reasons) due to which banks have been forced to re-evaluate which businesses they want to remain in.

Regulators and governments have put in place tougher capital requirements and measures to reduce overall risk and leverage, with a view to reduce the “too big to fail” mentality and reduce the risk to the overall banking industry.

Various banks have exited areas they deem unprofitable or non-core, or in response to increased regulatory oversight.

Following which, the panel discussed emergence of technology solutions and the opportunities they offer to new entrants. Increased competition and tighter norms have provided a fillip to fin-tech firms.

Today, technology is a crucial parameter for the success of financial firms, where technology is used for providing service excellence leading to client retention, providing competitive products and ensuring the firms stay ahead in the business; making themselves distinct from their competitors.

After such an intense discussion, the focus shifted to the UK banking sector. Banking sector in the UK is dominated by a few large players, which has led to lower levels of customer service and satisfaction.

The panel also had active interaction with the audience, who posed several interesting questions and insights to the panelists. Overall, the event was a great success, with everyone applauding the initiative and looking forward to more such events in the future.

The IITUK Alumni Association is a longestablished organisation in the UK and provides a platform for alumni of this prestigious institution to interact and share knowledge for each other’s benefit. It organises various interactive sessions (seminars, conferences) and socio-cultural events. It is a charity organization and collects donations to fund scholarships for students at the IITs. It also runs the IITUK Mentoring programme through which it organises regular talks on topics related to mentoring, leadership, career and personal development covering various sectors including Technology and Consulting, Banking and Finance, Engineering and Academia etc.

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

A Harley Street doctor has plunged naked to his death from his £700,000 penthouse flat. A passing doctor attempted to resuscitate the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

On last Wednesday, Nazim Mahmood, 34, pictured, was seen standing alone on his glassenclosed balcony before falling in front of shocked passers-by in West Hampstead, London.

After the fall, Dr Mahmood was left uncovered in front of the mansion block and a busy Barclays Bank for more than three hours. Police said there were no police tents available to ‘shield the body’ and apologised for any distressed caused.

Dr Mahmood, a GP, ran Face Clinic London, a chain of medical clinics

providing wrinkle treatments such as Botox and chemical peels. He is understood to have moved into the property in West Hampstead three months ago with his partner Matthew Ogston. He was due to unveil another new clinic just yards from his home next week, as business apparently thrived.

He already had two other clinics in Soho and Harley Street. He graduated from

It has emerged that HSBC is allegedly closing the bank accounts of several Muslim organisations, including a mosque previously linked to radicalism.

The bank was reportedly accused of Islamophobia after writing to Finsbury Park Mosque in North London, where

the cleric Abu Hamza preached in the 1990s and 2000s. The letter, dated July 22, said: “The provision of banking services ... now falls outside of our risk appetite.”

Similar letters were reportedly sent to others, including the founder of a Muslim think-tank.

University of the Birmingham medical school in 2003 and moved to London a year later.

He worked in a number of teaching hospitals in different specialities including, accident and emergency, HIV medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatrics, before completing his specialist training as a GP. In 2009 he founded Face Clinic London with a colleague, Dr Anita Kapoor. She declined to comment on his death, saying: ‘In order to be respectful I would like to be left alone at this time.’

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘The death is being treated as non suspicious at this early stage. Detectives from Camden are investigating. An inquest will be held at a later date.

HSBC closing bank accounts of Muslim organisations

Giving a deadline of September, the letter said: “You will need to make alternative banking arrangements, as we are not prepared to open another account for you.”

HSBC however has denied that the decision was made on religious or racial grounds.

Air India set to introduce daily link from Birmingham with new Dreamliner jet Birmingham is set to have a daily air link with India providing an extra 1,500 seats a week from November.

Air India commercial director Pankaj Srivastava announced the plans at a celebratory dinner to celebrate the airline’ first anniversary of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner service linking Birmingham with Delhi and Amritsar.

Srivastava said: “Since starting our four times weekly Dreamliner programme from Birmingham Airport last year, we have handled more than 80,000 passengers on board 210 flights.

Air India is committed to develop and grow in this market and once we have taken the delivery of our 18th Dreamliner aircraft in November, we hope to launch the daily operation from Birmingham Airport. This will provide an extra 1,500 seats a week and give passengers greater choice, flexibility and opportunity to travel from the convenience of Birmingham Airport to Amritsar and Delhi, and onwards on Air India’ extensive global network.”

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’ chief executive, added: “We are extremely thankful to Air India for recognising the demand from travellers needing the

Celebrating first anniversary: Mr Wild; Birmingham Airport CEO Paul Kehoe; Mayor of Solihull Kate Wild; Air India Commercial Director Pankaj Srivastava and LordLieutenant for the West Midlands Paul Sabapathy CBE

flexibility of daily services from Birmingham. The West Midlands receives more foreign direct investment from India than any other region outside of London. It’s therefore not surprising that the route has been such a success in its first year and I am certain that a daily service would make the Birmingham route even more appealing to Midlands’ travellers.”

Air India is also eyeing global aviation markets after India’s national carrier joined the 27member Star Alliance earlier this year. The debt-laden carrier has been working on measures to reduce the debt and loss burden by selling of aircraft and Air India properties in India and around the world.

The carrier will ‘pull all plugs’ to utilise opportunities and also face all the challenges arising from their Star Alliance deal. The alliance has 27 member airlines with 18,500 flights connecting 1,316 destinations across 192 countries, it was reported.

Srivastava said: “The young fleet of Dreamliner and the world class Delhi airport as a hub can change the fortunes of Air India and Indian aviation sector. India has the potential to tap the growing global aviation market because of its cost effective systems and its access to the most populous region in the world.

The addition of secondary hubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkatta will strengthen our network.”

UK

Asian community left disheartened as Britain marks the beginning of World War I

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

August 4th 1914 marked the beginning of the First World War 100 years ago, some of the iconic landmarks like the Parliament, Tower Bridge, the Cardiff castle and others went dark at 10pm on Monday to commemorate the moment UK entered the First World War. Germany had declared war on France and invaded Belgium on August 3, 1914. More than 9 million soldiers were killed in the ensuring conflict including around 800,000 British soldiers and more than 120,000 civilians died as a result of military action, malnutrition and disease.

The Commonwealth paid a heavy price too, including 74,000 Indian soldiers, 60,000 soldiers each from Australia and Canada and 27,000 Irish. The Indian Corps won 13,000 medals for gallantry including 12 Victoria Crosses.

Khudadad Khan won the Corps first Victoria Cross.

Yet not much have been recorded or no separate commemoration was held for the Indian soldiers for their magnanimous sacrifice made in the name of the Queen.

As a matter of record, 1.2mn Indian soldiers participated in the World War I. Yet very little has been done or said during this commemoration ceremony in Britain, about those Indian soldiers, who have laid their lives for a country they have barely known. At the same time, newspapers like The Daily Telegraph, in a special issue sponsored by Lord Ashcroft, has paid tribute to the 41,000 Jews who have given died in this war.

A month back, as part of the Government’s First World War Centenary Programme, HRH The Duke of Kent and former Senior Minister of State in the Foreign Office and

Minister for Faith and Communities, Baroness Warsi, unveiled commemoration plaques for the 175 men from overseas who won Britain’s highest military honour, the Victoria Cross, for service in the First World War. The 11 bronze memorial plaques, were displayed to the public for the first time at an event at Lancaster House in London, inscribed with the names of the Victoria Cross holders which were sent to the recipients’ home countries thereafter.

When asked about his opinion, Lord Meghnad Desai told Asian Voice said, “A million and a half Indian soldiers fought in the First World War. India’s Expeditionary Force was at the frontier with Belgium immediately after war was declared. The troops may have saved the British Expeditionary Force from immediate defeat according to some experts. Indian soldiers fought in France, in the Middle East, at Gallipolli and in East Africa. It was due to Britain’s gratitude for what the Indian Army had done that in 1917,the Secretary of State for India, Montague promised the reforms which became the Montague Chelmsford Act and brought elections to

provincial legislature.

Indians fought bravely and self lessly and won many medals. All Indians and Pakistanis and Bangladeshis should be proud of their bravery.”

Lord Navnit Dholakia, Leader of the Lib Dem Party, House of Lords said, “In the WW1 centenary celebrations, let us not forget the contribution of soldiers from the Commonwealth and in par-

ticular from the Indian sub-continent. Let us remind ourselves about the high price paid in life and limbs by them. I have the privilege of visiting many British cemeteries maintained by the War Graves Commission in various parts of the world.

“In almost all cases they are superbly maintained and cared for.

Equally in all these places I am struck by the names on

neurs of BME background have been awarded a Start-Up Loan, which provides financial support and business mentoring – over a quarter of all Start Up Loans to date.

Similarly, the New Enterprise Allowance, the scheme specifically targeted at unemployed people who want to start up their own business, has benefited 3030 AfricanCaribbean entrepreneurs and 1270 Asian who’ve been helped to turn their

country and our Monarchy represent. The number of Indian soldiers that fought in both World Wars is astonishing; it is truly humbling to know that so many of our ancestors travelled so far and battled so bravely in often terrible conditions. I know that the Commemoration service in Glasgow today paid tribute to the soldiers of the Commonwealth, and I hope we continue to do so over the coming weeks and months as we mark the centenary of WW1.”

However it is just the beginning of the centenary celebrations. It is perhaps wise if the government enables the British Asians (who contribute largely to the British society and economy), to learn more about their ancestors. It would be right for the government to dedicate a special mention of the contributions by the Indian soldiers, making the community feel rightly appreciated.

India and the Great War: A Centenary Commemoration The First World War (1914-1918) was a watershed event in modern world history. India contributed immensely to the war effort in terms of both men and material. Indian soldiers served with credit and honour in numerous battlefields around the globe in - France and Belgium, in Aden, Arabia, East Africa, Gallipoli, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, Persia, Salonica, Russia, and even in China.

To mark the occasion and highlight the pivotal role of India in the war, the USI Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research (CAFHR) in cooperation with the Indian Ministry of External Affairs has drawn up a plan to use the

Centenary commemoration of the Great War as a medium to emphasise the sterling contribution made by the Indian Army towards the establishment of world peace. Major categories of events and programmes being planned include: - Ceremonial participation

Prime Minister praises BME entrepreneurs Prime Minister David Cameron hailed the entrepreneurial spirit of Britain’s black and minority ethnic communities last week as he welcomed news that thousands of entrepreneurs and young people of AfricanCaribbean and Asian heritage are benefiting from the Government’s long term economic plan to back enterprise, support new businesses and boost the skills of tomorrow’s workforce.

In figures published last week thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs from across Britain’s ethnic communities are setting up a new business thanks to Government support, while the number of apprenticeships started

by BME people has more than doubled since 2010.

So far, over 5500 entrepre-

the grave stones. You cannot fail to read the names of those who came from the subcontinent and gave their lives. But that is not all. Thanks to efforts by Shreela Flather we have the Memorial Gates as a reminder of their sacrifice.

In Brighton where my political career began we have the Royal Pavilion Gates dedicated to Indian soldiers. We also have a Chatri, a temple shaped monument in the foothills of Sussex Downs. History has reflected number of Victoria Cross won by the bravery of these individuals. We should not forget them. They are as much responsible for protecting our democracy in Britain as other nations did.”

Lord Dolar Popat said, “The sacrifice that so many gave in World War 1 must never be forgotten. British and Commonwealth soldiers fought side by side as brothers and allies; they fought for freedom and to uphold the values that our

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dreams of starting a business into reality. And to help ensure that young BME people can get the necessary skills to secure great jobs in the future more and more of them are beginning apprenticeships, with big increases since 2010. In 2009/10 – there were 9390 British Asian and 6390 AfricanCaribbean apprenticeship starts, while for 2012/13 there were 19690 and 16590 respectively.

The news comes as the Government celebrates reaching [20,000] people being helped through Start Up loans nationwide. In reaching this significant milestone, Start Up Loans has now offered over £100 million to entrepreneurs across the country looking for support in starting up a business and two thirds of the way from the target of

supporting 30,000 new businesses with £151 million by 2015.

Welcoming the figures, the Prime Minister said: “Backing business is a key part of our long-term economic plan. And the strong entrepreneurial spirit of Britain’s black and minority ethnic communities means they are having a key role in boosting the economy. This means more jobs for hard working people; more opportunities for people to break out on their own and be their own boss; and more prosperity and economic security for us all.

And with big increases in the number of BME people starting apprenticeships this shows that people of all backgrounds are having a stake in achieving a brighter future for our country.

by the representatives of the Indian armed forces in events organized overseas including in Turkey, France, Belgium and UK (there are pending proposals for events in New Zealand and Australia) - Commemoration activities, including exhibitions in India in collaboration

with the USI and Army Headquarters.

- MEA sponsored films, publications (including the latest Coffee table book ‘The Last Post’) and special projects, and proposed events planned and built around them.

- Association with and participation in International seminars and conference (by MEA and USI), both in India and overseas.

- Activities by the Indian Missions overseas to highlight and project the sacrifice of Indian soldiers in the World War-I. To learn more about Indian Memorials around the world to commemorate the sacrifices made by the fallen see http://issuu.com/indiandi plomacy/docs/iwm_book

Police watchdog fears budget cuts will limit hiring of ethnic minority recruits

Police forces throughout the UK must do more to recruit ethnic minority officers if they are to keep the trust of the public, a watchdog has warned.

The Inspectorate of the Constabulary fears an overwhelmingly white police force will struggle to engage with communities as the number of minorities in the UK rises.

A report called ‘Policing in Austerity: Meeting the Challenge’ blames budget cuts for the problem, as financiallystretched forces struggle to take on more non-white officers.

A total of 6,966 of the 131,258 police officers in England and Wales, or 5.2 per cent, are from ethnic minority backgrounds,

An armed Sikh Metropolitan Police officer patrols the streets of Westminster in 2004

compared to an estimated 13 per cent of the British population as a whole.

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UK

As I See It

Foes foster firm friendship

Map of Europe 1914

The First World War was billed to have been waged to end all the wars. It was not outrightly misleading, though it was definitely a wishful thinking. The death of some 10million soldiers, 20 million civilians, the unparalleled destruction over a vast area of mainland Europe as never seen before was in a way a consequence of unfinished ‘business’ of the Crimean War of 1870 and the end of the war in 1919 was the direct cause of the World War II, 20 years later.

Since 1945, for 69 years the (longest period in the European history)- there has not been a major was on the European continent. The ceremonies on the 4th of August at Mons on the Belgium-German border, where the first battle took place between British and German armies and the services at Westminster Abbey and other places all over the Europe, makes one feel of the sea change of the situation in and around Europe.

It is noteworthy that Britain and all other involved countries have refrained definitely from celebrating a victory. It is more a tribute to the dead of all the nations, reconciliation and realignment for peaceful coexistence.

At the same time one must note with enormous pride that the British people went to war for their unique values of justice and freedom. They paid a very heavy price, and when they won the waralong with the allies especially USA- they began reconstruction for a long term peace and prosperity. Everyone would have felt some satisfaction in the way their sacrifice and valour were recollected. The then warring nations (Britain, USA, France and other allies as well as Germany, Austria, Italy, Russia had their leaders standing side by side paying tribute to the fallen.

As a British Indian, I take pride that the leaders of the freedom of struggle like Mahatma Gandhi no less, Jawaharlal

Nehru, Sardar Patel, Tejbahadur Saproo and many others worked hard to encourage Indians to join war efforts and soldiers in hordes.

1.2 million soldiers (of the Indian subcontinent) took part on the battlefields of Europe, Africa and Middle East.

At least 74,000 laid their lives for a ‘foreign power’.

It was a heavy toll. The contributions of the other millions or more in the war efforts, and the financial contributions of the then British Raj and several princes runs into billions of pounds.

Of course as a colony India was thrust into the war, but one has to accept the reality prevailing circumstances.

Map of Europe 1919

Indian contributions numerically was much larger in the Second World War. I feel that Indian inputs and sacrifices have played an enormous role in support of the British struggle for freedom, justice and democratic norm and life. It is beyond one’s imagination what the world would be if the Nazis or the Japanese were the winners of the European and pacific theatre respectively.

The map of Europe is much different now than what it was in 1914 or 1919.

Most countries have opted for democratic norms and peaceful coexistence, Trade and commerce have reduced the tension on the border and today’s EU with all its weaknesses is the main reason we have faced no wars for 69 years. The bold initiative of Shri Narendra Modi to invite leaders of the SAARC at his swearing in ceremony has surely opened the door for better future for India and its neighbours.

The British Media has been devoting

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

a lot of space and time to the events before and after 4 Aug 1914. The Telegraph has been publishing a special monthly supplement sponsored by Lord Ashcroft, a prosperous man with public service backed by philanthropy has surely carved out in the British annals.

The last supplement dated 3rd August has correctly a special section “Jews rally to serve the country that gave them sanctuary.” It’s a worth reading piece by Con Coughlin. It recollects that in 1914 there were around 300,000 Jews resident in Britain of which 41,000 had joined the action. Of the war deaths, New Zealand lost 17,000 soldiers, Canada 60,000, Australia 60,000, India 74000 and Irish 27,000. Afterall the Indian blood has paid a heavy price for the freedom and the values of Great Britain.

It is with the deepest regret I note that British media has failed to recognise and record such a heavy price paid by those who were born abroad and were least likely to live in the freedom they fought for.

Today’s British Asians from the Indian subcontinent have surely thousands of relations who laid their lives on the battlefields of Europe. The due recognition would have enabled better understandings of their descendent.

As a Publisher/Editor of Asian Business Publications Limited, I also feel that I have failed to do something to salute the sacrifice of the soldiers of the Indian subcontinent. I could have produced a similar publications as we produced in March 2014“The Turning Point- How a campaign to save one temple united the entire Hindu community’. The contents of this sou-

Map of Europe 2014

Boris Johnson and some others when they demand that PM Cameron should be ready to leave EU, perhaps they should pause and think very carefully.

Scotland is a part of the UK after many sacrifices and it is better to be together than part the company for some illusionary gain or pride. venir was produced by Kripamoyadas, Srutidharmadas, Vinay Tanna, Radha Mohan das, Yogendra Sahu, of ISKCON. We had some support from sponsors especially from Sow and Reap. Karma Yoga Foundation contributed the largest amount. This special publications is a record of what happened about the Bhaktivedanta Manor.

If at all possible ABPL, with the support of individuals and businesses should publish a book of record for Asians and non Asians in Britain to remember that our freedom has been at the cost of a huge amount of sacrifice from those who were born in far off lands.

The Annual Patron’s Dinner

The annual Patrons Dinner for the most generous supporters of Bhaktivedanta Manor (Hare Krishna Temple) will be taking place on Saturday 9th August.

That evening over a thousand business leaders and their families will come together in a huge marquee for an evening of entertainment, opportunities to socialise, learn about the Temple’s latest projects and be treated to a delicious three course vegetarian meal.

The Patron’s dinner is a very historic occasion. Many readers would like to know how it evolved. Bhaktivedanta Manor was campaigning for justice for nearly 20 years, costing them thousands of pounds. At that stage some people with foresight and commitment to the faith, got together and formed the Patrons Council of individuals who contributed £1000/year.

Besides financial contribution many patrons worked hard in cooking, serving food, cleaning, attending car parks etc for Bhaktivedanta Manorwhich now spreads over 77 acres. Annual Patrons dinner has not only become a tradition, but also a reminder of the campaign and celebration of those who are devotees of Lord Krishna and those who are blessed to have listened to the message of Srila Prabhupada.

- CB

Foreign nationals and Muslim population in British prisons increase According to a recent report by the Ministry of Justice, one in eight of those serving prison sentences in the UK is now a foreign national. The number of Muslims in prison have increased by 6% to 12,000 for the first time, though the number of Sikhs and Hindus continue to remain very small (732 and 447 respectively). Even the number of Jewish offenders is as small as 319, though Buddhists in jail are recorded to be 1629.

The prison population includes 2009 offenders from Asia, with 562 from Pakistan, with no mention about India The number of Muslims in jails, including those who have converted while behind bars, has almost doubled in the last decade and they now com-

prise 14% of the total 85,509 prison population.

The statistics were in a series of reports disclosing a rising tide of violence in prisons, a surge in suicides and a fall in programmes intended to turn offenders away from a life of crime including those tackling sex offending.

One prison source said jails were facing a “perfect storm” while the Prison Officers’ Association said the figures demonstrated that the prison system is failing and in crisis.

Other figures from the ministry of justice showed that 18 murderers and 15 rapists are among more than 1,000 offenders still on the run despite being recalled to prison for breaking the terms of their release.

Absconds have jumped by thirty per cent in the

last two years from 175 to 225 though the figure is down from the 870 a decade ago.

Officials have concerns about the overall performance of a quarter of the 126 jails in England and Wales as the prison system struggles to cope with budget cuts.

Serious assaults rose by 30% in the last year in which there were three murders in jail and a 69% rise in suicides to 88, the highest level in nine years.

Assaults on prison officers rose from 2,964 to 3,363 in the year to the end of March including an increase in serious assaults on staff from 269 to 370.

The number of foreign national prisoners in jails representing about 150 nationalities - at the end of June was 10,834 and

remains high despite the prime minister promising to “personally intervene” in efforts to remove foreign prisoners.

Last year 43 foreign national offenders were transferred home to serve their sentence as ministers faced a series of setbacks in attempts to reduce the number in prisons in England and Wales.

Only 162 foreign national prisoners have been returned home to serve their sentences under prisoner transfer agreements since 2010.

Poland tops the list of foreign nationals in prison with 867, followed by the Irish Republic on 798 and Jamaica on 718.

Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, said the increase in deaths in custody was being taken very seriously and he also

regarded the rise in assaults with concern.

Sadiq Khan, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “The true scale of the growing crisis in the country’s prisons is revealed by the Government’s own data. Violence is up, deaths in custody are up

and the number of prisoners going on the run is up.”

He added: “This is all evidence of the incompetence of David Cameron’s Government. The evidence is piling up that the Government has caused a prison crisis.”

H M Prison population

(Source: Ministry of Justice 30 June 2013-30 June 2014, England and Wales)

By Religion

By Population Roman Catholic 15,535 North America 74 (US 54) Other Christian 9227 Central+South America 180 Free Church 1021 (Colombia 53) West Indies 881 (Jamaica 718) Muslim 12,106 Buddhist 1629 Africa 2330 (Nigeria 507) Sikh 732 Europe 4857 (Poland 867) Hindu 447 Middle East 474 (Iran 198) Jewish 319 Asia 2009 (Pakistan 562) Other 1565 Ocenia 29 (Australia 16) Not recorded or not recognised 386 Overall totals No religion 25,619 British nationals 73,999 Anglican 16,873 Nationality not recorded 676 All Christian 42,706 Foreign nationals 10,834

UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Leading Lights

Rani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The miracle Doctor serving South Asia and bringing the gift of life Dr Gautam Khastgir comes from a famous family going back generations that contributed across the pre- independent SubContinent. But he is humble and it is quite hard to get him to talk about himself, so I was happy to learn from my dear editor, Rupanjana, that Gautam was in London for just a few days recently. I managed to catch him for a friendly interview.

The most famous educational establishment in Chittagong, Dr Khastgir Girls’ High School in Chittagong, Bangladesh, was established in 1907 by Gautam’s great - grandfather. “I regularly visit Bangladesh to conduct public awareness programmes on women’s health and to treat patients in various charitable hospitals. My ancestral ties with Chittagong provide me with that extra motivation to contribute financially towards scholarships to the Girls’ School in Chittagong, Bangladesh, established by my forefathers a centu-

Dr Gautam Khastgir

ry back,” he explained.

The town’s mayor and others identify one hospital where he stays for a day, conducting a couple of surgeries and seeing around 250 patients needing his expertise in infertility treatment. His programmes are to make modern gynaecological

care popular, and also to wipe away the misconceptions regarding infertility treatment prevailing in India and South Asia.

Though born into an elite family from undivided Bengal, Dr Khastgir faced a tough time as a child because his father died early. Still, Gautam

overcame his challenges and built a brilliant academic career.

He studied in Kolkata, came to the UK for further studies and received Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He was offered an academic post here along with British citizenship.

However, after a 10-year year stint in the UK, he chose to return to India to serve his country.

Since his return, he has worked to make gynaecological endoscopic surgery popular in eastern India. He has demolished the myth that this surgery is only for the rich and famous. He did this by working at charity hospitals and offering the service at a very reasonable cost; for the very poor, it is free. In the past 15 years he has performed more than 12,000 gynaecological endoscopic surgeries.

He regularly conducts hands-on training programmes and live workshops on endoscopic surgery and assisted conception in his institution; the Bengal Infertility and Reproductive Therapy Hospital. Gautam also does this in other Indian states and countries. His institution has been selected by the Women’ Health Initiative of the Government of Germany and the United Nations as one of the six beacon

training centres of India.

He has already trained more than 250 doctors to perform keyhole surgery and assisted conception procedures to popularise the nationwide practice of these improved modern techniques.

The Bengal Infertility and Reproductive Therapy Hospital is Gautam’s brain-child and offers a full range of investigations and treatments for infertility at reasonable cost.

He has demolished the myth that surgery is only for the rich and famous “Previously, little was being done for infertility on a national level in India,” he told me, “while in the west the treatment was much more advanced.”

The institution has enabled the birth of 1,000 babies following successful infertility treatment within five years.

Gautam’s hospital has achieved some outstanding results such as healthy babies delivered of couples with genetic defects, and safe delivery following seven miscarriages.

His books on Women’s Health and Pregnancy Planning are written in regional Indian languages to educate the general public about infertility, pregnancy care and gynae-

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illnesses. cological Gautam told me that the main differences between treatment of infertility in the UK and in South Asia are that, “In South Asia, the majority of women are unaware that infertility may lie at the root of the problem.

Assisted Conception Treatment in developed countries like the UK and the US involves the use of a higher dose of medicines that results in the formation of several eggs. This not only increases the success rate but also the risk of multiple pregnancies.

In so far as the treatment in developing countries like India goes, we use a ‘soft protocol.’ The much smaller dose of medicine given here means a fewer number of eggs and a significantly lower incidence of multiple pregnancy. Such an approach not only brings the infertility treatment within the grasp of poor people of SouthEast Asia but also reduces the cost of neonatal care following premature delivery with multiple pregnancies.”

He has painstakingly collated patients’ opinions and published a book to help develop confidence regarding the modern management of women’s health.

Long may this good doctor continue his noble work in bringing happiness to so many!

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

The kindness of strangers

Living in harmony

Speeding up

Recently it was depressing to watch and read news in the media about on going wars in different parts of the world, killing of innocent women and children, gang rapes, abuse by people in authority like priest, babas, gurus, bapus, sports scandals, coaches and corruptions, scams by politicians, big corporations, etc. It was therefore very heartwarming to read news in the Canadian media of an act of kindness and humanity.

Stephanie Headley, a Canadian lady, has been suffering from systematic scleroderma disease. This disease is incurable and has meant that Ms Headley has been struggling to breathe so is on 24/7 oxygen bottle. Her skin has become so hard that it hurts her even if she slightly bends.

Recently one hospital in Chicago started steam cell therapy to curb this decease but the cost is around US$128,000. This is a cost her family cannot afford so her children started on line appeal for donation and collected only $13,000 way behind the estimated cost needed for treatment.

One morning a gentleman called her and said that he was coming with an envelope for donation. When he arrived he was disguised and handed her the envelope with a bank draft for the amount of $128,000. This family finally saw a light at the end of a long tunnel and Ms Headley will soon go for treatment.

When most people donate money or do some social or charity work have a tendency to want to let other people know and brag by indirect or direct talk.

Once Shri Morari Bapu said in his religious discourses to try to hide how much worship or prayer you offer to God from others and open up your life.

I don't know if news reports about cinema-goers being turned away from a Birmingham cinema because they weren't Muslim are true or not but I was nevertheless saddened to read them.

If they are true it should never have happened as Muslims welcome people from all faiths to join in the Eid festival marking the end of Ramadan. If it is untrue then it smacks of people trying to stir up anti-Muslim feelings.

We are all part of the community in which we live and we all need to live together in harmony and peace regardless of our ethnicity and beliefs.

Unfortunately it is so easy for misconceptions to gather momentum and cause unnecessary problems and bigotry.

The rapid advance of the internet and telecommunications is leaving air travel far behind, crawling about as if it were stuck in the Stone Age. Why, in enterprising 2014, do we still have to sit on a plane for 9 dreary hours to visit India from the UK, or a mind-boggling 14 hours to reach Australia? Why can’t these flying times be slashed to 30 minutes and 1 hour respectively, or to Spain in just 10 minutes?

Aircraft manufacturers really must start thinking big and hire technologists to create rockets which will shoot us into space, level off, and zoom down into our chosen destinations smoothly and safely.

Then I, for one, will be able to leave London for Mumbai after breakfast, spend 3 hours wandering around that teeming Indian city and be back in London well in time for lunch on the same day.

We are all spending too much time sitting in the air twiddling our thumbs while down below people are Skype-ing, Twittering, Facebooking, Instant Messaging and emailing one another worldwide with increasing ease and rapidity. On top of all that, we are about to be amazed by another new development - holograms - flashing an image of ourselves across the globe at the touch of a button. Our life-like hologrammed images will be able to interact with our far-flung companions as if we were actually over there in person - chatting, laughing, going for walks, seeing the sights - all from the comfort of our own homes on the other side of the world.

What next, eh?

Suresh and Bhavna Patel.

Markham, Ontario, Canada

Misunderstanding

Amjad Bashir UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire and UKIP Communities spokesman

National pride

It’s a pity that after every Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations, the country’s national flag is strewn on the streets and people irrespective of caste, creed and colour blithely walk over them.

Even when the national anthem is played on radio or telecast on television, people don’t respect it by standing to attention and singing it. They are busy talking to people on their mobile phones or chatting with their friends who are standing beside them.

As Indians, we should show respect for our country’s national flag, national anthem and national song. It is only through the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters that we have managed to gain independence; otherwise we would’ve still been living under the British dominion.

Jubel D’Cruz, Mumbai, India

Brilliant analysis yet faulty

I was surprised to read the letter from Ramesh Jhalla in reply to my letter of the previous week.

Mr Jhalla states in his letter states that my "data about the Mongol invasion of India is shallow and confined to a very narrow time period."

He has completely misunderstood the narrow remit which my letter focused on.

Let me re-state what I said at the outset: "It is commonly believed by almost everybody that the Mongols invaded in 1526 and then started the Mogul rule, which lasted until the Indian Mutiny of 1857 against East India Company, following which the British Government took direct rule over the territories and exiled the last Mugal ruler to Andamann Islands."

My letter was not about Muslim invaders of India nor about other foreign invaders. The sole purpose of my letter was to correct the misunderstanding on the part of many that the Mongols invaded in 1526. I wanted to show that they had tried for three centuries to invade India, but were unsuccessful on previous occasions.

Baroness Flather’s article on religious schools is a brilliant analysis of the subject.

She is, however, wrong on one point: to state blatantly that Hindus believe in caste system indicates her clear misunderstanding of the subject. She would do better by doing some research as to the origin of it before making such statement.

She is, however, correct about her assessment about Lord Sheikh’s misguided argument that Halal killing are somehow less painful for the animals!

Is the Lord unaware that animals also feel the pain and suffering? Rather than promoting peace and harmony in the world, supporting a barbaric method of acquiring the meat is indefensible.

Religious schools will only enforce such beliefs and indoctrinate children’s minds insensitivity towards other sentient beings of this planet. All human beings can contribute to world peace by adopting some Yoga and Meditation techniques in all spheres of their lives.

Dhiraj Kataria By email

Dr Kamal Lymm, Cheshire

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Namaste and acupressure

The technique of acupressure is similar in principle to acupuncture. It is based on the concept of life energy which flows through "meridians" in the body.

In treatment, physical pressure is applied to acupuncture points with the aim of clearing blockages in these meridians. Pressure may be applied by hand, by elbow, or with various devices. We perform this ourselves or with the help of experts.

Until recently, many Hindu traditions were considered mainly as superstition but with the advent of science it is becoming more evident that they are based on scientific knowledge being passed down.

The gesture of touching the palms of our hands in “Namaskar” is a form of respect. However, scientifically speaking, joining both hands ensures joining the tips of all the fingers together. The tips are pressure points of eyes, ears and mind. Joining them together is said to activate the pressure points which helps us to remember that person.

In yoga, many exercises involve the use of the pressure points including the performance of Suryanamaskar in the mornings which start the day with the activatiion of appropriate meridians.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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Diwali is now two months away. The New Year is knocking at the door waiting to bring in colours and light to our lives with fervour of joy and ever lasting happiness.

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself. This year in the English section, we are doing something special for our young readers. l If you are between 7-25 years of age, write an article in English on 'how you celebrate your Diwali every year' or 'your most memorable Diwali with friends and family' or 'how you celebrate Diwali in your school' in no more than 700 words, along with a suitable photo. l if you an organisation, which has a youth wing or support youth activities, tell us how your young members or youth wing celebrates Diwali in 500-600 words with 2 pictures (in no less than 300dpi).

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The long wait for peace

While Sarah Teather’s piece in AV “The long wait for peace” is touching, it is too simplistic. Jews, as a religious entity were nearly wiped out and are understandably ultra-cautious when it comes to survival of their nation.

With Hamas, ISIS, SIMI etc giving normally idealistic, peaceful Islam the tag of extremism and the West fermenting unrest Israel is caught in no-man’s land.

However Israel must not extinguish hope of “Nationhood” for Palestinians, as people without hope, expectations inevitably turn to violence. However outlandish act of firing rockets at Israel is not the answer.

Hamas should recognize Israel, declare ten year truce and concentrate on building a nation with entrepreneurial efficiency, infrastructure, greenification and cottage industries to become economically self-reliant, with help of Israel, US, EU and Saudi Arabia. It should turn into “Singapore” of ME, seat of learning, as Palestinians are basically intelligent, hard-working people caught between devil and deep sea.

If Palestinians, at the end of this transitional period, prove themselves with etiquette, then they should be granted nationhood under UN charter. There is no alternative but for two nations to live in peace and harmony, side by side.

Bhupendra M Gandhi By email

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

WWI commemorative service in Bradford A special commemorative service to mark the deaths of Indian soldiers who fought for Britain in the First World War was held in Bradford on Monday evening. The event, at a Bradford mosque, was been organised by UKIP and Communities C o m m o n w e a l t h spokesman, Amjad Bashir.

"It is important to remember that one in six of those who sacrificed their lives in this terrible conflict for the Allies were from the British Empire, mainly from India. They came from various faiths, but were mainly Moslem and I thought that it would be a fitting tribute to mark their bravery and self-sacrifice by having Continued from page 10

The 15th Sikh Regiment arrive in Marseille, France on their way to fight the Germans during the First World War.

centenary prayers and service of remembrance," said Mr Bashir, MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

"It is vital that communities live and work together harmoniously,

Your Voice

regardless of their ethnicity or faith, and I see building bridges and strengthening respect and lines of communication at the forefront in my role as Communities spokesman," said Mr Bashir.

The truth about Gandhi

It was most distressing to read about the plight of Shabnam Ramaswami (AV 2nd August), the battered wife subjected to mental and physical abuse from her husband. Luckily she had a happy ending, denied to thousands of women in India in similar circumstances.

Equally disturbing was the news of the establishment of the Trust to raise funds for yet another Gandhi statue in London, barely two miles away from the one in Tavistock Square.

Gandhi too misused and mistreated women. Obsessed with sex, he made a habit of sleeping naked with naked women, including his own 16 year old great-niece Manu, the 19 year old wife of his great-nephew Abha as well as other married women. His controversial experiments, to test his will power were rebuked by his family, friends and other politicians. Nehru described them as “abnormal” and “unnatural”. Some in his Ashram and on the editorial board of his journal quit their posts in protest.

Unbelievably, Gandhi was well protected and his weird activities were hushed up. In fact, whose who did so and continue to do so, are just as guilty as Gandhi was in his use and misuse of women. No man, hero or villain has a right to lower women to this level of

debasement.

The Trust should come out and tell the whole truth about Gandhi. It should also do some soul searching before asking for funds for a man who ill treated women. Domestic violence, rape, killing and hanging of women in India have become an every day occurance, of value only to the bureau of statistics. But who cares?

I do not belong to the brigade that admires the King’s new clothes. Gandhi is other people’s Mahatma, not anymore the man I once worshipped as my God. Those who disagree with me have to prove me wrong.

The man whose statue should be in Parliament Square is Dadbhai Naoroji, the first Indian in the British Parliament, elected in 1892. He represented the culture and spirit of India, promoting IndoBritish relationship. Gandhi, who did not attend the Indian Independence Day ceremony in New Delhi on August 15th 1947, who hated the Africans, and who appointed Nehru as India’s first Prime Minister, inspite of the fact that Sardar Patel had won the vote for the post, must not be allowed to be what he was not - a “superior soul”.

Antagonist US do not hesitate to backstab their closest allies. Obama’s US bent over backwards in trying to destroy leading oil giant BP with real and fraudulent claims without an ounce of conscious, atonement or penitent. The US badly lacks cardinal virtues. Kerry’s boisterous bridge-building visit to India to preserve US ascendancy should be taken with a pinch of salt, as was Chinese brevity, a one day wonder.

China will go to any lengths to stop India, Japan and Russia forming an axis of goodwill, as China would like to dominate South Asia, laying claim to vast areas of the South China Sea as well as on border areas with every neighbour.

Unfortunately the blinkered West is too preoccupied with Russia to notice China’s evil intentions.

The unacceptable behaviour over

Modi’s Visa, the fiasco over an Indian diplomat and routinely detaining Indian VIPs, including past President Dr APJ Kalam should not be accepted as normal, civilised behaviour. His meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj ended up in acrimony, as belligerent US was reminded that friends do not spy, snoop on each other, as recent revelation confirmed CIA officials listening, monitoring BJP officials, as was the case with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Modi/NDA government should know unequivocally who are fiduciaries or true friends, do not fall for phraseology and concentrate on cementing trade relations with them, especially with amenable Japan who is shifting investment, manufacturing base from China to India that can transform India’s industrial map.

Kumudini Valambia, By email

American Hypocrisy

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Roadworks hit trade on Leicester’s Golden Mile

Businesses in Leicester's Golden Mile have said they are suffering because of long-running roadworks following the demolition of the Belgrave Flyover.

Leicester City Council is part-way through a £4 million regeneration of the area linking Belgrave and the city centre, having removed the 1970s flyover earlier this year.

However, some firms say the project's progress has been slow with roadworks causing huge congestion. They fear the scheme will run into the Navratri and Diwali celebrations in September and October. From the start, the Labour-led council has stated the project would take until October to complete and says most businesses in the area support the scheme. However, Kishan Devani, who is standing for the Conservatives in the Leicester East constituency in May's election, claims people in the area have been poorly informed about the timetable and are angry about the disruption. He admitted the removal of the flyover would improve the area in the long run but was causing unacceptable shortterm pain. He said: "The Golden Mile looks like a dirt road. Roads are being closed regularly, traffic builds up and pedestrians find it difficult to cross roads. The work on Belgrave Road needs to be

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completed as a matter of urgency. I urge the city council to prioritise this work. Hundreds of businesses are suffering due to this and this is not acceptable. "Residents have to use other routes to travel to their homes, causing a huge amount of inconvenience to residents, particularly the elderly. With Diwali and Navratri fast approaching, Belgrave Road will be inundated with visitors. If the work is not completed by then, it will cause havoc for the local community and will interfere with the festivities." Raj Radia, of Radia Superstore, in Melton Road, said: "They have been working on the road for months and it is still not complete. As an independent retailer we are losing a lot of business and it's causing a lot of inconvenience."

Chetan Amlani, who runs a letting agency in Belgrave, said: "It is better now the fly-over is gone but much harm is being caused to trade by the

continuing roadworks."

Former Labour city councillor Ramila Shah, now a Conservative activist, said: "We are talking about 11 months of work causing huge disruption in the area. It should have been completed by now."

A city council spokesman said: "This is a major project and we've always said we aim to get a substantial amount of the work completed which will allow the Golden Mile's famous Diwali celebrations to take place as usual in October. We've been in regular contact with traders, such as the Belgrave Business Association and residents' groups, to keep them updated on the works and deal with any concerns raised. The completed project will include significant improvements to the road layout, cycleways and footpaths, car parking, landscaping and general appearance of the area, benefiting businesses and residents.

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MEDIA WATCH

It was the mega deal that no part of the domestic or foreign media could afford to ignore. The Indian press gave it saturation coverage. The Australian government has approved Adani Mining’s $16.5 billion project to build a coal mine, among the world’s largest, in the state of Queensland. The Carmichael Coal Mine, which will produce 60 million tonnes of high quality coal a year, will also create an 189-kilometre-long rail line to transport the coal to port for the onward sea voyage to India, where 100 million Indians would be the beneficiaries of the electric power produced. The value of the thermal coal resources, over a 60-year period, has been valued at $300 billion.

The South Korean firm Posco is to partner Adani in the construction of the 388 kilometrelong North Galilee Basin Rail.

Gautam Adani

At full production, the project is estimated to add a yearly $2.97 billion to the Queensland economy. Welcoming Australia’s decision, Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani explained that the mine together with the North Galilee Basin rail and the company’s port operations at Abbot Point, and the Adani investments in Queensland would deliver more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs in Australia and open up opportunities for local suppliers.

Australia’s High Commissioner to India, Patrick Suckling, said: “It is good news for both India and Australia.

Environment protection

Earlier, Australia’s Minister for the Environment, Gregg Hunt had told reporters that, “After undertaking a thorough assessment under national environment law, I have approved the Carmichael coal mine and rail infrastructure project subject to 36 conditions. The absolute strictest conditions have been imposed…..with a specific focus on the protection of groundwater.” However, Greenpeace and other environmental groups are up in arms protesting the project would cause irreparable damage to the area’s large and complex eco-system (Business Line, Mint July 29).

enter either as direct investment or via the portfolio route, or as a combination of both. The UPA regime favoured such legislation but was unable to command the necessary majority in Parliament. Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director and CEO HDFC Life Insurance, said the move would now enable insurance companies to provide the required services to millions of under-insured Indians. Rajesh Sud, CEO and Managing Director Max Life Insurance, said the decision should bring in much needed long-term capital into the insurance sector (Business Line July 25).

Larsen & Toubro profit doubles

Engineering giant Larsen & Toubro’s first quarter (AprilJune) profit has more than doubled to Rs 967 crore from Rs 459 crore. This was largely due to the monetization of Dharma Port in which the company had a 50 per cent stake, and from gains of Rs 249 crore from the sale of part of promoter’s holding in Larsen &Toubro Financial Holdings in compliance with the Securities and Exchange Board norms and through disinvestment in City Union Bank by Larsen & Toubro Finance.

Beating market expectations, the company posted 10 per cent growth in revenue of Rs 18,975 crore against Rs 17,242 for the same period last year.

International revenue of Rs 4,781 crore constituted 25 per cent of the company’s total revenue (Hindu July 29).

Upbeat Wipro

IT company Wipro reported another good quarter (AprilJune), meeting market expectations and providing hope of a

FDI insurance raised

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India has been raised to 49 per cent (as it has been in the defence sector) in a bid by the government to stimulate investment flows into the country. However, the 49 per cent route must meet the approval of Investment Promotion Board, while the previous FDI figure of 26 per cent would be permitted to take the automatic route. The 49 per cent FDI will be a composite cap, that is, capital can

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

corresponding period last year.

The revenue grew by 15 per cent, thanks to a number of multi-million dollar deals.

Speaking to reporters, CEO T.K.Kurien said the improved demand for outsourcing services had helped the company’s performance. Despite the upswing, Wipro has some way to go to catch up with their peers,TCS and Infosys, opined an industry specialist (Business Line July 25)

Indian Army, referring to India’s Glorious Dead in the Great War. It is time surely to outgrow the infantile disorder of reflexive anti-colonialism and come of age. The regimental system, to which the major-general refers, was a British creation, as were the organizational structure and traditions of free India’s armed forces, not speak of the country’s rail network, maps and judicial system and much else which we take for granted today.

Eighteen months after his appointment as Chairman of the Tata Group, Cyrus Mistry rolled out a strategic Group roadmap that includes four new clusters for special focus – Defence and Aerospace, Retail, Infrastructure and Finance. Speaking about the Group’s Vision 2025, he said that over the next three years, Tatas will invest around $35 billion across a variety of businesses. “To outperform markets, each Tata company will sharply focus on performance, strive for excellence, for global competitiveness, seek to achieve global or national scale, and foster fledgling businesses with a sound evaluation of their growth potential.”

(Business Line, Telegraph July 30)

The thirty regiments that fought in the Great War, among them Skinner’s Horse, Madras Regiment, Gorkha and Garhwal Rifles, commemorate their “Battle Honour Days” in their own unique way. “This year the commemoration will be special, with memorial services, photo exhibitions and events spread over 1914-18 since it will mark the centenary of World War 1. By its end in 1918, the [Indian] Army had earned 9,200 gallantry awards, including a dozen Victoria Crosses,” said an officer. The Battle of Gallipoli in 1915, for instance, is part of the institutional memory of the 14 Ferozpore Sikhs. “Over 15 officers and 371 troops were killed in a single day,” said the officer.

(Times of India July 29).

Tatas’ $35 billion investment plan

Global presence

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has become the first Indian software company to cross the Rs 5 lakh crore ($84 billion) mark in market capitalization. The company has also become the world’s second most valuable service provider, ahead of Accenture but behind IBM. Accenture is worth $51 billion to IBM’s $198 billion (Times of India July 25)

Centenary events

Kharagpur IIT’s new system

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, is switching over to over to a credit-based curriculum, said Director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti on the 60th

anniversary of its founding.

“Having a credit-based system will help make the courses more flexible and allow students to take a semester or a year off to do an internship, which would further enhance their learning,” said the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr Srikumar Banerjee, formerly head of India’s Atomic Energy Commission. The Guest of Honour Professor C.N.Rao FRS and Bharat Ratna recipient, addressing the Convocation, said: “All my achievements and work, even while teaching abroad, was done for India….I hope all of you [students] are successful in your endeavours as that will result in a successful India.” (Hindu, Telegraph July 27)

Germany new destination

Increasing numbers of Indian students – 114 per cent up from 200-09 to 2012-13 - are turning to German institutions for their higher education, particularly in mathematics, science, engineering and information technology.

To attract Indian students, a number of German institutions are running their courses in English – Munich Technical University being a leading example. Germany encourages Indian students to undertake research in the areas mentioned above since there is a dearth of young German students in these faculties, where the country needs specialists. The German government permits foreign students to remain in the country in pursuit of their professional careers (Times of India, Telegraph, 27).

Defence PSUs major draw

Electronics production in India’s Defence public sector enterprises (PSUs) during 2013-14 touched Rs13,800 crore and is expected to grow by 15 per cent in the current financial year 2014-15 ending March 31, according to the Electronic Industries Association of India President Subhash Goyal. The production of strategic electronics stood at Rs12,000 crore in 2012-13 has grown steadily in the past five years. The Association’s summit in Bangalore, currently in session, is designed take exploit the new opportunities opening up for the industry, particularly in indigenous design and innovation through Research & Development facilities (Business Line July 30).

Secretary of State John Kerry with Sushma Swaraj

Indian soldiers in Great War

Azim Premji

better second quarter. India’s third largest software provider, after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys, posted a net profit of Rs 2,067.2 crore in the first quarter 2014-15 over the

“An independent India may not choose to remember the soldiers who laid down their lives since they were fighting for the British Empire. But we do, as part of regimental heritage. A soldier is a soldier, whichever political dispensation directs him to war…”

So said a major-general of the

John Kerry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

See comment page 3

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Steel Tycoon Lakshmi Mittal buys a mountain? Conman who lived a life

of luxury is jailed

Blencathra Mountain in the picturesque Lake District

Steel Tycoon and billionaire businessman Lakshmi Mittal’s bid to buy a mountain has sparked protests from the local community who believe the move could make the area a playground for the super-rich.

After the string of mega mansions, yacht, private jet and the premiership football club, he has now reportedly closed on a deal to buy the 2,700-acre Blencathra Mountain in the Lake District. The mountain which is 2,800-feet tall was put up for sale by the Earl of Lonsdale, Hugh Lowther, to allegedly pay off a staggering ÂŁ9 million inheritance tax bill.

Mr Mittal was certainly attracted by the fact that whoever buys the mountain will be entitled to use the title Lord of the Manor of Threlkeld and

the new owner will also obtain grazing rights for thousands of sheep.

Apparently once it became known last month that an anonymous buyer was preparing to bid, a group called the Friends of Blencathra came up with a counterbid. However, the group’s bid was some £350,000 less than Mr Mittal’s.

The group had wanted to turn the site into public land and has now lodged a protest after the selling agent confirmed the Earl had accepted an offer from an unnamed party.

The agent’s statement said: “Prior to reaching this decision we had discussions earlier today with representatives from The Friends of Blencathra. We have taken into account both their offer and the fact

Steel Tycoon Lakshmi Mittal

that there is a significant shortfall between this and the successful offer.� “The reason behind the sale of Blencathra is to realise capital for inheritance tax following the death of the 7th Earl of Lonsdale in 2006. The Estate’s solicitor has been instructed to proceed with the sale and we expect the matter to be completed reasonably quickly,� the statement added.

Travelinstyle of Stanmore hosts a gala evening

A confidence trickster enjoyed a luxury lifestyle after duping victims into buying corporate event packages which never existed.

Sarjinder Singh Dhillon, also claimed state benefits while driving luxury cars, including a Bentley Continental, and spent ÂŁ84,000 on private schools for his two children. He used false names to dupe staff at various companies into believing they were buying hospitality seats at Wimbledon, the Grand National, Ascot, The Ashes and Six Nations.

Even after his arrest in February 2013 for offences while trading as Rothschild Enterprises, he went on to set up Hamptons Events and continued the scam, dishonestly obtaining about ÂŁ35,000 in total, Leicester Crown Court was told.

Dhillon (42), who

failed to declare any income to the taxman or pay any tax between 2007 and 2013, had ÂŁ128,000 of unexplained income going through a business account.

This week, he was jailed for two years and five months for a total of 21 offences.

Dhillon, who has never passed a driving test, also fraudulently obtained car insurance for vehicles owned at different times, including a Porsche Carrera, an Audi RS4 and Audi S5, a VW Golf, a Range Rover, a Renault Megane and a Ford Fiesta. He lied about having a ÂŁ50,000 salary while claiming benefits to obtain a ÂŁ160,000 remortgage on his home in Road, Beacon Loughborough, said Esther Harrison, prosecuting.

Dhillon admitted nine counts of fraud relating to

UK

13

Sarjinder Dhillon

the corporate events scam, one of fraudulently obtaining a re-mortgage, one of dishonestly obtaining car insurance – by failing to declare he had no driving licence – and one count of acquiring criminal property in the form of unexplained cash deposits into bank accounts. He admitted nine offences of converting criminal property, or money laundering, by paying £84,907 school fees to Loughborough Schools, Endowed between 2006 and 2013, and purchasing various vehicles.

Trio guilty of conspiring to burgle Leicester mosques A man and two 16-yearolds involved in a conspiracy to burgle mosques have appeared in court.

Luke Wright, 27, and the teenage boys, who cannot be named because of a court order, pleaded guilty to conspiring to enter mosques, with intent to steal, between January 31 and April 5 this year.

Wright, of Thomasson Road, off Ambassador Road, Leicester, further admitted burgling the Masjid Al Falah Mosque, Keythorpe Street, Leicester, when money and miscellaneous papers were stolen, on February 6. He also pleaded guilty to attempted burglary at the Masjid AtTaqwah Mosque and

Islamic Centre, Harewood Street, Leicester, with intent to steal, on the same day. The Leicester Crown Court case was adjourned until September 12, for the preparation of pre-sentence reports.

Wright was remanded back into custody and the two juveniles were released on bail.

INVESTMENT MASTERY COURSE WITH Trading Signals A great evening of top class holidays and travel sponsored by Travelinstyle of Stanmore was held on Tuesday 29th July at the Bernays Memorial Hall.

Many renowned tour operators were in attendance, including Gold

Medal, Seasons in Style, Wendy Wu Tours, Classic Collection, Oceania Cruises, Superbreak and Taj Group of Hotels.

The fun started at 6pm and was attended by many guests who were treated to a gala buffet and wine

with great prizes for lucky winners. It was a fantastic promotional evening, and Alpa Shah, Director thanked everyone for making it to this event on such a hot night.

Pic courtesy: Raj D Bakrania, Prmediapix

HoC to host debate on human rights in Kashmir The House of Commons has decided to have a special debate on the state of human rights in Kashmir.

Calling the “ongoing Kashmir dispute a threat to regional and global peace�, the British MP David Ward has reportedly informed the backbench committee. Though a formal date is yet to be decided, Britain’s decision to agree for a debate on Kashmir hasn’t gone down well with Friends of India and Southeast Asian thinktanks.

However Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in an exclusive interview to an Indian media has said that Britain does not want to be a mediator between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

The Times of India reported that Britain’s Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said that “any solution should be between the two governments of India and

Pakistan. The British government does help and we have had discussions on human rights as recently as last month. This is a

long-running conflict, and we stand by to help; but ultimately it can be resolved only by the two countries in question.�

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Philanthropy and hospitality with the Princes

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For the third consecutive year, leading philanthropist and property developer Vraj Pankhania, chairman of the Westcombe Group, was proud sponsor of The Kent & Curwen Royal Charity Polo Cup held on Saturday, July 19. VIP guests attended the prestigious event held in the magnificent grounds of Lord and Lady Andrew Lloyd Webber’s private Estate, Berkshire Watership Down.

A beautiful English summer’s day provided the perfect backdrop for thrilling polo and superb hospitality which included a champagne reception followed by lunch in the marquee. A charity auction completed the event with the proceeds going to Sentebale and Tusk

HRH Prince William, The Duke of to the players Cambridge, his brother, Prince Harry with with Most Vraj, Kamal and Sunil Pankhania Va l u a b l e

Trust, Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge's respective charities.

After an exciting match, Westcombe Group took the win 7 – 5 to lift the celebrated cup.

Tiffany & Co presented beautiful turquoise boxes

Player award being given to HRH Prince Harry.

Special guests included Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber, Sabrina Fung, David Gandy, Jade Parfitt and Jack Dyson, Samantha Barks and Richard Fleeshman,

Jamal Edwards, Pattie Boyd, Michael Owen and singer Aaron Kwok.

Westcombe Group would particularly like to thank all the players, Kent & Curwen, the auction donors and Lord Lloyd Webber for their generous support for this wonderful day in aid of Tusk and Sentebale.

Mr BN Muddu receiving 'IOSUK Life Time Achievement Award'

Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) Prof.

Anil Jain and the president of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) Prof. Tim Briggs delivered guest lectures on the updates in modern orthopaedic care.

Mr. BN Muddu, the founder president of IOSUK was honoured with ‘IOSUK Life Time Achievement Award’

while Prof. Joe Dias, the first Indian origin BOA President, with ‘IOSUK Special Merit Award’.

IOSUK honorary secretary Mr. Anand Arya and treasurer Mr. BJ Singh took active role in organising this meet.

Several orthopaedic opinion leaders from the UK have also taken part in the conference.

The IOSUK organises

is a fan of the sport of Kabaddi and recently bought the team, ‘Khalsa Warriors’, will also be in London attending the premiere of his upcoming romantic-comedy ‘Entertainment’, taking place at IMAX Cinema Science Museum on Friday 8th August 2014.

Within the entertainment fraternity, the international superstar’s performances are one of the most anticipated at any event. He never fails to impress with his charismatic stage presence and brings his own individuality and flair to all his

power-packed performances.

This time it is London that will get to see him work his magic, as fans

An expert panel including Wajid Shamsul Hasan, former High Commissioner of Pakistan, renowned journalist Babar Ayaz, Kiran Hassan of International Institute of Strategic Studies, Aamer Ahmed Khan of BBC Urdu and Declan Service Walsh, Pakistan Bureau Chief of The New York Times have come together recently at Senate House, University of London and examined “Pakistan’s media under threat - How safe is it to be a journalist”. The discussion was hosted by The C o m m o n w e a l t h Journalists Association (CJA) on 28 July and was chaired by Owen Bennett Jones, BBC presenter, award winning journalist and author.

Rita Payne, president of CJA welcomed the gathering while Owen Jones introduced the speakers.

Wajid Hasan said that Pakistan has a chequered history as far as Freedom of Press and Media are concerned. He opined that episodes shown on Television were other

overblown or underplayed.

Aamer Ahmed Khan spoke of the corruption in media and the pressures under which media houses operate.

Declan Walsh spoke about the tensions and difficult moments for press freedom in Pakistan, including attacks on journalists. He also spoke on the relationship between religion and the state and the role of GEO channel in bringing out issues.

Kiran Hassan said that there is an increased realisation that Pakistan is not an isolated country with irresponsible reporting and pervasive oral culture. She concludes that there are reasons to believe that there is still future for media in Pakistan. The discussion highlighted how journalists are under threat from militant groups and the establishment, and how the country has come to be known as one of the deadliest places in the world for journalists to work. The event concluded with Q and A and interaction.

BOA President Prof TIm Briggs delivering guest lecture

funded fellowships for Indian orthopaedic surgeons to visit 68 centres of excellence in the UK and British orthopaedic surgeons visit 18 centres of excellence in India. The society also supports a number of major orthopaedic charity programmes in India and has grown exponentially over the last few years.

Akshay Kumar to bring London to a standstill with milestone 500th performance at the O2 Arena After captivating fans globally with his inimitable stage performances for over two decades, actor extraordinaire and all-round A-list performer Akshay Kumar will set a new personal best on Saturday, 9th August 2014, when he performs on stage for an astounding 500th time.

This impressive milestone will take place at the inaugural show to open the first international World Kabaddi League (WKL)tournament at the iconic landmark, London’s O2 Arena.

Akshay Kumar, who

CJA hosts the discussion “How safe is it to be a journalist”

Former High Commissioner of Pakistan Wajid Hasan speaks as Owen and Kiran look on

Annual conference of the Indian Orthopaedic Society UK held in London

About 250 orthopaedic surgeons from across the UK and India attended the 16th annual conference of Indian Orthopaedic Society UK (IOSUK) held at the Grange Tower Bridge Hotel recently.

IOSUK is the only Indian orthopaedic conference outside India that is recognised by all the major orthopaedic associations worldwide which has recently signed several landmark MoU agreements with Indian and British Orthopaedic organisations and institutions on mutual co-operation.

IOSUK President and consultant orthopaedic surgeon Mr. Venu Kavarthapu from King’s College Hospital, London stressed on the objective of the society to create a bridge between Indian and British orthopaedics that would result in improved patient care.

The president of the

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

wait with bated breath for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Akshay Kumar’s 500th stage performance.

Shree Swaminarayan Sidhant Sajivan Mandal Kum Kum UK, a registered Charity based in Parr Road Stanmore, celebrated its first Murti Patotsav Anniversary from 1st Aug to £ Aug 2014.

The head & inspirer of the Kum Kum Swaminarayan Mandir India, Shastri Shree Anand Pryadasji Swami presided over the 3 day function. The third day function was kindly sponsored by Mr Bharatbhai Laxman Halai & Mrs Kasturben Bharat Halai & Family.

It included a 'Sanskrutik Bhajan Bhakti' Night on the Friday evening before a 12hour 'Dhoon' (Chanting Lord Swaminarayan's name in a rhythmic manner).

Guests of the day included Bob Blackman MP for Harrow East since 2010 and The Worshipful Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Ajay Maru.

On Saturday the end of dhoon was followed by 'Katha Vaarta' (reading of Holy books). The evening programme included a Sanskrutik Drama- 'Maro Haath Jhalyo Harivare' (my hand is forever held by the Lord).

Chief Guest on the day was Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP. On Sunday the programme commenced at 8pm with 'Swaagat Yatra', (Procession), lead by Sahajanand Pipers, (a Scottish Pipe Band playing Indian and Scottish melodies), followed by the 'Abhishek' of the idol of Lord Swaminarayan.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Youth of our Elders

Kapil Dudakia

On 29th July Elders came together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Dosti Club in Milton Keynes.

The Club was set up so that elders from our comcould come munity together on a regular basis to extend the hand of friendship, have a good chat, exchange and debate ideas and of course, partake in a glorious vegetarian lunch. The lunch by the way is cooked by the club members themselves.

Shafiq was also in attendance. Of course being a devout Muslim the Mayor was observing Ramadan.

As they say, God works in ways. mysterious Ramadan concluded on the night of the 28th leaving the good Mayor to enjoy his first official lunch at the Dosti Club on the 29th. Now how’s that for planning!

Local MP Iain Stewart, a great supporter of the Dosti Club was also in attendance as were a lot of representatives from various departments of

Dosti has gone from strength to strength. It now has in excess of 300 members and every Tuesday a good number turn up to enjoy each other’ company. The celebrations were attended by many from the community, the wider community and even guests from further afield.

The city’ first Muslim Mayor, Cllr Subhan

Milton Keynes Council and voluntary organisations. A special guest had travelled all the way to Milton Keynes; it was the Secretary General of the National Council of Hindu Temples Shri Satish Sharma.

He was overwhelmed with the incredible friendliness of Dosti and the positively welcoming atmosphere.

As Milton Keynes

EXCLUSIVE

Ed Miliband

Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Manchester Investment Development Agency Service (MIDAS) among others.

Patricia Hewitt, Chair of UKIBC said: “I’m delighted that UKIBC are working with Greater Manchester, to not only highlight the opportunities for collaboration between the region and India, but

Government must send a clear and unequivocal message to both sides in Gaza conflict

grows and the community grows, it is evident that such organisations will be required increasingly more to ensure that the needs and requirements of our community are met correctly. This is now also a national requirement.

Many such clubs exist around the country providing valuable service to our elders but there is in my view insufficient focus on the full range of needs.

For example from affordable culturally sensitive care homes and day centres, to how we as a community begin to recognise that our tried and tested model of living and caring for each other in a family home is breaking down.

I commend all those families who so valiantly and with all the challenges of modern living, have found a way of combining

to bring businesses from both sides and a range of sectors together to develop key areas of cooperation.”

“Greater Manchester is one of the UK’s most dynamic and innovative urban areas, with exceptional strengths in the life sciences, education, digital innovation and manufacturing sectors. These are not only key areas of growth and opportunity for the Indian economy,

Inmate slashed face of guard at Glen Parva young offender institution An inmate who slashed the face of a guard at a young offender institution has been given 18 months detention.

Ayub Said (19) admitted unlawfully wounding the officer, who suffered a cut above his eye needing five stitches. The incident happened at Glen Parva young offender institution on December 29.

Leicester Crown Court was told Said was already serving a six-year public protection sentence for an offence of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said Said and three other inmates received a "negative entry" on their disciplinary reports from the prison officer, for misbehaving earlier in the day. At lunchtime, Said

and one of the inmates involved in the earlier matter were "being obstructive" and loitering while taking their lunch back to their cells. The prison officer asked Said's associate to go into his cell. He refused and threw his dinner over the officer.

Miss Rose said: "The officer went to usher the inmate into his cell, but Said moved between them. The officer saw a flash of metal and thought it was a blade, but there's no evidence a blade was used. He did not see what the weapon was, but something was used to cause the injury. It was some form of implement, possibly to eat the lunch with. As soon as he felt the pain he grabbed Said, who bent his body down

15

Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition Leader of the Labour party

our traditional family lifestyle of caring for our parents and still staying in the present. However all families are not so blessed and even with the best will in the world some are not be able to rise to such high expectations. In those circumstances it is time we considered alternatives that serve our elders and allow for family bonds to be maintained and even strengthened.

I also commend the Dosti Club and all other such clubs in the country.

We, as a community, owe you so much for the tremendous service you provide to each other.

Now it is for all us to rise to the challenge that we shall all face sooner or later. The youth of our elders is strong when surrounded by love and family warmth.

Manchester hosts a major business summit to improve Indo-British relations Greater Manchester organised a major 2 days business summit from Wednesday 6 August. The summit hosted delegates from more than 40 Indian companies with the objective of building stronger bilateral trade relationships between India and Manchester.

The event was supported by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC), VisitEngland, Federation of Indian

UK

and tried to grab his leg to pull him over, as the officer shouted for help. He now has a permanent scar above his right eye."

Sentencing, Judge Lynn Tayton QC said: "You intentionally attacked a prison officer with a form of weapon, causing a cut needing stitches and it's not clear what the weapon was. It was while he was carrying out his duties. The offence is aggravated by your previous conviction. In the context of your current sentence, the 18 months I pass concurrently makes no difference. You're already being detained for public protection and won't be released in any event until you're considered to be no longer a danger."

but are areas where India holds real expertise, and a partnership with foundations in these sectors holds immense promise for not only Manchester, but India as well.”

With the breakdown of Friday’s ceasefire and the prospects of peace seemingly distant, it is now more important than ever that the international community acts to get the two sides to agree to a renewed ceasefire, and thereafter to re-establish meaningful negotiations to achieve a two-state solution.

David Cameron should be playing a leading role in these efforts to secure peace. He is right to say that Hamas is an appalling, terrorist organisation. It’s wholly unjustified rocket attacks on Israeli citizens, as well as the building of tunnels for terrorist purposes, show the organimurderous sation’s intent and practice towards Israel and its citizens.

But the Prime Minister is wrong not to have opposed Israel’s incursion into Gaza. And his silence on the killing of hundreds of innocent Palestinian civilians caused by Israel’s military action will be inexplicable to people across Britain and internationally.

I am a supporter of Israel and I believe in Israel’s right to selfdefence. But its military actions in the past two weeks have been wrong and unjustifiable. The escalation of violence engulfing Gaza has led, and is leading, to suffering and destruction on an appalling scale, and is losing Israel friends in the international community day by day.

Israel’s present military action will increase the future threats to its security rather than countering them. Israelis

rightly and justifiably want that security, yet their government’s present actions instead risk simply a growing a new generation bent on revenge.

Sustainable security for Israel cannot be achieved simply by permanent blockade, aerial bombardment and periodic ground incursion.

Instead, it requires acknowledging the legitimate claims of Palestinians to statehood, and sustained efforts to secure a viable Palestine alongside a secure Israel.

As for the British government, its job now is to develop a collective response not a differentiated one and to speak with one voice. We need the clear and unequivocal message that has not so far been provided to be sent from Britain to both sides in this conflict. David Cameron and the Cabinet must put Britain in a leading role in pressuring both sides now to end the violence.

First, the government as a whole should condemn the escalating violence now being perpetrated by both sides in this conflict, not just by Hamas.

Second, it should be actively engaging with other EU leaders to achieve a united European position, and applying coordinated pressure on both Israel and Hamas to commit to an enduring ceasefire.

Third, it should be working to ensure Europe engages actively with John Kerry and the Arab League to re-establish a meaningful peace process once an enduring ceasefire is achieved.

Foreign drivers in Leicester escape parking fines Overseas drivers by the thousands have escaped from paying parking fines due to their foreign registered vehicles, which means that officials are unable to trace the vehicles.

Figures accounted by Leicester City council show that between 2009 and 2013 only 457 out of the 2,776 penalty charges were paid. Significantly, this results in the loss of £100,000 for the council as only an insignificant amount of £15,000 was generated from the 457 fines that were paid.

Furthermore, pursing these drivers who possess foreign vehicles will result in a further loss as the cost

would outweigh the income generated for the Leicester City Council.

The council state that it is difficult to trace these drivers as the holder of the UK drivers records, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, do hold account of oversea drivers and vehicles.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “This is a problem for councils up and down the country and it is particularly an issue in London and the Local Government Association is pressing the Government to take action to help council to find overseas drivers. It is frustrating but then their does come a point where it

is more expensive to pursue the matter than let it go.”

The council stated that the 2,776 tickets given to overseas drivers were just a small 1.2 per cent of the total number issued over the five years. Meaning that around 1,156,666 fines issued. A city council spokeswoman said: “It is a problem because the DVLA systems don’t hold data on foreign vehicles.

We work very hard to pursue all unpaid parking fines. However, DVLA systems do not allow us to trace the keeper of foreign vehicles. Overall, fines issued to foreign vehicles account for about 1.2 per cent of all tickets issued.”

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Labour party hosts its first major Eid-Ul-Fitr celebration

16

Rupanjana Dutta

The Labour party alongside the Muslim Friends of Labour, co-chaired by Khalid Mahmood MP and Faiz-Ul-Rasool hosted an Eid-Ul-Fitr reception on the evening of Thursday 31st July at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel.

The event was attended by many Asian Councillors, MPs and Peers and the special guest speakers included Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP. While Shabana Mahmood MP did a fantastic job as the compere, Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP lightened up the atmosphere with his best wishes for Eid. Introduced by Dr Humera Rasool, Ed Miliband, Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition spoke about many issues including the values of British Muslims, their contributions to the society and charity, drawing parallels with the values of the Labour party. He said: “My friends tell me that this was a particularly difficult year for fasting, with the long and unusually warm summer days. In fact, British Muslims had the fourth longest fast anywhere in the world this year. I am sure Eid must be all the more enjoyable as a result!

“We have people here from lots of different backgrounds. And I love that we can come together, lots of different religions, under one roof, and celebrate Eid together with our Muslim friends. But I know too that this is a special time for Muslims to think about their role in the world. One of the British Muslim community’s biggest strengths is a passion for helping people across the globe.

“From donating prodigiously during Ramadan to tonight’s donations to the crucial work of Islamic Relief in Gaza ... This immense generosity to those who share your faith overseas is not something to be feared. It is something to be celebrated.

“And let’s take a moment to look at the phenomenal contribution Muslims make to British life. British Muslims play an essential part in the economic and cultural life of

Shabana Mahmood MP

this great country. You are an amazingly entrepreneurial community. You contribute an astonishing £31 billion to our economy.

“More than 100,000 British Muslims work in senior management positions in Britain - as doctors, accountants and lawyers. Here in London, Muslim businesses create more than 70,000 jobs.

“And there are countless British Muslims who are role models in every part of our cultural life.

From Olympic hero Mo Farah – what a shame that he couldn’t run in this weeks’ Commonwealth Games – to former England cricket captain Nassar Hussein to One-Direction superstar Zayn Malik.

“And you are incredibly charitable community too.

British Muslims gave more to charity here at home than any other community in Britain last year.

“British Muslims enrich our society with your culture and traditions, and I hugely respect and admire your contribution.

Without it, Britain would not be the country it is today.

“I know that Islam is a religion which prides itself on the values of peace, love, charity and prosperity for all. Everyone in our country should take the time to truly experience and understand the contribution of British Muslims.

And not give a distorted and unfair view of your community.”

Speaking about the Labour party and its values parallel to the Muslim values, Mr Miliband said, “I am delighted we have a record number of shadow cabinet ministers from BME communities, front benchers from BME com-

munities. And after the general election, we will have a record number of members of parliament from BME communities too.

And because we have been listening to the British people, we are developing a programme that speaks directly to your concerns. It is a programme that tackles issues that affect the Muslim community in the same way as it affects all other communities. Like the cost of living crisis, the growing gap between those at the top and everyone else. And the deep problems faced by the next generation, who fear that they will have a harder life than their parents.

And Labour will also tackle problems of specific concern to British Muslims

too. Like the fact that the fight against race inequality has stalled in Britain over the last four years.

So many members of the Muslim community work hard, do well at school and university and then find themselves held back from getting the very best jobs in the boardroom, judiciary or politics. We have to change that.”

Sadiq Khan MP, Shadow Justice Secretary and Shadow London Minister said: “This Eid ul Fitr event was historic.

Never before has a political party in the UK hosted an Eid reception like this, with over one thousand British Muslims and friends of all faiths and none in attendance to celebrate. It is great to see the Labour Party celebrating all the major festivals - whether it

Q: Do you think extremism is growing in this country- because of Syria, and what should the country do to stop it?

Vast majority does not want to see a rise in extremism. I believe whatever your faith is, or background is, it is much stronger what divides us.

Q: Is Labour party planning to host a Diwali or Vaisakhi after this Eid party?

We do a whole range of events, in Parliament, even as Labour party. In Parliament and Labour party Eid, Vaisakhi, Diwali are becoming a regular fixture on our calendar. This country is becoming more and more tolerant and enjoys its diversity and celebrates all aspects of it.

Q: Under labour government Immigration- what will be your policy on immigration?

We need an immigration policy that has proper control. I believe that new countries coming in to EU need longer transitional control. I believe this country needs a proper integration, in the work place, we prevent people’s wages being driven down.

The combination of proper control, making sure we have integration and showing proper standard

in work place-is the right mixture.

Q: Are you planning an India trip, since you cancelled your last trip for the UK flood?

Yes I am very keen to go if possibly can before the next election.

Q: In the next elections why should Asians vote for Labour?

Fundamentally, because we want a greater country that works for all and not a few at the top of our society. What I see is a country where people are working harder for longer for less money, their living standards are squeezed.

People are worried about their children and what kind of lives they are going to have. If people are running a small business, they find banks aren’t working for them.

As a Prime Minister one should wake up to the

ASIAN ACHIEVERS

AWARDS

The people’s choice awards

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

be Diwali, Vaisakhi, Eid, Hanukkah or Christmas. “It was great to see members of the Shadow Cabinet, ministers, MPs, MEPs, Leaders of Councils, Parliamentary candidates, Councillors, Lord Mayors, Ambassadors, Labour Party members, supporters, trade unions and members of the wider community coming together to celebrate Eid. “Ed spoke with passion about the huge contribution black and asian minority ethnic communities make to Britain whether in politics, arts, charity, teaching, media, sports and much more. This is what one nation Labour is about. His statement on the shocking spiral of violence that continues to engulf Gaza showed he

really understands the issues and challenges facing innocent men, women and children in the region.

“Although very proud of the record number of BAME members of the Shadow Cabinet and MPs, it was really encouraging for Ed to announce the number of BAME parliamentary candidates in winnable seats which means the number of BAME MPs is set to go up for Labour.”

The evening was also attended by non Muslim politicians such as Seema Malhotra MP and Virendra Sharma MP. The entertainment was provided by Quwaat-Ul-Islam Girls’ School from Forest Gate entertained and food was catered by Madhus.

Pic courtesy: Mr Rooful Ali/aliway.co.uk

Face to face with Ed Miliband

Journalists interviewing Ed Miliband in the presence of Sadiq Khan MP

thought- how to make life easier for all and not just the wealthiest.

The Conservatives believe as long as the wealthiest are ok, wealth will trickle down to others. I believed that’s a failed economic theory for the country. Whether its a job for young people or building 200,000 homes a year, freezing energy bills or raising minimum wage or better childcare and nursery provisions, Labour has an agenda that will definitely make a concrete differences to people.

Q: How will improve opportunity for ethnic minority?

We need jobs for young persons. Some ethnic minority community has higher youth unemployment than others. We need to deal with that.

Small businesses are very important. We need to

fundamentally change our banking system, so it really works for small businesses. I am very proud that Labour is the party that is not only saying reform the bank but cut business rates for small businesses.

Across every issue we need to make sure we also meet the equality agendaeconomic equality and equality by way of background. And to make that happen, we need to have equality in politics- proper representation. I am incredibly proud of not only the representation we have, but what we will have after the election.

Q: How do we ensure Small businesses can be encouraged to invest in Britain?

I think we should support foreign investments of any kinds, using UKTI and other vehicles to make that happen.

Asian Achievers Awards is organised ever Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar to h

Venue: Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN

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CWG 2014

17

India finishes fifth in 2014 Commonwealth Games

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

With 64 medals including 15 gold, 30 silver and 19 bronze – India finished fifth in the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in Scotland on last Sunday.

Though Indian athletes couldn’t match its best performance ever in the history of Commonwealth Games in Delhi four years ago, the Indian sports percould perform sons nation’s third best. In the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010, India crossed 100 medals including 38 gold medals.

In the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the India got total 69 medals at Manchester.

Meanwhile, England took the top spot with 174 medals of which 58 were gold. Australia, Canada and Scotland were on 2nd, 3rd and 4th place with 49, 32 and 19 gold medals.

Overall Australia won 137 medals while Canada won 82 medals. Though in terms of overall medals India surpassed Scotland, but India won less number of gold medals, hence it slid to fifth position. won three India medals with Parupalli Kashyap clinching a historic gold in men's badminton singles. Jwala Gutta & Ashwini Ponnappa settled for silver in the badminton women's doubles while the men's hockey team also got silver on the last day of the

England top medals tally after 28 years

sporting event.

The curtains came down on the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a colourful ceremony that witnessed some power packed performances by famous Scottish singer Lulu, pop band Deacon Blue, Australian singer Kylie Minogue and more than 2,000 performers at the Hampden Park – Scotland's National Stadium.

In the medal tally, Newzealand missed fifth position by just one Gold as it got 14 gold medals.

African countries including Kenya, Nigeria and Jambia did well in Atheletics events.

Badminton gold after 32 years

Parupalli Kashyap etched his name firmly in the history books by becoming the first Indian male shuttler in 32 years to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, but women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had to settle for silver in Glasgow.

A bronze-medallist at the Delhi Games, Kashyap rose to the occasion and played a sensational game of nerves to eke out a breathtaking 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 triumph against Derek Wong of Singapore in the final showdown which lasted for over an hour.

The 27-year-old from Hyderabad thus joined badminton legend

Prakash Padukone and the late Syed Modi, who had won the title in the past. While Padukone had won the men's singles gold medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Canada, Modi retained it four years later.

Medals Tally P 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Country Gold England 58 Australia 49 Canada 32 Scottland 19 India 15 New Zealand 14 South Africa 13 Nigeria 11 Kenya 10 Jamaica 10 Singapore 8 Malaysia 6 Wales 5 Cyprus 2 N Ireland 2 Papua New Guinea 2 Cameroon 1 Uganda 1 Grenada 1 Karibati 1

Silver Bronze Total 59 57 174 42 46 137 16 34 82 15 19 53 30 19 64 14 17 45 10 17 40 11 14 36 10 5 25 4 8 22 5 4 17 7 6 19 11 20 36 4 2 8 3 7 12 0 0 2 3 3 7 0 4 5 0 1 2 0 0 1

England triumphed in the Commonwealth Games medals table for the first time in 28 years, but there were final day consolations for former topper Australia with wins in men's hockey and netball.

England started the day already assured of top spot in the medals table for the first time since 1986, dethroning Australia. With just 11 more golds to be decided on a rain-hit final day, Lizzie Armitstead struck further gold for England in the women's cycling road race going one better than four years ago in New Dehli. Fellow English rider Emma Pooley finished 25 seconds behind to finish second and add

to the silver she won in the time trial. "I can call myself a champion finally.

It's special and something I've always dreamed about," Armitstead said. "I just feel like I deserve this.

I've trained so hard and I'm always on the podium but I don't win too many races."

Welsh rider Geraint Thomas then won gold in the gruelling men's 168km road race. Thomas, who won bronze in the time trial, survived suffering a puncture with just 6 km to go to finish in a time of four hours 13 minutes and five seconds. A sprint finish saw New Zealand's Jack Bauer claim silver while Scott Thwaites took bronze for England.

Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa have made not only their country proud but also gave a great significant to their sport – squash, with their magnificent win in the women’s doubles gold medal match at the Commonwealth Games 2014. Never before India has won a medal forget gold in the squash and has been dominated by the Western Counterparts. But these beautiful looking players from India not only

tamed their opponents from England, the top seeds Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro from England but did it in style. The fifth seeds at the 20th Commonwealth Games, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa had a great run here at Glasgow. It is the sheer hard-work and dedication from the Indian duo to finish on top of the podium after they came 5th in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.

medals, six silver and two bronze, second to Canada's haul of 6 gold.

Though India bettered the Delhi Games haul of 12 medals, Indian wrestlers had won a gold more in 2010. Earlier, continuing in the now impressive Phogat Family Girls tradition, Babita Rani won the first gold of the day in the

women's 55kg category.

Babita, who had won silver in Delhi 2010 in 51kg, was contesting in her sister Geeta's event here.

Last edition's winner Geeta could not make it to the Games due to injury.

Babita did not disappoint anyone by coming up with a clinical performance to win her final against Brittanee Laverduire of Canada. Showing her experience, Babita was in no hurry to finish things off quickly as she grappled patiently to accumulate points.

The 24-year-old was placed comfortably throughout her bout and successfully warded off a late challenge from her 32year-old rival.

1st Squash gold for India

Gowda, Yogeshwar & Babita win gold

Yogeshwar an Olympic medallist himself raced to gold against Canada's Jevon Balfour in his new weight category, 65kg. The bout lasted less than two minutes and it reaffirmed India's domination in the wrestling arena at the CWG where two gold medals, one silver and a bronze came its way.

India's discuss thrower Vikas Gowda threw 63.64m in his third attempt which was enough to give him the gold medal in Men's Discus Throw event at the Commonwealth Games.

Four years back, at the Delhi CWG, Gowda had managed a silver medal.

As Yogeshwar leapt over the audience barriers

and rushed up the aisle to hug his long-time training partner Sushil, he remarked on the controversy over the selection of some wrestlers picked by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) without a selection trial.

India finished the wrestling event with 13 medals including five gold

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Cyrus Mistry rolls out ‘Vision 2025’ for Tata Group

When many divisions of Indian conglomerate Tata Group were performing poorly, some observers compared Tata Group’s new chairman Cyrus Mistry unfavourably with his venerated predecessor, Ratan Tata, who caught global attention with aggressive foreign acquisitions. Others worried privately that this down-to-earth businessman was not cut out for corporate India’s biggest job.

His recent presentation was the start of Mistry’s riposte. He laid out his “Vision 2025” for a new phase of Tata’s growth, as well as existing areas such as steelmaking, it would develop four new business “clusters” – retail, infrastructure, finance and defence – as part of a $35bn three-year investment plan.

Tata was already more global than either Google or Ford, Mistry argued, but within a decade it could win a place among the world’s 25 largest businesses. Those watching seemed impressed. “He doesn’t like talking to big audiences but he didn’t seem nervous,” says one who attended. “I think he’d practised a lot. It went down well.” Born into Mumbai’s close-knit Parsi community, 46-year-old Cyrus Mistry is the second son of Pallonji Mistry, a property tycoon, and his Irish wife, Patsy. Having studied engineering in London, Mistry, who like his parents holds an Irish passport, returned to India, working for his father’s construction group.

Pallonji Mistry has an 18 per cent stake in Tata’s holding company, the source of much of his $18bn fortune and status as Ireland’s richest man, prompting his son to take up board positions at various Tata group companies. Still, Mistry’s appointment as chairman, the first non-Tata family member to head the company in its 146-year history, caught India by surprise.

He took over at a difficult time. Tata’s deal making left high hopes but also unsolved headaches, including huge losses at Tata Steel’s European division, the legacy of its $13bn purchase in 2008 of Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus. India’s economy was in the doldrums, too, hitting Tata’s domestic car making and telecoms operations. More than anything, Mistry had to grapple with the intense expectations attached to Tata leadership: its high ethical reputation stands out in India, where business is often tainted by corruption. Those who know him say he was daunted by the scale of his inheritance.

In person, Mistry is affable and informal, with thin wire glasses that contrast with his bulky frame.

Colleagues describe a diligent and meticulous leader who combines an ability to soak up complex financial information with an engineer’s enthusiasm for technology. Flashes of his dry sense of humour emerged during his presentation, when discussing the mixed fortunes of Tata’s existing retail operations. “He talked about 75m people coming into Tata-branded shops last year,” recalls one attendee. “Then he smiled, saying: ‘Next year, let’s hope more of them actually buy something’.”

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged

The Reserve Bank of India kept its key policy repo rate unchanged as widely expected, but warned about inflationary risks should a shortfall in monsoon rains spark a surge in food prices. The RBI also announced measures to free up resources for banks to lend, a priority for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government as it seeks to encourage investment in order to put momentum back in sluggish economic growth. The RBI lowered banks' minimum bond holding requirements, known as the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), by half a percentage point to 22 percent to free up more money for lending, effective from Aug. 9. The RBI also cut the ceiling on debt

that must be held-to-maturity (HTM) by half a percentage point to 24 per cent. "With some continuing uncertainty about the path of the monsoon, it would be premature to conclude that future food inflation, and its spill-over to broader inflation, can be discounted," the RBI said in a statement. The RBI kept the repo rate unchanged at 8 per cent as expected. The repo rate has been unchanged since January, when the RBI increased it by a quarter percentage point. Food price inflation remains one of the biggest risks for India, despite government measures to curb hoarding of food articles and setting limits on the export of onions and potatoes.

No immunity scheme to bring back black money: Jaitley

India’s finance minister Arun Jaitley ruled out introducing an immunity scheme to unearth black money, saying it discriminates against the honest taxpayers.

In a debate on the Finance Bill, 2014, in the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley also said the monsoon situation was not as bad as a fortnight or a month ago, but the government has back-up plans for the areas affected by the scanty rain.

He said the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) govern-

The UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), a department of the British government which facilitates overseas investments in England, has expressed interest in helping entrepreneurs from the northeast set up businesses in the country.

At an interactive session with local entrepreneurs, the UKTI, in association with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FICCI), showcased the UK as an investment des-

ment had specified that the General AntiAvoidance Agreement (GAAR) would be implemented from the next

financial year, while the present government was yet to take a call on its introduction. Replying to a debate on the Bill, minister of state for finance Nirmala Sitharaman said, "I would like to put on record that experience shows that when you bring in voluntary disclosure of income schemes (VDIS), it discriminates against genuine taxpayers." Those who do pay tax are disincentivised, she said. "... it goes against honest taxpayers and it may even be discriminatory. So, it (VDIS) may not

be a very conducive path for recovering more taxes," Sitharaman said.

The government had introduced VDIS in 1997 when the United Front was in power. Those who opted for VDIS were granted immunity from prosecution under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, the Income Tax Act, the Wealth Tax Act and the Companies Act. However, a later report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) slammed the scheme for various irregularities.

tination for small and medium-scale entrepreneurs from the northeast.

UKTI representatives said the country has a strong community of Indian-origin citizens and can be conducive for entrepreneurs from India.

Trade and investment adviser at the British deputy high commission in Kolkata Sandip Chaudhuri said the country is interested in strengthening business ties with India. "Indian entrepreneurs are wel-

come and will be supported extensively. The UK is the number one business destination in Europe.

Once an Indian entrepreneur starts business in the UK, the entire European market becomes accessible. In fact, there is an opportunity for exposure to the global market," Chaudhuri said.

The interaction was held as part of a roadshow organized by the UKTI in different parts of the country. Entrepreneurs from the northeast enquired

about the scope available in England.

Navinder Pal Singh Kalsi, a consultant in Britain, explained the avenues that entrepreneurs from the region can explore in England. Kalsi also spoke at length about the visa facilities available to entrepreneurs from India who wish to invest in the UK. "There is a misconception that getting a visa is very difficult. This is not true. It you qualify, the journey is straightforward," Kalsi said.

faster than expected, forcing each to turn to their respective parents for help just for their daily needs.

“I had told my parents we had enough money for two years, and we would try for two years then see what happens,” Sachin Bansal recalls. “But we ran out of money after six months. Then I was on a monthly allowance from my parents.” After a few months, Flipkart had enough revenues to allow its co-founders to draw small salaries and, in early 2009, they raised their first equity investment from Accel Partners.

Today, their biggest challenge will be how to deploy their enhanced war chest to compete most effectively with Amazon, which has been investing aggressively in India since launching its own site a year ago.

The Gujarat model of growth got an endorsement World Bank president Jim Yong Kim. "If the ranking of India in (the ease of) doing business report was based just on Gujarat, it would improve 50 places in the doing business ranking. So, our hope is that what PM (Narendra) Modi did in Gujarat to improve the business environment can be scaled up to all over India. And, if that does happen, India will rise very quickly in ranking of doing business reports," the World Bank boss said.

The statement by the chief of the multilateral body is the latest certificate for Gujarat, which claims to have eased procedures for companies as well as individuals. Modi, who was the state chief minister for 12 years, is widely credited with making Gujarat an investment hub. Even since moving to the national capital, Modi has asked ministries to make life simpler for citizens and countries through a series of steps, including reducing the size of the forms and identifying archaic laws that can be repealed.

Arun Jaitley

UK trade body woos northeast entrepreneurs

Flipkart founders raise $1bn

Indian engineers Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal who quit their jobs at Amazon.com in 2007 to start Flipkart has raised $1bn to expand in India’s rapidly growing e-commerce market. The deal was the largest single funding raised by an Indian internet company and Flipkart becomes India’s largest e-retailer at about $7bn. This investment helps us to think really long term, Sachin Bansal said. Shopping over internet is rapidly gaining popularity with India’s consuming class as an alternative to retail sector still dominated by tiny mom-andpop shops with limited, and erratic, stock. Indians are only expected to buy about $2.3bn worth of goods over the internet this year, but the skyrocketing use of internet enabled by smart phones is expected to propel online retail sales to more than $30bn within the next five years.

The Flipkart founders, who were both raised in Chandigarh and graduated in 2004 from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, are counting on their first-mover advantage, and homegrown appeal, to help them weather intensifying competition from their initial

inspiration, Amazon.

“Being a local player, we are definitely more connected to the ground reality in the country,” says Sachin Bansal.

“Commerce is a very local activity, driven by local conditions and culture. We believe being local is an advantage.”

University acquaintances who became close after they both relocated to Bangalore to start their working lives, the Bansals drew the initial inspiration for their business from the success of travel-oriented ecommerce websites, like MakeMyTrip. “We started seeing this huge boom of online travel, like MakeMyTrip.com,” says Sachin Bansal. With Rs 400,000 in combined savings, the friends thought they could launch the business. But they burnt through their cash far

World Bank chief praises Gujarat model

REAL ESTATE VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

19

Hit & Run Or Stay Put?

Suresh Vagjiani

Sow & Reap A Property Investment Company

Our focus has been trading in properties which gives quick returns in short spaces of time. One example is a property we traded in March 2012 where we exchanged or £1.1m and resold 3 days later for £1.3m; hence made £200k from an investment of £110k.

Needless to say this was a good return, however currently the value of this property is in the region of £2.25m.

Though the return at the time over the space of a few days was impressive perhaps in hindsight we were celebrating over mere crumbs and we let the cake get away. However hindsight is a wonderful thing. In all fairness the market has increased beyond all expectations over this period when many were calling the top in 2012 the market carried on rising to unprecedented levels.

The amount of money used is a little deceptive as it was always sitting in the account, £550k which equates to half of the purchase monies.

Therefore the question to ask is would it have made sense to leave the money in a property and enjoyed the natural rise of the property? Of course the answer looking backwards seems to be yes. The block of 5 flats has risen over £1m in less than two years.

This equates to a rise of almost £10k per week. A good wage by any means.

T he fl ip side is how many deals could b a n k r e a d y f o r m o re t r a d e s , p e rh a p s w e p e r i o d . I n t ru t h t h e y d o n ’ t c o m e a l l t h e a l l i s n ’ t a b i rd i n h a n d b e t t e r t h a n t w o

we do by havi ng £550k sit t ing i n t he woul d have pul led a few off ov er thi s t ime, th at’s t he bott om li ne. And af ter in th e b us h?

T h i s p ro p e rt y h a s r i s e n £2 m w i t h i n o n e y e a r, e q u a t i n g t o a r i s e o f £ 2 0 k p e r w e e k . A h a n d s o m e re t u r n f o r t h o s e i n v e s t o r s w h o h a d p u t £ 1 . 4m i n t o t h e d e a l a n d t h e y w i l l s t i l l g e t i n c o m e p l u s h o p e f u l l y f u t u re u p l i f t , b o t h t h e n a t u r a l u p l i f t a n d t h ro u g h t h e e n h a n c e d p l a n n i n g w e p ro p o s e t o d o . I n t r u t h w h e n I f i r s t s a w t h e b u i l d i n g I t h o u g h t i t w a s a d u m p , t h e r o o m s w e re p o k e y a n d s m a l l , th ey c oul dn’t be sol d o ff individuall y as t hey wo ul d h a v e b e e n t o o s m a l l t o q u a l i f y f o r a m o r t g a g e . We a c t u a l l y w e r e n o t t h e b e s t b i d d e r s , t h e d e a l d ro p p e d i n o u r l a p s a f t e r t h e h e a d b i d d e r k e p t d r a g g i n g t h e i r f e e t . We purch ased at £299 per s q. f t., whic h real ly i s a no b r a i n e r i n a n a re a a t t ra c t i n g – a t t h e t i m e - £ 6 5 0 p e r s q . ft.

We’re in the middle of one at the moment where we have purchased a freehold house in Victoria for £1.85m and are looking to exchange shortly for £2m. Therefore from £255k we will be looking to make £200k within a couple of months.

Furthermore trades are easier to do when the market is supporting you i.e. meaning its rising; investors are falling over themselves to get stock, many even buy with the anticipation of a future price rise, they don’t even need a discount to the present value.

Also you don’t even have to be that smart in getting deals, just organise a long completion date and the price will increase naturally!

The market currently is not rising in the exponential manner it was say six months ago, it is not a weak market by any means, however there is more hesitation before offers are put in and exchanges are done, the market is pausing for breath.

In contrast to this last year we had purchased a deal in Kilburn High Rd for £2.675m, the idea initially was as always to purchase and resell; a hit and run strategy. However in this situation the deal itself flowered in an unexpected way. A very kind housing association offered us over £500k free of cost to develop the property and in return give it back to them for a ten year period to rent.

The property in total has been rented for £260k per annum and has been valued by Savills at £4.765m. This allows us to refinance and pull out the initial investor money and stay in the deal, and it will still be producing income every month. Furthermore there is another £1m to be gained from this lump of property through enhanced planning; we believe you can get six more studios on top of this property.

So it begs the question, is our method wrong in focussing on a hit and run strategy? Clearly from the above two scenarios it seems to at least be called into question. In many ways a hit and run type method goes against the natural grain of property which is to rise passively.

On the other side is that these examples are being looked at with the benefit of hindsight. If the market were to have dipped we would have been justified in our approach.

On the deal I mentioned at the beginning of the article we perhaps would have needed to do a trade deal five times in order to match the same level of return as the amount the property has risen by itself. With all the work and hassle which goes with doing these speedy transactions.

There are of course benefits of doing this, one is in terms of work to the property - it is non-existent, the property is bought and sold without it even being cleaned. The exposure to the market is limited therefore and downturns will have minimal effect.

The Real Deal

T h e f u n d w e w i l l b e l a u n c h i n g f o r £ 4 0m w i l l b e f o c u s ing part in t radi ng and part i n h o lding on t o st o ck and d e v e l o p i n g . T h e t r a d i n g w i l l e n s u r e a s t ro n g c a s h re t u r n f o r o u r i n v e s t o r s a n d e n a b l e u s t o r e t u r n a t a rg e t e d d i v i d e n d s o f 7 - 9 % . W h i l s t t h e p u rc h a s i n g a n d h o l d i n g w i l l e n s u re t h e u n d e r l y i n g v a l u e s w i l l b e k e p t s t ro n g a n d grounded.

West Hampstead, London, NW6 Purchase Price: £1.3m l l l l l l

A large three bedroom top floor flat Share of freehold Can be converted into a four bedroom flat Two parking spaces, a very rare find in this location Around 1,450 sq. ft. area Excellent buy and hold opportunity

Given the relative slowing down of the market it seems as if the rest of this year and the coming year will yield some good opportunities in the areas where the deals are more complicated and require development, as most buyers will be nervous of entering into these types of transactions, due to perceived future uncertainty. Therefore this is the time to enter, but remember to do your numbers correctly and there’s no need to rush, deals will start to flow hence forward. Those who purchased in 2009 have made the most in terms of rise in property values.

Call us now to secure this deal!

0207 993 0103

We provide a turnkey solution. Contact us now:

Specialists in

Central London Property Sourcing

info@sowandreap.co.uk

www.sowandreap.co.uk

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

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SowandReapProperties

Tips of the Week

l Often people get carried away with terms like Below Market Value; remember this is not the main consideration, the potential for future growth needs to be there. A property may be cheap but that doesn’t mean it will increase in value in the future.

l Property prices in good locations tend to be high, but these are the areas where you get the maximum capital appreciation. So it’s better to save or club together to ensure you purchase a diamond.

20

BUSINESS

India stands firm, WTO fails to reach deal on customs rules

The World Trade Organization failed to reach a deal to standardise customs rules, which would have been the first global trade reform in two decades but was blocked

by India's demands for concessions on agricultural stockpiling.

"We have not been able to find a solution that would allow us to bridge that gap," WTO directorgeneral Roberto Azevedo told trade diplomats in Geneva the final day for a deal.

The deadline passed without a breakthrough.

WTO ministers had already agreed the global reform of customs procedures known as "trade facilitation" last December, but it needed to be put into the WTO rule book by July 31. Most diplomats saw that as rubber-stamping a unique success in the WTO's 19 year history, which

India's rating to remain stable: Morgan Stanley

India's sovereign credit rating is expected to remain stable over the next 12month period, brokerage firm Morgan Stanley said in its research report.

“Decisive and timely action by the government to reduce the fiscal deficit through lower expenditure, moderate rural wage growth in line with productivity, and reduced energy subsidies would be needed to trigger an upgrade," Morgan Stanley said.India's sovereign is currently rated BBB- by all rating agencies; only S&P has India on a negative outlook. While the rating agencies do not detail specific triggers for a downgrade, S&P is looking for stronger growth, fiscal account consolidation and lower inflation to revise the outlook to stable.

While India scores well for variables, such as GDP growth and FX reserves/GDP on Morgan Stanley forecast, it needs to show considerable improvement in inflation, fiscal balance and current account deficit to potentially be upgraded. Morgan Stanley economics team expects India's inflation rate to be reduced to 6.5 per cent over the next 12 months. While this is an improvement from the current level, it still compares unfavourably with the average BBB-rated EM sovereign (4.8 per cent), and average EM sovereign rated A and above (2.6 per cent). Similarly, India's fiscal balance expectation (6.4 per cent of GDP) compares unfavourably with EM sovereigns rated BBB (-1.9 per cent of GDP) and A (-2.1 per cent of GDP).

even more surprising.

Deal can be signed if its concerns addressed: India Meanwhile, India said that it was willing to sign the deal, which it has torpedoed, if other WTO members could agree to its parallel demand for concessions on stockpiling food, senior officials in New Delhi.

It was not immediately clear if the latest comments by Indian officials would open a window for the deal to be resurrected.

In Geneva, a trade diplomat from a developing nation said: "The trust that countries have in what India says is going to be significantly diminished." The officials in New Delhi said the deal could be signed as early as September.

"It is ridiculous to say the Bali deal is dead," said a senior official at the trade ministry. "We are

totally committed to the TFA, and only asking for an agreement on food security," said the official.

Another trade official said: "We expect that the (WTO) director general will call a meeting in September and we are ready to sign the deal in September itself, provided TFA and food security issues are passed together.

We are quite hopeful for the deal."

US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was on a visit to India, told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India's refusal to sign the trade deal had undermined the country's image. "Failure to sign the Trade Facilitation Agreement sent a confusing signal and undermined the very image Prime Minister Modi is trying to send about India," a US State Department official told reporters after Kerry's meeting with Modi.

The CBI arrested six people, including chairman and managing director of Syndicate Bank Sudhir Kumar Jain, for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 5000,000 for increasing credit limit of some companies in violation of banking rules.

After keeping a watch on the activities of Jain for last six months on the directive of CBI director Ranjit Sinha, CBI sleuths finally swooped on his relative and a Madhya Pradesh-based chartered accountant and arrested them while allegedly receiving cash from representatives of companies which have been involved in coal scam.

The CBI has filed two cases against Jain accus-

Sudhir Kumar Jain ing him of receiving the bribe through conduits and abusing his official position to enhance the credit limits of some companies in violation of laid down procedures, official sources said.

Sinha, who has been at the forefront of fighting corruption at high places, has been personally moni-

toring the case and the searches that were being conducted by its sleuths at 20 places in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Bhopal. "We are determined to fight corruption at high levels and today's case was one such example," Sinha said.

In this case, CBI alleged that the conduit was the brother-in-law of the CMD and the deal was struck by the chartered accountant who has started his own firm of providing loans to big corporate houses.

CBI claimed to have recovered cash to the tune of Rs 2100,000 from Jain's residence besides gold worth Rs 168 million and fixed deposits up to Rs 6300,000.

The government of India has set the ball rolling on merger of public sector banks, asking IDBI Bank and United Bank of India to prepare a consolidation plan. This is, however, expected to be preceded

by State Bank of India taking its subsidiary State Bank of Patiala into its fold.

While the finance ministry and state-run banks are looking at other merger options, work on these two proposals has already started, top-level government sources said. There are 27 state-run banks in the country, including five SBI subsidiaries. The government is keen to bolster the weaker entities but has asked banks to prepare a blueprint keeping in mind human resource issues,

geographical spread and technology platforms.

While the match-making exercise is so far confined to only four banks, sources said the wider consolidation plan would focus on regional synergies. For instance, Dena Bank may be allowed to merge with Punjab National Bank, while Oriental Bank of Commerce may be headed for integration with Bank of India. Although the proposals are only at preliminary discussion stage, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India have been identified as potential acquirers for the weaker entities. For instance, United Bank of India was once again hit by loan defaults, which took a toll on its financial

health. Similarly, Dena Bank and the other two Kolkata-based lenders Allahabad Bank and Uco Bank - are seen in need for a helping hand. The government is, however, keen to avoid a merger of South India-based public sector banks given the strong community sentiment. As a result, sources said that United Bank of India's merger with IDBI Bank made perfect sense. IDBI has a weak presence in the eastern part of the country where UBI has a strong branch network. Besides, IDBI Bank is seen to have a weak retail network, which can be strengthened by the Kolkata-headquartered lender. In addition, both the banks use common software which will make the merger easier.

Roberto Azevedo according to some estimates would add $1 trillion and 21 million jobs to the world economy, so they were shocked when India unveiled its veto.

Trade experts say the failure to reach agreement is likely to end the era of trying to cobble together global trade agreements and to accelerate efforts by smaller groups of likeminded nations to liberalise trade among themselves. India has been vocal in opposing such moves, making its veto

CBI arrests Syndicate Bank CMD in graft case

Indian govt asks IDBI Bank, UBI to plan merger

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Indians in Britain losing £132m every year in hidden bank fees

Indian expat community in Britain are losing nearly £132m every year in “hidden and unfair” bank fees when they send money home.

TransferWise, an online money transfer site built by the people behind Skype and PayPal, has warned that thousands of Indian expats are “needlessly” losing money in “hidden” bank fees when they send money back to friends and relatives.

It based its calculations on an analysis of World Bank research into over £300bn of remittance money sent home by migrants living in the UK. Every year, nearly £3.76bn is sent from the UK to India by migrants.

When combined with the average charged by banks and traditional money remitters, it is estimated that Indian expats are losing over £132m each year.

Banks and traditional money remitters often take as much as 4 per cent of the money sent abroad to India by expats living in the UK - even when they claim they are charging ‘no fees’. They do this by using an “unfair” exchange rate, TransferWise warned.

TransferWise is revolutionising the way consumers and businesses exchange currencies. It directly matches consumers in different countries who want the opposite currency, bypassing banks’ outmoded international payments systems.

Taavet Hinrikus, cofounder of TransferWise, said: “We want to put millions back in the pockets of Indian expats.

People are unwittingly losing millions every year in unfair and hidden bank fees that they’re often completely unaware of.

We’re helping expats to allow their friends and family back home keep more of the money they

send to them by switching to our transparent and fair service.”

TransferWise charges just 0.5 per cent to send money from Britain to India. It presents all its costs transparently before users make a transfer.

The service also gives customers access to the real mid-market exchange rate - the rate published in newspapers, not one invented by banks.

TransferWise, which was established in 2010, is transferring millions of pounds every day for consumers and small businesses. The Londonbased company counts Peter Thiel, the cofounder of PayPal, and Richard Branson among its backers.

Customers have already moved more than £1bn using the platform an approach that has put over £45m back in their pockets. TransferWise’s campaign against hidden bank fees has been supported through a partnership with Oxfam. The initiative with the charity allowed customers sending money to India via TransferWise to donate some of the money they would have lost in bank fees to Oxfam, thus helping to support the charity’s vital work in South Asia.

Case study: Kaushal Maru is an IT consultant who lives in London. He started using TransferWise to send money home to his mum this Diwali. He said: “It’s so refreshing to use a service that’s easy to use and transparent about its costs. I used to use my bank and found it very confusing and a complete nightmare - the charges were unclear, it took ages and it delivered a terrible service. TransferWise is twice as fast and only charges me 0.5 per cent.

What better way to celebrate the festival of light!”

India’s manufacturing sector posts fastest growth

India's factory activity expanded at its fastest pace in 17 months in July as firms responded to burgeoning new orders by increasing output even as input prices jumped sharply, a business survey showed.

The HSBC M a n u f a c t u r i n g Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by Markit, rose to 53 in July from 51.5 in June, its highest since February 2013. A reading above 50 separates growth from contraction. While the PMI has signalled an expanding manufacturing sector for nine months, a surge in new orders in July helped drive the solid improve-

ment in business conditions. The new orders subindex soared to 55.9, its highest since February last year. That was the biggest monthly jump in the measure in eight months.

"A flood of new orders from both domestic and external sources has led to a surge in activity," said Frederic Neumann, cohead of Asian economic research at HSBC. "Details within the survey show that all monitored categories witnessed a rise in output and order flows."

However, the strong reading was tempered by a sharp increase in the cost of raw materials.

CURRENCY VOICE

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

21

Foreign Exchange

Paresh Davdra is the Dealing Director of RationalFX,

EU sanctions freezing out Russian banks Currency Specialists.

The UK manufacturing sector started the third quarter on a firm footing. Production and new orders both continued to rise at robust, above long-run average rates in July, encouraging further job creation.

However, the pace of expansion at manufacturers cooled from the stellar growth spurt seen during the first half of the year.

At 55.4 in July, down from 57.2 in June, the headline seasonally adjusted Purchasing Manager’s Index posted its lowest reading in one year, but nonetheless remained well above the survey average of 51.5. The PMI has now signalled an improvement in operating conditions throughout the past 17 months.

British mortgage approvals rose for the first time in five months in June, suggesting lenders were getting back into their stride after the introduction of more stringent tests for borrowers earlier this year. The Bank of England said mortgage approvals jumped 8 percent from May to 67,196 last month; analysts had forecast a smaller rise in approvals to 62,600.

Monthly mortgage approvals are still short of the 90,000 level seen before the 2008 financial crisis, and below a recent peak of just over 76,000 in January.

As well as the introduction in April of tougher checks on whether borrowers can afford their mortgages, the BoE last month announced measures to prevent a build-up of risky home loans.

The Euro traded within a narrow range despite news of inflation slowing in July to its lowest rate since 2009. The news disappointed the markets as the European central bank (ECB) has unleashed an unprecedented round of easing measures in an attempt to rekindle price growth and help the 18country bloc’s battered economy.

For the past 10 months the inflation rate has been weaker than 1 percent, less than half the ECB’s goal, while joblessness has remained stubbornly near an all-time high for months, panting a worrying picture for the ECB. The news of EU sanctions freezing out Russian banks dominated the headlines, concerning analysts about the potential effects to the city. The restrictions placed on the banks are the strictest yet to come from the EU, and aim to lock the institutions out of the bloc’s capital markets – of which London has the largest and most developed.

The sanctions say that sales of dual-use goods and technology – which could be used for military use in Russia – are now prohibited. However, the statement adds that this will apply only to contracts made from today, excluding France’s sale of two Mistral warships that it is selling to the Russian government.

Spain has progressed another step away from the eurozone crisis, by releasing its strongest growth since the crisis began.

Spanish GDP increased by 0.6% in the second quarter of 2014 which is better than the 0.5% expected, and means growth increased from the 0.4% growth in January-March. With this said, Spain is also being hit by the deflationary strains in the eurozone. New inflation figures, released yesterday show that the consumer prices index fell by 0.3% annually in July.

In Germany inflation hits a new four-year low. Inflation dropped this month to 0.8%, the lowest it has been since February 2010. The drop is likely to create uncertainties of deflation in the 18-member eurozone, where inflation fell to 0.5% in June.

Employers in the U.S. added more than 200,000 jobs for a sixth straight month in July, the

longest such period since 1997 and a sign of growing optimism about the economic outlook.

The 209,000 advance followed a 298,000 gain in June that was stronger than previously reported. The median of economists called for a 230,000 increase.

The jobless rate climbed to 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent in June as more people entered the labour force. Wages and hours were unchanged from June.

Manufacturing expanded in July at the fastest pace in more than three years, showing factories will help power the economy after a second-quarter rebound, other data showed today. The Institute for Supply Management’s index increased to 57.1, the highest since April 2011, from 55.3 a month earlier. Readings above 50 indicate growth.

US consumer confidence jumped to best level since 2007 and despite the growing geopolitical tensions, US consumers appear in confident mood.

Consumer confidence jumped to 90.9 in July, up from a revised 86.4 the previous month and better than the 85.3 expected by economists. This consumer confidence figure is the highest monthly level since October 2007, before the financial crisis struck.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 5th August 2014 @ 3pm

GBP - INR = 102.78 USD - INR = 60.95 EUR - INR = 81.53 GBP - USD = 1.69 GBP - EUR = 1.26

EUR - USD = 1.34 GBP - AED = 6.19

GBP - CAD = 1.85

GBP - NZD = 1.99

GBP - AUD = 1.81

GBP - ZAR = 18.10

GBP - HUF = 398.08

www.rationalfx.com

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

22

LONDON - SRI LANKA

Lankan President skips war memorial service in Glasgow

Colombo: Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa did not attend the Commonwealth First World War commemoration service in Glasgow last week. His regime has been accused of killing up to 40,000 Tamils in 2009 as Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war reached its bloody climax. There was concern that his presence could overshadow the service, which Commonwealth leaders and senior British politicians attended.

While Rajapaksa, the Commonwealth chairmanin-office, until next year, stayed away, Sri Lanka was represented at St Mungo’s Cathedral by the country’s UK high commissioner. David Cameron has described claims of war crimes and violations of human rights as “chilling” and called for international investigation into “this very long, appalling civil war”. Rajapaksa’s

government has refused to recognise an inquiry established in March by the UN Human Rights Council.

Fred Carver, campaign director for the Sri Lanka Campaign For Peace And Justice, welcomed the news that Rajapaksa would not be at the service, saying that he was an embarrassment for the Commonwealth.

“It is not enough for

those responsible for war crimes merely to be shunned on the international stage,” Carver said.

“The British government needs to work to bring them and their henchmen to justice.”

Last November, the governments of India, Canada and Mauritius refused to attend the Commonwealth summit in Colombo, in protest at Sri Lanka’s human rights record. The

Department of Culture Media and Sport, which is coordinating the service with Glasgow City Council, said that Rajapaksa was invited but would not attend. In a letter to Sajid Javid, the culture secretary, the Sri Lankan government stressed that the decision to skip t h e Commonwealth event had been taken because of Britain’s failure to rein in Tamil protesters.

Last week, hundreds of activists waving placards declaring “Sri Lanka is a shame to the Commonwealth” gathered outside Celtic Park before the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.

Services of remembrance will be held in London and Glasgow on Monday, as well as in Belgium.

Final farewell to Mina Farah Vali I V Jamal

It is with much sorrow that we join in the tributes to the family of Dr and Mrs Vali Jamal on the passing away of their daughter Mina Farah in Vancouver, Canada, last week. Tributes by email included John Nagenda, Uganda President Museveni’s Senior Media Adviser; Shamsh Lakha, erstwhile Vice-Chancellor of Aga Khan University; Mr Mahmood Ahmed, Aga Khan’s representative in Uganda; and Mr Nitin Jayant Madhvani, Mr Abid Alam, Dr Sudhir Ruparelia, Mr Naru Thakkar, Mr Ketan Morjaria, Mr Vinod Vadera, the family of the legendary Dr Mukhtar Ahmad and eminent Uganda Asian academics Professor Dharam Ghai and Professor Yash Tandon. The funeral at Ismailia jamatkhana at Burnaby Lake was attended by Senator for British Columbia Mobina Jaffer; Honorary Consul for Uganda in BC Mr John Halani; Canada Ismaili leaders Mr Salim Ahmed and Farouk Verjee, scores of BC society friends of Mrs Jamal, and the team of Farah’s care-givers.

Farah was born at Stanford, California, on October 12, 1971, where Vali was pursuing his doctoral studies, preceded by beloved brother Arafat (Anu to her) in 1970. Farah was born with cerebral palsy on account of oxygen-deprivation at birth which led in her last few years to declining mobility and bed-confinement.

She lived for chunks of her life in Uganda, USA, Ethiopia, Switzerland, and Thailand as part of

nursing care and health insurance. “Although ‘differently abled’ by normal standards, the love she expressed through her eyes and emotions endeared her to all around her. To Zaibun, me and Arafat she was the unqualified star for all her life.”

Dr Vali Jamal: Vali is Kenya-born long-term resident of Uganda. In October last year his academic credentials (BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford) were burnished

Mina Farah

Vali’s studies and 25-year (1976-2001) assignments with UN-International Labour Organization.

She lived in West Vancouver, Canada, from 1997 with her mother.

Brother Arafat, himself a high UN official at UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, and parents paid tributes to Farah at a condolence lunch after the funeral at the J-Street Restaurant.

Arafat spoke of his constant wish in his young days that Farah would speak to him and of transitions in his life when Farah just broke down – when he was leaving for studies at Cornell and at his wedding to Shalini Mehan.

Zebi Jamal (daughter of Mbale industrialist Mr Ibrahim Mitha) spoke of the support and companionship Farah gave her in their life in West Vancouver and of the irreparable gap left by Farah. Vali paid tribute to Zaibun for her life-long devotion to Farah and thanked the ILO for its institutional support in terms of home

Dr Vali Jamal

by the award of Uganda’s top-civilian Golden Jubilee Medal from President Museveni.

Over 40 awards were given out to Uganda Asians at the same time derived from Vali’s monumental book-in-progress (7.2 years) on Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There. We Contributed.

We Contribute. The award to Vali was in recognition of his book.

The wrist-breaker (8 kg) of over 1,750 pages and 4,000 images features the history, background, struggles and achievements Ugandan Asians from the start of the Protectorate to the 1972 expulsion and from

1972 to the present in Uganda and diaspora countries. Vali says “It is a book never done before and never to be repeated, but sure to be plagiarised,” alluding to unattributed pieces appearing all over. He says it shows the book is of value!

Uganda President Museveni has described Vali’s book as “a national asset in Uganda’s commercial diplomacy”; Professor Mondo Kagonyera, Chancellor of Makerere University as “encyclopaedic, unequalled, an intellectual asset”; and Professor Yash Tandon as “courageous, a generational book for generations to come.” Vali put the book away during his 15 weeks in Vancouver to be near Farah. He is ever cognisant that lots of people have subscribed to the book by way of sponsorships and pre-orders and Vali now promises to bring the book out within this year as a special tribute to Farah. A committee of Elders – the Eminent Three, Naru Thakkar, Vinod Vadera and Ketan Morjaria – is minding a renewed sponsorship drive. Senior Presidential Media Advisor John Nagenda and Governor of Bank of Uganda TumusiimeMutebile are under-pinning the drive from the Government side.

The team at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar express prayers for the eternal rest of the departed soul and pay tribute to Dr Vali Jamal for his perseverance in this monumental task on behalf of the Uganda Asian community everywhere.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

In Brief

Many people don’t want their ageing parents to stay with them

London: A survey has found that one third of people did not want their ageing parents to live with them if they needed full-time care, despite many feeling "guilty" about the prospect of arranging for them to live in a care home. More than 50 per cent said that their homes were too small to accommodate their parents and more than a quarter said they did not “have that short of relationship” with their parents.

Fourteen per cent said their partner would not allow the arrangement. Some said that the additional burden would be impossible because they already had children to look after.

Taxman advised not to seize cash directly

London: The Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales said that the government move to let the taxman seize money directly from people’s bank accounts could wreck havoc with people’s lives and damage their credit ratings. The accountants have warned that the scheme unveiled in the Budget this year – would damage “public trust in the tax system”. The institute said the plans were “unconstitutional and wrong in principle,” accusing HM Revenue and Customs of failing to say why it needed the powers.

Driverless cars to make debut in UK early next year

London: Driverless cars will make its entry in British roads from next year, the Government announced.

Guided by a system of sensors and cameras, the motors will take to the public highway in January for a series of trials. Three cities will be selected to conduct the trials. Ministers have also launched a review to look at current road regulations to establish how the UK can remain at the forefront of driverless car technology and ensure there is an appropriate regime for testing driverless cars in the UK.

French hospital to open wine bar for terminally ill

Paris: A hospital in France will open a wine bar for terminally ill patients in an unprecedented way to improve their quality of life. Patients at the ClermontFerrand University Hospital in central France will be able to take part in "medically supervised winetasting" sessions. They will be allowed to invite friends or family over for a drink. Dr Virginie Guastella came up with the idea because she believes that patients "are entitled to enjoy" their last days.

Passengers at Gatwick told to keep essentials in hand luggage

London: Passengers at Gatwick have been advised to carry refreshments in their handbags as they fear inordinate delays in the arrival and departure of planes at the airport following shortage of baggage handlers. Passengers flying into the airport may have to wait for a long time to arrive while those leaving the country have to carry essentials into the cabin.

Some passengers arriving at the airport waited up to four hours to claim their belongings while some of those who departed were still without their luggage five days later.

Police officer at Gatwick cheated passengers of £15,000

London: A female police community support officer cheated passengers at Gatwick of £15,000 by confiscating cash before their flights took off, saying they could not leave country with more than £1,000.

Alexis Scott, 39, told passengers she would detain them and they would miss their flight if they did not hand over the money. Scott even held out her police hat for unsuspecting victims to deposit the cash as they walked through the departure lounge. She then kept the money for herself. During her trial the prosecuting judge said she had no right to take the money from passengers and simply stole it.

Ebola victims must be cremated, says Liberian govt

Monrovia: The Liberian govt has said that the victims of ebola should be cremated to prevent the infection spreading from highly-contagious corpses. The ruling was made after bodies of victims were left to lie in the streets for four days, with terrified residents refusing to remove them. One proposed burial site was surrounded by angry villagers, who refused to let the grave diggers enter; another potential site was ruled out when the landowner refused to sell the land. Lewis Brown, the information minister, said that the victims would now be cremated.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

In Brief

Uganda court scraps anti-gay law

Kampala: Uganda's constitutional court has overturned tough new anti-gay laws that had been branded draconian by rights groups, saying they had been wrongly passed by parliament. The law is "null and void," presiding judge Steven Kavuma told the court, saying the process had contravened the constitution, as it has been passed in parliament in December without the necessary quorum of lawmakers. Cheering gay rights activists celebrated the ruling, but supporters of the law said they would appeal at the Supreme Court.

Assault charge against Jemima Khan, Russell Brand

London: Jemima Khan, the daughter late financier Sir James Goldsmith and the former wife of Pakistan cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, and her boyfriend Russell Brand were accused of assault by masseuse. They also made a counter complaint against the masseuse. Thames Valley Police started an investigation after the 31-year-old, who claimed she had been booked by Miss Khan as a birthday present for Brand, complained that the comedy actor pushed her during an altercation at Kiddington Hall last month. Brand denied the allegation and the police did not proceed to a full investigation.

Australia may intervene in Thai surrogate baby case

Sydney: Australian government is planning to intervene in the case of a sick Down's syndrome baby left with a Thai surrogate mother by Australian biological parents. Pattaramon Chanbua, a 21-yearold food vendor in Thailand's seaside town of Sri Racha, is taking care of her 7-month-old surrogate baby, named Gammy, who also has a congenital heart condition. The parents took Gammy's healthy twin sister back to their home in Western Australia state. Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said that they are taking a close look at what can be done, but he did not want to give any false hopes or expectations.

Met office forecasts heavy rains

London: The Met Office said that the eighth hottest July since 1910 is about to end and soggy August is approaching. The forecasting agency said scattered showers and intermittent days of rain would be a general theme in the first two weeks of August, marking an end to July's "extreme warm weather." It will kick off this weekend with heavy rainfall across Wales, Devon, and the west of England and Scotland as a low-pressure system lurking off the coast moves north across the Irish Sea.

Pakistani troops to defend Saudis

Riyadh: Panicked by the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Isis), Saudi Arabia has taken the drastic step of calling in military assistance from Egypt and Pakistan to shore up the porous 500-mile border, Gulf security sources said. Saudi Arabia spent an estimated £35 billion on defence last year, leapfrogging Britain as the world’s fourthlargest military spender. This massive outlay highlights Riyadh’s unease about whether its defences would hold if the jihadists launched a direct attack.

Parents paint triplets' toenails to differentiate them

London: Karen and Ian Gilbert are the parents of identical triplets. They find it difficult to differentiate them. So they overcame the problem by painting each one-year-old’s toenails with a different brightcoloured varnish. Gilbert, 33, said: "It's not a fashion statement. We really struggle to tell them apart. We came up with the nail varnish idea and it works. It makes life a lot easier when it comes to our daily routine of feeding, bathing and nappy changing. The colour coding helps us to know who has had what."

Older women make better mothers

London: A study has found that children born to women over 40 were healthier, cleverer and more emotionally stable than those born to parents in their 20s. Despite warnings that older women are at greater risk of complications during pregnancy, a study by researchers at University College London and Birkbeck, University of London, found that they tended to be wealthier, more experienced and could provide more stability to their child when it was born. Researchers found that the children of older mothers were 22 per cent less likely to injure themselves in accidents and were almost 30 per cent less likely to be admitted to hospital.

WORLD

23

Doctors urged to popularise e-cigarettes

London: Researchers have urged the doctors to recommend the relatively harmless electronic cigarettes to help the smokers to quit the habit. “We’re dealing with something which at face value could be huge for public health.

We have something that leads to death and serious illness and we can replace it with something much less harmful,” said Professor Peter Hajek of Queen Mary, University of London, who led the study.

“The key test is does it increase or decrease cigarette use and smoking prevalence? All the other things are more or less waffle. If it increases ciga-

rette use it’s bad and we should regulate. If it decreases cigarette use it’s good and we shouldn’t meddle. There are strong hints of drops in cigarette use and that’s really the only thing that matters.”

P r o f e s s o r Hajek’s overview of 81 published studies concluded that the devices appeared to be safe. E-cigarettes contain no tobacco, only nicotine and other relatively harmless chemicals and Professor Hajek said: “The harms of nicotine are a tiny fraction of the risks of smoking. Outside of pregnancy and some other prescribed areas it’s probably in the range of what coffee does to you.”

E-cigarettes became popular over the past five years, and third of British smokers have tried them

Muslim mother to be jailed for encouraging terrorism in Syria

London: A Muslim mother who posted a message in the Facebook encouraging terrorism in Syria faces long jail term. Runa Khan, 34, admitted posting a message on Facebook in September, saying: 'Sisters, if you love your sons, husbands and brothers, prove it by sending them to fight for Allah.'

Khan, a mother-of-six, also posted a a picture of a suicide vest on the site, alongside a message which read 'sacrifice your life to be in Islam' in July last year. She has been told to expect substantial jail after pleading guilty to posting messages on Facebook encouraging men to go and fight 'for Allah' in Syria.

Wearing a niqab while standing in the dock of Kingston Crown Court, Khan pleaded guilty to four counts of disseminating terrorist publications

between July and September 2013.

Addressing the defendant, Judge Peter Birts QC said: “I’m sure you have been advised they are charges of the utmost gravitas that almost inevitably will be met by a substantial custodial sentence.” The court heard Khan, from Luton, sent a series of Facebook messages to an undercover police officer describing a route from Turkey into Syria. She received details of the route from

Mohammed Nahin Ahmed who has admitted spending eight months in Syria fighting alongside an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group, the hearing was told. Ahmed and childhood friend Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, from Birmingham, fled to the country last May after contacting Islamic extremists. They each pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in preparation of terrorism acts at London’s Woolwich Crown Court earlier this month.

Rowan Williams provoked controversy by stating that the application of some aspects of Islamic law in British courts was “unavoidable”.

He also drew both praise and criticism after telling a literary festival in 2012 that the hijab gave some Muslim women strength.

Dr Williams, who stood down as the head of the Church of England to become master of Magdalene College,

Cambridge, in 2012, told the Living Islam Festival in Lincolnshire that Christianity and Islam were shifting British values back towards the community.

He said that Britain was an “argumentative democracy” where “we are not just individual voters ticking boxes but individuals and communities engaging in open, honest and difficult public discussion. One of the greatest gifts of the Muslim community to the UK has been that they have brought that back to the people.”

Asked if he meant that Islam was rejuvenating British values, Dr Williams said: “Yes. I’m thinking of the way in which, for example, in Birmingham we have seen a local parish and a mosque combining together to provide family services and youth activities, both acting out of a very strong sense that this is what communities ought to do. ”

Former archbishop praises Islamic values

London: Former archbishop Rowan Williams said that Islam is restoring traditional British values such as shared responsibility and duty.

He said that Muslims had brought back “open, honest and difficult public discussion” in one of their “greatest gifts” to Britain. He criticised sections of the press for portraying Muslims as “un-British” and complained of “illiteracy” about religion among figures in government.

Secularist groups accused Williams of “foolishness”, but his remarks were welcomed

by British Muslim organisations. Keith Porteous Wood, the executive director of the National Secular Society, said: “I’m still smiling about the comments he made about Sharia law a few years ago. You’d think he’d have learnt his lesson.”

In 2008, when still Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Williams

recently, with one in seven using them every day. Less than one per cent of nonsmokers have tried them.

“It’s captured smokers’ imagination and they must be getting something positive from it,” Professor Hajek said. Wales is considering a ban on e-cigarette use in public places, over fears that it could “renormalise” smoking.

Professor Hajek said: “it normalises e-cigarette use and in a way we want that.

We want smokers to think ‘maybe I should switch as well’.” There was no evidence that the vapour from e-cigarettes, which is composed mainly of water, could harm bystanders, his paper found.

Israelis, Palestinians enter 72-hour Gaza truce

Gaza/Cairo/Jerusalem: Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian guerillas entered a 72-hour truce on Tuesday mediated by Egypt with a view to encouraging negotiations on a more enduring end to the month-old Gaza war.

Minutes before the ceasefire took hold at 8 am (0500 GMT), Hamas launched a salvo of longrange rockets, calling them revenge for Israel's "massacres". Sirens went off as far north as Jerusalem's outlying areas.

There was no word of casualties.

Israeli ground forces withdrew from the Gaza Strip ahead of the truce, with a military spokesman saying their main goal of destroying cross-border infiltration tunnels had been completed.

Troops and tanks would be "redeployed in defensive positions outside the Gaza Strip and we will maintain those defensive positions," spokesman LieutenantColonel Peter Lerner said, reflecting Israeli readiness to resume fighting if attacked. Several previous attempts by Egypt and other regional powers, overseen by the United States and United Nations, failed to calm the worst Israeli-Palestinian fighting in two years.

Gaza officials say the war has killed 1,834 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Israel says 64 of its soldiers and three civilians have been killed since fighting began on July 8, after a surge in Palestinian rocket launches.

Israel was expected to send delegates to join talks in Cairo to cement a longer-term deal during the course of the truce.

For now, Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told Israel's Army Radio: "There are no agreements. As we have already said, quiet will be answered with quiet."

24

INDIA

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

10 jailed in TN school fire that killed 94 kids

Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu): A court in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu convicted 10 people in a 2004 fire that tore through a thatched-roof of a school, killing 94 children.

The owner of the primary school was sentenced to life in prison on charges, including culpable homicide and endangerment, while his wife, the headmistress, the cook and the meal planner were each imprisoned for five years.

The court also sentenced five government officials prison terms of two to five years and acquitted 11 other defendants.

The case drew attention to the numerous ill-

equipped private schools in India, many lacking basic safety measures such as fire alarms and sprinklers. State investigators said the school had no fire-fighting equipment and poor exit facilities.

One of the surviving students, Madhumita, blamed "the carelessness of the

DMK demands removal of Katju as Press Council chief

Chennai: The DMK, which was at the receiving end for the past few days due to the revelations of Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju, has finally launched a counter assault. Katju had alleged that a corrupt judge of the Madras High Court was given extension ostensibly under pressure from DMK. In a letter sent to Vice President Hamid Ansari, the DMK legal wing secretary R S Bharathi has demanded the immediate removal of former Supreme Court judge Justice Katju as chairman of the Press Council of India.

He said that since assuming office as PCI's chairman, Justice Katju has been issuing statements which were controversial in nature and continue to criticise political leaders, parliamentarians, legislatures and now even the judiciary.

Markandey Katju

Recalling the various statements made by Katju in the recent past, Bharathi said Katju had indeed criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2013.

The copies of the letter were also sent to the Chief Justice of India, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, secretary of Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting etc. The letter also charged that by levelling these charges Justice Katju has indeed wilfully breached the oath of secrecy which he took while assuming office as a judge of the Supreme Court.

Haryana minister quits, raps Hooda for regional bias

Chandigarh: Portending trouble for chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in the run-up to the assembly elections likely in October, Haryana cabinet minister Captain Ajay Yadav resigned from the cabinet alleging Hooda was sidelining top party leaders and had become a puppet in the hands of bureaucrats.

The 55-year-old Congress MLA from Rewari alleged bias in matters of development and recruitment and criticized the controversial induction of members of commissions and statutory bodies.

Yadav is the third senior Congress leader to accuse Hooda of discrimination.

Former Union minister Kumari Selja and Rajya Sabha MP Birender Singh, who quit the Congress, too have questioned Hooda's style of leadership in the past. “My constituency has been discriminated against in terms of government jobs, amenities, and deliberate attempts have been made to sideline me... How can I survive under such cir-

Bhupinder Singh Hooda

cumstances," Yadav asked.

Yadav, meanwhile, ruled out quitting the Congress, saying party chief Sonia Gandhi was his leader and he would remain a Congressman. He hoped his resignation would send a strong message to the high command about the growing resentment in the party against Hooda. On whether Hooda would be able to lead the party in the next polls, Yadav said, "The party has authorized him to lead the next election, I have no option except to agree."

Yadav, who held the key portfolios of power and forest & environment, began his political career in Rewari and has influence among the Yadavs in south Haryana.

teachers" for the deaths in Kumbakonam, a temple town about 320 km southwest of Tamil Nadu's state capital, Chennai.

"If they had considered the children as their own children, they would have saved us," Madhumita, whose sister died in the fire,

said. She said that the teachers acted selfishly. None of the teachers died in the fire.

The blaze started in the school's kitchen, where lunch was being prepared on a log fire. The flames spread swiftly through the threestory building, trapping hundreds of children. Many of the children were burned beyond recognition as the fire brought down the roof of bamboo logs and coconut leaves. Others were suffocated by black smoke or trampled as panicked students tried to tear through the brick and concrete walls.

Almost all the victims were from poor families of labourers, shopkeepers and lowpaid government employees.

Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu): The Cuddalore police are on the lookout for a 54-year-old engineer with the public works department in Chennai, who allegedly bought a 16-year-old girl after paying her parents Rs 130,000 and has been torturing her for the last seven months.

The man, identified as S Kuppusamy, 54, an assistant executive engineer with PWD, has been on the run after the Childline lodged a complaint with Cuddalore police. Police arrested the minor girl's parents Chinnadurai, 65, and C Malliga, 45, farm labourers.

A middleman, Arumugam, who was the former president of Bhoothampadi panchayat, was arrested on July 31. Childline Cuddalore district coordinator D Rajesh Kannan received a complaint from a group of youth that a 16-year-old girl, who was

married to an elderly man in January, had attempted to commit suicide.

Kannan along with two other officials visited the village and found the complaint genuine and rescued the girl.

They produced the girl before the child welfare committee which sent her to a children's home. They later lodged a complaint with the superintendent of police.

The girl discontinued her studies after clearing Class 10 examinations last year.

Police inquiries revealed that middlemen Velmurugan and Arumugam approached the girl's parents with a proposal to marry off their daughter to an engineer, who had divorced his wife. The duo promised that the engineer would offer them money and would bear the marriage expenses. The poor couple, who were initially reluctant, later succumbed to the pressure exerted by the two men.

Chennai engineer 'buys' minor girl, sexually abuses her

Haryana gurudwaras asked to follow HSGPC orders

Chandigarh: As the BJP-led Central government is expected to press for annulment of the Haryana Sikh Gurudwara (Management) Act that challenges the supremacy of S h i r o m a n i Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) on maintaining it over Gurudwaras, the executive committee of the HSGPC directed managers of all parbandhak gurudwaras in Haryana to submit the account books and other records with it.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Badal is infruriated after Haryana passed this controversial act as SAD (Badal) that controls Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is wary of its powers getting diminished over hundreds of cash-rich Gurdwaras because of the HSGM Act. The managers have been directed to submit the records at HSGPC headquarters in Gurudwara

South Brief

Another minor raped in Bangalore school Bangalore: A seven-year-old has been allegedly raped in a school in south Bangalore even as the city police are yet to resolve the Vibgyor International School rape case, reports said. A complaint was registered in the case after the incident was reported on July 21 by the mother of the victim. The son of a staff member of the school was detained by the cops. The garden city was earlier in a shock over the rape of a six-year-old girl in Vibgyor International School. The Bangalore police arrested two gym instructors for sexually assaulting the six-year-old student in the premises of the school.

Yeddyurappa's son to contest from Shikaripur

Bangalore: The BJP has chosen former MP BY Raghavendra to contest from Shikaripur assembly segment, the seat vacated by his father and former CM B S Yeddyurappa after getting elected to the Lok Sabha. BJP state president Prahlad Joshi said the party had decided to field MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath from Chikkodi in Belgaum district and Obalesh from Bellary rural. He said the state unit had sent the three names for the party high command for approval. By-polls are being held for three assembly seats in the state on August 21.

TN govt files defamation case against DMK leader Stalin

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government initiated criminal defamation proceedings against DMK treasurer and former deputy chief minister M K Stalin, saying he made derogatory statements on DMK MLAs' suspension from the assembly.

City public prosecutor M L Jagan said that he had filed a case against Stalin in the principal sessions court on behalf of chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The matter relates to Stalin's statemen taking exception to the mass suspension of DMK MLAs from assembly for the rest of the session.

North Brief

Ghana offers land to Punjab farmers

Chandigarh: Ghana has offered to settle progressive farmers from Punjab to give a push to the agricultural sector in the western African country, a Punjab government spokesman said. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal acceded to the proposal by a delegation from Ghana to settle farmers from Punjab in Ghana. Badal assured the Ghana minister that a high-level delegation from Punjab would visit the African country soon to lay the groundwork for this settlement scheme, the spokesman said. The Ghana minister said that Ghanaian President wanted to promote agriculture and that Ghana would welcome Punjabi expertise in this regard.

Haryana Cong leader Birender Singh joins BJP Neem Sahib here. At a fourhour meeting of the committee held at the Gurudwara Neem Sahib, it has been decided to proceed against those who do not obey the directive, said President of the committee Jagdish Jhinda.

Jhinda said the committee will also write to all managers of banks where accounts of Haryana gurudwaras are maintained, directing them not to entertain any cheques issued by the Amritsar-based SGPC. "We are informing them that now HSGPC has come into existence after the Haryana Assembly enacted a law in this regard," he said.

Jhinda said the HSGPC will take action against the bank managers who fail to follow its instructions.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Chaudhary Birender Singh of Haryana joined BJP in the presence of party president Amit Shah but the formal announcement to this effect will be made on August 18 in the Kaithal rally of the BJP. Amit Shah is expected to attend this rally. Birender Singh met his supporters in Jind and discussed his future course of action. According to reports, a large number of his supporters advised Birender to join BJP and Singh responded by saying that he will positively consider it.

Poor monsoon: Punjab seeks Rs 20 bn from Centre

Sunam (Punjab): Punjab has sought financial assistance of Rs 20 billion from the Centre to deal with any drought-like situation in the state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said. Badal said the help has been sought on account of deficit rainfall in the state during the monsoon season. "We have already taken up the matter with the Union government to assist the state in dealing with the drought-like situation," Badal said. “I am hopeful of a positive outcome of our efforts," he added.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Chill out in the Caribbean

T

he Caribbean evokes images of relaxation, beautiful beaches, sparkling seas and tranquility, making it the perfect destination for holidays. It is made up of thousands of islands with the most popular being some of the larger ones (which themselves encompass many smaller islands), with beautiful resorts and activities for everyone to enjoy.

Antigua, Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica and St. Lucia are the main islands of choice and can all be described as a tropical paradise. You can go trekking through beautiful rainforests and there’s many watersports to try from surfing to sailing and of course snorkeling and diving tours to see incredible aquamarine life in coral reefs. You can swim with dolphins, take an underwater sightseeing tour and there’s many daytrips available to take you island hopping so you can explore, including visiting historic plantations and learning about local life.

What is hard is which island to choose although many people discover a place that they fall in love with and return to every year! The best time of year to visit the Caribbean is between late October to June.

A great offer is available to save upto 45% for Barbados starting from just £869pp for 7 nights at the Coconut

Court Beach Hotel on B&B basis with flights and transfers (book before 31st August for travel between 1st September till 31st October 2014).This hotel in the heart of the vibrant south coast of Barbados, is family run with an unbeatable beachfront location, dotted with mature trees with safe swimming and snorkeling year round in a protected lagoon. It is minutes away from excellent restaurants, duty free shopping, lively nightspots and walking distance to local sights including the Barbados Museum, George Washington House and the Garrison Savannah racetrack.

For an amazing all-inclusive deal, choose the Grand Pineapple Beach Resort in Antigua. As soon as you arrive you’ll be spellbound by the brilliant, white curve of beach that elegantly

sweeps along 1,600 feet of stunning waterfront. With excellent facilities including two pools, three restaurants, four bars and many watersports activities available, you will never run out of things to do. Brightsun have an amazing offer to save upto 40% starting from just £1125pp for 7 nights all-inclusive hotel stay with flights (book before 30th September for travel upto 26th December 2014).

To book your Caribbean escape, call Brightsun Travel on 0208 819 0531 or visitwww.brightsun.co.uk

TRAVEL - INDIA

25

Infibeam founder Mehta plans to fly high in growing e-commerce space

Former employee of one of the leading e-commerce players in the world, Amazon.com Inc, Vishal Mehta has created his own company Infibeam.

Vishal pursued his dream of building technology company, after more than 10 years of his life in the US

Mayuri Dave

After returning from the US, Vishal Mehta started the Indian e-commerce company Infibeam, with hardly 10 employees in the year 2007, with a small investment of hardly $ 1 million. Within a span of seven years, the young entrepreneur created his own space in the emerging e-commerce business in India with over 1,300 people and size of the company has grown rapidly to $ 100 million.

Business runs in the veins of 39-year-old founder and CEO of Infibeam, as Vishal was born in a well-known business family of Ahmedabad.

His father was a successful businessman and mother a leading scientist at United Nations (UN) and the family holds global perspective and appreciates global culture. He funded the company by selling his personal assets rather than opting for external equity funding.

The Cornell and MIT Sloan alumni joined Dell after completion of studies.

In the post internet-bubble burst era where raising capital became difficult and the future of e-commerce was doubtful, he joined Amazon.com. He worked at Amazon for several years in technology, finance and corporate development functions.

Like thousands of Indians settled in the USA, Vishal too could have settled there, but he wanted

to pursue the dream of establishing a technology driven company of his own.

After more than 10 years of h i s life

Vishal Mehta

in the US, he finally decided to come back to India in 2007 and incorporated Infibeam. Some of his colleagues back in the US also joined him in building the company. “We started the company with hardly 10 employees with a vision to grow it beyond the boundaries of Ahmedabad.

Today, we have offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Banglore and Kolkata apart from headquarters in Ahmedabad. Besides we have logistics and warehousing network in 11 other cities,” says Mehta, while talking to Asian Voice. Despite presence of Amazon.com, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Fashionandyou, Myntra, Inkfruit, D e a l s a n d y o u , Homeshop18, Yebhi.com and many others, Infibeam is making its presence felt in the e-commerce space and offers online retail solutions in B2C and B2B segments.

Though Infibeam.com started as an automobile portal in 2007, later on Vishal turned into an online retailer. In 2010, Infibeam

launched ‘Pi’ – India’s first e-book reader. In the year 2008, Infibeam acquired Picsquare.com, a personalized photo painting website. Later on in 2014, another acquisition of Odigma, a digital marketing company for $ 5 mn brought the company in limelight.

In last May, Sony Music Entertainment bought 26 per cent stake in Infibeam Digital Entertainment, which gave a much needed boost to the company to expand further. “Apart from panIndia presence, we plan to have our footprints in 40 other countries in UAE, Africa and South-East Asia. To fund our expansion programme, the company is also mulling for IPO, later this year,” he said adding that Infibeam is a debt-free company and expecting 50 per cent annual growth in coming years.

Erstwhile Portuguese colony Diu gets world-class cycle track

The inauguration of India's first dedicated, world-class cycle track at Diu. To mark the occasion more than 300 cycling enthusiasts took part in the rally to promote green mobility, sustainable living, health and environmental sensitivity alongwith tourism in the island of Diu. Bhupinder Bhalla, Administrator of Daman & Diu, said "The dedicated cycle tracks will give a great boost to tourism and environment in the city.

Our objective is to transform Diu as an ecologically conscious tourist destination. The aim is clear: to make Diu the cycling destination of India".

The 4.3 km long cycle track is the first-of-itskind track in India and built up at a cost of Rs. 3 crore to provide ecofriendly means of transport within the city. The project has been complet-

Bhupinder S Bhalla

ed with the technical support of Ahmedabad based non-profit organization, Centre for Green Mobility (CGM). CGM is providing hand holding and

technical support for creating cycling infrastructure for the whole island of Diu. The Diu cycling network has been designed & planned as per international standards. The track is separated from the main moving traffic to provide safety to the cyclists. The track has been prepared under phase I of the Rs. 32 crore project being undertaken by the UT administration of Daman & Diu to prepare 11.34 km long track.

26

INDIA - LONDON

India summons Lankan envoy over article on Jaya

India on Monday strongly condemned the "derogatory" article against Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa appearing in the Sri Lankan defence ministry website after agitated AIADMK members disrupted Parliament proceedings demanding a resolution to denounce the action.

The external affairs ministry later summoned Sri Lankan high commissioner Sudharshan Seneviratne and lodged a protest. While the Lankan defence ministry has already offered an "unqualified'' apology, official sources said the sense of outrage in Parliament was conveyed to the envoy.

"The issue raised by (AIADMK leader) V Maitreyan is indeed very serious. India strongly condemns it. We will definitely summon the High Commissioner of that country and tell him about it," External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said in

136 killed in Maharashtra landslide

Rajya Sabha after AIADMK members trooped into the Well demanding a statement from the government.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed two adjournments each as AIADMK members disrupted the proceedings and stormed into the Well seeking a statement from the government even as they raised slogans denouncing the Sri Lankan President.

In the Lower House, parliamentary affairs minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, "While matters con-

cerning diplomatic relations are dealt with delicately, this is totally unacceptable and condemnable. There is no hesitation in condemning it."

He also said he would convey the "strong feelings" of the members to Swaraj.

But the AIADMK members were not satisfied with the reply and raised slogans like 'Rajapakse down, down' and 'we want justice'.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Maitreyan said the article appearing in the Sri Lankan defence

ministry website was "derogatory" to Jayalalithaa.

He asked whether the government would summon the Sri Lankan high commissioner as this was "an insult" of not only the Tamil Nadu government but also the Union Government.

AIADMK leader in Lok Sabha M Thambidurai demanded that the House adopt a "strong and unanimous resolution condemning Sri Lanka" so that such incidents do not recur. He said the government appeared more sensitive to Sinhala feelings rather than those of Tamils.

In the Lok Sabha too, Swaraj shared the concern expressed by the members and said "on behalf of the government, we condemn this in the strongest terms and assure that we will summon the High Commissioner to make him aware of the feeling of the House over the issue".

My govt's first responsibility is towards poorest, Modi tells Kerry

The death toll in Maharashtra's worst-ever landslide in Pune district's Malin village climbed to 136 with the recovery of more bodies from the debris, while more than 100 villagers were still trapped or missing, an official said.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other agencies have rescued 23 people till now, including the youngest - a three-month old boy Rudra - from under the muck and debris, said NDRF chief commandant Alok Avasthy. The village with around 200 people was almost entirely buried under a landslide last week following torrential rain Inclement weather conditions, wet, sticky soil and the stench from the decaying bodies of humans and animal carcasses continue to hamper rescue operations.

In the backdrop of India rejecting a World Trade Organisation agreement on trade facilitation – a move that shocked the world, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has told the United States that his government's first commitment is towards the poorest people of the country.

During a meeting with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Modi said that developing nations face the challenge of tackling poverty and that their governments' first responsibility is to address that problem.

Developed countries should "understand" this challenge, the PM stated.

"The first responsibility of my government is to the poorest people of the country. While we don't oppose the agreement, we believe that the needs of those living on the mar-

Continued from page 1 While referring to traditional ties between the two neighbours, Modi said: “An Indian Field Marshal used to say that if a soldier says he does not fear death, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha.

This is the land of the braves. We cannot for a moment forget the sacrifices made by Gurkha soldiers in the defence of India.”

On his last leg of the visit Modi prayed at the famous Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. He

sanctioned Rs 250 million to build a 'dharamshala' and offered 2,500 kg of sandalwood at the temple built for Lord Shiva.

Wearing a saffron coloured kurta-pyjama with a shawl draped on his shoulder, Modi visited the temple before meeting with Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav, who paid him this compliment – “You have won our hearts with your speech at the Parliament.”

Modi’s agenda includes speeding up negotiations on a power

gins of society, not just in India but elsewhere too, have to be addressed," Modi told Kerry during the meeting.

"Prime Minister emphasized the need for developed countries to understand the challenges of poverty in developing countries and their governments' responsibilities in addressing them when discussions take place in international forums," a PMO statement said. After India took a tough stance on the issue of foodgrain holding and food subsidy at the WTO

talks in Geneva, the US had blamed the country for failure of the negotiations. Kerry was reported to have told Modi during the meeting that India's position on the WTO agreement was sending confusing signals to the international community.

"I think the PM is on record to have said that development challenges that developing countries face are something that should be understood by all,” External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin later said.

"India, as a developing country, has challenges and responsibility to ensure food supplies to all its people and that is reflected in our stance.

That stance takes into account our needs. If other countries have a different stance, we understand their perspectives because they come from a different direction," he stated.

Modi wins hearts in Nepal

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

In Brief

Funeral parlour opposite retirement home opposed

London: Pensioners living at the back of the building in Maldon, Essex, protested against the move by Adam & Greenwood to construct a funeral parlour opposite their retirement home. The pensioners said that the funeral parlour would constantly remind them that their time is not far off and added that they were distressed by the thought of having to see hearses and bodies coming and going during their later years.

June Whitfield hires a personal trainer at 88 London: Actress June Whitfield at the age of 88 has hired a personal trainer. She said that the new exercise regime had boosted her health. The actress, best known for her long-running role in the sitcom Terry and June, continues to enjoy a busy career more than half a century after she started in the business. She is determined to keep up with technology. “I have never tweeted but I do have an iPad – I play Scrabble with my son-in-law. I like the thought of trying to keep up.”

20 bodies recovered from Karachi beaches

Islamabad: At least 20 bodies were recovered from two separate beaches in southern Pakistan, where 23 people had drowned, after they went swimming into the sea despite warnings about strong currents.

According to Dawn, 18 bodies were recovered from Clifton Beach in Karachi after which the rescue operation was suspended owing to the darkness.

Later, two bodies were also recovered from Hawks Bay. The incident occurred as thousands of people gathered at the city beaches on the second day of Eid despite the administration imposed a ban under Section 144 on entering or bathing in the sea, the report said.

120 missing after Bangla ferry mishap Dhaka: Bangladeshi rescuers struggled against a strong current and choppy river waters in the search for a ferry that capsized with more than 200 passengers on board, leaving about 120 missing, many of them feared dead. The ferry involved in the accident had a capacity to carry only 85 passengers, according to the country's inland transport authority, and sank in the river Padma about 30 km southwest of the capital, Dhaka. "The navy rescue team started using sonar to locate the ferry," said Mohammad Saiful Hasan Badal, deputy commissioner of the Munshiganj district, where the ferry went down.

367 dead after quake hits southwest China

Beijing: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southwestern China on Sunday, killing at least 367 people and leaving 1,881 injured in a remote area of Yunnan province, and causing thousands of buildings, including a school, to collapse. The US Geological Survey said the quake registered at a shallow depth of less than 1 mile (1.6 km). Chinese state media said it was felt most strongly in Yunnan as well as in the neighbouring provinces of Guizhou and Sichuan.

The official Xinhua news agency said the epicentre was in Longtoushan town in Yunnan's mountainous Ludian county.

Bomb kills religious leader, guards in Pakistan

Dera Ismail Khan (Pakistan): A bomb killed a Pakistani religious leader and two of his guards during a celebration at a northwestern shrine on Monday, police said, as officers prepared for a militant backlash over a continuing military operation.

Pakistan launched a military offensive in June to seize control of the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan, a remote mountainous region on the border with Afghanistan. Recent weeks have been quiet as Muslims observed the holy month of Ramadan by fasting during the day. But police have said they expect attacks to increase after Ramadan ended last week.

Former Libyan deputy PM kidnapped in Tripoli trade pact that is at the centre of a new effort to improve ties with a neighbour that serves as a buffer with China. Negotiators were trying to narrow down differences over the

power pact aimed at harnessing Nepal's estimated 42,000 MW hydro-electric potential to meet domestic needs and also supply India's giant energystarved economy.

Tripoli: Unidentified gunmen kidnapped Libya's former deputy prime minister Mustafa Abu Shagor, a parliamentarian confirmed. The gunmen forced Abu Shagor into a car near his house in Tripoli's alAndalus region and took him to an unknown location.

Shortly before the gunmen arrived, Abu Shagor had received an anonymous call asking him to leave the house. But he refused. It could not be immediately known who was behind the kidnapping.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

HEALTH STOP

Stress, alcohol worst stroke triggers

S

tress and alcohol are the primary immediate triggers for stroke in Indian men but sexual activity could also set off the life-threatening condition, a cross-sectional survey of patients conducted

by AIIMS has found.

The survey, conducted on 290 stroke patients (210 men and 80 women) showed that certain highrisk activities had triggered the stroke in 44% of them. Among men, this figure was higher at 48%.

A 'trigger' is the immediate cause that precipitates a stroke while 'risk factors' are lifestyle and health conditions that increase the chances of having a stroke in the long run.

"A small number of men, 5 out of 210 (2.4%), said they had sexual intercourse about two hours before the stroke," said Dr Ashish Sharma, who led the study. Previous studies have shown that sex induces transient increases in heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels which might put pressure on brain tissues, precipitating a haemorrhagic stroke or bleeding in susceptible men.

Dr Sharma said none of the women patients reported sexual activity prior to the stroke. "It is

A cure for common cold

S

cientists have developed a new compound, which can prevent people from catching the cold virus by blocking its transmission to others. The compound works by binding to the virus, paralyzing it and preventing it from releasing the genetic material that causes the infection.

Dave Stuart, lead researcher from the University of Oxford, said that there were currently a number of effective drugs against the flu, but drugs which can ward of diseases like common cold, polio and hand, foot and mouth disease are not available.

Stuart said the compound could help improve polio vaccines to help global efforts in eradicating the disease once and for all and if tests continue to give positive results, he hopes it will lead to the development of a drug that could finally treat and prevent people catching colds.

difficult to analyse the cause and effect of sexual activity in precipitating stroke because many patients may not share the exact details," said another senior doctor.

Stroke, a condition traditionally associated with old age, is increasingly affecting young and middle-aged people.

According to the study, trigger factors were mainly found in patients below 60 years of age. The presence of a trigger also made the stroke more severe, the study found.

Of the 48% of men who reported certain triggers for their stroke, 19%

said they were nervous, distressed or scared in the week preceding the stroke due to stressful events.

Another 15% said they had more than four standard drinks in the 24 hours preceding the stroke or equal to 15 standard drinks in the week before the event. About 9% said they suffered from infection in the preceding days.

Dr Kameshwar Prasad, professor and head of neurology department at AIIMS, said the findings could help predict when a stroke is most likely to occur in susceptible individuals, such as diabetics

and hypertensive patients.

"The study could help us develop a comprehensive stroke prevention programme which may include anger and stress management. In case of clinical infections, aggressive treatment of infections can be adopted to check the onset of stroke," said Dr Prasad.

With increase in the number of stroke cases in the recent past, particularly among youngsters, the neurology division of the institute conducted a cross-sectional survey on stroke patients to identify high-risk activities which precipitate the life-threatening situation.

A major new analysis from the Global and Regional Burden of Stroke in the 1990-2010 study, published in The Lancet, found there has been a sharp 25% increase in the number of stroke cases among people aged between 20 and 64 years over the past 20 years worldwide. Strokes in this age group now make up 31% of the total number of cases, compared to 25% before 1990. The overall amount of disability and illness and premature death caused by stroke is projected to be more than double worldwide by 2030.

ing the study period. In fact, the mortality risk associated with not running was greater than the mortality risk associated with being overweight or obese (16%), having a family history of cardiovascular disease (20%), or having high cholesterol (6%).

The researchers divided roughly 13,000 runners into five groups based on how many min-

a seven-day period, and those in the highest group ran for more than 175 minutes over the course of a week. But the benefits of running were pretty much the same for all runners, according to the study.

The researchers found that even running at slower speed would have significant benefits. The researchers calculated that it took 30 to 59 minutes of running per week to reduce the risk of premature death. They said that people who can’t devote 15 or 20 minutes to moderate physical activity can at least spare 5 minutes daily to take benefits. The researchers noted that if the non-runners take up running, 16% of the 3,413 deaths that occurred during the study could have been averted.

An editorial said that exercise is a miracle drug and the list of diseases that exercise can prevent, delay, modify progression of, or improve outcomes for is longer than we currently realize.

Running for 5 minutes a day may prolong your life utes they ran per week. study has found that Those in the lowest group people who jogged A ran up to 50 minutes over or ran for even five

minutes a day may be able to extend their lives by about three years and even escape premature death.

Researchers examined the exercise habits of more than 55,000 adults in the Dallas area who were monitored for six to 22 years.

Compared to those who didn’t run those who did were 30% less likely to die of any cause during the course of the study.

They were also 45% less likely to die as a result of cardiovascular disease, researchers said.

That means, non-runners were 24% more likely than runners to die dur-

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...

27

WOULD THIS 90DAY HAIR LOSS CHALLENGE WORK FOR YOU?

Ravi Bhanot

Author Hair Today...

Hair Tomorrow

"I have tried everything.

What can I do about my hair loss?" Sounds familiar? If so, what can you do?

In hair loss problems ,although the hair is dead ,the hair follicle is alive.

Products applied directly to the scalp cannot get into the follicles. To create healthy tissue, the body produces a substance called collagen.

This forms a network through which blood vessels flow. This promotes healthy follicles (under the scalp) to counteract and reverse hair thinning and hair loss. So how can you get into the follicles?

A new treatment with LED red light scalp roller treatment may be what you may need for your hair loss. "It is a simple treatment" says Sushma Bhanot, co-inventor of the treatment.

"The Nutrigro® LED Scalp Roller is a hand held device with 540 extremely fine 3mm needles. Apply this to the scalp to stimulate blood flow to the follicles, create collagen and elastin to strengthen hair follicles. As the needles are very small they do not cause pain but help in forming temporary channels allowing deeper penetration of the nutritive Nutrigro® Serum.

This encourages better hold of the hair to the follicle and makes hair brittle resistant."

Research shows that the 633nm Red light helps skin cells grow 5 times the normal rate.

"It is thought improved blood circulation in the scalp may also help reduce levels of DHT, a hormone that is associated with hair loss in men. The Serum works to stimulate hair

re-growth in areas of hair thinning by encouraging local blood circulation and hence nutrients to the follicles." explains Ravi Bhanot, co-inventor of the treatment and author of Hair Today...Hair Tomorrow.

"This treatment is designed for those who are losing excessive hair when they brush their hair, after showering or on their pillow case.

Sometimes hair loss may be due to nutrition or hormonal imbalance.

As hair is 97% protein make sure you get all the building blocks to grow hair. If it is a hormonal imbalance then it is important to rebalance.

For women going through or post menopause, eat more oestrogen rich foods such as soya and tofu.

For men, increase on herbs such as Saw Palmetto, that helps reduce DHT. This you can get from your diet or from supplements.

Various hair supplements are available such as Noukrin which provides fish based proteins or Nutrigro Capsules that supply 100% vegetarian based proteins.

So what does your hair need? Try this 90 day challenge. What if it does not work for you?

Simple- return the empty boxes and get your full refund.

Choose your kit and start the 90Day challenge today 1.If you just need to increase your hair volume and make it thicker and healthier, all you need is the Nutrigro® Shampoo and The Nutrigro® Conditioner.

2.If you are losing hair possibly due to nutrition or hormonal imbalances try the Nutrigro® Male or Female Hair Food Capsules along with Nutrigro® Shampoo and the Nutrigro® Conditioner.

3.If you feel that your hair is thinning or falling after brushing or showering, try using the Nutrigro® LED Scalp Roller with Nutrigro® Serum. Only take the Nutrigro® Capsules if you feel nutrition or hormonal imbalance may be playing a part.

28

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

It's Tapasee's turn in Bollywood

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he 'Aadukalam' girl Tapsee Pannu is already shuttling across various projects, 'Muni 3', 'Ganga', & 'Vai Raja Vai with Gautham Karthik. She had a fantastic debut in Bollywood with 'Chasme Buddor' and if the sources are to be believed, she will be signing a new movie 'Hamara Bajaj' which is produced

by John Abraham & Shoojit Sarcar. The film will have VJ turned actor Ayushmann Khurrana as the male lead.

Tapasee is on a vacation to Athens and she says that, she will be happy to take the role if everything gets confirmed officially since the paperwork is pending for the same. Meanwhile, Tamanna Bhatia and Kajal Agarwal are also busy with their projects in Bollywood. More or less it seems the road to Bollywood is certainly getting started from either Kollywood or Tollywood.

Ramya Nambeesan croons the epic 'Vada Poche'

Vijay not reserved, says Samantha

I

layathalapathi' Vijay is known as someone who is reserved and does not talk much. But lately, many people say that, Vijay is not a moody person and he is very lively with the team he works with. A similar statement was issued by, Sathish, and now Samantha joins in that list. I was quite nervous initially by thinking, Vijay is kind of a reserved character. But he broke that myth on the first day of the shoot itself. Even after he completes his portion, I haven't seen him getting into his caravan and spend time alone. He is always there in the sets, talking/teasing the unit. She also

A

adds, it is such a rare quality to see superstar of his stature to be jovial and make fun of others. In that way, I have been entirely impressed with Vijay's character. 'Kaththi' brings Samantha & Vijay for the first time on screen together.

Suriya to act in Telugu film

ctor Suriya has a very good fan following among the Telugu audiences and he has expressed his desire to do a Telugu film many times. Now Suriya is going to fulfil his wish soon. He has signed for a Telugu film and even took advance from the producer.

But he has not revealed the name of the producer and the director, when asked about it.

Instead, he said that it would be nice if the producer himself announces it. This is a very good news for the fans of this flamboyant actor and let's wait for the announcement.

‘Entertainment’

Entertainment is a comedy film directed by debutant duo Sajid-Farhad, who are known for writing numerous films.

Starring Akshay Kumar and Tamannaah Bhatia are the lead actors. the film is produced by Ramesh S Taurani of Tips Industries Ltd. The film features a dog called Junior as Entertainment. Others stars are Mithun Chakraborty, Johnny Lever, Krishna Abhishek, Prakash Raj, Sonu Sood, Vrajesh Hirjee and Hiten Tejwani.

'Dhoom: 3' enters Chinese top 10 chart

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ollywood super hit “Dhoom: 3,” which reportedly opened on 2,000 screens in 400 Chinese cities, has entered the Chinese top ten chart. After storming the Turkish box office and becoming the only Indian film to get to the Turkish Top 10, 'Dhoom:3', Yash Raj Films (YRF) offering, has now entered the Chinese Top 10 Charts at number 9, said a statement from the film's production house. Released 25th July, 'Dhoom:3', which became the first Indian film to get widest release ever in China, came in with an impressive $1.35 million for the three-day weekend, beating the local Chinese romance "No Zuo No Die".

Dia Mirza to marry Sahil Sangha on Oct 18

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t’s an Oct 18 wedding for actress-producer Dia Mirza and her soft spoken fiancé Sahil Sangha.

Confirming this, Dia said: “We’ve finally zeroed in on a date for our wedding. It’s 18 October.

That’s the date when Sahil and I will be married.” The wedding will take place in Delhi and will be attended by the couple’s family and close friends only. Dia is likely to later host a lavish reception in Mumbai for her friends from the entertainment industry.

Sahil’s family is largely based in Delhi, and so, their nuptials are due to be held in the capital. “It was the two families’ decision to have the wedding in Delhi on the chosen date,” said Dia.

The one liner 'Vada Poche' from, “Vadivelu” has become a rage with the youngsters. Dhanush went on to make use of the word in 'VIP' and penned a song too. Ramya Nambeesan who is not a trained vocalist but she has proven her mettle as a singer in Malayalam industry already. She's the one who sung 'FY FY FY' in 'Pandia Naadu' which went on to become a huge hit. Ramya did sing, Pogaadhe Pogaadhe in 'Damaal Dumeel'. Taj Noor, who started his career in K-town with 'Vamsan' is composing music for this movie and called, Ramya to sing a special song which is nothing but the age old 'Kaka-Vada' story. The actor sung the song beautifully and wanted to make a video session of the song since she is very happy with the outcome. Well, not many people would possess both the qualities of being beautiful and having a wonderful voice, Ramya Nambeesan is definitely unique!

No vulgarity in ‘Raja Natwarlal’: Humaima Malick

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akistani m o d e l a c t r e s s Humaima Malick says she may have shot steamy and passionate kissing scenes with her costar Emraan Hashmi for her forthcoming Bollywood debut “Raja Natwaral” but there is no vulgarity in the movie. "There is no vulgarity in the film at all. In fact, I am very proud that we have done many romantic scenes in the film and have shot beautifully," Humaima said at the launch of a song from the film. Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, "Raja Natwaral", also featuring Paresh Rawal and Kay Kay Menon, will hit the theatres on Aug 29. "Everyone can watch the film with his/her kids and family," she added.

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Rani Mukherjee’s bold role in ‘Mardaani’

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fearless and incorruptible cop. Joining Rani onscreen is a cast including Jishu Sengupta and Tahir Raj Bhasin.

Shivani Shivaji Roy is an astute cop working in the Mumbai Crime Branch unit. Deft at picking up hidden clues and fearless in confronting hardened criminals, she is presented with a case that will change her life forever. When the mastermind behind a child trafficking mafia makes the mistake of kidnapping and smuggling a teenage girl who is like a daughter to her, Shivani embarks on a relentless hunt for the girl.

Fighting a war that has become personal, Shivani plunges herself into a seedy world of debauchery, cruel desires and exploitation. What follows is a deadly, cat and mouse game between a fearless cop and a young and ruthless mafia kingpin.

aking a much-welcomed return to the silver screen in her most bold and challenging role to date, Rani Mukherjee sets a new benchmark in the emerging genre of female-centric offerings in Indian cinema, essaying the lead role in Yash Raj Films’ “Mardaani,” releasing worldwide on 22nd August. Produced by Aditya Chopra, the film is a raw, gritty and edge of the seat thriller that marks a distinct departure from director Pradeep Sarkar’s style of filmmaking. Rani essays as a

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Aamir Khan goes nude for 'PK'

amir Khan throws up surprises with almost all his new movies - the latest comes with the poster of his upcoming film 'PK'. The actor features nude with a strategically placed vintage boombox, and he has left audiences guessing what the Rajkumar Hirani movie will be about.

"What do you think guys?

Tell me fast... butterflies in my stomach," Aamir posted on his Twitter page. The poster elicited a roaring response from the Twitterati online, and several industry members too lauded the actor for pulling off such innovative stunts for his film's promotions. Filmmaker Karan Johar tweeted: "Intriguing and brilliant first look of the much-awaited Raju Hiranis #PK." "aamir_khan what a first look, gotta keep looking to figure ke yeh

#PK hai kya," tweeted Kunal Kohli.

Composer Vishal Dadlani said: "That PK poster is MAD!!

Already curious as hell about the film! Raju Hirani is the bomb, & Aamir has almost sixth sense-esque script-sense."

Aamir himself loved the responses and mixed guesses from people. "Alien! Adi Manav!

Drunkard! Just someone who has lost his clothes! Ha ha ha!!! Interesting guesses," he posted. It has earlier been revealed that "PK" promotions will involve the use of talking standees, which will be kept in theatres, have the actor's photo and his voice installed in them. When you go close to it, Aamir will speak to you.

Priyanka fought with real boxers in ‘Mary Kom’

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they had to really hit you. So I had to get hit a lot and that was really hard," she added.

Co-produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, "Mary Kom" shows Kom's journey from an athlete to a boxer, opposition faced by her father to take up the sport as a profession, training with men, her fearless nature, marriage and so-called end of her boxing career.

Directed by Omung Kumar, it is slated for a Sept 5 release.

ctress Priyanka Chopra fought with real boxers in "Mary Kom", a biopic on the five time World Champion boxer. She says it was not easy to take a full-on punch from professional boxers during the shoot.

"All my opponents in the film were real boxers," Priyanka said in an interview.

"It was very difficult to shoot with them because they are real boxers and they don't know how to fake a punch,

Rajkummar Rao to romance Hema Malini

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ctor Rajkummar Rao will be romancing Hema Malini in Ramesh Sippy's film 'Shimla Mirchi.' "It's an unusual film and the treatment of the film is going to be very different. I am extremely excited to romance Hema Malini on screen," Rajkummar said. He said that so far he has not met Hemaji, but it's a dream come true to share the screen space with her.

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I was obsessed with Salman: Sonam Kapoor S

onam Kapoor was obsessed with Salman Khan while she was a child.

She says that meeting him was one of the highlights of her life. Now she is an actor and in an upcoming film she will be playing the lead opposite Salman. In an interview, she narrated how she for the first time met Salman. “I’m a big fan of his.

When I was younger, I was obsessed with him. My parents never allowed me on a film set. But this one time I got to know that dad (Anil Kapoor) and Salman are working together, so I pleaded with him to take me on the set. I remember how he introduced me to Salman, saying ‘She’s a big fan of yours. Why don’t you speak to her for some time?’ We spent around 45 minutes together, but he [Salman] doesn’t remember any of that. It was one of the highlights of my life.”

When asked why she is not working with her father, she said he (Anil Kapoor) refuses to be her father on screen. “I told him, ‘You’re playing a father to others, but not to me.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, it’s better that way.’

But honestly, right now, even I don’t want to work with dad; I want to find my own path and make my own image. I don’t want to ‘use’ my dad.”

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UK

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Indian High Commission to celebrate Indian Independence Day A gala event is being held on Sunday, 24th August, 2014 to celebrate India’s Independence Day. All Indian nationals, persons of Indian origin and friends of India are

welcome to participate in the festivities which will commence at 1100 hours at the Indian Gymkhana Club, Thornbury Avenue, Isleworth TW7 4NQ (Opp. Osterley Tube Station).

Death crash driver Hussain had previous speeding conviction

The scene of the horrific crash and (inset) Noreen Ryan and Saqib Hussain

Relatives of a woman killed by the driver of a £100,000 hired supercar have revealed he’d been convicted of speeding before the crash. Saqib Hussain may have been “showing off” moments before he ploughed into a Ford Fiesta last August while again speeding, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

Noreen Ryan and her sister Mary, who was driving, were returning from a family birthday party when the £600-per-day Audi R8 Spyder hit them. Noreen died in the Hall Green

smash and Mary was seriously injured. Hussain left the scene, handing himself in at a police station hours later.

The 24-year-old, who had driven the car to a wedding, admitted causing the death of Birmingham City fanatic Noreen by dangerous driving and has been told that a prison sentence is “inevitable”.

The computer engineer, of Alexander Road, Acocks Green, also admitted causing serious injury to Mary by dangerous driving and to a passenger in his car, Faisal Wahid.

COMPETITION

Flag hoisting will be at 1100 hrs followed by National Anthem of India.

The event will also cultural proinclude grammes, food stalls offering cuisines from different

regions of India and a raffle draw with attractive prizes.

Temple celebration Preparations are underway for a 25th anniversary celebration at a popular Hindu temple in Birmingham. Scores of worshippers and dignitaries are expected to join in the milestone event at Shree Laxmi Narayan Temple – also known as Shree Hindu Community Centre - in Tyseley next Saturday (Aug 16).

The free all-day programme, which will begin

at 9am will feature sanctification ceremonies by priest Ramnikbhai Dave, thanksgiving of past presidents, secretaries and priests, lunch, cultural performances, speeches and more.

Temple President Mukeshbhai Ladwa said he felt “truly honoured”.

For more information contact Dr Kiran Vaja on 0121 689 6433 or visit www.shcc.org.uk

Coming Events

*Janmashtami celebration on Sunday 17 Aug at Dhamecha Lohana Centre in S. Harrow. Contact 07960541216 *Wah Mummy Wah, Friday Aug 1, 8pm. Oasis academy, Croydon CR9 7AL. Contact: 0208 778 4728 * Saturday 2nd August –Sunday 9th August 2014 –Jai Siya Ram in the aid of Poor Child Education –Bapuji Programmes in UK - Shree Hanumant Katha from 47pm at Shree Hindu Temple, Baxter Avenue, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and wear, NE4 9QB, UK Contact: 0116 266 2652. * Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street - 8 Aug 6:30pm Lecture come demonstration: Compilation of Repertoire in Kuchipudi and Bharata Natyam with special reference to Sabdams V Soumyasri - Monday 11 Aug 6:15pm Exhibition: Tradition in Modernity- An exhibition of contemporary Indian Art Atria gallery - Tuesday 12 Aug 6:30pm Bahai Temples: Lord Mereworth, Mr Shatrughum Jiwani - Wednesday 13 Aug 6:30pm: Music tribute to Hemanta Mukherjee- Soumyen Adhikari

Two tickets are up for grabs to see legendary Paresh Rawal in ‘Dear Father’ on Friday 10th October 2014 in Leicester. All you have to do is answer the following question to be in with a chance of winning. The winner will be chosen from all correct entries on a lottery basis. All entries need to be sent to aveditorial@abplgroup.com by no later than Saturday 13th September. Good luck.

What is the character of Paresh Rawal called in his film ‘Oh My God’ 1) Jayesh Chandrakant Mehta 2) Kanji Lalji Mehta 3) Umesh Dhanjibhai Mehta Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Editorial Executive: Tanveer Mann Tel: 020 7749 4010 - Email: tanveer.mann@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Freelance Correspondent: Rudy Otter Chief Operating Officer: Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 Email: george@abplgroup.com Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 Mobile: 078712 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Chief Accountant: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 1121 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 40912 - Mobile: 078712 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Business Development Managers: Rovin J George - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 078712 229 219 Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Graphic Designers: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Ragini Nayak Tel: 020 7749 4080 - Email: support@abplgroup.com (BPO) AB Publication (India) Pvt. Ltd. 207 Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad.

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 Urvashi Jagadeesan (India) Mumbai: Kanti Bhatt, Hemraj Shah (Jumbo Advertiser) Horizon Advertising & Marketing: 2012, Shalibhadra Complex, Opp. Jain Derasar, Nr. Nehru Nagar Circle, Ambawadi, Ahmedabad. Tel +91 79 2646 5960 Email: horizon.marketing@abplgroup.com Business Manager: Hardik Shah (M) +91 99250 42936 Email: hardik.shah@abplgroup.com Advertising Manager: Neeta Patel (Vadodara) M: +91 98255 11702 Email: neeta_abplgroup@yahoo.co.in Business Co-ordinator: Shrijit Rajan M: +91 98798 82312 Email: shrijit.rajan@abplgroup.com International Advertisement Representative: Jain Group (South India) Tel: +91 44 42041122/3/4 Fax: +91 44 25362973 Mumbai: +91 022 2471 4122 Email: jain@jaingroup.net Delhi Office: Tel: +91 9311581597

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It would be unwise to take any risks, particularly in regard to joint interests and investments. So be extra careful if you need to deal with complex legal matters and necessary red tape. If love has left you feeling rather dejected or cynical, it looks as though soon events will pull you out of this mood of despondency.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

AsianVoiceNews

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21 Relationships are complex in 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.

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.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

You’re likely to find yourself doing a lot of thinking about both new and existing partnerships, and maybe toing and froing in one relationship in particular. Home and family duties and responsibilities may weigh heavy on you. In effect, you’re building a new foundation, so the work you put in now will pay off in the future.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

At home, be at your diplomatic best and try not to tread on anyone's toes. Passions will run from hot to cold, and relationships may suffer. Even the most strong-willed Leos will be more open to compromise to keep the peace. All things considered, your health should be robust.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

It's a time of slow and steady progress that can set the stage for a long time to come. Of course, there are still challenging issues on both a personal and practical level. To get here you may have overcome obstacles by making important decision and choices. You will achieve a lot more, by motivating your own desires.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

Decision making will prove to be a bit of a bind because of your wavering mind - seek professional advice and then steam ahead.

Be careful with your expenditure as you have a tendency to be extravagant. In relationships, sometimes it is a good idea to stand back and get a more objective view of the pattern of your life.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22 You will continue to be in a restless mood for some time to come. This makes you impatient with restrictions and even more determined to cut your own path. Do not get over-anxious if everything seems to be in slow motion - it is time to pull a few strings. You are likely to experience some tension in close relationships.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

You may find yourself hard at work behind the scenes, although that may not be apparent to others. You may find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of activity, with opportunities to advance on both the inner and outer level. There’s a sparkle to your social life and much enjoyment is to be had simply from being in touch with other people.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 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.

Jupiter, the planet of abundance, is transiting your partnership sector. You have plenty of romantic options. Financially you are still not out of the woods as Saturn is still challenging you. At work you will experience a mixed atmosphere, therefore be on your guard as communications can be misinterpreted.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

Your communication sector is all-abuzz with planetary energies firing you up preventing you from sleeping properly. Give yourself plenty of physical outlets to drain off some of the excess mental stimulation. You feel like you can finally settle into a more grounded and steady routine instead of letting your schedule run you.

Anderson, Jadeja not found guilty

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

The International Cricket Council has found both England's fast bowler James Anderson and India's Ravindra Jadeja not guilty of breaching its Code of Conduct.

The England fast bowler was in danger of a ban of up to four Test matches if found guilty of a Level 3 charge of "pushing and abusing" India allrounder Jadeja in the pavilion stairwell during the first Test at Trent Bridge.

But International Cricket Council judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis decided neither player transgressed, meaning Anderson is free to play in his home Test at Emirates Old Trafford.

No verdict was expected until the weekend from the video-conference hearing held on Friday - in which Jadeja was appealing against a 50 per cent match-fee fine for a Level 1 offence relating to the same incident and Anderson's case was being considered in full for the first time.

But the ICC announced in a press release: "His Honor Gordon Lewis AM, the judicial commissioner, has found both England's James Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja of India not guilty of breaching the ICC code of conduct. "The judicial commissioner reached his decisions following a six-hour hearing, which took place via videoconference.

"Witnesses, including some Indian and English players, provided evidence and were cross-

examined by the respective legal counsels.

"The ECB and Anderson were represented in the hearings by Nick De Marco, while Adam Lewis QC represented Jadeja.

"The hearings were also attended by the two team managers, the ECB's Paul Downton, the BCCI's Sundar Raman and MV Sridhar, the ICC's general manager - cricket, Geoff Allardice, and the ICC's ethics and regulatory lawyer, Sally Clark."

It was alleged that, after Anderson and Jadeja had exchanged words as they left the field for lunch on day two of the first Test, their disagreement had escalated out of the public view. Repercussions were significant, and England could ill afford to lose their linchpin fast bowler and series leading wicket-taker.

Instead, though, Anderson is free to play for the

remainder of the series after Lewis threw out the charges.

The Indian team management had accused Anderson of “abusing” and “pushing” Jadeja. Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni, who claimed to have seen Anderson “pushing” Jadeja had condemned the “physical” act during a press conference at Lord's, saying that “there is no way can I go and touch you, or you can come and touch me”.

Dhoni had also maintained that Jadeja had not been the aggressor. “It was good on Jadeja's part not to react. I felt he addressed the situation in a most appropriate manner. That's something we have to learn and move forward.

Someone has to back off at the right time,” Dhoni had said.

The Indian captain, who appeared as one of the Indian witnesses along

with Gautam Gambhir and physio Evan Speechly at Friday's hearing, however, would be happy that Lewis overturned match referee David Boon's decision to fine Jadeja 50 per cent of his match fees for “bringing the game into disrepute”.

According to the witness Prior, the words 'f**k' and 'f**king' are common place on an international cricket field. Second, it is not an issue that umpire Oxenford took the action he describes in his statement where he said, "I heard Anderson use foul and abusive language at Dhoni. In particular, I heard him say "you're a f**king fat c**t to Dhoni".

According to Anderson's version, it was Jadeja who was the aggressor and without provocation. Anderson did admit abusing Jadeja telling him to “f--- off and get in your dressing room”.

ple attended the event, enjoying the lunch, tea and

bar provided by The Prideview Group.

Anyone looking to enter a team, sponsor or donate a raffle prize for next year’s competition should emailnilesh@pridemanagement.co.uk to register their interest.

The chosen charity, Big Hug Foundation, will use the funds to complete the construction of an orphanage and commence the redevelopment of a number of slum homes near Coimbatore in South India.

Over £11,500 raised at Prideview Cricketers’ Cup

Twelve teams of 6-a-side competed in matches of 5 overs each way on the grounds of Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood in temperatures close to 30 degree Celsius.

Logicare Complete Solutions were the eventual winners, beating Prideview in the final.

Bircroft Insurance Services came 3rd and John Cumming Ross won the plate trophy.

Over £3.5k raised in a charity auction of Indian cricket memorabilia, which was

run by Barnett Ross auctioneers. Around 200 peo-

SPORT WORLD

Kallis quits ODI cricket months before World Cup

South Africa's Jacques Kallis has surprisingly decided to call time on his international limited overs career six months before the World Cup. The 38-year-old, one of the greatest allrounders in the game's history, retired from Test cricket last year but had been planning to finish his South Africa career at the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in February and March. However, he announced a change of heart just weeks after helping South Africa win a one-day international series in Sri Lanka for the first time. "I realised in Sri Lanka that my dream of playing in a World Cup was a bridge too far," he said in a statement.

Sri Lankan U-15 cricket team asked to leave Chennai

Just days after the row over an unflattering article and graphics on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa appeared on Sri Lanka's defence website, the Under15 cricket team from the neighbouring country was asked to leave Chennai on Monday for 'security reasons'. The Under-15 team, comprising of 16 players, was in Chennai to take part in the JM Haroon Cricket tournament, starting on Tuesday (August 4). The tournament will have 11 other teams, including hosts India. The state police asked the visiting team to leave Chennai as they could not guarantee their safety. The team later left for Colombo. The anti-Sri Lankan sentiment increased in the state in last few days after the row over controversial pictures of Tamil Nadu CM and the Indian PM used in an article on Sri Lanka's defence website. Following the uproar over the article, the Sri Lankan government tendered an "unqualified apology" to Prime Minister Modi and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

South Africa reclaim No 1 Test position

The South Africa Test team has reclaimed their number one Test position on the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Team Championship after defeated Sri Lanka 1-0 in the two-match Test series in Colombo. South Africa had won the first Test against Sri Lanka and held the hosts to a draw in the second one in Colombo on Monday to rise to the top of the leaderboard again. South Africa had entered the twoTest series against Sri Lanka on equal points with Australia (123 ratings points), however, Hashim Amla's side was ranked below Australia when ratings were calculated beyond the decimal point. The 1-0 series win has now put South Africa ahead of Australia on 124 ratings points and has also Amla's squad to regain the position they had surrendered to Michael Clarke's side on May 1, 2014 following the annual Test update. South Africa will now face Zimbabwe in a one-off Test in Harare starting on August 9. But when the Australian Test team travels to the Sheikhdom in October to play Pakistan in their two-Test series, they would be out to get back on top of the tree and they need a 1-0 or 2-0 margin win in the series to make that happen.

Disgraced Indian officials set free for lack of evidence

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) heaved a huge sigh of relief after its secretary general Rajeev Mehta and wrestling referee Virender Singh Malik, both of whom were taken into police custody in Glasgow on Saturday, were set free due to lack of evidence.

Mehta was arrested on charges of alleged drunken driving while Malik, who is a FILA Grade I referee, was accused of sexually assaulting a staff member at the guest house where

he was staying during the Commonwealth Games.

The reports of the blood samples did not show that Mehta consumed more alcohol than permissible while on his

way back in a BMW car from a party that was organised to celebrate the performance of gymnast D i p a Karmakar on Saturday

night.

No charges were framed against the two Indian officials as the prosecution failed to produce adequate evidence against them.

The alleged hit-and-run case against Mehta was also disposed of because of lack of evidence. "The entire incident was misrepresented and I wasn't even driving the car. In fact, it was my friend who was driving while we were returning to the hotel," Mehta said. "They could not find anything substantial against me and the prosecution dropped all the charges. I was nowhere at fault in the accident that everyone has been talking about. In fact, the person

31

who was driving the other car was at fault and that is the reason police did not press any charges against me," said Mehta, who took over as secretary general of the IOA in February this year. Both Mehta and Malik were scheduled to take a flight back home to India on Monday evening via London. Scotland's STV quoted a spokesperson for the Crown Office state prosecution service as saying: "Following full and careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of

the case, and taking into account the available admissible evidence, Crown Counsel decided that there should be no proceedings (against Mehta) at this time. The Crown reserves the right to raise proceedings in the future."

In relation to Malik, a Crown Office spokesman said: "After a full and careful consideration of all facts and circumstances the case was dealt with by way of a direct measure and is now closed.”

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SPORT

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 9th August 2014

Moeen puts India in a spin as England level series

Spinner Moeen Ali claimed six wickets to inspire England to a crushing 266-run win over India on Thursday to level an absorbing series at 1-1 with two matches to play.

Spinner Moeen took six for 67, the first fivewicket haul of his test career, and India crumbled to 178 all out in their second innings on the final morning of the match.

England took the six wickets they needed to secure a first test win since they beat Australia at Durham last August, ending a dismal run of 10 matches without victory.

"It was a bit of a scramble for the souvenir stumps at the end as it was some people's first win and I want them to remember that," England captain Alastair Cook said at the presentation ceremony.

"But the senior players stood up as well, the team was fantastic from one to 11. "Moeen Ali's bowling has come on leaps and

bounds this summer; he's fronted up to the responsibility, worked really hard and responded well.

Getting six wickets to win the game, you couldn't ask for more."

Moeen dismissed Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami in the space of 12 balls, before he aptly took the final scalp of Pankaj Singh to complete figures of six for 67.

Earlier in the morning, James Anderson had got England off to the perfect start by dismissing Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

India batsman Ajinkya Rahane played with composure to reach his second half-century of the match, but his unbeaten 52 was in vain as England maintained the dominance they had shown over the first four days.

Man-of-the-match Anderson drew Sharma into a faint edge through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler before dismissing Dhoni in similar fashion with a ball that nipped away from the right-hander.

Cook made a crucial bowling change, by introducing Moeen who

bowled Jadeja with a fulllength delivery before inducing Kumar, who has three half-centuries in the series, to edge on to his pad and the ball looped up to Anderson at gully.

Moeen continued to bamboozle the Indian batsmen and he bowled Shami and Singh to wrap up a deserved victory for the hosts. "We'll have to think about if for the next Test as the extra batsman didn't really score anything - a lot will depend on the kind of wicket that's provided but I don't expect it to be different to the wicket here," India captain Dhoni said. "(Fast bowler) Ishant Sharma definitely won't be fit for the fourth test. Pankaj Singh bowled really well, he was the one person bowling the right length and he was unlucky not to get wickets. Whenever I asked him to bowl he gave it everything."

The fourth test begins at Old Trafford, Manchester on Aug 7.

Amir keen to start boxing academy in Punjab

British boxer Amir Khan has not forgotten his roots. His face lights while talking about India or Pakistan. And the former two-time light welterweight world champion has some plans for the region too. “I've been for the region and Abhey Singh Chautala, the Indian boxing chief, asked me to open a boxing academy in Punjab. This is something I would like to do. I met him in Dubai recently and he invited me to India to have a look around for setting up an academy,” Khan said. “I am opening academies in Pakistan and I have an academy in England. If we can have one in India, we can have competitions between us.”

A strong advocate for safety in boxing, Khan was all for the return of headgear in the sport. “I'd probably say head guards should come back, especially when you got fighters fighting maybe five times a week,” he said.

Despite being a celebrity in UK, Khan, the

youngest Britisher to win an Olympic medal at 17 years at the 2004 Athens Games, has no airs about him.

“I met Vijender (Singh) in the Athletes Village. He's a good boxer and we talked about his career. Indian boxers have improved their style, skills and I like that about them,” said Khan.

“They have improved said Khan. They have improved over the years.

They have done well to bring different coaches from different parts of the world. They are serious about their sport. I had met their coach (Gurbax Singh) Sandhu at the London Olympics and was impressed by his plans.”