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VOL 39. ISSUE 23

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Muslims get 1/3 share of disputed land

believe it is the place of birth of Lord Ram, they have come to the conclusion that the Babri mosque was built on the plot that was earlier a temple. One of the judges

though differed, as he said the mosque was not built by demolishing a temple.

Another judge said the structure that was brought by kar sevaks in 1992 cannot be called as a mosque,

as it was built against the tenets of Islam.

Although Justices S U Khan, Sudhir Agarwal and D V Sharma wrote separate judgments, all three agreed that the land on which the makeshift temple stands under the dome belongs to Hindus.

The bench dismissed the Waqf board’s suit by a majority 2-1 verdict with Justices Agarwal and Sharma rejecting it on the ground of limitation and Justice Khan disagreeing with them.

Continued on page 24

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Ayodhya: legal seal to Hindus’ faith

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The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court last week said the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram and the idols of Ram Lalla will stay where they are at present.

The court also observed that three parties shall share the disputed land equally.

Relying heavily on the report of the ASI (Archeological Survey of India), the three judges were uniamous in one thing, the place had remnants of a hindu religious structure. Since Hindus

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Musharraf admits training militants to fight in Kashmir Former Pakistan President, army chief says no regrets on Kargil It is well known to India and the World.

Now, finally, one of the topmost Pakistani leaders has openly admitted their sins: of training militants against India so that they fight in Kashmir.

Pervez Musharraf also said Kargil intrusion was his design.

I n t e r e s t i n g l y, Musharraf has done this just a couple of days after he openly announced entering the political arena in Pakistan with the announcement of launching his own party in London. In an interview to a German magazine – Der Spiegel, he justified the actions as he said, “Yes, it is the right of any country to pro-

Pervez Musharraf

mote its own interests... when India is not prepared to discuss Kashmir at the United Nations and is not prepared to resolve the dispute in a peaceful manner.”

Pervez Musharraf, former army chief and president of Pakistan has admitted Pakistan’s role in training underground militants as well as intrusion into Kargil.

Continued on page 24

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Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

one to one Keith Vaz MP with

Professor Naina Patel OBE, Founder and Executive Director of PRIAE Policy Research Institute on Ageing and Ethnicity. www.priae.org 1) What inspired you to begin your career in your chosen field?

The situation where mainstream and large voluntary organisations continued to treat Asian and other ethnic elders’ as ‘projects’ in the UK and across Europe with short term funding as a characteristic feature, the area would remain under developed; and would most certainly not be ready for me when I turn 80!

2) What are your proudest achievements?

Many! First grant engaging ethnic elders’ in the report for the Royal Commission on Long Term Care for the Elderly (1998); building PRIAE and its reputation from zero finance to over £6million through mainly funding applications; designing and delivering Europe’s largest research on ethnic elders’ health and care to date.

3) Please tell us about PRIAE? PRIAE (pronounced ‘preeya’) is a not-forprofit, independent international charitable Institute, established in 1998. As the only international organisation specialising in ageing

and ethnicity/migration, PRIAE plays an essential role in policy, research, information and practice on: Employment , Enterprise and Income; Health, Social Care and Housing; Citizenship and Quality of Life PRIAE’s aim is to develop the area of ageing and ethnicity/migration with leading developments that help benefit Asian and other minority ethnic older people. PRIAE has pioneered considerable progress and many of its initiatives are considered ‘first of its kind’.

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

My mother, late father and husband; PRIAE’s patron and trustees who supported my vision including Lord Navnit Dholakia; Lord Herman

8) What are your long term goals?

Increasing opportunities for Asian and ethnic elders in securing better health, housing and care and in wider areas that make life worthwhile.

Major developments made at PRIAE are better articulated across Europe where the issue is better recognised; and across the world where in some parts it is just emerging.

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

I’d resign immediately, apologise to the country and change the government!! Alternatively I would take civil society organisations like PRIAE and others more seriously, listen to them and work with their successes as well as their challenges for the good of all in society.

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

Funding – lack of it; TIME - lack of it; Resistance from policymakers, decision makers, funders who matter in shifting progress where ‘in age, race is not blind; in race, age is not blind’; Day to day realities of discrimination.

are part of all UK/Europe’s elders, not apart.

Ouseley; Dr Chai Patel CBE, Professor Sashidharan, Liam Hughes, Jeffrey Greenwood and key elders from different ethnic communities who work with us; A.Sivanandan (Institute of Race Relations) and his writings.

opportunities for their engagement; to develop, promote and profile PRIAE’s work and to be able to translate the passion that old age matters and that minority ethnic elders’, as all elders, are entitled to a decent and respectful old age, including the right to age with dignity and fulfilment.

6) What is the best thing about your current role at PRIAE?

7) And the worst?

Supporting issues and activities by Asian and ethnic elders and their organisations and creating

Having to work very very hard all the time with little staffing to raise funding for what is essentially ‘core’ work since Asian and other ethnic elders

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

Mumtaz Mahal, favourite wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He built Taj Mahal in her memory, described by Rabindranath Tagore as ‘one tear drop…..upon the cheek of time’.

Shri Mahatma Gandhi – his principles, actions and relationships with people and ideas. Inspiration for me is not only a matter of hero figures/role models but the need to understand why people make the decisions that they do and those that they avoid.

Muslim woman sacked from estate agency for refusing to wear a headscarf A Muslim woman has been awarded more than ￡13,500 after she was sacked for refusing to wear a headscarf at the estate agency where she worked.

Ghazala Khan - a 31year-old non-practising Muslim - was fired less than two weeks into her job at a company run by traditional Muslim businessman Masood Ghafoor simply because she refused to cover her hair, reports Daily Mail.

Mr Ghafoor told Miss Khan, who had nine years experience in the trade, that his wife and female relatives all wore full veils or burkas, telling her that her parents had given her 'far too much freedom'.

A tribunal heard that

Miss Khan had been employed to run Mr Ghafoor's Go Go Real Estate office in Leeds, West Yorkshire, in June 2009.

However, within days of working there she was left feeling 'very uncomfortable and intimidated' when Mr Ghafoor put it to her that she had not been brought up as a 'good Muslim' and that if she had been his daughter she would not be allowed to work and would have been long since 'married off'.

He asked her to wear a headscarf at work even though white nonMuslim women he employed in the same office were never asked to and never did.

On the day she was

due to start her third week in the job, Mr Ghafoor told her not to bother coming in.

When she eventually caught up with him later that evening he told her that members of the Muslim community had been 'gossiping' and suggested that she was not 'respectable' and that there might be 'something going on' between her and members of staff.

Mr Ghafoor added that his cousin Shakeel, who was also employed in the office, was unhappy working with a female especially as she did not wear a headscarf, was not religious and was Westernised.

Graduate Miss Khan, who represented herself at the hearing in Leeds,

won her claim for discrimination on the grounds of her lack of religion or belief, by dismissing her and sex discrimination.

She has been awarded ￡13,566.67 for injury to feelings, loss of earnings and unpaid holiday pay.

The tribunal concluded: 'Ms Khan described herself as British Pakistani, meaning that she is of Asian racial origin and of Pakistani national origin.

'She also described herself as a non-practising Muslim, meaning that she identified with the Muslim religion but did not attend her local mosque, pray regularly or cover her hair.

'The respondent on

the other hand is a practising Muslim with traditional religious and cultural beliefs.'

The tribunal heard that at her job interview Miss Khan had worn a grey pinstripe trouser suit, described as 'conventional modern professional dress'.

The tribunal concluded: 'Our impression of Ms Khan was of an articulate young woman who genuinely needed a job and would not have behaved in the way described by Mr Ghafoor.'

Mr Ghafoor was cleared of race discrimination as the tribunal ruled he would have treated black or white female converts the same as he treated Ms Khan.

This week the paid subscribers of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar will receive our souvenir magazine celebrating the 10th Asian Achievers Awards, along with their weekly paper(s).

Please see a report on the AAA 2010, in page 10 of Asian Voice.

People ■ Diversity Nite at the Labour Party Conference was a huge success with a galaxy of Shadow Cabinet Ministers.

David Miliband, Harriet Harman, Alan Johnson, Ed Balls, Caroline Flint, and a selection of BAME MPs including Sadiq Khan, Shabana Mahmood, Valerie Vaz and Virendra Sharma were there.

■ Barry Gardiner MP hosted the Labour Friends of India dinner and another dozen MPs came. India’s High

Barry Gardiner MP

Comissioner H.E. Mr. Nalin Surie and Deputy Rajesh N. Prasad presided.

Founder Member Stephen Pound was also in good form.

■ The Tories turned to their Chairperson Sayeeda Warsi to drive a wedge between the two Miliband Brothers.

Sayeeda Warsi

She is becoming a bit of a star turn.

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

COMMENT

Osborne in cruise control at Tory Conference The Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne made one of the greatest speeches of his political career at the Tory Party Conference in Birmingham. His address was sombre, authoritative and lucid: he was in total control of his brief as he explained the urgency for spending cuts, without which the country could not be put back on its feet. The cuts, he said, had to be deep, otherwise the interest on the debt would rise exponentially, such being its size. Accept the medicine and the pain now, and the relief would come sooner rather than later. Reality had to be faced: the borrowing of the previous Labour government had been huge with the bailout of banks and the sheer size of the fiscal stimulus. The problem confronting the government was as vast as it was complex, hence government departments had been asked to put forward their respective suggestions on where best to apply the cuts. This consultation had extended to all sections of civil society so that when the government's final decision was announced in a few weeks time it would be as fair and equitable under the present circumstances.

Is the welfare state being dismantled as some claim? Pruning would be better description of the Chancellor's measures. For instance, child benefit was to be abolished for those with a yearly income of £44,000 and more. Universality, which had hitherto underwritten the arrangement would have to make

way for a commonsense adjustment that would force the wealthier segment of society to shoulder the burden at a difficult time for the whole nation.

The Chancellor's second measure will cap household benefit to £500 a week. This will mainly affect householders with large families and those living in London and the South East. More than 50,000 families are expected to lose up to £300 per week under the decision to cap household benefit at £500 a week.

This would result in a saving of hundreds of millions of pounds. The measure would be introduced in 2013. All those claiming disability living allowance, and war widows and working families claiming the working tax credit, would be exempt from the cap. It would also cover most out-of-work benefits such jobseeker's allowance, income support and and employment support allowance.

These are the broad parameters, more detail will be added in the Chancellor's speech to Parliament; many defence appropriations are certain to face the axe.

Mr Osborne was heard with rapt attention by the party faithful. They were aware that this was a seminal statement on course correction that may yet be the saving of Britain.

Ed Miliband, the new Labour leader, will have his work cut out; he will have to put forward his programme for the country's economic recovery with a similar clarity of vision.

The country will be watching.

Musharraf spills the beans Fallen General Pervez Musharraf, once the president of Pakistan following a coup in October 1999, and now an exile in London, made a forthright admission of guilt about his decision to initiate the Kargil conflict with India in the summer of that year. He was interviewed by the German magazine Der Spiegel. Asked his reasons for going to war, he defended his move, claiming that Nawaz Sharif, the Pakistan premier at the time, had gone soft on the Kashmir dispute with India.

Mr Musharraf brazenly admitted: “They [jehadi groups to fight India in Kashmir] were indeed formed. Yes, it is the right of any country to promote its own interests.” The general had no regrets over the Kargil infiltration, arguing that Pakistan had the right to do what it did in defence of its national interest.

Some interest indeed. Pakistan's Northern Light Infantry, which was in the forefront of the fighting, was virtually wiped out, said Nawaz Sharif.

Mr Musharraf slammed the West, the US and Germany, in particular, for not pressing India hard enough on the Kashmir issue; anodyne declarations were self-defeating, he told his German interviewer.

In an incoherent outburst, he accused the

West of double standards, of mollifying India for strategic reasons while blaming Pakistan for all the ills of the world.

Mr Musharraf displayed a dangerous mindset, which he shares with rest of Pakistan's top military brass. Act now, think later appears to be his (and their) motto. To claim that a nation has every right to act in any way it considers appropriate in pursuit of the nation interest is close to lunacy. On that reckoning, the US would be within its rights to launch indiscriminate drone attacks on, say, Islamabad or Karachi. Is Mr Musharraf slyly defending the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai

by Pakistani terrorists? Or the attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001?

Has he the foggiest idea of how compromising his words are? Instead of blaming India for the secession of Bangladesh from Pakistan, he should beg forgiveness of the Bangladeshi people for the Pakistan military's genocidal massacres in their country in 1971.

As Nobel laureate V.S.Naipaul wrote: Pakistan was a criminal enterprise from its birth. Its terrorist crimes increase by the hour and day. They augment the country's crippling moral deficit.

Test cricket alive and well in India The first Test match between India and Australia at Mohali ended in a thrilling onewicket victory for India; the visiting captain Ricky Ponting declaring that it was among the top of his most memorable matches, he reminded his audience that he had played in150 Tests. He accepted defeat in the gracious spirit that fits well with the game's best traditions. “India outplayed Australia.” if only just, in a nail-biting finish.

It seemed all over bar the shouting, when India resuming on the last morning at 55 for 4, had declined to 162 for 8 at lunch. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. The superbly elegant VVS Laxman, all wrists and timing, stroked his way to a wonderful, unbeaten 73 from 79 deliveries with eight boundaries. It was a stellar performance. He ably supportedy Ishant Sharma, 31, as the pair put on 92 priceless runs when all seemed

lost. Last man Pragyan Ojha, stepped into the breach, and kept company with Laxman as they scored the 11 runs needed for India's 216 victory target.

The moaning Jeremiads that proclaim the slow death cricket, that claim the sport's future lies in the Twenty/20 format (perish the thought), must be re-written. The fine art of cricket is the five-day Test, nothing can replace it with lovers of the game, certainly not the slap-bang-wallop Twenty/20 version.

So let us rest content with the pleasure India and Australia have given us. Long may Test cricket endure. It enlivens the existence of millions throughout the world.

After an English summer soiled by charges of Pakistani spot-fixing, cricket was back to its pristine purity. With a solitary Test remaining in this two-match series, India has retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Jaiho!

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Thought for the Week When you would have a cordial for your spirits, think of the good qualities of your friends.

- Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180)

Sarah Teather MP Liberal Democrat MP for Brent East

Labour's 'new politics' must learn from the Liberal Democrats As the party conference season draws to a close I find myself reflecting on what a different set of conferences these are to any I have seen before.

Of course for Liberal Democrats, this was our first national conference since we joined the Government. And it is certainly true that the mood was very different.

There was a palpable excitement for our members who are finally beginning to see some of the policies they have debated and campaigned on for years being put into action. Like for example the pledge to scrap ID cards, to raise the poorest out of paying income tax, and a greener economy as the Government commits to a new Green Deal focusing on cutting out carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

For myself as the Minister for Children and Families, it was a proud moment for me when the Department for Education published the consultation document a few months ago on the pupil premium – a new way of distributing extra money for education to make sure children from disadvantaged backgrounds get the extra help they need to succeed at school. This was a policy I developed in opposition and took to Liberal Democrat party conference 4 years ago. It will start benefiting schools next year.

These are hard won achievements and evidence that the Liberal Democrats are making a real difference. However, it is not always easy, and being in Government also means making hard choices. The previous Labour government left us with an economic black hole and it is now

up to us to take responsibility for sorting out their mess.

I followed the Labour leadership contest with great interest and I would like to congratulate Ed Miliband on his election. I have worked with both Ed and David Miliband and, on a personal level, I like and respect them both. It was hard not to be caught up in the family drama as it played out on our screens. However, the challenges that Ed will now face are enormous.

He wants to present himself as part of the 'new generation' but will need to work very hard just to move beyond his own voting record – as a key member of New Labour, he voted for Labour's 90 day detention without charge, for ID cards and against an investigation into the Iraq war.

Ed will also have a challenge on his hands bringing rebels in his party to order. The Labour party - leaderless since the election - has simply been opposing everything put in front of them. I was pleased to hear that Ed intends to work across party boundaries in the national interest, but he still has work to do convincing the rest of his party. Fine words from politicians don't mean anything until they are backed up by votes in Parliament.

Labour needs to recognise the challenges the country now faces, accept the harsh realities of the deficit and help work to make Britain a fairer place. As a first step, Ed should take a principled stand against vested interests by supporting the campaign for fairer votes. It would go a long way to demonstrating Labour’s commitment to change.

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

YOUR VOICE

4

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Sign Global Parkinson's Pledge

Restoration of temples in India

I first learnt about Parkinson’s as a child, from my doctor father, but it wasn’t until my much-loved brother-in-law was diagnosed about seven years ago that I saw for myself the shocking and cruel symptoms of the condition and experienced the enormous impact that Parkinson’s can have on those affected and their families.

Today, at the World Parkinson Congress in Glasgow, we are launching the global Parkinson’s pledge. We want to gather a million signatures to help build a worldwide Parkinson’s movement, to make Parkinson’s a health, social and economic priority and to work together to find a cure. Graham Norton, Gary Lineker, Alan Carr, Twiggy and I are calling on people from all walks of life, from all over the world to sign up to this pledge and show their support.

Other well known people joining us include rugby star Gavin Hastings, Fern Britten, GMTV’s John Stapleton, actor Matt Lucas, Denise Robertson, Amy Guy, Rob Deering and Richard Briers.

There are around 7.4 million people in the world with Parkinson's and there is currently no cure. I appeal to those of you reading this to visit parkinson's.org.uk/pledge to find out more about the pledge and to join me in signing it. Together we can help to find a cure and create a future without Parkinson's.

Recently I read in India digest that REACH Foundation, a non governmental organisation has restored beautifully 1200 years old temple at Uttaramerur, about 90 km from Chennai. The Temple was in total ruins, with dense vegetation growing all over.Its all features have been restored to highest level and once again it has come back to its life.

I would therefore feel REACH foundations deserve our praise for this extremely important work for preserving Hindu Heritage .

For any independent nation it is extremely important to look after its heritage such as in England all building which have significant importance are listed under English heritage department and are being preserved. Indian Government should learn from Britain and respect its not only Mogul buildings but the important temples and places which are centuries old.

There are plenty of these places which have history attached to it but are completely ignored by the Indian Government. Secularism is good system but do not ignore the needs of the Majority people .

I wish to remind to all, that we Hindus do not have any disrespect to any religious building, would therefore expect from all others to do the same.

Some of the temples which were demolished by the invaders have to be rebuilt and people of those invading cultures have to understand this fact of life.

Jane Asher, President Parkinson's UK

Greatest Show on Earth Suresh Kalamadi’s final sentence at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games summed it all up.

He told the gathering “You come here as friends and will go back as family”. This is indeed what India is like. We love our guests more than we love our own lives.

What a spectacle and show of pageantry and colours it was! Rangolis painted from underneath giant white clothes was a fantastic show of colours which only India can put up.

Despite all the adverse publicity, all the 71 countries came to Delhi. How could anyone abstain from the incredible sights and sounds of India? Delhi - you have indeed done us NRI’s proud! We sincerely hope that the games would be completed without a hitch and India will make its mark on the sports world by bagging a lot of medals. The event should also inspire all nations to work and live in peace and harmony and serve as an experience of a lifetime to the sports persons and spectators alike.

Dinesh Sheth Newbury Park, Ilford

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Dharam Sahdev Ilford

Verdict on Ayodhya

Labour’s own goal

After lengthy struggle about Ramjanmabhoomi, High Court has allotted one-third of disputed land each to Hindu, Muslim and Nirmohi Akhada, considering - faith, law, justice, religious bias and national security. Judgement balanced religion-centric patriotism of Hindus and pseudo-secularism of government.

Prolonged litigation removed chances of malpractices to hasten the verdict, and traces of favouring Hindus.

Patient Hindus suffered formidable obstacles by intellectuals, sceptics of Ram and the temple, aggression by rivals and government’s Muslim appeasement policy.

For Hindus, Ram as deeply ingrained personal identity transcending physical or geographical connotations. Ram temple is acknowledgement of Ram in different forms, whether as a Ram-lalla, maryda-purshottam or as depicted in many Indian faiths from generation to generation.

Faith helped the centuries old struggle, which gained momentum after India’s independence. Sustained allegation that Ram temple pre-existed Babri Masjid is supported by findings of Archeological Survey of India It is praiseworthy that Hindus confined the issue to Ram and Babri Masjid instead of targeting all Muslims.

Hindus’ acceptance of verdict should motivate Muslims to integrate with Hindus a la Shia Muslim youth announcing donation to build Ram temple. SunniWakf board and Hindu Mahasabha must expedite permanent closure of the issue.

Although I must admit I was not a great admirer of David Miliband, especially after he became our Foreign Secretary, the post he held, in my opinion without political intelligence or integrity. It may be attributed to his inexperience, over confidence and his heir apparent status in the Labour Party. He was too cocky for his own good.

In spite of these shortfalls, David Miliband was the right person to lead the Labour Party at this critical time. Ed will be no match against the guile and experience of either David Cameron or Nick Clegg who are now maturing as politicians of substance. The IMF report praising the government’s handling of the economy, in particular budget deficit has already taken the wind out of Ed’s sail.

As Unions bank rolled Ed’s campaign, he will always be known as Red Ed, although he tried to distance himself from the Union militancy in his maiden speech as leader of the party, thus alienating his most ardent and passionate supporters. Only time will tell whether it was a mistake or a triumph to elect Ed Miliband as a leader of the Party.

Ramesh Jhalla Via Email

India needs to pay more attention to agriculture When I read about the Commonwealth Games Shambles [AV 2 Oct p3], I could not help researching the wider picture how India had “progressed” over the past 60 years.

Its positive share of GDP growth in manufacturing and services was offset by negative share of GDP growth in agriculture in many of those years. Lack of proper planning laws in urban India has meant poor hygiene and overcrowded polluted urban clusters that are allowed to grow in all directions without any designated city/town border limits.

India also needs a Common Agricultural Policy. Its output per hectare is substantially less than that of Europe and even Pakistan. While 75% of the population still live in villages, agriculture now produces 20% of GDP, while manufacturing produces 25% and services 55% of GDP. 60 years ago share of GDP was 55% agriculture; 15% manufacturing; and 30% services.

Hundred years from now a combination of vast areas of beautiful clean country side and production of high quality organic agricultural produce could bring about higher social and economic benefits than manufacturing or services [e.g. manicuring]. CAP in Europe achieved both objectives [countryside and fresh produce].

Nagindas Khajuria

The Ayodhya Verdict The Allahabad high court in its verdict on the Ayodhya title suits on 30/9/10 ruled that 2.77 acres of disputed land in Ayodhya is to be divided into three equal parts among Hindus and Muslims. The court dismissed Sunni Central Waqf Board's claim to the Barbri Masjid by a majority verdict and accepted that the land in question was the birth place of Rama.

The historic judgment clearly states that the makeshift temple of Ram Lalla could not be removed and the land on which it was located was rightfully belonged to Hindus. Some political parties under UPA disputed the very existence of Ram and Sethu samudram (ocean) and they by wanted to show that Ram never existed. There is an attempt to demolished the bridge underneath the sea between India and Sri Lanka.

At last the judgement has shown beyond doubt that Ram was born in Ayodhya and it is not a myth and the bridge between India and Sri lanka was built at that time. The question of constructing temple and Mosque should be left to individual religious groups and all parties should accept the verdict gracefully.

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Bhupendra M Gandhi Via Email

Alpesh's column I opened my Asian Voice thinking that I would be reading the same Commonwealth games, Pakistan cricketers etc. But then read the brilliant piece

by Alpesh- “the Politics of Business” on page 3. Excellent stuff.

My daughter is reading politics and business at Uni and my son has just left for Nottingham University to read economics. I wanted to do medicine like all Asian parents of the Old School, but since he chose this field, I will support him with all I can.

So I will continue to read your column and I hope my two teenagers get inspired by you too. Please continue your excellent work!

Milton Rodrigues Director, Surge-ITS NetWork Engineers, Wembley

Commonwealth games and loss A pity to see all those empty seats at the games. Presumably the games will make a loss, & it would therefore appear that the enhancement of prestige & national pride were the main reasons for hosting these games. My question is would not the money have been better spent in clearing the slums in our cities, & re housing most of the slum dwellers?

And if that was done, would not that have increased India's prestige in the world more so than the games ever will?

Harish Dave Via Email

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‘Smile Pinky’ too gets the Oscar Boyle says Mumbai dwarfed the statuette

!

(Off Coronet Street)

Cricket crazy Indians for the first time was seen so euphoric on Monday morning, as they expected a couple of Oscars. British Indians in the UK, Dharavi slums, the shanty township of Mumbai, a village in Uttar Pradesh and almost the entire Bollywood waited in expectation, glued to their TV sets. They burst into celebrations as one by one, their heroes, the actors of the British Indian film and the music maestro, A R Rahman bagged the top awards in the world of entertainment.

British actress Kate Winslett also won the Oscar after having missed it almost five times earlier.

‘Smile Pinki’, a short documentary on a cleft-lipped Indian girl in Uttar Pradesh directed

by American director Megan Mylan, won the Oscar for the Best Documentary (Short).

London N1 6HW

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Leicester Voice

Do you have any comments, news or photographs about Leicester? If you do, please send them to Leicester Voice at

leicester@abplgroup.com

Council blocks bid to stop drug use on path A homeowner is locked in a battle over his attempts to rid his neighbourhood of anti-social behaviour.

Harish Joshi, 48, of Woodborough Road, Evington, says a grass verge that backs onto his garden is used for drug dealing and anti-social behaviour.

The owner of the land on the other side of the fence, property developer David Wilson, has agreed to sell it to Mr Joshi and his neighbour for ÂŁ3,000 so they can extend their gardens and get rid of the problem.

But Leicester City Council is objecting to the proposal because the plot is designated as public space.

Mr Joshi, a bus driver, said: "I feel really aggrieved. We're not asking for anything for free, we're willing to pay thousands of pounds for this land to stop it being used

for anti-social behaviour.

But the council is objecting to it because they say it means the footpath which runs alongside it won't be as pleasant. It isn't pleasant as it is.

We've found syringes, small plastic drug bags, even weighing scales left scattered across the ground and in the bushes.

I have three children who shouldn't have to live next to that sort of thing."

The piece of land is a landscaped verge next to a public footpath. He wants to buy the eight metre wide grass verge, extend his and his neighbours' gardens onto it and erect a two-metre high fence around it.

Evington ward councillor Deepak Bajaj agreed that the two neighbours had suffered with anti-social behaviour for years. He said: "They often find syringes, needles and beer bottles

and cans left there. Every time they clean up they'll be left there again. I have been out there a few times and I have seen it myself. They just want to make the place safer for the community."

But a council report due to go before city planners tomorrow says: "The area of public open space was created in order to provide a pleasant setting for the footpath and was planted with additional trees and shrubs when the estate was built. The loss of the footpath verge would result in an unpleasant footpath bordered on both sides by high fences. It is likely that future users would feel intimidated using such a footpath or rather alleyway, as it would become."

The council's parks service made the main objection.

It said: "This would

Leicester Marathon to take to streets Thousands of runners will take to the streets of the city this month for the annual Leicester Marathon.

The event, which takes place on Sunday, October 10, will see runners of all ages and abilities participating in the run to raise money for charities, including the Matt Hampson Trust and the LOROS Hospice.

Runners can choose between clocking up 13.1 miles on the half marathon route, or going for the full marathon and the 26.2-mile route Both races set out from Victoria Park at about 9.15am, and follow a route into the city centre along Granville Road, London Road, St Georges Way, Charles Street and Belgrave Gate.

The route then takes runners along Belgrave Road and Melton Road, and out into the the county - the exact county route differs between the full and half marathon.

It then returns to the city via Loughborough Road, the National Space Centre, and St Margaret's Way. The city centre route then takes in the streets around Highcross Leicester, High Street, Gallowtree Gate and the Market Place, before returning to Victoria Park via King Street, New Walk

and Granville Road.

A rolling series of road closures will be in operation along the route to allow the runners to pass through the city safely.

The full marathon is expected to be complete

Christian Weikert-Picker, of LOROS, said: "It is now three years since we re-introduced the city centre marathon and the numbers taking part continue to grow. We're up to 3,200 registered participants this

5

set a precedent as a means of dealing with anti-social behaviour and result in the loss of valuable open space that can provide a pleasant setting for paths and wildlife corridors. It is likely that this course of action would be repeated across the city in places where green verges have been provided next to footpaths."

The footpath is an adopted highway which follows the line of an ancient 'greenway' and the housing estate was specifically designed around it when built in the early 1990s.

Georgina Cook, Police Community Support Officer for the area, said: "We are aware of the residents' concerns and are working to try to resolve the issues.

Patrols through the area have been increased to provide a higher visible policing presence. "

Floral tribute on Gandhi birthday Flowers were laid and tributes made to an inspirational Indian leader at a statue in Belgrave.

Around 60 people gathered to celebrate the 141st anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's birth.

Councillors and religious leaders said the occasion was very important in light of next week's protest by the English Defence League.

The celebration,

First Indian curry restaurant in Leicester turns 50 The oldest curry house in Leicester is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Taj Mahal on Highfields Street was opened in 1960 by Noor Ahmed, whose sons now manage the family restaurant.

At the time there were very few Asians living in the city and for many of their early customers it was the first time they had sampled Indian cuisine.

Current owner Ali Asraf remembers people being cautious to begin with, "People were very scared it would be very hot, they might not like it".

Ali Asraf has continued the family business founded by his father, now 90

around 20 other Asian people living in the city, so his son believes the restaurant was opened with English customers in mind.

Taj Mahal say customers now demand a wider variety of dishes than in 1960

The nearest curry houses were in Birmingham, with just a handful of others dotted around the UK. Mr Ahmed had moved to Leicester after World War Two when he was offered work with a local company.

At the time he estimates there were only which coincided with the United Nations' International Day of NonViolence, took place at the statue of Gandhi in Belgrave Road.

Now much of their business comes from the university, with many long-term customers returning time after time.

Mr Asraf said he finds it hard to think of a time when he will not be working at Taj Mahal, but hopes the business will still be around in another 50 years.

Speeches were made

by Bishop of Leicester the Rt Rev Tim Stevens and city council leader Veejay Patel, before people paid personal tributes.

Events celebrate black history and culture Last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marathon runners take to the street

by about 3.20pm.

Bus services will continue to operate as normal with bus gates in operation on parts of the route where runners will be crossing the street.

Leicester City Council's cabinet member for transport and regeneration, Councillor Abdul Osman, said: "The marathon is a hugely popular event in the city, which attracts thousands of runners every year.

Obviously this means that we have to have road closures to ensure the safety of competitors and marshals, so we'd just remind people to consider alternative routes to come into the city that day, and allow extra time for any delays."

Race director

year. The current focus on the 2012 Olympic Games is helping and assisting us in our vision to make Leicester one of the great city marathons.

Communities across the city play a vital role in making the marathon a success each year, including the many fabulous volunteers from all walks of life, who give their time to assist in the planning and organising of the day. I am so appreciative to them all.

I'd encourage residents along the route to show their support and cheer on the runners - it will really boost their spirits and show that we are a united community."

Full details of the Leicester Marathon are available at www.leicestermarathon.org.uk

Black history and culture across Leicester and beyond will be celebrated in a season of special events.

Leicester's Black History Season runs throughout October and November in venues across the city and brings to life black culture, music and dance, as well as celebrating black achievements locally, nationally and worldwide.

Black History Season will be launched at Leicester's New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, on Saturday, October 2.

The launch takes place alongside a new exhibition entitled The Determination of Mary Seacole, which looks at the life of Mary Seacole, a pioneering nurse and heroine of the Crimean

War. Leicester City Council's cabinet member for culture and leisure, Cllr Robert Wann, said: "Black History Season is always a popular part of the city's cultural calendar, and celebrates the contribution and influence of black culture in Leicester and beyond.

This year's Black History Season features a lot of exciting and diverse events, so I'd encourage people to visit and find out more about this fascinating area."

This year's celebrations will include exhibitions, workshops, performances, talks, tours and dance at a variety of venues across the city, including New Walk Museum and Art Gallery, The Y Theatre, Peepul

Centre, Curve, Highfields Library and the African Caribbean Centre.

Carol Leeming, of the Leicester Black History Consortium, added: "Leicester's flagship Black History Season offers opportunities for all to celebrate and commemorate the valuable contribution of people of African descent, both past and present, in multi-cultural Leicester."

Brochures detailing Black History Season events are available from venues including museums, libraries and the Tourist Information Centre in Town Hall Square.

Further information on all events is also available at www.leicester.gov.uk/blackhistoryseason

6

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Labour electoral fraud 'in Asian communities' cost Tories outright majority at election, claims Baroness Warsi Tory Party chairman Baroness Warsi has allegedly accused Labour of stealing three seats from the Conservatives at the general election as a result of voter fraud.

She claimed that one of the reasons for her party’s failure to win an outright majority was the result of voting irregularities in the Asian community.

Baroness Warsi, Britain’s first female Muslim cabinet minister, allegedly levelled the charge in an interview with the left-wing New Statesman magazine as the Tories gear up for their first annual conference since they formed the coalition government.

She said there were ‘at least three seats where we lost, where we didn’t gain the seat, based on electoral fraud.

‘Now, could we have planned for that in the campaign?

Absolutely not.’

Asked whether Labour benefited from electoral fraud, she said: ‘Absolutely.’

Baroness Warsi refused to give details of the seats she had in mind, saying: ‘I think it would be wrong to start identifying them.’

But she added: ‘It is predominantly within the Asian community. I have to look back and say we didn’t do well in those communities, but was there something over and above that we could have done? Well, actually not, if there is going to be voter fraud.’

BBC Newsnight named two constituencies where they said investigations into electoral fraud were under way. In Halifax, the programme claimed two people had been arrested and released on police bail. They named the other constituency as Oldham.

PM David Cameron with Baroness Warsi

The peer, who sits in the coalition cabinet as a minister without portfolio said she has written to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who is overseeing the government’s reforms to the electoral system, to highlight the issue of fraud and voter disenfranchisement.

Recent elections have been marred by claims that the postal voting system has been exploited by grandees in the Asian community, who have pressure women and the young to back Labour candidates.

Police launched 50 criminal inquiries into claims of voter fraud during the election.

The general election was also marked by widespread warnings that Britain’s voter registration system is open to abuse.

The Electoral Commission watchdog has called for the government to push through plans for individual registration, to ensure that people have to provide personal identification before they can be added

to the electoral roll.

A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘These are unsubstantiated allegations from a Tory party which last year had six activists sent to jail for election fraud.

‘The Labour Party takes the strongest possible action against any member convicted of election fraud. If Baroness Warsi has any evidence for her claims she should share it with the authorities.’

Regarding Baroness Warsi’s comments on electoral fraud, Rt. Hon Keith Vaz said: “These allegations are extremely serious and should not be made without firm proof. I am particularly concerned that these comments appear to be directly aimed at the Asian community without a full explanation. ” “In the name of transparency, I call upon Baroness Warsi to name the seats concerned. It was premature to make these comments public prior to the completion of any investigations.”

World Habitat Day 2010 On the UN World Habitat Day on 4 October 2010, Muslim Aid has urged governments to honour their collective commitment to provide their people adequate shelter as part of creating more equal and just societies.

Muslim Aid also reiterated its firm resolve to help communities that have lost their homes due to natural and man-made disasters through its relief and development projects by providing temporary shelter, permanent housing and access to clean water.

A Spokesperson for Muslim Aid said: “This

task of providing shelter and housing requires both national and international efforts and practical solutions, especially for people affected by crisis and natural disasters. On this day we remind the international community that 640 million children in developing countries still

live without adequate shelter and around 55 million people last year were affected by extreme weather conditions across the world. Simple measures such as providing transitional shelter or good drainage systems can save peoples lives.”

Kapil’s

KHICHADI

by Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com Jai Ho, Jai Hind With the intense scrutiny that India has been facing on the Common Wealth Games I wanted to witness the opening ceremony in full for myself. And what a ceremony they put on for the world to see. Proud to be Indian? You should be.

India pulled off probably one of the better opening ceremonies I have seen for a while. It was truly representative of many aspects of the vibrancy that makes up the rainbow of culture, faith, music, language and dance that is India.

It was not regimented with the precision of machines and lacking any warmth, spirit or personality. It was full of atmosphere, colour and that special quality of natural order found in chaos which described the very essence of India.

I sat watching, mesmerised with the splendour that was unfolding, proud to be Indian. In 2012, I will witness London and its opening ceremony for the Olympics and I am certain I will be doing so, proud of being British.

Some of us are very fortunate, we have the opportunity and the capacity to celebrate our Indian heritage, and also embrace Great Britain, a country that has given us so much.

In the end it was apt that the ceremony closed with A R Rahman on stage singing his rendition of Jai Ho. And with that I say to you all, Jai Hind.

3 A’s and more I was invited to the Asian Achievers Award 2010 which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. So first and foremost, congratulations to everyone at Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar for establishing the awards which have increasingly become the trophy to have on your mantelpiece. The awards are of course the brain child of CB Patel and have over these years become the

noteworthy accolade to collect.

I remember attending the early events that were held at the House of Commons – these generated a lot of interest, enthusiasm and also sent a message to the politicians that Asians could no longer be ignored.

Since then, year on year, it has improved, become bigger and of late – to get one of the awards you really need to have shown some serious achievement. The independent panel this year was composed of the one and only Jeffrey Archer, barrister Usha Teji, previous AAA winner Mihir Bose from the BBC, and that multi-talented cricketer Mark Ramprakash.

There was some internet chit chat that these functions are attended mostly by the same crowd, year in and year out. I have to say I did not see this. Over the past three years there has been a seismic change in those attending.

The profile is much younger and representative of the youth of today aspiring to become the leaders of tomorrow.

These are individuals who have already shown signs of good work either in their professional career, business or in their social enterprise. Whilst I did not conduct a head count, I am fairly certain that a good 50% plus in attendance can be considered as belonging to the youth(ful) category.

Alas my days of being in this category have now long since gone!

There are always many great moments at such functions. There was one that I felt encapsulated the very essence of AAA. It was when CB Patel came on stage to give his special award to brothers Vijay and Bhiku Patel and made a special mention of their mother, Smt Shantaben.

Smt Shantaben worked tirelessly to put in the foundations that have yielded such extraordinary family achievements. This spirit of endurance and enterprise of parents who came to the UK with

young children can be seen in countless homes throughout the country.

For me it said everything I felt about how so many in our community have achieved so much, and in such a short amount of time. Our community have shown that they can turn any adversity into a positive challenge. Let us never forget this strength, since it is one of the greatest gifts we can pass onto our children.

Lest we forget Just before the General Election readers will remember that I had asked politicians of all parties to come clean and let me know if they were going to work hard and ensure that we can establish the first culturally sensitive crematorium in North West London.

Namely to serve the huge population in Harrow, Brent, Barnet and surrounding areas. It has now been some five months and I have to say that so far I have not heard even a twitter from those in charge as to what they will do, if anything, to honour their commitment.

So let us just state the obvious. We now have Labour in charge of Harrow and Brent. We have a Tory Party in Government and we have good old Boris running London. The question remains, at what point will one of these entities decide that they will proactively pursue the issue of the crematorium? For example, we can ask our Navinbhai Shah representing Harrow and Brent on the GLA – exactly what is it that he will do to make this happen? We can ask Boris and the Tory Party; now that power is in their hand, at what point will they make this a priority?

Do remember, we will soon come across elections for both the GLA as well as local Councils. I am sure you the voters will want to see clear evidence of serious progress on this issue before you cast your vote.

To advertise in our forthcoming glossy & colourfull Diwali magazine

call 020 7749 4085

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Britons training in Pakistan for UK terror attacks Intelligence sources say two British brothers are part of a 10-strong team who were planning to launch shooting sprees on cities in Britain, France and Germany.

A Pakistani intelligence official, who is part of a team that has been tracking militants, said that they had been watching the two British brothers for nearly a year.

In recent weeks the men had been in telephone contact with London as they sought help in securing weapons and preparing the plot.

The official told the Associated Press: “They have been making calls to Germany and London.

They have been talking about and looking for facilitators and logistics they need there to carry out terror strikes.”

The Daily Telegraph reported earlier this week that Britons were among those killed by a US drone attack in the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan and that British security services have traced their connections.

There are at least 20 Britons in training camps along the AfghanPakistan border who are being trained in firearms and explosives.

The Pakistani official said Jabber, who is believed to be less than 30 years old and have family ties in Jhelum in the Punjab region of Pakistan, was killed in North Waziristan on September 8.

Tariq Dar, a community organiser in North London, said there were about 80,000 expatriats from Jhelum in Britain, most of whom arrived in the 1960s.

“We came here to contribute to the economy and nine-nine per cent are law-abiding citizens,” Mr Dar said. “I go back to Jhelum quite often and I don’t see any active militant organsiations.”

However Abdulla Ahmed Ali, the leader of a plot to bring down transAtlantic aircraft using home-made liquid bombs, was brought up in

Walthamstow, East London, and Jhelum and Omar Khyam, the leader of the fertiliser gang planning to blow up a shopping centre or nightclub, also visited the town before attending an alQaeda training camp in Malakand. The city, which is 55 miles south east of Islamabad, has a population of about 175,000.

The plans would have seen terrorists sent on to the streets, probably of the capital cities, to shoot random passersby before heading in to landmark buildings.

Intelligence sources said that the attacks would have been coordinated for maximum impact and may have been aimed at financial institutions. However, the terror cells had not yet travelled to Europe and the targets were still unclear.

British trainee airline pilot killed in Tennessee plane crash A young British woman was one of two trainee pilots killed in a plane crash in the United States. A second Briton was badly injured.

Jaskinder Samra, 21, pictured, a former British Airways hostess, was on board a four-seat singleengine plane flown by an American, Abraham George, 24, who was killed. Shawn Thacker, 21, was in a critical condition on last Sunday.

Ms Samra, from Wolverhampton, wanted to become an airline pilot and started flying training in Florida eight months ago. Her Cessna Skyhawk crashed on Friday night on the Georgia-Tennessee border. It had covered about 400 miles of a 450-mile trip from Massey Ranch Airpark, near Orlando, to Chattanooga.

Her cousin, Manny Kooner, a businessman from Milton Keynes, said: “She had a smile that would light up a room and was bubbly and outgoing. The family is devastated. You can imagine the anguish.”

The plane came down 50 yards from the house of Junior Cochran, where his children and a grandchild were playing in the garden. Mr Cochran said: “The plane started circling over the house.

It came back round and started cutting out. It went down, hit a tree and went down. All three were alive when me and my wife went to get them out.

“We thought the plane was going to blow up because of the smoke.

The girl probably lived

" #$# (&%( %'((

about five minutes.”

His wife, Barbie, added: “I went to holler to my daughter that the plane was going to crash, and then it hit me that the girls were walking, and then I started running and hollering at them and telling them to get back.

“I got to the plane and I realised that the people in the plane were really hurt and I told my daughter-in-law to call 911.

“I felt bad for the young lady, I couldn’t help her. She was trapped in the plane.”

Ms Samra, a fan of Wo l v e rh a m p t o n Wanderers, went to the States this year to train after her family agreed to finance her ambition to be a pilot.

“Jaskinder worked for easyJet then British Airways, but then she wanted to become a pilot,” said Mr Kooner.

“Her family said: ‘Yeah okay, we’ll fund it’.

“The best training schools are in Florida, so she went there about eight months ago.”

!

www.incredibleindia.org

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www.abplgroup.com

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Dee Katwa

Midland Voice Contact: Dhiren on 07970 911 386 or dhiren.katwa@abplgroup.com

‘High-flyer’ dentist Vinisha faces time behind bars A Midland dentist who forged a degree certificate to work in the NHS and got away with doing so for nine years is facing a jail sentence.

Vinisha Sharma, 37, of Willenhall, who pleaded guilty at Wolverhampton Crown Court last Wednesday to five counts of illegally earning around £230,000 has been warned of a “highly probable” jail sentence.

Sharma, pictured, dropped out of her dental degree in London in 1996 – less than halfway through a five-year course. But she went on to enjoy a career as an apparently fully-qualified dentist with health trusts

Photo: Birmingham Mail

8

Unqualified: Vinisha Sharma

Bank worker jailed A Birmingham Midshires employee who provided confidential details of customers’ accounts to crooks who stole more than £100,000 has been jailed for 28 months. Ivan Obita, 37, had denied five charges of unauthorised access to a computer system for dishonest reasons.

Wanza Samaj marks 25 years

and hospitals across England.

Sharma, of Honeybourne Way, admitted forging a Bachelor of Dental Surgery at a real university in India. It said she qualified in 1998.

Department of Health prosecutor Andrew Evans told the court none of the health bodies would have employed her for the posts she held if they knew she didn’t actually have the BDS qualification.

Sharma worked in Wolverhampton first then moved health bodies until, in 2008, at a hospital in East Grinstead, an

ex-colleague with worries about her abilities contacted her new employers and it launched its own investigation. She was suspended in 2008 as officials from the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service probed her background and discovered her lies.

Judge Amjad Nawaz told her she had committed “a series of serious offences” and ordered her to surrender her UK and Indian passports while she awaits sentencing, which is due to take place during the week beginning October 18.

Brave Iqbal, offender caged A tenant who tried to stab his landlord has been jailed for 22 years for attempted murder. The happened in Birmingham after shopkeeper Iqbal Chana, 49, tried to evict Jarnail Singh Kela. Dad-of-two and well-known hockey umpire Mr Chana, pictured, sat on top of Kela, 32, until police arrived. Hats off to Mr Chana’s courage and bravery.

Door lock, pair fined Harjinder Aujla and Pal Mann, owners of convenience store Select and Save in Quinton, Birmingham, who put their customers’ lives at risk by keeping a firedoor locked have been fined £16,000. Aujla, 44, and Mann, 45, were also ordered to pay £6,500 costs.

Apology from police chief The Wanza Samaj, a national Hindu community organisation, has celebrated its silver anniversary. A 12-hour vibrant function featuring presentations, speeches, religious discourses, folk dance, hymns, food and much more was held at the Crest Academy, Neasden in London on Sunday a fortnight ago. Credit to Ghanshyam Bhajan Mandal who performed Gujarati devotional songs for free, even handing back to The Wanza Samaj a £101 gift asking for it to be donated to charity. My grandmother still has, astonishingly, an archive of Wanza Samaj news publications, Wanza Navjeevan, from the 1950’s, edited then

by Babulal Natha Parmar, who continues to support the organisation. Ashokbhai Bharakda described Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar as “remarkable”, adding, “they are the lifeblood of Gujaratis in Britain”. In the UK, The Wanza Samaj, mainly London-centric, has around 1200 families. Photo: The Wanza Samaj Committee

MP visits Rathbone Birmingham MP Steve McCabe took time out of his busy schedule to meet with a group of young people with learning difficulties in his constituency.

During his visit to B i r m i n g h a m Rathbone’s Garden Centre last week, Mr McCabe (Lab; Selly Oak) listened to the experiences of learners and left better-informed about the charity, led by Chris Bates, a gent who really does understand and actively engages with people from diverse communities. Photo: Mr McCabe with learner Thomas Hicken.

Chris Sims, Chief Constable of West Midlands Police, has apologised over the introduction of controversial spy cameras in two largely Muslim neighbourhoods in Birmingham. Mr Sims, pictured, said he was “deeply sorry” and admitted that the force got the balance between counter-terrorism and excessive intrusion into people’s lives “so wrong”.

New quango in Brum The first Legal Ombudsman for England and Wales has opened in Birmingham this week. The new quango, which will investigate complaints against lawyers and law firms, expects to handle 100,000 complaints each year.

Every day is a bonus Women in the Midlands with breast cancer, don’t be shy, come forward, you’re not alone. That’s the message from Damyanti Patel, pictured, national diversity coordinator with charity Macmillan Cancer Support. She was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago. Ever since she has been a staunch campaigner on this issue and is appealing to all women to seek help and support, which is available for free. She is the Chair of the Asian Women’s Breast Cancer Group which she set up in 2003 with just three members. Now there are 52. “I want to share my experience and inspire and empower all women with breast cancer. I’m here to help, “ said Mrs Patel, who is a qualified nurse and has worked in and, with the NHS for 45 years. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with around 125 women diagnosed a day. Rates have increased by around 50 per cent over the past 25 years. For more information visit www.awbcg.co.uk or contact Mrs Patel at dpatel@macmillan.org.uk

News in Brief Living a quality life A healthy lifestyle workshop brought together a group of Hindu women in Birmingham last Sunday. The 3pm-7pm event featured a slot on meditation, personal experiences of breast cancer and a Q & A session. Anila Chauhan, Chair of Hindu Women’s Network, which organised the event, said: “We aim to eradicate unfortunate prejudices, fears and taboos and are trying to empower and instil courage and confidence in all women through our work.”

Financier scoops ‘top award’ Congratulations to celebrity accountant Deepak Lalwani OBE, of Astaire’s, who was among “honoured” recipients of the controversial Glory of India Award at a ceremony a fortnight ago. In his selfspun news release uninformed Mr Lalwani, pictured, lists past recipients, many of whom have in fact never had this award, as was revealed in this column (Sept 11), readers may recall. The gongs were being dished out, allegedly, in return for a profile, photograph and £250 to the Delhi-based organiser, The India International Friendship Society. By the way, the Midland academic who was also up for this award sadly missed out. He had submitted his profile, photograph, but not the cash.

New air route Armavia Airlines has launched a new weekly service from Birmingham to Delhi via Yerevan Armenia. The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Birmingham Airport took place last Tuesday. There are an estimated 200,000 people of Indian descent in the Midlands.

Front desk taster for Principal Asha Khemka, Principal at West Nottinghamshire College, this week put herself in the shoes of her staff on front desk to mark National Customer Service Week, which ends this Sunday. She took enquiries from visitors and experienced what life is really like on a day-to-day basis for her colleagues in reception who, she says, are committed to providing a service with a smile and gave them due credit.

Police officers scoop awards Three cheers f o r Superintendent Richard James who has been recognised for his work in promoting integration and peace between people from all faith and race communities.

Richard, from Northamptonshire Police, scooped the Community Cohesion Award at the inaugural National Association of Muslim Police awards. The Equality and Diversity award went to Richard’s colleague, Rizwan Rahematulla. Naila Suleman from West Midlands Police picked up the Gender Diversity award while Mohammed Asad from Greater Manchester Police notched up the Multifaith Award.

New face at Cricket Club Warwickshire County Cricket Club have appointed Norman Gascoigne as their new chairman. He will replace retiring Neil Houghton. Gascoigne was a career banker until 2001 and since then has been working as a business consultant.

EDUCATION/UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Tributes paid to recently married soldier killed in Afghanistan A recently married soldier killed by a suicide bomber in southern Afghanistan was ''everything that the man who killed him was not'', his comrades said.

Rifleman Suraj Gurung, pictured, from 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, died when an insurgent detonated himself during a patrol in Nahr-e Saraj District of Helmand Province on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, who was raised in a Nepalese hill town, was only recently married to his wife, Permila, and earned himself the nickname ''netboy'' for time he spent contacting her on the internet at night.

Major David Jones, Officer Commanding C Company, 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, said: ''Rifleman Suraj was everything that the man who killed him was not.

He was brave, courageous, considerate, compassionate and kind. ''He truly believed in the job that he was doing and took immense pride in the fact that he was helping people less fortunate than himself every single day. ''A cracking soldier, respected by all, he had unflinchingly led his multiple down some of the most daunting alleyways

and across some of the most haunting ground, every single day for the last six months. ''He was one of the very best of his generation and almost certainly destined for promotion. ''I personally will remember him for his trademark booming voice cheerfully singing out 'morning sahib' as he passed my office on his way to breakfast each day.

Tomorrow there will be no such greeting.''

His devastated family said in a statement: ''He was a very caring son and loving husband. ''He followed his forefathers' footsteps as both his grandfather and father served with the British in India, and his father-inlaw served in the British Army. ''He loved the Army and was very proud to be a

Gurkha, and died doing a job he loved. His family members are very proud of him.''

R i f l e m a n Gurung was a radio operator and as ''vallon man'' he led his fellow men out on patrol, checking the path for bombs.

R i f l e m a n Gurung was born in Pokhara and raised in the hill town of Gorkha. He passed the gruelling selection for the British Army in December 2007, moving from the tranquil foothills of the Nepalese Himalaya to Catterick in North Yorkshire as a trainee Rifleman in January 2008.

Secretary of State for Defence Dr Liam Fox said: ''I was extremely saddened to hear about the death of Rifleman Suraj Gurung. He was a brave and highly respected soldier who showed a lot of promise and led by example. ''My thoughts and sympathies are with his family, friends and former colleagues at this difficult time.''

A total of 339 British troops have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001.

9

Towards an Indian Renaissance: Building Institutions of Excellence LSE Inaugural C+J Modi/Narayanan PhD Fellowship Lecture Friday, 15th October 2010 Speaker: Mrs. Nita M. Ambani, Chairperson, Reliance Foundation; Chairperson, Dhirubhai Ambani International School; Chairperson, IMG-Reliance joint venture.

India is at the vanguard of epoch-making economic and social transformation. A country of glorious heritage and enormous diversity, where a sixth of humanity lives, India is looking to leapfrog on the strength of its unique endowment – a burgeoning and an incredibly huge young population. This demographic dividend, this soft power will drive the nation’s trail-blazing journey to global leadership. The national aspiration is high and the key to leveraging this opportunity hinges on its capacity to harness the power of knowledge. An Indian renaissance is all about knowledge and inclusion. For the young and aspiring Indians to collaborate and compete with the best in the world, education ought to get the primacy and the urgency it deserves.

World-class institutions of learning

Nita M Ambani

and youth development with audacious vision and timeless values are imperative for an India in transition. The speaker will share her experiences in building institutions of excellence as well as her vision and values as the nation charts its course towards global leadership.

Mrs Nita M. Ambani is the Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Chairperson of Dhirubhai Ambani International School and Chairperson of IMG-Reliance joint venture. An accomplished education leader and a proponent of social development, for two decades, she has made significant contribution to education, healthcare, environmental

protection and sports. Nita Ambani provides leadership to 12 schools which educate 15,000 children. She led the ecological transformation of the Jamnagar Refinery site of Reliance Industries Limited and the establishment of a world-class township there. Nita Ambani serves on the Global Board of the World Economic Forum’s Global Health Initiative. The architect of the cricket team Mumbai Indians and an exponent of Bharatnatyam, Nita Ambani’s other areas of interest and work span architecture, interior designs and corporate identity programs. In her relentless pursuit of providing world-class educational opportunities in India as well as making a difference to society through multifarious philanthropic initiatives, Nita Ambani is leading the Reliance Foundation and the new world-class university being set up by it.

Nita is married to Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Limited.

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To find out more about the University of Lincoln, our wide range of programmes and forthcoming open days please contact us on:

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10

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar celebrates a fantastic 10th Asian Achievers Awards Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar celebrated the gala 10th Asian Achievers Awards (AAA) on 30th September at the Great Hall, Wembley Stadium.

The chief guest was Rt Hon Lord Tom McNally, Minister of State for Justice and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords.

The awards recognised, rewarded and honoured high achievers amongst British Asians.

This year the comperes of the evening were Taslim Lucia Khan and Ameet Chana and the entertainment was presented by well-known singer and actor Karen David, followed by excellent performances by Peridot, The Truth and Feeding the Fish.

The Awards were presented in the presence of an impressive array of industry captains, high level decision makers, parliamentarians, community leaders and senior professionals.

Asian Achievers Awards is unique, the readers and members of the public nominate candidates and an independent panel of judges selects the winner after much deliberation. This year we received a record number of nominations and the calibre of the candidates were very impressive. The

CB ( Left), Lord Archer ( Centre) along with Chief Guest Rt Hon Lord Tom McNally

judging panel was chaired

by Naynesh Desai a well know Solicitor and the other judges were Lord Jeffery Archer, Mark Ram Prakash, Mihir Bose and Usha Teji.

The grand dinner and ceremony provided an opportunity for guests to donate generously to our charity of the year- Oxfam.

The auction was hosted by author Jeffrey Archer and raised substantial amount for their education project in India.

The winners of the Asian Achievers Awards 2010 are: Arun Panchariya- Business per-

son of the year, Vijay Goel - Professional of the year, Riz Navsarka-Young Entrepreneur of the year, Maneck A Dalal, OBEAchievement in Community Services, Ravi Bopara - Sports personality of the year, Anjali Bulley-Achievement in Media, Art & Culture, Sukhpal Singh AhluwaliaBusiness in Community, Pavani Reddy GoddamWomen of the year, Bala Mahendran-Uniformed and Civil services. The Editor's Award for Vision and Enterprise went to Dr Bhikhu and Dr Vijay Patel, the Young business

person demonstrating sustained business growth was given to Amit Patel.

Dr Nora Vyas received the award for Achievement in Health care. Asian Voice Special award for ingenuity in business was awarded to Sanjiv Mehta, the Leadership in the professions was given to Bobby Karia.

Subaskaran Allirajah received the award for Best Overall Enterprise and the Overall Business Performance & Innovation was presented to Jason and Dennis Singh Digwa.

A detailed report will be published very soon.

Teenager 'stabbed 32 times' by jilted boyfriend in frenzied attack A jilted teenager allegedly stabbed his former girlfriend more than 30 times before bragging he had “sliced” her throat as she walked home from Gulamyr Akhter allegedly used "severe force" to kill Asha Muneer (pictured) in the frenzied attack after becoming "deeply embittered by

rejection", Reading Crown Court was told.

The court heard he had allegedly threatened to “make her life hell” in

the months leading up to the attack before bombarding her with hundreds of unwanted phone calls.

The popular schoolgirl, 18, was later murdered by her former boyfriend, 19, because he "could not tolerate her rejection of him" after she met someone else, the jury had heard.

The teenager, from Reading, Berks, was stabbed to death as she walked home along a riverside path after completing a shift at the retail company on Jan 18.

The promising A level student was found floating in the River Kennet, more than six months after the pair's relationship ended, prosecutors say.

The court heard she was stabbed 32 times, in an attack that broke the kitchen knife’s blade. She was also so badly wounded she was unrecognisable to a jogger.

On Tuesday, the jury was told that Mr Akhter had allegedly told friends he had "sliced" his Miss Muneer’s throat just hours after he had allegedly stabbed her to death.

Shortly after killing her, he allegedly drove

with friends to a deserted farmland where he torched potentially incriminating evidence including his mobile phone and clothing.

Sikander Khan, a childhood friend, told the court that Akhter admitted to killing Ms Muneer, reports a daily newspaper.

"We asked him what he was playing at,” the 21 year-old told the court.

"He answered 'I can't tell you'. We asked him again and he said 'if I tell you, you can't tell anyone’.

He said 'I killed my girl. I sliced her throat’,” reports The Daily Telegraph.

Later Dr Kenneth Shorrock, a Home Office pathologist, said Miss Muneer had 32 separate knife wounds to her neck and chest including one that cut down to the bone.

All the wounds had been given with “severe force” while Miss Muneer had sustained bruises, indicating she had fought against her attacker.

Earlier, the jury were read a series of text messages said to be sent by Mr Akhter shortly after she broke off their relationship last summer. One text read: "I'm going to make

‘Diwali Special’ Contributors Welcome Diwali is a month 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, as every year, will be publishing the ‘Diwali Special’ Magazine for our fabulous and supportive readers like yourself.

If you think you would like to contribute to our unique Diwali issue, why don’t you write on either of the following topics: 1. One of your favourite childhood Diwali memories or 2. A particular charity you made in cash or kind to the needy or 3. Your first Diwali in the UK and how you spent it Please note that your articles MUST NOT be more than 650 words and should be emailed to AVEditorial along with your full name and contact details to aveditorial@abplgroup.com Please do not send your article via fax or post. The last day of entry is Sunday 24th October 2010.

If you have a relevant picture for your story, you can email us the scanned copy/post (only the picture). But please make sure you keep a copy of the picture and the article with yourself, as we may not be able to return the original.

- Asian Voice

Be safe on Navaratri with right preventions Police in Harrow have continued to spread their Autumn crime prevention message in the run up to the Hindu festival of Navratri.

S a f e r Neighbourhoods officers have been distributing flyers and posters at key locations on the borough including Temples and shops as well as at venues used to celebrate Navratri.

Senior officers have also given a number of interviews to Asian radio stations covering northwest London.

Harrow Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Dal Babu will be joining Gurudev Dr Rajeshji Parmar at a special precession to mark the start of Navratri this Friday 8 October.

The "Pothi Yatra" procession starts at 9.45 am at the International Siddhashram Shakti Centre, Palmerston Road, Wealdstone HA3 7RW, passing through Wealdstone High Street before finishing at Harrow Leisure Centre with speeches and "katha" or religious recitals.

The event is anticipated to end at approximately 1.00 pm. your life hell."

The court also heard he allegedly made more than 620 calls – an average of 34 a day - to his former girlfriend in the days leading up to her death but later denied having her number.

The court has heard

Chief Inspector Ben Honey with Mr Munish Khalia outside the Safari Cinema

Harrow Chief Inspector of Operations, Ben Honey was at Harrow's Safari Cinema.

The Cinema Manager, Mr Munish Khalia is helping police to spread their crime prevention messages to the thousands of visitors who attend the Safari Cinema to watch Indian films each week.

Chief Inspector Honey said: " Our burglary prevention advice is clear and is relevant to all communities at this time of year. Please: "Lock all your doors and windows when you go out "Buy a safe for your valuables "Use a burglar alarm "Install timer switches "Property mark and photograph your valuables." that police found a broken kitchen knife close to where the body was discovered.

DNA testing showed traces of Miss Muneer's blood on it. Mr Akhter, of Reading, denies murder.

The trial continues.

EDUCATION/COUNCIL

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voters take part in Local Democracy Week Young people in Ealing will be asked to consider whether the voting age should be lowered from 18 and learn about the 2011 Census as part of an exciting range of activities aimed at involving them in politics and local decisionmaking.

Local Democracy Week takes place from 1115 October and will see school children holding a mock council meeting, grilling councillors at a political speed-dating event, taking part in a Special Youth Forum and competing to see who has the best ideas on improving the way the council is run.

Pupils from primary and secondary schools are already taking part in the Mayorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Competition.

They are telling the Mayor of Ealing, Councillor Rajinder Mann how they would run the council by sending in their pictures, poems and written work.

The winner in the primary school category will accompany the Mayor for

a day as he carries out his mayoral duties. And the winner in the secondary school category will shadow Council Leader, Councillor Julian Bell for a day and meet the Chief Executive, Martin Smith.

At a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mock Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; meeting on Wednesday 13 October a group of 10 - 11 year old students from Gifford Primary School, Northolt, will take on the roles of Mayor, Chief Executive and councillors for a staged council meeting in the council chamber.

And on Thursday 14 October, young people will be hearing about the 2011 Census and how they can get involved in local decision-making at a Special Youth Forum at Ealing Town Hall chaired by Councillor Bell.

Dormers Wells High School will be hosting Political Speed Dating on Friday 15 October where 6th form students will take their turns in grilling Ealing councillors on a variety of topics before

voting for their favourite.

For those who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it to the events, there are two computer games on www.ealing.gov.uk/ldw that can be played from home: Councillor Quest 2 and Captain Campaign.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Julian Bell said: "I'm delighted to be involved in Local Democracy Week. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way to generate interest in local politics.

Young people can make a real difference to our community and are the voters, and maybe even the politicians, of the future. I would like to remind everyone that they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wait until October to be involved in local democracy. Our council meetings are always open to the public and you can take part in our consultations and vote in elections."

To find out more about Local Democracy Week, go to www.ealing.gov.uk/ldw or call 020 8825 5319.

Thousands pledged for the Pakistan Flood Disaster Appeal at Redbridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundraising dinner More than ÂŁ30,000 was pledged at a fundraiser for the victims of the Pakistan flood at Redbridge Town Hall on Friday 24 September. The sold-out fundraising dinner was attended by more than 350 supporters of the disaster appeal with the High Commissioner for Pakistan as guest of honour.

The fundraiser was organised as a cross-party initiative by Councillors Keith Prince, Mahboob Chaudhary, Shoaib Patel, Thavathuray Jeyaranjan and Balvinder Saund with the backing of the other two group Leaders Ian Bond and Bob Littlewood, who also attended the dinner.

His Excellency Wajid Shamsul Hasan, The High Commissioner for Pakistan, said â&#x20AC;&#x153;The floods have been recognized by the UN and world community as a human tragedy whose effects have been six times more devastating than that of the Tsunami

Some of the participants at the fundraisers

and other natural disasters in this decade. You should be proud to note that the timely rescue and relief operations by your democratic government and its various institutions have kept the death toll to the barest minimum, although each life that has been lost is still one life too many. I appeal to all of you not to rest until every flood-hit

household and people affected in our villages and towns have resumed normalcy, with a shelter over their heads and necessary means to earn their decent livelihood.â&#x20AC;?

Anyone wishing to donate to the Redbridge appeal can send cheques payable to "Redbridge Pakistan Flood Appeal" care of the Leader's Office,

University fees 'could rise five-fold' Students may have to pay five times the current degree course cost at England's top universities if the cap is removed on tuition fees, research suggests.

A study for education charity Sutton Trust looked at how fees for overseas students, which are unregulated, have risen at 20 universities.

Some universities charge non-EU students more than ÂŁ20,000 a year.

The Russell Group of top universities said overseas fees often subsidised home degrees and so were higher.

The charity also warned that poor students were the most likely to be deterred by higher fees.

The government said it could not comment on the claims. This was because it was not able to speculate on the forthcoming comprehensive spending review while the process continued.

Professor Geoffrey Crossick, vice-chancellor of the University of London and a member of the board of vice-chancellors' body Universities UK, said he and fellow vice-chancellors were

not convinced that the losses to funding could be met by higher fees.

He told the BBC: "We know there are going to be very significant reductions in public funding in higher education. We also know that the Browne review is going to recommend significant changes in the way that resources flow into universities. My real worry is that this is being done at very

The Sutton Trust report said: "As the patterns for current overseas student fees demonstrate, charges for degree courses are likely to escalate rapidly if completely unregulated. At the highest end of the market, this could mean annual fees perhaps five times the current annual undergraduate payments assuming that current government subsidies continue."

It added that universities with the "highest academic reputations" were likely to see the highest fee rises - particularly for courses with the highest financial returns.

And students from poorer backgrounds were most likely to face prob-

lems in getting into universities of their choice, the report warned.

Recent surveys have suggested that threequarters of young people would be put off universities by fees of ÂŁ10,000.

The Sutton Trust called for a comprehensive set of grants, loans and support for poorer students.

Another suggestion was that those from low income homes should get their first year at university for free.

The report said: "The free first year it is hoped would alleviate some of the risk and uncertainty that deter non-privileged students from applying to certain courses and institutions."

AQA exam board faces GCSE and A-level marking inquiry The exams watchdog in England has announced an inquiry into the AQA exam board's failure to mark about 600 GCSE and A-level exams fully.

Some students in question received lower grades than they should have, Ofqual said.

The mis-marking affects about 150 A-level students, 290 AS level students and 190 GCSE students, it added.

AQA's chief executive said a small number of papers were involved and apologised for any distress caused.

The exam board, the largest in England, discovered the mistakes through its routine checking procedures.

"This is a very serious matter," said Ofqual's chief executive Isabel Town Hall, High Road, Ilford IG1 1DD. All donations are directly sent to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).

The DEC ensures that funds raised help deliver effective and timely relief to victims of the Pakistan flood, working through the leading aid organisations in the field.

University fears over grant cuts Universities fear they will not be able to charge tuition fees high enough to replace severe losses they are expecting to teaching grants.

Top vice-chancellors fear the government will cut teaching grants to England's universities by 75%. And the independent Browne review of student funding is widely expected to call for an increase in the graduate contribution.

11

high speed in the middle of an emergency spending review. We do not know whether the higher fee level that will be required to substitute for the funding we are told will be taken away we do not know that we can deliver that. What worries me is that individual institutions may suffer and that one of the very best things that this country has will be damaged irrevocably."

Nisbet.

She said AQA had given assurances that the affected candidates would receive their updated marks as soon as possible.

The Ofqual would then focus on what went wrong and why it was not spotted sooner, she said.

In a statement, AQA said it had "identified material in a small num-

ber of papers that had not been fully marked".

"We are extremely sorry for any distress caused as a result of the original incomplete mark and are reviewing our processes to ensure there is no repeat of this error.

Errors of this type are extremely rare," said the board's chief executive Andrew Hall.

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12

MEDIA WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Scrutator’s “Haifa Day” was celebrated recently in Israel. A moving ceremony of remembrance was held at the Cemetery of the port city of Haifa for the 900 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives liberating it from the occupying Ottoman Turks on September 23, 1918 during the closing stages of World War I. India's Ambassadorr to Israel Navtej Sarna and Israeli dignitaries were present. Mr Sarna spoke of the valour and sacrifices of Indian soldiers in all theatres of that conflict including Palestine.

The action which resulted in Haifa's liberation was a cavalry charge on the gallop, an action requiring exceptional skills on horseback.

Captain Bahadur India's Ambassador to Israel Navtej Sarna on the right Singh Jodha and Dafadar Jor Singh were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, while Captain Anop Singh and Second Lieutenant Sagat Singh won the Military Cross in recognition of their courage and dash.

Major Thakur Dalpat Singh, Military Cross, was hailed as the hero of the battle for Haifa in the official annals.

The Official History of the War-Military operation Egypt and Palestine (Volume II) said: “No more remarkable cavalry action of its scale was fought in the whole course of the campaign.

Machine gun bullets over and over again failed to stop the galloping horses....” This remains the only known incident in military annals where a fortified city was captured by cavalry on the gallop.

A two-member Indian Army delegation led by Colonel M.S.Jodha, a grandson of Captain Aman Singh Bahadur, came over to Israel for the commemoration.

War hero dies The Times (September 28) published a full-page obituary (with pictures) of Squadron Leader Mahinder Singh Pujji, “who volunteered for the RAF service (in 1940)....he saw service as a fighter pilot in sweeps over France and in North Africa. He was subsequently posted back to India where he flew ground attack and reconnaissance oper-

His subsequent career was covered by the newspaper (November 6, 2009) following his death in Chennai, aged 87.

Sino-Indian arms race Writing in The Wall Street Journal online (September 7), Tim Sullivan, Research Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said if “recent events are any indication, the world's

Squadron leader Mohinder Singh Pujji, one of 18 Indian pilots who joined the RAF in 1940

ations over the jungles of Burma participating in air operations over the strategically important battle for Kohima. Pujji ended the war as a Squadron Leader, having won the Distinguished Flying Cross.” Punjab-born Pujji settled in Britain in the 1970s and moved to Gravesend after living for many years in East Ham; he was made an honorary Freeman of the London Borough of Newham. Squadron Leader Pujji was 92.

The obituary made a crossreference to his contemporary, Air Vice Marshal Ranjan Dutt, of the Indian Air Force, who also came to England in 1940 and was seconded to the RAF.

most vigorous nuclear competition may well erupt between Asia's two giants: India and China....Though intensifying as of late, Sino-Indian nuclear competition has a long history....the competition intensified in 2007, when China began to upgrade missile facilities near Tibet, placing targets in northern India within range of its forces.”

According to him, India had raised its game with the deployment of medium range Agni II missiles, it had also inducted the higher-range Agni IIIs, which can hit every major city in China. “And just last month,”

continued the author, “India shifted a squadron of SU-30MKI fighters to a base within just 150 kilometres from the disputed Sino-Indian border. An Indian Air Force official told Defence News these nuclear-armed planes could operate deep within China with mid-flight refuelling. For its part, China continues to enhance quality, quantity and delivery systems of its nuclear forces.” These can strike targets throughout India.

Mr Sullivan concludes: “No single event has stoked this rise in tensions. China, already concerned about India's growing strength and its desire to play a greater role in Asia, is even less enthused about the burgeoning strategic partnership between Delhi and Washington. While Beijing has learned to live with American forces on its eastern periphery, the possibility of an intimate US-India military relationship has generated fears of encirclement. The ongoing SinoIndian border dispute, as well as India's position astride China's key maritime shipping lanes, has made the prospect of a DelhiWashington axis appear particularly troubling.”

US-India defence ties The Indian Express (September 28) reported a statement by US Under Secretary for Defence, Michelle Fournoy, who spoke of the Obama Administration's willingness to share top-of-theshelf military technology with India, ahead of Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony's arrival in Washington, at the head of a high-level delegation, for talks with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates and his senior officials Ms Fournoy said: “As we go forward, we are looking for ways to support India's modernisation.

We want to be able to be in a position to offer India the best technology available, to co-operate with them on development of their defence capabilities and to continue to work as partners.....I had a very positive trip in New Delhi. I think there is great potential for further deepening and strengthening of the of the co-operation between India and the United States, particularly in the defence domain,” she said. She continued: “The truth is the relationship has already grown substantially in recent years in terms of the amount of [military] exercis-

es we are doing together......I think when you look at US interests, Indian interests, our values, democratic values, there is a lot of strong commonality that I think creates a foundation for co-operation.”

Supplementing this, the Indian Air Force has placed an order for two Phalcon AWACS, in addition to the three already delivered by Israel. These force multipliers are based on Russian platforms, the Ilyushin – 76 heavy lift military aircraft. India, eventually, plans to have 10 AWACS in place to monitor the seas around its shores. These Israeli-manufactured machines, based on US technology, are the finest radar available; they look deep into the territory of neighbouring states, giving advance warning of arriving hostile aircraft and missiles.

actually keeping the peace. This time around we're going to show we can handle it through the Supreme Court. Not because we've become Gandhians but because people have realised violence is suicide.” Just so. Mr Akbar spoke in similar vein on the World Service of the BBC, as did fellow Muslim, Syed Naqvi, a senior opposition BJP official.

The second class-citizen babble from certain prominent Muslims ought to make them take pause. The plight of religious minorities in Pakistan through to much of the Muslim world is no cause for celebration. Things are getting tight for Europe's and America's Muslim communities. Whinging and whining about the second class status of India's Muslims have long passed their sell-by date.

Peace after Ayodhya verdict

Short-term alliances

The headline to Dean Nelson's report (September 30) on the Allahabad High Court judgement regarding the disputed Babri masjid site in the Uttar Pradesh town of Ayodhya, and the possible out break of HinduMuslim violence in India, quoted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had appealed to all communities to keep the peace.

Any challenge to the court verdict should be through legal channels, he said.

“We must remember the fact that the judgement at this stage, is just one step in the judicial process.

It is necessary for all sections of the people of India to maintain equanimity in the aftermath of the judgement.”

They did just that. A heavy police and paramilitary presence at the disputed site and the wider region was a precautionary move, in the circumstances it was also wise. M.J. Akbar, one of India's most experienced journalists, who, as a Muslim himself, had covered the 1992 Babri riots, told Mr Nelson that Indians had matured. “I think we are going to surprise everyone and shock ourselves by

AWACS, Israeli manufactured machines, based on US technology

Joe Leahy, in the Financial Times (September 30), told how an alliance, apparently made in heaven, between Bangalorebased Reva, one of the world's biggest makers of electric cars, and General Motors India was as abruptly dissolved, when the former sold the company to Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian auto giant. GM India was having none of this and pulled out of the deal.

A case of cultural misunderstanding? Or was this a case

Reva electric car

with commercial ramifications as well? There are few long-term marriages in this sector between Indian and foreign partners, says Mr Leahy. But there are exceptions, he avers. “Aside from the joint ventures, Tata Motors has an alliance with Fiat of Italy under which they share engines as well as distribution and service networks. Analysts argue that the success of the agreement is based largely on the strong personal relationship between Ratan Tata, the group's influential chairman, and the head of Fiat, Sergio Marchionne. Mr Tata has been an independent director on Fiat's board since 2006. Mr Tata has always maintained that the relationship is based on sharing ideas, with each party adopting ideas and practices that work rather than pursuing an aggressive overarching strategy.”

There is a surely a lesson for those whose partnerships haven't worked.

Try again until they do.

UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Hyde Park sets the perfect scene for the first major ‘Walk for Heart and Stroke’

13

Alpesh Patel’s Political Sketchbook: The Politics of Volunteering and the Colour of My Skin

Over 300 enthusiastic walkers took part in the Walk for Heart and Stroke in Hyde Park on Sunday, 26th September organised by Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research (NPIMR).

Jayshree Shah, the Fundraising Manager who organised the event said: “for our first major walk, I am really pleased with the turn–out and we have managed to attract walkers from different communities. Our youngest walker was only 4years old who walked 5km, the oldest was 75 years – so it is clear that battling against Heart Disease and Stroke is something that matters to people across all age ranges in all communities. £11,000 has already been raised and we are hopeful that once all the funds come in, we will have reached our £15,000 target.”

Laxmi Ruda who was

part of the team of volunteers who helped organise the walk said: ‘It has been very challenging to get the people to come and walk but in the end we are all really happy with the outcome’.

The walk was officially started to the sound of the stirring melodies played by the Muktajeevan Pipe Band and the route covered both Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.

Bobby Grewal from the India Association, who is one of a NPIMR’s Golden Heart Members, came to see the walkers set off said the atmosphere was fantastic.

Heart and Stroke diseases are the biggest cause of death globally and in the Asian communities the problem is much worse. Professor Colin Green, the founder and now Trustee of NPIMR said: “to see so many people from differ-

In an age of austerity, politics in the US and in Britain are highlighting the importance of volunteering. Whether it is Obama or Cameron – both have emphasised the critical importance of volunteer work. This week I was asked to speak at the Golders Green Mandir on why I am volunteering for National Sewa Day on 21st November. This is the essence of what I said with some additions: “The colour of my skin. The colour of my skin. This skin which when I was young and foolish, how I wished it was any other colour.

Any other colour, preferably a very pale colour as I was kicked at school, mocked and bullied because of the colour of my skin. The colour of my skin which told people I worshiped an elephant god in my faith.

As I grew older I realised my greatest asset was the colour of my skin. This skin which is a walking advertisement that I belong to the oldest of all civilisations and religions. The civilisation without which the world would not have mathematics and therefore science or the West its languages. This skin which is a brand, a brand which means whatever I do or say I am a brand ambassador for that civilisation.

So why am I volunteering? Because my

ent communities walking together and raising funds for our research is very encouraging. All the funds raised at this event will help our research in ‘proteomics’. We have invested heavily in this new area of research and our dedicated team are confident that this will lead to better diagnostics and therapeutic technologies that will save lives in the future’.

The walk was sponsored by four major donors: Shah and Shin Accountants; FAB Homes; Trust Plus Health Care; and Pick & Save.

Mr Omar Amin, the Managing Director of Pick & Save, said: “I am really pleased to support such a worthy cause. I was amazed at the organisation and really enjoyed walking in Hyde Park. Of course, the pipe band really added to the fantastic atmosphere”.

Lions Club of Sudbury raises £4000 for Liver Transplant for Children Lions Club of Sudbury held a fundraising event on 26th September, 2010.

The Shraadh Bhajan Bhojan charity event was timed for the holy period in the Hindu Calendar, to raise funds in aid of Rays

of Sunshine Ward, Kings C o l l e g e Hospital,London, where they carry out Liver Transplants for Children.

Professor Anil Dhawan from Kings College Hospital gave a

speech explaining the complicated procedures the children have to endure when they go for Liver Transplants, this moved the guests to donate nearly ￡4000 on the day.

Competition

Anup Sarin Conferred NRI Institute Pride of India Leadership Award 2010 NRI Institute honored Mr.Anup Sarin General Manager Best Western Mostyn Hotel London with the Pride of India Leadership Award for his exceptional contribution to the hospitality Industry.

With extensive 22 years of hotel experience the dynamic man has worked with leading hotel chains like Holiday Inn, Hilton and Inter-Continental. As a hotelier, Anup Sarin’s biggest achievement has been to start the Grand Inter-continental in Srinagar in J&K, India and instrumental in taking Best Western Mostyn Hotel London to a 4 Star Boutique Hotel. The Award was presented by Rt. Hon. Baroness Dr.Sandip Verma, Minister for International Development, Equalities and Women 2010 and Whip in the Cabinet

actions and my skin will advertise this is what we do, this is who we are.

Without bragging, without showing off, this skin silently speaks that we get involved.

Whether it is cleaning streets, making care parcels for the troops in Afghanistan, planting trees – this is what we do, this is who we are.

You see it has been estimated Britain, which only in the last 10 years finished paying its loans borrowed to fight the second world war, spent in today’s money over 10 trillion dollars to fight tyranny, sacrificed an Empire, all for principle, all because a small Eastern European country was invaded at a time when invasions were commonplace in 1939.

So when someone mocks Britain as being a spent power, you remind them of the sacrifices of this island nation, and that this is our home, where people of my colour of skin are welcome and people of the colour of my skin in return volunteer to make it a better country – because paying taxes and being law-abiding is not sufficient discharge of our debts. That is why I am volunteering.

Another reason: because I must prove to myself the blood running through these veins under the colour of this skin, is the blood betrothed by good fortune to me by my ances-

Pankkaj Sodha proudly presents Diwali Festival 2010 on Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st October 2010 from 10am to 8pm at Harrow Leisure Centre Harrow Middlesex HA3 5BD. Come and meet your favourite TV Stars and do your Diwali shopping at the same time. If you want to win ticket to this wonderful Diwali shopping festival, answer to this simple question:

Office at the Friers, Aylesford, Kent.

20 People of Indian Origin were also honored for excellence in their chosen field.

tors of India. That it is the same blood in some small part as the blood of Gandhiji and the Sardar.

Bloodlines should be put to the test – voluntarily not just in times of emergency.

You see volunteering is national service. It is often said that the greatest generation is the generation which fought in the second world war – the generation of my grandparents.

Those who sacrificed their lives to rid the world of tyranny. And they did it in the national service. We god willing will never be called upon to show such greatness, but in times of peace, our proof that we are worthy of being the descendants of the greatest generation is if we too volunteer in the national service.

Because if we don’t do this, how do we look our children’s children in the eye when in years to come they will turn to us, as we tell them to get off the sofa and make a difference, and ask us, ‘well what did you do then?’ We have to be worthy of our grandparents, worthy of our grandchildren. That is why I am volunteering and believe in the politics of volunteering. Join me and the thousands on November 21st – because this is what we do, this is who we are. alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

to advertise in Asian Voice Call: 020 7749 4085

Which channel plays the serial Bandini? a. Sony tV b. nDtV imagine tV c. Star plus Please send your correct answer by Monday 11th October 9am to Alka Shah at alka.shah@abplgroup.com (Please note tickets will be sent to the first three winners. Winners will be chosen on a first come first served basis).

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14

ART & CULTURE

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Navratri for the youngsters- know about it!

By Spriha Srivastava

When religion takes over Watching the spectacular opening ceremony of the commonwealth games that are presently being held in Delhi, I couldn’t stop feeling proud of the huge diversity that we have in our country.

There are 28 states and 7 Union Territories, each with a culture, language and tradition of its own.

And on top of this we call ourselves secular with the presence of number of reactions to diverse religious beliefs the verdict, some have coexisting with each widely supported while other. And when so others feel it’s in favour many beliefs coexist, of Hindus. I asked a few then problems are bound people in UK and India to occur. These could what they thought of the start with an ideological decision. conflict and often leadSwastik Nigam, an ing to serious clashes. investment banker, wideBut in the recent ly supported the verdict. times and maybe earlier He said, “The verdict is as well, religion is being mature and sensitive to strongly mixed with polieach of the parties contics wherein political cerned. Knowing that parties at times take this is a complex judgadvantage of one group’s ment involving commureligious beliefs to downnities, history and play the other. All of this mythology, the High is often done in the Court prevents fingers name of creating a being pointed at the strong “vote bank.”

Indian Judiciary, while However, for a meting out negotiated change a landmark verjustice which prevents dict was delivered last week that again reaffirmed the faith of diverse religious beliefs in the Indian social system. Here I talk of the Ayodhya verdict that had been pending for over 60 years and with even though many of us might say that with time people tend to forget, a case looming for justice in the Ayodhya Allahabad high elements to instigate court was always in the communal violence. It minds of people, espeseems to epitomise cially since the demoliMahatma Gandhi's tion of the Babri Masjid quote, "There is enough in 1992. The demolition for everyone's need, but of the mosque that not for everyone's greed." turned into a riot killing and gives a subtle mesmore than 2000 people is sage to all to carry on a blot on our secular polafter 125 years of susitics, a blot on our claim pended resolution.” of being warm, accomWell said Swastik, modating and hospitable but a MBA student from as a diverse nation. And London who wishes to all this for a piece of land remain anonymous that was important to might not agree with both Hindus and this. According to him, Muslims?

“This decision was not Almost eighteen right. In every way, the years later, the government has shown Allahabad high court that it supports Hindu declared that the land be belief system much divided in three parts – more. But the governthe portion of the site ment cannot even afford claimed as Ram to let go of the votes Janmabhoomi was given from the Hindu commuto Hindus, one-third to nity. If the decision had Muslims and the remainbeen anti-Hindu, some ing one-third to a Hindu staunch Hindu groups sect. There have been a

could have created havoc. Plus it’s also time for CWG so the government wants to be safe.”

Knowing the way politics works in India, I tend to agree with these views. But then I also cannot overlook the fact that the verdict has been appreciated by a large section of the Indian society.

Dr. Suresh Kumar Srivastava, an Indian historian from University of Delhi applauds the verdict. “I think it’s a very good verdict. It is sensitive to the aspirations, beliefs and faith of all parties concerned,” he said.

In a country with such a rich history,

diversity and culture, such issues are bound to occur. And what is also impossible is reaching a consensus on any given issue. We are one of the largest democracies in the world which gives us the Freedom of speech and expression and thus every single citizen is entitled to his/her opinion. In the backdrop of all this and given the complexity of the Ayodhya case, I would say it surely is a landmark judgement in the history of Indian judiciary. A judgement that has respected the belief and faith of those concerned and one that has been accepted well across the nation in a cool and calm fashion.

But the pessimists say, Is this the calm before a storm?

Let us know what you think.

Email Spriha at spriha@abplgroup.com

By Pooja Kondhia Every year, Indians all the across the UK, in their thousands, dressed in their finest – kurtas, sherwanis, chania – cholis, sarees – come together to celebrate the festival of Navratri, by doing raas – garba and dandiya – raas.

Yet, how many of these thousands of Indians, particularly youngsters, know the true significance behind these nine fun – filled nights? I asked a few to explain why it is that we celebrate Navratri. The majority of answers went something like this: “Erm, its for Mataji, right?

We are praying to the Goddess... Durga.”

And whilst these are not wrong answers, they also do not explain the reasoning behind Navratri, and why it is that we celebrate for the nine nights and then the tenth night, dushera or vijayadashami.

Navratri is celebrated for a period of nine days, ten including dushera; it is doubly significant as it celebrates two momentous victories of good over evil. The first is the nine day and night battle waged b e t w e e n Goddess Durga and the rakshas Mahisasur, ending in his defeat on the tenth day of Navratri – Vijayadashami.

The second is the war between Lord Rama and the rakshas Ravana, from which Lord Rama emerged victorious on the tenth day of Navratri – Dashera.

Dashera itself is celebrated, in India, by burning effigies of Ravana in the streets, for the triumph of good over evil.

The nine nights of Navratri, in celebration of Goddess Durga’s victory,

are spent in Garba and Dandiya raas.

The story behind Navratri begins with a rakshas Mahisasur, who having performed many severe penances to please the god Brahma, asked for immortality. Unable to escape death, Mahisasur stated that if he must die, let it be at the hands of a woman, thinking that no poor helpless woman would be able to defeat him.

Having been granted his wish by Brahma, Mahisasur set out to conquer heaven; he succeeded and threw all the devas, including the king of heaven, Indra out.

Once on the throne of Indra, Mahisasur demanded that all people should worship him and not Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Thus, his men began to harass pious men such as priests and sages.

Hearing the pleas of the earthly devotees and the devas, rays of intense light emerged from Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and the Goddess Durga came into being

from the light and energy.

Armed with heavenly weapons and mounted on a lion, the Goddess Durga set out to defeat Mahisasur. After nine days and nine nights, Goddess Durga defeated the rakshas Mahisasur.

Garba is a form of dance, originally from Gujarat, in which people dance around a photo of

the Goddess Durga, and a garbo (an earthenware / clay pot with a diva inside which represents the Goddess Durga and the light, energy and strength she stands for). Originally mainly performed by women for the Goddess Durga, as an expression of gratitude for defeating Mahisasur and saving the world, it is now performed by men and women, young and old alike.

It is a rhythmical dance; with every step, they bend down sideways, clap and then come up again, the hands making sweeping gestures, in a very graceful manner.

There are many different styles and forms to this dance, which can be seen in various communities.

Dandiya raas is danced in paired groups with a pair of sticks, one in each hand, in time to the beat of the music, and the dhol; moving either clockwise or anti-clockwise, partners continually rotate within the group. The sticks are supposed to be a representation of the sword of Goddess Durga. An energetic dance form, it starts off slowly, in time to music in a slow tempo and gradually picks up pace as the tempo of the music picks up.

The most impressive forms of the dandiya raas are performed in Gujarat, by men.

Navratri is a time to celebrate and appreciate the triumph of good over evil, remembering the Goddess Durga and her strength and positive energy. It is a time to banish all negativity and purge oneself by becoming immersed in the energetic and rhythmic dances in the name of the Goddess Durga, the remover of evils.

15

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

The tale of

History of Jamdani

Jamdani is a fabric of fine cotton muslin of Bengali origin, with colored stripes and patterns. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor described the figured or flowered jamdani; in the late nineteenth century, T. N. Mukharji referred to this fabric as jamdani muslin.

Whether figured or flowered, jamdani is a woven fabric in cotton, and it is undoubtedly one of the varieties of the finest muslin. It has been spoken of as the most artistic textile of the Bangladeshi weaver.

Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the loom brocade, jamdani is fabulously rich in motifs.

Though mostly used for saris, Jamdani is also used for scarves and handkerchiefs. Jamdani is believed to be a fusion of the ancient cloth-making techniques of Bengal perhaps 2,000 years old with the muslins produced by Bengali Muslims since the 14th century.

Jamdani is the most expensive product of Dhaka looms since it requires the most lengthy and dedicated work.

Jamdani patterns are mostly of geometric, plant, and floral designs and are said to originate in Persian and Mughal fusion thousands of years ago. Due to the exquisite pain-staking methodology required, only aristocrats and royal families were able to afford such luxuries.

The main peculiarity of Jamdani work is the geometric design. The expert weavers do not need to draw the design on paper, but instead work from memory.

Jamdanis have different names according to their design for instance, panna hajar, dubli lala, butidar, tersa, jalar, duria, charkona & many others. Presentday Jamdani saris have on their ground designs of rose, Jasmine, lotus, bunches of bananans, bunches of ginger and sago. Jamdani with small flowers diapered on the fabric is known as Butidar. If these flowers are arranged in reclined position it is called tersa jamdani. It is not necessary that these designs are made of flowers only. There can be designs with peacocks and leaves of creepers. If such designs cover the entire field of the sari it is called jalar naksha. If the field is covered with rows of flowers it is known as fulwar jamdani. Duria Jamdani has designs of spots all over. Belwari jamdani with colorful golden borders used to be made during the Mughal period, especially for the women of the inner court.

There are many shops of jamdani sarees in Mirpur Area at original no. 10 area. The earliest mention of the origin of Jamdani and its development as an industry is found in Kautilya's book of economics (about 300 AD) where it is stated that this fine cloth used to be made in Bengal and Pundra. Its mention is also found in the book of Periplus of the Eritrean Sea and in the accounts of Arab, Chinese and Italian travelers and traders. Four kinds of fine cloth used to be made in Bengal and

Pundra in those days, viz k h o u m a , dukul, pattrorna and karpasi. From various historical accounts, folklore and slokas, it may be assumed that very fine fabrics were available in Bengal as far back as the first decade before Christ.

Cotton fabrics like dukul and muslin did not develop in a day. Dukul textile appears to have evolved into muslin.

Jamdani designs and muslin developed simultaneously. The fine fabric that used to be made at Mosul in Iraq was called mosuli or mosulin. In his 9th century book Sril Silat-ut-Tawarikh the Arab geographer Solaiman mentions the fine fabric produced in a state called Rumy, which according to many, is the old name of the territory now known as Bangladesh. At present, a major problem of the industry is that the weavers do not get adequate wages for their labour.

According to a national daily, a senior taanti earns about Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000 per month. Junior weavers get much less, around Tk 1,600. As a result many weavers do not want their children to come to this profession. For many, the garments industry offer a lucrative alternative. A good piece of jamdani sari needs the labour of one to two months, and the wage paid to the weavers does not compensate for their labour. The producers often do not have direct access to sari markets and because of their dependence on the middlemen, who often form informal cartels, they are deprived of their share of profit. Sometimes, the producers fail to recover the costs.

Thankfully, the government and other organizations are trying to revive the old glory of Dhakai Jamdani. In a bid to avoid the middleman they are trying to establish direct contact with the waivers. A Jamdnai Palli has been established near Dhaka.

Jamdani, one of the oldest forms of cottage industry in Bangladesh, was once was a dying trade. It was successfully revived due to the pioneering work of entrepreneurs such as Monira Emdad. Tangail Saree Kutir along with other sari stores on Baily Road, strive to support the thousands of weavers of Bangladesh who have struggled to keep this age old tradition and fashion alive. Organizations like Radiant Institute of Design, Shanto Mariam University of creative technology, etc. are helping designers create new Jamdani designs.

Positive Parenting As my daughter reaches her first birthday, I set about some reading to learn how to be a positive role model for her as she is now a lot more intelligent, observant and is the metaphorical ‘sponge’!

So, I looked into the art of positive parenting, I read several articles online and I researched some courses I could attend. Feeling slightly overwhelmed by what I read, I decided to park my thoughts and go for my weekly shop.

Finally the issue of positive parenting revealed itself to me. As I whizzed past other shoppers to fill my trolley, I witness a young mother shouting at her little boy who is spread out on the floor in the sweetie aisle clearly sobbing for his treat. The young mum is shouting at the child, telling him how fed up she is of his bad behavior. As frustrating as it is for me to watch this episode reveal in front of me, I

decide not to be judgmental and keep focused on my shop. However, I was destined to meet them again at the checkout where the little boy is now holding a chocolate bar with a big grin on his face and his mother is politely interacting with the checkout assistant and packing her shop in ecofriendly bags for life. I suddenly realized how differently I felt watching the same mother and child in a different situation. The mother is having a relaxed

conversation and the young boy is behaving like any other child; holding his ‘treat’ in one hand and helping his mum by carrying a small bag of shopping in the other hand, and I slightly smile as the scene in front of me could not be cuter.

Books and courses aside, I had the realization that positive parenting is much more than just applying techniques to raise a child! It is about instilling values and morals in your child that avoid judgement and accept each situation as it unfolds. We all have good days and bad, it is essential to teach our children not to aim for 100% perfection but for 100% acceptance! Positive parenting after all should be about being ‘positive’!

“We are apt to forget that children watch examples better than they listen to preaching” - Roy L. Smith

The Story of London – city of ideas, innovation and pioneers London's rich history as a centre for world-beating ideas, invention and pioneers is being celebrated this autumn, when the Story of London returns.

Originally initiated in 2009 by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, this year's ambitious cultural festival runs from Friday 1 until Sunday 10 October. Organised in partnership with a range of organisations, including funding partners the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), English Heritage and the Renaissance London (London Museums Hub), events are taking place all across the city.

Around 100 events are being planned for audiences from every corner of the capital to get involved in, encouraging them to share in the story of the most exciting city in the world.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'London is a city where around almost every corner there has been a great Eureka! moment. Full of pioneering bright sparks in every field, there are hundreds of stories to be discovered. From the inventor of the incandescent light bulb to surgical techniques, from beer making to fashion and digital art, London continues to play a crucial role in every sphere of human activity. The Story of London is about invention, ideas and exploring the city. Who knows, you too might be inspired to instigate the next big thing.'

The achievements will be highlighted through a range of events and activities, including film, music and live performance, guid-

ed walks, talks and debates, exhibitions and workshops. From art, fashion and poetry, to history, science and technology, to transport and the environment, there will be something to suit every interest.

The season will include the legacy of Jimi Hendrix at the Handel House Museum; the development of surgical practices at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons; a new project that 'remixes' archive film to create new visions of London; and the chance to create your own version of London's future 'in a box'. There will be talks from the likes of environmentalist Sir Crispin Tickell at the Museum of London; musician Billy Bragg and architect Sir Terry Farrell at the British Library, plus BBC Home Editor Mark Easton, who will be speaking at the Wellcome Trust. Poet John Hegley will be taking part in a special Poems on the Underground event at LSO St Luke's. Other names will be confirmed shortly.

Hip website the Londonist will be hosting a special pub quiz, in conjunction with the Royal Institution at its 'Time and Space' bar.

Following the extraordinary success of the walking tours through Brunel's tunnel at Rotherhithe – the first to be constructed under water – there will be guided train journeys.

Key partners in the Story of London include the Heritage Lottery Fund, which is supporting a range of events, with awards being given to London community groups, heritage and arts organisations that show

an exciting legacy of famous figureheads and unsung heroes, charting the ever-changing face of London as a city of ground-breaking ideas and innovation. From the story of Grade I architecture and its changing environs, to the history of social housing in the East End, or Ghandi's student days in Wandsworth to the stories behind London's famous Blue Plaques and London's street theatre, a myriad of inspiring stories are waiting to be told this Autumn.

Sue Bowers, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund for London, said: 'It's fantastic to see Londoners young and old, from inner and outer boroughs, getting involved and interpreting this years theme of Innovation for a second exciting festival programme.

English Heritage will be putting on events at Down House, where Darwin wrote 'On the Origin of Species', Chiswick House whose gardens were birthplace of the English Landscape Movement, and a range of other activities looking at some of London's greatest and lesser known heritage assets.

Nigel Barker, Acting Regional Director, London region, English Heritage commented: 'Without its pioneers, visionaries, and risk takers, London’s unique heritage would be much the poorer - extraordinary and innovative feats of engineering have resulted in some of the city's greatest landmarks.'

Renaissance London is supporting several museums across the capital as part of the festival.

Bollywood

16 Asian Voice Saturday 9th October 2010

100 Rajnis in one film!

Finally, the superstar of Kollywood is back on screen after three years with Shankar’s “Enthiran,” which is a true treat for frenzied fans of action. And this robot is really different from his earlier avatars; in fact Rajinikanth’s silent introduction comes as a surprise factor to many!

What makes the film top class is it’s brilliant climax sequence, where hundreds of Rajnis (bionic army of Robot Rajni) engage in a war against human beings and of course the extraordinary special effects gives it a Hollywood touch. Interestingly, the climax fight with the bionic army of Chittis has some innovative graphics and moves – the biggest and most truly watchable gimmicks.

“Enthiran” seems to be the biggest Diwali gift for any Rajni fan; thousands of people have been lingering around cinema theatres to catch the first day, first show of their super hero.

In fact, the celebrations began when many fans prayed and performed ‘Paal abisekhams’ on Rajni’s posters. The fans also danced their way through the theatre to celebrate the release of the film.

Shahid to act in Mira Nair’s next A f t e r making a film on lege n d a r y American pilot Amelia Earhart, Mira Nair is planning her next. And this time, her protagonist will be a Pakistani man who lets go of his life of fame in America after a failed love affair and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

And the filmmaker has already chosen the one who will play that protagon i s t :

Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif shared a steamy lip-lock in Zoya Akhtar's “Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara.” The kiss was shot in the Spain during the first schedule of the film, last month.

Although Hrithik has played tonsil tennis with other heroines in the past, this was his first time with Katrina Kaif, so there was a level of discomfort from her side. Also, this is the first time they are working together, so she didn't have the easy on-screen chemistry she does with Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan or even Ranbir Kapoor.

The duo had to work to get into the comfy zone.

They spent a lot of time together on the sets before

Most of the young actors today think beyond their acting career and are keen to make a mark in cinema industry not only as an actor. The easy and first step for that would be to launch a production house.

The most recent example for this is actor Arya who launched his own banner The Show People. The banner is currently producing the film ‘Padithurai’.

The latest one to get into production is Ajith who has recently launched his own banner. The production company will be called Goodwill Entertainment and the first film under it will be launched soon. So with a banner unto himself will Ajith hereafter do films only for his banner? Ajith says he will produce films of other actors as well. Some of Ajith’s friends will also join the new venture of Ajith.

“A rose is the symbol of love to tell people that we are here to give them hope, care, concern and support. It’s a flower which conveys so many things”, Vikram said last week.

He was speaking at a function organised by Apollo Speciality Hospital in Chennai to celebrate the World Rose Day. The actor visited the hospital and patiently inquired the health condition of the patients.

“Cancer patients are not alone in their fight against the disease. Every one of us should take a vow to help them combat cancer in all possible ways”, the Cheeyan told amid thunderous applause from patients and doctors. Rose Day is a celebration of life for cancer patients, perpetrated in the name of Melinda Rose, a Canadian born 14-year-old, who, though herself afflicted with cancer, spent her time spreading cheer and happiness all around her. On the occasion, Vikram also inaugurated the new Apheresis Department at Apollo Speciality Hospitals. The department looks after the need for blood and its components required for transplant patients.

ble role in Kaminey might have won him his brownie points.

In Nair's film as well as the novel by Mohsin, the story unfolds in the form of a dialogue between Changez and an American he meets at a cafe in Lahore.

The protagonist gives voice to the various post9/11 anxieties that emerged in the following months in America.

All in all, the project is an extremely promising one for Shahid. Though the actor remained unavailable for comment, a source confirmed, "Mira has already met Shahid.

The actor loves the script.

The necessary formalities are being worked out as both Mira and Shahid are extremely excited about the film and want to start working on it by early next year."

Kareena shakes hips Shakira style!

In the title track of the much awaited “Golmaal 3” Kareena Kapoor will be swaying her hips Shakira style!!

Kareena will be seen belly dancing in this hot new number. Sources from the sets revealed that Kareena was quite a pro when it came to learning these steps. She picked up the steps quickly and gave excellent takes without much rehearsal.

People who have seen the song are raving about her look in it. In “Jab We Met” Kareena made the harem pants a popular trend and with this song she has brought the trend back with a twist! She is sporting harem pants with ganjis and a lot of bangles.

Whatever Bebo does she does it with her very own magic touch.

the intimate scene was shot. Perfectionist Hrithik wanted to get it right and was suggested rehearsing the smooch before the shoot.

"The scene happens when Hrithik is bidding her goodbye. As soon as he starts walking away, Kat realises she misses him already and rides her dirt bike towards him. She then gets off the bike and plants a wet one on his lips. The scene establishes that she realizes she has strong feelings for him and can't ignore her feelings anymore. " Before shooting the scene, Zoya sat with the actors and stressed on the relevance of the lip-lock in the scene. She made no

17

Sexy naagin Mallika coming soon!

Mallika Sherawat is all set to scorch the silver screen by respiring one of the most mystical and fascinating characters of Bollywood – the 'Naagin' in the riveting thriller 'HISSS'!

Directed by renowned Hollywood filmmaker Jennifer Lynch, 'HISSS' has created quite a stir across the globe for its interesting amalgamation of the superstars of Bollywood and top technicians of the west.

Produced by Split Image Pictures Pvt Ltd and presented by Venus Records and Tapes Pvt Ltd, the film also stars renowned actor Irrfan Khan and the very versatile Divya Dutta along with American actor Jeff Doucette in prime roles.

As the story goes, the movie is about the vengeance of Naagin, the Snake Woman whose mate is captured from the jungles of India by a ruthless American George States (Jeff Douchette).

Hrithik-Katrina lock lips!

Ajith turns producer

Vikram says it with rose

Shahid Kapoor.

Nair's film is based on Mohsin Hamid's second novel, “The Reluctant Fundamentalist,” which was published in 2007 and was an instant bestseller.

The lead role is thus quite a challenging yet prestigious offer for Shahid, who will be acting in an international film for the first time.

Apparently, Mira was keen on casting either Shahid or Ranbir Kapoor for the role of the protagonist, who is a bearded man called Changez in the novel. Our source said, "Between Ranbir and Shahid, Mira felt that Shahid had the intensity that the character required. While immensely appreciative of Ranbir's talent, Mira thought that Shahid was better suited for this role."

Shahid's intense dou-

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

bones about the fact that that they look great together, and she wanted to milk their chemistry on 36mm.

The source adds, "Hrithik and Kat have done a photo shoot in the past.

Apart from that, they haven't interacted a lot socially either, so breaking the ice wasn't easy, but you wouldn't believe that if you see the kissing scene."

On the day of the shoot the actors were heard agonising over how they have to get the scene right.

In fact, they shot it several times before Zoya okayed it.

"Both actors were professional and completely committed to getting it right, and they did," concludes the source.

Fans damage Priyanka’s car While promoting “Anjaana Anjaani,” Piggy Chops and her Merc had rough ride; a crowd of KC College students went berserk on seeing her walk in with co-star Ranbir Kapoor and ended up damaging and scratching her star car.

Whilst the film promos show Ranbir and Priyanka driving their red vintage car recklessly, this was not something she was prepared for.

An eyewitness says, "It was a great visit but the college kids got really excited on meeting their favourite stars.

When Priyanka and Ranbir were leaving the venue in her white Mercedes, some overenthusiastic students ended up damaging her car. In the whole frenzy of getting a glimpse of Priyanka and Ranbir these fans pounced on her car. They didn't do it deliberately."

As for damage control, a source said, "The car has got badly scratched on the sides. The bonnet is damaged too and there are several dents in the car. Even the paint has chipped off at many places. The Mercedes logo has been broken off as well."

A source close to Priyanka reveals, "She understands that her young fans didn't do this intentionally. It was just a way of showing their love to her. (Nice love, this! Or was it a delinquent case of 'smirk, it's a Merc'?) But she was a tad upset because this car was gifted to her by her dad." The actress remained unavailable for comment but the buzz is that repair work on her car will cost Priyanka at least a lakh. Wonder if the actress, who is working on a film called Saat Khoon Maaf, will be able to forgive and forget?

She transforms into a stunningly attractive woman (Mallika Sherawat) with absolutely no clue about contemporary civilization or the ways of mankind, and ventures into the city in desperate search for her lover with vengeance on her mind and venom in her fangs.

What follows is a chase at breakneck speed, with horrifying deaths, narrow

escapes and special effects never before seen in India!

Irrfan Khan, known for his power packed performances plays a detective on the hunt for the ruthless Naagin. Robert Kurtzman, make-up and special effects expert from Hollywood whose previous works include films like Predators, Vanilla Sky, Spy Kids, Hulk, etc has worked his magic on the 'Naagin' to create the most magnifi-

cent creatures of all time!

Packed with gripping performances and thrilling twists and turns, “HISSS” not only revisits the popular Naagin saga but also reveals the untold truth about this centuries old legend in the most fascinating manner!

What's more the film's soundtrack is as exciting as the film itself; with pioneering collaborations between the east and the west! Besides having compositions by talented musicians like David Kushner, Panjabi MC, Alexander Von Bubenheim and LA Hip-Hop mogul Craig Nobles, Mallika Sherawat herself has lent her sexy voice to a song composed

by Julian Lennon, a famous musician in his own right besides being the first son of the late Beatle founder John.

I am not acting in any movie, says Sachin Tendulkar There were reports that Indian cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar would be acting in filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra's upcoming film “Ferrari Ki Sawaari.”

But now, the cricketer has denied it and said that he was not acting in any movie.

Many media houses reported the news of Sachin acting alongside Boman Irani and Sharman Joshi.

But Sachin has rubbished all such claims of his acting debut.

Tendulkar posted on his Twitter page that his one answer to the questions asked my many is that he is not acting in any film. The international record breaking cricketer added that the Australian series is going to start and it would be very

challenging so he is just concentrating on that.

It seems Sachin as usual knows his goal very well and

is in no mood to divert his attention from the game at this crucial moment.

We must say he has taken a right decision by denying acting in any film now because he has lots of cricket in him till today. So, the country can gain more from him as a cricketer and acting can wait for some more years when he finally decides to quit the game!

There was a report that Sachin was given a narration of the script of the film by producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and he liked it.

Sallu, Govinda team up for ‘Partner 2’ After much turmoil, David Dhawan's “Partner 2” is back on track. Salman Khan and Govinda will play the leads.

David Dhawan will direct the film and Sohail Khan will produce it.

“Partner 2” was supposed to go on floors over a year ago but after Salman Khan's relationship with both Govinda and Dhawan reportedly went sour, the project was as good as shelved. It is only now that things are beginning to look up.

Not too long ago, it was reported that Salman had developed serious issues with both Govinda and Dhawan. Govinda

was miffed that Salman had not lived up to his promise of helping him launch his daughter Narmada. Instead, Salman had gotten busy shooting for “Dabangg” and was concentrating on promoting Sonakshi Sinha.

The revival of “Partner 2” clearly implies that Salman has patched up

with both Dhawan and Govinda. The Salman-Dhawan fallout was widely reported in November 2009. It mentioned that Salman, who was once at the helm of his career because of hits with Dhawan like “Coolie No. 1,” no longer wanted the director to make Sajid Nadiadwala's film, “Sanki.” This was apparently because he was upset with Dhawan for not giving much attention to “Partner 2” and instead working on “Hook Ya Crook.” But that's an old story now.

Crook A film with social message which is also an action thriller, Crook is about a gangster who wanted to reform. Jai has a knack of getting into trouble. His Father was a gangster who wanted to reform. On assurance from his friend Inspector Joseph, Jai's father agreed to rat on his evil bosses. Inspector Joseph guaranteed him that he would find Jai's father and Jai a safe passage into the world of good once his bosses have been exposed. But the unexpected happened. Jai witnessed the fatal double cross on his father, despite his confession, by a senior police officer. Joseph's valiant effort to save him went in vain. This traumatic incident left a lasting impression on Jai's mind that there was no point in being good and that 'It's Good to be Bad.' Joseph adopted Jai out of guilt and tried to instill his Christian values of finding a God within but the memories from the past had already cast themselves deep in Jai's mind. Joseph arranged an alternate identity for him as Suraj Bhardwaj and sent him away to Australia – a land far away from his past. Jai had promised Joseph in Australia he would stay clear of any trouble. It was a golden chance to feel the grass on the other side of the fence. Almost immediately after landing, Jai met Suhani, an Indian Australian with an unadulterated honest vision of 'one world'. Jai found his home with the bumbling punju boys GoldE and gang. They were happy go lucky 'sardar' boys who knew that the ticket to heaven was through attaining a permanent residency in Australia. GoldE almost echoed Joseph's voice when he warned Jai to stay out of trouble and concentrate on his work – he arranged for Jai to get a job as a taxi driver in Samarth's garage. Suhani was intrigued by Jai's manner.

He was flirting but with a flair. He was lying but in style and he was conniving but with a pure heart. Jai knew that if he could make Suhani fall in love with him he could eventually attain permanent residency by marrying her but her brother was too much of an obstacle. So while Jai was busy scheming for Suhani's love he was also flirting with Nicole, the stripper from a nearby strip club. But his problems with Nicole were almost similar to Suhani's as Nicole's brother, Russel, was a rowdy skinhead from the block. Produced by Mukesh Bhatt under the banner of Vishesh Films, Crook is directed by Mohit Suri. The story of the film is by Ankur Tewari. It has music by Pritam Chakraborty.

The lead cast of the film consists of Emraan Hashmi, Neha Sharma and Arjan Bajwa.

New Hindi movies releasing this week 1 - Crook

2 - Do Dooni Chaar

3 - Lava Kusa

Top 4 Bollywood movies for the week No. 1 2 3 4

Film Last Week Total Weeks Dabangg 1 3 We Are Family 2 4 Peepli [Live] 4 7 Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai 5 9

‘Raajneeti’ print in Oscar archives Director Prakash Jha is elated after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences approached him to acquire the copies of the screenplay of his hit political thriller “Raajneeti” for their permanent collection. "I'm very happy and honoured that the Academy has requested me for the screenplay of Raajneeti. Though Hindi cinema has its own tradition and form, it is always nice to be recognised internationally," Jha said in statement.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's premier movie-related organization and is best known for its annual Oscar awards celebration. The scripts in their collection are made available to all for research purposes only and in the premises of their reading room.

Inspired by epic Mahabharata, “Raajneeti” is a political saga on northern India's murky electoral pol-

itics which gives a rare insight to the power equation and strained relationship within a political family made up of ensemble cast including actor Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, Manoj Bajpayee, Ajay Devgon, Nana Patekar and Naseeruddin Shah among others Other Indian screenplays to have made it to the Oscar archives include “Rock On,” “Heroes,” “Lagaan,” “Devdas,” “Munnabhai M.B.B.S.”, “Kal Ho Naa Ho,” “Chak De! India,” “Sarkar Raj” and “Gandhi My Father.”

18

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Alpesh Patel Consultant Editor Financial Voice Dear Financial Voice Reader, A trader friend of mine managed to lose $2m in a month recently. I thought I would share with you the mistakes he made so you avoid the same one – whether trading with larger or smaller sums.

Know when you will be wrong. So if you are buying a stock expecting it to rise from 100p you need to know at what point you will exit if the price goes in the wrong direction. In this case it may be if it goes to 80p. You cannot argue that you will hold it even if it goes to 1p because that is willingness to take too much risk. But what does it mean to say you are ‘wrong’. It is that the price goes to a level it should not if in the time frame you were expecting it to reach the profit target.

Decide what level of profit is likely over the time frame you plan to invest. For example you may think it will go to 120p in a month, but that needs to be stated, not simply that you expect the price to rise.

Your profit target, in this case a 20p, has to be at least the same as the amount you might lose if you exit at the point which you decided you would be wrong about the trade. Otherwise your reward and risk are out of balance.

Now you need to ensure that the most you can lose if you are wrong is 2% of all your trading capital. The reason for this is if you have a string of losing trades then at least you are not out of money.

So, my friend made the mistake in expecting the US markets to fall of not setting a profit target, only an idea about direction, not setting a price where he would know he was wrong about the direction given the time frames he had in mind. Basically this happened last month and the market went up and up, when he bet on profiting from it going lower.

The biggest mistake he made though, was that the amount of money he bet on the trade meant he risked more than 2% of all his trading capital. This raises the issue of market direction. Whilst I explained to him that I expect the markets to be up about 10% before the year end from present levels, they will fall as part of profit taking, but the trend longer term is clearly up.

So we will see some down moves, especially in October seeing how profitable September was, but the rises in November and December I expect to see a strong finish to the year. Another reason my friend lost money – he was trying to rationalise and understand the market. He kept explaining how economic figures are poor and so the market should fall. Whereas, I explained the market’s ability to remain irrational will outlast his ability to remain solvent.

Alpesh.patel@tradermind.com

UK, India to work together for road, transport development India and the United Kingdom signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on matters of road transport, highways and related services last week, in London.

Ministers of the two countries, secretary of state for transport Philip Hammond and Indian minister for road transport and highways Kamal Nath signed an MOU for the purpose. The five year cooperation will be subject to review and renewal.

The delivery of specific

services identified on the basis of this Memorandum will be negotiated in any contract or separate detailed arrangements.

This Memorandum may be amended at any time by the mutual written consent of the participants.

The Participants will also determine how any outstanding matters should be dealt with on the basis of mutual consultation.

Termination will not affect the validity of any contract or separate detailed arrangements made under this Memorandum.

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Cairn stake could turn out more costly for Vedanta India likely to impose taxes and royalty on the new buyer For Vedanta, the deal to buyout the majority stake from Cairn could not be as attractive as the group might have figured. Even as ONGC, the partner in the Cairn operations in India has decided not to make any counter offer for Cairn stake, the Government of India is now looking at options to make some profits for allowing Vedanta a ready made oil production business.

One of the main ways that are being explored is

of legally making provisions that make Vedanta pay taxes and royalty just like ONGC pays. In the 1990s, when India wanted foreign investors to invest in oil exploration, they offered on tax and royalty liability for them, instead making local partners like ONGC pay for the entire production.

Rajasthan oilfields of Cairn India are the biggest onshore oil find in the country in recent times. If ONGC is to pay for the

entire production, under the present circumstances, it would be paying out more than earning on its stake.

ONGC’s argument is that the cess and royalty exemptions were given to compensate foreign companies for the risk they were taking by sinking money into exploration in India without a guarantee of making any find. But Vedanta is taking over Cairn India when the latter is already producing oil

from the Rajasthan acreage, precluding any uncertainty attached with exploration.

Sources said in case legal opinion does not support ONGC’s argument, the government will still be left with several other handles such as pricing of the Rajasthan crude to put pressure on Cairn India’s new owners. The idea is not to discourage an investor but protect ONGC’s commercial interests, a source said.

Harvard to rename Humanities Center after Mahindra Anand Mahindra gifts $10 mn to alma mater for two generations In one of the largest grant to the Humanities Center at the Harvard University, Anand Mahindra of the well known Mahindra & Mahindra group has announced a gift of $10 million for study of humanities. The Center will be named after Mahindra.

Anand Mahindra and his father, late Harish Mahindra both have studied at Harvard.

Anand Mahindra particularly has remembered the gesture by the University in awarding him full scholarship, as those days,

India did not permit release of foreign exchange for undergraduate studies abroad. Anand did his graduation with a major in visaual and environmental studies. He later went on to do his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1981.

Anand has announced the grant in honour of his mother, Indira Mahindra.

The Humanities Center, located at Harvard University, is a site for inter-disciplinary exchanges and is open to the entire academic com-

munity and the public, and is a place where discourses on various topics that make up the study of humanities are held.

Mahindra is of the view that the Mahindra name, coupled with that of the director of the centre, Homi Bhabha, would make it a symbol of India’s heritage and its contemporary contribution to the arts and the humanities.

Mahindra’s extensive activities as a Harvard alumnus include membership of the Committee on

University Resources, the Advisory Committee of the Harvard University Asia Center, the HBS Board of Dean’s Advisors, and the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board. He co-founded the HBS Association of India and received the HBS alumni achievement award in 2008.

Harvard has received a few other grants from India as well. The government of India gave $4.5 million in honour of Amartya Sen to provide graduate fellowships to students from India.

Raju siphoned off ` 78.55 bn from Satyam books 20 months of probe brings out the figures; Satyam losses for FY 10 at 1.25 bn It took more than 100 forensic experts and almost 20 months of investigations to determine the amount Satyam founder Ramalinga Raju had siphoned off from the company’s accounts. The final figures of the massive irregularities have been put at Rs. 78.55 billion.

Raju had in January 2009 said the scam was worth Rs. 71 billion.

The restated accounts,

disclosed last week, have quantified the impact of irregularities at about `62.42 billion up to April 1, 2008 and Rs. 16.12 billion subsequently. Satyam and Raju landed in trouble after an aborted bid to take over two infrastructure and property companies floated by his sons in December, 2008.

Later, Raju had to confess to a fraud committed on the company by fudging

the books of the company to show fake revenues, profits and also clients.

For the year ended March, 2010, Satyam had revenue of about 54.81 bn and a net loss of about 1.24 bn. For both the years, the exceptional items, which included several transactions not related to the IT business, had a significant negative impact on the balance sheet. “We had to work on

several issues to bring down the unwanted costs.

We had to carry out the right sizing both at the infrastructure level and the HR level. The operating and administrative expenses were at 24.37 billion in FY09 and they were at about 10.43 bn in FY10.

There was a reduction of about 14 bn by the end of the year ended March 2010,” C P Gurnani, Satyam's CEO, said.

Silicon Valley veteran to work with a Bristol start up

Salman Malik decided not to return to the US after BrightPearl offer A Brit - Pakistani software engineer and high profile electronics entrepreneur, Salman Malik had almost made up his mind to go back to the Silicon Valley after putting in years of investment and efforts to help UK start-ups in London. Now, Salman Malik has decided he will not go back to theUSA and instead will work with BrightPearl, a UK start up company based in Bristol that is engaged in business software company.

A veteran at Siebel Systems in the USA,

Malik has joined the board of BrightPearl, a fast-growing hosted business software venture that was spun out of a skateboard company three years ago.

The 41 year old said after several years of making private investments in UK start-ups and helping them grow, he had grown frustrated by the limited number of world class internet opportunities in London and was preparing to return to California.

A call from Charles Grimsdale, co-founder of

venture capital firm Eden Ventures, introducing BrightPearl made him change his plans.

BrightPearl is a hosted software company that sells an integrated accounting, CRM, order and stock management, eCommerce and help desk services for a monthly fee.

Mr Malik said: "BrightPearl caught my attention with an outstanding product that addresses a fundamental problem for enterprises.

Mr Malik was an executive at Siebel Systems,

the customer relationship management software company that was named the fastest growing company in the US in 1999 by Fortune magazine. It was acquired by Oracle for $5.8bn in 2005, when Mr Malik departed.

Prior to that, he was one of the founders of Firefly Network, an early web-based social media site that was acquired by Microsoft.

Born in Pakistan, he studied electronics engineering at Princeton University in the USA.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

19

Property Focus Suresh Vagjiani Managing Director of Sow & Reap, a Property Investment & Financing company.

A to Z all under one roof

Double up, without lifting a finger Well almost, you do have lift your finger to sign a few forms. One of our early clients a Mr Bhudia invested in Nalsafrai when the rates where less then Rs 1000 about two years ago.

He got in early, and the early bird always get the worm. Today Sow & Reap have returned a rate of more than double his investment.

The important points to note are Mr Bhudia did not even see the property or lift a finger to resell the plot. He made the decision to purchase over two years ago. His income was not substantial but he could spare £20,000. He knew the importance of investing into property and knew India was booming without doubt, knowing if the money was sat in a bank account it would be shrinking or at best staying the same.

The only question which should arise when investing are the following. Firstly and most foremost: is your money in trustable hands? this means is the developer of reputable character? If the answer is yes the second question will be whether the investment will increase or decrease. If the answer is yes the third one should be: can you exit ? In a nutshell this is all you need to ask.

We have done full due diligence on the developer from having his plots checked by banks for loan approvals to me personally, meeting previous investors who have bought and sold Ruitaj previous plots and made good money from this. Therefore this box had a tick, the second question is whether these prices will increase or decrease. Nal Safari at the time when we began selling, the prices were around Rs 900 per Sq Yard, note this is per Sq Yard not Sq Ft which is what most developers use to quote there property prices. This only comes to Rs100 per Sq Ft. Cheap as Chips!

Compared to Ahmadabad these prices were unheard of. As Ahmadabad develops the growth of outside areas like Sanand become more and more assured. As prices get expensive in main Ahmadabad inevitably outskirts will start increasing in price. The centre of gravity will shift, much in the same way as unfashionable areas in London have now become prime areas. Areas such as Hackney and Wembley were not always regarded as prime areas. These areas now command high prices which would have been unimaginable a decade ago. If this is the kind of shift you see in London this effect will be amplified in India and even more so in the case of Ahmadabad under the strong leadership of Narendera Modi it has arguably the best leadership to spearhead the states growth.

So it seemed inevitable Sanand was going to grow. We did not foresee that the Nano Factory would be operating from Sanand. It could have been have been any where in India, any state would have welcomed its presence due to the strong uplift it would have, however it ended up in Sanand.

The third reason is it is all well and good if

the investment is in good hands and goes up in value, but what about all the hassle it takes to sell it. The size of the development means we would be involved in selling the plots for a few years to come and therefore be attracting buyers continually. Our office in Ahmadabad can also source a local buyer, so there exists two angles for resale.

Tata Motors inaugurated its Nano low-cost car manufacturing facility at Sanand in Ahmedabad, Gujrat. The Chief Minister of Gujarat Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the plant in the presence of of Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Motors at a function on the 2nd June 2010.

This new facility has the capacity to produce 2,50,000 cars per year which can be further increased to 3,50,000 cars. With this new facility, Tata plans to get the Nano cars quicker on the roads.

The Sanand plant has already employed 2,400 local workers and an employment to 10,000 more locals is expected soon.

Gujarat has never been an employment hub nor has it retained its image of being a state for hard core engineering advances. But with Nano coming the story will be different.

The employment rate is going to shoot up. The project is expected to generate a vacancy for around 10,000 peoples.

With this Sanand will be on the global map. It will change the face of Gujarat.

Growth and investment will never look more attractive. This will also give a boost to tourism.

Mr Bhudia knew Sow & Reap had done full due diligence in the property so the trust factor was not an issue. The concern for him was simply how high will the investment go and will he be able to exit without any hassle.

We assured him he was going in at the earliest stages of the development, therefore his plot will be the prime position when it comes to resell and the prices will only go one way up.

All the previous projects Rituraj has done have risen. As this small developer has increased his experience the projects have got stronger and bolder, therefore the prices will go more aggressively.

After expressing a desire to resell we have got him a buyer last week so he could realise his gain.

The price currently is Rs 2,600 Per Sq Yard. Still extremely cheap compared to Ahmadabad standards, where prices for two bedroom flats can be as high as Rs1.7 crores.

The prices we are witnessing now in Ahmadabad would have been unbelievable a decade ago. We feel they will still carry on rising as Ahmadabad is still in its early stages of growth.

We have seminars organised all over London. If you want an investment which is still very cheap and has yet to reach its full potential call now.

The actual pictures from 94B Star street

We have seminar happening in North London on the 20th October 2010.

We will be going though the bare bones of what we do and how this can benefit you.

The seminar will include cover the general property environment and where we believe the market will go and more particularly where the central London market will head. It will be focused on how you can use property investment to achieve your financial goals.

We will go through examples of what we have done with plenty of time to ask any questions you may have.

Here are just some of the deals we have done recently 11 Marble house, Maida Vale investments we have made for purchased for £315,000 and rentthem and are keen on purchasing ed within 24 hrs of completion at more. £500pw giving a net income of If you have limited time but over £16,000 per annum after all want someone to handle your mortgage payment , service property investment call us now to charges and management fees register your place.

94b Start St, Paddington W2 We will tailor our purchasing 1JQ purchased for £214,000 in to suit your individual requireMarch 2009, valued at £325,000 ments. From assessing the best recently by a bank. £22,000 of way to finance your purchase to refurbishment done checking your comfort levels on London Mews, Paddington a the way you want to purchase. row of 4 mews houses purchased We will have experts from a for £1.65m requires £400,000 of law firm based in Mayfair, Tax refurbishment we expect a end experts, Mortgage brokers and value of £750,000 per property, a Managing agents. Between all of total end value of £3m. us we are confident to answer any I have had many clients who questions you may have. have stated the examples look to good to be true. Many of them are still thinking this. Up and coming seminars All the examples we have Call now to register stated are true and can be verified with the land reg- 5th Blue Ginger 7.30pm istry we can provide all doc7th Chilli Room Croydon 7.30pm umentation to the serious investor. On the other hand 10th Swagat Leicester 1pm those who have chosen to Please call 020 7706 0187 for more move are benefiting from information

n Mortgages n Commercial Finance n Property Sourcing n Gujarat Properties - Sale & Resale T: 0207 706 0187 F: 0203 014 8484

E: info@sowandreap.co.uk W: www.sowandreap.co.uk

31 Southwick Street, Paddington, W2 1JQ Registered in England No. 05083823

20

finAnciAl voiCe

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Leadership Matters Maria Fernandes maria@abplgroup.com

Criminal convictions for immigration matters When people think of criminal convictions they normally assume that this applies to criminal offences such as theft or violent offences and they also tend not to regard driving offences as falling within this category. Many either misunderstand when they are required to disclose offences and when they are not required to do so. When applying for British citizenship the rules are very clear. With the other categories the rules are not that clear but the consequences are grave.

Some rules have compulsory refusals, others provide for a margin of discretion.

Failing to disclose an offence is more serious than the offence itself.

After a period of time convictions can become “spent” under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 i.e. disregarded or ignored. Offences become spent from the date of the sentence of the offence. Some offences can never be spent for example prison sentences of over 30 months.

Once a period is spent there is no requirement to disclose this and even if it is disclosed it has to be disregarded by law.

This article briefly looks at criminal convictions in relation to immigration and nationality applications.

Naturalisation When applying for naturalisation the test of “good character” must be met. One of the ways (by no means the only way) of assessing good character is through criminal convictions. This includes all traffic offences other than parking offences.

Offences such as drink driving offences, driving without insurance or driving without a licence are sufficient reason to refuse applications on the basis of good character.

Failure to disclose offences such as pending matters can result in refusal.

Automatic deportation In August 2008 the UK Borders Act 2007 introduced automatic power to deport for serious criminal behaviour.

Anyone sentenced for at least 12 months or is caught by this provision.

This excludes: 1.

Suspended sentences.

2.

Consecutive sentences which are individually less than 12 months but result in a total of 12 months or over.

There are exemptions where removal would breach asylum or Human Rights

provision, when a person is under eighteen, is likely to be extradited or under hospital direction following mental illness.

However even when automatic powers are not applied applications can be refused under the Immigration Act 1971 where there are criminal offences.

Entry clearance applications The power to exclude a person for criminal offences is discretionary and qualified.

Convictions in the UK which attracted a sentence for over 12 months or an offence committed abroad which, if sentenced in the UK would attract a sentence of 12 months can unless there are compassionate circumstances result in refusal.

For other lesser offences it will depend upon whether the exclusion is conducive to public good on the basis of “character, conduct or associations.”

Non disclosure However what is more serious is the failure to disclose material facts for example a criminal conviction. This will result in a compulsory refusal.

After entry: Leave to remain This is a discretionary rule.

Applicants can be refused on the basis of undesirability of permitting a person to remain in the UK in the light of his character, conduct or associations.

Non Disclosure However failure to disclose a material fact ie a conviction will result in a compulsory refusal There is a rise in applications being refused in particular for failure to disclose offences. Under immigration law failure to disclose is serious and results in an compulsory refusal. The UKBA do check records and therefore where in doubt, in order to prevent refusal it is sometimes worth disclosing convictions. If there is a duty to disregard them they will be ignored.

Maria Fernandes has been in practice exclusively in immigration for the past 25 years and is accredited in Immigration Law by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Fernandes Vaz is based at 87 Wembley Hill Road Wembley in Wembley and can be contacted by telephone on 02087330123, by email on info@fernandesvaz.com

Adani group looking to bid for Port of Brisbane Gujarati group already owns Mundra, is investing in OZ Adani, the Indian business group from Gujarat is already investing in coal mines and other related infrastructure in Australia, is now looking to bid for Port of Brisbane, as the Queensland government wants to privatise the port, according to reports in Australian media.

The reports suggest that while two consortiums are already doing the due diligence exercise, Adani group has emerged as a third player.

Adani group is likely to pitch in with a bid worth A$ 2 billion. Port of

Brisbane is being offered on a 99 year lease. The group already owns Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone in Gujarat. They are already into setting up a mega power project in India.

Keeping it in the Family – Part 1 A few years ago in Mumbai, I had an opportunity to visit the head office of a large porcelain tile manufacturer owned by a friend of my father in law. During the visit I was surprised to see the owners’ son working as an intern at the company.

It turned out that he was still in the process of completing his MBA course at university. I was even more surprised to learn that his course was no ordinary MBA, it was actually an MBA course tailored for students who were in line to take over their parents business, or as he called it, a ‘family MBA’.

Considering that traditionally most Asian business people aspire that their children to take over the family business, it is actually a very obvious and appropriate course. However, the topic of family businesses is often a sensitive and potentially divisive one. I have met countless businessmen who complain about their children not taking an interest, or not showing the same initia-

tive and determination as themselves. I have also heard many young people remark that they are not keen on the family business because they want to do something they are interested in, or they want a job which offers a better ‘work-life balance’.

There is also the scenario wherein all the siblings work in the family business creating the issue of who will eventually be the boss? These can often be no-win situations and can eventually damage the whole family structure (see Reliance Industries).

I should stress that this is not the situation in all family businesses; some do not have such issues. However, it would be a mistake to think that this is a problem faced only by large industrialists. It is a challenge which every business owner must face and there is too much at risk to simply ignore the issue and do nothing.

For the parent it is about a lifetime of hard work, sacrifice and hardship. No new business is

By Amit Patel

successful without these three ingredients. For the children, it is about their own aspirations, security and self esteem - factors which can be the difference between being successful and being miserable.

The one thing at stake for both is family harmony. Finding a common ground can be hard but it is not impossible.

Henceforth, over the next few weeks I will be discussing the topic of ‘keeping it in the family’.

Amit Patel has over 15 years experience in the field of Personal Development and Human Resource Management. He has delivered speeches on People Management and Development throughout Europe, North America, and Asia. To contact Amit, email him at amitpatelmail@gmail.com

Household Insurance is different than Property Owners Insurance Rajan Amin of Coversure Insurance Kennington Branch highlights the important differences between a standard Household or Buildings Insurance policy and a specifically designed Property Owners or Landlords Insurance policy.

As many new property owners look to buy-to-let for various reasons, whether it be through necessity to help with mortgage payments or though choice in an attempt to get onto the property ladder it is important to ensure the correct insurance policy is taken out. By taking out a Property Owners policy, you will be covered for most normal eventualities covered by a standard Household policy including; buildings insurance, covering the fabric of your property against certain “perils” which will be described in your policy documents.

A standard Household policy will not cover you for your liability to other people using your property if they are injured or have their own property damaged due to your negligence. What’s worse, an ordinary household policy will usually contain clauses which will not cover you if the property is let out. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you

Rajan Amin

have a policy specially aimed at a property which is let out. With a Property Owners policy, there are options to include rent guarantees and accidental damage cover. There are also normally options to insure the landlord’s possessions, and even the tenant’s possessions. Some policies even have an option to include legal advice and representations in disputes with your tenants.

Look out for restrictions in cover whilst the property is unoccupied.

There are normally reduced levels of cover if your property is unoccupied for an extended period of time (e.g. 30 days).

Also damage due to normal wear and tear or poor maintenance is likely to be excluded.

Don't forget that the

amount you should insure is the cost of rebuilding, rather than the resale value of your property and if your property is near any kind of water, check that you have adequate cover against flooding.

Some insurers will insure your property if you are in an area of flooding, but exclude damage due to floods.

For more information and/or advice on Property Owners or Landlords Insurance policies for buyto-let properties, make sure you contact your local insurance broker.

Rajan Amin, Cert CII can be contacted by Tel 0800 093 9009 or Email: kennington@coversure.co.uk Coversure Insurance Services is an insurance broker with 90 branches nationwide.

Coversure Kennington offer all general insurances including Motor, Property and Travel cover. They also have a number of specialist schemes for Public & Employers Liability, Taxi Insurance, Property Owners and Professional Indemnity.

FINANCIAL VOICE

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

21

Foreign Exchange Rajesh Agrawal is the Chairman & CEO of RationalFX, Currency Specialists.

For any further information call 020 7220 8181 or e-mail info@rationalfx.com

The Yuan everybody wants Despite China’s capital controls, the offshore market also affords its firms an alternative source of borrowing. Hong Kong, unlike China, allows almost anyone to issue a bond and repatriating the proceeds “is unlikely to be too challenging,” notes a report by Standard Chartered. This may erode the architecture of China’s credit system, which allows policymakers to channel funds to favoured firms and projects.

Slowly, however, China seems to be changing its approach. As a result of reforms begun last year, exporters to China can now price their goods in yuan, rather than dollars, and deposit the proceeds in offshore corporate accounts, mostly in Hong Kong. At first the reforms were a flop, says one banker.

Few accounts were open Offshore accounts offered puny rates of interest because banks could do so little with the money. But as deposits have grown so has the number of firms seeking to tap them. In the past two months McDonald’s has issued a yuan-based bond in Hong Kong, as has Hopewell, a property firm. Both were oversubscribed. Banks and the Chinese government itself have also gone to the well.

The off- and onshore markets are still separated by a cliff of controls. Companies cannot borrow yuan from the mainland; they must earn them through trade. Crudely put, yuan flow out of China only if goods or services flow the other way. And offshore yuan do not easily travel back into China either. A currency represents a claim on a country’s underlying assets.

EUR/USD

Last month’s decision to let some banks spend their offshore yuan on local Chinese bonds creates another link between these otherwise parallel universes. It will allow some offshore yuan to climb back onshore in exchange for assets rather than goods. These purchases will be subject to a strict quota but still broaden the menu considerably.

The onshore bond market is

after all worth $2.9 trillion, 725 times bigger than its nascent offshore rival.

If global trade in yuan does swell, international banks have a good chance of developing other fee-generating, predictable businesses, such as handling letters of credit or payments. And since money on its way from one place to another inevitably pauses, there should be more rises in deposits, which become the stuff of loans.

Despite China’s capital controls, the offshore market also affords its firms an alternative source of borrowing. Hong Kong, unlike China, allows almost anyone to issue a bond and repatriating the proceeds “is unlikely to be too challenging,” notes a report by Standard Chartered. This may erode the architecture of China’s credit system, which allows policymakers to channel funds to favoured firms and projects.

Many foreign bankers, and even some government officials, will say these kinds of changes are necessary and inevitable.

Some sort of opening up of capital flows certainly seems to be under consideration. But given the potential consequences, there may be far more talk than action.

Weekly Currencies As of Tuesday 5th October 2010 @ 10am GBP - INR = 70.928 USD - INR = 44.63 EUR - INR = 61.54 GBP - USD = 1.5893 GBP - EUR = 1.153 EUR - USD = 1.3785 GBP - AED = 5.8212 GBP - CAD = 1.6222 GBP - NZD = 2.1408 GBP - AUD = 1.9533 GBP - ZAR = 11.13 GBP - HUF = 315.86

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

INDIA

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

The judges and their orders in the Ayodhya verdict Here is a brief profile of the three judges of the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court along with excerpts from the landmark verdict on 60-year-old RamjanambhoomiBabri Masjid title suit that they delivered on Thursday.

Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan After the elevation of Justice SR Alam as the Chief Justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court, on December 11, 2009, Justice Sibghat Ullah Khan S U Khan was nominated on the special bench of Allahabad High Court, handling the Ayodhya title suits. He sat on the bench for the first time on January 11, 2010.

Justice Khan, graduated in law in 1975 from the Aligarh Muslim University, is known for his expertise in civil, service and revenue matters. He is also known to be a tough judge who remains firm in his approach.

His order All the three sets of parties, i.e.

Muslims, Hindus and Nirmohi Akhara are declared joint title holders of the property/premises in dispute… it is further declared that the portion below the central dome where at present the idol is kept in makeshift temple will be allotted to Hindus in final decree.

It is further directed that Nirmohi Akhara will be allotted share including that part which is shown by the words Ram Chabutra and Sita Rasoi in the map.

It is further clarified that even though all the three parties are declared to have one third share each, however if while allotting exact portions some minor adjustment in the share is to be made then the same will be made and the adversely affected party may be compensated by allotting some por-

tion of the adjoining land which has been acquired by the Central Government.

The parties are at liberty to file their suggestions for actual partition by metes and bounds within three months.

Justice Sudhir Agarwal J u s t i c e Sudhir Agarwal was nominated as a judge on the special bench of Allahabad High Court handling the Ayodhya title suits on September 18, Sudhir Agarwal 2008, following the retirement of Justice OP Srivastava.

A law graduate from Meerut University, he is known to be a sharp and strict Judge. Justice Agarwal began his career as a lawyer after having enrolled as an advocate on October 5, 1980.

Exactly 25 years after being enrolled as an advocate, he was elevated as additional judge on October 5, 2005. He took oath as permanent judge on August 8, 2007.

His order It is declared that the area covered by the central dome of the three domed structure, i.e., the disputed structure being the deity of Bhagwan Ram Janamsthan and place of birth of Lord Rama as per faith and belief of the Hindus, belong to plaintiffs (Suit-5) and shall not be obstructed or interfered in any manner by the defendants.

The area within the inner courtyard… belong to members of both the communities, i.e., Hindus (here plaintiffs, Suit-5) and Muslims since it was being used by both since decades and centuries.

The area covered by the structures, namely, Ram Chabutra, Sita Rasoi and Bhandar in the outer courtyard is declared in the share of Nirmohi Akhara.

The share of Muslim parties shall not be less than one third (1/3) of the total area of the premises and if necessary it may be given some area of outer courtyard.

Justice Dharam Veer Sharma Justice Dharam Veer Sharma was nominated as a Judge of the t hre e-m emb er bench on February 12, 2007, after the retirement of Justice Bhanwar Singh.

Born on October 2, 1948, Justice Sharma graduDharam Veer ated in law in Sharma 1970. He was appointed in the Provincial Civil Services (Judicial) in 1972.

Promoted in the Higher Judicial Services in 1985, he was elevated to the post of additional judge in the High Court on October 20, 2005.

He took oath as permanent judge on September 17, 2009. He has since retired on October 1, 2010.

His order Holding that the disputed site in Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram, Justice Dharam Veer Sharma today said the structure constructed by Babar was against the tenets of Islam and cannot have the character of a mosque.

"The disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year is not certain but it was built against the tenets of Islam. Thus, it cannot have the character of a mosque," the judge said in his judgement on the Ayodhya title suits.

He said the disputed structure was constructed on the site of the old structure after its demolition.

The Archaeological Survey of India has proved that it was a massive Hindu religious structure, he said.

The judge said the disputed site "is the birth place of Lord Ram" and that a "place of birth is a juristic person and is a deity."

Ayodhya dispute at a glance A brief history of the title dispute that was before the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court is given here.

1528: Babri Masjid is built, Hindus claim the land was built after demolishing a temple.

1859: British erect fences to separate Hindu, Muslim areas of worship.

1949: Hindus & Muslims file title suits claiming the land, the government takes over the disputed site.

December 1949: Idols of Ram Lalla & Sita Mata appear inside the Babri Mosque.

Hindus claim lord Ram has appeared in his birth land, hence land belongs to Hindus.

Jan 16, 1950: First suit filed, seeking permission to worship deities in the disputed structure.

Dec. 1950: Second suit filed by Head of Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, seeking permission to worship deities, first two

suits clubbed together by Civil Judge in Faizabad.

Dec. 1959: Third suit filed by Nirmohi Akhara seeking to take charge of the ‘temple’ from a rival.

Dec. 1961: Fourth suit filed by Sunni Central Boards of Waqfs, UP, seeking removal of idols & possession of mosque.

April, 1964: All suits filed by Hindus and the one filed by the Waqf Board were consolidated.

1989: A petition on behalf of Ram Lalla was filed by retired HC Judge, claiming ownership of disputed land. Allahabad HC rules that a special three-judge bench will hear all five suits in the lower courts. HC directs all parties to maintain status quo at the site till matter is finished.

1994: SC orders status quo on all cases till the title suit is settled.

Dec. 1992: Babri Masjid is razed by kar sevaks, 2,000 people die in post-demolition riots.

These were the questions before the High Court in the Ayodhya case The questions before the judges of the Allahabad High Court were: Was the building constructed on the site of an alleged Hindu temple after demolishing the same. If so, its effect?

Was the building in question, described as a mosque, was a mosque as claimed by one of the plaintiffs?

Was the building dedicated to almighty God as alleged by some of the plaintiffs?

Was the building used by members of the Muslim community for offering prayers since time immemorial?

Were the idols and objects of worship placed inside - or were in existence even earlier?

Have the Hindus been worshipping the place in dispute as Sri Ram Janmabhoomi and visiting it as a sacred place of pilgrimage as a (matter of) right since time immemorial?

Ayodhya judgment gets support from Muslim scholars, Congress MPs Muslims lash out at Mulayam for politicisation attempts, a section prepared to shift mosque Even as the Congress remain highly guarded in reacting to the Ayodhya verdict, MPs of the party, cutting across age, gender and region supported the Allahabad High Court ruling on the title suits over the disputed Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya.

These MPs were very clear: go to the Supreme Court if you don’t accept the HC ruling but don’t let this issue derail the Indian growth story. Even as leading muslim scholars backed the verdict, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam tried to woo the minorities saying muslims felt cheated by the court ruling. His reactions evoked sharp reactions from muslims, as they said though they are not satisfied, the community is against attempts to politicise the issue.

Congress muslim MPs “I think it is a very fair judgment. The court has tried to reconciliate by giving justice to all litigants. If somebody does not think it is fair, they can appeal to the Supreme Court,” said

Mausam Noor, the 31year-old who represents North Malda (West Bengal) in the Lok Sabha.

“Nobody wants to continue this dispute now.

People have other concerns like education of children, livelihood, etc.

Aadmi rozi-roti ka problem dekhe ya mandir-masjid ka jhagda (Should people think of livelihood or temple-mosque dispute). This issue had been pending for long. Court has delivered judgment. Besides, the Supreme Court door is always open,” said Murshidabad MP Abdul Mannan Hossain.

Ismail Hussain, MP from Barpeta in Assam, said: “It is okay. One has to go by the High Court order.

We have no problem.”

Similar views were echoed by other Congress MPs including Kheri MP Zafar Ali Naqvi and Rajya Sabha MP Rashid Alvi.

“We should accept the verdict. If anybody has any reservation, options are always open. One can go to the Supreme Court,” said Naqvi.

While Firozabad MP

Raj Babbar was yet to go through the entire judgment, he did not agree with Mulayam Singh Yadav’s view that the verdict kept “faith above law and evidence”.

“It is absolutely wrong.

Every Indian should have respect for the judiciary whether you are happy with the judgment or not.

For 20 years, Mulayam was drawing political benefit out of the Babri Masjid dispute.

The moment he came to the conclusion that Babri is no issue, he got together with Kalyan Singh. I am sure Muslims are mature and understand his political tricks,” said Rashid Alvi.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Congress also criticised Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid for attacking the Congress on this issue. “I have respect for Imam Saheb but I am sorry to say that it was he who had supported the BJP in 2004,” said Alvi.

The unequivocal stand of these MPs comes at a time when the central leadership of the Congress appears to be in a dilemma

on the political fallout of the verdict.

Some Muslims open to moving mosque A section of Muslims have started looking at the option of taking their mosque away from the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

Some prominent clerics, peace activists and Islamic scholars feel that by not appealing in the Supreme Court and paving the way for Ram temple in Ayodhya, Muslims will earn a great deal of Hindu and secular Indians' goodwill. Significantly, the option is not un-Islamic.

"The Sunni Waqf Board and All India Muslim Personal Law Board should show a gesture and vacate the land the court has allotted them. It should not be seen as surrender," said Islamic scholar Zeenat Shaukat Ali. She added that there are precedents in Muslim history where Muslims had showed generosity and given up their places of worship once they found that these were built on places of worship of

other religions.

She further said, "In the 8th century, the Ummayid caliph Ummavi Waleed surrendered the land of a mosque to Christians which his predecessors had grabbed. In Ayodhya, even if Muslims believe, and even if the court has vindicated their stand that the Babri mosque was not built on razed temple, they should be practical and build a mosque away from the temple site."

Muslims also fear that once they give up their claim on the Ayodhya, Hindu organisations might raise the issues of Mathura and Kashi.

Leading Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan said this fear was removed once the Places of Worship Act 1993 was brought which says that the status quo of all the place of worship, except Ram Janmabhoomi- Babri Masjid, will be maintained as on August 15, 1947.

Moreover, the Maulana maintained, several mosques have been relocated in countries like

Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

"It's not in Quran and Hadith that once there's a mosque, it's always a mosque. It was later made part of Muslim belief by some fuqhas (Islamic jurists). Nobody is saying that Muslims should give up their claim on the mosque. They can relocate it," said Khan.

Javed Anand of Muslims for Secular Democracy (MSD) argued that even if the SC endorsed the HC verdict and Muslims got their share in the disputed land, it was almost impossible that Muslims would ever be able to rebuild a mosque on the same site.

"The best option is that they gift the land to the Hindus and set an example of magnanimity. It will open a new chapter of Hindu-Muslim unity," said Anand.

Echoing this, Dongribased businessman and president of Ekta Welfare Association Iqbal Memon Officer said a petition in the Supreme Court would only keep the issue boiling.

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

INDIA

Gujarat looses a popular leader, Ashok Bhatt is no more Ashok Bhatt, one of the popular leaders of Gujarat and speaker of Gujarat state assembly passed away on last week after a brief illness. The ever smiling and hyper active leader had a unique record of being undefeated from the Khadia constituency of Ahmedabad for Gujarat assembly since 1975.

He had health problem for a few weeks and was hospitalised. Always and committed, he recently administered oath to the newly elected MLA from Kathlal constituency on a wheelchair.

His charm and living life just like a commoner had made him highly popular among the people of Khadia, his constituency.

His sad demise came in the middle of poll campaign in Ahmedabad, as the city is to vote for electing a new municipal corporation body early next week. As soon as the news of his demise broke, candidates of both the leading parties – the BJP and the Congress closed their offices in the area and said there will be no campaigning for three days as a mark of respected to the departed leaders.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and a host of others paid rich tributes to Ashok Bhatt.

He had become a synonym for Khadia.

One of the most experienced political leaders in the state, he started his public life with Jan Sangh as a labor union leader and built the party's support base in Khadia. He was also one of the founder-members of the BJP in Ahmedabad. He

Ashok Bhatt

had traveled widely in the rural areas of Gujarat.

His mortal remains were consigned to flames in presence of hundreds of his admirers and followers on Thursday.

Ashok Bhatt is survived by his wife, Jyotiben, three sons, Pratikbhai, Bhushanbhai and Maulikbhai, daughter, Heenaben, and a number of grandchildren.

He was longest serving MLA of Gujarat Born on January 28, 1939, Ashok Chandulal Bhatt was the longest serving member of the Gujarat state assembly.

Continuously elected as MLA since 1975 from Ahmedabad’s old city constituency of Khadia, Bhatt began his public life in 1956 when he joined as a young volunteer in the Mahagujarat movement.

Having never left his ancestral house in Kameshwar ni Pol, Bhatt was initially inspired by the socialist ideology.

However, his association with saffron politics began

soon, when he joined Jana Sangh as Khadia ward secretary.

Active in the Navanirman movement which swept Gujarat in 1973-74 against Congress chief minister Chimanbhai Patel, he went to jail for several times during Emergency between 1975 and 1977.

In 1990, Bhatt became food and civil supplies minister in the Janata Dal-BJP coalition government headed

by Chimanbhai, who broke with the Congress to form regional party.

In 1995, after BJP won majority for the first time, Bhatt became revenue, labour and employment minister under chief minister Keshubhai Patel.

During the vertical split in BJP in 1996, Bhatt decided to stay with the parent party.

In 1998, when the BJP returned to power under Patel, Bhatt became health and family welfare minister. In October 2001, when Narendra Modi took over the reins from Patel, Bhatt was made law and parliamentary affairs minister, a post which he continued in till 2007.

In December 2007, on BJP’s victory under Modi, Bhatt became Gujarat state assembly speaker, a post he held till his death.

Known for fiery speeches and dramatic scenes as opposition MLA between 1976 and 1995, as speaker Bhatt discouraged strong words and theatrical behaviour, especially by opposition MLAs.

Nazneen translating Ramayana in Urdu Varanasi lady has studied at MGK Vidyapeeth A young and devout muslim woman of 22, Nazneen hails from a family of weavers. Most of her family members have not been to school and are totally unlettered.

Even as the temperatures in India and UP were high awaiting the Allahabad HC verdict, Nazeen was firm in her belief and convictions that whatever be the verdict, it should be respected by all.

Varanasi, her city is sensitive too. Yet, she is brave as she says the fact that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram can’t be denied. A bright student from the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, Nazneen is translating Ramayana in Urdu. She has done well and expects to complete it in another two months.

She has already translated Hanuman Chalisa and

Durga Chalisa in Urdu.

She said, Even if the verdict comes in favour of Muslims, they should come forward generously to build a temple of Ram in Ayodhya. Islam never permits a mosque at a disputed site. Ram is not for Hindus alone; his character is a source of inspiration for people of all communities.''

Nazneen derives inspiration from writers and scholars of Mughal period like Abdul Qadir Badayuni who had trans-

lated Ramayana a n d Mahabharata in Arabic and Persian during the period of Mughal emperor Akbar.

Nazneen is associated with a local organisation, Vishal B h a r a t Sansthan, which works to educate ragpickers and street children, particularly girls.

Her efforts have encouraged a number of Muslim families to send their girls to schools. I am a true Muslim and strongly believe there is no scope of hatred or enmity in any religion,'' said Nazneen, who along with other Muslim girls had also recited Hanuman Chalisa at famous Sankat Mochan Temple after the terror blast in 2006.

23

In divine light

By Rajen Vakil

Garuda and the rising of consciousness snakes, and the detachran to drink it. Before they Let us continue the story ment centre Vinita, mothcould do so, he first told of Garuda from last week. er of Garuda. Before we them to free his mother After obtaining enough come to sadhna, the from bondage, which they strength and energy, attachment centre is did. He then told them Garuda attacked the supreme and the detachthat before they conDevas to wrest the pitchment centre follows its sumed the nectar, it er of amrita from them. diktats. We follow the would be the right thing to Vayu was the first to face attachment centre and go and purify their bodies him and attacked him indulge in the attractions by having a bath. The with a whirlwind of dust. of the five senses and do snakes fell for this and From his wings which nothing to free our attenwent into the river, leavspanned miles, Garuda tion from them. Thus, ing the pot unattended. created a great counter Vinita is a slave of Kadru.

Indra was waiting just for wind. One by one, To be free of the diktats of this opportunity and he Garuda clawed and manthe five senses, there took (stole) the vessel gled all the Devas and must be a rise in our level back to the Devas. In this they all fled from the of consciousness; conway, the Devas got the scene of battle. He then sciousness represented amrita back. flew to where the pot of

by Vishnu and its rising Garuda became the Amrita lay. by the symbol of Garuda. vehicle of Vishnu, which That place was proThe children of Kadru, the symbolises the rising tected by a huge fire that snakes, are our numerconsciousness in us. burnt in all directions and ous thoughts and rose very high. memory patterns Garuda went to the that keep us sea and swallowed attached to the indulup enough water in gences of our five his beak to fill senses. many rivers and The pot of amrita doused the flames symbolises the joy with the water. and happiness that Then, protecting comes in our lives. the Amrita was a This joy and happigreat wheel which ness, at present, is turned at a great with our positive speed and had emotions (the sharp spokes.

Devas). The negaGaruda assumed a tive thought patterns tiny form and with want the amrita. tremendous pace They get it for some flew right through time and it is this joy the spokes. He that we must be then saw that the aware of. When we pot of nectar was take revenge on guarded by two someone, we get a ferocious, giant kind of negative joy snakes. He blinded them with a Here in this picture of a sculpture taken at out of it, as if we dust-storm and the British Gallery, London, we see another have eaten a whole form of Garuda who is bowing to Lord bar of chocolate. with his claws cut Vishnu and obtaining the boon of This is what is meant them to death. immortality from him. When our Thus, he obtained consciousness can fly like Garuda does, by the sarpas getting amrita but we must the pot of Amrita we will have the amrita of eternal joy. rise above this. This and flew into the is done by freeing ourWhen we rise in consky. Finally, to stop him selves from excitement sciousness the deep Indra fired his lethal and making the energy of spaces within our minds weapon, the ‘Vajra’, at sensitivity more powerful. open up to us. The rishis him. This weapon was When this energy is powgave names to these made of the great rishi erful then Indra, or the inner spaces. They were Dadichi’s bones; Garuda Lord of the Indriyas (enercalled ‘chittakash’ and let one feather of his fall gy of sensitivity), steals ‘cidakash’. The space as a respect to the rishi the pitcher of amrita from where our mind connects but even that weapon did the sarpas. to the cosmic or divine not harm him.

When in us a negative mind is known as chitGaruda then flew to desire wants its food of takash. The space where give the pot of amrita to excitement, we shift from the inner god or divine his snake cousins so he enjoying excitement to fragment lives is called could free his mother enjoying sensitivity. This cidakash. The consciousfrom the bondage of her comes with a rise in our ness that can enter this sister Kadru. On the way level of consciousness. cidakash is known as he met Lord Vishnu, who Sensitivity is of both Vishnu and its guiding warned him that if he pleasure and pain but principle or vehicle is gave the amrita to the when we are matured Garuda. snakes they would enough to start enjoying Garuda wants to free spread much evil and just the sensitivity of any his mother from being the negativity in the world. He event in life then we have slave of her sister, Kadru. told Garuda to take the derived amrita from life – When we walk on the nectar to them but then to irrespective of whether path of sadhna, two centrick them in a way that there is pleasure or pain. tres form within us – one they would not be able to When the disciple that takes our energies drink it. Garuda agreed to learns this art of extractoutward (the attachment this and Vishnu gave him ing amrita through the centre) and the other that the boon of being his carenergy of sensitivity or takes the energy inward rier and also to be on his Indra, he has mastered (the detachment centre). flag pole so he would be the greatest art of life.

The attachment centre is even higher then Vishnu Kadru, mother of the himself. He also granted (Edited by Chintu Gandhi) him immortality without All past articles on the Mahabharata can be partaking of amrita. accessed from http://epaper.asianvoice.com or from Garuda then took the http://www.3stepbreath.com/mahabharata.html amrita to his cousins who

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INDIA

This Karnataka temple turns into a mosque every Friday Even as India is debating and preparing to witness another court battle over the Ram Temple and Babri mosque in Ayodhya, Girimath is a unique symbol of coexistance of the two religions and faith at Kamathagi village in Bagalkot district in Karnataka.

The five century old place of worship hosts idols of Hindu God Shiva and Ganesha. It has also paintings of Marula Shankara Devaru, the former King Ibrahim Adil Shah and his wife.

It remains a temple for six days a week and changes to a mosque every Friday.

Constructed by Ibrahim Adil Shah II, the Bahmani Sultan known for his efforts to foster communal harmony among people of all religion, the structure resembles a mosque.

“Ibrahim Adil Shah II, who ruled between 1556 and 1627, formed certain rules for worship over here. It is being followed as tradition. No single objection has been raised since then.

History is a witness to this communal harmony,” said Hucheshwar Swami, Pontiff of Hucheshwar Mutt, Kamathagi-Kotekal. The mutt manages Girimath.

The temple conducts a car festival the day after Ganesha Chaturthi.

The temple authorities either advance or postpone the car festival if it is Friday. Thousands of Muslims participate in the car festival and donate money.

History of temple According to the locals, Adil Shah II was travelling when he sent his guards to find a place where he could pray. The guards found the ideal place, but found Maralu Shankara Devaru, a follower of Allama Prabhu meditating at the spot.

Unable to wake up Devaru who was in deep meditation, the guards decided to evict him physically, but the Sultan arrived in time and prevented them from doing so.

Adil Shah waited for Devaru to finish with his meditation and had a long conversation with him. So impressed was the king with Devaru’s scholarship and ideas on brotherhood, that he ordered the construction of a temple.

A signed transfer deed on a copper plate was handed over to the saint with the rider that “No festivals should be held at the mosque on Fridays and it be should be left free for Muslims to offer prayers on Fridays.”

The record even now is safe with the Desai family at Kotekal.

About Ibrahim Adil Shah II Ibrahim Adil Shah, the fifth king of the Adil Shahi dynasty, is known in history as "Jagadguru Badshah." He tried to bring in cultural harmony between the Hindus and Muslims through music.

He was a great lover of music, played musical instruments, sang and composed praises of Hindu deities Saraswati and Ganapati.

He wrote a book Kitab-E-Navras (Book of Nine Rasas) in Dakhani.

It is a collection of 59 poems and 17 couplets.

According to his courtpoet Zuhuri, he wrote it to introduce the theory of nine Rasas, which occupies most important place in Indian aesthetics, to acquaint people who were only brought up in Persian ethos.

The book opens with prayer to Saraswati, the Goddess of learning. He claimed that his father was divine Ganapati and mother the Holy Saraswati.

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Mushrooms: a unique tool of social transformation

By Dilip D. Trivedi Mushroom cultivation has evolved as a unique tool of social transformation among the tribals of Dahod district in Gujarat.

Father Antony Samy from the Catholic Church and Prof Mrugesh Shukla of M G Science Institute, a Science college in Ahmedabad, along with a group of science students are the key players in bringing a change in the lives of the tribals, also known as ‘Adivasis’ in this district, bordering Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

It was an idea conceived by Father Samy and with the help of Prof Shukla, they have trained approximately 1,000 to 1,200 tribal women in cultivation of Oyster mushrooms over a period of around 8 years. After witnessing the success of the effort at Muvalia village near Dahod, now they have opened a new chapter in training women at Jhalod, a small town and a taluka headquarter in the same district.

Mushroom cultivation has twin benefits for the women and the families.

First, it is a nutritious food and helps the tribals in getting a good nutritious diet for themselves without a need to go for costly food items which they cannot afford. Further, the yield from the cultivation leaves a huge quantity which they can sell for a

Father Antony Samy

A tribal woman with growing mushrooms

good price. This helps them earn a good income and improve their lives.

Another advantage is that it does not require much of marketing or other efforts, as most of the produce is readily bought by Dawoodi Boharas, who constitute a sizeable chunk of the population in this district.

They are well aware of the benefits of mushrooms and use them regularly in their diet.

It is really an interesting effort, as visualisation of mushroom cultivation to improve the lot of tribals was something a really committed person only could dream and find appropriate partners to help the dream turn into a reality.

Asian Voice correspondent joined the team of science students and Prof Shukla on their first visit to Jhalod recently, for initiating the mushroom cultivation training pro-

Prof. Shukla, students of MG Science Institute training tribal women at Jhalod in mashroom cultivation

Ayodhya: legal seal to Hindus’ faith Continued from page 1 At the same time, Justices Khan and Agarwal accepted that Muslims had certain rights and ordered division of the disputed site in three equal parts between Hindus, Muslims and the Nirmohi Akhara of Ayodhya. But the judges came out with different schemes for division.

Both judges said the parties can file their suggestions regarding division of land within three months. And for three months, the status quo will be maintained.

On all other issues, the three judges were divided and legal experts said only

a detailed study of the judgment, which runs into thousands of pages, will make things clear.

The court was disposing of four title suits filed by the late Gopal Singh Visharad, Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Central Board of Waqf and Ramlalla Virajman through the late Deoki Nandan Agarwal who was a retired High Court judge.

Zafaryab Jilani, counsel for the Waqf board, said they would file an appeal in the Supreme Court as the judgment was “against settled principles of law and evidence adduced by the Muslim

side”.

Justice Agarwal said the area covered by the central dome of the threedomed structure was the place of birth of Lord Ram as per faith and belief of Hindus. Justice Sharma held that the entire disputed site was the birthplace of Lord Ram. While Justice Khan held that the disputed structure was constructed as a mosque by or under the orders of Emperor Babar, Justice Agarwal’s view is that it was not proved that it was built during the reign of Babar.

Citing the report of the ASI excavation, Justice Sharma observed that the

disputed structure was constructed on the site of an old structure after its demolition. Justice Khan, on the other hand, ruled that no temple was demolished for constructing the mosque: “Mosque was constructed over the ruins of temples which were lying in utter ruins since a very long time before the construction of mosque and some material thereof was used in the construction of mosque.” He also observed that it is not proved by direct evidence that the premises in dispute, including the constructed portion, belonged to Babar or the person who built it.

gramme. As Father Samy has now been shifted to Jhalod, he is eager to replicate the success story that he jointly scripted at Muvalia. Even the tribal women who had come to the Prerna Social Welfare Centre were enthusiastic and keen to pick up a new vocation to help themselves and their families.

Prerna is working among the tribals of Jhalod area.

For the students, it was an opportunity to see for themselves the place, the people and the hardships of life as well as honing their own skills in taking science to the ground level for the benefit of the a common man.

After the training session, AV had a brief chat with Father Samy. He said, at Muvalia, under the aegis of Tribal Social Welfare Centre, apart from making a distinct, positive impact on the lives of those families who became economically more empowered, the Centre played a key role in transforming lives of 120 families of Navapura village, right on the boundary of Gujarat state. It is entirely an adivasi (tribal) village and before he got in touch with them, the only activity and way of life for them was petty crime, robbery etc., as they new nothing else and had no means of livelihood. Now, they all have bid adieu to all that and are living a life of dignity with the training they

got at the Centre. Those families who have taken up mushroom cultivation are able to earn a net income of at least Rs. 3,000 per month plus protein rich nutritious food for their own consumption. It needs just a little bit of skills and care in the economic activity, while the time needed is also very little.

Asked about the idea of mushroom cultivation, Father Samy said he has been regularly watching on TV channels that in South India, it is a very common activity, but here in Gujarat it is hard to find, even though it has a very high potential for good economic benefits.

Earlier, at Muvalia and Dahod, the centre also got some help and support from state government and other govt. agencies in training the adivasis.

Further, they also got some funding support from abroad, Spain at Muvalia, while in Jhalod, the Prerna Social Welfare Centre gets some funding support from Germany for carrying out a variety of activities, all aimed to improve the lot of the tribals.

Among the activities at Jhalod, education and extra curricular activities among the kids, hostel facilities, overall grooming of the students with awareness about health and hygiene, healthcare facilities for all with a hospital, free or subsidised medicines for the deserving, a mobile medical unit, promoting Self Help Groups (SHGs) and helping them with linkages to banks and other agencies are included.

Musharraf admits training militants to fight in Kashmir Continued from page 1 He said he has no regrets as it was the apathy of Nawaz Sharif on Kashmir issue that led the country doing that.

"The (Nawaz Sharif) government turned a blind eye because they wanted India to discuss Kashmir," he said.

Musharraf launched his political party the All Pakistan Muslim League in London and announced his intention to contest the 2013 election.

"The West blames Pakistan for everything.

Nobody asks the Indian prime minister, why did

you arm your country with a nuclear weapon?

Why are you killing innocent civilians in Kashmir?

Nobody was bothered that Pakistan got split in 1971 because of India's military backing for Bangladesh.

The United States and Germany gave statements, but they didn't mean anything," he said.

Musharraf, who overthrew Sharif's government in a bloodless coup in 1999, had also as Army chief presided over the Kargil misadventure that had threatened to scale up into a full-fledged war between India and Pakistan.

World

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

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Rich tributes to Gandhiji in London In focus on his 141st birth anniversary

My country is secular, says Bangladesh foreign minister

London: A function was held at Tavistock Square, London in the morning of 2 October 2010 to commemorate the 141st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. As in past years, the function was organised by the High Commission of India in cooperation with the India League. Hon’ble External Affairs Minister, Mr. S.M. Krishna, who was the Chief Guest, paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi along with the High Commissioner of India, Mr. Nalin Surie, Mayor of Camden, Councillor Jonathan Simpson, Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Mr. Maneck Dalal, Secretary of India League Mr. Manab Mazumdar, President of the Overseas Indian Congress, Mr. D.L. Kalhan and others.

Paying rich tributes to the Father of the Nation,

American wins millions in lottery twice in 3 months Missouri: A man from Bonne Terre, Ernest Pullen, a retired army man, could not have expected more luck. He won a $1 mn lottery in June. More lucky second time, he won $2 mn in September. Pullen was working for a telecom company after retirement from army. He retired after his first win in June.

Now, the 57 year old thinks he has almost about used up his luck, though he says he will still play big jackpots. His wife is going to try her luck next time.

John Wells of the Missouri Lottery said “It’s a pretty amazing coincidence. We’ve had players win big multiple prizes before, but this is the first person to ever win a second million-dollar prize in the history of the Missouri Lottery.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Hon’ble External Affairs Minister said that Mahatma Gandhi was one of the greatest human beings who lived and walked on this planet.

Mahatma Gandhi is remembered not only in India but all over the world because he unleashed powerful reformation that checkmated colonialism and exploitation that was going on. He was a leader who led mil-

lions of people, not only in India but all over the globe – wherever people were subjugated – whether in Africa, Latin America or Asia. Mahatma Gandhi was the torchbearer of truth and violence. Nonviolence is the voice of the brave and not the weak.

Hon’ble EAM also spoke of India’s achievements in economic growth and the Nation emerging as a growing global power.

He saluted the memory of a great son of India and a great leader of mankind.

He underlined the need to cherish the life and achievements of the Father of the Nation and try to implement his teachings.

Hon’ble EAM recalled an incident from his childhood when Mahatma Gandhi came to his village. Mahatma Gandhi was impressed that the hostel run by Hon’ble

EAM’s father had two Harijan children.

Mahatma Gandhi made a particular mention about this in his speech. Such was the concern of Mahatma Gandhi for everyone.

Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Shri Nalin Surie thanked Hon’ble External Affairs Minister for agreeing to grace the occasion. The High Commissioner said that the words of Mahatma Gandhi on current important issues such as climate change and terrorism are even relevant today.

He quoted Gandhiji’s words: “Terrorism and deception are weapons not of the strong but of the weak.”

“We may utilize the gifts of nature just as we choose but in her books the debits are always equal to the credits.”

Boston firm sued for calling Sikh employee ‘Bin Laden’ Boston: An automobile parts retailer AutoZone has been sued by a federal agency for discriminating against a Sikh employee, who was not allowed to wear a turban and was called 'bin Laden' and 'terrorist' by the company's other employees and customers.

The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination, has filed a lawsuit against AutoZone alleging that it "created a hostile work environment for Frank Mahoney Burroughs because of his Sikh religion".

The lawsuit alleges that a manager at AutoZone asked Burroughs "if he was a terrorist and had joined

Al-Qaida and whether he intended to blow up the store".

Further, AutoZone failed to intervene when customers referred to Burroughs as "bin Laden and made terrorist jokes".

AutoZone also refused to let Burroughs, who had converted to Sikhism, wear a turban and 'kara' (a religious bracelet) as required by his religion.

When Burroughs complained against the discrimination, AutoZone retaliated by firing him "because of his religion".

"It was very painful to be humiliated and insulted by them (AutoZone).

They made me feel as though I had no right to practice my faith," Burroughs said in a statement. He added that when he complained, he

was "discarded like a piece of trash".

Burroughs, who says he spent more time with AutoZone staff than with his own family, does not want "AutoZone to do this to anyone else".

The lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Massachusetts adds that Burroughs was subjected to "bigoted harassment" and Autozone "refused to accommodate his religious need to wear a turban".

The matter was brought to the EEOC's notice by the Sikh Coalition, the nation's largest Sikh civil rights organisation.

The Sikh Coalition filed the charge of discrimination with the EEOC in March 2010 on behalf of Burroughs that led to the lawsuit.

Life sentence for defiant Time Square bomber New York: A Pakistaniborn US citizen who tried to set off a car bomb in New York's Times Square in May has been sentenced to life in prison.

A defiant Faisal Shahzad warned Americans "the war with the Muslims has just begun," as he was sentenced on Tuesday to life in prison for a botched attempt to bomb New York's famed Times Square.

"The defeat of the US is imminent and will happen in the near future," he told the court shortly before his sentence was announced.

"Brace yourselves because the war with the Muslims has just begun."

Shahzad, a US citizen

Faisal Shahzad

who lived in Connecticut and started what resembled an ordinary American family before embracing jihadist militancy, pleaded guilty in June to the May 1 bombing attempt.

The 30-year-old obtained US citizenship in April 2009, but said on Tuesday it was only a ploy.

"Didn't you swear allegiance to this country?"

Judge Miriam G o l d m a n Cedarbaum asked him. "I sweared, but I didn't mean it," Shahzad replied.

The bomb scare and revelations that the Taliban inside Pakistan were behind the attack further strained USPakistani relations, while deepening worries in the United States about so-called homegrown terrorists.

Shahzad was defiant in court, claiming to have committed the crime in revenge for bombing by US drones in Pakistan.

"Far from providing an explanation for his criminal activity, Shahzad's history and characteristics

strongly militate in favour of the maximum available sentence," assistant US attorney Randall Jackson said in court papers ahead of the sentencing hearing.

The bombing attempt failed when the crude device, left in an SUV parked outside a theatre on a warm Saturday evening, fizzled without igniting.

The entire operation was characterised by extreme amateurishness, with the bomber having to escape on foot because he left the keys to a second getaway car - and those to his apartment - inside the vehicle with the bomb.

But officials say that the bomb, had it gone off, would have caused carnage in one of New York's busiest neighbourhoods.

Dhhaka: Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday described her country as secular with a majority Muslim population, and not a moderate Muslim state as portrayed by the international community.

"Bangladesh is a non-communal country where the majority of the people belongs to the Muslim faith. We achieved our independence through an armed struggle with a dream of establishing a secular nation," the minister told reporters after delivering a lecture in Dhaka on Bangladesh's foreign policy. She said the ruling Awami League party, which led the nation in 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, never believed in the idea of moderate democratic Muslim country, which most Western diplomats consider Bangladesh. Many countries have been given different labels but it is not necessary to take someone else's definition when it contradicts one's own fundamental values, she said.

Anti-outsourcing bill blocked in US Senate Washington: Senate Republicans successfully blocked the passage of an anti-offshoring bill that would have denied tax breaks to US companies which move jobs overseas. Republicans in a 53-45 vote prevented the bill from overcoming a filibuster. At least 60 votes were needed to overcome the Opposition's obstruction. As per the bill, there will be a ban on government contractors from using American taxpayers' money to move jobs offshore. What is seen as an electoral populist move, the Creating American Jobs and End Offshoring Act aims at small manufacturers and included a payroll tax exemption for firms that move jobs to US, but the bill also contains provisions to prevent businesses from deferring US taxes on the income they make from foreign subsidiaries. Indian IT honchos had said the bill won't make much of an impact on India.

Julia Roberts keen to adopt a child from India London: Julia Roberts, who recently converted to the Hindu faith, is now trying to adopt a child from India, according to sources. The 42-year-old, who already has three children with cameraman Danny Moder – twins Hazel and Finn, five, and Henry, three, suffered from complications during her previous pregnancies but is still keen to add to her brood. “Julia has wanted more children for years. But her past pregnancies were fraught with complications and she was forced into an extended hospital stay right before she had her twins. After all she has been through, she realizes that adoption is perhaps the best way forward,” a report quoted a friend as saying.

“She has a special affinity with India and has contacts exploring the possibilities,” the friend added. She is also said to have contacted an adoption agency in Bali, where she spent time filming “Eat Pray Love.” “Julia and Danny love the idea of their kids having another baby in the house. And it feels so right that the next member of the family should come from a different culture,” the pal said.

Rajapaksa approves 30-month jail term for Fonseka Colombo: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has approved the 30-month jail term given to former army chief Sarath Fonseka by a military court on charges of corruption, top officials said on Thursday last.

"Sri Lankan President has approved the recommendation and put a signature on the paper," Cabinet spokesman and Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said. He refused to comment on the duration for which Fonseka may have to serve imprisonment, saying it depends upon the recommendation of the military court. "There are other formalities also to be completed," he added.

Texas school board to ditch pro-Islam textbooks Chicago: The Texas board of education voted to reject any textbooks which paint Islam in too favourable of a light, vowing to curtail what it sees as a pro-Islam/anti-Christian bias in school books. The move comes months after the socially-conservative board enacted new social studies standards which championed capitalism and Republican party values and questioned whether the country was truly founded on the separation of church and state. Texas is the largest textbook market in the United States and its rules influence what children across the country will learn at school. The resolution adopted cites politically-correct whitewashes of Islamic culture and stigmas on Christian civilization in current textbooks and warns that more such discriminatory treatment of religion may occur as Middle Easterners buy into the US public school textbook oligopoly. Critics said the resolution, which passed 7-6, was a further attempt to politicize education and was based on false claims. The move comes amid a rise of anti-Islamic rhetoric in parts of the United States which has sparked violent protests and riots around the world.

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Pakistan

In focus Bin Laden calls for Pak flood relief in new tape Islamabad: Osama bin Laden called on Muslims around the world to mobilise to help victims of floods in Pakistan in what purported to be the second internet message from the al Qaeda leader in two days.

In the 13-minute audio recording, issued on Islamist websites last week with a video showing a photograph of bin Laden and images of natural disasters, the speaker who sounded like bin Laden said the wealth and resources of Muslim countries should be used for relief operations in Pakistan. Al Qaeda's media arm AsSahab issued the 11 minute audio recording in which bin Laden criticised relief efforts in Pakistan and called for action against climate change. The production date given for the message was the Muslim lunar month which began around Sept. 10, while the tape was said to have been produced in the previous month.

Army says 'extra-judicial killing' video fabricated Islamabad: Pakistani military officials have dismissed an 'extra-judicial killing' video making rounds on You Tube as fabricated. The video had a squad of uniformed soldiers shooting dead young men, who were blindfolded and bound. "No Pakistani Army soldier or officer has been involved in activity of this sort," the report quoted Pakistan Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas, as saying. "The army has a policy of zero tolerance on issues like this," he added.

Earlier, human rights organizations had accused the armed forces of carrying out the extra-judicial killings.

"We have previously documented executions in Swat that are similar to what is depicted in this video," Ali Dayan Hasan, representative of Human Rights Watch in Pakistan had said. "Human Rights Watch cannot say anything about the authenticity of the video," he added. Human Rights Watch has also called for a full investigation into the matter.

Taliban attacks NATO supply trucks Islamabad: The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility on Monday for a pre-dawn attack on tankers carrying fuel to Afghanistan for US and other NATO forces, vowing to continue raiding supply lines in Pakistan until they are shut down completely. The attack came on a supply line that has been stalled because of a temporary border closing imposed by Pakistani authorities after a NATO helicopter attack killed three Pakistan troops last week. It was the third such attack since Friday, and seemed certain to raise the stakes in the closure, which has exacerbated tensions between Washington and Islamabad but has been welcomed by Islamist groups opposed to Pakistan's support of the US-led war in Afghanistan.

PML-N leaders join pro-jihad rally Islamabad: Pakistan's Opposition PML-N leaders and hardline religious parties joined a rally here organised by a front of the outlawed Jamaat-ud-Dawah during which speakers called for jihad to resolve the Kashmir issue. PML-N spokesman Siddique-ul-Farooq, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam leader Maulana Samiul Haq and representatives of All Parties Hurriyet Conference joined the rally organised by the Tehrik Azadi-e-Kashmir in Aabpara area near the Lal Masjid last week. The Tehrik Azadi-e-Kashmir is an organisation launched by the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, itself a front for the banned Lashker-e-Toiba. The rally, described as a "National Kashmir Conference", marked the culmination of a three-day "Azadi-e-Kashmir Karvan" that started at Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and ended in Islamabad after passing through Kotli, Bagh and Muzaffarabad. This was the first time that a major projehad rally was held in the Pakistani capital in several months. As the crowd shouted slogans in favour of jehad, senior JuD leader Abdur Rehman Makki warned India to respect the rights of Kashmiris. "If they did not resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully, we are left with no other option but to take the course of jehad," Makki said.

3 top al-Qaida commanders killed in US attack Peshawar: Al-Qaida suffered major reverses losing three key commanders in Afghanistan and tribal havens in northwestern Pakistan as US and NATO forces carried out a record number of air strikes and drone attacks. Those felled by missile strikes included al-Qaida's new number 3 Sheikh Fateh al-Misri, who had replaced Mustafa Abu al-Yazid who was killed in a drone attack in Pakistan in May. Two other commanders - Abdallah Umar al-Qurayshi and explosives expert Abu Atta al Kuwaiti were targeted by precision bombing

by NATO jets and helicopter gunships in Kunar province in Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan.

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Pak army chief asks Zardari, Gilani to act on corruption Washington: Amid speculation of a military takeover in Pakistan, its powerful army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has bluntly told the civilian leadership to put its house in order through measures like a crackdown on corruption and improvement in its "faltering" response to the devastating floods.

Kayani "conveyed a plain message" to President Asif Ali Zardari and Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani in their recent meeting that the civilian leadership "must put its house in order," a senior Pakistani security official was quoted as saying by The Washington Post.

He forcefully demanded that the government crackdown on corruption, take control of the plummeting economy and improve its faltering response to the flood dis-

Ashfaq Parvez Kayani

aster.

Kayani bluntly stated military concerns during the meeting which took place last week, the report said. However, the paper said, the US and Pakistani officials dismissed speculation that the military, which has ruled Pakistan for much of its 63-year history, is contemplating a takeover. "We don't have the appetite, the resources or the intent to meddle in politics," an unnamed Pakistani military official

was quoted as saying. "In our past experience, it hasn't worked. It only worsens the situation further."

In Washington, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that he had not heard anything like that from Kayani when he spoke to him last.

"In the conversation I had with him the other day, I didn't speak at all about that, the issue, and I've certainly seen the reports," he said.

"I haven't had any recent communications with him about that at all, although I did speak to him a couple of days ago specifically about the cross-border, which was a self-defence operation that took place very close to the border, and it's certainly not the first time that

that's ever happened," Mullen said in response to a question on NATO air attacks in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, CIA Director Leon Panetta met ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha in Islamabad recently. The meeting assumes significance in view of the unearthing of an al-Qaeda plot in which the terrorists were planning a Mumbai-type terrorist attacks in several European countries.

In September, the CIA had dramatically escalated strikes into Pakistan from unmanned drone aircraft, targeting al-Qaeda sanctuaries, as well as the Afghan-Taliban and the allied Haqqani network that fight inside Afghanistan. The increase in drone attacks is attributed to these fresh intelligence reports.

Pak film industry feels heat from Bollywood

Lahore: Hundreds of Pakistani cinemas have closed in the past decade while Lahore now produces only about 20 films a year - a fraction of the 1,000 or so movies made in Mumbai’s $1.3bn industry.

However, proposals for closer ties between the two cities’ studios have been met with horror in Pakistan, where industry figures fear it would hasten the talent drain.

Ghulam Mohiuddin, an actor and director who has starred in more than 400 films, said Lollywood was being swamped by hundreds of new movies from India, made with budgets way beyond the means of Pakistani movies. “We have some good cinemas but we can’t provide so many

good, new films.

People are used to good technical movies and they don’t want the smaller budget films,” he said. The 1960s marked the high point of Pakistan’s film industry, when Abbot Road in Lahore filled with smart art-deco cinemas playing the latest colour offerings to packed houses.

Today, the heart of movie land is dead.

Fourteen of the theatres have closed - some flattened to become car parks while others have been converted into shopping malls - leaving six tatty, run-down fleapits with leaking roofs and dodgy sound systems.

The 1998 hit Choorian briefly revived the industry.

Its tale of a city boy who falls in love with a country

girl promised to another was dismissed by critics as derivate, but it proved a huge hit with movie audience who loved the way it pinched a proven Bollywood formula.

However, in recent years some of Pakistan’s hottest talent has moved to Mumbai. Ali Zafar, one of the country’s biggest pop stars, made his Bollywood debut this year in “Tere Bin Laden” as an ambitious young reporter who fakes an interview with the al Qaeda leader.

Add in a stagnating economy and criticism of Lollywood’s bawdy movies by islamic groups, and neighbouring India seems an attractive destination for young stars.

More than 20 million Indians go to see a film every day and the indus-

try has gone global with crossover hits such as “Monsoon Wedding” and “Bride and Prejudice” filmed in the UK. Actresses like Shilpa Shetty, who appeared in Celebrity Big Brother, are now household names in Britain.

This week, Nilofar Bakhtiar, who chairs the Pakistan Senate’s standing committee on culture and tourism, suggested strengthening ties with Bollywood to help revive Lollywood’s fortunes.

“Indian cinema is extremely advanced and we want Indian filmmakers to work with us. We also want training opportunities for our actors and directors in India,” she said at the South Asia Film Festival in Goa last week.

Court puts off decision on commission for Mumbai case

Rawalpindi: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of LeT commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six others charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks on Saturday put off a decision on the government's request to form a commission to interview key witnesses in India.

Judge Malik Muhammad Akram Awan of the Rawalpindi-based anti-terrorism court asked the prosecution to inform him whether the Indian government has granted permission for the commission to visit that country to interview 24 witnesses, including lone surviving Mumbai attacker Ajmal Kasab. The prosecution told the judge that the gov-

ernment has received India's "verbal" assent for the commission's visit but Awan said this was not adequate. Awan said the prosecution should inform him at the next hearing on October 16 on whether Indian authorities have granted permission in writing for the commission to visit India. The prosecution's application for obtaining voice samples of the seven suspects will no longer be part of the proceedings though there was confusion on whether the judge had rejected it or it was withdrawn by the prosecution. The trial is being conducted in-camera and the media is barred from reporting on the proceedings. The court accepted an application filed by defence lawyers seeking

key documents related to several Indian witnesses named in the fourth chargesheet filed recently by the prosecution. These witnesses include doctors who performed autopsies on victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks and defence lawyers sought copies of post-mortem and medico-legal reports.

The judge also took up the defence lawyers' earlier request for the trial to be opened up to the media and directed the prosecution to inform him about the government's stand on this issue at the next hearing. At an earlier hearing, prosecution lawyers had told the court that they would have to consult the government on allowing the media to cover the proceedings as the case

involved issues of a sensitive nature related to national security. Though the hearings of the case are usually held within the heavily guarded Adiala Jail, where the suspects are being detained, Saturday’s proceedings were conducted in Judge Awan's courtroom.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik recently said that the trial of the Pakistani suspects was stalled and it was imperative to form the commission to go to India to record the testimony of key witnesses like Ajmal Kasab, magistrate R V Sawant Waghule, who recorded Kasab's confessional statement, and police officer Ramesh Mahale, who led the probe into the attacks.

East Africa

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

In focus Mandela aide charged over Naomi Campbell diamonds

Pretoria: The head of Nelson Mandela's charity fund has been charged with illegally keeping uncut diamonds given to him by supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Jeremy Ractliffe admitted he had the gems only when Ms Campbell mentioned him at ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor's war crimes trial in August. He then handed the gems to police and resigned as a trustee of the fund. Prosecutors say the stones are "blood diamonds" which Mr Taylor gave to Ms Campbell after a dinner in 1997. Ms Campbell gave evidence at Mr Taylor's trial before a UN special court in The Hague in August. South African prosecutors have now charged Mr Ractliffe, the former chief executive of the Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund (NMCF), under the Diamonds Act of 1956. His case has been adjourned until 27 October. At the trial, Ms Campbell said she was given some "dirty-looking stones" after a 1997 charity dinner hosted by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela where Mr Taylor was also a guest.

15 killed in Nigeria bombings

Abuja: At least 15 people were killed when terrorist attacked Nigeria’s 50th independence day celebrations with bombs last week. Condemning the attacks, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan promised that those behind the act "will pay dearly for this heinous crime." Nigeria's former colonial master, Britain condemned the act and promised to partner with oil-rich African nation to bring the attackers to book even as United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon also denounced the attacks.United States also condemned the attack and condoled with families of those who lost their lives. Three explosions, including one at the venue where the Nigerian President was present just 40 metres away, rocked the country's 50th independence day celebrations. But the ceremony went ahead despite the explosions. About 15 foreign leaders, including a representative of Queen Elizabeth 11 and a delegation from India led by Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid were present during the attack.

Sudan delays referendum voters' registration

Khartoum: Sudan has delayed the registration of voters for January's referendum on secession for the south until November, raising tensions over the timetable. The chairman of the referendum commission said this was to allow for staff training and delivery of forms. Tanzania's former President Benjamin Mkapa, appointed by the UN to oversee the vote, said many challenges lie ahead. But he said if all parties were willing, the timetable would be met. The referendum was part of a 2005 peace deal to end two decades of conflict between the north and oil-rich south in which some 1.5 million people died.

Analysts fear there is a risk of the conflict restarting if southerners feel that Khartoum is trying to delay or disrupt the vote in the oil-rich region - one of the world's poorest and least developed regions.

South Africa plans a solar power park

Pretoria: South Africa plans to invest in a solar power energy park in order to help meet increasing electricity demands, the department of energy has announced. The country experienced rolling blackouts in 2008 and has been rationing electricity ever since. The solar park will be built in the Northern Cape Province and generate 5,000 megawatts of energy, about 11% of the country's current power capacity. Officials said a new nuclear power plant was also being considered. At the moment most of South Africa's electricity is generated from coal-fired power stations. The energy department says the country needs to increase its energy production by 40,000 megawatts over the next 10 years.

South Africa also supplies electricity to a few neighbouring countries, including Zimbabwe. Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said a study done last year showed that the Northern Cape was the ideal location for the park.

27

Kenyan passes away leaving behind 100 widows Washington: A Kenyan, who earned himself the nickname "Danger" because women found him so attractive, has passed away after marrying more than 100 women in his lifetime and fathering nearly 200 children.

Ancentus Akuku, who was Kenya's most prominent polygamist, was in his late 90s when he passed away of natural causes. Akuku, who married his first wife in 1939, became a polygamist some 70 years ago at the age of 22, and he outlived 12 of his wives, marrying the

last one in 1992.

He fathered so many children that he established two elementary schools solely to educate them, and he also built a church for his growing family to attend. In many tribes having several wives was a sign of wealth and status for a man, and Danger Akuku represented the ultimate symbol of traditional manhood. While young Kenyans paid their respects to the man with over 100 wives, most said that lifestyle is not possible in today's environment.

"I had heard of Akuku Danger back in the day when I was a teen, and I still wonder how he did this," ABC News quoted Jeff Kilumi, a businessman in Nairobi, as saying. "Right now, even if I had a lot of money, 'Bill Gates' rich, I wouldn't even go for a second wife. The more the women, the more the headache and stress," he stated.

While many Kenyan women had mothers and grandmothers who were part of polygamous households, most urban young women say a life

like Akuku's with all his wives living together peacefully would be impossible to achieve today. "We all understand that polygamy was allowed back then in some Kenyan communities, but Akuku is something else," Linet Wambui, a Nairobi saleswoman, said. "Personally, I would never be married to a man who has another wife let alone a hundred more. Those women were clearly different.

Try having an Akuku at this day and age, the women would kill one another," she added.

Africa democratic rights advances reversed, says report Khartoum: Africa is developing economically but some democratic been have advances reversed, an annual index suggests.The Mo Ibrahim African of Index Governance ranks 53 African countries according to 88 indicators, ranging from corruption to education. Mauritius is at the top of the list while Somalia is at the bottom.

The index suggests that across Africa, economic and health gains are being undermined by declines in political rights, security and the rule of law.

The index, which has

been published since 2007, scores countries on a scale of zero to 100. It is sponsored by the Sudanese Mo mogul telecoms Ibrahim. "While many are citizens African becoming healthier and have greater access to economic opportunities than five years ago, many of them are less physically secure and less politically enfranchised," Mr Ibrahim said in a statement. In this year's report, the average score was 49 - largely unchanged from previous years.

Mauritius (82), the and (75) Seychelles

Botswana (74) top the overall rankings, while Somalia (8), Chad (31) Democratic the and Republic of Congo (32) are at the bottom.

Angola, Liberia and Togo saw marked improvements in their scores, and Eritrea while Madagascar slipped significantly. The index groups indicators in four groups. them, of two In Economic Sustainable Opportunity and Human Development, the picture was mostly positive - and in fact no country declined significantly in these categories, the index authors

DR Congo sexual abuse victims speak to UN Kinshasa: The victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo narrated their experiences to a highlevel UN panel as part of efforts to improve treatment and support.

The hearings began last week in the troubled eastern region of South Kivu.

The panel will then travel to provinces throughout the DRC. The move follows the release of a preliminary UN report into the shocking rape of hundreds of civilians in North Kivu province two months ago.

The report, released recently, documented a four-day attack on the eastern town of Luvungi, and nearby villages which are within miles of a UN base.

UN panel to hear from victims of sexual attacks

It said three groups of armed militia raped 235 women, 52 girls, 13 men and three boys many of them "multiple times". The militia looted more than 900 houses and abducted 116 people.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay said the "scale and viciousness" of the attack "defied belief".

Numerous armed groups still roam parts of eastern DR Congo, although the

country's war officially ended in 2003.

Thousands of people are raped each year, with sexual violence widely used as a weapon of war, but victims have little access to justice. Victims of sexual attacks were asked to give their experiences of the legal, medical or psychological services available to them. The aim of the hearings is to improve the treatment, support and compensation currently given to victims. A UN spokesperson said that it was an opportunity to place victims of sexual abuse at the heart of discussions in order to better understand their actual needs.

If successful, this type of hearing could be implemented in other countries.

said.

But in the other two categories - Safety and and Law, of Rule Participation and Human Rights - the picture was grimmer. On the economic front, progress was made, with 41 of the 53 registering nations improvements. Top five Mauritius, countries: Botswana, Seychelles, Cape Verde, South Africa Bottom five: Somalia, Congo, DR Chad, Zimbabwe, Eritrea. Forty one of 53 countries improved economically.

But 35 states have become less secure.

pirates hijack ship with 15 Indian crew Mombasa: Somali pirates have hijacked a cargo ship with 15 Indian crew off the coast of Tanzania, a maritime watchdog said.

The MT Asphalt Venture was heading to Durban after unloading its cargo of bitumen at Mombasa, Kenya, when it was attacked about 110 miles (175km) south-east of Dar es Salaam.

Ecoterra International said the vessel turned around and began heading towards the Somali port of Harardhere.

The ship is owned by United Arab Emirates company Bitumen Invest.

"Information from the ground says a pirate group... had captured the vessel and is heading towards Harardhere at the central Somali Indian Ocean coast," Ecoterra said in a statement.

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UK

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

This week in CB LIVE meet Ram Bappa and Mr Anil Bhagi of Skylink Travel who launched Hindu pilgrimage 2011 brochure and enjoy Navratri song from famous singer Maya Deepak

Sneh Joshi - 020 8518 5500

If you do not have a tv, go to www.tvunetworks.com and watch CB Live on TVU Player Channel 75203

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Don't miss !!!

Only on CB Live - MATV Sky 793 - Thursday 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Navratri Programmes l Shri Aden Depala Mitra Mandal, UK Community Centre, 67A, Church lane, East Finchley, London. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 at 7.30 to 10.30 pm daily and 7.30 to 11.30 on weekends. Contact: Mahendra Maru 07956 570 610. l Shri Limbachiya Gnyati Mandal, London at Preston Manor High School, Karlston Avenue East, Wembley. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 at 7.30 to 11.00 pm daily. Contact: Ashwin Galoria 07767 414 693. l Gujarat Hindu Society, Preston at the main hall of the Centre. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 at 8.0 to 10.30 pm daily and 8.00 to 10.30 on weekends. On Friday, 15/10, Mataji’s Havan. Contact: 01772 253 901. l Karamsad Samaj, UK at Barnhill Community High School, Yeding lane, Haiz, UB4 9LE. From Friday 8/10 to Sunday 17/10 and on Saturday, 23/10 (Sharad Purnima) 7.30 to 11.30 pm daily. Contact: Mahendra Patel 020 8777 4881. l Shri Jalaram Temple at 39-45, Oldfield lane South, Greenford, UB6 9LB. From Friday 8/10 to Sunday 17/10 and on 22/10 (Sharad Purnima) 8.00 to 10.00 pm daily. Contact: 020 8578 8088. l Vishwa Hindu Parishad, South London branch at 10 Thornton Row, Thornton Heath Pond, CR7 6JN, main hall of the centre. From Friday 8/10 to 14/10 at 1.30 to 4.00 pm and 7.30 to 10.30 pm daily and on Friday 15/10 at Gonewill School, Thornton Heath Pond from 7.30 pm. On Friday, 15/10 a havan also. Contact: 020 8665 5502. l Prajapati Youth group, Hounslow at The Heathland High School, Wellington Road South, Hounslow TW4 5JD. From Friday 8/10 to Sunday 17/10 and on 22/10 at 8.00 to 10.30 pm daily. Contact: Sharad Mistry 07976 738 671. l Sanatan Dharma Temple, Cardiff at Fitzalan High School, Lauraini Avenue, Cardiff CF11 8XB. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 on on Saturday, 23/10 (Sharad Purnima) 8.00 to 11.00 pm daily. Havan on Friday 15/10 10.30 am at Sanatan Dharma Temple, 22 The Parade, Roth, Cardiff CF24 3AB. Dushera celebrations on Sunday, 17/10. Contact: Vimlaben Patel 07979 155 320. l Shruti Arts and People Centre, Orchardson Avenue, Leicester LE4 6DP From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 from 8.00 to late night. On 22/10 and 23/10 (Sharad Purnima) also. Special attraction – music by Asit Desai, Hema Desai, Raju Dhumal and SonaRupa group artists. Contact: 0116 261 6000 and 0116 261 2264. l Shri Kutch Leuva Patel Community, UK at SKLP Centre, Northolt. From Friday 8/10 to Sunday 17/10 at 7.30 to 10.30 pm daily and 7.30 to 11.30 on weekends. Contact: Mavjibhai Vekaria 07831 430 812. l International Siddhashram Shakti Centre and Sangat Community Centre at Harrow Laser Centre, Bayern Hall, Christ Church Avenue, Harrow. From Friday 8/10 to 18/10 at Editor: CB Patel Associate Editor: Rupanjana Dutta Tel: 020 7749 4098 - Email: rupanjana.dutta@abplgroup.com Senior News Editor: Dhiren Katwa Chief Financial Officer: Surendra Patel Tel: 020 7749 4093 - Mobile: 07875 229 220 Email: surendra.patel@abplgroup.com Accounts Executive: Akshay Desai Tel: 020 7749 4087 Email:accounts@abplgroup.com Advertising Managers: Alka Shah Tel: 020 7749 4002 - Mobile: 07944 151 893 Email: alka.shah@abplgroup.com Kishor Parmar Tel: 020 7749 4095 - Mobile: 07875 229 088 Email: kishor.parmar@abplgroup.com Advertising Sales Executive: Rovin John Goerge - Email: rovin.george@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4097 - Mobile: 07875 229 219 Nikhil Gor - Email: nikhil.gor@abplgroup.com Tel: 020 7749 4009 - Mobile: 07875 229 200 Business Development Managers: Urja Patel - Email: urja.patel@abplgroup.com Liji George Tel: 020 7749 4013 - Email: george@abplgroup.com Design and Layout: Harish Dahya & Ajay Kumar Tel: 020 7749 4086 Email: graphics@abplgroup.com Customer Service: Saroj Patel 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: +9179 2646 Fax: +9179 6061

There will be increased scope for varying your activities, widening your network of contacts and getting out and about. It is an excellent time for exercising your mental energies, claryfying your and other people's ideas and getting involved in discussion. Exercise caution when it comes to finances as being hasty will cost you !

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

8.00 to 11.00 pm daily. Ram Katha discourse also to be held during these days from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. Contact: Siddhashram Centre 020 8426 0678 and Sangat Community Centre 020 8427 0659. l Jalaram Seva Trust, Jalaram Jhunpadi, Hounslow at Feltham Assembly Hall, Feltham, Middlesex TW14 0BD. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 at 8.00 to 11.30 pm daily and 8.00 to 12.30 on weekends. 22/10 (Sharad Purnima). Entry Free. For more details, Contact: 020 8569 5710. l Ajanta Arts at Prabha Banqueting Suit, 330-310 High road, Illford, Essex IG1 1QW. From Friday 8/10 to Saturday 16/10 from 9.00 to late night daily. From Sunday, ladies coming before 8.45 will get Entry Free. Contact: Bhikhubhai Parmar 01708 447 634. l Lohana Community West London from 8th October till 18th October from 8.00pm till Late, Entry Free, at LMT Lounge, Repton Avenue, Sudbury, Wembley, Middx HA0 3DW. 108 Artti on Ashtami will be shown on TV. Sponsors and Donations welcome. This will be a traditional Navratri where Garba's will be sung by the participants. Contact: Ushaben Purohit 07894 858 566 l Brambandhu UK Trust Celebrating 40 years Navratri Festival 2010, Friday 8th-Sunday 10 October 2010 – Battersea Arts Centre Saturday 9th October 2010 – Battersea Arts Centre Sunday 10th October 2010 – Battersea Arts Centre Monday 11th October- Thursday 14th October 2010 – Jasmins Club – Tooting Friday 15th, Saturday 16th October October 2010 – Battersea Arts Centre Sharad Poonam 22nd October 2010 – Jasmins Club – Tooting Contact Paresh Mehta on 07411585662 or email pmehta@live.com

Others

l Jalaram Bhajans on Thursday organised by Jalaram Jyot, Repton Avenue, Sudbury, Middsx HA0 3DW from 7.00pm till 10.00pm, Aarti at 8.00pm followed by prasad.

Contact: CJRabheru 07958 275 222

Either you or your partner have been going through a phase of inner doubts and uncertainties, and perhaps the main source of tension has simply been the need for breathing space in your relationship and a need to look at things more objectively. Wait before going full steam ahead with grand actions and gestures.

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

It seems that you will be in gregarious mood, intent on cultivating a wider circle of acquaintances. Mentally you will be in good form to make on-the-spot decisions. Ideas that you have been juggling with for quite some time will now be easily pulled into shape, allowing you to push ahead.

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

It seems that the winds of change begin to gather momentum and put a strong focus on domestic and family matters. Besides spending more time tending to domestic affairs, the focus can be on cultivating and nourishing your inner foundations, so to speak. Try not to come on too strong when you deal with others.

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

If you are involved in a fairly competitive field of activity, you will be the one who comes out on top. There is a definite expansive trend where money is concerned, so do not be surprised if this turns out be a time of fortunate opportunities and lucky breaks. Play your cards right and you can pull strings in you favour. Good time for cultivating a deeper rapport with your loved ones.

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

Amorous affairs continue to be highlighted - whether or not this leads to a lasting relationship depends much on your own personal maturity and circumstances. Efforts to restructure and transform your lifestyle are more likely to meet with success. Experience you have built up in the past will now stand you in good stead.

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 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, especially when you're motivated by your own desires.

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

The transit of three planets in your Solar 12th House indicates that experience will put you in a deeply reflective mood. This is a favourable time for getting away from usual routines and seeking a retreat for a few days. All the better if you are interested in such things as meditation, yoga and therapies that help you to get in closer touch with your inner self.

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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 simply by being in touch with other people.

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

Regardless of the limits, you have the capacity to turn the course of your life in a more fulfilling direction. Saturn in Libra, the sign of balance, will help you organize your priorities. People entering your life now will encourage you to move beyond your established boundaries of safety. You will find ways to be more financially independence.

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19 Your social graces will serve you well careerwise. Mixing business with pleasure will bring you benefits. You will achieve great success by being responsible and diplomatic. Ego confrontations with family members are possible now, but the best way to handle this energy is to strengthen your relationship with your family.

The need to push ahead with personal interests and to assert yourself with added force will take precedence over everything else for some time to come. A wind of change may be in the air; attention should turn to the wider world and benefits come from broadening of horizons and mental stimuli.

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

time

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

C R O S S W O R D - 108 1

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Visual aids Bucolic Withdraw formally Not counting Relaxing Tiresomely long Yankees in Dixie __generis (of its own kind) 22 Neil Simon’s nickname 23 Idoiator

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Sudden, sharp pain Spunk Legendary bownman Beset Intrinsically Eyelid affiction Good buy Set forth formally Gains restoration Target on the green Prodigious

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Priestly vestments Waterproof wool cloth Reggae relative Regret with bitterness Products of the body’s fuel-burning systme 51 Something that permeates 53 In vogue 54 Twist together 55 Tristan’s beloved 56 Proximity 57 Stringed instruments Down 1 Pop’s pop 2 Changes the machinery 3 Revealing glimpses 4 Collection from a bog 5 Muddle 6 In a languid manner 7 Dashed with headlong haste 8 virgil’s Trojan hero 9 Backs of oceanliners

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Soaks up some rays Outdated Revel boisterously Yearbooks Easily deciphered Hindu queen Cornerstone tablets Hindu groupings Fork-tailed bird Cardsharp’s maneuver Supergiant star in Cygnus Financially rewarding HonePart of TNT Calgary’s province Challenges anew Implant Gets by with less Cuts slits Allegiance avowal Hilton chain Horace or Aimee Mislay Figure of worship Alt. spelling

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LPAAP GILRMY EELYKW

___ ___ ___ from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.- Khalil Gibran (4,24)

WHATZIT? - 108 Find the familiar phrase, saying or name in this arrangement of letters.

Sollution-107: Lady Govinda

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Solution of Scramble - 64

Words: Randon, aside, kicked, grassy.

Answer: Memory is the diary we all carry about with us.

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SPELLATHON -108 Today’s Ratings: 06-average | 08-good | 09-outstanding How many words of four or more letters can you make from the letters shown in S today’s puzzle? In making a word, each E E letter may be used once only. Each word must contain the central letter. There P L E should be at least one seven-letter word.

Plurals, foreign words and proper R names are not allowed. British English Dictionary is used as reference.

Solution of Spellathon - 107: INSTANT, saint, satin, stain, stint, taint, tint

KAKURO - 108

20 12

Example

The numbers in the pink squares refer to the sums of the digits that you must fill into the empty spaces directly below or to the right of the pink square containing the number. For instance, in the given example, the 2 boxes below 12 must contain 2 digits that add upto 12, whereas for 20, the 3 boxes places horizontally next to it must add upto 20.

No zeroes are used here, only the digits one through nine.

Solution of KAKURO - 107

pass

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LOOP THE LOOP - 65 Rules Connect adjacent dots with vertical or horizontal lines, creating a single loop.

(Fig A).

Crossovers or branches are not allowed 2 2 1 2 (As shown by dotted lines in Fig B).

2 2 2 Numbers in the puzzle indicate the 3 2 3 0 2 3 number of lines that should 1 1 2 3 2 surround it, while empty cells may 2 2 2 2 be surrounded by any number of 2 3 lines.

You can’t draw lines arround 1 2 2 zeroes.

Each puzzle has just one unique solution.

How to begin: Example (Fig A) - Begin with the zero next to 3. Since no lines can be drawn around zero, mark crosses around it, as shown. Now there is a cross in one space around 3. So we know the three lines of 3 can only be drawn in the remaining three spaces. Next these lines can only be extended in one direction each. Continue, using the same Solution of LTL No. 64 logic. x x Hints: Keep elimx 2 3 x 2 2 inating possibilix x x x x x ties by marking 2 x 1 1 x3 2 crosses in x x x x spaces between x 3 x 0 x 2 x 2 dots where a line x x x isn’t possible, x 1 2 x3 3 x 2 x i.e., if you have x x x already completx x x x ed required lines 1 x 2 x x x or where a line x x extension may 2 x 2 3 x x x x create a branch x or cause a dead2 x 2 x1 x 3 3 x end (Fig B)

MINDBENDER - 108 My first is in Sally and in Sam. My second is in Ian but not in John. My third is in Mark and in Mandy. My fourth is in Owen but not in Kevin. My last is in Jason but not in Matthew. What is my name?

Solution of 107 :

Start both hour glasses as the egg is dropped in the boiling water.

When the sand stops running in the 7-minute hourglass, turn it over.

When the sand stops running in the 11-minute hourglass. When the sand stops in the &-minute hourglass, 15 minutes will have elapsed.

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HOW TO PLAY Each row, column and square 3x3 box is a subgrid of 9 cells. Fill in the grid so that each sub-grid contains the digits 1 to 9.

Every puzzle has one solution.

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A digit cannot appear more than once in any particular digit combination. For instance in the example, we cannot have the combination of 8+4+8 for 20.

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HEALTH WATCH

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Blueberries Help Fight Artery Hardening, Lab Animal Study Indicates Blueberries may help fight atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, according to results of a preliminary U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-funded study with laboratory mice. The research provides the first direct evidence that blueberries can help prevent harmful plaques or lesions, symptomatic of atherosclerosis, from increasing in size in arteries.

Principal investigator Xianli Wu, based in Little Rock, Ark., with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center and with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, led the investigation. The findings are reported in the current issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of two forms of cardiovascular disease--heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of Americans.

The study compared the size, or area, of atherosclerotic lesions in 30 young laboratory mice. Half of

the animals were fed diets spiked with freeze-dried blueberry powder for 20 weeks; the diet of the other mice did not contain the berry powder.

Blueberries

Lesion size, measured at two sites on aorta (arteries leading from the heart), was 39 and 58 percent less than that of lesions in mice whose diet did not contain blueberry powder.

Earlier studies, conducted elsewhere, have suggested that eating blueberries may help combat cardiovascular disease. But direct evidence of that effect has never been presented previously, according to Wu. The blueberry-spiked diet con-

Eating junk food as addictive as drugs A British study suggests that a diet of burgers, chips and cake programmes your brain to crave even more for foods that are high in sugar, salt and fat content - just like drugs.

Over the years, junk food can become a substitute for happiness and can lead bingers to become addicted.

Paul Kenny, a neuro scientist, carried out the research which shows how dangerous high fat and high sugar foods can be to our health. `You lose control. It`s the hallmark of addiction,` he said.

Researchers believe it is one of the first studies to suggest brains may react in the same way to junk food as they do to drugs, reports the Telegraph.

This is the most complete evidence till date that suggests obesity and drug addiction have common neuro-biological foundations,` said Paul Johnson, Kenny`s work colleague.

Kenny, who began his research at Guy`s Hospital in London, but now works at Florida`s Scripps Research Institute, divided rats into three groups for his research, due to be published in the US soon.

One got normal amount of healthy food to eat. Another lot was given restricted amount of junk food and the third group was given unlimited amount of junk, including cheesecake, fatty meat products, and cheap sponge cakes and chocolate snacks.

There were no adverse effects on the first two groups but the rats who ate as much junk food as they wanted became very fat and started bingeing.

When researchers electronically stimulated the part of the brain that feels pleasure, they found that the rats on unlimited junk food needed more and more stimulation to register the same level of pleasure as animals on healthier diets.

tained 1 percent blueberry powder, the equivalent of about a half-cup of fresh blueberries.

All mice in the investigation were deficient in apolipoprotein-E, a trait which makes them highly susceptible to forming atherosclerotic lesions and thus an excellent model for biomedical and nutrition research.

Wu's group wants to determine the mechanism or mechanisms by which blueberries helped control lesion size. For example, by boosting the activity of four antioxidant enzymes, blueberries may have reduced the oxidative stress that is a known risk factor for atherosclerosis.

In followup studies, Wu's group wants to determine whether eating blueberries in infancy, childhood and young adulthood would help protect against onset and progression of atherosclerosis in later years. Early prevention may be especially important in light of the nation's epidemic of childhood obesity. Overweight and obesity increase atherosclerosis risk.

Resting laptop on legs can damage skin: Report Beware-people who work with a laptop on their legs can permanently damage their skin.

A medical report has found that placing the devices next to the skin for long periods can lead to "toasted skin syndrome", an unusual-looking mottled skin condition caused by long-term heat exposure.

In one case, a 12-yearold boy developed a sponge-patterned skin discolouration on his left thigh after playing computer games a few hours every day for several months, reports the Telegraph.

"He sensed that the laptop got hot on the left side. But he still did not change its position," said Swiss researchers.

Another case involved a Virginia law student in the US who sought treatment for the mottled discoloration on her leg, according to the journal Paediatrics.

Kimberley Salkey, who treated the young woman, couldn't work out the

lower blood pressure, therefore reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease, reports the Daily Mail.

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh believe pomegranate juice may lower the amount of fatty acid in the blood known as nonesterified fatty acid or NEFA. Previous studies in humans and animals have shown that high NEFA levels are linked to a greater storage of fat around the

abdomen as well as an increased risk of heart disease and Type II diabetes.

In the experiment, a group of men and women were given a 500ml bottle of pomegranate juice to drink every day for four weeks. The researchers found that nearly half of all volunteers had much lower NEFA levels by the end of the trial. They believe that this will make them less likely to store fat around their stomach.

Besides, more than 90

Walnuts, the brain shaped nuts, cut down cholesterol and may also help fight stress and reduce blood pressure.

Those with high levels of bad cholesterol had lower blood pressure during stressful moments after following a diet rich in walnuts for three weeks. Study participants were told to deliver a three-minute speech or sink one foot in cold water - both of which trigger stress.

Those who ate walnuts had lower blood pressure, said Professor Sheila West from the Penn State University in the US, according to the Daily Mail.

Walnuts"This is the first study to show that walnuts reduce blood pressure during stress.

People who show an exaggerated biological response to stress are at higher risk of heart disease," she said.

The team used three diets - one without nuts, one with walnuts and walnut oil and a third with walnuts and flaxseed oil,

according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Adding flaxseed oil did not affect blood pressure, but did help create an anti-inflammatory effect in arteries. This could reduce the risk of heart disease, the researchers say.

After each diet, the subjects were asked to take the speech and coldwater stress tests.

Average diastolic blood pressure - the 'bottom number' or the pressure in the arteries when the heart is resting - was significantly reduced for those on diets containing walnuts and walnut oil.

West added: "These results are in agreement with several recent studies showing that walnuts can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure.

Enriched formula milk could make your baby obese

source of the problem until she learned the student spent about six hours a day working with her computer propped on her lap. The temperature underneath registered 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius).

That case, from 2007, is one of laptop-related cases reported in medical journals in the past six years.

The condition also can be caused by overuse of heating pads and other heat sources that usually aren't hot enough to cause burns.

In very rare cases, it can cause damage leading to skin cancers, said Swiss researchers Andreas Arnold and Peter Itin from the University Hospital Basel.

Pomegranate juice helps get rid of paunch It can help prevent cancer, is good for your heart and can even boost your sex life. Now, scientists believe that pomegranate juice has the power to reduce the fat around the stomach - the 'spare tyre' in men or the 'muffin top' in women.

After just one month, volunteers who consumed a bottle of pomegranate juice daily were found to be less likely to develop fatty cells around their abdomen.

They also had much

Walnuts help you fight stress, lower BP

percent of the men and women had lower blood pressure by the month end.

Emad Aldujaili and Catherine Tsang, lead researchers at Edinburgh University's School of Health Sciences, said: "There is no doubt that pomegranate juice is beneficial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease because our results showed a significant and consistent lowering of blood pressure."

Babies fed with enriched bottle milk are more likely to be obese by the age of five, a British study found. The study shows faster weight gain in infancy can put babies at risk from heart disease to diabetes in later life. It found healthy babies given formula milk enriched with protein, vitamins and other nutrients had 22 per cent to 38 per cent more body fat than those fed standard bottle milk.

The researchers believe they took in more calories and experienced weight gain at a crucial stage in growth, according to reports.

They said previous research suggested that 20 per cent of adult obesity may be caused by overnutrition or other early excessive weight gain in infancy, reports the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Mothers were once advised to give enriched milk to underweight babies if they were not breastfeeding. But they

are now told not to 'fatten up' their babies unless they are premature.

Study leader Atul Singhal, from the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre at University College London, said: "This study supports the case in the general population for breastfeeding since it is harder to overfeed a breast-fed baby."

In the study, body fat mass in five to eight-yearolds was 22 percent to 38 percent greater in those given nutrient-enriched milk as babies than those who had standard formula.

The scientists said previous research suggested 20 percent of adult obesity may be caused by overnutrition or other early excessive weight gain in infancy.

Breastfeeding is known to be associated with slower weight gain while infant formula increases the production of fat cells, fuelling weight gain throughout childhood.

SPort world

Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

Indian medal hunt on 5 golds in 11, India stands 2nd on Tuesday

Abhinav Bindra and Gagan Narang, India’s prominent marksmen and medal hopes delivered on Tuesday, as the host country’s medal hunt gathered momentum.

With 5 golds and a tally of 11, India took the second spot in the medals tally, just behind Australia.

Wrestlers grabbed three gold while the shooters bagged two.

Olympic Champion Abhinav Bindra and world number 3 Gagan Narang were bang on target in the 10 mtre air rifle pairs to give India its first gold in the 19th edition of the Games.

The women's pair of Rahi Sarnobat and Anisa Sayyed gave the second gold with their sterling performance in the 25m pistol pairs event with a championship record of 1156 points.

Wrestlers Anil Kumar, Sanjay Kumar and Ravinder Singh bagged golds winning the 96kg, 74kg and 60 kg GrecoRoman category respectively.

The two silver medals

Abhinav Bindra (Left) and Gagan Narang

were won by Deepak Sharma and Omkar Singh, in the men’s 50m pistol pairs event, and Tejaswini Sawant and Lajja Gauswami the women's pairs 50m rifle 3 position.

An elated Bindra said it was his "best moment" since winning the yellow metal in the Beijing Olympics.

Indians continued to move up in tennis and swimming. Games top seed Somdev Devvarman cruised into the second round of the men's singles tennis with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Devin Mullings of the Bahamas.

In para sport, the Indian trio of Kiran Tak, Anjani Patel and Vineeta

Anil Kumar

Sanjay Kumar

Pathak finished seventh, eight and ninth respectively to enter the finals of the women's para sport 50m freestyle.

Kiran was the most impressive of the three as

she clocked 38.79 seconds, followed by Anjani (47.64) and Vineeta (52.58).

India had won four medals - two silver and two bronze -on Monday.

CWG Medals Tally (as on 05/10/2010) Country Australia India Singapore Malaysia Canada South Africa Nigeria England Wales Scotland Trinidad and Tobago Bangladesh

Gold 7 5 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0

Silver Bronze 4 1 4 2 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 4 2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

Total 12 11 2 2 4 2 1 6 1 1 1 1

IPL teams of RR, KXIP, Kochi in trouble BCCI issues show cause to the franchises seeking ownership details After the Kochi controversy, three IPL franchisees are in trouble as BCCI last week sought details from them about their ownership pattern and fund sources. Rajasthan Royals, Kings XI Punjab and the

new franchise of Kochi have been issued show cause notices. Media reports suggest that the partners in Kochi franchise are squabbling among themselves and are likely to lose the franchise.

Continued from page 32 Opening ceremony will raise India’s image: Pak chef de mission Pakistan contingent hailed the opening ceremony of the Delhi CWG as “an impressive fusion of technology and tradition which would raise India’s image in the world”.

Pakistan chef de mission Muhammad Ali Shah thanked the Indian people for the warm welcome they accorded to his country’s contingent during the march past.

under the government’s scanner.

Suresh Chellaram, a close relative of Lalit Modi and one of the stake holders is having a major share in the franchise. Kings XI Punjab also are facing scrutiny.

Ijaz Butt eats humble pie

By Premen Addy The cockiness had gone, the bravura forgotten. Ijaz Butt, Pakistan’s cricket chief, ate humble pie as he issued a statement to the England & Wales Criucjket Boiard (ECB) withdrawing allegations of match fixing against England’s cricketers. He was threatened with a libel action in court; and the wider ramificatiions of the case would have involved the International Ijaz Butt Cricket Council (ICC) and could have resulted in an international ban for Pakistani cricket.

Having met with Giles Clarke, the Chairman of the ECB, in London and had a forthright discussion on what lay ahead for his country's cricket prospects, Butt threw in the towel, a wise decision on every count. He stared into the abyss and took a step back, it clearly wasn’t worth the palaver.

He was foolish to have made these wild charges against the English players and was taught a lesson he is unlikely to forget anytime soon, Butt was a picture of despondancy as he emerged from his talks with Clarke.

His statment read: “I personally to and on behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board to withdraw the commnents I made concerning the England & Wales Cricket Board and to each of the England players who played in the NatWest one-day Interrnational at the Brit Innsurance Oval on September 17.

“It is regrettable that there was a misunderstanding arising from my comments. I would like to make it quite clear that in the statements which I made that I never intended to question the behaviour and integrity of the England players and the ECB nor to suggest that any of them were involved in any corrupt practice or in a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket.

“In particular, I wish to make it clear that I have never seen any evidence of any wrongdoing by any England player or the ECB and hope that this public withdrawal will draw a line on the matter.”

The withdrawal was accepted by the ECB and its players. Clarke on his part confirmed that he would continue in his role as chairman of the ICC’s Pakistan Task Force.

Butt's humiliating mea culpa followed days of intense pressure political pressure both from the ECB and within the International Cricket Council.

There the matter rests. Pakistan cricket reflects the woeful state of Pakistani society and its dysfunctional establishment.

World spellbound

“After the Indian contingent, we got the loudest applause from the spectators at the stadium. We thank the Indian people and government for the warm reception given to us,” Shah said.

"The ceremony was an impressive fusion of technology and show of tradition and culture. It was excellent and well organised. It will raise the image of India in the outside

Pakistani athletes led by flag bearer Shujha-ud-din Malik (C) take part in the opening ceremony at New Delhi on Sunday

The Jaipur-based Rajasthan Royals, champions in the first edition of the tournament, and suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi have faced allegations of financial irregularities after the IPL came

world. The Indian government and the organisers should be congratulated," said Shah, also the Sindh province Sports Minister.

Asked about any particular performance he liked, Shah said, "The tabla performance by a young boy was impressive.

The music was very good all through the ceremony and the helium balloon (aerosat) was impressive.

“Overall, it has been going on very well. There are no problems in accommodation, transport and security” Happy with arrangements too!

Earlier last week, the tide turned in India’s favour with foreign journalists arriving in the capital saying they were pleasantly surprised.

Road cave-ins, security loopholes, bad quality food and inordinate delays - the Indian media has been relentless in its criticism of the government over preparations for the Games. Taking a cue from their counterparts in India

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (L), Britain's Prince Charles (2nd from left), Indian President Pratibha Patil (3rd from left), Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (3rd from right) and Commonwealth Games Local Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi(R) at the opening ceremony

international news agencies too raised concerns.

Foreign journalists who arrived in New Delhi last week said they were pleasantly shocked. They even said that the Indian media may have gone a little overboard with its scathing criticism.

“Absolutely, newspapers have to sell their stories, you have to sell your shows, but I think everything will be fine in the end and no one will bother about dirty toilets or monkeys running on streets,”

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said Peter Lewis, Executive producer, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

New Zealand was one country, which had even threatened to pull out of the Games because of security concerns, but now correspondents from there are really impressed.

“We arrived at the airport at 2 in the morning...we were immediately whisked away and it was excellent...the military presence was amazing…there were so

many policemen and guns everywhere,” said Aaron Lawton, Sports Reporter, Sunday News, New Zealand.

Michelle Pickles, a sports journalist from New Zealand seemed happy with what she saw on arrival, she says she's going to wait for a while before she gives the Games a thumbs-up.

The Games also received much praise from the Australian delegation.

"My experience is that these are outstanding facilities. I was here in March when I went to the National Stadium, where the World Cup (hockey) was held…Two of our major players said it was one of the best stadiums (stadia) for hockey…So far I have been out to the gymnastics arena, the wrestling and the cycling velodrome, and they are quite amazing," said Steve Moneghetti, Chef De Mission, Australia.

“It is great to have the 2010 Commonwealth Games here in India. A country that is as mad about sports as our own,” said Mark Arbib, Australian Sports Minister.

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Asian Voice - Saturday 9th October 2010

World spellbound It would be interesting to note that the England contingent wore red tops that were styled like the ones India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru used to wear

Glitzy opening show, class facilities earn CWG heaps of praises Pakistan contingent impressed with the warm reception, loudest cheers by Indians Prince Charles, Indian Prez jointly declare CWG open

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commotion, Ojha wandered out of his crease and a throw from gully that would have found him short missed the stumps and ran away for four overthrows. When the winning leg-byes arrived, the Indian players streamed onto the field as the Australians thrust hands on heads.

India began the day needing 161 runs. {Brief scores: India 405 (Tendulkar 98, Raina 86, Johnson 5-64) and 216 for 9 (Laxman 73*, Hilfenhaus 4-57, Bollinger 3-32) beat Australia 428 (Watson 126, Paine 92, Zaheer 5-94) and 192 (Watson 56, Ishant 3-34, Zaheer 3-43) by 1 wicket}.

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India needing 92 more runs right in the morning session on the last day and VVS Laxman batting with a back problem, the match was almost in Australia’s grip. But Ishant Sharma helped his senior partner and the 9th wicket partnership brought India very very close to victory. India was just 11 runs away when they lost Sharma.

In the final, chaotic scenes, Australia continued to attack, desperate for one wicket. They thought they had it two balls before the winning runs were struck, when Mitchell Johnson rapped Ojha on the pads only to have a strong lbw shout denied. Adding to the

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For Australia playing in India, VVS Laxman, the Hyderabadi middle order batsman has always been the one they have failed to beat at crucial times. On Tuesday, Laxman again stood like a rock, thwarting an Australian victory. In company of Ishant Sharma and later Pragyan Ojha, he led India to a victory that nobody hoped for.

In one of the most memorable finishes in recent history, Pragyan Ojha picked up two legbyes off Mitchell Johnson to seal the result, which until that delivery could also have been a tie or an Australian win.

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join you here in Delhi, where I have been asked by Her Majesty the Queen to be here at the start of the 19th Commonwealth Games.”

President Patil then delivered her speech in which she said now that the Games are open, let them begin. “Sports has always been a powerful bridge among different cultures and at the Commonwealth Games we shall see that coming true once again.

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security set up. “Delhi Delite”, “Delhi Dazzles” were some of the most catchy headlines that captured the colourful, historical opening ceremony that the world witnessed on Sunday.

Particularly, “Sydney Morning Herald” was surprised at how a country as vast and populous as India could pull off a spectacular opening ceremony.

Continued on page 31

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Abhinav Bindra leads the 619-member Indian squad

larly the games village.

On Monday, the day after the glitzy ceremony, media organisations hailed the opening ceremony held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. All leading publications in UK and Australia said kudos to the CWG. Reports in Indian media also said organisers for London Olympics were seeking tips from their Indian counterparts on how they managed the

As wrestler and Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Sushil Kumar handed over the Queen’s baton to Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, he read out the message from Queen Elizabeth for the Commonwealth Games. Later, it was Mrs. Pratibha Patil, President of India who shared the honours as she said, “Let the Games begin”.

In his message, Prince Charles said, “My wife and I are pleased to be able to

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India earned heaps of praises for the spectacular opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, while prior to that, just days ahead of the opening, foreign media people who came to Delhi last week were also all praise for the facilities at all the places – the games venues, the village and the media centre. The most significant praise perhaps came from the chief de mission of the Pakistan contingent. It is worth a mention that the huge and enthusiastic crowd at the dazzling opening ceremony won the hearts of the Pakistani contingent, as after the home country, it was the Pakistani athletes that were greeted with the loudest cheers.

This is in sharp contrast to the negative coverage that the organisers were confronted with for poor finishing at particu-

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