7th February to 13th February 2015VOL 43. ISSUE 38 80pLet noble thoughts come to us from every side

First & Foremost Asian Weekly in Europe SEE INSIDE ....BJP, PDP on verge offorming govt in J&K

London observesGandhi Martyr’s Day

Indian diaspora celebrates Republic Day

See Page 15

See Page 14

See Page 26

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With Indians emerging asthe largest chunk of theforeign born electorates,records claim that votersfrom the Indian diasporawill be a principal decid-ing factor in the upcom-ing UK general electionin May.

As many as 615,000Indians will vote in theupcoming elections on 7

May. The second largestchunk of foreign voterswill be Pakistanis-431,000.

UK residents born inCommonwealth coun-tries comprise the largestnumbers of potentialmigrant voters inEngland and Wales.

Continued on page 13

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Indian diaspora todecide the future ofBritain?

Shrien Dewani, a carehome businessmanfrom Bristol, may final-ly have to give evidenceabout the murder of hiswife Anni before acourt, after a UK coro-ner said he was "work-ing towards a hearingdate" for an inquest. MrDewani has never spo-ken publicly about hiswife's death, but thatcould change if this UKinquest goes ahead.

Continued on page 30

Dewani maygive evidenceat a UK court

The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) and ArvindKejriwal's Aam AadmiParty are waging a bitterbattle to win the hearts ofthe electorate duringFebruary 7 election to the70-member DelhiAssembly. The results willbe announced on 10thFebruary. The Congress isa like a bystander. The bat-tle is being fought as muchonline as out on the streetsof the capital. Log on toDelhi and it's a virtual warzone.

Which party dominatesthe trends on social mediaon a daily basis is watchedclosely as a sign of theirreach and popularity. Boththe parties have set upsocial media campaignteams for these elections.

AAP has a 16-memberteam which is workinground the clock to have"conversations" with Delhi,says Ankit Lal, who headsit and decides the day'sagenda on a conference callwith senior leaders.

"We also have 5,000volunteers worldwide who

are working to ensure thatArvind Kejriwal is ChiefMinister of Delhi for a sec-ond term," he said. AAPlaunched itself with astrong social media pres-ence - so Facebook, Twitterand Whatsapp are old

Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal

BJP, AAP waging abitter battle in Delhi

Continued on page 26

GENERAL ELECTION 2015

UK

1) What is your current posi-tion?Currently I am DirectorMoresand Ltd

2) What are your proudestachievements?Proudest achievements wascreating the call centre inColombo – Sri Lanka – within

48 hours confirmed a location,met with lawyers to form acompany and collected infor-mation in setting up communi-cation to run telephony.Currently we have a 4,000 sq ftoffice with 160 staff

3) What inspires you?Being surrounded by family

who worked in the travel indus-try and who continuouslyinspired me to want to continuethe successful family tradition.

4) What has been the biggestobstacle in your career?The biggest obstacle of mycareer has been working to get

good dealsfrom majorairlines due totheir distribu-tion policieswhich we havenow over-come.

5) Who hasbeen thebiggest influ-ence on yourcareer todate?The biggestinfluence onmy career hasbeen CareyFletcher, exBarclays BankManager whowe employedas a consult-ant in SamTravel.

6) What is the best aspectabout your current role?The best aspect about my cur-rent role is making sure thecompany keeps in line withinnovation and moves forwardalongside changing sales pat-terns, adding more market

share to current destinationsand setting new goals.

7) And the worst?The worst aspect is filing docu-mentation as we are a highlyregulated company by the CAAand IATA.

8) What are your long termgoals?Long Term goals are to becomeone of the largest well knowntravel firms with a strongturnover and bottom line prof-itability.

9) If you were Prime Minister,what one aspect would youchange?If I was PM I would changeinheritance tax as I feel the cur-rent system in unfair and thelimits are too low especially forentrepreneurs.

10) If you were marooned on adesert island, which historicalfigure would you like to spendyour time with and why?If I was marooned on a desertisland, I would like to spend mytime with Marco Polo so wecould chart the way out to thenext destination!

John Kalia, Director Moresand Ltd

John Kalia was born on 29th August 1965, in Barking, Essexand grew up in the same neighbourhood. Upon achieving aDiploma in Business Studies during further education hejoined the family business Sam Travel in 1983 as secondgeneration to the business. Mr Kalia completed all the IATA& ABTA qualifications and in 1985, they were appointed anIATA license which allowed the business to grow fromstrength to strength. During this time, his passion for explor-ing the world amplified which he is now lucky to share withhis wife and two children who share his love of travel. In2006 they sold the business to Moresand Ltd and Mr Kaliajoined them as a minority shareholder and Director. Throughthis, they created a business plan to be implemented in 3stages to achieve their set goals of expansion. In 2013,Moresand Ltd was listed in the London Stock ExchangeGroup of 1000 companies to inspire Britain and in 2014 wasranked in Investec Mid-Market 100 list of fastest growingcompanies. Moresand’s CAA ATOL license is currently rankedat no. 43 in the largest UK ATOL holders, they now have 350staff worldwide.

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The multicultural society of theUK maintains a vibrant anddynamic social, cultural and polit-ical life which is arguably a modelfor the rest of the world.

Owing to the century old tradi-tion of participation in the politi-cal process in theUK, Women andMen equally partici-pate in political andpublic life in a num-ber of ways, fromholding office aspolitical representa-tives, to exercisingcitizenship rightssuch as voting, andto playing an activerole in communityand voluntaryorganisations.

While thoseholding politicaloffice and occupying leadershippositions at different levels of gov-ernment are most visible in deci-sion-making processes, people insenior and management positionsacross a wide range of public, pri-vate and voluntary sector organi-sations also exercise power andinfluence in shaping society.

The Asian Voice Political andPublic Life Awards represent ourmodest effort to honour a number

of outstanding individuals fromdifferent communities, walks oflife and diverse political persua-sions who serve society in theirown special way, and who con-tribute significantly, in whateverthey do, towards making a better

world today and forthe future. Theseawards are givenannually to individu-als who have made aspecial impact in thepreceding 12 months,ranging from INTER-NATIONAL POLITI-CIANS to INDIVID-UALS who havemade a big differencein their LOCALCOMMUNITIES. Itis the Ninth year theawards have beenpresented and as in

previous years, the competition forawards is extremely strong.

The awards for achievementsmade in 2014 will be handed outat a prestigious ceremony in theMembers Dining Room of theHouse of Commons on 26thFebruary 2015, amidst a selectgroup of 250 people, includinghigh profile politicians across allpolitical parties, business men andcommunity leaders.

Asian Voice Political & Public Life Awards 2015The nominees for this year are:

Political:

Cabinet Minister of the YearShadow Cabinet Minister of theYearConservative Backbencher of theYearLabour Backbencher of the YearLiberal Democrat Backbencherof the Year London Politician ofthe year London Councillor ofthe Year

Public Life:

Female Entertainer of the YearMale Entertainer of the YearHumanitarian Campaigner of theYearCommunity Service AchievementProfessional of the YearBusiness Person of the YearEntrepreneur of the YearJournalist of the YearLawyer of the YearCar of the YearNewspaper of the YearRestaurant of the YearSchool of the Year

Please send your nominations forPolitical and Public Life Awardsto: PPLA2015@yahoo.com

Former Magistrate ZaherSomani, 58, fromLoughborough has beenjailed for money launderingand tax fraud. The estimatedscale of fraud was £250,000.Somani was exposed as atax evader by HM Revenueand Customs (HMRC)investigators. After appear-

ing in court, he was jailedfor three and a half years.The four co-conspiratorsinclude his wife, Ashraf, 43,brother, Pyarali, 61, sister-in-law, Shabina, 50 and offi-cer manager Darren Green,44; they were also given jailsentences for their part inthe conspiracy.

Former Magistrate jailed for fraud

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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 4081Email: aveditorial@abplgroup.comwww.abplgroup.com © Asian Business Publications

Obama visit a resounding successPresident Barack Obama’s visit to India as chiefguest at the country’s Republic Day celebrationswas a resounding success. The chemistry betweenthe two men was self-evident. Mr Obama.referred to the shared humble origins of PrimeMinister Narendra Modi and himself, whichreflected the opportunities available in the robustdemocracies of America and India. President andPrime Minister were clearly to cement economicand investment ties between their two countries,expanding educational exchanges, most impor-tantly, in science and technology. The civiliannuclear deal circumventing India’s Liability Law isnow in place and should pave the way for US com-panies to construct nuclear power plants in India.Defence and strategic issues were high on theagenda, with peace and security in the Indo-Pacificregion a core subject in extensive bilateral talks.Time was when India and the United States werewary of each other. No longer is no longer the case.We now see a new spirit of trust and cooperationin the relationship. Does this imply that India isnow an ally of the United States as are, say, theUK, France, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia orPakistan? Sections of the Indian print mediaappear to think so, but there is little evidence thatthey are on message. As a global superpower, theUS has a reach that is beyond India’s capabilities.India’s interests and strategic goals are mainlyregional. The Asia Pacific zone is where Indian andAmerican interests broadly converge, as both pow-ers are exercised by China’s rise and its increasingassertiveness. Vietnam, most of all, in South EastAsia, is party to these concerns. But there is acaveat. US trade with China is worth $560 billion,with India it is around $100 billion. Also, China isthe largest holder of American debt. US andChinese money help keep Pakistan afloat, withsome of that largesse diverted to jihadi groups thatcause India trouble. These ground realities have tobe factored into Indian policy. India does notshare American goals in the Greater Middle East,for example, where US and NATO policies havewrought such havoc. The previous BJP-led dispen-sation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee kept clear of involve-ment in that region. You can bet that the equallywise and shrewd Narendra Modi will do likewise.So when the leader writer in The Times of Indiasneered at India’s non-alignment, he or she might

have done well to recognize that it took two totango, that American pressure on Kashmir toassuage its Pakistani client, Washington’s align-ment with Islamabad despite Islamabad’s genoci-dal massacres in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)in 1971, the high-tech sanctions regime imposedon India by successive US administrations, weresome of the factors behind Indian nonalignment,which was appropriate for its time.

India has relationships that have served it wellin the past and continue to do so today, foremostamong them are the time-tested ties with Russia.Geography plays a major role in history and grandstrategy. Russia controls the heartland of Eurasia,which is uniquely endowed with natural resources;the Russian people are formidable in their resolu-tion and endurance, as Napoleon and Hitler dis-covered to their cost. There are increasing fissureswithin Europe on the wisdom of the present policytowards Moscow. The new Greek government hasbroken ranks on the issue with Brussels andWashington, and Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia andCyprus have followed suit. In response to a plantedquestion (a standard US practice) from anAmerican correspondent at a press conference inDelhi, President Obama launched a ferocioustirade at Russia, much to the discomfort of hisIndian hosts. It was a disagreeable moment, welldescribed by The Telegraph Correspondent CharuSudan Kasturi. If Mr Obama and his advisers cal-culate that the broadside words would intimidatethe Indian Prime Ministers into falling into linewith Washington’s views, they are likely to be dis-illusioned. In contrast, the President’s emollientdiscourse on the need for religious tolerance andthe strength India and the United States derivefrom their diverse faiths and ethnicities went downwell. He quoted Swami Vivekenanda’s address inChicago [the President’s city] over a century ago;he cited Mahatma Gandhi’s uplifting descriptionof faiths as branches of a common tree, that theyblossomed in a common garden. PresidentObama’s speech, eloquent and exquisitely cali-brated, was warmly endorsed across the main-stream Indian media. India has withstood a multi-tude of trial and tribulation in her quest for free-dom; It would be folly to cast aside its manifoldachievements in displays of fear, intolerance andhatred.

Auschwitz: Telling the truthAuschwitz will forever remain a monument toshame, to a barbarism so extreme that it puts indoubt the meaning of civilization itself, and thevaunted claims of the human species to be civi-lized. Millions of Jews, men, women and childrenwere brought in trains to its fiendish gas chambersto be incinerated by orders of the German Naziregime presided over by Adolf Hitler. The Naziscreated an industry of death, something never seenbefore or since, and, God willing, unlikely ever beseen again on planet earth. A memorial servicewas held in Poland at the dreaded site. The worldJewish community was represented, with 300 sur-vivors of the Holocaust, the cynosure of all eyes asthey bore witness to the unspeakable horrors theywere forced to endure. One would have thoughtthat common humanity would transcend politicalideology and base nationalism in silent meditation.But that is to underestimate human perversity. ThePolish government studiously avoided invitingPresident Putin of Russia. Two elderly Jewish sur-vivors of Auschwitz, interviewed on television,described the decision as a disgrace, rememberingthat it was the Soviet Red Army that liberatedthem and the death camp 70 years ago. IfraimZoroff, of the Simon Wiesel Institute in Jerusalem,echoed these sentiments. The Institute documentsNazi war crimes and investigates the hidden iden-

tities of ex-Nazi officials and their local collabora-tors in various corners of the world. He namedsome Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Ukrainianaccomplices who helped in the operations of theNazi extermination camps, who roam free underthe protection of their present rulers.The former Israeli defence minister, Ehud

Barack, has said that without the Red Army’sdemotion of Hitler’s Third Reich, his countrywould not have existed. Again, in 1948-49, whenIsrael was fighting for its existence in the face ofan onslaught mounted against it by six ArabStates, it was the infusion of Soviet weaponry thatsaved the day for the fledgling state. MartinMcCaulay, a leading historian of Eastern Europe,who teaches at London University, has lamentedthe poor quality of the history taught in mostBritish schools and universities, and of the toxicRussophobia peddled on British television and thecountry’s print media. Never mentioned isWinston Churchill’s acknowledgement inParliament in 1944 that “the guts of the Germanarmy have been largely torn out by Russian valourand generalship .”A senior Jewish Rabbi, speakingat the Auschwitz memorial, warned of the jihadimenace, which he likened to Nazism. Jewish com-munities across Europe faced an existential threat,he said.

Mary Kon enraptured by Modi Mary Kon, who won a bronze medal at the LondonOlympiad, was in raptures after her unexpectedmeeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.India’s champion woman boxer, who is setting upa coaching academy for women boxers in hernative Imphal, Manipur wrote to Mr Modi invitinghim to inaugurate the academy. She received aprompt reply: “I had sought an appointment onTuesday [January 27] to invite him to my boxingacademy. Surprisingly I got a call from his office onWednesday morning [January 28]. I enjoyed every

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

COMMENT

It is in the character of growth that weshould learn from both pleasant andunpleasant experiences

- Nelson Mandela

AsianVoiceNewsweeklyAsianVoiceNews

This week marks theInternational Day forZero Tolerance of FemaleGenital Mutilation onFebruary 6th, and arenewed call for nationsto do all they can to EndFGM in a generation.

Since I took on therole as Shadow Ministerfor Preventing ViolenceAgainst Women and Girls,I have had the honour ofmeeting and working withamazing young women inBritain leading the callsfor change in the UK.

We have not only amoral duty but a legalduty to end FGM underinternational law. It's apractice that can havedevastating healthimpacts for girls leadingto a range of issuesincluding urinary infec-tions, a lifetime of painand even infertility.

But it is not simplyenough to react to FGM;to take action after thefact. We need to focus ourefforts upon prevention.

That's why we need towork to tackle some of thelong standing culturalcontext within whichFGM takes place.

Research undertakenby Dexter Dias QC withsurvivors of FGM fromaround the country hadhighlighted the need formeasures to tackle theencouragement of FGM,whereby parents can beput under extreme pres-sure to cut their girls. Notonly are parents told theirdaughter will never getmarried, but whole fami-lies can be ostracised andisolated as "unclean". Weneed to support thoseseeking to change the cul-ture in affected communi-ties they are part of andsend the message that thispractice is against the law.

That's why Labour hasproposed an amendmentwith a new offence of theEncouragement of FGMto the Serious Crime Billgoing through Parliament,which I tabled atCommittee Stage and

which we will be bringingback at Report Stage.

The Bill includes anumber of vital measures,such as FGM ProtectionOrders, a new offence of“failing to protect a girlfrom FGM”, andanonymity of survivors forlife.

We welcome thesemeasures and give themour full support. However,whilst they address waysto respond when a girl isat immediate risk or hasbeen cut, they do not gofar enough in helping toprevent the crime of FGMin the first place.

The new offencewould, for the first time,give parents and girls theopportunity in law tochallenge the publicencouragement of FGM.This is a stronger preven-tative measure than anyother measure in the Bill,and seeks to change thisculture and break thecycle.

The measures cur-rently on the statutebook simply aren’t work-ing. Thousands of girls inthe UK are at risk, yetsince FGM was made acrime 30 years ago, therehave only been two pros-ecutions, and no convic-tions.

Our proposal will notto criminalise every pub-lished statement orspeech encouragingFGM but rather willallow police to issueEncouragement WarningNotices (EWNs), and tofollow up withEncouragement WarningOrders (EWOs) – thebreach of which would bea criminal offence.

This move would be aproportionate response,to send out a message ofzero tolerance aroundsuch violence againstgirls. It's precisely themessage we need to send,and also one that makesa clear statement thatthere is no culturalexcuse for violenceagainst women and girls.

Seema Malhotra MP

Zero Tolerance of FGMFor Feltham and Heston

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Former manager of arestaurant fined

Mustac Abdulkadir, a for-mer restaurant managerfrom Leicester has beenfined after inspectorsfound rat droppings, a livemouse and other foodsafety breaches at BluePeters Spice restaurant, inLaw Street, Belgrave.

The restaurant, nowrunning under differentmanagement, was given azero hygiene rating byLeicester City Council -the lowest possible - fol-lowing an environmentalhealth inspection inAugust.

Abdulkadir admittednine counts of exposingfor sale for human con-

sumption food which failsto comply with food safetyrequirement. Each countwas dated August 5 lastyear.

He was fined £250 foreach of the nine charges -£2,250 in total - and alsoordered to pay £450 costsand £25 victim surcharge.

A local newspaperreported that through aGujarati interpreterAbdulkadir (53) said: “Iam guilty - there is noth-ing to say. I had some peo-ple as staff who were notvery helpful. I am workingthere part time and haveno partnership in the busi-ness.”

A taxi driver has beenjailed for 12 years for rap-ing a teenager. NasirUddin, earlier this yearwas found guilty by a juryof one rape, two counts ofattempted rape and foursexual assaults against thegirl, who was aged under16 when the abuse began.

He was sent to prison,despite his wife getting upin court and protesting herhusband’s innocence, atthe Leicester Crown Courton Friday, before beingtaken out by the defencelawyers.

The court heard thatUddin (39), fromLoughborough, allegedlyassaulted the teenagerrepeatedly over a period ofthree years. Judge RobertBrown also heard Uddinwas still in denial abouthis crimes. Andrew Lewis,

mitigating, said his clientwas not a dangerousoffender, spoke about hiswell respected backgroundand hardworking nature,concluding, “He is a manwith the confidence of hiswife and the respect of hischildren.

“He is not a man whoneeds to be taught a les-son - the life he leadsshows he’s a very differentman today.”

However the judgereplied: “There’s anotherside to this man and hedoesn’t face it. There’s nocontrition. There’s noremorse.” The court heardUddin had entered his vic-tim’s home to abuse herand caused her “degrada-tion and humiliation”.

Uddin will remain onthe sexual offenders regis-ter for the rest of his life.

Taxi driver jailed for rape of teenager

Dhiren Katwa

A major three-day festivalto mark the installation often life-size Hindu deitiesat a temple in Leicesterbrought together hun-dreds of worshippers fromall over the country.

On Saturday night, avibrant bhajans ‘Indianhymns’ programme sawlocal and national talent,new and old, bands andindividuals entertain ahouse-full audience.Guest singer Kirtidanbhaifrom Porbandar, India,was showered with poundnotes as he sang tradition-al and energising songs.Bands present includedBajrang, Narshi Mehtaand Gopal Lal BhajanMandals.

The event was com-pered most appropriatelyby Madhavbhai Soni, pic-tured, whose Late brother,Naranbhai, was amongthe pioneers of such musicin the Seventies, alongwith TribhovanbhaiDamji Parmar,Shashikantbhai Sonigra,Rambhaben Arya,Bhagwanjibhai Chauhan– all Late. Also present

was spiritual leaderRamnikbhai Dave.

Much credit toMadhavbhai for his con-tributions and efforts toensure that this nichemusic and legacies remainalive. Also for his part inrecognising, encouragingand inviting young andnew talent to the floor.The Pran PratisthaMahotsav took place atthe Shree Hindu Templeand Community Centre inSt Barnabas Road lastweekend.

Temple welcomes new Deities

Leading Leicester businessman toconvert country mansion into a hotel A leading Leicester busi-nessman has submitted aplanning application torenovate the grade-II list-ed Braunstone Hall andbuild a cafe in the sur-rounding park. TheLeicester civic societyhas welcomed the plansto convert this run down18th century countrymansion in Leicester byMr Naresh Parmar into ahotel and conferencecentre. The applicationcomes after nearly sevenyears of negotiationsbetween Mr Parmar andthe City Council.

In 2013 Mr Parmaragreed a 125-year leasefor the property in theheart of BraunstonePark, subject to gettingplanning permission. Theproposal includes con-

structing a ballroom sothe hall can be used as awedding venue as well.

Stuart Bailey of theLeicester Civic Societysaid the proposalsoffered “a sustainableand workable future for

this important listedbuilding.”

He reportedly saidthe society had support-ed Mr Parmar in hisplans to renovate thebuilding since 2008.

However, according

to Leicester Mercuryone neighbour DavidBartlett said all vehi-cle access to the siteshould be viaGooding Avenue andnot shared with theHinckley Road accessto reduce impact onthe surrounding parkland.

Mr Parmar, whohas previouslyrestored the CityRooms, in Leicestercity centre, andBelgrave House,reportedly said at the

time: “It is a buildingwith tremendous poten-tial. It does need a lot ofwork but we want to turnit from being a disusedeyesore into a buildingthat reflects its formerglory.”

Naresh Parmar

Police has tracked down abungling armed robber,after staff at a branch ofLadbrokes reported a manploughing hundreds ofpounds into gamingmachines, with notes

stained with dye.Usman Ali, aged 26

and from Green Lane inSmall Heath, threatened aLoomis driver with a ham-mer outside a Wickes storelast July before escaping

Police arrests robber with the help of staff at Ladbrokes

with a cash box contain-ing around £14,000. Hisvictim later told police therobber resembled the Catin the classic BBC show,played by actor DannyJohn-Jules.

The following day staffat a branch of Ladbrokes,just yards from Ali’shome, reported him.Officers swooped andimmediately recognised

Ali as the man wantedfor the July 26 robberyin Stratford Road, HallGreen.

Scientific analysisof the contaminatednotes confirmed they’dcome from the stolencash box.

Ali has now beenjailed for eight yearsafter being found guiltyof conspiracy to rob.

At the time of therobbery Ali was report-edly on a license havingbeen released fromprison part-way through

a conviction for supplyingClass A drugs. He wasarrested as part of aBirmingham-wide crack-down on drug dealing byWest Midlands Police. Hewill now have to serve theremainder of that sentence− which runs untilSeptember 2016 − beforehis eight year robberyterm begins.

Usman Ali

A dealership owner whoadvertised a dangerousvehicle as an ‘ideal firstcar’ and sold it to a deafcustomer has now beenasked to pay nearly£7,000.

Nawaz Mahmood, 33,of Heald Green,Stockport, committedoffences including sellinga dangerous vehicle andrecklessly engaging inunfair commercial prac-tice. The owner of AMMotors has now admittedseven offences under theRoad traffic Act at thetown's magistrates court.He was fined £500 foreach offence and told topay £2,085 in costs as wellas £1,018 compensation.

Magistrates ruled thathe knew the car - aCitroen C2 - had not beenthrough any safety test.And his crime was madeworse by the vulnerability

of his victim, who had car-ried a note written by herfamily to ask if the car wassafe.

The customer com-plained to Stockportcouncil’s trading stan-dards as the car wasadvertised as ‘an ideal firstcar’ and in ‘good condi-tion’.

But an independentengineer confirmed it wasunroadworthy after find-ing a total of 17 faults,including dangerous tyresand steering issues.Trading standards thentook the matter to courtafter investigating.

Dealership owner askedto pay nearly £7000

Nawaz Mahmood

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www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 20156 UK

“Trading is best kept sim-ple and focused – that isthe best way to win,”says Alpesh Patel in hislatest book 7 SimpleStrategies of HighlyEffective Traders. Alpesh,a British-Indian is a suc-cessful entrepreneur andcurrently runs an assetmanagement companycalled Alpari Capital,apart from serving as adealmaker for the Britishgovernment.

Before coming to thebook, here is a littleabout Alpesh – he is oneof the most talentedfinance gurus whobecame a barrister andwent on to achieveremarkable success in thefields of finance, busi-ness, philanthropy andjournalism.

Writing has alwaysbeen Alpesh’s passionand he had his ownweekly column in theFinancial Times for fiveyears, for which hegained extensive praisefrom readers. He alsoheld a weekly show onBloomberg where he pre-sented on technology andinvesting for three years.

So coming back to hisfinance guru avatar,Alpesh has written sever-al books on trading andhis latest book, called the7 Simple Strategies ofHighly Effective Traderswhich is co-authored byParesh Kiri provides apractical guide to seventechnical analysis tradingapproaches that are sim-ple, effective and easy toput into practice.

“All of the strategiespresented can beapplied by short tomedium-term traders,such as those lookingat one-minute day trad-ing opportunities tothose looking to holdpositions for up toaround a month, andsometimes slightlylonger,” the book says.

An extremely jazzyevening at the poshBarclays bank was heldin Canary Wharf to for-mally launch Alpesh’sbook and what a wonder-ful place to launch thanin a bank. It is also theplace where Alpesh methis beautiful wife Aekta,he said at the event.

The book launch washosted by AshokVaswani, who is theCEO, Retail and BusinessBanking at Barclays.Ashok said he wasamazed at how multi-faceted Alpesh is and hasalways been impressed byhis talents.

Alpesh is also the

author of 18 books,which have been trans-lated variously into otherlanguages. Alpesh’sbooks include ones oninvesting online, invest-ment psychology, out-sourcing and femaleentrepreneurs.

His best-selling book,The Mind of a Trader,was one of the top sellingbooks on Amazon in1999 – outselling J.K.Rowling, Bill Gates andRichard Branson for along while.

Alpesh has receivedimmense encouragementand great reviews for hisearlier books. “TheOnline TradingCourseBook is the bestguide of its kind to per-sonal investing and willsatisfy both the beginnerand the professional,”said Nathan Moss, ChiefOperating Officer, MerrillLynch HSBC.

Another review onthe book says, “as a trad-er and a financial jour-n a l i s thimself, Alpesh Patel is

uniquely qualified to givea behind-the-scene viewof financial markets, andtheir interaction with themedia. This book gives avery intelligent view ofthe art of investing, anddebunks a lot of myths. Irecommend it to anyonewho is serious aboutinvesting,” said BernardOppetit, Founder,Centaurus Capital (a$2billion hedge fund)

A number of digni-taries at the book launchincluding BaronessVerma and CB Patel

enjoyed the extremelylively speech by Alpesh,who had just landed fromthe US a couple of hoursago but looked fresh andenthusiastic to talk abouthis books presented afree signed copy to thosepresent.

The book is anextremely simple readand one that can bedigested by a non-tradertoo. The book is foreveryone – so if you are abeginner trader or anadvanced trader and arelooking for some guid-ance or a little bit ofhandholding, this book isfor you.

“We speak to thou-sands of traders eachyear through our semi-nars, events, webinars,blogs and tweets andknow exactly the issuesthey face,” Alpesh andParesh say in the book.“We’ve kept everythingas simple as possible sothat it is easy to learn andimplement,” they add.

The book is struc-tured to be compact, to

the point and practical.They are seven strategiesand each is broken downinto an introduction,some background materi-al, worked examples,showing how to executeit and then a conclusion,which gives additionalrelevant information.

So whether you arean intra-day trader or youare just extremely fasci-nated by the idea of trad-ing but have never man-aged to trade, this book isfor you. Time to pick up acopy maybe?

Let us know what you think. Email Spriha at aveditorial@abplgroup.com

Trading your way to successSpriha Srivastava

Dr Virander Paul joinedthe Indian Foreign Servicein 1991.

Diplomats tend to bepleasantly discreet andconcentrate on servingtheir governments. Soreaders may not necessari-ly know the career histo-ries of diplomats sincepublic encounters tend tofocus on the present.

Dr Paul gave TheAsian Voice some of hisfascinating backstory ininterview in his IndiaHouse office.

Prior to his assignmentas Deputy HighCommissioner of India inLondon, Dr Paul wasMinister (Press) at theIndian Embassy inWashington D.C. He helddiplomatic assignments inIndian Missions inAlmaty, Vladivostok,Rome, St. Petersburg andMoscow, spending aroundeight to nine years in theformer Soviet space.

At the Headquarters,Dr Paul served in the EastEurope and AmericasDivisions. He served asDirector in the PrimeMinister’s Office duringthe period 2007-2010.

He holds a medicaldegree from the All IndiaInstitute of MedicalSciences, New Delhi. Hisancestral home isJalandhar.

Soon after 1991, DrPaul was in the formerSoviet states during theirtransformation into inde-pendent republics, wit-nessing their readjustmentas sovereign countries inthe post Cold War sce-nario.

He found the Russiansknowledgeable aboutIndia and Indian culture,with a fondness for RajKapoor and other Indianfilm actors. Indian movieswere popular. It was com-mon to see Indian filmsbeing sold on VHS.

After a couple of yearsin Almaty (Kazakhstan),where he learnt Russian,he was posted toVladivostok as the ConsulGeneral of India. The areaof his jurisdiction includ-ed Far East Russia, east ofthe Siberian Lake Baikaland the vast tundra andtaiga belts. He travelledfar, meeting people insideand outside the govern-ment to talk about India.

Virander remembersRussians as warm, friendlyand hospitable. On oneoccasion, he was invitedto Yakutia, a diamondmining region in northernRussia. It was December,the temperature wasminus 40 degrees, and thelocal government officials

had come to greet him atthe airport.

He recalls that as hestepped down from his air-craft, freezing cold, thelocal administration,unasked, presented himwith an appropriatelywarm hat to replace hisown normal Russian one,and an overcoat and win-ter shoes to put on beforeescorting him to the termi-nal. His hosts had knownthat their Indian guestmight not be fully pre-pared for the Yakutianfrost.

Even when Viranderwas back in Delhi, he con-tinued working on India’srelations with EastEuropean countries. “Itwas a steady transitionand an interesting time,”he recalled; “we in theministry were engagingthose friendly states in anew international situa-tion.”

As part of the team inthe Foreign Ministry, DrPaul contributed to Indiaredefining its relationswith the former Sovietstates. On returning to theregion after a gap of overfive years, he observedthat the new nations,including the RussianFederation, had grown inconfidence as well as inliving standards.

“Russia is a countrywith which we have tradi-tionally had strong rela-tions,” he commented.

After a short stint asDirector (Americas) in theMinistry, Virander movedto the Prime Minister’sOffice, where he handledIndia’s relations with theWest, besides beinginvolved in work relatingto atomic energy, outerspace and defence.Readers with knowledgeof recent Indo-US rela-

tions will naturally under-stand the issues he musthave handled.

In Washington,Virander was Minister forpress and information andculture. The work of twodepartments, effectively.

“Relations betweenIndia and the US wereundergoing a rapid andradical transformation forthe good,” he explained.

It was constantly hec-tic, but fun. His workincluded interacting withthink tanks, academicsand the media.

“I enjoyed myself, pro-fessionally, meeting keyjournalists, including fromthe Washington Post,NYT, The LA Times, Time,and the CNN Bureau,” herecalled. He also fondlyrecalls his close interac-tion with the Indian jour-nalists stationed inWashington.

He noticed thatIndians in America tendedto take on an Americanidentity which is relativelybusinesslike; “America is acountry where most youngIndian professionals getabsorbed into theAmerican way,” he mused.“Of course, they are alsomindful of their Indianroots”, he added.

But in the UK, Dr Paulrelishes in the diaspora’sIndian heart that he findsbeating strong and loud.He feels that the BritishIndian community retainsits Indian essence ofwarmth, its feeling for fel-low Indians, and its char-acter.

“London is a citywhere you can smell theIndianness, if there is sucha word, in the air,” Dr Paulremarked. “London iswonderful as it is perhapsthe most cosmopolitanand multi-ethnic city.”

The Deputy HighCommissioner is generallygiven an even more criticalgovernment role when heleaves the capital. Givenhis sparkling career todate, it will be interestingto see what India plansnext for Dr Virander Paul.

Leading LightsRani Singh, Special Assignments Editor

The Indian Deputy HighCommissioner building friendships

with key allies

“London is a citywhere you can

smell theIndianness in theair,” Dr Virander

Paul.

Dr Virander Paul

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

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 20158 UK

One of the most enjoy-able parts of beingLeader of the Council ishaving the privilege ofbeing invited to eventsall over the community.

This month I havesupported Harrow at theLondon Youth Gamesboy’s cricket competi-tion, as well as attendingthe Thai Pongol celebra-tions at Harrow’s CivicCentre. As always theHarrow TamilCommunity Associationdo a great job of organis-ing it and they put on areal show with Tamil cul-tural dances and musicperformed by all genera-tions.

I have also attendedsome more sombreevents at the Council’sChambers; poignantmemorials were held tomark the Holocaust andboth the Paris andPakistan PeshawarSchool tragedies, withspeakers giving thought-

ful and moving speeches.It is only right theCommunity is able tomark its respect for thosethat have passed away inthese tragedies.

In addition to thesecommunity events I willbe going to all four cor-ners of the Boroughs tohave 1 – 1 meetings withresidents to discuss theirconcerns with their localarea, whether it be hous-ing issues or concernsover persistent fly-tip-ping. The schedule willbe available on theCouncil’s website, andresidents can call 0208863 5611 or email lead-ers.appointments@har-row.gov.uk to book anappointment.

One of the mostimportant changes toaffect Harrow, and onewhich all residents willhave a say over, is theGeneral Election thisyear. I would like to takethis opportunity to

encourage all residentsto register to vote.

Following on fromchanges by theGovernment, residentscan no longer sign uptheir entire family – resi-dents have to register tovote individually.

You can do thisthrough your My Harrowaccount, online or bycontacting the Council’selectoral services teamon 020 8901 2660.

If you are not regis-tered you will not be ableto vote in May.

With the GeneralElection in May I wouldencourage all residents,regardless of the partyyou support, or if you’restill undecided, to regis-ter to vote. Every votecounts, and the govern-ment of the day willmake decisions that willhave a massive effect onall our lives; it’s vital thatresidents are able to havetheir say.

Cllr David Perry

Leader of Harrow Council

Registering your vote

Kapil’s KHICHADIby Kapil Dudakia - email: kapil@abplgroup.com

The Hindu community has now been inthe United Kingdom in reasonably largenumbers for some five decades. Duringthis time the community rightly focussedits attention to the day-to-day require-ments of embedding in British societyand ensuring a future for their children.

Today the Hindu community is seento be well integrated, well educated, lawabiding, hugely contributing in business,hard working, professional, diligent, hon-est and community spirited. These arebut a few examples of the many positiveattributes that one may consider whendescribing the Hindu community inBritain.

Participation within the politicalarena has not been to the same extent asone would expect of such a vibrant andsuccessful community. In the recent pastit has become increasingly clear that thereis a danger that the political fraternitymight be taking the Hindu community forgranted, or even worse, ignoring it givenit may not always be as loud as otherminority ethnic or religious groups.

I have been in discussions with manyleading lights from our community andhave brought together what I believemight be a construct for a British HinduManifesto for General Election 2015. Allthe generic issues that arise are known toall of us already and these are similar tothose from the wider community.However below you will see a collectionthat I believe are specific to our commu-nity and deserve a response from eachparty leader. These are issues that willhelp dissect through the spin, the rhetoricand the platitudes that we will get inincreasing amounts over the next fewweeks.

So via Kapil’s Khichadi leaders of allmajor parties are being asked to give thefollowing issues their serious considera-tion. For each issue raised, a clearYes/No response is required.

Hindu Manifesto for General Election2015:

1. In 2013, the Regulatory and ReformBill (via the Lord Harries amendment)introduced an obligation upon theGovernment to put into action the 2010Act in relation to ‘caste’. This unaccept-able and erroneous legislation should berepealed within 2 years of the next UKGovernment being formed.

2. The programme for Free Schools(and promoting Faith Schools) shouldcontinue with dedicated long term fund-ing arrangements so that a greater diver-sity of Hindu schools can be set up toserve the whole community.

3. Diwali is a very important Hindufestival. A bank holiday should be allo-cated to celebrate the huge contributionof the Hindu community to the Britishway of life.

4. Jammu and Kashmir are an integralpart of India and the matter rests withIndia, and it is not for the BritishParliament to interfere in anyway.

5. Congratulate Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi and to work in ever clo-sure partnership on the many issuesaffecting both our countries. UKGovernment recognises PM Modi’s hugecontribution in developing Gujarat andlooks forward to this being replicatedthroughout India.

6. The violations of Hindu Humanrights in Pakistan and Bangladesh (andother countries) are unacceptable andthese concerns should be raised by theUK Government directly with the respec-tive governments.

7. Cross border terrorist acts are to becondemned and these concerns should beraise by the UK Government directly withthe Pakistani Government to ensure thatits soil is never used for any acts of terror-ism.

8. That the practice of sexual groom-ing is abhorrent and totally unacceptable.The full force of the law should beemployed to investigate and bring to jus-tice the perpetrators of this crime.

9. That forced acts of religious conver-sions (direct or indirect) are totally unac-ceptable anywhere in the world and are tobe denounced.

10. Investigate and identify Hinduartefacts in UK national treasure with aview to establishing a process of repatria-tion.

The above is not exhaustive, nor doesit attempt to be definitive for the Hinducommunity. I am certain that many ofour organisations will engage proactivelyin the political arena and as such nodoubt they will bring forth many otherdimensions. However the points I haveraised need a response from all the Partyleaders. We should know of their positionnow so that it allows for a good produc-tive debate which will hopefully lead tovoting that is informed as opposed toblind faith.

So I say this to all the leaders of all thepolitical parties, the onus is now on youto come forward and respond. It shouldnot take more than a few days to respond,after all the hard work of formulating thequestions has been done by me. Itrequires either a Yes or a No. Now surelythat is simple enough even for our hardworking politicians!

British Hindu Manifesto 4 GE 2015

Lord Suri remembers friendsin his maiden speech

Reshma Trilochun

Ranbir Singh Suri is thesecond turbaned Sikh tobecome a Lord inBritain. In his maidenspeech, Lord Surishowed gratitude to hissupporters and respectedfriends, Lord Popat andLord Leigh of Hurley forintroducing him to theirLordships, among manyothers as well.

In 1956, RanbirSingh Suri had theopportunity of meetingthe Prime Minister ofIndia, Mr. SarvapalliRadhakrishnan and washighly inspired by hismindset and beliefs. Itgave him a different per-spective of looking atthings and how the questof knowledge is neverenough.

He has spent most ofhis life as aBusinessman, startingoff as an Importer ofEducational Supplied inKenya to foraying intothe fashion accessoriestrade, recruiting his wifeto be the face of thatbusiness while he lookedon further for trading

opportunities.“We were determined

to stand on our own feetand to earn our livingwithout committing tothe state for benefits.”

Suri has always beenan example of hard-work, patience and per-severance. He has con-tributed to society andvolunteering servicesand charities for over

fifty years, start-ing in Kenya andwent on to con-tinue in the UK.

“ T h r o u g hmy selfless andentrepreneurialapproach tobusiness, I havealways remainedactively involvedwith many char-ities and provid-ed financialassistance tomany socialaction projectsand social initia-tives.”

He alsospoke about hiscontributions inthe volunteeringsector. He visit-

ed the young peo-ple at Feltham

Young OffendersInstitution and statedthat these young individ-uals had the potential tobe valuable to societywith hard work andbeing productive.

Prior to commencinghis voluntary career inProbation andMagistracy, he was aVoluntary Associate at

HM Prison WormwoodScrubs where he men-tored a Sikh inmate whowas charged with mur-der. With Suri's weeklymentoring, he managedto convince the inmateto join literacy classes inprison and also reducedhis suicidal thoughts.Additionally, during his

time as a VoluntaryAssociate, he observedthat “that poor mentalhealth and the lack ofmental health care provi-sion hindered peoplefrom making the journeyto recovery.”

Ranbir Singh Surihas been a great inspira-tion, not only in busi-

ness but for socialcaused as well, encour-aging people to getinvolved to makeimprovements in society.His journey and storyhas been commendableand hopefully inspiringenough to bring moreturbaned sikhs into theHouse of Lords.

Lord Suri

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 9

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Religious dutiesRecent comments by Baroness Warsiproves once again that some Muslimpoliticians even from the Conservativescannot simply detach their religiousduties from political common senseapproach.

The PM was absolutely right in send-ing a letter to the Muslim leaders to domore to stop people becoming radi-calised. Look at any average mainlyLabour controlled council borough andcount the number of mosques (some con-verted from a shop), madrassas and otherless than convincing tution centres teach-ing Arabic. It is easy to see why a wholegeneration of young muslims are made tofeel different than other communities,not least due to constant negative storiesin the media.

Why should public funded tax beutilised in looking after the affairs of justone community? Hindus, Sikhs, Jainsand similar peace loving populace do notrequire any special attention and by thesame token should get a special discount!

Tower Hamlets is a prime example ofwhat empowering wrong sort of politi-cians and their brethern who use reli-gious leanings to misuse the position oftrust.

Labour have over the years used thissupport from a community simply to getseats without benefiting them, thereforechoice should be very clear in the comingelection, to use the result of Indian elec-tions, vote tactfully and rememberCongress=Labour

Bharat ParmarBy email

Fat chatAs one of life’s most fanatical weight-watchers, I am delighted to report thatI’m just 14 lbs over my ideal weight (formy 5ft.9in height) of 12st. 5lbs.

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

Maybe eating everything in modera-tion is the best policy. What do youthink?

Rudy OtterBy email

Ahimsa Award for PrinceCharles

I was shocked to learn that the Instituteof Jainology had given their AhimsaAward to Prince Charles during hisrecent visit to the Jain temple in PottersBar.

I don't quite see under what sense thisaward was given to a man who supportsblood sport and indulges in pheasant anddeer shooting.

What were the Institute's peoplethinking? It seems they have not quiteunderstood the meaning of Ahimsa. Intheir desire to appease the Prince theyhave devalued the Ahimsa Award.

Jayant PatelWoodside Park

Caste discriminationAs ever, Mr Jhalla has got it wrong. In hisfirst paragraph he says "the law sayingthat caste discrimination should be legal"is either a misprint or he has got thewrong end of the stick. What I said isthat caste discrimination should be illegalnot legal. And then I went on to say thatwhy should Hindus get so agitated whenthey believe there is no discrimination.As Shakespeare says I think they protesttoo much!

Secondly, once again, according to MrJhalla, I said that two prosletising reli-gions save converts from going to hell. Iam sorry I did not say that, perhaps MrJhalla could have another look at my let-ter. What I said was that the reason whyMuslims and Christians try to convertpeople was that they believed they weresaving the "Hindu heathens" from helland then I said that Hindus are not a reli-gion which converts people, it is accord-ing to the persons choice. No force orpressure is ever put on people. I finallysaid that we should not demean ourselvesby becoming like the Christians and theMuslims.

I know that Mr Jhalla has beenattacking me ever since the caste discrim-ination legislation first raised its head inthe House of Lords but if he does want toattack me he should at least make surethat he's got my views right.

(Barones) Shreela FlatherBy email

Sikh Faith School LeicesterIt was yet another good news for theHindu and Sikh faith community.Leicester’s first state funded Sikh schoolsfollows on the back Hindu ethos schoolset up Avanti Trust last year, but let's alsobe clear it is the Conservative Party pol-icy that has offering faith communitieswith the of local community set up faithethos schools. We now have 7 Sikh and 5Hindu ethos faith schools.

It is therefore a great shame that theLabour Party has now made it clear thatit does not support state funded so it israther odd that Labour MP's andCouncillors turn up at these faith schoolsopenings when Labour leadership andparty's official policy is aganist statefunded faith schools.

Labour Party under Ed Miliband goneback to its left wing secular roots wereinthe "state" know best mindset and there isno place for our voluntary or faith sec-tors.

Ravi ShahBy email

Softly softly radicalisationBhupendra Gandhi is correct about timefor introspection by moderate Muslimcommunity/ the whole world. He praisesmoderate Muslims who are silent/ pas-sive onlookers to atrocious rampage byterrorists in name of religion. Please notethat that neither terrorists nor westernforces are winning. Both are evolvingvicious/ shocking measures. The speed,frequency and distance between targetsare horrifying.

In view of good will of the silentmajority, I suggest that moderateMuslims must go truly secular; not both-er if the non-believers fly to space orbreed billionaires and generateunsavoury trends. Possession of fossilfuel is the greatest blessing of Allah.Muslims must incorporate thanks in dailyprayers, enhance image and augment selfesteem. Muslims must detach themselvesfrom dirty politics, filthy lucre,unquenchable greed, to focus on projectsfor welfare of underdogs in community.

Highlight philosophical, medical,altruistic teachings of Islam and Koran.Propagate truly secular personalities vizHaroon el Rashid, Al Beruni, KhalilGibran, Omar Khayyam, Sufisaints/darvishes, Unani/hakeem systemof medicine, globalise richness of Urduand Arabic languages, Islamic contribu-tion to economics, engineering and tech-nology. Wise and moderate Muslims mustlearn from reality that all Indic religionshave spread without violence and arewelcome globally.

Ramesh JhallaBy email

Holocaust Memorial DayJanuary 27 has been fixed as HolocaustMemorial Day because seventy years agoon this day in 1945 the Russian army lib-erated the Auschwitz Death Camp inPoland from the evil of Nazi Germany.For the past several years this day hasbeen commemorated every year all overEurope to remind people what man iscapable of doing against his fellowhuman beings.

In commemorating this day peopleare also reminded of the genocide com-mitted in Sudan, Rwanda and especiallyin Cambodia. It is right that this day isobserved if only to help man so that theystay away from causing evil.

However the most disappointingthing about all this is that there is nomention whatsoever of the genocide com-mitted by the Pakistani army in erstwhileEast Pakistan in 1970 (now Bangladesh)in which at least quarter million womenwere raped and 3 million people wereslaughtered of which 2.7 million wereHindus. Hindus in India know about theHolocaust Memorial Day. What is evenmore unfortunate is that they appear tobe ambivalent about what happened toHindus in that part of the subcontinentas though Hindu life does not matter. Tomake sure horror of this nature does notrepeat itself the right thing to do is to fixa day to remember every year the Hinduswho lost their lives in 1970 in EastPakistan.

Dr Jatindra SahaBy email

Modi, The CharmerWhen Narendra Modi took office after ahistoric win, he carried with him the bur-den of hope, expectation, even miracle,succeeding beyond our wildest expecta-tions, especially on international stage,taking US and Australia by storm, receiv-ing pop star welcome, tickets to hisevents were gold dust.

Perhaps his greatest success was toestablish close personal relations withPresident Obama, thus reinvigorating,taking US-India relations, friendship toits zenith. Obama’s presence at RepublicDay celebrations was masterstroke, suc-cess beyond words, able to iron-out dif-ferences on nuclear issues, US now readyand willing to supply nuclear fuel andtransfer of technology to India.

On home front impenitent Modi hascreated climate of progress, growth andconsumer confidence, removing restric-tive practices, corruption and other hur-dles that was once milestone on industri-al progress, thus attracting foreign invest-ment of billions that would turn Modi’smantra of “Make in India” into reality.

Economic growth has jumped 1% andthe Rupee has recovered losses occurredduring last ten years’ of UPA morbid mis-rule under narcissistic Gandhi clan.Indians, especially students are welcomethroughout West, 3% American Indianscontributing 5% growth who are consid-ered law-abiding, hard-working, well edu-cated citizens throughout Western worldwith lowest prison population.

Unequivocal Indian diaspora volun-teers once oblivious to Indian politics are

Reform NHS now before itbleeds to death

Politician know and admit in private thatNHS under present dictate is unsustain-able, needs drastic overall, yet no one hascourage to admit it in public. It is time weadopt French and German model mostEU nations have implemented that givesfirst class service but slightly modified tosuit British needs. It is time to introducesmall charge with insurance cover for vis-its to GP, A & E and admissions that willinstantly stop “Health Tourists” with lim-ited exemption to deserving patients.

British embassies issuing tourist visasoverseas, especially in US, should insiston having medical insurance, as wewould not travel even to EU countrieswithout such policies, although we areentitled to free medical treatment underEU rules. But in reality, no one wouldtouch us without medical insurance; thefirst document ambulance crew demandto see and would not hesitate to turnback if we fail to produce it.

With steep increase in ageing popula-tion that needs constant care, no amountof cash alone will ease pressure on NHSthat could become bottomless pit,devouring billions without improvingNHS. We need brave politicians ready tospeak out of conviction, not convenience.But in present climate, it would amountto political suicide, as we are brain-washed in believing that it should be freeat point of delivery, yet we pay 85% ofdental treatment privately, costliest inEU. It is time to set our priorities right.

Kumudbala ValambiaBy email

pouring into Delhi looking for Assemblyelections. BJP is expected to win underleadership of Kiran Bedi, former AAPstalwart. At last India is moving in rightdirection with days of vagrant politiciansnumbered.

Bhupendra M. GandhiBy email

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 11

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201512 MEDIA WATCH

Civilian nuclearaccord

Top of the results achieved wasthe civilian nuclear deal that willenable leading US companies,such as Westinghouse, to buildnuclear power plants in Indiacircumventing India’s LiabilityLaw through a complex insur-ance safeguard of Rs 1,500 crorein the eventuality of an accident.This had been a sticking point innegotiations between the twosides, hence marks a real break-through.

Breakthrough

Two US-built nuclear powerplants are to be located inGujarat and Andhra Pradeshrespectively. The landmark civil-ian nuclear accord signed byPresident George W Bush andPrime Minister ManmohanSingh in 2008, bringing India infrom the cold, was bitterlyopposed at the time by theCommunist parties and the BJP.The latter’s change of heart inthe national interest must surelybe welcomed (Telegraph, Timesof India, Hindu, Mint January26)

Defence projects

India and the US signed up to anumber of significant defenceprojects. They have agreed tostep up their combat operations,

maritime security exercises andintelligence-sharing mechanismsand kick off with the joint man-ufacture of “four relatively mod-est military” weapon systemsthrough the Defence Trade andTechnology Initiative. TheIndian defence establishment iswaiting to see how these trans-late on the ground as it “is yet toshed its long-standing inhibi-tions about the US being a reli-able long-term supplier of top-notch technologies.” (Times ofIndia January 26)

Co-productiontechnologies

The four systems, referred toabove, that are to be jointly pro-duced by the two sides includethe next-generation, hand-heldbattlefield Raven drone aerialvehicles, ‘roll-on, roll-off’ intelli-gence gathering and reconnais-sance modules for the C-130JSuper Hercules transport air-craft, mobile electric hybridpower sources and “uniformintegrated protection ensembleincrement-2 (chemical, biologi-cal warfare protection gear forsoldiers).” Raven, a hand helddrone, will have its flight rangeextended to 18 kilometres andits endurance time to 6 hoursfrom the present four. The newsurveillance capability, previous-ly lacking, will contribute sub-stantially to the effectiveness ofthe C-130J Super Hercules (itsfleet of 12 cost India $2 billion).

Education exchanges

Education has a smaller niche inthe Indo-US joint statement, butits importance in the overallscheme of things is hugely sig-nificant as an empowering factorfor young people seeking qualitylearning outcomes is hugelyimportant for the country’shuman development going for-ward. India’s Human ResourceDevelopment Ministry’s GlobalInitiative for AcademicNetworks (GIAN) found spacein the text of the Indo-Americandeclaration of intent. GIAN is tobe the framework of an Indo-USknowledge partnership involv-ing research and entrepreneurialcapabilities and skills.

IIT Kanpur model

The model envisaged will bebased on something already inplace, namely, the establishmentof IIT Kanpur. Here, under theprevious Indian government ofManmohan Singh, US financialaid helped create a consortiumof the best minds from Americanuniversities that went into themaking of this unique institu-tion. Under GIIAN about 1,000American scholars in thehumanities and sciences willcome to India to teach at theIITs IIMs and other centres ofacademic excellence (Times ofIIndia January 26)

Smart cities

The US is to put its considerableexpertise at the disposal of Indiain the development of Indiansmart cities. First one list areAjmer, Allahabad andVisakhpatnam. Taskforces are toset up to begin work for eachcity, chosen for its tourism andtrade. Visakhpatnam has theadded significance of being aport city on the country’s eastcoast whose potential as a com-mercial and naval hub is unfold-ing at a rapid pace(HinduJanuary 28) Other conurbationswill follow in due course.

Naidu tie-up with Swiss consortium

However, this isn’t the onlyshow in town. A joint committeeof Andhra Pradesh officialdomand a Swiss consortium are towork out a master plan of keytechnology clusters in smartcities, smart villages, renewablehybrid energy solutions andwater management. This wasannounced by Andhra PradeshChief Minister ChandrababuNaidu, following a meeting inDavos, Switzerland, with theSwiss Solar TechnologyConsortium specializing on“Enablers for Smart Cities.”(Hindu, January 23)

US as partner,not policeman

Among the most articulate andintelligent minds in India Inc,Mahindra Group Chairman,Anand Mahindra, said that theIndia-US relationship would bebest served if Washingtonviewed “India as a collaborativepartner and stop being a pushypoliceman.” Mahindra speakingon domestic defence manufac-

turing said: . “US’s biggest mis-step has been making privateinvestment the fulcrum of itsforeign policy. US needs to stopviewing India as an outsourcingwhipping boy, and see it as asource of great investmentpotential. It’s time for India tomove from outsourcing to rightsourcing.” India should engageclosely with the US in its navalsector, he averred (Mint January26)

Projects alongIndo-China border

Government has cleared 53 proj-ects, including power, railways,roads, irrigation canals and sig-nificant conveniences for theIndo-Tibetan Border Police(ITBP), a paramilitary force.The decision to give faster clear-ance to ITBP projects comes inthe backdrop of China’s massiveworks coming up on the Chineseside. Similar fast-track projectshave been cleared for the BorderSecurity Force (BSF) along theBangladesh border. (Times ofIndia January 22)

Ex-Jihadi framed

The National InvestigationAgency (NIA) has arraigned theDelhi Police for falsely implicat-ing, then arresting formerHizbul Mujahideen operativeLiaquat Ali Shah, when he wasreturning to Kashmir fromPakistan with his family underan amnesty granted by theKashmir State government. TheDelhi Police special cell chargedhim with plotting a terroristattack in the capital following araid on a local hotel and the dis-covery of a cache of arms andammunition from the room inwhich his family had lodged.The NIA dismissed the case asbaseless, having discovered thatthe true culprit, one Sabir KhanPathan, a police informer, hadplanted the incriminating evi-dence. (Times of India January25)

Wipro clinchesIrish deal

Indian IT major Wipro has wona contract $150 million out-sourcing contract from AlliedBank, one of the big fourcommercial banks in theRepublic of Ireland. Wipro willprovide infrastructure manage-ment services, data centre andhosting services to Allied IrishBanks over the next five years.“We will bring our expertise tobuild agile and adoptive infra-structure while improving pre-dictability and cost effectivenessof services,” said Wipro’s SeniorVice President Rajan Kohli, inthe company’s biggest in the

country which opens up theprospect of other profitable ven-tures in its banking sector(Times of India January 26)

Rotavirus vaccine

India will soon have a locallymanufactured low-cost rotavirusvaccine as part of the govern-ment’s universal immunizationprogramme, and is expected tocost almost one-fifteenth thepresent price, said an official.“Bharat Biotech, which has therights to licensed production ofthe vaccine, has already made 5-6 million doses….The vaccine islikely to be launched in 2015itself,” said M.R.Bhan, FounderChairman of the BiotechnologyIndustry Research AssistanceCouncil. Bharat Biotech has thecapacity to produce 600 milliondoses in bulk or 360 million invials per year (Times of IndiaJanuary 24)

Jaipur Festival

The Jaipur Literary Festival hastruly come of age as the recordpublic attendance shows. Somany remarkable people, fromformer Indian President Dr APJAbdul Kalam, to the greatest liv-ing novelist in the English lan-

guage, the Nobel laureate V. S.Naipaul, shared their thoughtsand experiences with rapt audi-ences. Sir Vidia, alas, happens tobe incapacitated, his movementnow restricted to a wheelchair.The writer Paul Theroux com-pared VS Naipoaul’s first master-piece, “A House for Mr Biswas,”to the best works of CharlesDickens, bringing tears to thegreat man’s eyes, and a mur-mured, moving “Thank you.”

R. K. LaxmanThe incomparable, the one andonly R KLaxman, died inMumbai, aged 94. His cartoons,always on the front pages of TheTimes of India from 1947, theyear of India’s independence,under rubric “The CommonMan,” regaled generations of his

compatriots across the land.Their wit and humour were anunfailing delight: incisivelyappealing to the sense and sensi-bility o millions of readers.Laxman taught his country tothink and to laugh – mostly atitself. A glory has passed fromIndian journalism. Whencecomes another?

Obama calls out to 'Sisters and brothers of India'

Anand Mahindra

R K Laxman

VS NaipulRepublic Day parade, Modi, Obama and Michelle Obama - See Page 3

US President Barack Obama’s visit to India fulfilled its advancedbilling: the Indian media went into rhapsodies on the chemistrybetween guest and host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Theirevery gesture, smile, nod, handshake and comment was sub-jected to intense scrutiny on competing TV channels and innewspaper editorials . India and America, the nation was told,were on track in their defining relationship. President Obama’sapproval rating back home in the United States may be alarm-ingly low, but in India they grind exceeding high. He is into hissecond term at the White House, and beyond the borders ofIndia, in the Middle East, Ukraine and the Euro zone, his prob-lems are dauntingly steep and rising. When a becalmed Indiaanalyses the outcomes of the Presidential odyssey in the coldlight of day common sense and ground realities will hopefullyprevail over the overwrought media hoopla.

UKwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 13

The title is not words befitting a Barrister. Iam sorry. But anyone who tells you theystay calm, cool and disconnected whentheir faith is mocked – well they’re an angelprobably or disconnected from reality. Equally, anyone who acts in physical

violence – well there is something deeplywrong with them too. But to feel the urgeto punch the fat face of a journalist whoshould know better about the awesomepower of free speech, that’s normal. I feel,but will not act. I am a role model am sureto someone somewhere. Glenn something or other, previously of

Fox News, ‘attacked and ridiculedPresident Obama over Lord Hanuman stat-ue’. On his show he held up a statue ofHanuman-ji, mocking it as the ‘Demonkilling monkey God’. ‘Demon-killing’ – forget that the whole

Bible (Glenn is a right-wing Christian fun-damentalist) is about the fight against theDevil – I bet he wouldn’t have picked onthe other two Middle-Eastern religions. No,we Hindus are rightly known for our non-violence (on the whole) in the face ofprovocation. And that is rightly as it shouldbe.Glenn did this the same day I happened

to visit the Holocaust Museum last weekwhere people were killed for nothing morethan their religion. It’s not Hindu-phobiaor Anti-Hindu-emitism. It’s just plain stu-pid. Because of all the things you want tomock, people who go about their business

in the service of a higher power, in prayer,humility, and service – yeah pick on them –those evil God-bothering love thy neigh-bour-nuts.Oh dear. Glenn my people had mapped

the stars and navigated the oceans andunderstood human anatomy and surgery,and calculated the orbit of the earth andthe value of Pi and postulated the atom,whilst your ancestors were still living incaves with their asses painted blue. Yourancestors weep for you Glenn today, forthey realise you have failed to evolve.Hey...freedom of speech Glenn.In Washington I visited the National

Archives, housing the AmericanDeclaration of Independence from Britain,the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Aswe this year celebrate 850 years of MagnaCarta, it astounds me that America, for ayoung country had the wisdom to enshrinein their Constitution both the right to free-dom of religion and freedom of speech inthe same sentence; forbidding Governmentfrom establishing religion by law. AsBenjamin Franklin said ' the religion ofignorance is where tyranny thrives.' Andwhere they house their Constitution, out-side it warns 'study the past.' and 'the priceof liberty is eternal vigilance.' We were warned in Paris. We were

warned at America's Declaration ofIndependence. You have free speech, butthe price is respect for religion which is notprotected by law, whereas speech is.

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

Gandhi statue in Parliamentsquare gets its youngest donor26 years old UK basedhotelier has donated£100,000 to the statue ofMahatma Gandhi plannedfor Parliament Square inLondon, becoming theyoungest donor to thiscause.

Vivek Chadha, pic-tured, director of NineHospitality Limited and ahotel owner, residentialdeveloper and commercialinvestor in UK real estate,is a self-confessed followerof Gandhi. He graduatedas a civil engineer in 2010from University CollegeLondon, also the almamater of the Father of theIndian Nation.Mr Chadha reportedly

said, "I am interested inparticular how Gandhiemphasised the privilegeof giving and practicedcompassion in creativeways. The fact thatGandhi concentrated allhis energy in the service ofothers is a great exampleof how all young peopleshould follow this idea inour day-to-day lives.”

Lord Desai, founderand chair of the GandhiStatue Memorial Trustsaid, "It is very importantthat young people likeVivek step forward anddonate towards this noblecause and he joins a veryimportant growing groupof British Asians whohave responded generous-ly.“More than 50 per

cent of the money raisedso far has come from UK,and 80 per cent of our 180donors are British. Manysmall donations havecome to the charity aspeople have reached out.More than 90,000 pounds

have been receivedthrough smaller, mostlyUK-based donors whohave given anythingbetween 1 to 15,000pounds. The trust hasachieved its goal for theproject's budget target of750,000 pounds withinapproximately threemonths.”Other major donors

include Infosys co-founderNarayana Murthy and hisfamily, and Bajaj autochief Rahul Bajaj whohave donated £200,000each.The trust confirmed

that pledges are continu-ing to pour in from the UKand all over the world. Thesculpture will go up atParliament Square next tothe likes of Britain's war-time Prime MinisterWinston Churchill andSouth African anti-apartheid leader NelsonMandela in the comingmonths and is expected tobe inaugurated by IndianPrime Minister NarendraModi.

Indian restaurant tops list by YelpAn Indian restaurant incentral London, mod-elled after a typical Iranicafe in Mumbai, has beat-en Britain's best knownMichelin-starred restau-rants to become the toprestaurant in the UKaccording to Yelp, theonline urban city guideand app.Dishoom that has

restaurants in CoventGarden, Shoreditch andKing's Cross has knockedoff last year's winnerRegency Cafe to becomethe best restaurant inUK.Yelp compiled its own

review and star-ratingdata to come out with alist of the Top 100 placesto eat in the UK.Dishoom was found-

ed in 2010 by Shamil andKavi Thakrar and Amarand Adarsh Radia. Itserves traditionalMumbai food with atwist. Besides Dishoom,three other Londoneateries who haveacquired third, fourth

and fifth place respective-ly are - Dinner by HestonBlumenthal, pizza spe-cialist Homeslice and

upmarket tapas barBarrafina. GordonRamsey's London eateriein London came in 12th.

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

Continued from page 1

Five of the top six countriesfrom which migrant votersin UK general electionsoriginate are allCommonwealth members:India, Pakistan, Bangladesh(potential 183,000 voters),Nigeria (182,000), andSouth Africa (168,000),while the sixth is the IrishRepublic (297,000), whosecitizens enjoy similar rightsto those of Commonwealthmembers. It is estimatedthat the total population ofUK voters born in Indiansubcontinent, has risenover 1.2mn according to the2011 census, and projectedto rise over 1.7 mn in thenear future.While commonwealth

citizens are allowed to vote

for UK general elections,European Union nationals,despite their large andgrowing presence in theUK, will be heavily under-represented in May 2015elections, as a large majori-ty have not yet acquiredBritish citizenship. Reports suggest almost

4 million voters — aboutone in 10 of the entire elec-torate in England and Wales— have been found to beborn abroad. The migrantelectorate is heavily con-centrated in London — 19of the 20 seats with thelargest migrant voter sharesare in Greater London.Migrants would constituteover a third of the elec-torate in around 25 seatsacross England and Walesin 2015 and at least a quar-

ter of the electorate in over50 seats. The migrant elec-torate could have decisivepower in at least 70 seats in2015.Asian Voice this week

has published an extensivelist of prospective parlia-mentary candidates ofSouth Asian origin alongwith the current servingMPs of the same back-ground on page 16-17.It is estimated that pop-

ulations of 100,000migrants or more originat-ing from 23 different coun-tries now live in Britain.Analysis of data from the2001 and 2011 Censusessuggests that up to 2.8 mil-lion British citizens bornabroad will be eligible tovote in the next generalelection.

Indian diaspora to decide the futureof Britain?

DishoomCovent Garden

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201514 COMMUNITY

Review: Behind thebeautiful forever

Rupanjana Dutta

It is not easy for anyauthor to create a scenefrom the Mumbai slums,without reminding us ofBoyle's SlumdogMillionaire. In Behindthe Beautiful Forever,pulitzer winningKatherine Boo has por-trayed the lives ofMumbai slum dwellers,alongside the city's inter-national airport-focussing on the nuancesof their everyday life,without the hollywoodromanticism.Directed by Rufus

Norris, the play revolvesaround 16 years oldAbdul Hussain played byShane Zaza- the besttrash sorter in the area.Honesty, simplicity andrighteousness are thehighlights of his charac-ter. His motherZehrunisa played byMeera Syal- a pompouswoman on an ego tripbecause of their increas-ing wealth, Asha a localbroker with a big politicalambition played byStephanie Street, Asha's18 years old wise andeducated daughter Manjuplayed by Anjana Vasan,and of course the onelegged Fatima played byThusitha Jayasundera,who is the catalyst to thefall of the Hussains.Someone who has not

read Boo's novel, thestory line seemed com-plex, yet solemnly real.While acting of the wholecast is extremely com-mendable, performancespecially by three

women- Meera,Stephanie and Thusitha,are outstanding.The story is of corrup-

tions, sacrifices, ambi-tions beyond one'smeans- an extraordinaryjourney that depicts theharsh realities of inter-twining lives, amongst allhopes and despairs,achievements and fail-ures, resilience andfragility. It depicts thelives of young scavengerswho survive by pickingthrough and sorting trashfrom the airport andnearby hotels. Some tryto steal to make quickmoney, some get caughtand lose lives to the vio-

lent and brutal securityforces.The play also portrays

the pride and arroganceof a Muslim mother-showing off the little'extra' that they were able

to earn, in a countrywhere they lived asminority, the growingenvy of the neighbours,the dishonesty and thecatastrophe that follows.It ends with sincerity

and the dreams of theHussains amongst allparadoxes, as they buildtheir empire little by littleagain and a peek to thepromises that the futureholds for a determinedand spirited Abdul.

Behind the BeautifulForever, NationalTheatre, Feb- May 2015

http://www.nation-altheatre.org.uk/shows/behind-the-beautiful-fore-vers

Bhavan celebrates India'sRepublic Day

Rani Singh

Wednesday 28th January;the Bharatiya VidyaBhavan celebratedRepublic Day.After tasty snacks,

assembled in the auditori-um on stage were LordRanbir Singh Suri,Bhavan Chairman MrJoginder Sanger, IndianHigh Commissioner MrRanjan Mathai, BaronessUsha Prashar PC, andVice Chairman, PadmaShri, Dr. John R. Marr.The Bhavan’s

Executive Director andgentle force behind theBhavan’s success, DrNandakumara welcomedguests with a prayer.Among the audience

were Sir Mota Singh Q.C.with his brother, and sitarteacher Punita Guptawith her husband.After the prayer Mr

Joginder Sanger spokeabout the work of theBhavan. He thanked theMayor of Hammersmithand Fulham and DrNandakumara and histeam.Baroness Usha

Prashar said she had been

a friend of the Bhavan forover three decades. Shementioned India’s culturaland spiritual unityexpressed through litera-ture, dance and music.She described the

“Encouraging” WorldBank India forecast. TheBaroness said that she andother diaspora Indians,“are like the banyan tree,with roots in India,”adapting to life abroad.She quoted Gandhi; “Anation’s culture resides inthe hearts of its people.”Chief Guest the Indian

High Commissioner, H.E.Mr Ranjan Mathai, saidthat he was honoured tobe attending the celebra-tion of India’s 66thRepublic Day and that heand his wife Mrs GitaMathai always enjoyattending Bhavan events.Mr Mathai described

India as a “Modern nationbuilt on a vibrant culturalheritage.” He referred toUS President Obama’srecent second visit toIndia and the close tiesthat had developedbetween India and theUSA during the past eightmonths. He said that 2015

was likely to be evenbusier for P.M. NarendraModi, who wanted thediaspora “to contribute toIndia’s knowledge.” Hementioned how 177 out of193 nations co-sponsoredIndia’s resolution to cre-ate a World Yoga Day onJune 21st and that theHigh Commission wouldbe celebrating the event.He gave praise, saying

“the Bhavan communi-cates Indian values ineverything you say anddo.” He quoted IndianPresident PranabMukherjee, describingthe Indian Constitutionas “The Holy Book ofDemocracy”. Mr Mathaialso said that the strengthof society is measured byits survival and thestrength of its institu-tions.Dr Marr gave a vote of

thanks, and The Bhavan’sParvati Nair introducedpatriotic Bengali,Hindustani and Karnaticsongs followed byBharatanatyam andKathak dance presenta-tions. The Indian nationalanthem ended proceed-ings.

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

Gandhi Martyr's Day wasobserved on Friday 30thJanuary, 2015 atTavistock Square in theLondon Borough ofCamden. Despite the coldweather, many esteemedmembers of the BritishIndian community gath-ered at the iconic statueto pay tribute to Gandhion his death anniversary,organised by the IndianHigh Commission in asso-ciation with IndiaLeague.Attendees included:

HE Ranjan Mathai, HighCommissioner of India,Mayor of Camden,British Indian MPs andPeers, CB Patel,Chairman of the IndiaLeague andPublisher/Editor of AsianVoice and GujaratSamachar, Sri JoginderSanger, Chairman ofBhartiya Vidya Bhavan

and many other seniorrepresentatives of Indianorganisations based inBritain.

The programmeincluded dignitaries pay-ing floral tribute to thestatue followed by short

speeches, bhajans andvedic prayers by studentsof the Bharatiya VidyaBhavan (UK).

Students from Bhavan singing Gandhi's favourite bhajans

HE Ranjan Mathai, HighCommissioner of India

addressing the gathering

India League Chairman CB Patel giving his speech

HE Ranjan Mathai, Lord Suri, Mr J Sanger, Dr Rami Ranger, Cllr Sunil Chopra, Mayor ofSouthwark, Councillor Manju Shahul-Hameed, Mayor of Croydon, India League Chairman

CB Patel and others attending Gandhi Martyr's Day

London observes Gandhi Martyr'sDay at Tavistock square

COMMUNITYwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 15

www.metropoliswembley.co.uk

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

Abreathtaking view of Wembley Stadiumperfect location for your next big eventAn ideal venue for parties, sanji, mendhi night and receptions.Abreathtaking view of Wembley Stadiumperfect location for your next big eventAn ideal venue for parties, sanji, mendhi night and receptions.

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

High Commission of India celebrates RepublicDay with the diasporaRupanjana Dutta

The Indian HighCommission organised theannual Republic day cele-brations for the diasporaat London's Park Lane inGrosvenor House onTuesday 27th January.

It was attended by thewho's who of the Indiancommunity and Britishsociety, including politi-cians, businessmen,organisational and com-munity leaders, profes-sionals, journalists andrenowned film actor KabirBedi. The HighCommissioner of India,HE Ranjan Mathai andwife Mrs Gita Mathai,Deputy HighCommissioner DrVirander Paul with wifeMrs Rachel Paul stood bythe main entrance to thehall, welcoming each guestpersonally.

The formal part of theevening started with theBritish and Indian nation-al anthem, followed byperformances by artistsrepresenting the culturesof different states of India.

The Indian HighCommission HE RanjanMathai, welcomed theguests and spoke aboutIndia, making reference tothe President's speech.

This was followed byExchequer Secretary tothe Treasury and PMCameron's IndianDiaspora Champion MsPriti Patel MP. Shespoke about the long last-ing relationship betweenBritain and India, refer-ring to the British gov-ernment's investmentsand encouragements inthe areas of bilateraltrade, education andmany more. She conclud-ed her speech saying,“This year, our PrimeMinister has personallyinvited Prime MinisterModi to visit the UK.

“The much anticipat-ed statue of MahatmaGandhi in London’sParliament Square herein London will carry huge

resonance in both ournations, and indeed acrossthe world. I know thatmany people in the diaspo-ra community have madesignificant contributionsto this project – the firstIndian to be honouredwith a statue in

Parliament Square, andthe first man who was nei-ther a Prime Minister nora President. And I wouldlike to warmly thank youfor your help and generos-ity.

“We will continue towork to reinforce ties

between the UK and Indiaeven further, and to devel-op the opportunities ourrelationship brings to bothof us.”

The evening came to aclose with a spread ofIndian dinner, catered byRagasaan.

HE Ranjan Mathai addressingthe guests

Indian Diaspora ChampionMs Priti Patel MP giving

her speech

Flag hoisting ceremony at India House by HE RanjanMathai, High Commissioner of India on 26th January to

celebrate Republic Day with his team

The invited guests atGrosvenor House

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201516 GE 201590 Days To Go

Making Your Vote Matter

Conservative PartyParliamentary Prospective Candidates

Kishan Devani- Leicester EastKishan Devani vows tostand up for hard-workingfamilies, and work to cre-ate better opportunities forparents and their childrenalike.

Chamali Fernando-CambridgeChamali first started tothink about politics whilestudying A' Level in poli-tics at CambridgeSeminars; wanting to giveback to the communitythat inspired her.

Nusrat Ghani- WealdenNusrat was the firstwoman in her family to goto University and gained aMasters in InternationalRelations from LeedsUniversity.

Altaf Hussain- SwanseaEastIf elected, he will worktirelessly for the people ofSwansea East and willbring his experience tobear in fighting hard for abetter service.

Ranil Jaywardena- North EastHampshire

Ranil Jaywardena is analumnus of the LSE and isa Fellow of the RSA; hehas a useful insight intotoday’s economic chal-lenges.

Resham Kotecha- Dulwichand West NorwoodResham aims to ensureevery child in the con-stituency has access to aplace at a great school,attract infrastructure anddevelopment without com-promising the charm andgreenery of the con-stituency.

Seema Kennedy- South RibbleSeema would defend therights of older people sothey can enjoy securityand dignity after a lifetimeof hard work.

Mina Rahman-BarkingMina

Rahman wants to protectthe welfare of the elderlypeople in Barking becausethey are an asset to ourcommunity.

Suhail Rahuja- Hornsey and WoodGreen

Suhail will focus on jobcreation, business invest-ment and he will workhard to make sure thatsmall businesses thrive.

Gurcharan Singh- SloughAs Mayor

for the London Borough ofEaling, he has raisedmoney for multiple chari-ties.

Rishi Sunak- Richmond(Yorks)If elected, he shall champi-on the people of Richmond(Yorks), listening to theirconcerns and fighting fortheir interests.

Azi Ahmed- RochdaleA former member of theBritish Army, Azi Ahmedworks for a homeless char-ity and volunteering asSchool Governor. for ahomeless charity and

Afzal Amin- Dudley NorthAfzal Amin was an officerin the British Army for 11years, serving in Iraq andAfghanistan. He aims tostand up for you and yourfamily- both in the com-munity and atWestminster.

Current MPs

Sajid Javid- MP for BromsgroveSajid, at the age of 24,went on to become theyoungest Vice President inthe history of ChaseManhattan Bank.

Priti Patel- MP forWitham

Priti is the ExchequerSecretary to the Treasuryand PM Cameron's IndianDiaspora Champion.Before embarking on acareer in public affairs andcommunications, Pritiworked in the

Conservative Research Department.

Alok Sharma- MP forReading WestAlok is also Co-Chairmanof Conservative Friends ofIndia

Paul Uppal-MP for WolverhamptonSouth WestSince having been electedin 2010, Paul has stoodup for residents across theconstituency by champi-

oning the causes that matter.

Shailesh Vara- MP for North WestCambridgeshireShailesh is theParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for theMinistry of Justice withresponsibility for theCourts and Legal Aid.Before his election toParliament, he was Vice Chairman of theConservative Party from 2001 to 2005.

Rehman Chishti MP for Gillingham andRainham

Chishti served as aPolitical Adviser toBenazir Bhutto, formerPrime Minister of Pakistan1999-2007. He is aMember of the JusticeSelect Committee of the

House of Commons, having previouslybeen a Member of the Joint Committeeof the Human Rights Committee. In July2014, he was made ParliamentaryPrivate Secretary to Nick Gibb, theMinister of State for Education.

Labour PartyParliamentary

Prospective Candidates

Anawar Miah- Welwyn,HatfieldAnawar previously sat onthe Access to the BarCommittee of the GeneralCouncil of the Bar.

Sachin Patel- RichmondParkSachin Patel is a 26 yearold man who has been amember of USDAW, thetrade union from the ageof 16.

Purna Sen- Brighton,PavilionPurna’s work has cov-ered various aspects ofdiscrimination andinequality, in the UK and

beyond.

Manjinder Singh Kang-CotswoldManjinder, 27 is a TraineeSolicitor and is due toqualify as a Solicitor inearly February 2015.He

studied for his undergraduate law degreeand post-graduate in Nottingham.

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

Sundip Meghani-Harborough, Oadby and Wigston

He was elected as aCouncillor in 2011 andsubsequently served as aBoard Member of theLeicestershire PoliceAuthority.

Bilal Mahmood-Chingford and WoodfordGreenBilal has developed men-toring programmes, focus-ing on those from disad-vantaged backgroundsincluding his old school.

Uma Kumaran- Harrow EastUma works for a pioneer-ing inner city Councilimplementing some of theLabour’s flagship policiesthat are making a real dif-ference to everyday lives.

Amanjit Jhund- EastDunbartonshireWhilst at University,Amanjit became the 1stUK national and 2nd per-son in the world to beaccepted to studyHepatology at HarvardMedical School.

Rupa Huq- Ealing Central and ActonRupa attended CambridgeUniversity where she firstjoined labour in 1991 andcampaigned in the generalelection the followingyear.

Tulip Siddiq- Hampsteadand KilburnTulip also oversawCamden’s engagementwith the 2012 LondonOlympics.

Amina Lone- Morecambeand Lunesdale

AminaLone was selected asLabour’s Parliamentarycandidate for Morecambeand Lunesdale.

Azhar Ali- PendleAzhar Ali is currently

cabinet member for mem-ber for health and wellbe-ing on Lancashire CountyCouncil.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi-Gravesham

Tanmanjeetstudied Mathematics withManagement Studies atUniversity CollegeLondon, before studyingApplied Statistics at KebleCollege, OxfordUniversity.

Naushabah Khan- Rochester StroodNaushabah first started campaigningwhen she studied Historyat the University ofBirmingham.

Charanjeet Singh- SouthWest Devon

Beinginvolved inthe retail sector in a closeknit community helpedCharanjeet to become 'apeople person' and a goodlistener who is able topoint people in the right

direction when they need advice andguidance.

Bally Singh- Kenilworthand SouthamBally Singh has been astrong voice and leader formany campaigns duringhis time as a ward council-lor.

Current MPs

Seema Malhotra- MP forFeltham and Heston.Seema is the ShadowMinister for Preventing

Reshma Trilochun and Rupanjana Dutta

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

GE 2015www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 17

Violence Against Women and Girls.Since becoming an MP, Seema has cam-paigned locally on support for smallbusinesses, tackling unemployment,improving public health and civicengagement.

Shabana Mahmood- MPfor BirminghamLadywoodShabana made history inbecoming one of the firstMuslim women, and oneof the first Asian women,to be elected toParliament.

Virendra Sharma- MP forEaling and SouthallDuring his time inParliament, Virendra hasserved as a member of theInternational DevelopmentSelect Committee.

Anas Sarwar- MP for Glasgow CentralAnas has been a cam-paigning member of theScottish Labour Partysince the age of 16.

Khalid Mahmood- MPfor Birmingham, PerryBarr

In Parliament, Khalid hasheld a number of positionsincluding PPS to TonyMcNulty MP and as amember of the HomeAffairs Committee.

Rushanara Ali- MP for Bethnal Greenand BowElected as the Member ofParliament for BethnalGreen and Bow at the UKGeneral Election in May2010.

Sadiq Khan- MP for TootingSadiq Khan is the ShadowSecretary of State forJustice. In 2013, SadiqKhan was also appointedas Shadow Minister forLondon.

Keith Vaz- MP for Leicester EastKeith Vaz is the Chair ofthe Home AffairsCommittee. He was firstelected in June 1987 andhas been re-elected as aMember of Parliament 6times. He was the firstperson of Asian origin to sit in theHouse of Commons since 1922.

Lisa Nandy MP for WiganLisa was appointed to theEducation Select Committeeand was appointedParliamentary PrivateSecretary to the ShadowCabinet Minister for theOlympics, Tessa Jowell, in

2010. In 2012, she was made shadow jun-ior education minister after the reshuffletriggered by the resignation of Peter Hain.

Valerie Vaz, MP forWalsallValerie was selected as aLabour member of theHealth Select Committeein 2010. She is also ViceChairwoman of theLabour Parliamentary Party.

Liberal DemocratsParliamentary Prospective Candidates

Harrish Bisnauthsing-Grantham and StanfordHarrish Bisnauthsing iswell-known as a localcouncillor, having beenelected to StamfordTown Council in 1987.

Zuffar Haq- HarboroughHealth Campaigner, ZuffarHaq has been selected tostand for HarboroughConstituency in the gener-al elections.

Parmjit Singh Gill-Leicester South

In 2004, Parmjit Singh Gillbecame the first LiberalDemocrat MP from an eth-nic minority in a 21%swing from labout (BBCNews).

Prince Sadik Chaudhury-North NorthamptonshireSadik is a local business-man and formerNorthampton BoroughCouncillor. While he wasstudying at the Universityof Northampton to becomea Barrister, his interests inpolitics prevailed.

Amna Ahmad- StreathamAmna has recently workedon projects to encouragechildren to be more physi-cally active and healthyand to increase publicawareness of local healthservices.

Shas Sheehan- WimbledonIn 2010 Shas was theLiberal DemocratParliamentary Candidatefor Wimbledon, fighting atremendous campaignagainst the proposed clo-sure of KingstonHospital’s A&E, maternityand children’s services.

Pramod Subbaraman- Edinburgh SouthPramod studied For hisDental Degree inBengaluru (1996-2001)and moved to the UK in2005 following ProfessorRaman Bedi's invitation toIndian dentists in 2004 tohelp ease the NHS short-

age in England at that time.

Sanjay Samani- AngusSanjay was the LiberalDemocrat candidate forAngus at the 2010 GeneralElection, where he ran acampaign focussed on theconcerns of local people.

Reetendra Nath Banerji- SalisburyReetendra Nath Banerji isa self-employedManagement Consultantspecialising in ChangeManagement.

Abdul Malik- Bristol EastBorn in

Bristol, Abdul started offin business aged just 17and was elected asBristol’s first everAsian/Muslim Councillorin 2005.

Mohammad Ilyas- HalifaxMohammad joined theLiberal Democrats in2002 and has never beena member of any otherparty.

Aqila Choudhry- Leeds North EastAqila is currently a vol-untary sector representa-tive at the strategicboards of Leeds CityCouncil and a boardmember at LeedsHealthWatch andComplex Needs Board ofLeeds City Council.

The General Election inBritain is almost 90 daysfrom today (7th Feb). Inthe post war era this elec-tion is perhaps veryimportant as, it appearsnow, no party is likely togain a clear overall major-ity. As Nick Clegg hasadmitted, there will be acoalition governmentpost 7th May 2015 elec-tion. Mr Clegg believesthat the LiberalDemocrat party will be apartner in any coalition.Perhaps. Let the resultsspeak for themselves!

We, the members ofthe Black and Asianminorities have a veryimportant responsibilityto ensure that we dis-charge our franchise dili-gently and make our sub-stantial contribution inthe well being of thecountry. We have con-tributed in various waysin establishing the BritishEmpire. Over 5 millionfought in the World Warsfor Great Britain, nearly150,000 sacrificed theirlives. We are also trans-forming Britain to theeconomic power that it is,in the last two hundredodd years. Now some 5million Britons of Asianand Black parentage, wecarry the same if notmore onerous responsi-bility to maintain our tra-dition of contributing ourutmost to Great Britain.

Before I look back atthe results of 2010 gener-al elections I would liketo make a plea to all ourreaders and urge them toensure that they votewithout fail in the generalelection. Let the messagego to each and everymember of our communi-ties that our vote is verycrucial, perhaps more sonow than ever before inthe British Parliamentaryelections. Have youchecked whether yourname is registered in thevoters list? If not, don’tdelay and do it today.Please inform all thoserelations, friends andother acquaintances todo likewise. For thosewho are unable to votedue to any ill health orother disabilities there isa postal vote facility foreach voter. The system isstraightforward. If youare not too sure ask yourlocal councillor, agent ofany political party or aleading member of yourcommunity organisation.Vote you must on the 7thMay 2015. Which party isentirely your choice but,at the cost of repeatingmyself, to exercise ourfranchise is a very valu-able right and peoplehave sacrificed their free-dom (gone into prisons)and even laid down theirlives for this fundamentalright. Thank God we livein a democracy. Think ofall those who haven’t gota vote or could not partic-ipate in a free and fairelection. We are very for-tunate indeed to be able

to discharge our duty orcivic responsibility with-out hinderance.

2010 elections ata glance

In the 2010 GeneralElection there were 18South Asians represent-ing the Conservative andLabour parties in theHouse of Commons. Thiswas a substantialincrease from the previ-ous House of Commons.This year there are sub-stantially more AsianP r o s p e c t i v eParliamentary candidates- 18 Asians representingthe Conservatives, 26representing Labour and12 representing theLiberal Democrats. Someof the Asian candidatesare likely to be elected.

In 2010 the Black andMinority candidates werein the record numbers.There were several firstsalso. Shabana Mahmoodbecame the first Muslimwoman to be elected inBirmingham Ladywoodwhilst Helen Grant wasthe first Black woman torepresent theConservatives inWestminster. LaboursChi Onwurah was thefirst African woman towin a parliamentary seatin Newcastle Central andPriti Patel became theTory’s first Asian femalecandidate winningWitham in Essex. It wasalso interesting to notethat in the election of2010 the link betweenconstituencies with highproportions of minorityvoters and long standingBlack and Asian MPsremained firm in manyplaces. In BirminghamLadywood where 27 yearold Shabana Mahmoodheld on to Claire Shorts’former stronghold, theBlack (Pakistani) votewas regarded as a crucialwinning factor.

Several seats untilthen had been regardedas safe and yet providednerve racking counts forminority MPs. Thisincluded South London,were former TransportMinister Sadiq Khan sawhis majority cut by morethan half. In nearbyBrixton, there were jubi-lant cries of ‘yes weKhan’ when the resultwas announced but thebar that had been hiredout by supporters of thenew Streatham candidatefor Labour, ChukkaUmunna, hummed nerv-ously amid anxiety aboutthe well funded campaignof Liberal Democrat can-didate Chris Nicholson.

While Umunna’s andKhan’s efforts paid off,the Black Labour MP,Don Butler was unseatedin the new North Londonseat of Brent Central byLiberal Democrat SarahTeather. Supporters hadadmitted that Butler’scampaign suffered from alack of dynamism and a

shortage of volunteers. Itis important to recollectSalma Yaqoob wouldhave been the first hijab-wearing MP. Her defeatby Labour, inBirmingham Hall Green,is one of the most highprofile minority failures.

The LiberalDemocrats were the onlymain party with nominority MP. Let us seewhat will be happeningnow.

In Asian Voice thisweek we have listed theSouth Asian MPs in theCommons now and theP r o s p e c t i v eP a r l i a m e n t a r yCandidates from thethree main parties. Itappears that in spite ofthe larger presence ofpeople of Indian origin inBritain, the political par-ticipation and success ofthose from Pakistan orBangladesh is substan-tial. There is no excusefor the lack of effectiveIndian inputs in Britishpolitics. Maybe there aremany South Asian candi-dates. Maybe some ofthem are elected but theelection is still some threemonths away and asHarold Wilson said somefifty years ago ‘a week is along time in politics’.

Elections in IndiaLet’s now take a pauseand look at what is hap-pening in India today -7th February. The 70seats of the Delhi StateAssembly are up forgrabs. Ten days ago whenthe Bharatiya JanataParty (BJP) announcedthe former (first Indianwoman) IPS officer asthe Chief Ministerial can-didate it was described as‘a master stroke’. On 2ndFebruary the BJP cannotbe so sure. PrimeMinister Narendra Modi,who won the 16thGeneral Election so spec-tacularly last May andwon several States handsdown for his party in thelast few months, is work-ing very hard to say theleast to repeat his win-ning formula in Delhi.Maybe he can but theAam Aadmi Party (AAP)is really fighting verywell. It looks like a fightbetween David andGoliath but there is nocertainty that David willwin. Next week we willknow the result. If theBJP win, it will be anoth-er shot in the arm ofNarendra Modi. If ArvindKarjariwal becomes onceagain the Chief Ministerof Delhi State, it maybe aboonfor democraticIndia. Such an eventuali-ty i.e. defeat of the BJP inDelhi could, in its ownway, make the Modi gov-ernment more focusedand the Indian voters jus-tifiably more demandingand confident.

[More to follow nextweek]

- CB

As I See ItGeneral Election 2015 - our vote is crucial

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201518

Dear Financial Voice Reader,

I write to you having returned from WashingtonDC. What is it about Americans when it comes topitching? They just wipe the floor with everyoneelse. I’ve been listening to business pitches for overa decade now, from US, to China, India, and evenMalaysia and Thailand – let alone from Britain. Having just got back from the States I can tell

you they are hands down the best. And there is noexcuse for the others being so poor at it. After all,it’s only the entrepreneurial dream of your ownbusiness you’re flushing away by horrible pitching.So what do the Americans do so right, and what

can the rest of the world find online to help themnever make poor pitching mistakes again?First, the Americans know the answers to obvi-

ous questions – what will be your turnover? What’syour profit margin? How have you come to the val-uation of your company? Will you need futurefunding or is this it? And the answer to ‘why doyou need my money?’ is not ‘for marketing spend’.Second, the Americans solve problems, they do

not provide solutions looking for a problem. Theystart with ‘wouldn’t it be great if…’ or ‘isn’t it apain when….’ Not ‘I used to work in Multinational-horrible corp’.I’ve found at pitching sessions, Indians start off

with their life stories – actually the life stories oftheir grandparents. By the time they get to theirproduct, times already up…or I’m sleeping. The Malaysians and Thai are just too centred on

their tiny domestic markets. The Americans areaiming at global markets on day one. They want torule the world, not just their neighbourhood. The Chinese, well frankly unless from Hong

Kong, invariably drone on at me for about 2 hoursin a 600 slide presentation in Mandarin – this actu-ally only happened a few times – but the memory ispainful I fear returning to Shanghai or Beijing. Surethey make iPhones, but that’s for the Americanentrepreneur. The Brits – once global rulers, now just embar-

rassed to pitch. They’re almost apologising – or atthe other extreme aping American’s without beingauthentic. And they rarely know the answer to‘how did you come up with wanting £500,000 for10% of your company’. If you can’t value your com-pany, why should anyone give you money? It’smoney. You can’t seem to value it. And there is no excuse for poor pathetic per-

formance from others. To improve your pitchingand get what investors are after here are the keyessentials you need to visit online:First, check out Angel List (angel.co) – see

who’s getting funding and how slick their pitcheslook. Copy that.Second, have a look on Slideshare at presenta-

tions from some of the best VCs in the world tellingyou what you should have in your pitch. Come on,a tutorial from Elon Musk – that’s got to be worth30 minutes of anybody’s time.Third, watch Shark Tank. Not Dragon’s Den.

It’s on YouTube – I don’t care where you are in theworld you have no excuse for not knowing how topitch – unless you think YouTube is purely forwatching dogs do backflips. It’s an education toolthe likes of which we’ve never seen. You’ve neverhad tutorials from Bill Gates and Richard Branson– but most people want to watch an angry catinstead.Four, check out the free courses on Udemy.com

– the online education site. There are some amaz-ing experts.Finally – look at the websites of the largest

Venture Capital firms and Angel groups – they giveamazing guidance – because they too are afraid ofthe poor pitch.

Alpesh PatelAlpesh is the senior most member of a UK

Government team which has brought to the UKentrepreneur led companies worth $1billion+ overthe past decade as part of the UKTI GlobalEntrepreneur Programme. He runs a Private Equityfund from the UK.

Asian Voice readers get 33% off my FX onlinetraining course: www.udemy.com/tradefx4profit(coupon code: AsianVoice1)

India plans to raise Rs 50billion ($ 809 million) byselling additional units ofa fund made up of sharesin public sector compa-nies, a move which wouldboost government effortsto trim its deficit.The previous govern-

ment had set up theexchange traded fund(ETF) last year as a way ofselling shares in 10 state-owned companies. Itraised Rs 30 billion in anoversubscribed offering asinvestors welcomed accessto a basket of firms.The government of

Prime Minister NarendraModi, elected last May,hopes to again tapappetite for a fund thathas outperformed theIndian market, alreadyone of Asia's strongest

performers. GoldmanSachs, which is the assetmanager of the fund, is setto issue the new ETF unitsbefore the end of the fiscalyear on March 31, thesource said."We have the finance

ministry's go-ahead andare working out the finaldetails," the source, who isdirectly involved in pro-ceedings said. The govern-ment has set a target of$10 billion to be raised byselling government-heldshares, in order to trim the

fiscal deficit to a seven-year low by the end ofMarch.Expanding the Central

Public Sector Enterprise(CPSE) ETF would be awelcome lift. The ETFcomprises 10 stocks, mix-ing heavyweights such asCoal India Ltd and Oil &Natural Gas CorporationLtd with laggards such asBharat Electronics Ltdand Engineers India Ltd.The unit value of the

fund has increased 38.8per cent since its launchlast March, outperforminga strong 30.6 per cent risein the NSE index duringthe same period.To date, the current

government has raised$3.9 billion out of its $10billion target, most of itcoming from last week's

record offering of a 10 percent equity stake in state-run Coal India.However, plans for a

second exchange tradedfund announced last yearhave been put on hold, thesource added. The fundwas to have been made upof government-heldminority shares in non-state firms including ITC,Larsen & Toubro and AxisBank. Finance ministry offi-

cials declined to commentbut said that the govern-ment was considering alloptions to meet its target."We are working on manyissues," Aradhana Johri,secretary in-charge of thegovernment's disinvest-ment programme, had saidafter the sale of Coal Indiashares.

India's economy grewalmost 50 per cent fasterin 2013/14 than earlierthought, the governmentsaid after changing a for-mula, a reminder of thechallenges that unreliablestatistics present toIndian policy makers. Inthe year leading up to theelections that broughtPrime Minister NarendraModi to power last May,the economy grew 6.9 percent, not the 4.7 per centreported earlier, chief stat-istician TCA Anant toldreporters.Modi's campaign suc-

ceeded partly because ofthe widespread feelingthat his predecessors fromthe Congress party hadplunged the economy intothe country's longestdeceleration in growth ina generation.The revised formula,

showing a faster recovery,includes under-represent-ed and informal sectors aswell as items such assmartphones and LED tel-

evision sets in grossdomestic product. Thatcould boost India's growthfigure in the year endingin March 2015, which theReserve Bank of India(RBI) has projected to bearound 5.5 per cent.Some in government

predict the change willhelp bring down the fiscaldeficit as a share of grossdomestic product, makingit easier for Modi to trimthe gap to a seven-yearlow of 4.1 per cent in theyear to March despite ashortfall in revenue.However, Anant said

the overall size of India's$1.8 trillion economy hadnot changed enough toshift the ratio significant-ly, adding: "Our ranking inGDP terms will notchange as the size of econ-omy has almost remainedthe same."The new methodology

moves India more in linewith global standards bymeasuring the economy atmarket prices, and bytracking consumer ratherthan wholesale inflation."This will help lower mar-ket distortions and givebetter representation to

the manufacturing sector,"said Soumya KantiGhosh, chief economicadviser at State Bank ofIndia.But the frequent GDP

revisions and other defi-cient data are a headachefor economic planners.Among the worst

offenders are the volatileindex for industrial pro-duction and the joblessnumbers, seen as veryunrepresentative. The lat-est GDP revision is part ofa change to the method ofcalculating nationalaccounts that happensevery five years."It is a problem for the

government and econo-mists who are trying tounderstand the exact situ-ation," said D.H. PaiPanandiker, president ofRPG Foundation, an eco-nomic policy group inNew Delhi. "It is even aproblem for the RBI, thatdoesn't have a full viewabout how the economy isperforming."

India's economic growth revisedup by almost 50%

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

After nearly 60 years asthe official mascot of AirIndia, the Maharaja istrading in his regal robesand turban for jeans and asmartphone. The updatein the mascot’s look wasspearheaded by IndianPrime Minister NarendraModi, who took office in2014. In meeting with theleadership of Air India,one of the first assign-ments Modi handed downto the airline was updatingthe look of the Maharaja.Modi asked for the mascotto reflect the “aam addi-mi” - the common man.

As a result, the newMaharaja is a far depar-ture from the mascotdebuted in 1946. Sportinga spiked hairstyle andwhite sneakers, the onlysimilarity to the previousMaharaja is the trademarkmoustache. Air India offi-cials plan on showcasing

the newMaharaja across27 different set-ting, reflectingdifferent desti-nations the air-line serves andportraying a starmember of the

Indian cricket team.“The new Maharajah

is aligned with the moderntimes and with the new AIwhich is also trying to cutflab to become a lean com-mercial entity,” an AirIndia representative said.“The Maharajah now hasa leaner, young, sporty and

more dynamic look.”While the update was

made to reflect India as amodern nation, many havecriticized the new look.According to Quartz, themore barbed comments onTwitter compare the newMaharaja to a “New Yorkcab driver,” while an edi-torial published by 'TheEconomic Times' claimsthe new Maharaja could“be seen as evidence of thelumbering airline’searnestness to embark ona radical weight reductionexercise, if not bariatricsurgery, just yet.”

Air India’s Maharaja gets a makeover

REAL ESTATE VOICEwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 19

Suresh VagjianiSow & Reap

A Property InvestmentCompany

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

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

I mentioned to him not to go for mediocre deals, we have some-thing on the burner for £2.625m which is worth in excess of £3mwithout lifting a finger. If the property is developed at a cost of£350k the end value would be conservatively £4.2m. Therefore hewould have a much better return on this project and it is currentlyopen for investment.

There are two numbers which justify this deal, both right nextdoor to this property so you cannot find any closer comparisons.One of them is a historical sale price and the other is a propertywhich is about to come onto the market shortly.

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

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

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

In one situation a few years ago there was a clever jeweler fromKenya, I thought we had some trust and honesty between us. Henever signed a contract despite the numerous transactions we haddone together. Unfortunately he had a bad habit of continually lyingin his dealings with us and when confronted he spoke more lies tocover the same lies up; and then he got annoyed when we broughtthese issues up, to the point where he cut off communication stillowing us several hundred thousands of pounds.

Clearly this man is in desperate need of money, more so than us.Therefore my view was he should keep the whole lot and choke onit; ill earned money will never do any good in the long term.

Working With The Right Network Will Be Your Networth

The property next door sold for £3.9m in August 2014, the other property is comingonto the market at £4.5m. The property we have is bigger than both of these, thereforeassuming a resell of £4.2m is being conservative.

In any transaction two individuals will have different viewpoints, a contract servesto merely clarify specified eventualities. It is no substitute for someone’s character.

It is of course wise to have terms of business spelled out in writ-ing which we have, through painful lessons, seen the importance of,and have checks and balances entwined in the transaction. Forexample none of the funds are handled by us, they are channeledeither through a lawyer’s account or an FCA registered administra-tor who is authorised to hold monies. This gives the investors somelayers of comfort.

This is one issue the potential client brought up, that he has beenauthorised to handle other people’s money and how can he be justi-fied to hand this trust over to someone else? A fair and open ques-tion.

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

There is a saving g race with proper ty, g iven time i t wi l lalways bounce back . Why does this principal ho ld truefor prope rty as opposed to many other investments?Looking at the basics you have a f ini te commodity – land- with something even more f ini te – proper ty - on i t , ve r-sus money. Money is not f ini te i t i s po tentia l ly in fin it e,it has been continually printed in greater and greate rquanti t ies e special ly in recent years by the centra lbanks . Therefore as t ime goes on you wil l require moreand more of i t to buy the same amount of proper ty. Thisis as s imple and basic as i t gets .

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

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

Marylebone, London, W1Purchase Price: £2.85m

l A large property in a beautiful streetl Freeholdl High ceilings with period featuresl Close to Hyde Parkl Properties in this location are being sold for around £1,550 per sq. ft. and above while this is coming in at around £1,070 sq. ft.

l Plan is to convert it into two flatsl End value after conversion expected to be

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l The money you invest in property willgrow in direct proportion with the locationyou invest in.

l When purchasing and developing alwayskeep the buyer in mind, not your own pref-erences.

Follow us online:

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201520 BUSINESS

The Japanese auto giantSuzuki Group plans toinvest around Rs 85 billionover the next few years toset up three plants atHansalpur, Gujarat, with atotal annual capacity of7,50,000 vehicles. The firstplant will commence pro-duction by mid-2017,which is being set up at aninvestment of about Rs 30billion and will have anannual capacity of2,50,000 units.

The vehicles manufac-tured at these facilities willbe supplied exclusively toMaruti Suzuki India Ltd(MSIL) and support itsobjective of reachingannual sales of two millionunits in the medium term.

Gujarat CMAnandiben Patel laid thefoundation stone forSuzuki’s Hansalpur man-ufacturing facility in thepresence of Takeshi Yagi,ambassador of Japan toIndia, Rajnikant Patel,home minister, govern-ment of Gujarat, OsamuSuzuki, chairman andCEO Suzuki MotorCorporation (SMC),Japan, R C Bhargava,chairman, MSIL andKenichi Ayukawa, manag-ing director, MSIL.

Speaking at the cere-mony Bhargava said, “Thecompany has acquired 640acres of land for the plant,of which around 140 acre

will be used to set up ven-dor park. Apart from this,Japan External TradeOrganization (JETRO) isalso in the process of set-ting up an industrial parkin the vicinity where someof the Japanese vendorsmay set up their units.”

“This is SMC's secondproject in India,” saidOsamu Suzuki whileterming the project as thebeginning of new era forthe company. “The compa-ny expects to export 10-15% of its production fromGujarat plant.

The company has alsoprivately acquired land inVithalapur for furtherexpansion,” addedBhargava. When askedabout the state supportagreement with theGujarat government,Bhargava saw no difficul-ties with regard to theagreement in the backdrop of parent companybuilding the plant.

The number ofJapanese companies havedoubled in last one year inGujarat. “In 2002, therewas only one Japanesefirm and today there are26. Japan will investaround $35 billion in nextfive years in India for vari-ous projects, includinginfrastructure develop-ment,” said Takeshi Yagi,ambassador of Japan toIndia.

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

The Reserve Bank of Indiaheld interest rates steadyat 7.75 per cent onTuesday after easing mon-etary policy just threeweeks ago, leaving its nextmove probably until afterthe government presentsits annual budget at theend of this month.

Instead, the ReserveBank of India cut thestatutory liquidity ratio(SLR) - or the amount ofbonds that lenders mustset aside - by 50 basispoints to 21.5 per cent ofdeposits from Feb. 7, prod-ding banks to increaselending.

"Banks should use thisheadroom to increase theirlending to productive sec-tors on competitive termsso as to support invest-ment and growth," the RBIsaid in a statement.

The RBI also

announced a slew of ini-tiatives to develop mar-kets, including allowingforeign institutionalinvestors to re-invest gov-ernment bond couponseven when their invest-ment limits are exhausted.

Most economists hadexpected the RBI to keepits repo policy rate steady,and reduce rates later solong as the budget, due to

be unveiled by financeminister Arun Jaitley onFeb. 28, does not disap-point in terms of reducingthe fiscal deficit.

The RBI said in itsstatement that it wantedmore comfort that infla-tion would continue toease and that it wouldawait action from the gov-ernment regarding thecountry's finances. "Giventhat there have been nosubstantial new develop-ments on the disinflation-ary process or on the fiscaloutlook since January 15,it is appropriate for theReserve Bank to awaitthem and maintain thecurrent interest stance,"the central bank said.

Comforted by fallingworld oil prices and infla-tion slowing, the RBI hadsurprised investors with25 basis points cut in the

repo rate on Jan. 15, eventhough investors wereexpecting the central bankto embark on an easingcycle at some point duringthe early months of theyear.

The RBI clearly sawlittle point in waiting anylonger to reduce borrow-ing costs in an economythat was struggling togather momentum.

Markets are pricing inmore interest rate cutsover the rest of the yeargiven inflation is expectedto remain subdued on theback of a plunge in globalcrude prices and bigger-than-expected falls indomestic vegetable andfruit prices.

Consumer prices rose5 per cent in December,well within the RBI targetof 6 per cent by January2016.

The tax departmenthas asked its officersnot to press aheadwith transfer pricingcases similar toVodafone, a signalwhich is expected tobring comfort to sever-al multinational firmsgrappling with suchtax demands.

The move comes a dayafter the governmentdecided it will not appealagainst a Bombay highcourt order in a Rs 32 bil-lion tax case involvingglobal telecom giantVodafone to avoid “fruit-less litigation”. Officersdealing with similar trans-fer pricing cases havebeen asked to adhere tothe court ruling.

In a circular to fieldofficers, the Central Boardof Direct Taxes (CBDT)said: “…the Board hasaccepted the decision ofthe high court. It is direct-

ed that the ratio decidedin the judgment must beadhered to by field officersin all cases where thisissue is involved.”

The case involvingVodafone India is a trans-fer pricing dispute, datingback to August 2008, andis different from the Rs130 billion capital gainstax levy, which was to bepaid by Hutch when itsold its stake to theBritish major. Severalmultinational firms suchas Shell and Nokia havecomplained of gettingunfair deal with the Dutchoil major winning the casein similar transfer pricing

case in the BombayHC. Nokia has decidedto shut shop after ithad to keep the Indianplant, and its vendorssuch as Flextronics toois downing shuttersdue to what many termas “adversarial” taxregime.The Modi administra-

tion has vowed to providea non-adversarial taxregime and has asked thetax authorities to ensurethat there is no harass-ment of taxpayers. Thestring of high-profile taxcases include the issue ofretrospective taxationthat scared investors andprompted them to go slowon their plans in the coun-try. The Modi governmentis now seeking to attractforeign investment toboost growth and is keento provide a “predictableand transparent taxregime.”

Tata Motors, the world'sfourth largest truckmaker, plans to raise up toRs 75 billion via a rightsissue over the comingmonths, its third suchoffering in the company'shistory since it got listedin 1955.

Cyrus Mistry-led TataMotors will be approach-ing shareholders for theirapproval to allow thevehicle manufacturer toissue new equity shares toreduce its debt load,which stood at Rs 607.74billion as on September30, 2014.

The rights issue willbe for both ordinary andclass A (commonly calledDVRs or differential vot-ing rights) shareholders.Through a rights offering,a company gives its exist-ing shareholders newshares in proportion totheir current holding.Such a fund-raisingmethod also allows pro-moters to avoid diluting

their stakes in the compa-ny. Tata Motors' promot-ers, including Tata Sons,hold about 34% in themaker of Nano and Jaguarcars, which currently hasa market capitalization ofRs 1,630 billion.

In case of under-sub-scription, Tata Motors'proposed rights issue willbe mostly backed by thefounders. The company'sfirst rights offer came outin 2001 when convertibledebentures were issuedinstead of equity shares.Subsequently in 2008, itintroduced DVR sharesthrough a rights offering,along with an issue forordinary shares. Duringthe second offering, itspromoters picked up a sig-nificant share of the Rs41.47 billion issue afterTata Motors share pricefell well below the offerprice, which also led itspromoters hiking theirstake in the automobilecompany.

RBI holds rates, says trackinginflation, govt fiscal action

Tata Motors plans Rs 75 bn rights issue

Royal Enfield, originally aBritish marque fromRedditch, now owned byChennai-based EicherMotors, sold over 300,000bikes in 2014, thus out-numbering the US-basedmotorcycle giant - HarleyDavidson. Harley man-aged to sell a total of267,000 bikes in 2014.Though both the compa-nies don't compete witheach other globally, it's abig news in India sincethe two are leading mar-ket share holders in heavybike segment. The majorreason behind the rise inRE's global market shareis its affordability. WhileHarley's least expensivebike, the Street 750, costsRs 500,000 in India, RE'smost expensive bike - theContinental GT - costsabout Rs 200,000, whichis Rs 300,000 less thanthe cheapest Harley. Thatsaid, Harley is definitelyahead in the profit gamesince the premium on HDbikes is much more thanthat of RE bikes. RoyalEnfield concluded 2014with a strong sales per-formance and posted salesof 28,634 units in com-bined domestic wholesaleand exports in December,2014 - recording a growthof 48 per cent over thesame period last year. InJanuary too, the companyreported 42 per cent risein its domestic sales at28,157 units in January2015, compared to 19,808units in the correspondingmonth last year.

To further grow thislead, Royal Enfield is nowplanning to build a strongnetwork in WesternEurope and the US.Talking about the growth,while RE's global salesgrew by 70 per cent, theUS-based bike makergrew by only 3 per cent.

Royal Enfieldbeats HarleyDavidson inglobal sales

Taxmen told not to pursueVodafone-type case

Indian investments inmanufacturing and tech-nology deals in the US areset to be fast-tracked butinvestors have evincedstrong interest in the"Select USA" initiative,said senior US govern-ment official.

The optimism regard-ing increased Indianinvestments in manufac-turing and technology sec-tors in the US wasexpressed during a closeddoor meeting between USCommerce SecretaryPenny Pritzker and Indianinvestors. According tothe industry lobbyFederation of IndianChambers of Commerceand Industry (FICCI)which organised the event,Secretary Pritzker toldIndian investors that theUS is one of the leading

destinations for invest-ment. Pritzker said USPresident Barack Obamais taking special interest inthe "Select USA" initia-tive. She also announcedthat the "Select USA"investment summit isscheduled for March andurged Indian companies toparticipate in it to exploreinvestment opportunities.

Pritzker assured theIndian companies that hercommercial service teamwas dedicated to support-ing Indian firms who areplanning to expand acrosssectors in the US. Duringthe event, US DeputyNational Security Advisorfor InternationalEconomics CarolineAtkinson emphasised thatthis was the right time forimparting a thrust to US-India bilateral relations.

She also enumeratedthe benefits of participat-ing in Select USAInvestment Summit 2015.During the meeting,FICCI and consultancyfirm Ernst & Young (EY)presented their report onDirect investment inUnited States to SecretaryPritzker. "In the last twoyears, USA's share inIndia ODI (overseasdirect investment) hasgone from 5.5 per cent to7.8 per cent. Out of 268ODI acquisitions, 71 weremade in the US," said AjayKumar, partner - tax andregulatory services, EY.

"We expect big ticketinvestment in naturalresources and pharma.But technology will con-tinue to be the leading sec-tor in terms of number ofdeals," he added.

Indian investors evince stronginterest in US

Raghuram Rajan

Suzuki to invest Rs 85 bnin three Gujarat units

CURRENCY VOICEwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 21

Foreign Exchange

The UK Economy ends 2014with its best year since 2007with waning momentum, theeconomy grew 2.6 percent in2014. GDP slowed more thaneconomists forecast at the end of2014 as production and con-struction shrank, counteringstrength in consumerdemand. The 0.5 percent quar-terly expansion was the slowestin a year and compared with 0.7percent in the previous threemonths.

While it was also less thanthe 0.6 percent forecast, it stillmarked the eighth straight peri-od of expansion and capped theeconomy’s best year since2007. A leading economist at the(ONS) Office for NationalStatistics, said the cooling wasmainly due to “erratic" sectorsincluding construction and min-ing. Stating – It was too early tosay if there’s a general slowing-

down of the economy.UK 10-year bond yields fell

to a record low of 1.402 per cent,as investors rushed to ploughcash into an asset largely regard-ed as "safe". The fall came a dayafter Bank of England chiefeconomist Andrew Haldaneadmitted that "there's no rush" toraise interest rates. The base ratehas now been at 0.5 per cent for70 consecutive months.

At the same time, the Bank'sgovernor, Mark Carney, suggest-ed the UK could sink into defla-tion for a period of time, sug-gesting it will do all it can tokeep borrowing costs low. Thatdovish tone was enough to con-vince investors that the UK is areasonably reliable bet. The lasttime gilt yields were anywherenear this low was during theheight of the euro crisis, in 2012,as investors sought refuge in theUK's relatively safe governmentdebt. But that began to climb asrumours increased that the Bankof England could begin to hikerates.

Mark Carney praised theECB for the boldness of plans tobuy hundreds of billions ofEuro’s of government bonds tofight the combination of weakgrowth and falling prices. Healso states that the Eurozoneneeds more public spending in

its poorer areas. American consumers upped

their purchasing in the fourthquarter, just as companies hitthe brakes. While the economygrew at a 2.6 percent annualisedrate, the gain fell short of themedian forecasts and was wellbelow the 5 percent pace in thethird quarter.

Cheaper petrol prices andthe largest employment increasesince 1999 are boosting house-hold confidence, increasing theodds that consumer spendingcan sustain gains following itsbiggest advance in almost nine

years. At the same time, busi-ness investment is cooling ascompanies such as Caterpillarsay plunging oil prices, a risingdollar and slowing growthabroad hurt sales globally.

Consumer spending, whichaccounts for almost 70 percentof the economy, climbed at a 4.3percent rate, more than project-ed and the biggest gain since thefirst quarter of 2006.Households splurged on cloth-ing, recreation and going out fora spin in the car as sales of gaso-line climbed even after takinginto account the drop in prices.

Economy’s best year since 2007

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GBP - INR = 93.32

USD - INR = 61.65

EUR - INR = 70.75

GBP - USD = 1.51

GBP - EUR = 1.31

EUR - USD = 1.15

GBP - AED = 5.56

GBP - CAD = 1.88

GBP - NZD = 2.07

GBP - AUD = 1.95

GBP - ZAR = 17.25

GBP - HUF = 406.87

www.rationalfx.comInformation provided by RationalFX.None of the information on this pageconstitutes, nor should be construedas financial advice. The exchangerates used are the commercial foreignexchange rates provided byRationalFX. For a live quote or to findout more about how RationalFX canhelp you, call us on 0207 220 8181.

Weekly Currencies

As of Tuesday 3rd February 2015 @ 6pm

Who would have thoughtthat a polar bear could playcupid for someone. ForNimesh Chauhan, 27, thisturned out to be true.Many years back,

Nimesh took his friend tothe New Walk Museum inLeicester and they bothwere mesmerised by thedisplay of Peppy, the FoxesGlacier Mint bear. Nimeshdecided to ask his friend,Neha, 22, to be his girl-friend next to Peppy.Peppy holds emotional

importance in the couple'slives; hence, Nimeshdecide that there could beno better way to ask forNeha's hand in marriagethan by proposing to hernext to Peppy, who signi-fies an important symbol intheir relationship.

Nimesh got in touchwith the museum and theywere more than happy togive Nimesh a helpinghand by bringing Peppyback on display for him.Neha was too

enthralled to see Peppyback on display again. Asshe turned to express her

excitement, she spottedNimesh down on one knee,preparing to ask her thequestion. It was an unex-pected surprise for her andmost definitely, an unfor-gettable memory.The couple plan to get

married next year at avenue in Leicester.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201522 UK

Neha and Nimesh with Peppy the Bear

Nisa has dismissed cousinHarris Aslam, 18, andRaza Rehman, 24, whowere non-executive direc-tors of the company andfired after a leak of mem-bers' data was published byThe Sunday Times lastautumn. After an investi-gation carried out by EYand Kroll, Aslam andRehman were sacked lastweek. The inquiry lookedinto public exposure ofspreadsheet which con-tained the details of shop-keepers and online pass-

words for the upcomingannual meeting at Nisa. Aslam, pictured, joined

the Nisa board at the age of16; having left school atthe age of 13 to work in hisfamily's grocery business. Nisa is a mutually

owned convenience storesupplier and is consideredas one of Britain's biggestprivate companies.Speculations suggests thatthe timing of the leak wasrelated to the annual meet-ing in September, causingit to cause trouble within

the sector. This linked toCostcutter's cancellingtheir 27 years old relation-ship and go into partner-ship with another whole-saler, palmer & Harvey.This move costed Nisa£500m in sales and hascaused disturbance amongmany of 2,500 Costcutter'sshopkeepers.

Leaked information costsNISA £500 Million

Skyward Travel receives BestPerforming Travel Agent award

When Polar plays Cupid

A 32 year old man, TahaMohammad Aziz pervert-ed the course of justice byadopting his friend's iden-tity while caught red-handed, stealing atDebenhams at HighcrossShopping Centre,Leicester. This led to aninnocent man made tohaving proceedings takingplace against him in court. The officer at the

scene of theft had gone tothe friend's address givento him by Aziz, stating itto be his own. The officerconfirmed that the friend

was not the shoplifter.Police later identifiedAziz from his custody pic-ture. In a letter addressedto the court, Aziz men-tioned that he lost his par-ents at the age of 16 inIraq. He goes on to saythat he had committedshoplifting as he wasunsure of what his statusof immigration for the UKwas, which was underreview. He stressed that heis ashamed as it is becauseof him, an innocent manwas made to come beforecourt for no fault at all.

Aziz was told by JudgeNicholas Dean, QC, thatcompassion towards himis considerate but it is notrelevant for the seriousoffence he committed,also adding that“Perverting the course ofjustice and exposingsomeone to such a riskovershadows the offenceof stealing the perfume –and you’re a prolificshoplifter... It may beyour immigration statushas contributed to yourcontinuing to shoplift,but it’s no excuse.”

Man perverts course of justice byadopting friend's identity

The Food StandardAgency website haverevealed a list of eateries,such as cafes, takeawaysand bars in Leicestershirethat have received lowrankings in terms of theFood Standards Hygieneand require bettermenturgently. There are currently 19

outlets in Leicestershirethat have received thegrade zero; outlets such asCafe Chutney, bengalDiner and Chennai Dosaand many more. The fulllist is available and can befound on the FoodStandard Agency website.

Many Birminghamschools have comeunder speculationsand received flak dueto the “Trojan Horse”scheme. Another suchexample inBirmingham is SmallHeath, a non-faithsecondary school.Small Heath was onceregarded as an outstand-ing school; however, it willnow be ranked as inade-quate. After the previous

non-religious head left,the staff have been incommotion. During theirvisits to the school, Ofstedfound that the curriculumhad become too constric-tive.

Mrs Shanaz Khan, thenew headteacher at SmallHeath, previous deputyhead of Cathays HighSchool in Cardiff has beenallegedly backed by sever-al key plotters in TrojanHorse which encouragesthe removal of non-Muslim headteachersfrom schools to bereplaced by strict Islamicpractices at severalschools in Birmingham.

Low Standardof food inLeicester

Another “Trojan Horse” found On Wednesday 28th Jan2015 Jet Airways hostedan evening at theRadission Blu Portman toaward their top UK travelagents. Skylord Travel Plcwas given the award forBest Performing TravelAgent 2014 on JetAirways and EtihadAirways.Jet Airways and

Etihad Airways formed apartnership in 2013 andwork together to bring agreat product for thosetravelling to India fromthe UK.Skylord Travel isone of UK's largest travelcompanies, established in1983 with 5 UK offices inLondon, Birmingham,Manchester and Leeds.

L-R: Cramer Ball, CEO, Jet Airways, Rajan Sehgal,Chairman, Skylord Travel, Clive Wratten, GeneralManager UK and Ireland, Etihad Airways, LydiaNazareth, General Manager UK and Ireland, Jet

Airways, Ujjwal Sehgal, Director Skylord Travel andDalip Kumar, Director, Skylord Travel

Rahman accused of corruption at High Court hearingControversial BritishBangladeshi Mayor ofTower Hamlets has beenaccused of 'corruption'and 'illegal practices' at ahearing in the High Court.

Lutfur Rahman, theUK's first elected Muslimmayor, was also beenaccused of being a "liar"who used intimidationand engaged in fraudulentpractices during his cam-paign for a second term inoffice early last year. He issaid to have had the sup-port of close associateswho organized meetingsin the community and pro-moted the message thatthe opposition LabourParty was "un-Islamic"

whilst a vote against MrRahman would be"haram".Mr Rahman stood as

an independent candidate

after he was expelled fromthe Labour party overlinks with an Islamicextremist group.The High Court peti-

tion was brought by TowerHamlet residents, AzmalHussain, a Labour Partysupporter and restaurantowner; Labour Party can-didate Debbie Simone;UKIP supporter AngelaMoffat and Andy Erlam,an anti-corruption cam-paigner.If the allegations of

electoral fraud are proved,Mr Rahman's election willbe declared void and hewill be suspended. Hedenies any wrongdoing.The hearing continues.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 23WORLD

Beijing: India joinedhands with Russia andChina to fight terror,pledging at their 13th tri-lateral meeting to crackdown on not only terror-ists but also those whofinance and give refuge tothem.

The three nationsissued a strong joint state-ment on terror, saying reli-gious, racial and ethnicdivisions were no justifica-tion for terrorism.

Without naming anycountry, the communiquésaid there was a need to“bring to justice perpetra-tors, organisers, financiersand sponsors of terroristacts”. India's foreign min-ister Sushma Swaraj saidRussia and China wouldcooperate with New Delhiin implementing an India-sponsored anti-terror pro-posal lying dormant in theUN since 1996.

Swaraj said terror-related issues were thefocus area of the meetingthat lasted over 90 min-utes. Her Chinese coun-terpart Wang Yi andRussia’s long-time foreignminister Sergey Lavrovwere part of the meeting.They discussed new trendsin international terrorismand were on the samepage on the need to “stepup information gatheringand sharing, prevent the

use of the Internet andother communicationtechnologies for the pur-pose of recruitment andincitement to commit ter-rorist acts.”

Equally important,they said, was to preventfinancing, planning andpreparation of terror activ-ities, block terrorist move-ments and financing ofterrorism.

Russia and Chinaappeared more amenableabout India joining theAsia-Pacific EconomicCooperation (APEC)forum. The 12th trilateralmeeting had merely talkedabout India’s growing eco-nomic profile and eco-nomic linkages with APECmembers. “China andRussia would welcomeIndia’s participation in theAPEC,” says the state-ment. Swaraj said Russiaand China endorsed

India’s push to join theShanghai CooperationOrganisation (SCO). Thejoint communique alsoexpressed support forIndia's aspirations for aseat on the UN SecurityCouncil. While the previ-ous statement at the 12thmeeting only spoke gener-ally of UN reforms, the lat-est communique saidRussia and China "sup-ported India's aspirationto play a greater role" inthe UN.

China is, however, farfrom fully endorse India'sbid, and has expressedparticular concern aboutIndia tying its campaign tothe G4 group of nationsincluding Japan, Braziland Germany. China hassaid it can never support aJapanese seat on the body.

Asked about the com-munique's reference onthe UNSC, Hong saidChina was "willing tomake concerted effortswith all relevant parties toreach the broadest consen-sus on the package ofsolutions relating toreform of the UNSCthrough democratic con-sultation."

Meanwhile, Chinadeclined to say whether itscommitment to backIndia's push for a strongerUnited Nations effort tocrack down on interna-tional financing of terror-ism would impact its "all-weather" ally Pakistan.

Sino-Indian ties haveentered new phase: XiJinping

Chinese President XiJinping said that Sino-Indian ties had achieved aturnaround, havingentered a “new stage” ofpartnership following hisvisit to India in Septemberlast. “Since my visit toIndia, the relationsbetween our two countrieshave entered a new phase.The positive side of China-India relations has beengrowing,” President Xisaid, after he receivedSwaraj in the Great Hallof the People.

Modi to visit China byMay 26: Swaraj saidPrime Minister Modi willvisit China by May 26 thisyear. She also said Indiaremains committed to an"early settlement" of theborder issues, even assources said the twoneighbours have begunworking on a slew ofagreements to reduce dif-ferences on all other out-standing issues.

Boots boss' warning against MilibandgovtLondon: Stefano Pessina, the acting chief executiveof Boots, said that the government under Labourleader Ed Miliband would not be helpful for business,for the country and in the end it probably won’t behelpful for them. The Labour party has pledged aseries of reforms that have prompted accusations thatit is “anti-business.” His warning is a serious blow forMiliband’s election strategy with three months leftuntil polling day. With opinion polls suggesting Labourand the Conservatives neck and neck, such commentsfrom a major international business leader could swaythe momentum away from the Opposition.

Non resident Gujarati actor sets record New York: Miital Modi, a New York-based actor andmodel of Gujarati origin, can depict 2,000 differentemotions like sadness, happiness, anger, shock andsuspicion with utmost ease. And for this she has wonan entry into Limca Book of Records. The recordattempt took place at Irish Hunget Memorial in NewYork City in which 25-year-old Modi got clicked 2,381times. Interestingly, no song was repeated within thefour-hour period. To ensure the results were as clearas possible, she shaved off all facial hair. She said, “anactor's job is to portray different human emotions.Though we differ in the way we look and things webelieve in, there's something we all share: emotion. Ialways wondered how many emotions can a personfeel in a lifetime and I came up with 2,381."

ISIS threatens to behead Obama Washington: An ISIS fighter has threatened tobehead Barack Obama "in the White House andtransform America into a Muslim province" beforemurdering a Kurdish soldier in a gruesomepropaganda video. The footage, entitled"Bombardment of Peaceful Muslims in the City ofMosul" showed damage from shelling allegedly carriedout by Peshmerga forces in the Iraqi city earlier thismonth before killing the captive in retaliation. TheISIS fighter threatened attacks on the US, France,Belgium and the Kurds, claiming that the group'sfollowers will kill the American and Kurdish presidentsas well as detonating car bombs and explosives inEuropean countries that are part of the internationalcoalition fighting against it.

In Brief

India, Russia, China joinforces to fight terror

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

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201524 INDIA

Andhra MP tests positive forswine fluVisakhapatnam: Swine flu, which is virulent inHyderabad, is spreading all over Andhra Pradeshalso with new cases being reported every day.The latest to test positive to swine flu is LokSabha Member from Araku Kothapalli Geetha.Geetha experienced symptoms of swine flu asshe was coming to the city from New Delhi threedays ago. She went straight to the Queen's NRIHospital from the airport and got herselfadmitted. Result of the swab test done on hershowed positive to swine flu. This was the fourthswine flu case recorded in the city so far thisyear.

Staff salary hike demand putsTelangana govt in a soup Hyderabad: The cash-strapped Telanganagovernment is in a spot with the employeesdemanding salary hike that would result in anadditional burden of Rs 138 billion on theexchequer each year. The amount would workout to equivalent of the revenue earned in thecurrent fiscal year. "We expected to receive Rs486.20 billion by the end of this month as thetargeted revenue receipts, but, we could notachieve even half of it. With all difficulty, it mayreach Rs 140 billion," said an official in thefinance department. "If the government wants tomeet the demand of the employees then theentire revenue earned will go to meet theincrement component of their salary alone. So, itis not practical," the official added.

Water sharing row deepensbetween AP, Telangana Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government hasdisputed the claim of Telangana that it hasutilised its quota of water from Nagarjunasagarright branch canal and termed as “wrong” thelatter’s calculations on the issue. The same viewwould be conveyed to Krishna RiverManagement Board, which sought the opinion ofAP government based on a letter from Telanganagovernment. In its letter, the Telanganagovernment reportedly urged KMRB to allocatewater to both the States and that it would notrelease further water under Nagarjunasagar’sright branch canal since AP has already used thequantity allocated to it. Disputing this contention,a top Andhra Pradesh official said AP has not yetexhausted its quota of water.

South Brief

Govt harassing my kin, sayssacked Damdama Sahib jathedarChandigarh: Balwant Singh Nandgarh, whowas unceremoniously removed as Jathedar ofTakht Sri Damdama Sahib, accused the Punjabgovernment of harassing his family. He said hewas ready to pay any price for his stand on theNanakshahi calendar and the entity of the SikhPanth. Nandgarh’s wife and 13 others havebeen booked in a cheating case on court orderson a complaint filed by Amarjeet Kaur, who is awidow. Among others booked is patwari JaspalSingh, nephew of Nandgarh’s wife SukhdevKaur. “The case, that was pending in court since2013, was highlighted in the media within daysof my ouster. This proves that there issomething fishy,” claimed Nandgarh. He said itwas an attempt to malign his image because ofthe overwhelming response he had receivedfrom the Sikh Sangat on the Nanakshahicalendar issue.

SGPC to set up 'censor board' forfilms, booksChandigarh: Films and books on Sikh religionmay soon have to pass the test of theShiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee(SGPC), which is planning to set up a ‘censorboard’ for ‘moral policing’ of the scripts. Themove comes against the backdrop of thecontroversy surrounding Dera Sacha Saudachief’s movie ‘MSG’ and many Bollywood moviesin which actors have donned the turban likeAjay Devgn-starrer ‘Son of Sardar’ and AkshayKumar-starrer ‘Singh is King’. “We will soon setup Sikh Censor Board comprising historians andintelligentsia so that someone keen to make anyfilm or write a book concerning Sikh religionfirst gets the script cleared to avoidconsequences later,” Amritsar-based SGPC headAvtar Singh Makkar said.

North Brief

New Delhi: Intelligencereports suggest that theMaoists are slowly finding afresh foothold in Telanganaafter the division of erst-while Andhra Pradesh state.The reports point out thatCPI (Maoists) are re-enter-ing the region from wherethey had been painstakinglypushed out by concertedeffort of state police andcentral forces towards theclose of the 2000 decade.

Sources said much of theMaoist activity has beenfound to be initiated in dis-tricts bordering the newAndhra Pradesh. "TheMaoists have even formed a

special zonal committee andmovement of cadres hasbeen spotted. SignificantMaoist activity has beenreported from districts suchas Bhadrachalam inTelangana," said a securityestablishment officer.

Sources said, the hap-hazard division of the statehas led to many local issuescropping up in the bordering

districts which Maoists areexploiting. "Several villagesin the bordering districtshave been arbitrarilyexchanged between the twostates without thoroughconsultation with stakehold-ers and residents. This hasled to suffering and discon-tent which Maoists are cash-ing in. They were looking atthe separation of the state asan opportunity to resurrectthemselves in an uncertainadministrative atmosphere.Such mistakes have giventhem a window," said theofficer.

Such fears had beenexpressed in the run up to

the division of the state aswell. However, these werebrushed aside on the groundthat a small state would beeasier to police leaving littlewindow for Maoists to stirup passions. Beginning2008, Maoists had hardlybeen able to mount attacksinside Andhra with totalcasualty of security forcesbetween 2008 and 2013coming to only three.However, given that amajority of CPI (Maoist) topleadership comprises of peo-ple from Telangana, thedesire to resurrect Maoismin the state has always beenthere with the outfit.

Chennai: Sri Lankan Tamilrefugees at the rehabilita-tion camp at Melmonavoorare willing to go back if theyare assured of safe andpeaceful living conditions inthe island-nation. They didnot think that the situationwas conducive for them togo back despite a change ofgovernment there.

“Let the Government ofIndia take steps to ensurethat the Sri Lankan govern-ment has created safe andpeaceful living conditionsfor the Tamils before think-ing of sending us back”, saida woman resident of thecamp.

Selvarathinam, presi-dent of the Sri LankanTamil Refugees CampResidents Association, saidwhen the Government ofIndia sought a list of thosewilling to return, only 10out of over 300 familiesresiding in the camp hadexpressed their desire to goback, that too, after a year.

A woman resident of the

camp said that the new gov-ernment should first be per-suaded to release the Tamilslanguishing in Sri Lankanjails. The Sinhalese, whohave been settled in theTamil areas, should be toldto go back to their originalplaces of residence beforesending back the refugeesfrom India.

A youngster, who is run-ning an entertainment tele-vision channel in Vellore,said another problem whichthe educated youth wouldface on going back to SriLanka was that they werenot sure of getting jobs.Secondly, they do not knowwhether the degrees ordiplomas which they haveobtained in educationalinstitutions in Tamil Naduwould be accepted in theircountry.

“Most importantly, wewant the United NationsCommission for Refugees toassure us that we will besafe if we go back to SriLanka,” he said.

Chennai: The Tamil NaduCongress president E V K SElangovan caused a majorcontroversy by seeking theresignation of former unionminister P Chidambaramand his son Karti from theparty. Earlier, amidst thedrama surrounding the res-ignation of former unionminister Jayanthi Natarajanfrom the party, Elangovanhad issued a hard-hittingstatement saying her exitwould help cleanse theparty. However, he did notstop at that, proceeding totarget Chidambaram and hisson.“Not just that, if onemore person quits alongwith his vaari su (heir), itwill mean salvation forCongress,” he said in a notso veiled reference toChidambaram and Karti.

“A senior leader who ranaway from contesting elec-tions is practising in theSupreme Court earning mil-lions of rupees after theCongress lost power at theCentre. We don't need such

self-serving leaders. Theycan also quit the party,”Elangovan said in a refer-ence to Chidambaram whodeclined to contest the 2014Lok Sabha polls and hassince resumed his legalpractice.

Upset over his remarks,the party leadership hassummoned Elangovan toNew Delhi and is likely totake action against him. Thedecision to disciplineElangovan was taken afterChidambaram met Congressvice-president RahulGandhi to convey hisanguish over the state partychief 's “derogatory”refer-ences, the sources said.

Chandigarh: Punjab chiefminister Parkash SinghBadal invited Lord LoombaCBE as state guest to attendthe Republic Day ceremonyin Chandigarh. At theRepublic Day function,Lord Loomba was awardedthe most prestigious stateaward ‘Praman Patra’ by theChief Minister, in recogni-tion of his social services inPunjab and India – particu-larly educating children ofpoor widows and empower-ing their mothers.

On 22nd August, 2014,the Loomba Foundationlaunched a project to help5,000 disadvantaged wid-ows in Punjab who will each

receive a three months skilltraining to learn how tomake garments. On comple-tion of the training they willbe given a sewing machineso that they can earn money,educate their children, sup-port their family membersand live a life of dignity.

Lord Loomba was hum-bled and honoured toreceive the award. No mat-ter how many honours,accolades, awards or prizesone may receive in his orher life, it is quite differentwhen one is recognised byhis or her your own peopleand community. LordLoomba felt encouragedand proud to be a Punjabi.

New Delhi: Punjab chiefminister Parkash SinghBadal sought the personalintervention of PrimeMinister Narendra Modi inconstituting a special inves-tigation team (SIT) to probeall cases related to the 1984anti-Sikh riots. In a letter toModi, Badal said the "geno-cide" of Sikhs was a "pre-planned" incident at thebehest of Congress leaders.

Badal urged the centralgovernment to take animmediate call on the rec-ommendations of theJustice (retd) GP Mathurpanel, constituted by theCentre in December lastyear, to re-investigate sever-al cases related to anti-Sikhviolence that broke out inNovember 1984 after theassassination of the thenPrime Minister IndiraGandhi.

The chief minister saidthe Shiromani Akali Dal hasbeen struggling to get jus-tice for the victims of the1984 riots in Delhi andother parts of the country.He said that on the AkaliDal's demand, the JusticeMathur panel was constitut-ed in December 2014, by

the central government toexamine the possibility ofsetting up of an SIT for re-investigating the 1984"genocide".

Badal said the panelhad, in its 45-page report,suggested setting up of anSIT. Demanding re-investi-gation of many cases wherecrucial evidence was over-looked and cases wereclosed by Delhi Police evenwithout sending them tocourts, Badal said all suchcases needed to bereopened.

Accusing the previousCongress-led government atthe Centre and in Delhi ofpushing the anti-Sikh riotscases under the carpet,Badal said the recommenda-tions of the Mathur panelhad given new hope to vic-tims of the riots.

Maoists regaining foothold in Telangana

Tamil refugees seek assurancebefore leaving for Lanka

Badal asks Modi to set upSIT for Sikh ‘genocide’

Punjab honours Lord Loombawith 'Parman Patra' award

Tamil Nadu Cong chiefstirs up a controversy

E V K S Elangovan

Parkash Singh Badal

Lord Loomba receiving 'Parman Patra' award from Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal

INDIA - TRAVELwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 25

Bank of India honours CBPatel at NRI meet

The NRI branch of Bank ofIndia Ahmedabad organ-ised an NRI meet at HotelSilver Cloud on 10thJanuary. Nearly 175 NRIsattended the function. Themeeting started at about6.30 pm. The Comparingwas done by P S Jadeja,Marketing Head, ZonalOffice. In his address hetouched upon the salientpoints of various schemesof the Bank suitable forNRIs. SimultaneouslyPower Point programmewas conducted byNirajkumar, Sr Manager,IT Department.

In his welcome addressZonal Manager R K Mitratold the gathering to takemaximum advantage ofBank’s schemes.Thereafter, the GeneralManager-NBG (Central)

addressed the gatheringand told them to come outwith their suggestions, ifany. The Chief Guest at thefunction B P Sharma,Executive Director alsoaddressed the gathering.

On this occasion spe-cial invitee C B Patel, pub-lisher/Editor of theGujarat Samachar andAsian Voice, UK, was felic-itated by the ExecutiveDirector. The NRIs

praised for good servicesbeing rendered by theBank and also appreciatedgesture of holding NRImeet every year.

The Meeting endedwith a vote of thanks by VJ Gianani, Chief Manager,Ahmedabad NRI Branch.

The meeting was fol-lowed by cultural pro-gramme by Maya Deepakand her party and dinnerfor all participants.

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

Maya Deepak performing at the function

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Continued from page 1haunts. This election, theyare also using Quora, aQ&A platform to "intellec-tually" engage with people.They have also launched amobile app called Mango -they call it "aam admi karadio" - where pre-record-ed messages and clipsfrom speeches of Kejriwaland other AAP leaders canbe heard. There is aMango website too. AAP'steam also uses platformsLike Frankly.me - wherequestions are posted byviewers and the answersare given in a video selfieformat by ArvindKejriwal.

The Congress too hasattempted to useFrankly.me, though itsefforts on social media lagbehind its rivals. KiranBedi, the BJP's Delhi facewho is usually on activesocial media, has not cho-

sen to answer questionsthis way yet. The BJP'sstate party office is mas-sive in comparison to thatof AAP, but their socialmedia war-rooms are prac-tically of the same size.The BJP also has 745 vol-unteers working full timeon their social media cam-paign.

The BJP's main toolsare Facebook, Twitter andWhatsapp and its alsosends SMSes. SumeetBhasin, the head of theBJP's social media cam-paign, insists that they donot indulge in negativecampaigning at all. Butthere are charges andcounter charges on a dailybasis.

Money launderingcharges against AAP

The campaign got ugli-er on Monday with AAPbreakaway volunteergroup AVAM (AAP

Volunteer Action Manch)accusing the party ofmoney laundering. Basingits charge on details ofdonations listed by AAPon its website, AVAMalleged donations worthRs 20 million shown fromcompanies which have noresources to make suchdonations.

The controversy hadrival BJP at AAP's throataccusing it of hypocrisyregarding its transparentmode of funding. TheCongress, too, attackedAAP for its alleged dou-ble-speak and demandedan immediate probe intothe money trail.

Refusing to reactdirectly to the charge, sen-ior AAP members said theparty has accepted everypayment by cheque andasked for the donor's PANcard. Beyond that, it said,it didn't have the where-

withal to check the sourceof money. They added thatAAP's accounts have beeninspected twice by thehome ministry and noth-ing wrong had been foundwith them. It insisted thatit had nothing to hide andwas open to a probe by aspecial investigative teamthat is monitored by theSupreme Court.

Modi cautions votersPrime Minister

Narendra Modi cautionedvoters in the capitalagainst delivering a frac-tured mandate, sayingthey had already lost ayear which had "set thestate back by 25 years".Citing the "track record" ofBJP-ruled states, Modisaid a BJP government inDelhi would be "afraid ofModi" and perform.Addressing a rally, Modisaid BJP had promptlyresolved a long-standingwater dispute betweenDelhi and Haryana.Hitting out at AamAadmi Party andCongress, he said BJPstood for developmentwhile the others had ush-ered in "dharna politics"and "policy paralysis".

All through his 35-minute speech, Modimade a case for absolutemajority and warned vot-ers against electing a con-frontational government."Give me a chance toserve you. You gave me allseven seats in the LokSabha elections. I'll payyou back with interest inthe form of development.But if you make a govern-ment which (always)protests to remain innews and occupy TVspace, it will be an imped-iment in the city's devel-opment," he said. Withchief ministerial candi-date Kiran Bedi lookingon, he added, "Delhineeds a sensible and sen-sitive government. Ifthere is a BJP governmentin Delhi, then those herewill be afraid of Modi andthe central government.But if there is someonewho does not have any-one above him, then thatperson will bring in onlydevastation."

Kejriwal complainsagainst BJP ad

A war of words brokeout between AAP andBJP over an advertise-ment that the latter gotpublished in papers onMonday. The ad carica-tures Arvind Kejriwal,

saying he is from a gotra(sub-caste) of upadravi(rowdy) people. Kejriwal,whose actual gotra isAgarwal, demanded anapology from BJP. Helodged a complaint withthe Election Commission

against BJP, which filed acounter-case alleging AAPhad given a caste colour tothe ad that showedKejriwal waving a broomat a marching contingentduring the Republic Dayparade.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201526 INDIA - WORLD

Bangladesh cuts power connection toopposition leader's homeDhaka: Bangladesh authorities cut the powerconnection to opposition leader Khaleda Zia's home inan apparent bid to force her to call off a crippling anti-government transport blockade. Local television showedfootage of a technician from a state-run power utilityclimbing a ladder and cutting the line outside Zia'shouse, where she also has her office and where she hasbeen holed up since the protests began early inJanuary. "We got permission from police to cut thepower line," the technician told reporters as he cut theline.

Shia mosque blast in Pak kills 61Islamabad: At least 61 worshippers were killed when abomb explosion ripped through an imambargah (Shiamosque) at Shikarpur in Pakistan's Sindh province. Theexplosion went off when worshippers were leaving afterFriday congregational prayers, and was so powerful thatthe mosque roof caved in, leaving a number of victimstrapped under its debris. Bystanders rushed to pull outdead and injured from the rubble before rescuersarrived at the scene. Sectarian splinter Pakistani Talibanfaction, Jundullah, claimed responsibility for the attack.“Our target was the Shia community. They are ourenemies and we will always target them,” said Jundullahspokesperson Fahad Marwat. Media reports said 400people were inside the mosque at the time of the blast.

Pak teachers allowed to carry firearmsPeshawar: Government authorities in Pakistan'snorthwest frontier have given permission for teachers tocarry concealed firearms in response to the December16 attack in Peshawar that became one of the deadliestterrorist strikes in Pakistani history. Many educatorsreject the idea of arming teachers as reckless andcounterproductive, reflecting the kind of arguments inUS school systems overshadowed by their ownoccasional mass shootings. But for teachers likeShabnam Tabinda, going to work unarmed no longerfeels like an option. She and 10 other female teachersare taking pride in their new found marksmanship withhandguns, and plan to carry them to help protect theirstudents aged 16 to 21.

Lanka's new govt plans fresh war crimesprobeColombo: Sri Lanka is planning an investigation intoaccusations of human rights abuses in the final stagesof a 26-year civil war amid international frustration atthe failure to look into numerous civilian deaths, agovernment spokesman said. Former president MahindaRajapaksa had refused to cooperate with any UNinvestigation into claims the army committed atrocitiesin the war that ended in 2009. Without someaccountability for civilian deaths, the United Nationsargues there will be no lasting reconciliation to allow SriLanka to move on from the war that dragged on fordecades as ethnic Tamil rebels battled for autonomy inthe island's north and east. "We are thinking of havingour own inquiry acceptable to them to the internationalstandards," Rajitha Seneviratne, a governmentspokesman, told a forum of foreign correspondents inColombo, referring to the United Nations. "It will be anew local inquiry. If we need, we will bring some foreignexperts."

In Brief

The People’s DemocraticParty (PDP) and BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) areheading towards forming acoalition government inJammu and Kashmir withleaders of both the partiesapprising Governor N NVohra separately aboutprogress in their talks evenas they prepared for a tie-up in the coming RajyaSabha elections.

PDP MLA HaseebDrabu, the interlocutor

with the BJP on talks forgovernment formation, metthe Governor who earlierreceived a BJP delegationheaded by party's GeneralSecretary Ram Madhav,the party pointsman in thestate.

Significantly after themeetings, Raj Bhavanissued a statement whichsaid Drabu apprised theGovernor "about the reali-sations which haveemerged from the PDP-BJP

parleys on government for-mation which have beencontinuing for the pastabout a month and thebroad contours of the mat-ters being finalised in thecoming days." In anotherrelease, the Raj Bhavansaid during the one-hourlong meeting Madhavinformed the Governor"about the present status ofthe ongoing BJP-PDP dis-cussions on the formationof an elected Government."

Highly-placed sourcessaid that there was noissue hindering theprocess of the governmentformation as basic issuessuch as whether the PDPwill lead the governmentfor full six-year tenure aresettled. The BJP coregroup, which held a meet-ing at party presidentAmit Shah’s house in NewDelhi, decided to form ateam to hold discussionsacross the table on con-

cluding the pact. The BJPleaders said that the PDPhas taken the initiative,which has taken the dis-cussion forward.

The leadership hintedthat hostilities on the bor-der have to be settlesdown before the PDP canconvince the people in theValley about the reconcili-ation formulae, on thelines of India’s formerprime minister Atal BehariVajpayee’s peace-building

initiatives for the state. 'There has been an ini-

tiative from the PDP’s side.To take this forward, weheld further discussions onthe issue,' said RamMadhav.

The BJP said that itsteam of negotiators withthe PDP will be authorisedto take decisions. The partyleaders acknowledged thatthere was a forward move-ment on the proposals putforward by the PDP.

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

BJP, AAP waging a bitter battle in Delhi

Anew study has recent-ly provided a deeper

insight into how saltaffects brain circuit lead-ing to rise in BP. An inter-national research team ledby scientists at McGillUniversity has found thatexcessive salt intake"reprograms" the brain,interfering with a naturalsafety mechanism thatnormally prevents thebody's arterial blood pres-sure from rising. Prof.Charles Bourque ofMcGill's Faculty of

Medicine said that a peri-od of high dietary saltintake in rats caused a bio-chemical change in theneurons that releasedvasopressin (VP) into thesystemic circulation.This change, which

involves a neurotrophicmolecule called BDNF(brain-derived neu-rotrophic factor), prevent-ed the inhibition of theseparticular neurons byother cells, he furtheradded. Researchers foundthat high salt intake pre-vents the inhibition of VPneurons by the body'sarterial pressure detectioncircuit. The disabling ofthis natural safety mecha-nism allows blood pres-sure to rise when a highamount of salt is ingestedover a long period of time.

The longer someonetalks over the phone -

in terms of hours andyears - the more likely ishe/she to develop glioma,a deadly form of brain can-cer, says a new study.Brain tumour rates werethree times more amongpeople, who spoke on cellor cordless phones aftermore than 25 years thanthose who did not usethem, the findingsshowed."The risk is three times

higher after 25 years ofuse. We can see this clear-ly," Lennart Hardell, leadresearcher and oncologistfrom University Hospitalin Orebro in Sweden wasquoted as saying.Swedes who talked on

cell phones for over 25years had three times therisk of one type of braincancer, compared withpeople who used those

phones for under a year.For the study, LennartHardell and his colleagueMichael Carlberg matched1,380 patients with malig-nant brain tumours topeople without suchtumours. They also com-pared their phone use.People who reported

using cordless or mobilephones for 20 to 25 yearshad higher risk of beingdiagnosed with glioma ascompared with those whoreported using them forless than a year, the studyfound.However, no link was

found between wirelessphones and malignantbrain tumours besidesglioma, pointed out thestudy. A World HealthOrganization (WHO)panel of 31 scientists from14 countries classifiedmobile phones as 'possiblycarcinogenic' in 2011.

With most of us buyingcosmetics over the

counter without any prop-er guidance we might beinviting trouble for our-selves. Don't be misguidedby organic products. Mostof these so-called-organic-cosmetics contain onlyabout 70% organic ingre-dients while the rest 30%is pure chemical. So, thenext time you go shop-ping, look out for thesecompounds in your cos-metics, for the sake ofyour health.

Parabens: Parabensare commonly used aspreservatives by cosmeticindustries. The compoundhas been found to inter-fere with hormonal func-tions where it mimicsestrogen by binding toestrogen receptors oncells, an effect that islinked to increased risk ofbreast cancer, reproduc-tive toxicity, immunotoxi-city and neurotoxicity. Youmay ask how does thishappen? When moisturis-ers come in contact withthe skin, parabens get eas-ily absorbed which in turnblends with the bloodstream. At times it canalso affect your digestivesystem.

H y d r o q u i n o n e :Hydroquinone is an aro-

matic organic compoundthat is also a type of phe-nol. It can cause severeallergic reactions and overa period of time regularusage can lead to blue-grey discolouration of theskin which is not treat-able. In some people it canalso lead to difficulty inbreathing, tightness in thechest and swelling of themouth or tongue.However, in rare cases itcan lead to skin cancer asthe compound decreasesthe production of melaninpigments in the skinwhich in turn increasesthe exposure to UVA andUVB rays.

Sodium laureth sul-phate: Don't be too happythe next time your sham-poo works up into a nicethick lather. It could kill

you! It is most widely usedas foaming and cleaningagents in cosmetics likeyour regular shampoo andbubble bath products canlead to multiple healthproblems. This compoundcan harm your skinimmune system and alsolead to breathing difficul-ties. It is also found intoothpastes and mouth-washes.

P a r a -Phenylenediamine, mer-cury and lead: It is mostlyfound in hair dye. Alwayscheck the label for thecompound before buyingdye. If the label lists it,please dump the com-pound. These days thecompound is found inprocessed henna productstoo. In some dyes you mayfind PPD, a derivative of

coal tar, which is also usedto build roads, it is a high-ly dangerous compoundfound in hair dyes and haircolours. Prolonged usecan cause brain damage.In some cases it can alsolead to increased risk ofnon-Hodgkin's lymphoma(cancer of the lymph sys-tem) and dermatitis.

Lipsticks: Keep an eyeout on lipsticks too. Someof these lipsticks containlead which is a neurotoxinand can be dangerouseven in small doses. Leadin your system can causecognitive disabilities,resulting in learning, lan-guage and behaviouralproblems. Practice cautionwhile buying mascara too.Used as a preservative ineye make-up, it can lead tokidney damage!

What else to look outfor: Oxybenzone andOctinoxate found in sun-screens as UVB protectingagents can result in skinageing. Fragrance in cos-metics can lead tomigraines and asthmaticproblems. Butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA)and butylated hydroxy-toluene (BHT) closelyrelated to syntheticantioxidants are used aspreservatives in lipsticksand moisturisers.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 27

HEALTHWATCH

Some proven ways tofight common cold

To Our ReadersWe are publishing these

items in good faith,kindly consult your

Doctor before you try toimplement it. We do nothold any responsibility

for its efficacy...

Beware! Your cosmetics cancause irreparable damage

Phone use may leadto brain cancer

Salt affects brain circuitleading to rise in BP

It's that time of yearwhen most of us havea lingering cough, sorethroat and runny nose.Here's some tried, test-ed and proven ways toget rid of your cold.

P a i n k i l l e r s :Painkillers are the onlymedication known to

treat colds. They comein a huge variety offorms and the painkillerbased cold remediesoften come with otheringredients that are sup-posed to help.

D e c o n g e s t a n t s :Decongestants can helptoo, relieving that

blocked up feeling andclearing out your sinuscavities. Most cold andflu remedy pills and hotdrinks will have somekind of decongestant inthem.

Zinc: Some recentresearch suggests thattaking zinc syrup,tablets or lozengescould speed up recoveryand make the symptomsless harsh. But it's not agood idea to take thatfor a long time, becauseit can have side effectssuch as vomiting anddiarrhoea.

Check the medicine:You should make surethat medicine you takefor cold isn't going tobadly interact with anyother medicationsyou're taking. Someantidepressants canreact badly when com-bined with some decon-gestants. If you're in anydoubt, seek the adviceof your doctor.

Say no to antibi-otics: Your cold isalmost certainly causedby a viral infection and

antibiotics will doabsolutely nothing torelieve it. What theymight do is give youunpleasant side effectsand increase your resist-ance to antibiotics.

N o n - m e d i c a t e doptions: Inhaling steamcan help loosen themucus in your nose,making it easier to clearby blowing. Fill a bowlwith hot water, put atowel over your headand breath deeply withyour eyes closed. Foryour sore throat youcould suck on mentholsweets or gargle withsalt water.

Eating, drinking andresting: When you'vegot a cold, you sweat alot and have a runnynose so if you don'treplace those fluids,you'll just feel worse.Drink plenty of fluids.You should also takerest. And you should eata low-fat, high-fibrediet, including plenty offresh fruit and vegeta-bles but that's prettymuch true whether youhave a cold or not. Andfor goodness sake, washyour hands and sneezeinto a tissue.

Herbal remedies:There are plenty ofherbal remedies for the

common cold out therethe most commonlycited is echinacea.While people claim theherb makes peoplerecover from the com-mon cold quicker thanparacetamol basedremedies, there's nofirm evidence to supportthis. The same can besaid for vitamin C.While many claim it haspreventative and heal-ing properties withregard to the cold andflu, studies found it hasvery, very limited bene-fit.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201528

'Shamitabh'

Shamitabh is an upcoming Hindi filmwritten and directed by R. Balki. The filmfeatures Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush andAkshara Haasan, in her debut, in the leadroles. The film is jointly produced by SunilLulla, Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, R. K.Damani, Amitabh Bachchan, AbhishekBachchan, Sunil Manchanda andDhanush under their respective produc-tion banners. Ilaiyaraaja composed thesoundtrack album and background score,while cinematography was handled by P.C. Sreeram.

'Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan'“Jai Jawaan Jai Kisaan” is an upcomingHindi movie which pays tribute to the glo-rious life of late Indian prime minister LalBahadur Shahstri. Renowned theatre

actor Bhopal Akhilesh Jain will essay therole of Lal Bahadur Shastri. While actorslike Om Puri, Prem Chopra and RatiAgnihotri will be seen in strong roles ofvarious political leaders. Actor JatinKhurana also features in the film asChandrashekar Azad, Ajit Khare as LalBahadur Shastri (age 14 to 21 years) andManoj Bhatt as Lal Bahadur Shastri as anyoungster. The film has been directed byMilan Ajmera.

Bollywooda c t r e s s

J a c q u e l i n eFernandez istreating herfans by givingthem anopportunityto win anautographedsketch doneby her. The29-year-oldSri Lankanbeauty will benext seen in adouble role inu p c o m i n gfilm ‘Roy’a l o n g s i d eRanbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal.Jacqueline Fernandez took to Twitter tomake the announcement. The model-turned-actress made her Bollywooddebut with Sujoy Ghosh’s fantasy drama‘Aladin’. She has since starred in filmslike ‘Murder 2′, ‘Housefull 2′, ‘Race 2′ andthe latest ‘Kick’.

After playing an alien in RajkumarHirani’s ‘PK’, Aamir Khan is all

geared up for his next project, ‘Dangal’wherein he will be playing the father oftwo girls. Aamir Khan’s look is alreadyrevealed and it’s nothing you’ve seenbefore. The actor, who plays a wrestler inthe film, is seen sporting a close shavedhead and a graying beard. However,Aamir Khan has been working out on hisphysique for ‘Dangal’ and looks buff inthe picture. ‘Dungal’ is a biopic on thelife of wrestler Mahavir Phogat, who isthe father of India women wrestlersGeeta and Babita.

Jacqueline Fernandezto sketch for fans

Aamir Khan turns oldand grey for ‘Dangal’

Anjali to connectcloser with fanson Twitter now

Anjali who stole our hearts with herperformance in 'Katradhu Tamizh'

and made us fall in love with her char-acter in 'Engeyum Eppodhum' has seenthe highs and lows in her career.However, the bubbly actress has resur-rected herself and her career and hascarved a solid path for her from then on.Anjali now is one of the busiest starswith projects lined up in Tamil, Teluguand Kannada. She manages to stay con-nected with her social networking pro-file in Facebook and the actress is nowthe latest to join the Twitter bandwagonwith her account named as @yoursan-jali. She hopes to stay connected withher fan closer with this move. First upin her line of releases is 'Bhagamati' forwhich she's currently shooting underthe direction of 'Pilla Zamindar' fameAshok.

Akshara said noto Pawan?With her debut

m o v i e“Shamitabh” gettingready to see the light ofthe day on February 6,reports from Tollywoodclaim Akshara Haasanrejected an offer to actwith Pawan Kalyan. Itis said that Aksharawas approached to bepart of 'Gabbar Singh2', sequel to Pawan'sblockbuster movie'Gabbar Singh'.('Dabaang' in Hindiand 'Osthe' in Tamil).However, sinceAkshara wanted totake some time todecide on her next ven-ture, she reportedlyturned down the offer.Interestingly, it wasShruthi Haasan whoplayed the heroine in'Gabbar Singh'.

Siddharth, Samanthasplit again

While Dhanush hasquite a number of

films needing his atten-tion, including the untitledVelraj directorial, BalajiMohan’s 'Maari' andVetrimaaran’s 'Soodhadi,'Prabhu Solomon hasbegun the story discussionwith his assistants for theproject. Solomon is amongthose directors who pentheir scripts and then lookfor suitable artistes and notvice-versa. Dhanush, one ofthe most sought-after actorsin Kollywood, is awaitingthe release of his Hindifilm “Shamitabh” andK.V. Anand’s “Anegan”which are releasing with-in the next two weeks.

Prabhu Solomon has onlydirected 8 Tamil films in acareer spanning more than 15years but has earned the tag ofa director who prefers qualityover quantity. Sources close tothe team say that the director isin the process of carving out astory and script that would be

suitable for the NationalAward winner and that it is tooearly to reveal more about thefilm. As Dhanush’s call-sheetdiary is filled at present, hemight start work in Solomon’snew film either towards theend of the year or early nextyear.

The media was full ofreports recently, that

Siddharth andSamantha, one of thetalked about 'jodis' ofthe industry, hadparted ways. Butit was believedthat they would

act together in theproposed Tamil-Teluguremake of 'BangaloreDays'. However, bothSiddharth and Samanthahave now cleared the air onit, stating that they wouldnot be part of the multi-starrer, do be helmed by'Bommarillu' Bhaskar. "I'mnot going to be a part ofthe remake of BangaloreDays. Will announce myslate for 2015 soon,"Siddharth posted online.On her part, Samanthawrote: "I am not actingin the remake of

Bangalore Days".

Prabhu Solomon to direct Dhanush

Katrina Kaif,who was in

Kashmir to shootfor AbhishekKapoor’s ‘Fitoor’,was providedwith tight securi-ty. The actress,who was inSrinagar for fourdays had a three-tier security withAK-47 wieldingp e r s o n n e l .Reportedly, onthe day thatKatrina arrived for her first day of shootat Nishat Bagh, no other cars wereallowed inside the garden, which wasswarming with CRPF personnel andmembers of J&K police. The situation gotslightly tense when an accidental firebroke out on the sets, engulfing a produc-tion unit tent. As soon as this happened,Katrina was rushed to her tent, whichalso happens to be her vanity van.

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 29

Kareena has not converted to Islam: Saif

Katrina shoots for‘Fitoor’ in Kashmir

Modi congratulatesSalman Khan

Vikas Bahl's “Queen” tri-umphed at the 60th Filmfare

Awards, winning in key cate-gories, including best film, bestdirector and best actress for itslead star Kangana Ranaut. Thefilm bagged six honours in total -best editing to Abhijit Kokate andAnurag Kashyap, best cinematog-raphy (Bobby Singh andSiddharth Diwan) and best back-ground score for Amit Trivedi.Kangana, who saw off competi-tion from Alia Bhatt, MadhuriDixit, Priyanka Chopra, RaniMukerji and Sonam Kapoor in thebest actress category, was notpresent to accept her award.Vishal Bhardwaj's

Shakespearean tale “Haider”closely followed 'Queen' with fiveawards, which includes a blacklady for Shahid Kapoor in the bestactor category and best support-ing honours for Tabu and Kay KayMenon. “Haider” triumphed inthe technical categories as well,with Dolly Ahluwalia winningbest costume designer andSubrata Chakraborty and AmitRay topping the best productiondesign list.The lifetime achievement

award was given to veteranactress Kamini Kaushal for heroutstanding contribution toIndian cinema. Young star AliaBhatt bagged the best actress(Critics) trophy for “Highway”and Sanjay Mishra won the best

actor (Critics) for his outstandingperformance in 'Ankhon Dekhi',which also earned director-writerRajat Kapoor the best story gong.Kriti Sanon won best debut

female award for “Heropanti,”while Pakistani heartthrob FawadKhan won the best debut maleaward for “Khoobsurat.”Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat

Joshi won for “PK” in the bestscreenplay and best dialogue cate-gories, which were the only winsfor the Aamir Khan-starrer film.In the music categories, Ankit

Tiwari won best male playbacksinger for 'Galiyaan' from “EkVillain” and Kanika Kapoor wasnamed best female playbacksinger for 'Baby Doll' from “RaginiMMS 2.”Trio Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy won

best music director for their workin “2 States.” Best lyrics honourwent to Rashmi Singh for'Muskurane' from “CityLights.”

Ever since she gotmarried to Saif

Ali Khan in October2012, KareenaKapoor Khan hasregularly become thetarget of certain reli-gious groups, whohave used her as theposter girl for ‘Love Jihad’ (a controver-sial term given by religious outfits to aMuslim man marrying a Hindu woman).Outraged by the concept, Saif feels thathis actor-wife is being wrongly targeted bythese groups. “People say she has con-verted. No, she hasn’t,” he points out. The44-year-old Bollywood star believes thatthe talks of ‘Love Jihad’ are actually“regrettable”. He also feels that Kareenashould be known for her work more thananything else. “The country should beproud of Kareena’s contribution to cine-ma and society. She has worked forwomen’s rights and better health. Sheshould be celebrated as a symbol of astrong, modern individual,” he adds.

'Queen' wins big atFilmfare awards

Bollywood actor Salman Khan's effortsfor Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have

earned him appreciation from PrimeMinister Narendra Modi himself. NarendraModi tweeted, "Once again,@BeingSalmanKhan makes a distinct &appreciable effort towards a Clean India. Icongratulate him." [sic] Earlier, whileshooting for “Bajrangi Bhaijaan,” Salmanhad painted a village called Hatluni withthe entire crew. Helped by a group of pro-fessional painters, the cast and crew paint-ed each and every house in the village.Salman had even initiated a clean-up drivein Karjat earlier.

Veteran actorRandhir Kapoor,

known for hit filmslike ‘Jeet’, ‘RaampurKa Lakshman’ and‘Jawani Diwani’, sayshis nephew RanbirKapoor is the mostintelligent actor inthe Hindi film indus-try today. Ranbir isthe son of Randhir’syounger brotherRishi Kapoor withveteran actressNeetu Singh.Randhir was at a radio studio in Mumbaiwhen he was asked what he thinks aboutRanbir apart from his own and Rishi’s gen-eration. He said: “Ranbir is a very intelli-gent actor and he is one of my favouriteactor in the present generation. He is verygood and he is very intense. He is doing awonderful job and his choice of films isvery good.”

Yash Raj Films' “Mardaani”premiered in Poland at

Warsaw’s Kino Muranow the-atre, one of the oldest art housetheatres in the country. RaniMukerji, who arrived for a fullday of extensive press followedby the premiere, left winningover the hearts of the press andfans alike.The film received a standing

ovation from the audience andRani Mukerji was congratulatedby one and all for her exception-al performance and for being apart of such a relevant and sen-sitive film. What was really spe-cial was the presence of theextremely reticent Polish DoP,Artur Zurawski, who hadworked on the film and finallywatched it with his family at thepremiere. Championing the waragainst the evil of society in theform of child trafficking, RaniMukerji shared her anguish oflearning so much during herresearch of what goes on in thisdark and dangerous world andher preparation for yet anotherperformance that was such adeparture for her as an actor. The audience, which con-

sisted of 90 per cent Polishnatives, was both pleased andsurprised at how Indian cinemawas evolving and now tellingstories that are more than justescapism and spoke a moreInternational cinematic lan-guage. During the Q&A afterthe screening, the audience putsome very interesting and var-ied questions to both the actressand the DoP, but there weresome who simply wanted to say"Thank You" for making a bravefilm.Rani Mukerji said: “It was a

very special day as “Mardaani”was released in Poland. Theresponse to the film by thePolish people made the eveningeven more special and it reiter-ates the fact that a good filmfinds an audience irrespective ofthe language in any part of theworld as art doesn't have bor-ders or barriers. I will cherishforever the love and adulation Ireceived today from Poland.”The film’s premiere in

Poland is a trendsetting event –it makes Rani Mukerji the firstIndian actor to visit the country

to premiere a Hindi film.Mardaani goes on a platformrelease in the country from 30thJanuary. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar,

the film was critically acclaimed

and loved by audiences when itwas released worldwide inAugust last year, with manycalling “Mardaani” as RaniMukerji's career-best perform-ance.

Rani Mukerji wins hearts at'Mardaani' premiere in Poland

Ranbir is uncle RandhirKapoor’s favourite actor

www.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201530 UK

The planetary activityin your chart signals a time of mixed emotions as

well as personal issues to be dealt with.The accent’svery much on relationships. The outlook remainsoptimistic, so don't be afraid to act if your instincttells you it's time for change. Professional andfinancial pressures will begin to ease.

The pattern of signifi-cant relationships in your

life will continue to favour you. It seems that a greatdeal of mutual benefit will accrue because of variousinteractions. The underlying trend indicates thatdeep creative energies are stirring within you andthat seemingly insignificant events will play a vitalrole in the future enrichment of life.

Relationships are com-plex at the best of times,

but Saturn's motion can make things even morecomplicated now. Misunderstandings can plaguepartnerships or potential romances - be more carefuland forgiving. A good time for completing unfin-ished business and reassessing your future projects.

Strengthen close tiesof affection, sort out

emotional differences and proffer the olive branch toyour loved one. You often sabotage your emotionalinterests by keeping too much inside. However, yourinner pressure builds up and manifests as irrationalmoods that others find hard to understand.

You need to pay moreattention than usual to youreveryday work dairy.

Meetings, work hours and organised breaks couldplay havoc, unless you're prepared to re-group onthe spur of the moment. Try to be meticulous butflexible about your schedule. Play your cards rightand you can pull strings in you favour.

It is certainly going tobe a fortunate time for

those already married or in an established relation-ship. The keynote is emotional enrichment throughclose interaction with a loved one. Facets of your lifethat have been a source of restriction and dissatis-faction will begin to loosen their hold.

The prevailing cosmicpattern packs a powerfulpunch early this week.

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

Anything or anyonethat drains your time and

energy should be re-evaluated. It’s time to use thatcreative imagination of yours to create grandeur inyour life. Don't get too carried away and lose sightof little things that mean a lot to you. There are alot of opportunities around you.

Regardless of thelimits, you have the

capacity to turn the course of your life. Saturn inSagittarius, will help you organize your priorities andsystematically put them into practice. It is abouttime you moved beyond your established boundariesof safety. You will find ways to be more financiallyindependence.

You will find addedscope and greater

incentive to push full steam ahead with your cher-ished aims. You must be careful not to tread onother people's toes. This is the right time to talkthings over with your loved one - especially anythingthat has been worrying you or making you feel inse-cure.

Much enthusiasm goesinto professional ambitions right now, but you needto be your own boss in many ways. You will bedetermined to place your lifestyle on a foundation ofgreater security. Taking a broad perspective on theprevailing cosmic pattern, far-reaching changebegins to gather momentum.

The Sun travels throughyour twelfth house now,

marking a time of retreat and regeneration. Thisalso heralds a time for research and unfinishedbehind-the-scene activities. Matters which havedragged on for a while should now be re-assessedand put to rest. Some of you will be looking to spir-itual enlightenment and take up yoga and medita-tion.

ARIES Mar 21 - Apr 20

TAURUS Apr 21 - May 21

LIBRA Sep 24 - Oct 23

SCORPIO Oct 24- Nov 22

SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 - Dec 21

CAPRICORN Dec 22 - Jan 20

AQUARIUS Jan 21 - Feb 19

PISCES Feb 20 - Mar 20

GEMINI May 22 - June 22

CANCER Jun 22 - Jul 22

LEO Jul 23 - Aug 23

VIRGO Aug 24 - Sep 23

���������� ��� ���� ���������������� ��

�������� �

���� �������������

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l Milind Kangle from Lucrum Consultancy takingpart in the Cancer Research Dryathlon whichinvolves giving up alcohol for the entire month ofJanuary so that he can help raise money to fundresearch in overcoming Cancer for CancerResearch UK. To make a lifesaving donation visithttps://www.justgiving.com/milind-kangle3

l Oshwal UK and Patel Samaj UK presentsawareness event at Oshwal House, 1 CampbellRoad, Croydon, CR0 2SQ on 15 February 2015.Contact 07804567765

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Rudy & Marlene Otter

Ram Sarup Nangla couldnot stop smiling. Thechairman of BrightsunTravel of Hounslow,Middlesex, watched ashordes of people surgedaround his company’sstand at Destinations, amajor annual holiday andtravel show in London’sOlympia from 29thJanuary until 1st February.

Within the first twohours on the show’s first

day, 200 people hadsnapped up entry formsfrom his stand for a freeprize draw, hoping to wina holiday for two toKerala. The company willtreat the lucky twosome toreturn flights to the south-ern Indian holiday desti-nation, plus five nightsbed-and-breakfast in a 4 or5-star hotel, with freetransfers and a tour ofKerala thrown in.

“We send 700 people aday to places all over the

world, specialising in tai-lor-made itineraries.Dubai is one of the mostpopular bookings withAbu Dhabi catching upfast,” beamed RamNangla.

India’s GoldenTriangle, he said, contin-ued to be one of the coun-try’s favourite areas alongwith Goa and Kerala.Brightsun Travel’s 170staff are based acrossHounslow, Birmingham,Manchester and Haryana

in India. Its brochureinvites customers to“explore the world withus” including Vietnam andCambodia, Maldives,Mauritius, Sir Lanka,United States, Mexico andSouth America.

The family business,set up in 1986, is proud ofits “fantastic customerloyalty” said Mr Nanglawho added: “Please givemy regards to your editorC.B. Patel, a very goodfriend of mine.”

Brightsun Travel sparkles at major holiday show

A man from Kingsbury isamong 11 men arrested onsuspicion of launderingmillions of pounds. HMRevenue and Customs,which made the arrests,believes the multi-millionpound alcohol and VATfraud involved the launder-ing of around £50million.

Raids on 11 residentialand eight business address-es included seizing com-puters, £400,000 in cashand personal and businessrecords in London,Berkshire, Surrey, EastSussex andBuckinghamshire.

John Cooper, assistantdirector of criminal investi-gation at HMRC, said:“HMRC will not hesitateto investigate anyone sus-pected of stealing publicfunds and laundering theproceeds of criminal activi-ty. If you have informationabout people who may beinvolved in money laun-dering, please call theCustoms Hotline on 080059 5000.”

The men were inter-viewed by HMRC andreleased on bail until June30. Investigations areongoing.

Kingsbury man arrested onmoney laundering suspicion

Dewani may giveevidence at a UK court

Continued from page 1

Anni's family has comeout publicly saying theywould want to know whathappened to Anni on thatnight from Shrien- a clo-sure they have been wait-ing for almost 5 years.

Mr Dewani, wasaccused of arranging hislate wife Anni Hindocha'sdeath when they were onhoneymoon in SouthAfrica. The Swedish-raised engineer was shotdead as the couple drovethrough a rough suburb ofCape Town on November13 2010.

The case againstShrien began in Octoberlast year, but in December

the millionaire was told hedid not have to give evi-dence after a court inCape Town dismissed thecase against him. JudgeJeanette Traverso ruledthat evidence from a keyprosecution witness was"riddled with contradic-tions" as she threw out thecase.

However, the SouthAfrican judge has sincebeen accused of "grossjudicial bias and miscon-duct" by a group of SouthAfrican lawyers and aca-demics. South Africa'sJudicial ConductCommittee will hold ameeting next month todiscuss Judge Traverso'sconduct later this month. Results of new trustee elec-

tion at the Harrow CentralMosque has led to a dis-pute, after a new groupwon by 25 votes.

Since polling inDecember, some membershave reportedly claimedvoting was fixed and aftercontacting the CharityCommission - has nowannounced that the elec-tion be declared null and

void. However, incominggroup Living Masjid havereportedly stated that thenew trustees of the mosquehas already taken office.

The CharityCommission has con-firmed that it is aware ofthe situation at the HarrowCentral Mosque and isengaging with the charityto help resolve the prob-lems.

Harrow central mosque trusteeelection leads to dispute

Cricket is just a game, buttry telling that to the 22players who will walk outfor the India v PakistanWorld Cup match inAdelaide on February 15.The Pool B contest wassold out in 20 minutes andno other team in worldsport will be under asmuch pressure as the twothat day with 1.3 billionunforgiving cricket-crazyfans following the contestball by ball.

Emotions run highevery time the south Asianneighbours, who havefought three wars sinceindependence and sharefrosty relations over theKashmir region they bothclaim, clash on a cricketground. Pakistan, champi-ons in 1992, have neverbeaten twice winnersIndia at a World Cup.

Many of their fanswould not mind their teamcrashing out from the

World Cup early, providingthey beat their neigh-bours. The rivalry assum-ing the Orwellian conceptof serious sport - warminus shooting.

"For many, it's biggerthan World Cup," formerPakistan speedster ShoaibAkhtar told a cricket con-clave in Delhi. "It com-

pletely locks out 1.3 bil-lion people. The tension isunbearable and the play-ers' effort level doubles.We could never beat Indiain World Cup but, Godwilling, that would soonhappen," said the quickyknown as the 'RawalpindiExpress'.

A veteran of many

such contests, HarbhajanSingh was part of theeventual champion Indianteam who beat Pakistan inthe 2011 semifinal atMohali, a contest thatgave him sleepless nights."The dressing room atmos-phere is always tense,"said the feisty off-spinnerwho could not make thecut for this year's WorldCup.

"Much before thedressing room, you thinkabout it in your hotelroom. Before last WorldCup's match in Mohali, Icould not sleep the nightbefore, thinking what if welose. "Fortunately we wonthe next day and again Icould not sleep, this timebecause I was so over-joyed. A defeat againstPakistan means mediawould roast us and fanswould pelt stones at ourhouse," said the 34-year-old.

SPORT WORLDwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 2015 31

West Indies cricket legendVivian Richards saidSachin Tendulkar wouldlead his list of top-10 One-Day International (ODI)batsmen of all time. In acolumn written for theInternational CricketCouncil (ICC) website,Richards said it would bethe former Indian battinggreat who would undoubt-edly be sitting at the top ofhis list.

"The first name thatcomes to mind is SachinTendulkar. In a singleword, I would describehim as a legend. He hasalways been one of myfavourite batsmen and Iwould pay money to watchhim bat. He wasn't thebiggest in size amongst

other cricketers of theworld but all good thingscome in small packages.And he was a fantasticbatsman," said Richards.

Richards, who was partof the 1975 and 1979 WestIndies' World Cup winningsquads, also rated BrianLara in Tendulkar's league.

"I rate Brian Lara the sameas Sachin. I would pay towatch him bat too andthen pay again and again,and keep paying, howevermany times it needs to bedone," he said.

The 62-year-old's list ofbatsmen who he wouldpay to watch also featuredcurrent India Test skipperVirat Kohli at No.10. Theformer right-handed bats-man termed Kohli as "leg-endary", saying the choicewould surprise many butthat everyone is witness-ing a master who is justgoing to get better withtime.

"The last name on mylist, but not the least byany means, is young ViratKohli. There might be

some surprise regardingthis pick because he isvery young and has a lot ofcricket to play still,"Richards said.

"But in my eyes, he isalready legendary andthere cannot be any doubtabout that. He is simplymagnificent in whateverlittle time he has played ascompared to others. He isonly going to get betterand better and add to hislist of achievements."

Also in the list areWest Indies' Chris Gayleand Clive Llyod,Australia's Ricky Ponting,Matthew Hayden andMichael Hussey, India'sVirender Sehwag andSouth Africa's AB deVilliers.

Indian tennis star LeanderPaes and his Swiss part-ner Martina Hingis beatthe French-Canadian teamof Kristina Mladenovicand Daniel Nestor instraight sets to clinch theAustralian Open mixeddoubles crown atMelbourne on Sunday.Paes, contesting his 25thseason on the ATP WorldTour, and Hingis defeateddefending championsMladenovic and Nestor 6-4, 6-3 in the final that last-ed an hour and two min-utes. Paes has now won15 Grand Slam champi-onship titles - eight men’sdoubles and seven mixeddoubles. It was his thirdmixed doubles triumph atMelbourne Park, havingalso won in 2003 (withMartina Navratilova) and2010 (with Cara Black).

“It’s a great honour tokeep coming back toAustralia,” said 41-year-old Paes. “There are a fewpeople who got us togeth-er. All you guys backhome, who put us togeth-er to win our first GrandSlam, thank you.”

In the first set, Paesand Hingis took a 3-0lead, but Nestor andMladenovic’s I-formationcaused problems and theysoon levelled the score-line. At 4-5, a backhanddrive volley error byMladenovic gave Paes andHingis a set point oppor-tunity on Nestor’s serve.He struck a double faultto end the 29-minute firstset. Nestor andMladenovic broke Hingisfor a 2-1 lead in the sec-ond set, but Mladenovicwas broken in the nextgame. Net errors by

Nestor paved the way tohand Paes and Hingis a 4-2 lead, but Nestorregained his rhythm onreturn of serve to breakHingis again. Mladenovicwas broken in the eighthgame and Hingis went onto seal victory with asmash winner.

Paes and Hingis con-verted five of their sevenbreak point opportunities,hitting 19 winners andcommitting just 11unforced errors for victoryon Rod Laver Arena.

Djokovic reignssupreme: Serbian Novak

Djokovic on Sunday firm-ly established himself asthe king of Melbourne'sblue hardcourts with hisfifth Australian Open title.The 27-year-old, limpingfrom two slips on court,breathing heavily and bat-tling a "physical crisis",overcame a fired-up AndyMurray 7-6(5) 6-7(4) 6-36-0 to clinch his fourthAustralian title in the pastfive years. It was hiseighth grand slam titleoverall.

Serena beatsSharapova: SerenaWilliams won her 19thGrand Slam title, contin-ued her unbeaten run insix Australian Open finalsand extended her decade-long domination of MariaSharapova with a com-manding 6-3, 7-6 (5) winon Saturday night.

Williams, coughing fre-quently and still affectedby a recent cold, con-trolled the first set arounda rain delay in the sixthgame, when the matchwas stopped for 13 min-utes for the roof to beclosed.

Cricketer C D Patel passes awayFormer Dar-es-Salaam, Zambiaand East African cricketer,Chimanbhai Dayabhai Patel,commonly known as C D Patelpassed away on 28th Januaryaged 83. Born on 28th January,1932 in Dodoma, Tanzania, Patelstarted playing cricket at Shri

Prata High School, Baroda, India. In 1950, he wentto the Maharaja Sayajirao University in Baroda tostudy Bachelor of Science. During that time, heplayed for the University XI regularly. Patel hadscored 4 centuries during his 5 years at theuniversity. He played many matches against theIndian test team and ultimately, he became the ViceCaptain of the University XI. Patel played on theinternational stage with names such as FreddyTruman, Statham, Cartwright, Hazare, Graveny andmany others. The right-handed batsman and off spinbowler played for Tanzania between 1956 to 1967,for Zambia between 1968 to 1972 and played first-class cricket for East Africa as well.

India to host World T20 in 2016India has been confirmed as host for the 2016Twenty20 World Cup, scheduled to be held fromMarch 11 to April 3, the ICC announced afterratifying its decision in the Board meeting in Dubai.Holding its first meeting of the year at the ICCheadquarters, which was chaired by N Srinivasan andpresided by Mustafa Kamal in the presence of all thefull-member and associate representatives, the boardtook some major decisions and issued quite a fewdirectives to the cricket world. The apex cricket bodyapproved the dates for its main events through to2019, following its Board meeting. Though thetournaments were awarded to the countries in 2013,the dates were approved during this two-daymeeting. The board also approved the dates for the2017 Champions Trophy in England which will beheld between June 1 and 19. England will also hostthe 50-over World Cup in 2019 from May 30 to June15. The 2017 Women’s World Cup will be held inEngland between August 4 and 27, the 2018Women’s World Twenty20 will be organised in theWest Indies between November 2 and 25.

Super Over could decide WC winnersA Super Over could decide the 2015 World Cupwinner in case the final ends in a tie at theMelbourne Cricket Ground on March 29. The decisionwas made by the International Cricket Council (ICC)following its Board meeting in Dubai. The ICCreinstated the use of Super Over in the event of a tieduring the World Cup final, replicating thearrangements of the 2011 edition final and other ICCevents where a winner is determined via a SuperOver, in case of a tie in the final, as it is the mostcredible way to separate two sides. The board alsoapproved a change to the application of ICC Code ofConduct offences relating to slow over-rates so thatcaptains do not carry any prior offences orsuspensions from other series. This means allcaptains will enter the World Cup with no over-rateoffences against them and will only be suspendedfrom playing a World Cup match if over-rate offencesare committed during the event. Any offenceincurred prior will be carried forward to the firstbilateral series after the event.

Sangakkara breaks ODI record fordismissals

Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkaraadded another milestone tohis already storied careerwhen he broke the worldrecord for the most dismissalsby a wicketkeeper in one-dayinternationals against NewZealand in Wellington. The37-year-old Sangakkara, who

is expected to retire from international cricket afterthe World Cup, passed Adam Gilchrist as the mostsuccessful wicketkeeper with the dismissal of CoreyAnderson in the seventh and final one-dayer. Theformer Sri Lanka captain took his career tally to 473dismissals when he caught New Zealand all-rounderAnderson off the bowling of Shaminda Eranga.Sangakkara, who has also scored his 21st one-daycentury in Sri Lanka's 287-6 in their 50 overs, hastaken 377 catches and effected 96 stumpings in the50-over format as a wicket-keeper. He also has 198dismissals in test cricket, though 47 catches havebeen achieved since he gave up being awicketkeeper in the longest form of the game in2008. Australia's former wicketkeeper Gilchristachieved 472 dismissals in 287 one-day matches.Sangakkara equalled Gilchrist's mark in the sixthmatch in Dunedin when he caught opening batsmanMartin Guptill for 28 off Thisara Perera in the 14thover.

Paes-Hingis win Australian Openmixed doubles title

Sachin leads Viv Richards' top ODI batsmen list

Emotions to run high for India-Pak WC clash

Sachin Tendulkar

Leander Paes and Martina Hingis

MS Dhoni and Misbah Ul Haq

Inspired by an electricGlenn Maxwell, Australiawon their second consecu-tive tri-series trophy - andthird in a row at home - bycrushing England by 112runs to lift the CarltonMid Tri-Series. InSunday's final, it wasMaxwell the batsman whocarried Australia from 60for 4 to 201 for 5 with anexcellent 98-ball 95 on atricky WACA surface - hishighest ODI score. In thesecond, it was Maxwellthe bowler who collected acareer-best 4 for 46 to helpbowl England out for 166in 39.1 overs. To furtheradd to his outstandingimpact on a massive win,Maxwell took a sharpcatch at backward point toadd to England's MitchellJohnson-triggered wobbleof 46 for 4, from whichthey never recovered.

Chasing 278 was nevergoing to be an easy taskfor England in the final ona pitch that was a littletwo-paced and England'sbest chance lay with theopeners giving them agood foundation. Theywere set back soon intothe chase when Josh

Hazlewood had the in-form Ian Bell (8) nickingbehind in the fourth over.To make matters worse,England came up against awell-rested MitchellJohnson who was raring togo. England's Ashes neme-sis did not waste muchtime into triggering theghosts of the past. Off justhis eighth ball, he hadJames Taylor (4) playingaway from his body andspooning a catch toMaxwell backward point.That was just the start.

Johnson hammered

England into the groundwith two more wickets inhis next over. Moeen Ali(26) was just getting intohis groove when a brute ofa bouncer took his gloveand lobbed to slip. EoinMorgan, the skipper, camein next and promptlyshouldered arms to a ballhitting off stump. It washis second golden duck insuccession againstAustralia. Ravi Boparasurvived the hat-trick ballbut England were alwaysplaying catch-up afterbeing reduced to 46 for 4

in the 11th over.Joe Root and

Bopara put on asteady standbefore Faulknercame into theattack and struckwith his first ballto get rid of Root(25). Faulknerbowled only nineballs after his firstover before walk-ing back to thedressing roomwith back spasms.It allowed littlerespite for Englandthough.

M a x w e l lstruck twice in

two balls to get rid of JosButtler (17) and ChrisWoakes (0) in the 25thover, leaving England tochase 181 with just threewickets in hand. StuartBroad (24) lived adventur-ously but perished to a bigshot against Maxwellwhile Bopara (33) becamehis fourth victim in the39th over.

England's plight wasvery similar to the oneAustralia found them-selves in after they wereput in to bat by Morgan

after James Anderson,Broad and Ali combinedto reduce them to 60 for 4in the 18th over.Thereafter, Australia wereput back on track thanksto a 141-run standbetween Maxwell andMitchell Marsh (60), whobatted with caution beforethe former exploded in thePowerplay overs, hitting31 of the 46 runs Australiatook off that block.Maxwell regularly playedthe reverse-sweep andreverse-paddle, and in factscored 33 runs off 14 ballsin the arc between back-ward point and the wicket-keeper. Maxwell fell in thenineties yet again as hetried to pull Broad (3/55)but ended up getting a topedge, a dismissal whichwas followed by those ofMarsh and Brad Haddin.A collapse of three wicketsfor 24 runs was counteredexcellently by Faulkner,whose 24-ball fifty pow-ered Australia to 278 for 8.He was particularly severeagainst Woakes who wentfor 18 runs in his ninthover and 24 in his 10th tofinish with 10-0-89-0 - thefourth most expensive

spell by an England bowlerin ODIs. Faulkner got tohis fifty with a six off thelast ball of the innings, his24-ball innings proving thedifference between a mid-dling total and a challeng-ing one. In the end, even200 would have beenenough against a feebleEngland batting order.

India stay winlessThe only consolation

India had in their final tri-series league match wasthat they fought hard tillthe end. But there is noreward for that. Theyneeded to beat the Englishteam which they couldnot, thus ending theircampaign winless. Indiawere left ruing missedopportunities. First, whentheir openers, for once,had given them a goodstart, the rest of the bat-ting failed to capitalize onit. And second, when theyhad half the England line-up, chasing 201 on a diffi-cult WACA pitch, back inthe pavilion. But a missedrun out by AjinkyaRahane and a droppedcatch by Suresh Raina,helped England to wriggleout of a tight situation.

SSPPOORRTTwww.abplgroup.com - Asian Voice 7th February 201532

Maxwell, Johnson help Australia win tri-series