Asian Lite News Archive

Category: COLUMNS

  • Talibanisation of the Sikh faith!

    —

    in , ,

    I am appalled to read about the actions of a few unelected, self-appointed Sikhs who have removed Shri Granth Sahib’s Sarup (Holy Book) from the house of the former Principal of Khalsa College in Amritsar by claiming that he cooks and eats eggs at home. It appears these people have claimed ownership upon the Sikh…

  • Portrait of a poet as a diplomat

    —

    in , ,

    HE Abhay K. has served in different diplomatic capacities earlier in Russia, Nepal and Brazil. His published collections of poetry include The Seduction of Delhi, The Eight-Eyed Lord of Kathmandu, The Prophecy of Brasilia The Alphabets of Latin America among others while his edited books are CAPITALS, 100 Great Indian Poems, 100 More Great Indian…

  • UK struggles to fill teachers vacancies

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Nearly one in 100 full-time teaching posts in England were either vacant or filled temporarily in 2014, BBC reported based on Department for Education figures There were 1,030 vacancies last November, up a third on 2013, the highest number since 2010, when the DfE started compiling figures in November. Meanwhile, teachers on contracts of between…

  • Ministers, Mandarins Spoil Modi Magic

    —

    in , , , ,

    The daily stumbles of ministers like Smrithi Irani and mandarins are attracting greater attention than Modi’s achievement….writes Amulya Ganguli So, even as the economy is certified by the Reserve Bank governor to be on the mend, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to take the country into a digital age with more e-governance, it…

  • COME ON BABY, DRIVE YOUR CAR

    —

    in , , , , ,

    My friend is unhappy. His wife wants a new car. She has made the decision unilaterally (means without asking him) because two of her friends have rich husbands who have bought them new upmarket cars and now she expects him to do the right thing…writes Bikram Vohra Tell me, he says in that hollow, mirthless…

  • PLEASE SIR, TAKE MY SEAT, SIR, PLEASE, SIR

    —

    in , ,

    BY BIKRAM VOHRA Hahaha… it is funny, so funny that if you get into the groove of it, you could have tears of mirth streaming down your face. This huge issue they are making of Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of State for Home being given seats on an Air India plane at the expense…

  • When Hindu votes sealed Indira’s fate

    —

    in , , ,

    “If the majority rule were to apply, the crow should be our national bird, not the peacock”. A quote attributed to the Tamil leader C.N. Annadurai during a protest speech in 1962 against the imposition of Hindi as a national language, 13 years before the imposition of emergency by Indira Gandhi. Annadurai went on to…

  • Europe’s crisis will linger till Euro exists

    —

    in , , ,

    By Vatsal Srivastava A great economic experiment began in 1951 with the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community. It was an attempt to make war within Europe impossible by establishing free trade in coal and steel, eliminating all tariffs and restrictions on cross border economic shipments. Ideally, it would ensure that French steel…

  • Without God, Is Everything Permitted?

    —

    in , , , , , , ,

    Vikas Datta reviews British author Julian Baggini’s Without God, is Everything Permitted?  The dilemmas of our lives and times – A way out? Does the study of ethics and morality have any relevance in our contemporary action-oriented, technology-driven materialistic world where philosophy is dismissed as only an academic activity? Yes, it does if we are to make informed,…

  • Remnants of the worst days of China

    —

    in , , , ,

    The power of the state, and its control over the minds of its citizens in mainland China, has not reduced much in almost three decades, though prosperity has spread wide. The Chinese are afraid to talk to a journalist about what had happened so many years ago….writes Hardev Sanotra from Tiananmen Square, Beijing As India recalled…

  • THOSE WERE THE DAYS

    —

    in ,

    By Bikram Vohra You know that time has ticked away and you are not 22: When you visit friends after some years and you discover their children are no longer children. When your children tell you this is not for you, you won’t understand. When the twinge of pain isn’t automatically indigestion. When, if the…

  • Two Asian giants mark their darkest days

    —

    in , , , ,

    By Hardev Sanotra  As India recalled its darkest period 40 years ago in June, China too marked its worst days in its recent history in same the month. But the remembrance of the events 29 years ago was more in the breach here. On June 4, 1989 tanks of the People’s Liberation Army and its…

  • Erdogan’s Fall From Grace

    —

    in , ,

    By Alon Ben-Meir Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech during a graduation ceremony in Ankara. Turkish President Erdogan’s May 2013 plan to raze Gezi Park in Central Istanbul and replace it with a replica 19th century Ottoman barrack prompted anti-government protests in Istanbul and other cities across Turkey, which led to violent confrontations where the…

  • The dark months of Emergency

    —

    in , , ,

     Ajit Mozoomdar, Secretary at Ministry of Finance, 1974-76 and served under prime minister Indira Gandhi recalls the dark months of emergency in the Asian Lite, the biggest Asian newspaper in UK. The experience of the Emergency – 19 months of undemocratic rule in India, without civil liberties – is now a distant memory. For the young, it…

  • GPs deserve a better dose

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Dr Kailash Chand, one of the senior most GPs in the country and the deputy chairman of the British Medical Association, raps Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s vision for a ‘new deal’ for a seven-day general practice is big on rhetoric, but does not offer enough support to a struggling profession. Visit asianlite.com for regular comments…

  • Why do they fly to Isis?

    —

    in , , ,

    Nazir Afzal OBE, former Chief Crown Prosecutor, exploring the reasons behind the radicalisation of young British Muslims. An Exclusive for Asian Lite News Boys and girls immersed in Britishness, playing Xbox games or listening to One Direction  join whole families with infant children on flights that ultimately end in the misery that is the so…

  • Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan

    —

    in , , ,

    Bajrangi Bhaijaan will be released in India and Pakistan besides overseas territories during Eid. The film, directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Salman Khan and Rockline Venkatesh, features Mr Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in lead roles. The theatrical trailer of the movie was launched in a grand ceremony in Mumbai

  • The US Must Stop Enabling Israel

    —

    in , , ,

    By Dr Alon Ben-Meir No one can deny the close, abiding, and unparalleled friendship between the United States and Israel. This tight bond has served both countries well, especially Israel, which has benefitted politically, economically, and militarily from the US’s unwavering support, helping Israel to become a powerhouse second to none in the Middle East.…

  • MR. MARLBORO’S MILLIONS

    —

    in , ,

    BY BIKRAM VOHRA Not sure if you have heard of Mokhtar Belmokhtar who was killed in a US airstrike a couple of days ago. He was on the run for the past seven years. After an Algerian court sentenced him to life in absentia he joined several fringe groups.  He became interested in jihad in…

  • Expectations are Modi’s challenges

    —

    in , , ,

    By Amit Dasgupta Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started his second year with a reasonably positive track record. He, however, faces four clear challenges that he needs to urgently address if he aspires for a second term. First, the biggest challenge he faces is with regard to the aspirations and expectations of domestic constituencies, business…

  • The ‘mysteries’ of new China

    —

    in , ,

    By Vikas Datta   Surreptitiously reading translations of Sherlock Holmes and other detective fiction as a student amid the Cultural Revolution’s turbulence, Chinese poet and academician Qiu Xiaolong had no idea that one day he would also be writing a series of ‘whodunit’ mysteries giving a view of his home city Shanghai as memorable yet gritty…

  • SOMETHINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER BE

    —

    in , ,

    BY BIKRAM VOHRA Whizzkid. Like a meteor you burn brightly and then you burn out. And the party is over. Besides everyone else lays traps for you. The boss. If you cannot be a leader. And that means doing it better than your team. Favourite son. It is wonderful to be the boss’s fav but…

  • What is spooking Indian equities?

    —

    in , , ,

    By Rohit Vaid From an all-time high that was touched in the first week of March to the latest trading day, two key equity market indices have taken a beating of around 12 percent. This, at a time when India’s growth forecasts have been upgraded by a host of global financial institutions. On March 4,…

  • Moral for Modi in Erdogan’s reversal

    —

    in , , ,

    By Saeed Naqvi  A reduced Tayyip Erdogan will hurt Turkish pride although the pain, as in some forms of sprain, will be a delayed effect. The Turkish election results will also alter the West Asian political dynamics because the Muslim Brotherhood, whose banner Erdogan had begun to flutter to reinforce his regional moves, will now…

  • UK to honour 3000 Ebola fighters

    —

    in , , , ,

    The British government has set out the details of a new medal that will recognise the bravery and hard work of thousands of people who helped to tackle Ebola in West Africa….reports Asian Lite News  The medal is expected to go to over 3,000 people who travelled from the UK to work in high risk…

  • EU thaws ties with Latin America

    —

    in , , ,

    European Commission (EC) president Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Council chief Donald Tusk and Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa concluded a “fruitfull” summit that brought together the leaders the European Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), Efe news agency reported. Correa, whose country chairs the pro-tempore presidency of Celac for this year,…

  • Labour Urged to Learn Lessons

    —

    in , , , ,

    It is wrong to think of the BAME vote as a block homogeneous group and Labour needs to be sophisticated and specific in its response to different communities. Labour mustn’t take Black and Asian voters for granted….writes  Virendra Sharma, MP for Ealing Southall The lessons for the Labour Party from the 2015 general election are…

  • Why Screening is bad for Men?

    —

    in , , ,

    Human beings are not cars. Plugging ourselves into a machine and running a few tests “just in case” can cause more harm than good….writes Dr Kailash Chand,  deputy chair of the British Medical Association (BMA) Identifying illnesses before they happen or at an earlier stage of their progression must be good – and that screening for,…

  • The necessity of Iraqi Sunni independence

    —

    in , , ,

    The Sunni Iraqis do not view Iran’s involvement as transient, and learning from their past experience, they will under no circumstances surrender their future to the whims of Tehran, which they consider a staunch enemy. Dr Alon Ben-Meir writes on the necessity of Iraqi Sunni independence that is is needed in Britain’s leading Asian newspaper…

  • It’s Time For A New Strategy

    —

    in , , ,

    Alon Ben-Meir writes in Asian Lite, Britain’s top Asian newspaper Given the impasse between Israel and the Palestinians in the peace negotiations, the formation of a new right-wing Israeli government will make it further difficult for the two sides to come to terms on their own to reach a peace agreement.  Leaving them to their…

  • Roadblocks remain in resolving Iran n-issue

    —

    in , , , , ,

    By Aadil Mir   As the June 30 deadline to resolve the contentious Iran nuclear issue between Tehran and six world powers nears, there still remain several roadblocks which could hamper the progress made so far. The insistence by the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and Germany for inspecting Iran’s military sites and…

  • BCCI a superpower with feudal mindset

    —

    in , , , ,

    By Veturi Srivatsa  The Indian cricket board is bothered about its image more than the development of the sport or the promotion of players. It wants to project itself as a modern cricket power with a feudal mindset. If the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) thinks it is modern and a superpower,…

  • ‘Intrinsic Beauty’ at Birmingham

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Sulakshana Monga, India’s most celebrated Couture Designer, unveils her “Intrinsic Beauty” collection at Birmingham Stalwart of India’s high fashion landscape, celebrated couture designer, Sulakshana Monga, unveiled her Autumn/ Winter 2015 collection from her sought after label, Soltee by Sulakshana Monga at Edgbaston Stadium, the County Ground, Edgbaston, Birmingham. Sulakshana Monga presented the collection for the…

  • France Launches Green Revolution

    —

    in , , , ,

    The French lower house of parliament approved a ‘Royal’ bill, pushed patiently but vigorously by France’s Ecology Minister Segolene Royal. The bill, called ‘the energy transition for green growth Act’, passed by 308 votes for and 217 against, heralds the beginning of the French ecological revolution. The first step is banning all plastic bags….writes Rajendra…

  • INTL. Students add £2.3 bn to UK coffers

    —

    in , , , ,

      International students are a boon to the UK economy, reveals a new report from London First and PwC.  The research shows that international students in London bring a net benefit of £2.3 billion to the UK economy…reports Asian Lite, Best Newspaper for Asian Diaspora They support nearly 70,000 jobs in London because of the…

  • British Asian MPs support Yvette

    —

    in , ,

    Virendra Sharma, Shabana Mahmood, Seema Malhotra and Khalid Mahmood are supporting Cooper’s campaign…reports Asian Lite, best newspaper for British Asians Yvette Cooper’s campaign to become Labour leader gathers momentum as more MPs including senior leader Virendra Sharma endorsed the shadow home secretary. Besides Sharma, – Shabana Mahmood, Seema Malhotra and Khalid Mahmood are supporting Cooper’s campaign. Former…

  • One Year of Modi Sarkar

    —

    in , ,

    Amit Kapoor & Sankalp Sharma  assessing one-year’s performance of the Modi government for Asian lite, best newspaper for the Asian Diaspora The Narendra Modi Modi government, which completed a year in office on May 26, had won last year’s general elections on the plank of development and its promise to bring in ‘Acche Din’. Here…

  • Modi puts India on right track

    —

    in , , ,

    After a period of policy paralysis, India is again open for foreign business – and it is reaping encouraging results…writes Vijay Goel, chairman of the Asian Business Association of the London Chamber of Commerce Business people generally welcomed the result, the democratically-minded everywhere applauded the process, but what is the reality one year on from…

  • A new French revolution begins

    —

    in , ,

    By Rajendra Shende  In month of May in 1789, the simmering debate between the bourgeoisie and the aristocracy on the proposed royal reforms sparked the French revolution. It quickly spilled all over the country. The ‘commons’ or so called ‘Third Estate’ started holding their own assembly. Within a space of six months, by December, prison…

  • Why no due credit for Manmohan from Congress

    —

    in , , ,

    Amulya Ganguli writes in Britain’s leading Asian newspaper, Asian Lite on the lack of credit due for the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh from his won party. The Narendra Modi government’s chief economic advisor, Arvind Subramanian, has said that the rate of poverty reduction from 2005-06 to 2011-12 was the fastest in the country’s history.…

  • Economist Snubs Modi

    —

    in , , , ,

    In a cover story, the Economist said Modi’s one year in government is dotted with many hits and misses…reports Asian Lite, Best newspaper for British Asians  The weekly newspaper also concerned about the concentration of too much power in one person. “Mr Modi acts as if a lot of small improvements add up to transformative…

  • Alan hands over baton

    —

    in , , ,

    Alan Rusbridger steps down as The Guardian editor after 20 years at the helm of world’s most credible left wing newspaper. Deputy editor Katharine Viner is now in charge, Press Gazette reported.   Veteran investigative journalist Nick Davies said Mr  Rusbridger occupies a position next Harold Evans in the pantheon of British media “I think…

  • REVIEW: ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’

    —

    in , , , , ,

    ‘Welcome 2 Karachi’ – troublesome two-some in the Bollywood remake of Dumb and Dumber. Troy Ribeiro reviews the movie for sian Lite, britain’s best newspaper for British Asians. Rating:  ** Film: “Welcome 2 Karachi”; Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jackky Bhagnani, Lauren Gottlieb, Dalip Tahil and Ayub Khosa; Director: Ashish R. Mohan; Rating: ** “Welcome 2 Karachi” aka welcome to…

  • India can’t do without coal

    —

    in , , , , , ,

    Amit Bhandari writes in Asian Lite, Britain’s leading Asian newspaper on India’s addiction with coal.  Coal generates over 75 percent of India’s electricity and is among the cheapest energy sources available. Its main advantage over other feasible alternatives is that it is largely immune to interference from nature — quakes, floods, droughts-economic vagaries and artificial accidents. India…

  • The undernet takes children away

    —

    in , , , ,

    The internet is a force for good and we must never blame the technology for the human beings who abuse it. It is the undernet that I am wary of. The private places where pain and harm are delivered in the guise of communication. We have to challenge the narrative of jihadism. We must encourage…

  • Its no big deal? Indians only marginal polluters!

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Amit Bhandari writes in Asian Lite, UK’s top Asian Newspaper on why Indians are marginal polluters compared to the developed world.  India’s development dilemma centres around a basic calculation: the carbon emission for an average Indian is only marginally higher than the carbon dioxide produced in flying one passenger from Tokyo to San Francisco. In other…

  • Uni Honours Lord Swraj Paul

    —

    in , , , , ,

       The University of Wolverhampton to name the new business building after Lord Paul The University of Wolverhampton’s new business school development is to be named the Lord Swraj Paul Building. The £18 million project is a six-storey facility located in Molineux Street, Wolverhampton and will provide teaching and social learning space for The University…

  • RAHUL ROCKS KERALA

    —

    in , , , ,

    He may be snubbed as the Crown Prince of Congress. But now the bearded Crown Prince of Congress is a Warrior Prince after the meditation session in Thailand. The Congress leader is garnering support where ever he go. In Kerala he visited a fisherman village to get a first-hand experience of the common man. He…

  • Prof. Sen Defends Marxism

    —

    in , , , , ,

    Nobel Prize winning economist Amartya Sen delivered a passionate defence of the importance of free thought, in Hay’s annual lecture in honour of the festival’s former president Eric Hobsbawm. Challenged by a questioner who asked him how he could respect a philosophy whose practitioners had created the Gulag and the Cultural Revolution, Sen said ideas need…

  • Modi puts India on right track

    —

    in , , , ,

    After a period of policy paralysis, India is again open for foreign business – and it is reaping encouraging results…writes Vijay Goel, chairman of the Asian Business Association of the London Chamber of Commerce Business people generally welcomed the result, the democratically-minded everywhere applauded the process, but what is the reality one year on from…